Los Angeles

Our journey continues towards Los Angeles after San Francisco. We take our time and make several stops right along the coast.

September 15, 2022, Thursday
At Greywale Beach, huge waves crash loudly on the water's surface. It's interesting to see what you can discover here. We find several washed-up jellyfish, crabs, and shells in the sand. Meanwhile, the seagulls keep an eye on us.

We go fishing again in the nearest harbor. We are amazed when we see thousands of pelicans sitting on the rocks. It seems like the chain of animals never ends. Even more impressive is when countless pelicans take off into the air all at once.

We also observe sea lions as they surface and dive at the pier. They seem to be playing with us and even waving. Very friendly animals that live here.

We sleep under a starry sky. The Milky Way shines particularly brightly tonight.

September 16, 2022, Friday

Dream roads lead us along the Pacific and the view is impressive. We enjoy the moment, and it's an indescribable feeling when we suddenly see whales in the ocean. Not far out where you have to guess the spray. This time they are very close and show their blowholes, belly fins, they jump and dive as we see their flukes.

There was so much action in the water, we can only guess how many animals there actually were.

And in the next curve, we can't believe our eyes. There are more whales waiting for us, apparently, as they position themselves in the best light. My heart beats noticeably faster and I have a big smile on my face. I couldn't have dreamt of anything more beautiful.

Just before our sleeping place, as it should be, the dolphins show up. They jump up and down in the dense seaweed. They are hunting again and zooming through the sea. There were six dolphins that kept resurfacing in pairs.

The nighttime location with a view of the steep coastline is very soothing. We can simply relax and enjoy the moment with the children.

September 17, 2022, Saturday

A long stretch lies ahead of us. Today we want to make it to Santa Barbara.

But shortly after we start, we already make another stop. There are lots of elephant seals lying on a secluded beach. On land and in the water, we can observe many animals. On land, it's a bit boring because the animals come here to rest. Accordingly, they all lie lazily around and sleep.

It's also interesting that the beach here doesn't stink. That's because the elephant seals don't eat here. Since it's clean here, no smells can develop either. Guides are more present here on weekends, providing information about the animals. So now we know that especially the young animals hang out here. The oldest male is seven years old and can leave the beach at any time to swim to Alaska. It's actually too cold for him here.

The fighting elephant seals we discover in the water are teenagers and about five years old. They test their strength against each other.

In the next village, we have a perfect view of a gigantic rock in the sea. Here, a pirate ship playground invites us to play. We take the opportunity and have our lunch break here.

In the late afternoon, we arrive in Santa Barbara. The temperatures are now significantly warmer, and the water is no longer so cold. So we can finally go for a swim in the ocean with more than just our feet.

September 18, 2022, Sunday

Good morning Santa Barbara!

On today's drive to Los Angeles, we stop at one of the dream beaches for swimming, or rather, digging and building sandcastles.

In the afternoon, we reach the observatory in Los Angeles. And for the first time, we are confronted with corona regulations again. With a valid vaccination status and masks, we are granted entry.

Inside the building, you can learn a lot about the Earth, the Sun, and the planets.

In addition to Jens and I not being here for the first time, we discover many new rooms and exhibitions, including the telescopes on the roof. An old Carl Zeiss Jena telescope from 1970 is still in use.

Around the building, there are various viewpoints overlooking the skyline of Los Angeles and the famous Hollywood sign.

We want to spend almost a week in Los Angeles and can stay near Santa Monica Beach.

September 19, 2022, Monday

Today, it's all about sunshine. We spend the day at Santa Monica Beach.

The wind makes it much more bearable, and we walk along the water to the pier. This is also where Route 66 ends at Kilometer Zero. There are significantly fewer people here than expected, probably because the holidays have just ended. However, we have been hearing more Germans since San Francisco. Okay, actually, at every corner. So we are traveling on the tourist route like everyone else.

We enjoy being at the beach very much. We have breakfast here, go for a swim, build sandcastles, watch the surfers, and wait until the sun finally sets into the ocean.

September 20, 2022, Tuesday

After so much sun in the past few days, we treat ourselves to a break at the Getty Museum.

The $1 billion Getty Center is magnificently located above L.A.

