We were lucky to get a site for one night at Kartchner Caverns State Park. It is a beautiful park that is less than twenty years old with wet caverns, which are still growing.
Camping At Kartchner Caverns
Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona, is about an hour away from Tucson. Our son lived in Tucson several years ago and suggested we visit. It is the newest, most modern State Park we have seen in our travels and we had a perfect spot just a few feet from the bathhouse. There were sidewalks everywhere with prickly pear and barrel cacti and mesquite trees for landscaping. Very pretty! Below is a link to the park.
While we were there, the weather was pleasant in the daytime and not very cold at night. We really liked having such a modern bathhouse so near. The park has restrooms, showers, and a dump station, but no sewer or laundry. Our site was $35, a little high for a state park, but worth it.
Site # 37
The countryside around Kartchner is very beautiful and the sky was so blue!
Across the street from the park
We had reservations for a cave tour early the next morning. Reservations are recommended and we had booked them on line the day before.
Path to the Discovery Center
Kartchner Caverns Cave Tour
The cave tours begin at the Discovery Center and then a tram takes you up the mountain. The tour was very interesting with cave formations resembling curtains, bacon, and columns. Two young men discovered the caverns in the 1970s but they kept it secret for many years. Consequently, the structure around it is relatively new.
It was cold in the early morning and we wore coats to the Discovery Center, but the cave was 70 degrees with 99% humidity and too warm to keep them on.
The tours last about 90 minutes and photos are not allowed. They are strict about visitors not touching the formations as well because the cave is still growing and touching can cause harm.
Conclusion
We came back to the campsite and cooked breakfast before heading out.
Our setup at Kartchner
Kartchner was a leisurely break for us. The park features beautiful views, friendly camp hosts, immaculate facility, and the caverns for entertainment.
If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows to the post.
Las Cruces, New Mexico is a beautiful part of the country. We just had one night there, but we wish we could have stayed longer.
Beautiful New Mexico
This was our first time to visit New Mexico and the beautiful countryside was amazing. I took the photo below at the Visitor’s Center.
New Mexico Visitor’s Center
Also, the ride along the interstate in New Mexico was very picturesque. For much of the time, train tracks paralleled the road off in the distance. The trains with the mountains behind them was a lovely sight.
We saw something on this leg of our journey we have never seen before, tumbleweeds crossing the road. They were quite large and we tried to avoid them on the road. Interesting!
View from my car window
Seeking a Campsite
Las Cruces was just a one night stopover with no prior reservations. We called that morning and were very lucky to get a spot at Siesta RV. When we arrived, Mike, who checked us in, told us that many people had called after us and could not get a site. The campground was totally full. Lesson learned: call early in the day for a reservation if you do not have one during the high season.
The campground had partial hookups, cable, and a laundry, but the sites were very close together. Mike was great! He even reopened the office to get us change for the laundry.
I neglected to take a photo of our site, but we just put our interior gear on a picnic table.
The campground was just off I-10 and near Target, Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel, and Holiday World, a large RV Dealership. Holiday World had the Little Guy Max and the T@B 400, both of which we had been wanting to check out. They were very nice and we spent some time with another Mike who showed us the campers and gave us lots of info about them.
Mesilla
The small town of Mesilla was within walking distance and is well-known for its shopping and restaurants. Most noteworthy, Mesilla is one of the oldest and frequently visited communities in southern New Mexico. It was voted best vacation getaway in New Mexico for 2013 and 2014. I wish we could have spent more time there, but we had reservations at the next stop.
We chose La Posta for dinner because it was mentioned in reviews of the town. It was incredible! The building is in a former stagecoach station and a favored stop of the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. The restaurant has been in operation since 1939 and has authentic Mexican food that is fantastic. The food is made from centuries old recipes handed down from three families.
It also has beautiful decor. Live tropical birds and aquariums are in the entryway. Additionally, the restaurant has beautifully decorated the individual dining rooms.
