A Day Tour: The PCH, Malibu, LA, Hollywood, Burbank

Day 299 on the road.
Starbucks, downtown Palmdale, California

How did I end up in Palmdale, just north of Los Angeles? Well, it's the end result of taking a "day tour" of the Pacific Coast Highway (commonly called the PCH around here). When I awoke yesterday in Lompoc, I had not decided where I was driving my old SUV next. After looking at my trusty Rand McNally Road Atlas, I made the decision to drive south along Hwy. 101 and the Scenic Route Hwy. 1. The PCH follows the coastline and you can take the scenic road California Hwy. 1 to access all the beaches and towns along the way.

From Lompoc I drove south on U.S. 101/Cal. Hwy. 1 toward Santa Barbara. I toured Santa Barbara, visiting the downtown area and then driving to the harbor and pier on the west coastline of the city. The Santa Barbara Harbor is quite amazing and beautiful. Of course, thousands of people were spending the day at the beach so traffic was horrible. Santa Barbara is a great place, however, and it was worth the effort. The downtown area is a tourist mecca with shopping and local eateries a big attraction. Then the beach and local harbor are a must-see for anyone in town.

(Above and below: downtown Santa Barbara)

(Below: Santa Barbara public beach area and Santa Barbara Harbor)

Leaving Santa Barbara, I stayed on the scenic route and followed the coastline to Ventura. I ate lunch at the Ventura Harbor and Marina, an enormous shopping development and marina with hundreds of boats and yachts. Ventura also has plenty of beach access, of course, but I spent my time at the marina looking at the sailboats, fishing rigs, speed boats, and yachts. I ate BBQ (not very good) at a small cafe on the boardwalk overlooking the harbor. The patio on which I ate had a dozen tables or so and had nice view of the marina. The weather was perfect: a cool breeze and 73 degrees with a bright sun and blue sky. I sat for a long time just soaking up the wonderful scene as sea gulls flew overhead.

(Below: Ventura Harbor and Marina, and shops.)

Once I left Ventura, it was just a few minutes to Oxnard, the home of training camp for the Dallas Cowboys later on this summer in July. (Maybe I can come back and meet Pacman Jones.) The scenic road along the coastline takes a detour in Oxnard and I had drive north through town before entering the Santa Monica Mountains National Park and Recreation Area.

I must say the drive north from Oxnard toward Santa Monica on the PCH is quite an event. To the right was the Pacific Ocean; to the left were the cliffs of the Santa Monica Mountains. All along the drive through this area hundreds of cars were parked at access points along the beaches. Thousands of people were enjoying the beautiful weather, many swimming and surfing the waves breaking toward the coastline.

The scene was wonderful and it was an amazing drive, but I was not prepared for Malibu. Once I arrived in Malibu, the circus began. I have never seen so many people. I saw a sign that said "Malibu, 27 Miles of Scenic Beauty." As I drove that 27 miles along the beaches of Malibu, I was amazed at the number of surfers, swimmers, sunbathers, and people just hanging out and enjoying the wonderful scenes along the PCH. It was a Saturday afternoon, so I should have expected it. However, it was still an amazing drive.

After making it through Malibu, I arrived in Santa Monica just south of Los Angeles. The Santa Monica Harbor and Pier is a carnival of sorts, with Ferris Wheel, roller coaster, and all kinds of tourist attractions. I drove just past the pier and headed toward Los Angeles, with the idea of visiting Hollywood and Burbank before leaving the area.

I drove around Paramount Studios (just a bunch of white buildings with no signs or anything to see but a bunch of fences and security guards) and then visited Hollywood Blvd. and Universal City in Burbank. As I drove up and down Hollywood Blvd. on a late Saturday afternoon, all I could think was, "This is a zoo." I saw street venders, local musicians, local entertainers, and an assortment of costumed creatures advertising various movies that were showing in nearby theaters. It was a very weird scene. One group of Japanese tourists were standing around a guy in blue jeans playing his guitar and dancing to a song he probably wrote himself. Can stardom be far behind for this guy? I saw four pirates, all dressed up and looking for a ship to capture, outside a movie theater.

It was approaching 6 p.m. when I left Universal City and Burbank, so I drove north toward Santa Clarita to find a motel. Palmdale was 20 miles north of Los Angeles and so I decided to drive there for the night.

