Around Los Angeles
The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa
Hanging out with Jen, Greg & Christopher is as much fun as always. We kick around the area doing a bunch of random stuff:
Jen, Christopher & Greg
I’ve been to LA a ton of times but have somehow not been into Hollywood, so it’s an easy choice on a nice sunny morning. We walk a little way down Hollywood Boulevard taking in the walk of the stars & the nearby Hollywood sign.
The Hollywood sign
Jen & I spend a day at Universal Studios, a park neither of us has been to in about ten years. A bunch of new rides and the hot California sun make for a great day.
Who else would I take a photo of?
Jen’s Dad runs a painting class and asks me to model for him (I know…) I sit still for just a few hours and am very impressed by the result.
Dan watercolor, done by Jim in a couple of hours
For Halloween night we go for my first night of trick-or-treating with all of the young children in the family.
For a reason I still don’t really understand, Jen has a huge bear costume in her car, so of course I throw it on and walk around the crowded streets, struggling to see the ground in front of me. I can’t believe the amount of effort people have put into decorating their houses, complete with strobe lights & smoke machines. The particular area we are in is very popular and there are literally hundreds of people walking up and down, parents trailing behind small children.
Dan's Halloween Costume
It’s a great week of fun, and I spend my down-time planning my crossing into Mexico. I’ve been running it over and over in my mind for a really long time now, so the only thing left to do is actually cross.
The Walk of Stars on Hollywood Blvd.
It’s time to step this trip up a little 😉
-Dan
Hi Dan,
You’re just up the freeway! Assuming you come down 5 (San Diego Fwy) to head to the San Ysidro crossing, you’ll drive within a 1/4 mile of me.
Crossing isn’t any big deal really although they may have a couple of routine questions for you. Not sure where you’re headed in Mexico, you’ll probably want to get a bit south before you pick a place to stay. If you are planning on being in Baja for a bit, Ensenada isn’t bad. It’s close enough to the border to shorten the drive but far enough away from Tijuana. It’s touristy of course but you’ll find that a lot uless you get off the beaten path or to the interior. If you go down Mexico 1 (cuota, toll road) you may want to stop in Rosarito for a taco. Small little town on the beach, hit one of the road side stands. And speaking of beach, it used to be common for gringos to sleep on the beach however I’d advise against it as it’s not safe any more to do so.
Safe travels!
David
Thanks for the great advice David! You sound like you’ve crossed the border more than a few times yourself…?
Yeah Dan, a couple of times…
My ex-wife and I used to spend quite a bit of time at a little beach house her mom owned just north of Rosarito, little seaside community called San Antonio del Mar. Her mom retired to there a few years back.
Mexico is a beautiful country and full of wonderful people – it’s a little difficult to get away from the touristy areas and in my opinion it takes a little more personal investment on our parts to appreciate the country for what it is. Certainly an effort as well to look past the decrepit parts to see the beauty. You’ll experience similar things as you travel through Central and South America I think – at least I did in travels to Peru…… I’m really looking forward to reading about what you find.
Enjoy the road,
David
Thanks so much David. Im trying as hard as I can to take it all in, then everything changes again. So much to learn and so many people to meet!
Jen’s dad did an excellent job on the painting. He certainly caught the wanderlust in your eyes.
It’s getting hard to miss 😀
When do you make it to the border when they ask you if you have any firearms… do NOT respond with: “What do you need?”
har har har
I’ll be sure to keep that in mind. Before the border are huge signs – “Firearms and ammo illegal in Mexico”
Hey Dan
We all miss you already! Well I’m not sure if Christopher has noticed you are gone, but he does try to climb up the stairs a lot more now. Thanks so much for teaching him that trick (said with much sarcasm in case you didn’t pick up on it!) I hope your journey is safe, but a lot of fun!
Jen
Thanks Jen! If that is the only thing that rubbed off from me to Christopher you should be really happy
Ill be back in a few years to teach him the good stuff 😛
Go Dan