One of La Posta’s dining rooms
After the RV visit and meal at La Posta, we did laundry. It seems we cannot totally escape domestic chores.
In conclusion, Las Cruces and Siesta RV was a great place for us to stop on our way out west.
Big Bend National Park was a major stop on this trip. The park is awe-inspiring. Lots of photos are are included because Big Bend is exquisite eye candy.
Getting to Big Bend
One thing to know about visiting Big Bend is there are miles and miles of road with no commerce and no cell service. Because of this, anyone new to traveling in the area should be sure to get gasoline and take bathroom breaks at every opportunity. Also, it is helpful to have the destination in Google Maps or in a GPS because cell service is not available for many miles. If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows.
Sadly, no reservations were available inside Big Bend because sites are booked far in advance. However, we were able to find a spot at Stillwell Store, which is a few miles from the entrance to the park. Stillwell offered electricity, water, restrooms, showers, and a shaded picnic table. It also had sporadic WiFi, a bit of a miracle amid all the isolation.
We were there a couple days and there was not much shade. So, we put up our awning. The site was fairly close to the bathhouse, so we did not set up the side tent or the porta potty. We liked everything about staying there except for the facilities, which were old and not well-maintained. However, given the remote nature of Big Bend, we were happy to be there. Next, is a link to Stillwell Store.
The area was nice in sunlight, but sunset that first evening was especially lovely.
Sunset over Stillwell Store
Hallie Stillwell Museum
There is a museum dedicated to Hallie Stillwell, who has been honored by the State of Texas as a Texas hero. She lived almost 100 years in this isolated area and wrote about the artifacts she found there. The museum has many items, articles, and photos from Hallie’s life. It is free and donations are accepted. Hollywood should make a movie about her.
Hallie Stillwell Museum
Visiting Big Bend
We just spent one full day at Big Bend, but we saw a lot of incredible sights. There are quite a few photos in this post because we saw so many beautiful views.
Soto Vista ViewDonkey EarsView from Sotol VistaChihauhaun Desert
The Rio Grande is a natural border and it separates Big Bend National Park and Mexico. However, some of the incredible views are actually in Mexico.
The Rio Grande
In the photo below, the canyon is in Mexico and the river is unseen below.
Santa Elena CanyonNear Rio Grande VillageCastolon Historic DistrictCastolon
Our route for the day was the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castolon and then over to the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, stopping at most of the exhibits along the way. We returned by the same route and then went to the Chisos Basin and had a late lunch at the restaurant there. Lastly, we drove down to check out Rio Grande Village, the area that has camping with hookups.
The sun was setting as we returned to Stillwell’s.
Del Rio was a stop along the way to Big Bend. We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it was excellent!
Del Rio
First of all, Del Rio was a logical stop along our path to Big Bend. It is a relatively small town, but it offered some entertainment of special interest to my husband and a very nice campground.
Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum
We try to do something in the local area for each stop on our trip. Before going to our campground, we visited the Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum because they closed at 4:00. It is one of Del Rio’s highly-rated attractions and has a tremendous amount of information about aviation as it pertains to the Del Rio area. Jim Long, the docent, provided very detailed explanations about the history and artifacts displayed. Jim is very knowledgeable and seems very dedicated to the work of the museum.
Del Rio played a part in aviation going back to the first transatlantic flight. Laughlin Air Force Base is nearby, named for Jack Laughlin, a local hero and B-17 pilot who lost his life in WWII.
We learned that Del Rio was the location for the U-2, the first CIA spy planes. The museum has a lot of recently de-classified documents. My big guy is a huge aviation fan and he was enthralled. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it too. I learned something major that I did not know. While Pearl Harbor was being bombed, the Imperial Japanese Air Force were also bombing Singapore and Hong Kong. I now understand a lot more about the Japanese mindset at the time of the bombings.
