Walking the Five Boroughs of L.A.

You hear it a lot; Downtown L.A. is a melting pot of cultures. Sure, you can drive thru all the different parts of town, but you don't really get a full appreciation of the cultural variety that walking gives you. With that in mind, I charted out a completely spontaneous trek through the five boroughs of Los Angeles - South Park (the Convention Center/Staples Center part of town), Bunker Hill, Chinatown/Civic Center, Olvera Street/Pershing Square and Little Tokyo. While I don't know the absolute distance, I would estimate the entire trip is about 12 miles. Keep in mind, this entire tour was done on foot.

The trek begins in South Park, outside Staples Center. From there, we head north up Figueroa. Bypassing the often crowded and popular breakfast stop of the Pantry on 9th and Figueroa, we travel up a block to the corner of 8th and Figueroa, stopping in at the Corner Bakery.

The Corner Bakery is a quaint little restaurant serving breakfast food and sandwiches. I ordered the Baked French Toast, which comes on cinnamon toasted bread. Unfortunately, they were out of the bread. Undaunted, I moved to the Commuter Croissant, but they were also out of croissants. Down two strikes, I hedged my bets on something safe; a bagel with scambled eggs, cheese, bacon and diced tomatoes. My server was Saudia, who was more than accomadating and professional and even included a side order of fruit to compensate for the inconvenience.

Bagel with eggs, bacon, cheese and tomatoes at the Corner Bakery.

With my stomach full of carbs, I head up to 7th and Figueroa, then cross right over to Grand Ave. Traveling up Grand Ave., we pass someplace called the Water Court, an entertainment, shopping and food court located off 6th and Grand. Among the waterfalls and numerous fountains is a the Omni Hotel, an outdoor lounge and a spectacular view off to the east.

The pond/waterfall at the Water Court.

From there, we continue heading north, passing the Museum of Cultural Art (MoCA), Disney Conert Hall, Mark Taper Forum and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Once we pass all that, we arrive at Caesar Chavez Blvd. If you continue heading north, you'll just head into a residential area, so we turn right, heading toward Chinatown.

The entrance to Chinatown is on the north side of Alameda.

Caesar Chavez Blvd. splits right between the entrance of Chinatown and Olvera Street. Chinatown would take an entire day to explore, so instead of going in that direction, I turn right and enter Olvera Street. On this particular day, the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration is going on. Walking through the outdoor market, I can't help but stop in at Mr. Churro's and graba hot, fresh churro.

Continuing along and walking through the shaded rest area, I head south on Alameda and return to 1st St. Crossing the street, we pass thru the Civic Center, before heading into Little Tokyo.

Restaurant-row in Little Tokyo.

There are plenty of restaurants to choose from once you enter Little Tokyo. Among them, Koraku, Aoi, Mr. Ramen and Daikokuya are all solid choices. But I'm not really in the mood for ramen, in fact, I'm just looking for a simple bowl of rice with some meat on top. This is when I remember Wakasaya, located in the food court right across the street from the aforementioned restaurants. I order the unagi don (eel) with a side of miso. It's the perfect belnd of sweet sauce and tender meat.

The garden at the Japanese Cultural Community Center.

After lunch, I stroll around Little Tokyo, taking in the Japanese garden outside the Japanese Cultural Center. I start making my way back now and head westward along 3rd St., a trek I would not recommend doing if you are going solo. The streets between San Pedro and Los Angeles St. are rough. The entire block on 3rd from Los Angeles to Hill St. is filled with a majority of bong shops. At Hill St., I turn left and make my way south, toward Olympic Blvd. I'm sure ladies everywhere would enjoy the stroll between 5th and 7th streets as you enter the Jewelry District.

Once at Olympic, the trek comes to a close as a few blocks later, we are back at the beginning, standing outside Staples Center. It was interesting how the entire trek allowed me to bend my linguistic tongue, starting with regular ole English, then switching to Spanish thru Olvera Street and then to Japanese entering Little Tokyo. This trek, which took four hours to complete (and mind you I was walking pretty briskly) is the perfect tour for any tourist or, for that matter, a native Angeleno.

