LA

This has to be the best train run so far. I do think that quite often but this week had some amazing views and sights. There were times you really didn't know what side to look out of to get the best views and I think on more than one occasion I ran around the vestibule like an excited child. We went around a curve that was so much better than the horseshoe curve the other week. Not only were there no trees in the way to block the view of the back of the train but whoever was driving the train also stopped so we could take some better pictures, OK I'm thinking that wasn't the real reason but it was helpful all the same.



I really didn't like where we were parked this week. Yes it is nice not to be in a dirty, dusty train yard miles from civilisation but I really hate it when we are parked along side a road. It isn't safe for Willow to go out and play and it is a really odd feeling not having the privacy we usually have. It was also one of the longest bus rides in so far, which is a total pain for someone who gets travel sick. At least it is only one week and we move on once more.

It was a totally crazy start to the week with load in being delayed because of Michael Jackson's Memorial Service being held in the same Arena the day before the circus opened and due to the expected crowds on the day the animal walk took place at a silly hour in the morning (4am) with as many extra people as possible to help. Tweedy volunteered and I stayed at home with Willow. He also managed to get a ticket for the Memorial along with a few others from the show, again I stayed at home with Willow.

I went to the Staples Center the next day and was amazed just how quick they had cleared everything away, as though nothing had taken place there at all. Though during the week we were there, there seemed to be lots of red carpet type events going on all around us for various reasons. Some big sports award thing (yep I have no idea) opening of various new places and similar. The red carpets went up and down fairly regularly so I guess they are pretty good and clearing stuff away after an event. Thinking back to Princess Diana when the smell of all the flowers even lingered weeks after, I was a little surprised how quickly it was back to normal, well as normal as LA can be.

Most places we go there are a few things you feel you must do, you know the ones you need to tick off as achieved. There are a lot of these places to tick off in Los Angeles but this week we threw away the tick list. We didn't do any of the Hollywood thing. It isn't really stuff we wanted to do and it felt a bit like we should be doing these things just to tick them off, rather than actually wanting to do them. Willow summed it up when she said “but I don't know who any of these people are” and there were quite a lot of them that I didn't know either. Apparently lots of celeb's came to the show which got a lot of people excited but I hardly recognised half the names.

We did however go to Santa Monica beach which Willow loved. Making sandcastles and playing in the sea was definitely her best bit this week. Even the bus journey there was an adventure with it breaking down and having to transfer to another one. Santa Monica also has a pier with a fair and we had out first taste of funnel cake, which is a tradition American fair, fare. I know I will get flamed for saying it but it was OK I guess, nothing special.



There were also shops within walking distance in Downtown LA with the different districts similar to New York. The Jewelry and Fashion district and Historic Core were the closest to us. One thing that is very clear wandering around the different distracts is where and where not money is spent in this town. We also found some really interesting old (well old in American) buildings that seemed just to be standing empty. Some looked like they would have held many an interesting story within their walls. I wish I had taken more photos of them.



We also found a little park close to The Stapels Center, though we found it a bit late so Willow only got one afternoon there. I liked the little bronze foxes.



We had a good week but I don't feel we 'did' Los Angeles, but I'm not to worried as I don't feel the need to keep up with the Joneses.