The museum is free, but it does accept donations. However, it is not open every day and has limited hours. I recommend checking the website before going.
Broke Mill RV Park
We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it offered lots of amenities. We were in need of some creature comforts at that time. It was unseasonably cold and very windy when we arrived for our one night stopover. The facility was very clean with the nicest bathhouse we have seen in a long time. The laundry offered about six each modern washers and dryers. There was a spacious day room with a television we could use while the clothes were laundering.
Broke Mill RV Park in Del Rio
The campground was nice as well and provided good spacing between sites. Again, we were there one night only and just moved our interior gear outside under a tarp. We only hooked up the electricity and cable.
CampgroundDayroom
The campground offered very good cable reception and also a fair number of channels. During office hours, the campground sells grass-fed beef, so it would be a great place to get a fresh steak to grill. As a result of the many amenities, I highly recommend this very well-maintained campground.
McKinney Falls State Park was a great spot from which to see Austin and is a wonderful park in general. The sites are large and our site #42 was perfect.
Camping in Austin
We chose to camp in Austin because it was close to nearby family and we loved the McKinney State Park. It also offered everything we needed for two days in the area. This park had very nice showers too. Our site was very large, offered a lot of privacy, and was only about 200 feet from the bathhouse, which was immaculate. Furthermore, the park is very close to downtown Austin with the only downside of some road noise.
Site # 42
We would be away from the campsite for all of our one full day there, so we did not do anything beyond hooking up power and water and putting a tarp over the gear that rides inside our camper. Also, rain was expected and we wanted to be able depart easily.
Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum
We needed an indoor activity, so we arranged to meet a couple of beloved cousins at the Lyndon B. Johnson Library and Museum. We enjoyed the museum and learned a lot about this country’s thirty-sixth president (1963-1969). The android in the photo below depicts Johnson’s mannerisms and the way he used humor to make a point.
President Johnson Android
The library included a replica of the Oval Office as it was in the Johnson years.
Replica of Oval Office as in the Johnson years
Johnson was known for being very persuasive and for getting up close and personal. There was a name for it, “The Johnson Treatment.”
Big Guy and cousin getting the “Johnson Treatment”
The library also included a video about events in his presidency, articles from the Johnson family’s life, an exhibit of pop culture of the time, and a film about his family life. We were there about two hours and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Quality Seafood
We then had a very nice lunch with the cousins at Quality Seafood, which has amazing gumbo! It was great spending quality time with them and we were appreciative because they drove quite a few miles in the rain to hang with us.
Hanging out with cousins
The Capitol
Before heading back to our campsite, we visited the Texas State Capitol, which is the largest state capital in the United States. The Italian Renaissance Revival building, completed in 1888, is quite beautiful. At the time of its construction, it was reputed to be the seventh largest building in the world.
Texas State CapitolView from inside the rotundaThe domeThe Senate FloorThe House of Representatives
Because of space limitations, an enormous underground extension was added in 1993. Therefore, it doubled the space available for state business. In the photo below, you can see the Capitol Building through the skylight.
Looking up from underground extension
We also took a free guided tour, which was very informative.
Conclusion
After the tour, we rented a couple of movies at Redbox and headed back to camp. This was another part of the rainy day plan.
Sea Rim State Park was a new experience for us—no showers and a pit toilet.
Anticipating Sea Rim
Sea Rim was our first experience in a Texas State Park. It was chosen because it was along our southwest path and near Houston, where we have relatives. The ratings were good and I booked it without thoroughly researching. The day before we were to camp there, I read reviews from several sources. Three things that I read concerned me:
There were no indoor showers. Only outdoor showers for removing sand.
Allegators were prominently mentioned in the reviews. Sightings were numerous! Late night treks to the restroom concerned me.
Mosquitos were mentioned as being vicious. I had naively thought that since we were traveling in the winter, we would not have significant problems with them.