RANDOM SIDE STATS:

Number of Starbucks I Saw - 8

Number of street bums - 29

Number who bothered me for money - 0 (cuz I was wearing my iPod)

Number of LAPD police cars with sirens blaring - 5

Shoes worn for this trek - Nike Shox+

Hiking Temescal Canyon

At the peak of Temescal Rivas Trail, Catalina Island in the distance.

Hugging the Pacific on the northern edge of Malibu is a wide ranging recreation area known as Temesecal Canyon. Home to two high schools and beach front homes, the main attraction is Temescal Regional State Park, an extension of Topanga State Park and part of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Once parked, remember to pre-pay by grabbing a payment envelope from the brown mailing posts that line the lot. Parking is $7.00. Be sure to make your parking stub visible on your dashboard. Failure to do so will result in a $70.00 parking fine. (Trust me on this)

There are three main trails. Once you come to the fork in the road, you can either go left and head into Temescal Canyon and Temescal Ridge or turn right, heading into Temescal Rivas Canyon and end in Will Rogers State Park.

You can take the long looping and gentle uphill route or cut into a steep, tree-stump staircase that shortcuts you onto the Temescal Rivas Trail. The trail is narrow and steep, including the final two switchbacks, but once you're at the top, the view will take whatever remaining breath you have left inside you away.

Once at the top, off to your right, you can see the Temescal Ridge trail, which brings you to essentially the same view of the state beach and, on a clear day, Catalina Island in the distance. The Temescal Canyon/Ridge loop is four miles long and take about two hours at a leisurely pace to complete.

Temescal Ridge is off to the left of Temescal Rivas' peak.

One final note. As with hiking anywhere there is heavy vegetation, keep your eyes open at all times, including occassionally scanning the ground for animal prints. If you see fresh prints of predatory animals, proceed with caution or turn back. Trust your judgment.

Paw prints in fresh mud are a dead giveaway that a large cat has been thru here.

Preview for the Rest of the Year and 2010

Since I haven't had a chance to update this for a couple weeks, I thought I'd take this opportunity to preview my next three road trips.

Road Trip #1 - This trip has been overdue for sometime now. Originating out of L.A., we'll head southbound (since we've been going north all this time) and end up at the California-Mexico border (a location which will be crossed once my brand spanking new passport is in hand). In between, I will hike Torrey Pines, eat at Board & Brew in Del Mar and attempt to surf along the California-Mexico border. That last ambition may not work out too well.

Road Trip #2 - This trip will go due east, along Highway 10 into Arizona before dipping south along Highway 17 and 19 and terminating in the border town of Nogales, Arizona-Mexico. What's in Nogales? Well aside from the Tumacacori National Monument and a bunch of ghost towns, I don't really know. Hence the whole point of the road trip. Who knows, maybe I'll end up in Deming, New Mexico trekking through City of Rocks State Park.... Hmmmm...

Road Trip #3 - Among the most ambitious, I'm saving this one for the tail end of the year, possibly into next year. The goal - drive the entire length of Highway 5, from just north of Tijuana, Mexico and ending in Blaine, Washington (and if I make good time, possibly hop over to Vancouver for a day). It's a total distance of 1,382 miles - one way. Mind you there are plenty of logistics to work out along this journey, most notably the decision of whether to drive that same distance back home or to fly back. Either way, I'm totally pysched about this one, not only for the scenery and the journey, but also because it will provide the perfect barometer for a much longer trip in 2010.

Which brings me to my 2010 destinations. Since I mentioned the much longer trip above, lets start with that one.

The goal will be to head eastward this time traveling the entire 2,460 miles of Highway 10, starting in Santa Monica, CA and ending in Jacksonville, Florida. No doubt that at the conclusion of this one I will be flying back.

These National Parks are also on the list for 2010: Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Yellowstone in Wyoming, Mesa Verde in Colorado, Grand Canyon in Arizona, Lassen National Park in California, Badlands National Park in South Dakota and Crater Lake in Oregon. If I can squeeze it in, perhaps Mount Rushmore, Yosemite and Arches in Utah.

Internationally speaking, if I have any money left after all this running around, destinations will include Japan and Canada. But I doubt I'll even make it to those places and those are the only two places jumping to mind at this moment.

So there you have it. A complete preview for the rest of this year's travels and the goals for 2010. As always, safe travels and when in doubt, take the road less traveled.

