RobynPrincess
Looking around
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2010
Day 19, home time 
BOOOOO!
Well I guess the day had to come eventually, our West Coast dream holiday had come to the end
We were up at 9am, we pottered about having showers and packing up the last of our things before heading down to check out
We loaded up the bags in the car and set off to do a bit of sight seeing, our flight wasn't until late tonight so we had the whole day to see and do some things we hadn't managed to make it to yet. First up we went to Long Beach and Seal Beach. Sadly there were no seals on seal beach (I guess it wasn't warm enough!) but we got out to have a look and wander down the pier.
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9626_zps0xhse0so.jpg.html]
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I really liked the vibe of this place, it was relaxed and comfortable but still felt a bit posh - I felt right at home hehehe. We walked up the high street looking in all of the shops, we tried to get some food but everywhere was jam packed with huge queues outside and we had parked somewhere with an hour time limit so we couldn't hang about gutted!
Back in the car we headed up the coast a little more to Long beach and the gorgeous marina, I felt totally at home here. Sy was drooling over the boats in the marina, he did a lot of yachting growing up but I just get seasick so unless we are on a speedboat aquaplaning I'm not interested haha.
We still couldn't find anywhere to stop for food so we ended up eating a disappointing Jack in the Box in the car. It did the job but we are in no rush to head back there that's for sure.
We carried on driving and headed towards Malibu. This was one place I really wanted to visit, I had wanted to stay here but the hotel I liked had shot up in price when we were looking to book so we ended up in Palm Springs (which was way better so it worked out in the end!).
When we started our journey we hadn't realised the traffic was going to be as awful as it was! There seemed to be some event going on and we got stuck in it. Boo! We passed the hotel I'd been coveting on the way and it didn't look quite as good as the pictures (but pretty close), I was still happy we made it to Palm Spring instead.
We couldn't find anywhere to park in Malibu that didn't cost $30 to park all day - we were only going to stop for an hour so we weren't about to pay that! So instead we drove around some of the little side roads and saw some interesting people smoking interesting pipes :O (shocked me cause the area was so posh, they were sat outside million dollar homes on the seafront!).
We decided to head back into LA and try to find somewhere at the side of the coast road to stop at, which we did at about half way. We couldn't quite get down to the sea but we sat for a bit on some rocks looking out over the ocean.
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9633_zps3mpad9wo.jpg.html]
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Back in the car we made our way to Beverly Hills, we drove round for a little bit but already time was getting on and we needed to think about making our way to the airport. We stopped at a gas station to put a bit in and let me use the facilities. It was the poshest gas station toilet I'd ever been in lol I could tell we were in Beverly Hills hehe.
When we had taken Jane to the airport the week before we had driven past a Beard Papa's. Beard Papa's is a Chinese chain which sell the most amazing cream puffs! We used to have one in London but it closed down, and then there was one in the Premium outlets in Orlando but that too has now closed so I went a little crazy when I saw it before, and we decided we would come back when we headed to the airport to try to find it. Typically we had trouble finding it again it got to the stage where we had to give up looking and drive to the airport when finally we drove past it on our way back to the main road! I raced inside and bought 6 mini puffs and gushed at the man serving me about how happy I was to find them, I think he may have thought I was a crazy person hahaha he was possibly right hahaha.
Back in the car we had eaten the 6 mini puffs before we were out of the car park, dammit! Knew I should have got more! We raced to the airport and dropped off the car. We were a bit later than the 3 hours ahead now but there was no queue at check in so it was quick and easy and we were soon passing through security.
We still had enough time to grab something to eat before the flight thankfully cause I'm so fussy I always end up not eating the plane food lol We ate in one of the restaurants and both went for the same thing, chicken in breadcrumbs with a curry sauce. What actually came was chicken katsu curry, a personal fav of mine! So I was very happy. It was really good too.
We finished our food and made our way straight to the gate and were boarding about 10 minutes later.
This was our first flight with Delta, we had 2 seats at the window to ourselves which was nice - when its the 2 of us we usually sit in the middle of the plane in the bank of 4 as I'm an aisle girl and we don't like having to get up for the 1 person who sits in the window seat next to us (usually fly on a 747 with a 3, 4, 3 configuration). I really like being able to look out of the window, don't get me wrong I didn't like it enough to start sitting at the window and give up my aisle but it was a nice change
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9637_zps2oqin4oa.jpg.html]
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The flight passed smoothly, there weren't many films I wanted to watch so I ended up watching some tv and trying to sleep. Sy slept most of the flight without keeping everyone around us awake with the snoring so that was good hehe.
We landed mid afternoon in sunny London Heathrow where my parents were picking us up and bringing us home again, well home to their house where we would be picking up our car and Tink who pleased to see us. We stayed for about an hour before heading home to unpack and get Tink settled in.
And that my friends, brings us to the end of our first West Coast experience. Our first, but definitely not our last... In fact we are in the early stages of planning for 2017 - a visit to Hawaii and more exploring of the West Coast so watch this space!
I was sad that the trip was over, but knowing I had a trip to Disneyland Paris in September for Dapper day and a 24 night trip to WDW for Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to, it really took the edge of the sadness.
