When Rajesh announced that he was going to the United States (Mountain View to be specific) for a business trip, I was over the moon! Why?? Why not!?? It just meant we were going to the US for a holiday (Wait, isn’t that why people “travel” for work? Pssshhh!). So we started planning our holiday and decided that 12 days was a good time to explore the west coast! (Although you could easily spend more time here).
We had it all figured out! My friend, Sanjay, would join us for the first 4 days and that we would go driving up to Yosemite and then drive down the coast exploring California in his TESLA!!!! My only qualms with the Tesla Model S was that it wasn’t called something cooler like `The Intergalactic Ninja space-car` or the `Millennium Falcon`! I was absolutely in love with the Tesla! If I am going to be doing something as dangerous as driving, I think it should be in this beautiful armoured self-driving intergalactic ninja space-car! It was basically one of the best road trips we have been on! Seriously guys, if you don’t own a Tesla, bring someone who does! Like Sanjay! Also thanks to Sanjay for driving the whole time and enduring my intermittent snoring!
I was all set to fly to meet my husband in the US, I had a flight via Auckland and was to transit in Auckland for an hour. A week before I was supposed to fly, I realised I needed a transit visa. My first reaction was to panic and buy a dozen packs of toilet paper!! On the bright side, I only had to call about 700 people in the New Zealand embassy (I think by the end of it, I had formed emotional connections with the people who worked there!). However, 3 days before I was set to travel, I did get my e-visa (YAYYY!!!). But what was truly heart-breaking was no one, I mean NOT ONE PERSON checked my transit visa at the airport. I even shoved it in front of the ticketing officer’s face “Surely, you want to check my transit visa!!!?! PLEASE CHECK MY VISA!”, and they just stared at me awkwardly, “We just simply don’t care, peasant!”. So basically, always check if you need a transit visa guys, always!! (even if no one bothers to check them *sob*)
So as soon as I landed in San Francisco, I heard about the bush fires in California! It was the largest and the most destructive fire season that year! It put all our plans in jeopardy! My friend was driving from San Diego to Mountain View (which is an 8 hour drive) to meet with us but all the highways on his path were blocked due to the fires. Like all good friends, I tried to talk my friend into driving through the fire! I mean, if Katniss could survive the hunger games thrice, surely Sanjay and his Tesla could come out of the fire unscathed! Sanjay eventually gave in and drove to meet with us and I am happy to announce that there were no fires on the way either! Hurray! And that is how we started the most epic road trip across the west coast of the United States!
Itinerary:
Day 1: Mountain View and Surroundings
Day 2: Yosemite National Park
Day 3: More of Yosemite!
Day 4: Road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway
Day 5: Universal Studio, Hollywood
Day 6: Exploring LA – SantaMonica
Day 7: The Grand Canyon, Arizona & Vegas nightlife
Day 8: Exploring Antelope Canyon, HorseShoe Canyon & more of Vegas Nightlife
Day 9: Downtown Vegas
Day 10: What not to do in San Francisco!
Day 11: What to do in San Francisco!
Day 12: Some more of San Francisco
Day 1: Mountain View and Surroundings
Mountain view is a city in Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco bay area, famous for being home to Google Headquarters. There is plenty to do and see in this city. For one, if you know someone who works for Google, you must definitely visit the Google office. If not, you can still head over to the Google Android statue garden!
There is also the Shoreline Aquatic Center which has a biking trail right by the bay with gorgeous views of the mountains! We would totally recommend renting a bike here!
You can also visit the Computer History Museum, or sample some of the freshly grown local produce and flowers in the farmers market. It is bustling with vendors and customers every Sunday (9 AM to 1 PM). Castro Street in Mountain View also houses some great cafes and restaurants.
We dined at an Indian Restaurant here, because it was pretty chilly and Indian food is great to eat in cold weather (or hot weather…or any kind of weather really!). We ordered some kulchas (Indian fluffy bread) that were the size of a man-hole with some amazing curry on the side! We were stuffed to the point of explosion. But, naturally we went out for desserts later!
