Sunday 19th June
Having been to multiple theme parks already we decided to mix it up a little and do yet another theme park for our final day in LA.
Saying that we left the best until last is somewhat of an understatement though, because the Six Flags – Magic Mountain was absolutely incredible.
Our hearts sunk when we arrived as we were met by what can only be described as a flash mob of under 16 year olds streaming in from every direction as far as the eye could see, I was half expecting them to break into a heavily choreographed dance routine but it turns out that it was just the first day of their school holidays.
So, as a special treat for the final day we decided to splurge on fast passes which meant we didn’t need to queue for the rides and even then we still didn’t manage to do all of the roller-coasters they had there.
In the course of a day we were propelled forwards at speed, backwards at speed, upside down at speed, upside down and backwards at speed and finally all four in one particularly interesting ride called the X2.
By the end of the day we didn’t know what way was up and struggled to walk in a straight line but we all agreed that it had been a riot.
From here we headed north to San Francisco, a city that had a hell of a lot to live up to being the only place that I can think of that nobody I know has ever said a bad word about.
The first thing that strikes you as you drive into town is that they have an abundance of 4 way stop signs, its as if someone with OCD was put in charge of traffic congestion and they just went crazy.
Then, at no discernible frequency, they will intersperse these with the odd heavily camouflaged traffic light intersection, usually cleverly positioned in front of a neon billboard advertising something red, green or both just to make you really struggle.
So having finally navigated our way through to our hotel with my adrenalin pumping far faster than it had been on the Six Flags roller coasters we decided to take it easy for the rest of the day.
Fortunately / unfortunately the hotel was directly opposite one of the last vestiges of the great American breakfast, an IHOP (International House of Pancakes) where literally everything on the menu is guaranteed to double your size.
So in order to try to shift a few of the excess pounds we have accumulated over the last few months the following day we decided to do the first healthy thing we have done in ages, we rented bikes in an attempt to cycle across the golden gate bridge.
Like sticking your tongue onto the end of a battery, it seemed like such a good idea at the time but deep down inside you knew that its going to hurt like hell afterwards and true to form this was no exception.
But what an experience, the sun was shining, the bikes were comfortable and the wind was trying its hardest to blow us clear over the side at every possible opportunity, which was a pain on the way there, struggling up the steep inclines, but made getting back a synch and lulled you into thinking you were healthier than you actually are.
With slightly aching muscles, the following day we headed out to Alcatraz which was brilliant and if I ever commit a heinous crime I would hope to be sent there, mostly because it is closed down though in fairness.
If the Americans do anything well it is providing well organized tourist attractions and this was run with military precision, its a nightmare to get tickets and we had to wait two days but from the moment we boarded the ship over everything was run superbly.
There is a section where you don a rather fetching audio device and walk around on a self guided tour of the cell blocks with lots of other similarly lost tourists all nodding and humming at specific prompts and staring intently at empty beds.
Then from there you are free to wander about the island imagining what it would be like to have been stuck there for any length of time watching the skyline of San Francisco a mile across the water and when the wind blows hearing everyone enjoying their freedom.
Luckily for us freedom was but a short cruise back across the water and we then proceeded once again to jump into the car and head off East to Lake Tahoe and just for the record San Francisco is just as amazing as I had heard, admittedly I havent done in justice here but then again how is that any different from anywhere else?
Anyway, I have heard a lot of people rant on about the beauty of New Zealand and how nothing else compares to the magnificence of the landscape but I would imagine that these people have probably never made it over to Lake Tahoe.
As you drive along route 50 towards the south of the lake you are literally surrounded by giant firs, water rapids and mountains still caked in snow which really begs an interesting question concerning Yogi Bear.
As most of you know Yogi Bear is the loveable rouge of Jellystone National Park a fictional place loosely based on Yellowstone in the US which apparently is a place of immense beauty and having seen the new film you would be forgiven in thinking that this is exactly where it was shot.
With such an abundance of natural beauty to be found in the US I find it a little strange then to discover that the majority of the film was in fact shot in New Zealand, information that we had learned whilst in New Zealand but just shrugged off not having seen any of this at the time.
Well, now that I have seen both I cant help thinking that the sole reason for this decision was based upon a whim and the fact that a few guys from the US quite fancied a trip to New Zealand and who the hell can blame them.
The amazing thing is that they probably spent a small fortune making the New Zealand landscape resemble the flora and fauna of the US and absolutely nobody cares.
Hmm well having gone off on a complete tangent as always I am now going to do something completely stupid and rent some more bikes for yet another day of punishment but this time in the serene beauty of Tahoe and who knows we may ever see a bear!