BOOOOO!Well I guess the day had to come eventually, our West Coast dream holiday had come to the end
We were up at 9am, we pottered about having showers and packing up the last of our things before heading down to check out
We loaded up the bags in the car and set off to do a bit of sight seeing, our flight wasn't until late tonight so we had the whole day to see and do some things we hadn't managed to make it to yet. First up we went to Long Beach and Seal Beach. Sadly there were no seals on seal beach (I guess it wasn't warm enough!) but we got out to have a look and wander down the pier.
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9626_zps0xhse0so.jpg.html]
[/URL]
I really liked the vibe of this place, it was relaxed and comfortable but still felt a bit posh - I felt right at home hehehe. We walked up the high street looking in all of the shops, we tried to get some food but everywhere was jam packed with huge queues outside and we had parked somewhere with an hour time limit so we couldn't hang about
gutted!Back in the car we headed up the coast a little more to Long beach and the gorgeous marina, I felt totally at home here. Sy was drooling over the boats in the marina, he did a lot of yachting growing up but I just get seasick so unless we are on a speedboat aquaplaning I'm not interested haha.
We still couldn't find anywhere to stop for food so we ended up eating a disappointing Jack in the Box in the car. It did the job but we are in no rush to head back there that's for sure.
We carried on driving and headed towards Malibu. This was one place I really wanted to visit, I had wanted to stay here but the hotel I liked had shot up in price when we were looking to book
so we ended up in Palm Springs (which was way better so it worked out in the end!).When we started our journey we hadn't realised the traffic was going to be as awful as it was! There seemed to be some event going on and we got stuck in it. Boo! We passed the hotel I'd been coveting on the way and it didn't look quite as good as the pictures (but pretty close), I was still happy we made it to Palm Spring instead.
We couldn't find anywhere to park in Malibu that didn't cost $30 to park all day - we were only going to stop for an hour so we weren't about to pay that! So instead we drove around some of the little side roads and saw some interesting people smoking interesting pipes :O (shocked me cause the area was so posh, they were sat outside million dollar homes on the seafront!).
We decided to head back into LA and try to find somewhere at the side of the coast road to stop at, which we did at about half way. We couldn't quite get down to the sea but we sat for a bit on some rocks looking out over the ocean.
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9633_zps3mpad9wo.jpg.html]
[/URL]
Back in the car we made our way to Beverly Hills, we drove round for a little bit but already time was getting on and we needed to think about making our way to the airport. We stopped at a gas station to put a bit in and let me use the facilities. It was the poshest gas station toilet I'd ever been in lol I could tell we were in Beverly Hills hehe.
When we had taken Jane to the airport the week before we had driven past a Beard Papa's. Beard Papa's is a Chinese chain which sell the most amazing cream puffs! We used to have one in London but it closed down, and then there was one in the Premium outlets in Orlando but that too has now closed so I went a little crazy when I saw it before, and we decided we would come back when we headed to the airport to try to find it. Typically we had trouble finding it again
it got to the stage where we had to give up looking and drive to the airport when finally we drove past it on our way back to the main road! I raced inside and bought 6 mini puffs and gushed at the man serving me about how happy I was to find them, I think he may have thought I was a crazy person hahaha he was possibly right hahaha.Back in the car we had eaten the 6 mini puffs before we were out of the car park, dammit! Knew I should have got more! We raced to the airport and dropped off the car. We were a bit later than the 3 hours ahead now but there was no queue at check in so it was quick and easy and we were soon passing through security.
We still had enough time to grab something to eat before the flight thankfully cause I'm so fussy I always end up not eating the plane food lol We ate in one of the restaurants and both went for the same thing, chicken in breadcrumbs with a curry sauce. What actually came was chicken katsu curry, a personal fav of mine! So I was very happy. It was really good too.
We finished our food and made our way straight to the gate and were boarding about 10 minutes later.
This was our first flight with Delta, we had 2 seats at the window to ourselves which was nice - when its the 2 of us we usually sit in the middle of the plane in the bank of 4 as I'm an aisle girl and we don't like having to get up for the 1 person who sits in the window seat next to us (usually fly on a 747 with a 3, 4, 3 configuration). I really like being able to look out of the window, don't get me wrong I didn't like it enough to start sitting at the window and give up my aisle but it was a nice change
http://s1313.photobucket.com/user/watson_disney/media/West%20Coast/IMG_9637_zps2oqin4oa.jpg.html]
[/URL]The flight passed smoothly, there weren't many films I wanted to watch so I ended up watching some tv and trying to sleep. Sy slept most of the flight without keeping everyone around us awake with the snoring so that was good hehe.
We landed mid afternoon in sunny London Heathrow where my parents were picking us up and bringing us home again, well home to their house where we would be picking up our car and Tink who pleased to see us. We stayed for about an hour before heading home to unpack and get Tink settled in.
And that my friends, brings us to the end of our first West Coast experience. Our first, but definitely not our last... In fact we are in the early stages of planning for 2017 - a visit to Hawaii and more exploring of the West Coast so watch this space!
I was sad that the trip was over, but knowing I had a trip to Disneyland Paris in September for Dapper day and a 24 night trip to WDW for Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to, it really took the edge of the sadness.
