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Las Vegas
Posted on December 27th, 2011 No comments
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Got money to burn?
Now I understand why some people, no matter how much they make, will always be broke. Places like Vegas take all their money away.
I don’t gamble and I’m not really a big drinker/partyer, but I have to admit that I had fun in Vegas. It’s been called the “Disneyland for Adults.” There’s something here for everyone. The casino owners did a great job making this a place you don’t want to leave until you run out of money.
This is my first time in Vegas and I’m very impressed with the stuff they put here. The huge buildings, the variety of shows, the food, the attractions that make people stop and pose for pictures. There’s plenty to do.
Ride the gondola inside the Venetian Hotel and Casino
You could spend an entire day easily just walking along the strip and checking out the different buildings/casinos. Definitely lots of walking. I suggest you buy a daily bus pass for $7, as you’ll probably be back and forth some of the places. The strip also looks much different (and better) at night, so if you’ve been walking around in the morning you’re gonna want to come back to the same places you visited once the sun goes down.
There many things to see. There’s a short fountain show in front of the Bellagio’s that starts at 5:30PM and runs every hour. This is definitely a must see! If you like big cats, you can check out the lions inside the MGM Grand building. There are some free short circus shows at the Circus Circus as well. Or check out the shops at the Venetian while riding the gondola. There are street performers and people dressed up in costumes everywhere.
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San Diego
Posted on December 19th, 2011 No comments Print
View of downtown San Diego from Coronado
Seeing the “Welcome to Sunny San Diego!” sign as I entered the city put a smile on my face. Well, that was only true for my first two days here. The following two days, which I planned to do outdoor stuff, was rainy! I still liked the city and enjoyed my time here, though. Has a nice laid back feel to it. Definitely doesn’t feel like Los Angeles.
I stayed in a Hostelling International hostel again in Point Loma, outside of downtown to save money on parking. I really liked this hostel. Definitely one of the better hostels I’ve stayed in so far. Very friendly staff and nice rooms with full-sized lockers. I have a 38L backpack and I can easily fit three of them in there. Big kitchen and dining area and very nice TV room as well.
First day I didn’t really do much, I think I just went to the mall, ate dinner, and went back to my room.
Fighter jet on USS Midway's flight deck
Second day I spent most of it at the USS Midway Museum. It’s a decommissioned aircraft carrier that’s been turned into a museum. Allocate at least half a day here as there’s so much to see. You have access to most areas of the ship. There are seats inside also where you can watch short videos about the ship. Plenty of history stuff to read. Made me want to go see “Top Gun” after my visit here. Lots of different aircrafts on the flight deck and there’s a guided island tour as well. Admission is $18 and well worth it!
That same day there was also a boat parade which you can view from Seaport Village. Found out about it on Meetup and about 25 or so of us showed up. We watched the different types of boats covered with Christmas lights with cheerful people on board pass by. Really good experience.
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Pacific Coast Highway
I found out about the Pacific Coast Highway (also known as Highway 1 or CA-1) before I arrived in San Francisco. It’s supposed to be a very scenic route and since I’m planning on visiting Los Angeles and San Diego I decided to take this route.
It is definitely one of the best drives I’ve ever done! I loved seeing the mountains and the ocean as I was driving. The weather again was beautiful, a little chilly early in the morning and at night but it gets warmer later in the day and mostly sunny. I followed this route for most of my drive south up to Santa Barbara.
The views reminded me quite a bit of the Road to Hana in Maui and New Zealand‘s South Island. I had a hard time keeping my focus on the road.
There are plenty of stops you can make along the way. There are many sections where you can pull over to enjoy the views or have a Kodak moment. Also, since I was driving in December there weren’t many cars on the road, so this gives you more flexibility on how fast or slow you want to go. You also won’t need to wait for a spot at a viewpoint to open up.
I say the best views are around the Big Sur area. I regret not spending at least a night in this area and do some hiking.
I also met a guy from Israel at the hostel I was staying at in Los Angeles and he took a similar route…on a bicycle! That’s probably an even better way to do it. He showed me some really nice pictures of areas and wildlife that I’ve completely missed while driving.
More pics here: http://www.calazan.com/gallery/?album=8&gallery=42
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