Day 2: Yosemite National Park
Before you go here, you must check out `The Dawn Wall` and `Free Solo`, both of which are great documentary movies on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. We have been to a few different national parks around the world, but nothing quite like the Yosemite National Park! I was blown away by this magical place. Home to incredible views, it has stunning colours at all seasons. If I could go back in time, I would spend at least 3 days exploring the deep valleys, waterfalls, ancient giant sequoias and the vast wilderness! You could easily spend a week here and not run out of things to see and do!
We started out pretty early, driving up to the Yosemite National Park. It is a 3.5 hour drive from Mountain View. We started our trip with some great Mexican food, we ordered a single plate of spicy enchiladas that came with a serving of rice and a plate of cheese tortillas with guacamole! I was pretty overwhelmed by the quantity (the menu said it was for one, but it could comfortably feed two) and due to my lack of self-control, I kept shoveling everything in my mouth rather thoughtlessly! Of course, needless to say, I enjoyed it very much!
We reached Yosemite in time to witness the sunset! We reached the Tunnel view, which is a must stop for any first time visit to the Yosemite Valley. A place of dreams!! It boasts of stunning views of the El capitan, the half dome and the Bridalveil Falls! It is a stunning introduction to this national park!
We spent the night at the Rush Creek Lodge because of its close proximity to the valley. It is located just outside the gates of Yosemite. The facilities were amazing, they even had a heated pool and a hot tub! The room was beautifully decorated and had its own fireplace. We roasted marshmallows, took a dip in the pool at night and played loads of board games. They even had feet warmers which was perfect!
Day 3: More of Yosemite!
Half Dome is one of our top favorites in the Yosemite National park. There are multiple viewpoints in the park to see the half dome, so you cannot miss it! It dominates the valley along with El Capitan! If you have 10-15 hours here, you can even climb up this iconic rock! Ofcourse, you also need a permit to climb! Unfortunately for me, I neither had the time nor the skills to climb this epic rock!
El Capitan: If you use a MacBook, you might recognise this rock formation from your default desktop wallpaper. This beautiful rock formation is another playground for climbers!
We also visited the Bridalveil and the Vernal Falls, hiked around the mirror lake, walked in between the giant Sequoias in the Mariposa grove and explored the frozen Tenaya lake! Even though I wasn’t in the best shape I totally enjoyed the hikes! (seriously guys, being skinny does not necessarily mean being fit) I have been hit with jolts of breathlessness here and there accompanied by jiggling jelly knees and the thought that my inexplicably system of organs might pathetically perish due to sheer exhaustion brought on by hiking up and down mountains. I would find myself wishing that I had exercised a bit more or eaten less pizza and hot cheetos in my lifetime! Although I really do not have enough willpower to give up on either, I did enroll at the local gym guys (YAYYY!), so I can stab my conscience with a fork whenever I consume cheese laden pizzas and delicious fat saturated cheetos! (What is this “nutrition” you speak off? I’ll look it up later)
Day 4: Road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway!
We started pretty early the next morning and drove up to the Big Sur. This part of California is lined with the gorgeous Santa Lucia Mountains on one side and the vast Pacific Ocean on the other. The State Route 1 highway winds its way around one of the most celebrated scenic coastal drives in the world, giving you a constant view of sea-cliffs and the coastline! Its views are indescribably exquisite! Along the drive, you will come across many bridges, be sure to park your car and drink in the view!
Bixby Bridge is the iconic symbol of Big Sur and a must visit! Pictures don’t capture the beauty, you just have to see it for yourself!
After taking what seemed like a jillion pictures, we stopped for breakfast at the Big Sur River Inn! The place was adorable and the breakfast was fantastic and they had milkshakes too!