We adopted a stoic attitude, recognizing that not all of the time spent on this trip will be comfortable and there will be challenges. I told my husband I was going to be “pioneer woman”.
Camping at Sea Rim
It actually was not as bad as I feared. Our son told us that when he had been camping with no showers, they used baby wipes. I had stowed some towelettes designed for just that purpose from when my husband was in the hospital so we had a solution for the lack of a shower.
Site # 4
Though it was about 2 p.m. when we arrived, it was amazingly foggy. The sun was shining, but it barely showed through the fog. It looked very “other worldly.” Our campsite was simple as it was for only one night. It is a very long drive into Sea Rim through oil well facilities with little or no commerce and restaurant options were non-existent. My big guy cooked a nice meal for us. It was pleasant and bugs were not bothering us at that time.
We walked over the boardwalk to the beach and it was even foggier there, but it felt good to have the salt air blowing in us. It was so humid that my hair remained damp the entire time we were outside.
Foggy view of the gulfA foggy walk on the beach
We enjoyed our afternoon. We did not see a single alligator, which was fine by me, though my husband would have liked it.
An Evening with Mosquitoes
As soon as it was almost dark, the mosquito army arrived and we were under siege. At least two dozen managed to make it into our cabin and we were killing mosquitoes for at least an hour. I have identified about eight bites and my husband got quite a few too. Most unpleasant!
On the plus side, the temperature was comfortable and were fell asleep to the sounds and smell of the sea. The restroom was close and not bad, though it was what is described as a pit toilet. It was basically a building with a men’s and women’s toilet over a pit about six feet deep. Surprisingly, it did not smell bad. The facility was clean and well-maintained. I did look out for alligators as I made the trek.
After the Fog Lifted
The next morning, most of the fog had lifted and it was a beautiful, sunny day. This remote park was lovely if you don’t consider the mosquitoes. The ranger did say that they were very bad when we arrived.
Ready to go to AustinView of the marsh and boardwalk
The next stop is McKinney State Park in Austin and it has showers. Yea!
We are taking a winter trip along the southwestern border of the United States in our T@G MAXL camper. Stop number one was in Mississippi.
Natchez State Park
Natchez State Park was the first stop of our first long trip in our teardrop camper. Our longest prior trip was seven days and we expect this trip to last about four weeks. We don’t really know what to expect as we have never spent so much continuous time in our tiny camper and have not driven in most of the areas. Lastly, although we will be south of most of the country, we will be traveling in the winter. Exciting—but scary!
One of the trip goals was to limit driving hours to 3-5 hours each day. Natchez was a five hour drive and on the long end of our goal, but it gets us well on our path. The post regarding how we planned this trip follows.
It was our first time to camp in Mississippi. We reserved site 46 through Reserve America. It was pretty inexpensive, only $16.05 for the night. The campground was nice with typical state park facilities. Fishing and hunting are big activities in the area and it is my understanding that the fishing is especially good at the lake in the campground.
Rain was expected that night, so we did not really set up camp. Therefore, we just moved items that were in our camper to a picnic table and plugged in the electric cord. We had a couple of places to visit and were having dinner out, so it would be dark when we returned.
Items removed from our bed
Long wood
Natchez is a city with a very interesting past. I was surprised to learn that before the Civil War, more than half the millionaires in the entire country lived in Natchez. Consequently, there are an abundance of very elegant mansions that still exist from that time.
Longwood, an Oriental Villa, is the largest octagonal house in the United States, designed by famous Philadelphia architect, Samuel Sloan. Construction began in 1860 and it was to provide 30,000 square feet of living space. It had been under construction for about eighteen months when it was halted in 1861 as tensions rose regarding the Civil War. The owners, Haller and Julia Nutt, had the basement area completed early and were living in it while the remaining construction was occurring. The owners never completed the remaining interior levels.