Four Hours in Long Beach

Before I begin, I know that there are plenty of attractions to take up a day or three in Long Beach. But I was curious to see just how much you could possibly cram into four hours.

Located about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, a straight shot down the 405 south, and a short ride on the 710 south leads you directly to the Aquarium of the Pacific, one of the main attractions along Rainbow Harbor. (You can also take the 110 South out of downtown L.A., merge onto the 91 East and catch the 710 South.)

The entrance to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

When purchasing you ticket for the Aquarium, you can use the AAA discount to take 10% off the admission price ($23.99) but not for admission after 5p., when the admission price drops to $11.95. Discounts also do not apply on the packages the Aquarium offers, including the whale watching or harbor tours.

That been said, getting the Aquarium admission with a 45-minute harbor tour is worth the $33.95 price tag. Boarding a small vessel, you can climb to the upper deck or stay on the main floor as you survey the Long Beach skyline. Be aware that the boat sways more on the upper deck and the Harbor has choppy waves.

Captain Tom Beardsley informs us that, "These waves you're feeling are not from the wind but from the other boats and tankers moving around in the harbor." About ten minutes into the tour, after passing the Queen Mary and L.A. River Gate Lighthouse, which was donated by a local Lions Club, Beardsley stops the boat and shuts the engines off beside a large red buoy.

Resting on the buoy is a group of sea lions and as the boat sways to and fro, you get the opportunity to take pictures of these marine mammals who seem pretty acclimated to the celebrity.


Harbor cruise celebrities.

The engines fire up again and Beardsley guides us out to the 9-1/2 mile long breakwater, the longest of such structures in North America. From there, the boat swings around and heads back to dock, passing large oil and freight tankers anchored in the harbor.

Once back on solid ground, the Aquarium is a short walk away. Upon entering, you'll notice a life-size replica of a blue whale hanging from the ceiling. While it presents an impressive greeting to the Aquarium, the display also serves as the focal point for bi-hourly presentations on the migration and life of the blue whale. The lights in the lobby dim and special effect lighting spread a watery effect along the walls as the sound of blue whales calling to one another echo through the crowded lobby.

The life-size blue whale pulls double-duty at the Aquarium.

The Aquarium features indoor and outdoor exhibits. Many of the indoor exhibits feature tubular type walkways where you can view 180 degrees above you as fish, sharks, eels and turtles float around by. The indoor exhibits are divided into regions of the sea; Southern Tropics, California Coast, etc. There are also two movie small movie theaters showcasing various sea-themed short films. A large gift shop features a wide selection of Aquarium trinkets and clothing.

Outdoors are several touch tanks, one with stingrays, the other with small sharks. There's also a seal and sea lion enclosure mixed into the myriad of cafes, vendors and snack shops.

Once you exit the Aquarium, a wide variety of big-chain and touristy restaurants surround the harbor. Outback Steakhouse, Yardhouse and Gladstones are some of the bigger names that have set up shop along the waterfront. After taking a tour of the crowded harbor, I settle on Bostons and as luck may have it, try their version of the Cheesesteak sandwich. No two are the same.

A very meaty, not so cheesy Cheesesteak.

The Cheesesteak at Bostons is very meaty. Thin slices of bland beef are stacked between a plain hoagie, with sparse amounts of peppers and onions melding with the cheddar and Mozzerella cheeses. There's an added bonus of dipping sauce, which you actually need to soften the hoagie a bit before you bite into it. The service, while very polite and thorough (my waitress was Kelsey) takes a while. Mind you this place wasn't even crowded, yet the sandwich took about a half hour to reach my table.

After finishing the Cheesesteak, I walk around the harbor, popping in on a small shop with barrels of candy lining the walls. The Candy Baron features a nice selection of taffy flavors (the chocolate chip cookie dough was the best) as well as the usual candy fare of licorice, chocolate and ridiculously oversized jawbreakers. Small cart vendors also line the boardwalk, hocking baby clothing, soccer apparel and jewelry.

Four hours in Long Beach goes by very quickly. Like I said in the beginning, it is easy to find something to occupy your time in this city for more than a day. Events at the Long Beach Sports Arena, shopping along Belmont Shores, three-hour whale-watching tours and so much more happen in this bustling sister city to Los Angeles.