After gorging on delicious potatoes and eggs, we made our way to the Pfeiffer Beach! This is a hidden gem in Big Sur! It is slightly off the beaten path and some might find it difficult to find! I did not, because obviously Sanjay (or his Tesla?) knew the way. I wouldn’t be able to get there by myself, I have no sense of direction whatsoever. And it does not help when the gps gives you bizzare instructions like “head west” (WHAAAT?? WHICH WAY IS WEST!!). The only “west” I am certain about is probably Kanye West…as in the singer! I usually find places or anything else I am looking for by complete accident of course ! We spent an hour at the beach. Rajesh and Sanjay decided to climb up some wet and slippery rocks. (Sometimes I wonder if boys just need to find something totally pointless to do!). We also pet some horses on our way back (I can’t tell you where because I haven’t got the slightest idea)!
Day 5: Universal Studios, Hollywood
This was our second time to the famous Universal Studios, the first time was in Singapore! Universal Studios in Hollywood was wayyyyy better in my opinion! It was visually more appealing, had many more rides and the Universal Studios tour was also pretty amazing! We went on a weekday and were lucky enough to skip the crowds! Here is a list of our top picks in the Universal Studio!
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was our favorite ride and is one of the top ranked attractions! We went twice and we still couldn’t get enough of it. It is located inside the Hogwarts Castle. Even though we are not Harry Potter fans, (Seriously guys, there is nothing “wrong” with us, I promise!) We really reallllyy enjoyed the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Also you absolutely must try the butter beer! It was smooth, flavourful, creamy and tasted like angel honey (If there was ever such a thing!).
The Studio Tour:
You can’t really do without the Studio tour if you are a movie buff like us! This is a 60 minute tour which takes you around movie sets and you get an indepth look into how movies are made! There were props from movies like The fast and the furious, Jurassic World and we even saw the sets of the Psycho (Bates Motel), Back to the future and the Wisteria lane from Desperate Housewives! We found it to be fascinating and learnt to appreciate the film making skill a lot more! I also took a picture with fake Marilyn Monroe, because..why not??
Revenge of the Mummy/Transformers:
I couldn’t pick between the Revenge of the Mummy or the Transformers. I think they were both equally good. I am indecisive, or at least I used to think I was. That changed when I met Rajesh. He is a thousand times more indecisive than I am. He takes longer to pick movies, than it would take to watch it. If it was up to me, it wouldn’t be up to me, I don’t pick movies, because I clearly lack patience. Anyhooow, since we couldn’t decide which was the better ride, we decided they were both equally good! The visuals are dazzling and they both had some thrilling roller coaster moments!
Water World:
This isn’t a ride, but this is a stunt show based on an actual film! This show has everything, flying jet skiers, massive explosions, firefighting, an actual plane crash, acrobats and amazing theatrics. Also be prepared to get wet especially if you are sitting in the front rows! If you don’t mind getting wet, It is great fun to have water splashing on you especially on a warm day!
The other rides that you absolutely must try are the fast and the furious, walking dead and the simpsons! They were all super fun! For all Simpsons fans (like us), you must also try their Duff beer which is brewed specially for Universal Studios Hollywood!
We head back to hollywood for dinner, we strolled the city, visited the famous walk of fame and shopped for some souvenirs. I came back with mixed feelings, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but it was a bit more than this. Although it was enjoyable seeing your favorite celebrities’ names, the place was dirty and run down! It wasn’t glamorous. Loads of erotic stores and even more homeless people. If you do not have enough time in LA, we would suggest you give this a pass!
Day 6: Exploring SantaMonica
We took a taxi to the famous Hollywood sign, the icon has sort of become synonymous with the city. We just stayed for about 10 minutes, took a couple of pictures and were out to Santa Monica! It is just one of things you want to cross off your list when you are in LA. I enjoyed our taxi ride to the Hollywood sign more than the sign itself, we passed by some amazing mansions in Beverly hills! Our Uber driver was kind enough to point out where some of the celebrities used to live.