LongwoodPlan for First FloorInterior roomView of upper floors through the dome
Longwood’s wealthy owner became sick and died while in his 40’s, but his wife and their children lived in it for many decades in this unfinished status. Longwood was often referred to over the years as Nutt’s Folly. The Pilgrimage Garden Club acquired Longwood in 1970. It was designated a historic landmark in 1971.
The estate has many beautiful live oak trees such as the one below. A link to the Longwood website follows.
Another amazing architectural design in Natchez is St Mary’s Basilica. The See of the Roman Catholic Church in Mississippi designed the church and began construction in 1842. Most noteworthy, it is the only church built as a cathedral in Mississippi and designated a minor basilica.
St. Mary’s Basilica
It is a beautiful building. Unfortunately, we arrived at a time when mass was just beginning, so we did not get to take photos of the interior. I would have loved to be able to just sit quietly in all that beauty and splendor for a few minutes. Our schedule did not allow for a return to the basilica on this visit, but we want to see it again if we are in the area.
Main entrance with papal coat of arms on the left
Roux 61 Seafood and Grill
Dinner was at the highly-rated Roux 61 Seafood and Grill and it lived up to its reputation. We arrived at approximately 4 p.m. and the parking lot was full. We had some incredible chargrilled oysters! Our favorites were the oysters, slaw, hush puppies, and bread pudding. We shared a seafood platter and the fish and seafood were also good. This was a very,very good meal!
Roux 61 Seafood and Grill
After dinner, we returned to our camper and watched a movie. It was raining, but we were dry and cozy and the temperature was perfect.
There is still much more to see in Natchez and we hope to return.
Next stop, Sea Rim State Park in Sabine Pass, Texas!
This upcoming trip will last almost a month and cover over 5,000 miles. Previously, our longest trip was only one week and just a few hundred miles. This post covers how we tackled the planning for this much longer trip.
This long trip in our teardrop begins along the U.S. southwestern border. Our return back east is along a bit more northern path. It is a cool weather trip and therefore, our desire is to camp in areas with milder weather.
Long Trip Planning Framework
Limit driving to approximately three to five hours a day.
Extend the trip all the way to California with camping in the path of our destination primarily near the southwestern border to minimize the impact of cold weather.
Travel a slightly more northern route on the return home to visit other states.
Stay overnight in as many states as possible. We have a goal of camping in all the lower 48 states and we have a long way to go to reach that goal.
Travel early in the day to avoid driving at night and having to set up in the dark.
Campsites will be simple without the use of a lot of outdoor amenities as we will not be staying long in any single spot. We purchased a smaller side tent for this trip as it is easier to use.
Cooking will be minimal as well, with most breakfasts at the campsites and a late lunch out in the local area. We want to avoid chain restaurants and experience some of the better cuisine in each area. Very small snacks such as fruit or popcorn will be our dinner. We hope to lose a little weight on the trip or at least not gain any.
Visit a couple of special areas that are off the path: Moab, Utah and Alabama Hills, California. I was blown away by photos posted by some campers of those spots and we determined it was worth driving extra miles to visit. If it later becomes too much, we can omit one or both of these stops.
Expect to do laundry and buy groceries. This means that packing will not have to include many more clothes than packed on previous trips. Food initially packed will be breakfast and snacking options. Below is a link to our post on packing for teardrop camping.
Once we had a framework, defining the stops on the trip was just finding places on the map that offered good camping options within the miles we would travel in a day. We wanted to stay near towns and cities with a priority to those we have never seen or have wanted to visit.
Reservations
One big question: to reserve or not to reserve? We have read about campers who just find overnight places as they go along. This is appealing because on a long trip with many stops, you may want to stay more or less time than you would plan. I also worried that if everything is reserved and something happens to your plans, it could be quite costly. Additionally, reservations would remove that stay longer or leave early option. Ultimately, we did a hybrid. We reserved the first few sites close to our departure date because we were fairly certain of how long we would be at those stops. After those few stops, we are winging it!