Saying that we left the best until last is somewhat of an understatement though, because the Six Flags – Magic Mountain was absolutely incredible.
Our hearts sunk when we arrived as we were met by what can only be described as a flash mob of under 16 year olds streaming in from every direction as far as the eye could see, I was half expecting them to break into a heavily choreographed dance routine but it turns out that it was just the first day of their school holidays.
So, as a special treat for the final day we decided to splurge on fast passes which meant we didn’t need to queue for the rides and even then we still didn’t manage to do all of the roller-coasters they had there.
In the course of a day we were propelled forwards at speed, backwards at speed, upside down at speed, upside down and backwards at speed and finally all four in one particularly interesting ride called the X2.
By the end of the day we didn’t know what way was up and struggled to walk in a straight line but we all agreed that it had been a riot.
From here we headed north to San Francisco, a city that had a hell of a lot to live up to being the only place that I can think of that nobody I know has ever said a bad word about.
The first thing that strikes you as you drive into town is that they have an abundance of 4 way stop signs, its as if someone with OCD was put in charge of traffic congestion and they just went crazy.
Then, at no discernible frequency, they will intersperse these with the odd heavily camouflaged traffic light intersection, usually cleverly positioned in front of a neon billboard advertising something red, green or both just to make you really struggle.
So having finally navigated our way through to our hotel with my adrenalin pumping far faster than it had been on the Six Flags roller coasters we decided to take it easy for the rest of the day.
Fortunately / unfortunately the hotel was directly opposite one of the last vestiges of the great American breakfast, an IHOP (International House of Pancakes) where literally everything on the menu is guaranteed to double your size.
So in order to try to shift a few of the excess pounds we have accumulated over the last few months the following day we decided to do the first healthy thing we have done in ages, we rented bikes in an attempt to cycle across the golden gate bridge.
Like sticking your tongue onto the end of a battery, it seemed like such a good idea at the time but deep down inside you knew that its going to hurt like hell afterwards and true to form this was no exception.
But what an experience, the sun was shining, the bikes were comfortable and the wind was trying its hardest to blow us clear over the side at every possible opportunity, which was a pain on the way there, struggling up the steep inclines, but made getting back a synch and lulled you into thinking you were healthier than you actually are.
With slightly aching muscles, the following day we headed out to Alcatraz which was brilliant and if I ever commit a heinous crime I would hope to be sent there, mostly because it is closed down though in fairness.
If the Americans do anything well it is providing well organized tourist attractions and this was run with military precision, its a nightmare to get tickets and we had to wait two days but from the moment we boarded the ship over everything was run superbly.
There is a section where you don a rather fetching audio device and walk around on a self guided tour of the cell blocks with lots of other similarly lost tourists all nodding and humming at specific prompts and staring intently at empty beds.
Then from there you are free to wander about the island imagining what it would be like to have been stuck there for any length of time watching the skyline of San Francisco a mile across the water and when the wind blows hearing everyone enjoying their freedom.
Luckily for us freedom was but a short cruise back across the water and we then proceeded once again to jump into the car and head off East to Lake Tahoe and just for the record San Francisco is just as amazing as I had heard, admittedly I havent done in justice here but then again how is that any different from anywhere else?
Anyway, I have heard a lot of people rant on about the beauty of New Zealand and how nothing else compares to the magnificence of the landscape but I would imagine that these people have probably never made it over to Lake Tahoe.
As you drive along route 50 towards the south of the lake you are literally surrounded by giant firs, water rapids and mountains still caked in snow which really begs an interesting question concerning Yogi Bear.
As most of you know Yogi Bear is the loveable rouge of Jellystone National Park a fictional place loosely based on Yellowstone in the US which apparently is a place of immense beauty and having seen the new film you would be forgiven in thinking that this is exactly where it was shot.
With such an abundance of natural beauty to be found in the US I find it a little strange then to discover that the majority of the film was in fact shot in New Zealand, information that we had learned whilst in New Zealand but just shrugged off not having seen any of this at the time.
Well, now that I have seen both I cant help thinking that the sole reason for this decision was based upon a whim and the fact that a few guys from the US quite fancied a trip to New Zealand and who the hell can blame them.
The amazing thing is that they probably spent a small fortune making the New Zealand landscape resemble the flora and fauna of the US and absolutely nobody cares.
Hmm well having gone off on a complete tangent as always I am now going to do something completely stupid and rent some more bikes for yet another day of punishment but this time in the serene beauty of Tahoe and who knows we may ever see a bear!
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