So, here I am, in Palmdale. after yesterday's "day tour" of the PCH and west Los Angeles. And to think I'm only an hour's drive away from Solvang and all those vineyards.

Today I'm heading back to Solvang. I'm going to stay there until Thursday of next week. For some reason, I can't leave this area yet. Who knows. I may never leave.

(Below: more photos of the PCH and Malibu.)

Hoover Dam and Lake Mead

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

April, 2008

A video clip of Lake Mead and Hoover Dam.

Lake Mead, looking north, in Boulder City driving toward the Hoover Dam.

Lake Mead and the RV and camping area, far in the distance. A road leads to a guard shack, where you pay for an overnight camping spot.

The walkway at the entrance to Hoover Dam. A restaurant is atop the dam, along with a gift shop and visitor's center.

A new bridge is being built crossing the Colorado River just south of the dam. The bypass bridge will allow more traffic to wind it's way through the mountain without having to cross the dam itself. Traffic is horrible and will remain slow until the new bypass is completed.

A monument dedicated to the workers who built the dam between 1931 and 1934, many who died during the construction.

Looking south from atop the dam.

Notice the pillars of the new bridge in the upper left corner of the photo. Once the bridge is complete, it will have a beautiful view of Hoover Dam and the Colorado River.

The dam is built in the middle of a mountain range, the Colorado River being at the bottom of a huge valley.

The visitor's center, and the new bypass bridge under construction in the background. It cost $12 to enter the Visitor's Center and get access to the concrete overlook for a "photo oppurtunity."

Looking north from atop the dam, toward Lake Mead.


"The Hoover Dam construction crew's mascot was found as a puppy by workers at the construction camp. This dog traveled to and from the damsite with them and spent his days visiting the many work areas. On February 21, 1941, the life of this devoted animal came to an end when a truck under which he was sleeping rolled over him. The grave below was completed by workers that same day."

The mascot's gravesite and plaque.

Finally, an Update on My Weekend in Vegas

Day 263 on the road.
Starbucks, Boulder City, Nevada

It's been a wild and wacky week since my return to Laughlin from Vegas last weekend. I find myself today, Saturday, in Boulder City, 20 miles east of Vegas.

I spent last weekend at The Orleans and on the Strip, with the goal of getting to know the place. It was my second trip to Sin City, the last time being over 10 years ago. This time around I took the time to look around.

In fact, I spent 26-hours straight on the Strip without any sleep (dumb idea, but it was fun). I checked out of The Orleans on Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. and didn't check back in until Saturday afternoon. Below is a snapshot of my 26-hour marathon on the Strip.

My 26-Hour Marathan Tour of the Strip

Friday, 10:30 a.m. - Checked out of The Orleans, drove around downtown Vegas, headed toward UNLV, stopped at Starbucks near the campus.

2 p.m. - I left Starbucks and drove toward the Strip.

2:30 p.m. - Arrived at the Bellagio parking lot. Visited the Poker Room, but did not play. Walked around the casino for a while.

3:25 p.m. - Drinking coffee at the Cypress Street Market, in Caesar’s Palace, after walking there from the Bellagio.

4:30 p.m. - Walked down the Strip from Caesar's, went across the street to the McDonald’s located across from the Mirage. I ate a Caesar salad and a grilled chicken wrap. I watched a homeless person who was asleep on the patio, and was wondering if that was going to be me in a few years.

5:15 p.m. - Walked to the Wynn Casino, toured the place, then stopped at The Café for some iced tea.

6 p.m. - To the shuttle bus from the Wynn to the monorail station located at the Convention Center, just a few minutes from the Strip. This is a good tip: the Wynn has a free shuttle that runs to the monorail and back, around the clock. You can actually park at the Convention Center, then catch the shuttle to the Wynn or any one of the six other stations located along the Strip.

6:10 p.m. - Arrived at the monorail station at Convention Center, and purchased a 24-hr unlimited ticket for $9. A one-way, one-time ride is $5.

6:45 p.m. - Arrived back at the Bellagio. After taking the monorail to the Bally’s station located across the street, it was a short walk back to the Bellagio.

7:40 p.m. - I walked to the Poker Room at the Bellagio to play some poker. The room was too busy and the wait too long, so I left. On the way out, I watched Sammy Farha play blackjack at the $300 minimum-bet table. I departed the Bellagio parking garage, having decided to drive to Green Valley Ranch in Henderson.