A written document details all our planned stops. As time permitted, I would work on a new location. This included researching camping options, restaurants, and activities in the area. I also put our stops on a map. This has helped to make this trip come alive for us before we left. I think it has also helped to make us more prepared.
Additional Long Trip Considerations
Mail: Our neighbor normally gets our mail when we travel, but we did not want to ask for such a long trip. The Postal Service will put a hold on your mail and we are using this option.
Medications: We had to do some advance filling of prescriptions to ensure an adequate supply over several weeks.
Indoor plants: We have requested a family member to assist with this task.
Avoid Water Issues: Turn off hot and cold water to washing machine while away to avoid leaking hoses. This recommendation was from a member of a Facebook camping group.
Bill Paying: Extra concern has be taken to ensure that critical bills do not go unpaid while we are not be seeing our mail. We paid up as many bills as we could prior to leaving. We also set a few reminders to ensure that those expected to be issued while we were gone were handled.
Set travel notices: Notified bank and credit company when and where we will be traveling.
Tow Vehicle and Camper Maintenance: Oil changes, tire rotation, and replacement wiper blades were part of our preparation. Also, overall safety checks of both camper and vehicle.
Supplemental Heating: As this is a cold weather trip with many unknowns, we needed more than our usual electric blanket option. We purchased a small ceramic heater for our travels.
Clothing for Various Weather: Typical expected weather is highs in 60s and lows in the 30s. However, warmer days and cooler nights may occur. Layered clothing , plus coats, hats, and gloves are part of our preparations.
A lot of planning has gone into this trip. Let’s hope that it helps it to go smoother. We will post our adventures along the way and assess how well this plan works. We are excited, but just a teeny bit apprehensive as we have only been camping about eighteen months and this is very new territory for us.
We were not camping in January. Instead, we sought a place to get away from winter for a few days. Los Angeles was a warm refuge for the cold month of January. We found it to be a vibrant city with lots of entertainment opportunities and excellent food.
Seeking the Sun
We chose a Los Angeles vacation to start our year primarily because January has always been a month to dread. The holidays are over and nothing but short, dreary days await. It is a month of colds, flu, and being trapped indoors. However, now that we are retired, we have the option of going in search of a warmer place to break up the monotony. This is a tradition I hope to maintain as long as our health allows.
More About Us
Teardrop camping is our usual mode of travel, but we like more conventional travel for large cities. If you would like to read more about us , a link follows.
Last year, we went on a cruise, but we wanted something different this year. We have never visited Los Angeles and this seemed a good opportunity. Los Angeles was projected to be approximately twenty-five degrees higher than our home in Alabama for the dates of our trip. We would at least have a few days of warm weather in January.
Los Angeles
The weather in Los Angeles did not disappoint. We were there for five days at the Hilton Doubletree in the Tokyo district. It was often cloudy but only rained one day. Highs were in the lower 70s and lows in the upper 50s. The location was not bad, but Los Angeles is so spread out that we spent a good bit of Uber time. It is the second largest city in America and offers a large diversity of activities, but they are in a wide geographic area. We had great experiences with Uber. It was very efficient and the drivers were great. For us, it was the way to go.
Day 1:
Warner Brother’s Studio Tour
Los Angeles is the birthplace of so many of the movies and television shows we have loved over the years and a tour of a studio seemed a logical way to begin. The tour began on the backlots that have appeared in countless scenes in movies and television. Our guide, Tim, explained how “street dressing” changes the look based on the needs of the current process. For example, the street below has appeared in “The Road to Perdition” and in a current movie, “The Showman”.
Warner Brothers New York StreetBig Bang apartment exterior
We visited Stage 16, but internal photos were not allowed. It is one of the the tallest soundstages in the worlds and the tallest in North America. It is approximately 98’ tall inside and has been used in many disaster movies.
