So when we were asked a few week ago to come out for a wedding we were interested but we would have to leave the house so that meant the impossible. We really wanted to go because of the people involved and we really really like them.... but on the other hand it would be either procuring plane tickets and lines and TSA and waiting and rentals and hotels and baggage... it was far too much... so we sat on it.
Liberace practice piano. No ghosts seen.
Pretty much the week before it looked possible if we just drove. Yeah... drove 12.45 hours to the coast. Normal people look at that number and just fling their hands up in the air. Most people would cut that in half and stop on the way. Well we didn't... throw hands nor stop for anything but gas and the possibility of a clean bathroom.
8 men to run her...arrrr... or one fast guy with many hands.
Things we didn't do... We didn't stay at any of the hotels that were on the list. We found one through the nets that was about 100 dollars cheaper per night.. Good find that. No stopping unless it was for gas and you had better have to pee then. We were going to be showing up and just doing the wedding and coming back. We didn't want to intrude too much into the family there so we winged it. Wung it.
Palos Verde... never made it even though it was 5 minutes away.. hahahah... what a laugh.
This was our first vacation in ever and ever. Oh. Driving 12 hours I have done before. I used to drive to training all the time and that was 12 plus hours. Going for 3 to 4 hours and stopping for gas works. Having good music to listen to really helps.
Sun eating clouds.
Off we went at 0300 in the morning. The decision was made to try and hit the Mojave Desert at the lowest temp which was at 11ish. So if you figure two hours to Gallup..0500, two to Flagstaff 0700 and two and a bit to Kingman 0900 you make the desert around 11..and it was and we did. Cruised across it and the AC never left the number 2 setting. Smooooooth..except for all the road construction.
Footstep removing Pacific ocean
Getting to the top of I- 15 into the LA valley was nice but there were some loonies on the road. Either going so fast as to leave you spinning on sitting in the fast land at 20 mph under the limit. The highways that span the area are a web of cyclic dirisional off and on ramps, cross lanes and last minute decisions made mostly in panic. Since we were going from the North East to the South West of the zone it was a fun little step down to the PCH. We made it, traffic as bad as it usually is in LA we shaved a lot of time and did in fact get in over an hour earlier than the GPS said we would.
Long Beach lighthouse and environs.
Unfun part was checking into the hotel and a very loud and very crude woman was voicing her disapproval with her room and the managers refusal to put her in another room ( such room was non existent ). Instead she decided to rant and rave and cause everyone behind her to have to wait though her profanity laced tirade. Well and good. Our room was passable. Not the Ritz but we were not paying 500 dollars a night. This hotel was right on the PCH within 5 minutes of the beach..during summer peak... what more can you ask.... okay.. and extra pillow would have been nice.... found those on the last night..hahaha.. So well and good and the hotel was within 5 minutes of the reception too.
To continue. Met some wonderful people. We were included in everything and part of the family. We enjoyed it immensely.
On the moments between the pre wedding party at the beach and the wedding and the reception... we went to Redondo beach and had an iffy dinner overlooking the Redondo side of the area.. great. Got to go to the Queen Mary in Long Beach and walk the entire ship except for the bits that are off limits or part of the hotel bits. We braved the ghost tour so that we could see the swimming pool... that was a bit tough as our guide was very talkative and it was mostly goofy things that were as spooky as my left shoe. He was a "character". But I got some great shots of places. A little side jaunt down to the waters edge after the evening party to put the feet in and wash our footsteps away, take some shots of the sun going down then hike back up with sand in strange places. We were able to spend the next morning sitting across from the Queen Mary next to the Long Beach light house and enjoy the quiet. There were a lot of Pokiman chasers out but they were like quiet zombies that don't bite... just standing in little groups shuffling about in the breeze. I think that they don't bite. Not sure and didn't chance it. We left just as the crowds started streaming in.
Docile zombies. Shuffling around and mumbling. No biting zone.
The wedding was in the Torrence beach park and the reception was at the brides grandfathers house.. which was very nice..cool and shady. Every person I met I wanted to sit down with for about four hours each and pump them for their stories. Every one of the people there were interesting and some were downright people I wouldn't mind hanging around with more.
We didn't firm up our departure time for the drive back the next day until we were about to crash for the night. The plan... ( this trip was so laid back we didn't plan much of anything..coffee in the morning I thing was the best planned item on our list ) was to leave near 3ish and see how that worked.
Parking lot and attendant.
We did leave at 330 and we hit coffee in Barstow. Open at 4am was fine with me... Unfortunately right after we turned onto the I40 heading East the first call came in from work. Oh well. We hit almost every time marker nicely with a few dilly dallys here and there. I plan on avoiding Flagstaff next time since its so spread off the highway and a pain to get back on quickly. We hit a massive rain and lightning storm coming across the Arizona border. Had to slow way down due to the standing water on the road.
Arriving at the house about an hour earlier than expected. Dumping and falling into the chairs, battening the hatches, hiding the keys and wallets so no one could lure us out again. Heh.. Didn't work. In our ever exhausted state we snuck over to spend time with our granddaughter..but now we are paying for it. Both of us are ready to fall asleep. Which will happen soon.
I didn't talk about the food at the crab shack.. yuck, the traffic on PCH..not bad, the crazy people, all over but not dangerous, The friends met who have stories I don't need to relate here, and many other things.
It was fun. Glad we are home. Loved the break from reality. ready to do it again. Want to stay ON the Queen Mary next time..and visit some more friends in town and see some other weird and out of the way places.
Caio!
Tim. Good descriptions of the boat. didn't remember the low ceilings part.
Oh.. I will post the shots I took while there. Many on the QM with the 10.5 lens since it was a confined area. They are fun. Some other good shots of everywhere too.
On my web site.
http://invisibleblack.zenfolio.com/