We walked the Santa Monica Pier which was quite nice. We went to the Venice beach right after, which is next to the pier. The beach had a really funky vibe. There are a lot of eclectic shops, garage sales, skaters, surfers and artists! I rented a bike and Rajesh, a skateboard. I wasn’t sure who was going to fall flat on their face first! (Seriously guys! That was NOT a fall…I was just hugging the floor, don’t mind me!). But surprise, surprise… I cycled around the whole beach without injuring myself! HAH! That right there, is a victory of epic proportions! And I quite enjoyed it. However, Rajesh thought it wasn’t as amusing for the pedestrians who were flailing their arms in the air and running away from my bike! Also, did I mention Rajesh was skating effortlessly (even though it was his first time)!!?? It is one of his annoying traits! He makes everything look like it is reaaaaaally easy. I try! I fracture my butt! I know it is hard to believe but Rajesh is equally clumsy guys! ( He once accidentally stabbed himself with a butter knife whilst preparing a sandwich….and by once I mean several times….)
We were exhausted after our antics and went to a nice little bar by the beach to grab some lunch and a couple of drinks! We ordered tequila!! That ended with both of us taking a nap by the beach. When we woke up we were just happy that nobody had robbed us!
Day 7: The Grand Canyon, Arizona & Vegas Nightlife
We stayed in the Las Vegas strip. It was a 4.5 hour drive to the grand canyon from here. We started out at 5 AM for our tour to the Grand Canyon! I have seen pictures and heard stories, but nothing could have prepared me for just how huge it was! I immediately wished I had more time to explore and hike to the base of the canyon! It is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world and you could see why, it is a stony parfait in a rainbow of shades that stretches to the horizon! The south rim is spectacular for the sweeping panoramas! We took a helicopter ride to experience bird’s-eye views of the South Rim. After the scenic ride, we were dropped to the National Geographic Visitors Center, we picked up a map and ventured out to see some of the view points on the South Rim. The views from the hike were equally rewarding!
It is not uncommon for tourists to fall into the Grand Canyon! After our visit, we could see why! People are stupid and do anything for a photograph! Infact, 20% of lethal falls in the canyon have occurred while posing for photographs! It was freezing cold up in the canyon, the winds were really reallyyy strong, there were no rails (duh!!) and it was a sheer drop! But people were doing all sorts of acrobats and one leg-yoga poses! I couldn’t even watch. I hope they at least got their picture before they fell!
We reached Vegas around 8PM, took a quick shower and were out to explore this city! Vegas is a brilliant cluster of shiny jewels glowing in the middle of a vast black backdrop. It is an oasis of entertainment! If you are in a casino or a club, you can’t tell morning from night! It is always bustling with people, gambling, drinking and partying! The hotel bars serve non-stop, and the idea is to lose your sense of time and disappear there for days and days.
We stayed on the strip. Walking the Las Vegas strip is like travelling the world on foot, there is the Statue of Liberty(New York New York), the Eiffel tower (Paris Las Vegas), canals of Venice(The Venetian), the Colosseum of Rome(Caesars palace), the pyramids of Giza(Luxor hotel), they have it all! We walked this 6.8 Km stretch, exploring it at our leisurely pace. A few must see attractions here are the famous fountains at the Bellagio, the pink flamingos at the Flamingo Resort, the volcano at The Mirage, and the Fall of Atlantis!
We decided to go pub hopping, we went to what seemed like a jillion pubs and ended the night in Coyote Ugly (who here doesn’t love the movie!!?! Right!???). It is famous for women dancing on the bar! Women rule this bar (Hell yeah!). It became really famous when Liliana Lovell, the owner of Coyote Ugly, left her internship at The Wall street to start her career as a bartender. Also, here the customers are not always right, if a Coyote says they are wrong, they are out the door! It is all about women taking charge and is definitely worth a visit. Be aware that the waiting times can feel reaaaaaaaally long though!