The tour also included costumes and props from past films. An entire warehouse was devoted to the actual vehicles from the Batman movies. There were models of superheroes such as Batman and the latest Wonder Woman. There was also a replica of the Central Perk Cafe from “Friends”.
Coffee, “Friends” style
At the Forced Perspective Table, I was able to look like more of a giant than my big guy husband. All just a cool optical illusion.
iPhone photo at the Forced perspective table
We really enjoyed the Warner Brother’s tour, located in Burbank. It is relatively close to the Walk of Fame (WOF), so we visited it next.
The Walk of Fame
It was a wild and crazy place with many in costumes. Larger than I had imagined, covering approximately 1.5 miles, it had stars on both sides of the street. It was very touristy and not at all grand. It is my understanding that there are literally thousands of stars on the walk. Many gift shops and restaurants line the walk. We had lunch at Subway, which was very good, except it did not have a restroom.
Bruce Lee on the Walk of Fame
We spent just a little more time at the Walk of Fame and then returned to our hotel. I wanted to check out the Mexican neighborhood of El Pueblo, which was just under a mile from our hotel. We walked there and looked around a bit. They had what looked to be good restaurants, but we were not hungry. There was a park with a gazebo around which was music and dancing.
We were ready for an adult beverage and an appetizer by the time we made it back to the hotel though. At the Justice Tavern, it was happy hour and we relaxed there for an hour or so. As we were a bit jet-lagged, we turned in early.
Day 2:
Getty Center
The Getty Center, located in the Brentwood neighborhood, is an amazing place and totally free to the public. The Getty is managed by the Getty Trust and stems from the efforts of the famous J. Paul Getty. Land and buildings were estimated in 2013 at $3.9 billion (not including the art). Visitors must pay for parking and then ride a tram to the buildings. The concrete and steal architecture is complex and modern and features a beautiful garden that is a work of art.
Getty Center
The garden covers 134 thousand square feet and is the work of artist Robert Irwin with water as a focal point.
The Getty Central Garden
As beautiful as the buildings and gardens are, they are no more amazing than the art that is displayed in the museum buildings. There is more high-quality art at the Getty than is typically seen in museums of many large cities. For example, van Gogh’s “Irises”, which had a price tag of $53.9 million in 1987 is there. Works by Pissarro, Cezanne, Degas, Sisley, and Monet are displayed in the museum. Sculptures, drawings, and ancient artifacts are also there, but I am always blown away by impressionist art. Below is one of my favorites from the museum.
The Seine near Rouen by Claude Monet
We had lunch at the museum restaurant. The view was beautiful and the ambience of the restaurant was elegant. This was our most expensive meal while in Los Angeles. The presentation was lovely, but it did not include very much food.
Santa Monica Pier
Our next destination was the Santa Monica Pier. It is at the end of the once vital Route 66. The day was relatively warm, but overcast. The boardwalk has several restaurants, food stands, artists, and souvenir stands. Pacific Park is located there with a dozen rides, including a 130 ft. Ferris Wheel. The pier was awash with people, despite the weather.
Santa Monica Pier
Live music was occurring several places along the pier. One group called Lilac performed 80’s rock music. They are a family of brothers and sisters, some of them children. Different music, but it made me think of the Partridge Family. One young lady, Clara Steegs, who performed on the pier as well, had an Alanis Morissette vibe. I liked her so much, we bought her CD. Lastly, a young man danced very robotically. His flexibility and synchronized movements were amazing. We felt very energized being in this area that was so teaming with creative people.
Family band, LilacSteeg
At the end of the pier, fishermen toss their lines. The fish were not biting that day, but there was one very friendly seal that swam by us several times.
Seal near the pier
We shared a famous Japadog Kurabota Terimayo—kurobota pork, onions, Teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed. It was good, except we did not especially like the seaweed on top. However, the rest of the hot dog was heavenly.
Japadog
We saw the beach and the Pacific, but not at its most beautiful because of the weather. I would love to go back to the pier. I have the feeling it would be a different experience with each visit based on who is performing.