EXPENSES:
Aquarium ticket with Harbor Cruise - $33.95
Boston's Cheesesteak - $14.00 (tip included)
Half pound of taffy from Candy Baron - $6.50

TOTAL EXPENSES: $54.45

From Sea to Forest and Back

There's an old saying in the world of road tripping. "It's the journey, not the destination." That couldn't have been more applicable than on this trip, which ran along Highway 1, then into Los Padres National Forest, before looping back around to the coast and then ending in the most surreal of places.

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to start at the beginning. A few words on the mode of transportation; the 2010 Ford Mustang. The new model boasts a bit more horsepower than its predecessors along with increased fuel economy. The interior features the standard cheap plastic dashboard that furnishes most cars these days. The handling and braking is excellent and the accleration is accompanied by the loud roar of the 315 horsepower V6 engine thundering to life at the touch of the gas pedal.

I nicknamed it, "Black Thunder."

Our starting point will be the Highway 1 entrance on Lincoln and Santa Monica boulevards. Keep in mind also that this is a three hour driving challenge, the journey ending when the clock reaches three hours of driving. I'm also taking on another challenge called, "Eat the Vowels," which will involve me eating food starting with the letters, "A, E, I, O, U," and, "Y." I can only eat one letter per meal.

OK, so logistics aside, the journey begins up the fabled Highway 1, as it twists and turns through Malibu, past Pepperdine University and through Zuma Beach. As the highway ends, I stay to the right, where the street becomes Rice St. and pass through about two miles of strawberry and blueberry patches, before turning right and jumping on the northbound 101 Freeway. Traffic is pretty horrendous this holiday weekend and I haven't eaten yet. I decide to take the next exit I see - Channel Island Harbor. It sounds promising. I take a left at the Victoria St. signal and follow the signs directing me to the "Ocean Front."

The road passes through about three miles of orchards with small, quaint country markets on every street corner. I stop in at one called A&F Country Market and cross off the letter, "Y," off my list as I purchase a bag of yogurt pretzels from a lovely young lady named Shayna. A block down from this market, you'll pass the National Mushroom Museum, if you're curious enough to visit. I'm not. Eventually the road curves toward the ocean and since I don't immediately see a Mom-and-Pop type breakfast spot, I settle for a Carrows nestled in a small strip mall.

I'm greeted by my overly-enthusiastic waitress, Nancy, who instead of bringing me my order of iced coffee, brings me a tumbler of ice and a small pot of coffee. Interesting. Also interesting is the menu. The Apple Caramel Dream immediately catches my eye. The service is quick and before I even have a chance to wash my hands, my breakfast sits in front of me. Along with the standard scrambled eggs are two sausage links, a slab of ham, country potatoes with a few small slices of onions in it and the Apple Caramel Dream. It is essentially a pancake wrapped around apple pie filling, at least that what it tastes like. The dish isn't very filling, but it's not horrible.

Sweet, but not very filling. Avoid the iced coffee.

Instead of jumping right back into the car, I decide to check out the area. Walking toward the beach, you suddenly get a small beach-town feeling wash over you. About a block down, I stumble upon a crowded burger joint with a large sign that says, "Duke's Bitchin' Burgers." With a sign like that, I HAD to check it out.

You see a sign like this on a road trip, you MUST stop in.

Duke's is a family fun center, sports bar, beach burger hut and entertainment center all wrapped in one. Surfers, bikers, sunbathers and tourists alike wait in a line that stretches out the door and down the sidewalk. More importantly, this place has something called an Ortega burger and while the menu mentioned nothing of what was in this creation, I decided to trust my apple caramel covered gut and go for it.

The burger is amazing. The Ortega burger is a patty, lettuce, pickles and a thick slice of mild jalapeno on a toasted mayonaisse and mustard covered bun. The first bite is extremely creamy with a very light touch of spice from the jalapeno.

Two words; creamy and peppery.

As the conflicting juices of jalapeno and apple caramel go to war in my can't-eat-another-bite stomach, I decide to check out the beach. On my way over to the sand, I finally realize what city I'm in; San Buenaventura. Carefully make your through the first twenty yards of the sand on the beach as it's littered with small wood chips and bits of tar. Once your get past that hazard, the off-white sandy beach is quite a sight to behold. Bulky, broad rock jettys shoot about 100 yards out into the Pacific.

