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There are 2 ways to visit this page:
   1. You just read all of it; a journey of about 15 days, starting in Los Angeles through San Diego, Las Vegas and
        ending in San Francisco.
   2. You just click one of the links below to the city, town, National Park, ... you're interested in. To go back to this
        page, use the 'back'-button of your browser.

            Los Angeles                                                                                    Death Valley
            San Diego                                                                                       Mono Lake + Bodie (Ghost Town)
            Palm Springs + Joshua Tree National Monument                          Yosemite National Park
            Las Vegas                                                                                        Monterey + Carmel
            Grand Canyon + Hoover Dam                                                        San Francisco
 

There are a few things you just can't miss out on during your visit of LA. For instance:

    a) beaches

        At Venice Beach you can lie or walk along miles of beautiful "blue-sky" beaches with a lot of little shops at the edge of the beach. In a special part, called "Muscle Beach", all the future Schwarzeneggers and Van Dammes are working out and showing off to the girls. 
        At Santa Monica Beach you can find many beautiful palm trees. The Santa Monica Pier may be very famous, but in fact California has other, far more beautiful piers than that one, for example in San Francisco.
        When you've got to choose between those 2 beaches, just take Venice Beach. Santa Monica's more famous, but it certainly has known better times in the past.

    b) the movies

        Always wanted to know how and where moviestars live? Just take a ride with your car through all the streets of Beverly Hills and admire their beaurtiful villas. On the street corners near the border of Beverly Hills or in Hollywood, you can buy a map that indicates where your favourite movie star lives. Of course you can also take one of the 'guided tours' through Beverly Hills on a tourist bus on which you'll get the same information as on the map. Also worth a visit: the Beverly Hills Hotel, built in 1912. In its Polo Lounge a lot of movie contracts have been and are still being made. 
        If you'd like to run into someone famous, just go walking on Rodeo Drive, where all the celebrities go shopping.

        Then there's Hollywood.
Although it has become an impoverished neighbourhood, it lies very beautifully in the hills of LA. On Hollywood Boulevard you can find 'The Walk Of Fame', all the famous stars their names written in the red stars on the sidewalk. Really cool, but quite long if you want to read every single one of them! Mann's Chinese Theatre is also great; not for the fake Chinese architecture, but for the hand- and footprints in concrete of famous people like Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee and Doris Day. Not far from this theatre you can also visit the Museum of famous people in Wax and the Guinness Records Museum.   

        Last but certainly not least: Universal Studios! This really is worth the entrance fee. Get a terrific 3D-experience at the Terminator 2 attraction, become really wet while admiring Jurrasic Park sets and get the ultimate experience during the Back To The Future ride! When you just want to ease down, you can go sit in a little train and take a look at a lot of sets of famous movies and series like Matlock, Back To The Future, Psycho and many others! You also get to know how some special effects work. For example, you can watch a metro-tunnel collapse or see the streets suddenly turn into a river raging down on the train you're sitting in! To visit Universal Studios profoundly, you'll certainly need a whole day.
 

    c) downtown

You can't leave Los Angeles without having driven between the buildings of downtown. Just take the freeway Downtown and make sure you enter Downtown on Willshire Bld. That way you get a beautiful view of the buildings.
Just drive around in Downtown to let the atmosphere get to you...
 

* In Balboa Park, the Spanish Artists' Village and the California Tower are surrounded by beautiful gardens. You can shoot great pictures here, especially if you come on a sunny day.  
* You should also visit Old Town, the historical part of the city. Many of the houses are still original from the time when the Spanish first came to California. If you like the Mexican culture (and their food), the 'Casa Bandini' will be the place to eat: with waitresses in Mexican clothes, live music, ... .

The world famous 'San Diego Zoo' is very big, but if you can't get enough, you can also visit the 'San Diego Wild Animal Park' in Escondido (north of San Diego). And if you prefer wateranimals, there is of course 'Seaworld'. It 's really fascinating to see a killer whale of an enormous weight jump more than 15 feet or 5 m high; but probably the best show is the 'sealion- and seaottershow'. It 's special and funny, because a trainer and a sealion perform together a nice piece of acting.

A short trip to Mexico is also one of the possibilities when you're staying in San Diego. You drive straight toTijuana (Mexico), but you stop at the last American parking. There you take a tourbus and after a quick ID-check by the Mexican customs officer (just a quick look in the bus to see if there aren't any shady characters), you're in Tijuana, Mexico ! The difference with American cities isn't hard to figure out: the streets outside the touristical center are much more neglected, and in the touristical center you get approached all the time by obtrusive salesmen. Some of them even try to get you in their buildings where parties are going on in the middle of the day.
When you re-enter the US, the ID-check is done much more thoroughly; everybody has to get out of the bus and is then checked individually. However, Tijuana is definitely worth the ride.