When we drove up, it didn't look like much from a distance. But when we rode the museum's own tram, we realized that something different was happening here. Musical accompaniment during the ride, a huge reception hall flooded with light, and winding buildings that disorient you.

The richest art museum in the world is known, among other things, for its collections of antiquities, medieval manuscripts, and Impressionist paintings.

We see many European artworks such as paintings by Rembrandt and Van Gogh's 'Iris'. In addition, there are many sculptures, old plates, and vases to discover. For the children, it's a bit less exciting, but they received a brochure with a discovery tour. So we were able to extend the visit even further and look for various details in the artworks.

In the afternoon, we immerse ourselves in the hustle and bustle of Venice Beach. The houses serve as colorful canvases, and the Ocean Front Walk is a stage for muscle men, beach boys, and chic girls. We are more interested in the skate park, where there is also a lot going on.

September 21, 2022, Wednesday

We enjoy Santa Monica Beach one last time. The high waves are already tempting the surfers into the water early in the morning. Especially surf schools are strongly represented here. On the promenade, many tourists ride e-bikes, and joggers do their morning rounds.

What could be more beautiful than listening to the waves, having sand under your feet, and feeling the sun on your skin.

September 22, 2022, Thursday

Today, we make children's eyes light up. We're going to Disneyland Anaheim. This is where the foundation for the Disney Parks was laid.

A crowd of people already rushed toward the entrance in the first few minutes. Since tickets must be purchased in advance via the app, the wait is not long.

We are already welcomed by Mickey Mouse and Co. along the Main Street. There are souvenir shops and restaurants along the way. The first burgers with fries are already being served. It's worth noting that it's 8 am in the morning, so you can imagine our surprised faces.

So, we continue. There is a rocket carousel at Tomorrowland. Since there are no people here yet, we naturally take advantage of the moment. Benedikt was a bit hesitant at first, but afterwards, he really enjoyed flying fast and high.

Then we continue towards the castle. 🏰 

In the courtyard, there are various attractions side by side. Jessie's highlight is the carousel with horses, so we naturally went on it more than once.

In the castle buildings, there are different theme rides. We start with Pinocchio, and what can I say, it was just too loud, too dark, and too scary. Seriously, I didn't see anything of the cute puppet turning into a real boy. Jessie screamed when we finally got out because it was way too loud, and Benedikt needed a moment because he was really scared. So we decided to take a small ride on the park train through the miniature world instead.

Hardly have we gotten off, and the next ride is already waiting. Dumbo entices us to the air with his big ears. While the men queue up, we women ride the horse carousel again. This way, both kids get their fair share.

Together, we continue to a tea party. Instead of drinking tea ourselves, we let the big cups rotate. That was fun!

To digest the first impressions, we let the train take us once around the park. It's very spectacular how big the park is and what they offer in terms of themes. You have the opportunity to dive into different worlds.

At Star Wars, we took a lunch break and were cut off from the outside world.

After lunch, we watch the parade on Main Street. It was a bit disappointing as it only lasted for more than 5 minutes. But at least we saw all the familiar Disney characters.

We continue to fight our way through the park and quickly realize that it's just too big. We only take a ride on a pirate ship across the large lake and then we're completely exhausted.

We stroll through the souvenir shops on the way back and say goodbye after a 10-hour stay.

September 23, 2022, Friday

Yesterday was beautiful but also exhausting. So today, we take it easy.

In two weeks, we will embark on a cruise to Sydney, and I still need to get the booster shot. Otherwise, we don't notice anything more of Corona here, as there are no more restrictions. But well, we found a sports institute nearby that administers the vaccine. The registration process went relatively quickly and smoothly until the vaccination. Nothing stands in the way of the next leg now.

We continue to Long Beach and search for the Queen Mary that is supposed to be here in the harbor. Everything is well signposted, so we quickly find it. The best part is that we can also stay here overnight.

So we have a beautiful view not only during the day but also when the sun sets.

September 24, 2022, Saturday

You can get used to waking up in sunshine and having breakfast with a sea view.

Today, we explore the other side of the bay, where the Long Beach waterfront is located. There are plenty of small boats and the occasional yacht docked at the harbor.

There is a nice lighthouse with a yacht restaurant at the pier.

The sun is scorching from above. We move on and spend the rest of the day at the next beach.