Make it past the wood chips and tar and this beach is gorgeous!

As much as I would like to spend the day here, I still have time left to drive. Back in the car, I decide to continue North along the 101 for as long as my patience can hold. It's not long before I shoot off onto the Highway 150 exit. I have no idea where this road leads except away from the ocean. About three miles into this highway, a sign pops out of the shrubs, proclaiming that if I stay on this highway, I'll eventually end up in Ojai.

Highway 150 is a one-lane twisty mountain highway that gradually rises to about 1,000 ear-popping feet up before easing you back down a series of hairpin turns and setting you up for the next incline. About seven miles into this roller coaster, I notice a large body of water off to the right. This is Lake Castias. The manner in which this lake introduces itself to you is breath-taking. You'll first notice it from about 800 feet up, giving you an amazing view of the entire lake along with the broad mountains that surround it.

Lake Castias from about 800 feet up Highway 150.

As I approach Ojai, the cool sea breeze has transformed into a warm summer wind. It's nice while you're driving, but once you stop moving and start walking in it, it's downright miserable. Upon my arrival in Ojai, I know right away that the letter, "I," on my list is going to be ice cream and I'm probably going to have to eat it pretty quickly.

I stop at the Ojai Ice Cream Shop and after browsing the myriad of flavors decide to go with something called Coconut Vanilla. While it sounds like it would make a tempting coffee creamer, the flavor also makes an interesting ice cream. The two distinct flavors seem to begrudgingly agree to get along, but would rather settle upon thier own ice cream cone.

Ojai has a clean small town feel to it, much like El Segundo, California. The original post office towers in the center of the town and there are parks everywhere you turn.

Highway 150 continues through Ojai and eventually ends in Santa Paula, a destination that sounds a lot more glamourous than it actually is. Located in the heart of the Santa Clara River Valley, the self-proclaimed Citrus Capital of the World is filled with a heavy Hispanic influence. Walking down Main St. is a perfect example of this as tacquerias and thrift shops line the sidewalk. After walking around, I decide to eliminate the letter, "E," from my list and stop in at a small Mexican restaurant called La Terraza Restaurant and order the Enchilada and Tamale combo. It's nothing spectacular but it's filling.

As long as I'm here, I decide I might as well stop in one of the thrift shops. After browsing around, I find a wooden thermometer/barometer/humidity gauge for $20... or is it $10? After asking the cashier, we agree on a price of $15. (As I write this it's 68 degrees, 74% humidity and the barometric pressue is 29.70, whatever that means.)

The afternoon in Santa Paula is no where near those numbers mentioned above, so I decide to hop on the next highway, the one that will take me westward toward the ocean. Highway 126 is about four blocks down from the center of town and after a short twenty minute run, it connects with Highway 101, which still remains crowded, so I merge over to Highway 1 and hit my three hour time limit a couple miles before Faria State Beach. I pull off to the side and realize that a "hidden beach," that I'd found on a prior excursion through here is about a two-mile walk northward.

My hidden beach, my slice of heaven.

After spending a couple hours at my retirement beach, I decide that even though I've reached my three hour limit, it's still barely 5:30p. and I certainly don't want to give up the Mustang just yet. Besides, I haven't found that elusive food item that starts with the letter, "U."

I hop back on Highway 1 and merge back onto the wonderful 101 freeway. Along the way, I pass an exit sign that I know everyone who's driven northbound toward Fresno or San Francisco has seen; Santa Claus Lane. Ever wonder where it went?

If you've road-tripped to S.F., you've seen this sign.

Immediately after you exit on Santa Claus Lane, the street becomes Lillie Ave., and an amazing shortcut around the traffic on the freeway. The street paralells the 101 for about four miles, much like Sepulveda Blvd. runs alongside the 405. At the fork in the road, go left and you'll continue to paralell the freeway on North Jameson Lane.

Looking off to the right, I notice that the traffic has eased up a bit, so I decide to hop back on the 101. A few miles down, a sign announces that Buellton (yes, the pea soup place) is 30 miles down the road. As I pass by El Capitan Beach, the distinct smell of marshmallows and firewood drift into the car.