   If you still got time and money left, you can go shopping downtown, at the 'Horton Plaza', a mall in a modern archi- tectural style.
 

    To everyone in Southern-California, desert means Palm Springs and the other rich oasis Palm Desert. Before the early 1920s Palm Springs was nothing but a little health resort. Then it was discovered by Hollywood, and it became the most popular area to spend the winter. It is certainly 'not done' to show up here before Christmas or after Easter. However, if you want cheap prices and high reductions, it is strongly recommended to stay there during this long period. In June, July, August and September temperatures easily rise above 100-110°F (40-45°C), so during this period Palm Springs isn't exactly 'the place to be' if you want to spend a sun-bathing holiday. But you surely should visit it to get the party- atmosphere that reigns at night. And to see all the streets surrounded by thousands of palm trees (of course!).

    Surely not to miss: a ride on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway! The Tramway takes you 1 mile above Palm Springs on the Mount San Jacinto. From up there you've got an extremely beautiful view and you sure get the full meaning of the word 'oasis'. Don't forget to take a sweater; it can be 30-40°F (10-15°C) colder on the top of the Mount San Jacinto. 

When staying in Palm Springs, a nice thing for you to do is drive through Joshua Tree National Monument. In this National Park you'll see a lot of nice things that nature's created. It's a very impressive park with beautiful rocks, mountains, special trees. In the 'Cholla Catus Garden' you can walk between a whole field of cactusses. This park got its name due to the amount of Joshua Trees that grow over here. The tree is named Joshua Tree 'cause it holds its branches up the way the profet Joshua would have done with his arms. When you get out of your car, watch out for rattlesnakes. You'll probably see one of those cute looking coyotes. Please follow the rules of the Rangers and do not feed them. Otherwise they would become dependent on the food the tourists give, and they won't survive.
 

 

Gambling is legalized, but only for adults, this means you must be at least 21 years old. If you 're younger, you can walk fast through the casino, but you are not allowed to hang around, nor sit on the chairs and gamble. It's not the casinos fault (because they would love to increase their returns), but they risk a fine of more than $ 5000 if an inspector sees a minor gambling ! Everything is directed at the gambling, and you'll find bars and restaurants (mostly fastfood) in the casinos, so you don't have to leave the casino to eat. You can even keep gambling when you are at the bar, 'cause some bars have built-in videoscreens ! And if you want a quick marriage: just go to one of the dozens of weddingchapels and leave there as husband and wife.
 
Most of the casino-hotels in Las Vegas are situated on 'the Strip', the Las Vegas Bld. You can just walk in and out the hotels and casinos; everybody does. It 's best to visit them indoors by day, because it 's too hot to stay outside then (in summer). When you see the Strip when all the neonlights are turned on, you really know what Las Vegas by night means: just incredibly cool ! Some hotels on the Strip you certainly have to visit:

- New York - New York: This hotel-casino is absuolutely fabulous outside; it exists out of copies of different buildings, including the Empire State Building, joined together and with the statue of liberty placed in front of that all. Inside, you 'll get the impression of being in the streets of NY !

 - MGM: The huge fake-golden lion before this hotel is the most particular thing on the outside of this hotel. Many shows of famous people (Backstreet Boys, Alanis Morissette, ...) were and are still going on in the dome of the MGM.

- Treasury Island: Everything inside makes you think you are on an island. From the outside, it 's not that special, but you just must see the pirate show, performed practically on the street. You experience a fight between 2 ships, and they manage even to let one sink !

 - Paris: You 've seen it right: they even made a copy of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc Of Triomph for this hotel. Once inside, you 'll think yourself outside in France, with nice terraces. This effect is caused by painting realistic blue air with clouds on the ceiling.

 - Luxor: This hotel is very impressive, because all of the rooms are located in a pyramid, with a giant sphinx in front of it. Especially when you go inside and look up to the top of the pyramid (there are no floors in the middle of it), the view is mighty !
 

And these are not the only ones ! Also take a look at: Cesar's Palace, Mirage, Bellagio, Circus Circus, ... . For those who thought they could: you cannot do Las Vegas in 1 day !
 
 
 

However this is not the best way to get a good look at the Canyon and the Hoover Dam. If you 've got a few spare days, you should drive to them. That way, you 'll see much more of it, 'cause the plane flies far too high to have a really good look. After your visit to the Dam, you can stay at the edge of the Grand Canyon and make the descend to the Colorado River on a donkey (reserve a year in advance !) or fly (almost) in the canyon with a chopper.

