California 2025, Day 14, On the Road (Las Vegas - Los Angeles) and Dockweiler Beach, Part Two

Not only do series have filler episodes; this blog is treating itself to a filler post today. Insights from today:

• Chevron sucks. I've filled up at many different gas stations in the past few days. Never had any issues. But at Chevron? None of my credit cards, nor PayPal or Google Pay were accepted. Reason: unknown. Cash payment: not possible. An isolated incident? No. Since 4 consecutive gas stations were Chevrons, I can confidently say: Chevron hates German tourists. Gas station 5 was finally a Shell (in the middle of the Mojave Desert, one starts to get a little nervous with just 70 miles of range left) and suddenly filling up and paying was seamless.
• Aldi is also cheap in America. In Las Vegas, we had to pay $6 for Wheat Thins, but at Aldi in the discount version, they only cost $2. Even branded products are significantly cheaper than in Las Vegas (e.g., Oreos: double the quantity for the same price).
• Daniel looks great while driving, at the beach, and while swimming (see proof images A, B, and C).
• Denny's also offers great junk food beyond classic breakfast specialties. The 'Maple Stuffed Donut Holes' are a culinary delight.
• 'After All The Bars Are Closed' by Thomas Rhett is a country super mega hit guaranteed to stick in your head.

Other insights from the last 14 days:

• As a vegetarian, it's really not easy in America (especially when it comes to burgers), but now and then, you do find something. For instance, the vegetarian patty at Bobby's Burger in Paris, Las Vegas (I have no idea what the patty is made of (jackfruit?), but it doesn't get better than this) or the vegetarian burrito at Del Taco, which not only tastes heavenly (well, I am just a big fan of Tex-Mex cuisine), but also comes at a very reasonable price (the burrito is just under $6).
• I am still surprised at how friendly and accommodating people are on America's West Coast. Be it the security guy in the arcade who gave us 3 game cards worth $5 after chatting with me about 'Nightmare on Elm Street,' or today at Jack in the Box with the cashier (Sam), or many others: all super nice and accommodating people.
• Showers, bathtubs, and toilets take some getting used to in America. I can only speak for hotels (and for toilets also restaurants), but all of them show the same picture: no toilet brushes (difficult), bathtubs are only 20cm high, and there's no lever or anything to regulate the water intensity.

To be continued...