Getting to Buellton becomes a heart-pounding, white knuckle ride as you pass through a mountainous canyon area with a street sign warning of gusty winds for the next two miles. The force of the winds are unnerving, especially as you glance over to the left and see the vast Pacific stretching out over the ledge. About four miles in, the winds continue to batter the vehicle and my Last Rites scroll across my mind. Eventually, the winds subside, although the relief is only momentary considering I have to drive back through it to get back to L.A.

At the Buellton exit, I take a right and head toward the Chumash Indian Reservation, however, I never make it there because about four miles down the road, I stumble upon one of those places that only exists in my imagination.

One of the many Danish bakeries in Solvang.

Granted, I've seen the town of Solvang on the map, but never imagined what it looks like. The streets are scented with maple syrup and bakeries and wine tasting shops are scattered throughout the Danish town. It is honestly one of the most surreal moments of my life. Giant windmills stand still at the town post office and at an unoccupied building on Fifth St.

A shop proclaims, "It's Christmas Everyday," with two Christmas trees displayed in it's windows and at the local market, instead of a portly Danish dame or gentleman behind the counter, a foul-mouthed middle-aged Guatamalan named Hector rings up customers who undoubtedly have no idea the kind of obscenties he's muttering at the soccer game on a small portable TV beside him.

As I shake off the dream-like stupor that has settled over me, I set about trying to find my, "U," food. I stop into a couple of bakeries, hoping maybe, by chance, there's a Danish pastry that starts with my sought after letter. No such luck.

The evening begins to fade into night and I stop into one last candy shop. I find a bag of UnBEARably Hot Cinnamon Bears. Success! And for good measure I stop back at the market and purchase a @&%*ing bottle of Unsweetened Iced Tea from Hector.

I spend about another hour walking around the town, absorbing the strange place this road trip has ended. As drunk women speed by blowing kisses and shout flirtatous remarks toward me, I hop back in my stallion and prep myself to battle the gusty winds as I head back to L.A.


THE CHALLENGE:

A - Apple Caramel Dream
E - Enchilada and Tamale Combo
I - Ice Cream, Coconut Vanilla Flavor
O - Ortega Burger
U - UnBEARably Hot Cinnamon Bears
Y - Yogurt Pretzels


TOTAL MILEAGE: 350 miles


EXPENSES:

Mustang rental - $42.31
Gas (9.164 gallons) - $28.03
Yogurt Pretzels - $3.00
Carrows Breakfast - $13.00 (tip included)
Ortega Burger and drink - $10.00
Ice Cream - $1.50
Enchilada and Tamale Combo - $10.00
UnBEARably Hot Cinnamon Bears - $3.00
Unsweetened Iced Tea - $2.00
Thermometer/Barometer/Humidity Gauge - $15.00

TOTAL EXPENSE - $127.84

Labor Day Road Tripping

The Labor Day holiday brings the opportunity for an extra day of travel. Of course, the holiday also brings more traffic, busier tourist destinations and more people out enjoying the three-day weekend.

Originally, I had planned on passing through Glen Oaks for their annual Apple Festival, then continue on to Laughlin, Nevada, however, the recent wildfires shut down access to Glen Oaks and as a result, Laughlin as well. I've thrown around various other ideas of places to go; The Grand Canyon, Monterey, San Diego, even ambitious treks to the California-Oregon border and traveling the old Route 66 through California. But when all the logistics were worked out, I realized that I didn't want to drive around in the triple-digit heat all day.

That's when I decided to have a little fun with this. I'm renting a 2010 Ford Mustang and I'm jumping on a freeway. I might go north, maybe east, perhaps south, it's all up in the air. I'll end up where I end up. Here are the "rules" I'm going to follow on this particular road trip:

1.) Three hour time limit. I'll start the clock the second I merge onto whatever freeway I'm on. From there, I have three hours total of driving. I can pull off the freeway(s) at anytime and return to them at anytime. The only thing that is set in stone is the second the clock hits three hours, I stop in whatever city/town/village/middle of nowhere I'm at.

2.) An idea I'm borrowing from the Road Tripping pilot I'm developing - a challenge. In this particular case, I'm entitling the challenge, "Eat the Vowels." This is basically a scaled down version of, "Eat the Alphabet," which I will use on longer road trips. The challenge is very straight-forward. On this road trip, I must eat something that falls under a specific letter of the alphabet (in this case A, E, I, O, U and for the hell of it, Y). Also, I cannot eat all the vowels in one sitting.