Both Rajesh and I decided to hit the Casinos at what seemed like 2AM! Obviously, we were incapable of making smart decisions in our inebriated state. Seriously guys! Beer has very little nutrition, which is why you must drink so much of it (Sorry, Liver)!!! We met a couple from Sydney in one of the casinos, they bragged about how often they go to the casinos in Sydney and decided to give us noobs a crash course on how to squander away all of our money! The poor couple played for 120$ and lost all of it! Rajesh and I just watched in amusement! They cursed their lousy luck and headed back home after a few parting drinks!
After they left, we decided to give the slot machines a go! I generally consider myself to be really lucky guys! Like this one time, I got an email about an unclaimed inheritance on my name by a Nigerian prince! The guy seemed super legit (obviously!), I gave him my banking details, just waiting on my payment now!! (YAYYY!)
So we decided to start with 20$ and see how we go! We made 40$ in the first 15 minutes and I was over the moon and decided since we made double the profit, we should call it a night! Rajesh wanted to keep going and to our surprise the more we played the more we won! Every time we pushed the button on the slot machine we wanted to yell “WE ARE THE GODS OF GAMBLING!!!!”, but we restrained ourselves because we craved the public’s perception of us as sane members of society. We made 500 f#@king dollars!!!!! Our strategy was really simple, we just picked slot machines which had the sleaziest pictures on them, they turned out to be really lucky for us. After making 500$, we lost about 100$ and decided to cash out. We were super happy with the 400$ we made and were considering taking up gambling as a career (since we were obviously so good at it!)
Day 8: Exploring Antelope Canyon & HorseShoe Canyon & More Vegas Nightlife
It was 4:45 AM when we left the casino and reached our hotel room. We had a tour bus coming to pick us up at 5 AM. I decided we musnt sleep at any cost since we had just 15 minutes to catch our tour to the Antelope Canyon and the Horseshoe Canyon! Rajesh decided he was going to sleep for jussssst 5 minutes (You can see where this is headed….)! Since I have no self control and can be easily convinced to do stupid things, I also decided to sleep for 5 minutes. But not shortly, we were woken up by the angry tour bus driver! Rajesh and I jumped out of bed. We brushed soooooo fast, I don’t think it was humanly possible to brush your teeth that fast guys! I was scared my teeth were going to crumble and disintegrate! We just grabbed our bags and ran to the bus. We were greeted by a lot of grumpy and angry faces, the tour bus and everyone in it were kind enough to wait for us! We hadn’t slept, showered or even brushed our hair! I honestly must have looked like the Lion king on a humid day!
Antelope canyon reminded me of 127 Hours! It is a breathtaking destination! The warm tones of this sandstone slot canyon had me infatuated for as long as I can remember! When you go to the Antelope Canyon, you can either visit the Upper or the Lower Canyon. The Upper Canyon is easier to get to, it is easier to walk through and feels less claustrophobic. The Lower Canyon on the other hand, is more fun, narrow passages where you literally have to squeeze between walls to get through. This canyon has a lot of climbs as well, you have to twist and turn and even slide at some point. No prizes for guessing that we decided to explore the Lower Canyon! I was mesmerized by this place, the curving lines in the rock created an illusion of waves, swirling around me in a flood of colour. Hues of purple, red, orange, pink! At times we felt we were in a dream. We highly recommend you visit this magical place!
Our next stop was Utah, Horseshoe Canyon! It is a 15 minute easy hike to the canyon. The trail is not difficult, but it can totally drain you out on a hot day. Remember to carry plenty of water and stay hydrated!
We reached Vegas around 8PM and were dropped off at our hotel. We had planned to watch the show ‘O’ by Cirque du Soleil at the Bellagio! Honestly, I have never seen anything quite like it. It is rated as one of the best shows in the Strip! It has the makings of a circus, water show with synchronised swimmers and divers, comedy, art and beauty all rolled into one fantastic creation! You have to see it to believe it! Our first thought when it finished was WOW! We wanted to watch this again. Thank you Cirque Du Soleil for creating magic! We paid a bit extra to sit as close as possible and it was well worth it!