Anyhow, if you 're at the edge of the Grand Canyon, you can only have admiration for the work that the Colorado River has done over millions of years.
 

 

    In more realistic terms we can assume that the valley got its name because of the few life that can be found in it. Almost nothing is able to survive in this ultra-dry landscape, 'though you may find some desert plants that can. In 1913 a record temperature of 133°F (56°C) was measured and summertemperature easily rises above 118°F (48°C). When you get out of your car, you'll feel a constant warm and dry wind blowing over your skin.

    Some things you just HAVE to see in Death Valley:

        * Badwater: This is the lowest point on the western hemisphere (292 feet or 89 m below sealevel). It is
                            covered with a huge salt lake in summer, but if you come here at the end of the summer, you'll
                            probably only see the salt; the water will be gone.

        * Devil's Golf Course: Here you'll find strange salt forms and piles. As if even the Devil would want to play golf
                                             here...

        * Artist's Drive: A sandy road leads you along the most colorful landscape of Death Valley. Many minerals have
                                  come out of the ground and show a beautiful spectacle of colors and light.

        * Dante's View: From up here you've got a marvellous view over Death Valley! You can see the whole landscape
                                   begging for water... This point is called this way 'cause it looks much like the way Dante
                                   describes his 'Inferno' (hell).

        * Scotty's Castle: At the northern edge of the Valley, a villain and gold digger, nicknamed 'Death Valley Scotty',
                                    convinced millionair Albert Johnson to build an extravagant house in Spanish style. Scotty had
                                    lured Johnson with wild stories about gold. But once arrived there, Johnson noticed the climate
                                    did him well, he forgave Scotty and they became friends for life. The house has got 25 rooms
                                    with a huge living room, a music room with an organ with 1600 pipes and little waterfalls all over
                                    the house; the airconditioning of those times.

        * Ubehebe Crater: A vulcanic eruption caused this crater of 394 feet or 120 m deep and with a diameter of almost
                                       0.6 mi or 1 km. When you walk to the edge of the crater, you'll get a dramatic view.
 
        * Zabriskie Point: From this point you've got a magnificent view over the southern part of Death Valley. Surely a
                                      point not to be missed!!!
 

The best thing you can do after a day of driving in the Valley, is spending the night in the Valley! There are only 2 villages: Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells. If I were you, Stovepipe Wells would be it! It's a little village, existing out of a shop, a motel, a restaurant and a gaz station. It's lovely to stay in that motel, to get the feeling to be in the middle of nowhere and to watch the most stars you'll ever see in this non-by-light-polluted area. Enjoy!
 
 

    If you've always wanted to visit a ghost town, don't look any further. Once you've seen 1, you've seen them all, so why not going to the best one? Calico's fine, but quite commercial. If you really want to FEEL what it was like in those days, go to Bodie. The road up is miles away from any highway, and you'll surely get the feeling to be in the middle of nowhere as in front of you little wooden houses arise. Bodie really is worth the trip! Untill 1876 this was a flourishing miners' town, and people lived here untill the early 1940s. 

    Just walk between the houses where you get a good feeling how hard life was in the 1800s. You can walk around in some houses, and you can buy a little map with information of who lived in which house.
 
 

    Bodie was called the 'Bad Town', 'cause there was a lot of crime, and it was also difficult to survive up there. Temperatures go down 'till -15°F or -40°C in winter! And even in summer it's not that good over there. By day it's 75°F or 25°C, but at night temperatures go below the freezing point! Pretty hard, especially when you have to live in wooden houses. 
 

I'm sorry, the pictures of Bodie were made little time before sunset. If you're going to Bodie and you're gonna take any pictures, I'd be very happy if you'd mail me some...

To visit Bodie properly, you should at least take half a day.  
 
 
 

In the Yosemite Valley, there 's a tourist village, where many of the hiking routes start. If you 'd like to see waterfalls of about 2600 feet or 800 m (the water falls in 3 times: Upper falls, Middle falls and Lower falls), come in spring or early summer, when they are the most impressive. The melting of ice and snow in the upper mountains cause a wild stream of water. In fall, the falls are dry, so you don't really have to stop there. But you must stop a few miles further to see the mountaineers climb the 'El Capitan', that is believed to be the biggest monolite on the earth. The walls are almost perfectly vertical, and it takes 2 days to climb this rock of 3280 feet or 1 km high; the mountaineers have to sleep in nets. Don't forget to take your binoculars or a camera with a great zoom, because they look like flys, and can hardly be seen.