So there you have it, three hours of driving and a lot of eating. Sounds like the perfect Labor Day road trip to me. Happy travels everyone and have a safe and fun holiday weekend!

Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.... by train!!

The Santa Barbara Amtrak Station is about three blocks north of the pier.


As I look at the sun-kissed shoreline breezing past my window, the blend of peach and lavender mixing with wisps of grey clouds on this particular evening, I recall my visit to Santa Barbara.

There is always one stipulation on road trips, or in this case, rail trips, and that's constant spontaneity.

The trip begins at historic Union Station, nestled on the north end of downtown Los Angeles. This will be our starting point.

One step inside Union Station, with it's various shades of brown and signs written in art deco font, instantaneously take the traveler back to the 1940's. Though now modernized with MetroRail and Amtrak rail services divided up on the twelve berths, there is still a sense that the history of the building must be preserved.

Historic Union Station, located on the north end of Downtown L.A.

Once on my Amtrak train, I'm off on a two and a half hour journey. The train makes three stops before arriving in Santa Barbara; first in Van Nuys, then Simi Valley and after a breath-taking run through the Santa Susana Pass (and three tunnels), in Oxnard. Once you clear Ventura, the train bends left and hugs the shoreline. Turquoise waters with small-capped waves splash against the shore as dolphins jump in the distance. The shore hugs the dry, rugged and rocky cliffs towering over the train.

The temperature in Santa Barbara is seasonal, averaging in the upper-60's and on this particular day, a light sea breeze whips off the nearby coast where sunbathers, joggers and tourists take in the sights.

The Downtown-Waterfront Shuttle, which costs 25 cents per ride with free transfers, stops right outside the Amtrak station. This shuttle will be the base mode of transportation for getting around the city on this excursion. Upon boarding, I notice that the Waterfront shuttle goes directly to and ends at the Santa Barbara Zoo, and while I'm not a big proponent of zoos, this is about spontaneity. Plus, I've heard a lot of visitors on various travel sites talk about how this zoo is sad, depressing and doesn't have all it's exhibits running.

Admission to the Santa Barbara Zoo is $11 for adults, $9 for children and seniors. The zoo itself isn't that large. I made an entire loop and saw all the exhibits (yes, some were closed) and animals in just under ninety minutes. The zoo, like most zoos, features themed sections such as Asian Jungle, African Safari, etc. During midday, most of the animals are sleeping and in fact, the most energetic are the penguins, who zip around in their pool. Perhaps the most depressing part of this zoo is the Asian elephants. They're enclosed in a rather small dirt area and fed food from a zoo official. They look absolutely sad and miserable.

With the late-morning slipping into early afternoon, I decide to try out a local restaurant and they don't get anymore local than Joe's Cafe. Catching the Waterfront shuttle, I make my way back to Stearn's Wharf (the intersecting point with the Downtown shuttle) and transfer to the northbound shuttle.

Joe's Cafe sits in Old Town Santa Barbara on the corner of State and East Cota streets. The institution has been in Santa Barbara since it opened its doors in 1928 and features an impressive variety of food. I elect to try the Philly Cheese steak sandwich, since one, it's an unwritten rule I made up to try every Philly Cheese steak I come across and two, they're like snowflakes, no two places make them the same. The sandwich comes with fries and I top it off with a light amber ale, Amstel Light.

What arrives in front of me is at first a bit interesting, tempting and odd all at once. For one, Joe's doesn't use the usual Mozzarella/white Cheddar cheese, but instead swaps it for a sharp, golden yellow cheddar. In addition to the customary grilled onions, they add sauteed red peppers and mushrooms. The fries are sprinkled with a generous coating of Parmesan cheese.

The first bite is an overwhelming sensation as the flavors of the sharp cheese, the tender meat and the sweet onions collide. And it's incredibly hot! Not spicy hot, but heat-wise, tongue-scalding hot. Once the cheese cools a bit, the meal is everything I expected it to be; in a word, excellent. The meat blends well with the amber ale, the amber ale blends with the starchy fries and the fries obviously blend with the leftover cheese.