After the show, we went out exploring Vegas again! We had spent two nights straight without any sleep. (SLEEP???! Aint nobody got time for that!) To be honest, I had no idea how we were still functioning! We could have died from sleep deprivation but at least that way we din’t have to wake up anymore!
Day 9: Downtown Vegas
We reached back to our hotel room the next morning! (SIGHH!!!) I couldn’t decide if I needed to sleep more, or shower? Sleep in the shower..maybe? But I was also so sooo hungry!! I was so tired, it even hurt to blink my eyes! We managed to get about an hour of sleep and had to check out after breakfast (since we had to catch a flight that evening)! We left our luggage in the cloak room and were out exploring again!
In the evening, we headed to the Stratosphere! I love rollercoaster guys, even though it scares the shit out of me! Screaming like you are going to die, really helps a lot! (Still unsure, if Rajesh has gone deaf from all my screaming or just ignoring me!). Also Rajesh always has the compulsive need to sit right in the front which is not helpful, since I can guarantee I will be screaming the whole time like a banshee. Stratosphere had some crazy ass rides (which I totally enjoyed)! Vegas has a skyline like no other city. You can grab a bite to eat or get a drink here and drink up the view of the strip and the mountains!
Our next stop was Downtown Vegas! Downtown Vegas is ahhh-mazing!!! If you were thinking of skipping visiting Downtown, DONT! It is the most exciting part of this city! We went to the Fremont Street Experience. You can see people zip lining the canopied ceiling of the Entertainment Center. There is also a light show that takes place here every night!
We head to the airport to catch our flight. At the end of our trip I was running a fever! I thought I grew a sixth toe, but soon realised it was just a giant blister sticking out and that led to me walking around the airport barefoot! Rajesh suggested I have two more margaritas and forget that I have feet! We had so much fun here (maybe too much for our own good!), we honestly cannot wait to go back and make some very poor decisions all over again!
Day 10: What not to do in San Francisco!
We reached San Francisco, checked into our hotel and decided to sleep! (YAYYY!!!!) They say 6 hours of sleep is enough! But why stop there? We slept for 13 hours straight! We finally were woken up to the sound of a dying walrus and realised it was just my stomach growling! I was so hungry, I could have eaten a child! Fortunately for us, we had some nice friends in San Francisco who picked us up and the four of us went for dinner! And I am happy to announce no children were harmed during our stay here!
Day 11: What to do in San Francisco!
Are you still reading?? I am impressed! We spent the night with our friends and the next day they were kind enough to show us around. We first visited the Golden Gate bridge, perhaps San Francisco’s most famous landmark and also one of the seven wonders of the modern world! Take time to walk across the bridge and soak in the scenery!
We also visited the Fisherman’s Wharf and headed to Ghirardelli Square for some ice cream! It was so good, Rajesh claimed he could probably eat 3 of these in under an hour! Even though he has never tried it, it is probably best to not find out!
Also another interesting fact about San Francisco is that it has some of the steepest and twisted streets. I was glad I don’t live here, I can totally imagine myself tumbling down the road and picking up speed! Imagine walking up and down to your house, my legs shudder just thinking about it!
Lastly, we went for some drinks with our friends at one of the local bars. It was great fun!
NO WAIT, that other lastly was fake. This is the real lastly, we also had some Indian food for dinner! (Because Indian food is great!!)
Day 12: Some more of San Francisco!
Our last day in SF was pretty great too! We shopped, drank and ate a whole bunch of stuff! At some point we also went ice skating because why not??! It was Christmas, the whole city was lit up! It was pretty awesome! (Except for the parts where Rajesh was ice skating effortlessly and I was falling on small children and old ladies!)
In summary, it was a super fun trip! The West Coast was pretty great, we can’t wait to explore the East Coast next! (That is whenever Rajesh decides to take another “business trip”)
Loved reading this piece. I had similar experience in Vegas, sleepless nights! 😀
Breathtaking captures and beautifully described