Hey, I'm Dutch! » California

US Route 66

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:42:39 +0000

Immortalized in literature and song, US Route 66 ran from\Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, before ending in Los Angeles, California. Also known by “The Main Street of America” or “The Mother Road,” Route 66 was favored as a truck route because it was mostly flat and the route that it took through the southwest. During the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, families seeking agricultural work in the 1930s made Route 66 a popular route.

When the Interstate Highway System was created, the importance and expedience of US Route 66 was greatly diminished. Route 66 was officially retired in 1985, but it’s legacy has been kept by the communities along it’s route and is slowly making its way back onto maps as a national scenic byway. It’s been nice traveling through cities honoring US Route 66.

San Diego

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:27:23 +0000

We stayed in the Gas Lamp district of San Diego and had a great time. Lots of bars, shops, and beautiful beaches.

San Diego was a nice follow-up to the L.A. madness. Quieter, better weather, and still a great time.

P took these pics from the rooftop of our hotel. He met some fellow travelers, but I’ll let him tell you more about that.

Fatburger and Magic Johnson

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:04:09 +0000

We’ve been in the States for almost a week and P still hasn’t had a hamburger! So we had to address that first thing when we arrived in LA. We go straight to Fatburger in Westwood and order the King Burger..oh and throw an egg on that! P, of course, asked for mayo only. And I introduced him to chili chili cheese fries. P looks like he’s enjoying his burger, doesn’t he?

Oh, and to complete the true Los Angeles experience as we wait for our hamburgers who walks in? Magic Johnson. Yup, that Magic Johnson. He was extremely gracious and signed autographs for the kids in the restaurant and said hello and shook hands with the other fans. A real class act. It’s great when you meet a hero and he really is that nice of a guy in person. P and I didn’t want to disturb his lunch, so we didn’t ask for a picture.

Manhattan Beach

admin — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:26:28 +0000

I spent the day relaxing at the hotel, while P went to go checkout Manhattan Beach. The AVP was having a volleyball tournament that weekend, so P got to check that out. Since I was being a lazy bum, I’ll let P tell you more.

Pimp My Ride

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:59:29 +0000

Ah, L.A. You gotta love it.

Michael Jackson – Greatest Entertainer Ever

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:41:57 +0000

Gone too soon Outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater stands Michael Jackson’s Walk of Fame Star. Crowds gather to pay respects and leave tributes for the Greatest Entertainer Ever. Yes, I said ever. Michael could play a concert in a country with no running water, much less tv or radio and sell out a stadium. People who know little to no English will know every MJ lyric. Hardened men who grew up as boys with rifles in hand will cry and pass out in Michael’s presence. Name any other entertainer that can do that on the scale that MJ could. That’s what I thought.

Hooray for Hollywood

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 06:35:45 +0000

After a brief cruise through Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, and the Miracle Mile, P and I went to go hang out at Hollywood and Vine. You’ll find the Walk of Fame Stars and Grauman’s Chinese Theater there.

At Grauman’s you can have a bit more of a chic movie-going experience by going VIP. For $20, you’ll get a plush leather seat in the balcony (they double as love seats as well for your date). You also get a cool lounge hangout spot with your own bar and attendants. Order food and drink at the bar and they’ll bring it to your seat in the theater. It makes for a nice dinner-and-a-movie date experience that is a little bit different for the lady on your arm. The upstairs lounge area would be pretty cool for a group friends wanting to check out the latest Harry Potter movie.

Santa Barbara

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 03:12:00 +0000

Off the CA-1, just a couple hours outside of Los Angeles lies the beautiful beach-front city of Santa Barbara. P and I crashed in Santa Barbara for the evening and spent the next day laying out by the beach. If you like San Diego, come check out Santa Barbara.

Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1)

serge — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:57:34 +0000

Our story begins with our two heroes on the Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1). If you’re a native Californian, this is not the quickest way to drive down to Los Angeles, but it is far more scenic. Unfortunately, we got a bit of a late start on our trip so the cool evening air mixing with the beautiful sunny California weather left us with gorgeous views of…fog. All through the mountains and along the cliffside, our views of the beautiful Pacific Ocean were shrouded with fog. Guess we’ll have to come back and cruise the coast another time.

P says: Ondanks alle mist tijdens de rit van San Jose naar Santa Barbara vond ik het toch een geweldig stuk rijden met erg mooie uitzichten op de natuur.
Deze uitzichten maak je niet mee in Nederland, langs de kust in de bergen.. dan weer langs bossen.. en dan weer een stuk kaler gebied en verschillende natuur gebieden (Parken). En natuurlijk was het rijden zonder cruise controll met alle bochten en dalingen en stijgingen in de weg, dus niet relaxen maar echt auto rijden! Ik heb er erg van genoten.

We enjoyed our cold beers on arrival…

The Flying Dutchman

serge — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:12:22 +0000

We would like to introduce you to The Flying Dutchman. Our new companion for the rest of our trip across the United States.

P says:
Op veel verzoek hebben we hier dan een foto van onze auto die we hebben gehuurd voor de gehele trip. We hadden eigenlijk foto’s waar we met zijn tweeen bij op stonden, maar kennelijk heeft de persoon die de foto’s probeerde te maken geen verstand van foto’s maken , door niet goed het knopje in te drukken van de camera. De eerste 6 uur rijden met de auto zijn gemaakt van San Jose naar Santa Barbara (waar we in een andere post over schrijven) en de auto bevalt erg goed, lekker ruim van binnen zodat we al onze spullen en coolbox met drinken mee kunnen nemen. Natuurlijk moesten we onze auto nog een naam geven en we vonden de naam Flying Dutchman wel toepasselijk. Onze GPS noemen we nu Bitch omdat ze niet haar mond kan houden, alleen maar herhalen welke afslag we wel of niet moeten nemen… shut up Bitch

Een prima auto waar we nog veel mee zullen beleven. Maar goed dat we alle verzekeringen hebben afgesloten, dus het is veilig voor ons als we de auto brandend in de berm achter laten… nergens waar wij ons zorgen om hoeven te maken lol.