The Philly Cheese steak at Joe's Cafe, different ingredients, but WOW!

With my gut now full, I make my way down East Cota St., taking in the sites of Old Town and the various restaurants and small shops that dot the three block section. Across the street from Joe's is a small art gallery featuring and selling works by 3-D artist Charles Fazzino. With themes ranging from Hollywood and New York to touristy kitsch featuring Santa Barbara, it's worth a quick stop.

Next, I hop on the southbound Downtown shuttle and make my way back toward the Wharf. I set about exploring the wooden pier, originally built in 1873 and, at one time, linked with the Southern Pacific Railroad. There are no trains running on the pier now, however five restaurants, a number of small gift shops, an ice cream parlor and a candy store are spread out over the 2,248 foot long structure. Be careful as you get toward the end of the pier as the guard-rail has been removed. You could literally dive right into the ocean.

Stearns Wharf, otherwise known as the Santa Barbara Pier.

With five restaurants to choose from, I peek through the windows of each and notice all but one is full - the Char-West Fish n Chips. The menu board proclaims the Fish n Chips a "Must Try!!" and so I do. Big mistake.

First thing you should know is that this plate doesn't feature the usual "chips" that you would normally get. Chips is the English term for fries, but I suppose in Char-Western, it means greasy, super salty, deep-fried potato chips. Nestled on top of the chips are two large slabs of bread-battered tilapia fish, with a wedge of lemon and tartar sauce added to perhaps mask the gastronomical disaster this dish is. The fish has absolutely no flavor, unless you consider oil a flavor. I quickly abandon hope and cut a surgical Y-section through the thick lining of deep-fried batter and scrape out as much of the tilapia as possible. I don't even bother with the chips. What the "Must Try!!" dish amounts to is a $14 disappointment.

Avoid this $14 pile of disappointment at Char-West Fish n Chips!!

I realize I can't leave Santa Barbara with a bad taste in my mouth, literally, so I make my way over to the ice cream parlor and order up a scoop of cookies and cream, then pop into the candy store and load up on taffy.

With about an hour to kill before the return trip to Los Angeles, I walk over toward the Santa Barbara Harbor, which features a few more restaurants as well as the Maritime Museum. The harbor sits directly across the street from Santa Barbara City College's football field. The walk back to Stearns Wharf takes about twenty minutes but luckily, I catch a shuttle on it's way back toward the Wharf and then walk the three blocks to the Amtrak station. This trip, though relatively brief, has been filled with a satisfactory investigation of what the coastline of the American Riviera has to offer.

A three-hour train ride (normally it would be two, but on this particular night someone decided to commit suicide by jumping in front of the northbound train), and I'm back at Union Station.


EXPENSES:
Train ticket, L.A. to Santa Barbara - $18.00
Total shuttle fare - $1.00
Santa Barbara Zoo admission - $11.00
Joe's Cafe lunch - $22.00 (tip included)
Char-West dinner - $14.00 (no tip, for sure)
Ice cream and taffy - $6.00
Train ticket, Santa Barbara to L.A. - $14.00

Total Expenses = $86.00

Road Trip One Preview

Road Trip #1 will commence in two weeks. The trek will go from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara with side stops along the way. More info, pics, etc. forthcoming!

Introduction

This posting is an introduction to this blog. Through regular postings, I will chronicle various road trips throughout the U.S. with hopes of eventually making it into Canada and overseas.

But first things first. I'm situated on the West Coast of the United States, Los Angeles, California to be exact, thus, a lot of the starting points will originate from this area. As I continue to chronicle my travels (and stay gainfully employed) I will begin jump-off points for road trips in other areas throughout the country.

The purpose of this blog, first and foremost, is to chronicle my experiences along my trips. Along the way, I will share cool side-stops, hikes, attractions and whatever else comes my way.

At the end of every of posting will be a listing of all the locations I ate, stayed, visited, etc.

While I have taken numerous road trips prior to beginning this blog, I would like to start my entries fresh, so all my road trips to Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Franscisco, Temecula, Las Vegas and Arizona will, for all tense and purpose, become mute at this point.

That been said, the first road trip which I will blog will be local (for me). I will divulge more information as I get a better idea of where I want to go and so forth. Til then, thanks for reading the intro and be sure to check back in a couple weeks!