Make sure you go to 'Glacier Point', so you can have a great view over the Yosemite Valley and over large parts of the national park. The sunset is amazing here, and you can ask questions to a real ranger, who invites you to stay till after the sunset and listen what he has got to say about the stars (no pollution of light !).

Anyhow, if you come to Yosemite, don't forget to bring good hiking shoes; it can take a walk before you see the most amazing things (sequoias, ...).
 

Pebble beach exists mostly out of villas of rich Californian families (but nothing special compared to those in Beverly Hills) and golf courses. The most interesting things about the 17-mile drive are the views over the sea and the cliffs, but the weather has to be good to enjoy these totally. You can also enjoy yourself with the gulls, and if you're not to noisy, even the squirrels who come and beg for bread.

 The most famous tree of the 17-mile drive is the 'Lone Cypress', a cypress standing alone on a bare looking hill. It has become one of the most important points of recognition of California. The 17-mile drive ends in Carmel, a very special village that tries to remain old-fashioned. It has got no neonlights, no advertisement posters, no traffic lights, no house numbers, no parking meters and no mailmen. Every citizen has to pick up his own mail at the post office. There are even rules about eating on the street and high heels ! (no fastfood here) You can also take a look at the 'Mission San Carlos Borromeo', an old mission post with a little church built in the 18th century.

Monterey (the city) has got also a lot to offer to the tourists: the Fisherman's Wharf, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and lots of other things that 've got to do with the ocean. Just take a look in the local tourist center, and you won't know what to do first !  
 
 
 

    If there's one thing that could be bad for the reputation of San Francisco, it's the weather. When it's hot in august in California, that doesn't mean at all it's warm in San Francisco. Even in summer a thick fog can appear from the ocean and block the sun away. But San Francisco is the city where I noticed the least what weather it was. I mean, I saw the fog, but it seemed like the city is build that way to make you forget about the weather, especially when you're walking on Market Street.
    The cable cars are THE stereotypic thing of San Francisco. These trams are pulled up the hills by a big steel cable that runs under the ground. Whenever the driver wants to stop, he pulls his clip up so he isn't connected to the rolling cable anymore. When he wants to get pulled up, he just lets the clip down and the tram gets pulled forward. The first cable car drove on the streets in in 1873, and at the beginning of this century about 800 miles of rails were being used. Now there's only 11 miles of rails. On the trams you can find nowadays a lot of tourists, but also a lot of the inhabitants that live along those streets use the cable car.
    People who have never been to California often speak of Los Angeles and San Francisco as if it was the same. However, no 2 other cities differ that much geographically, culturally and politicallly as LA and San Francisco.

There are different ways to visit San Francisco.
    The best way to get an impression of it, is by following the 49-mile drive. You can buy a detailed map of this touristical route everywhere in San Francisco. The drive is also indicated by blue-white signs with '49-mile drive' on it, but (again out of own experience) it can be very dificult to find these signs in heavy traffic, and sometimes the signs are not very well placed. So a map is definitely necessary. When you follow this drive you'll pass along the major sights of this city like Chinatown, the Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks (from where you get a 360° view of San Francisco) and the Oakland Bay Bridge.
    It would be a shame to only visit San Francisco by car. You should at least walk in the eastern part of Market Street and it's highly recommended to walk along the following sights. It'll take about 2 hours, but at least you'll see the most interesting places of San Francisco.

        * Crocker Galleria: This mall with a dome made out of glass is created as a copy of the Galleria in Milan.

        * Transamerica Pyramid: The highest building of the town. At the 27th floor there's a platform to look out over the 
                                                city, but recently acces has been denied to that floor. Instead you can stay at the ground
                                                floor and move with arrows the 4 cameras that are placed on that 27th floor. It's nice, but
                                                it's not the same, and if you want to make pictures, you'll have to take pictures of a
                                                screen. It'd be better if that 27th floor became back accesible for tourists.

        * stairs on Filbert Street: Go up the stairs 'till you reach the top of Telegraph Hill. On that hill you've got a
                                                beautiful view over the city. If you want a better view, just go up into th Coit Tower.

        * Coit Tower: In this tower you can see wall paintigs of the 1930s. From the top of the tower you've got a
                              magnificent view over the city and the bay.

        * Chinatown: Stockton Street is the real Chinatown. Here you can find a lot of chinese shops, groceries and
                              shopping Chinese. Grant Avenue is the Chinatown for the tourists with gift shops, jewellers and
                               restaurants.

Although I've tried, the beauty of San Francisco cannot be described that easily. You just have to be there before you can fully understand it...
 
 
 
 

Suggestions or comments are always welcome at  vannoppen@pandora.be
 

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