Santa Monica Pier
We were craving coffee and were a little hungry upon leaving the pier. We had a light dinner at Blue Plate Taco, that is very near the pier. It was very good.
Day 3:
Griffith Observatory
I cannot say enough good things about the observatory. For fans of the movie, La La Land, it is well-represented in it and other movies are as well. It is a good place to get a shot of the Hollywood Sign and beautiful views of the surrounding area. We saw a live show in the Planetarium and another live show with real life Big Bang types who demonstrated how to make a comet. Very entertaining!
Griffith Observatory
Chinatown
We ended our day in Chinatown. Unfortunately, it was almost dark when we arrived. We had a delicious dinner at Yang Chow, famous for Slippery Shrimp. They served the best fried rice I have ever had. After dinner, we went in search of a Bruce Lee statue. We found it, but it was quite dark by then. The streets were rather confusing, so it was a scavenger hunt of sorts.
Bruce Lee Statue
Day 4:
Tour of Los Angeles
It was raining on our last full day in the city. To protect us from the elements, we booked a tour with Guideline Tours, which offers a private group tour in a comfortable Mercedes van. The tour covered some of the places we had already been-Downtown, Griffith Park, and The Walk of Fame, but it also included a few movie stars homes, Beverly Hills, and Rodeo Drive, plus a stop at The Farmer’s Market for lunch.
Walt Disney Concert Hall
Our guide, Carlos, was very knowledgeable and well-versed in details and current events of the city. The first stop was back at the Observatory. It was Monday and the observatory was closed, which gave us an opportunity for photos without the crowds.
Griffith Observatory
The stop at the Walk of Fame gave us an opportunity to pick up souvenirs for grandchildren. The tour had a stop at the really cool souvenir shop, La La Land.
Souvenirs and aliens
The tours of the homes was okay, but the homes we saw were from stars years ago who have passed away. We saw the entrances of some big stars homes, but you were really just seeing a gate. I can understand though, they deserve their privacy. We traveled briefly through Rodeo Drive. It was pretty elegant.
Rodeo Drive
Sadly, we were not aware of seeing anyone remotely famous.
Our tour ended with my favorite part, The Original Farmer’s Market. It began as an oil field, but is now a trendy place with shops and wonderful restaurants. We had Brazilian food at Pampas Grill and it was fabulous! You pay a standard price per pound based on the meat that is chosen and you choose sides from a buffet. Inexpensive and delicious!
It was quite rainy and cold after our tour, so we stayed at the hotel the rest of the day, relaxing and getting ready to travel home the next day.
Returning Home
We visited The Original Pantry for breakfast before our fight home. The pancakes taste just like my homemade and I make great pancakes. They give you an unbelievable amount of food for a very reasonable price. It is a Los Angeles landmark with 24 hour operations since 1924. The service was great and we loved the restaurant. Original Pantry link.
This trip was a wonderful break from the cold weather at home. I felt that we had seen most of what we wanted in L.A. so I was not too sad to leave, but I would like to return someday.
Our trip to Pensacola, Florida for A Tiny Christmas Campout was written up by yours truly and published in the January issue of Cool Tears Magazine.
Tiny Christmas Campout
Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola Florida was the location of the first ever Tiny Christmas Campout last month. We had a wonderful time and also the opportunity to meet a lot of nice people with a similar camping styles. We hope this will become an annual event. I write about our all teardrop camping experiences and the following link offers more about us and our travels.
The organizer of the event asked me to do a write-up to submit to Cool Tears Magazine. Happily, the magazine has included my write-up of the campout in its January issue. Because I have never had anything published before, I was thrilled to check this item off the bucket list.
Anyone interested in the event can access the magazine by clicking on the link below. It is not necessary to sign up to view the digital version of the magazine. I hope you will read it and also consider attending the 2018 Campout. It is my understanding that there will likely be one this year.