8:12 p.m. - Arrived at the GVR Casino Resort parking garage. I was familiar with the Green Valley Ranch Casino after watching the entire series of television shows featuring the staff of the place. American Casino, a reality television series for the Discovery Channel and Travel Channel based on the daily tasks of various casino employees, was filmed there in 2004. Several episodes of the hit show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation have also been filmed on site.

8:45 p.m. to Saturday morning, 3:45 a.m. - I played poker at GVR poker room, mainly $4-$8 Limit Hold'em.

Saturday, 4:03 a.m. - Departed the GVR parking garage.

4:30 a.m. - Arrived at the Mirage parking garage, back on the Strip in Vegas. I hung out in the Mirage and visited the poker room, the retail shopping mall, etc. I almost fell asleep in the sports lounge, and was warned by security that "no sleeping is allowed in the casino." I told the security guard I was just "resting my eyes." He didn't smile.

5:15 a.m. - Departed the Mirage. I was getting very sleepy and tired. I could hardly hold my eyes open. Therefore, I made the decision to drive to a Starbucks for a pick-me-up.

5:30 a.m. - Arrived at the Starbucks on Flamingo, near The Orleans. I surfed the Internet, read the local papers, and tried my best to stay awake by drinking lots of coffee.

6:30 a.m. - Arrived at The Orleans for a breakfast buffet. I received a free breakfast for becoming a club member, so I feasted on eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, cereal, fruit, and orange juice.

7:45 a.m. - Arrived at the Starbucks on Tropicana, one block west of The Orleans. I had to kill some time before I could check back into my room.

12, Noon - Left Starbucks.

12:30 p.m. - Checked into my motel room.

1 p.m. - Finally went to bed and got some sleep.

I woke up at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. I visited the Strip for a couple of hours, mainly checking out Hooters and the MGM Grand. I stopped at a CoCo's restaurant and bought a cheeseburger, which I took back to my room. After eating dinner I went back to bed. On Sunday morning I checked out and then prepared to drive back to Laughlin.

Photos from the Strip:

(Above and below: photos taken at the Bellagio, in the garden area.)

(Above: the fountain at Caesar's Palace.)

(See the homeless man? I'm on the patio of McDonald's eating a salad and trying not to feel guilty.)

(Above: at the Venetian.)

A video clip of my walk along the Strip is below, and is posted on YouTube.

On my way back to Laughlin Sunday afternoon, I took the 15 mile detour to Boulder City to see Lake Mead and Hoover Dam. It was great fun to see the dam, though the traffic was horrible. It took a while to wind my way through the mountains to the location of the dam.

Once I recovered from the all-night tour, and a side trip to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam, I drove back to Laughlin and checked back into my room at the River Palms. I spent last week at the Palms playing $2-$6 Spread Limit poker and hanging out with my new friends in the poker room (Tim, Steve, Adrian, Terri, Marilyn, and the gang). Yesterday, Friday, I decided to come back to Vegas for another road trip. This time I've decided to return to Boulder City, near Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, just 20 miles east of Vegas.

I met Vincent a couple of hours ago, the owner of the Western Inn, here in Boulder City. He's a retired military veteran who purchased the small 16-room motel near downtown about six years ago. The value of the property he's sitting on has more than doubled, and he told me when he reaches 60 years old in a few years, "I'm going to sell and live in an RV and travel the country."

My room is spacious, has a kitchenette and breakfast area, with appliances, and has the best rate in town. So, I told Vincent I've found my new weekend home whenever I come to Vegas. He also has an affordable weekly rate.

I drove to downtown Boulder City and immediately liked it . Boulder City was basically created to house the workers who built Hoover Dam. Now, it's a small and friendly community with a thriving antique and art district. Almost half (48%) of the population is retired, according to Vincent. No gambling is allowed within the city limits and the police run off all homeless people and drug addicts. I like this place very much. (Do I want to move here? Anything is possible.)

In Boulder City this weekend is the 23rd Annual Spring Jamboree, so I lucked out and found the park area in the center of town full of tourists checking out the events: antique show, car show, art show, music, food, and all kinds of fun stuff. I'll post some photos and video clips as soon as I can.

In the meantime, my plans for the rest of the weekend include visiting The District at Green Valley Ranch and playing some Omaha Hi Lo Split at The Orleans in Vegas. I'll be back in Laughlin on Monday.