Woke up and just relaxed in the room. Nothing planned for today so we just wasted it by watching a movie. Later we walked up to the corner to catch a bus for a ride to the beach. After waiting over 40 minutes, a bus drove right on by us. I was pissed. We went back to the room and I watched football bowls games while Alice read. Around supper time, we walked up to the corner and had food and drinks at the Hacienda Hotel. We ate our first and only Mexican food of the trip here. After more TV it was bedtime.
We leave for home today but not until 11:55pm. Thankfully the hotel wasn't busy and they let us have a 3:00pm check out. Everyone we have met and dealt with have been very friendly and helpful. This part of California isn't what I expected from reading about the place.
I went to the exercise room and worked out for a while, then went swimming and hot tubing. Alice was trying to finish her book so she could get it back to the library. Later I was talking with the gal at the front desk and mentioned missing the bus yesterday. She apologized for the misinformation then told me about the Metro transportation two blocks south of us. We could ride to Hollywood Boulevard in just an hour and see the Hollywood sign. So off we went.
Getting on the train was easy except we didn't know how to pay, so we didn't. We rode the green line, and then had to transfer to the blue line. On the blue line the neighborhoods we saw were very ghetto with bars on the windows. Even the third story windows. I noticed that out of all the people on the train, Alice and I were the lightest skin on board. Mostly Hispanic with a few blacks mixed in. At the end of the blue line we got on the red line to Hollywood and N Highland Ave and this leg of the trip had more tourists on board.
Exiting the underground station brought us face to face with all kinds of people in the early evening darkness. People were playing music on the street corners, vendors selling the wares and weirdly dressed freako's walking around. The smell of dope burning was very strong. We looked for the area where the Hollywood sign was to be viewed from but couldn't see anything. I asked a guy where the sign was and he pointed at a dark mountain. "its right there, but it's not lit at night". Oh well, so much for that idea. We walked one block south to Sunset strip just to say we have been on it but that section isn't in the busy district. Back on Hollywood Boulevard we stopped in the Snow White Cafe and had a drink. The bar was a Disney themed place and the barmaid was very friendly and chatted with us until time to head back to the hotel. The train back in the dark was uneventful but still kept me on my toes.
At the hotel, one of the clerks helped load our luggage and off to the airport we went. It was around 8:30pm so we had time to kill. After getting through security we found a sports bar for food and just relaxed. Around ten we went to the staging area where I took a little nap while waiting to board. We were on the plane and ready to leave at 11:55pm but it did not happen. The back bathroom was broke and maintenance personnel were working on it. At 12:10am, the pilot had us unload for a different plane saying he wasn't flying a plane with only one bathroom.
At 2:35am we finally lifted off for Ohio. Arriving in Cincinnati it was very cold for us, being used to 75 degree sunshine. Many people on our plane missed connecting flights and I was glad we were finished flying. Ted came and picked us up at the airports front doors. What great service. Made me feel important. Back at Ted's we got the VIP tour of their new house then tried starting the car for the ride home. It would not start. An hour later it was finally running. I think the cold weather with too much moisture in the gas was the problem. After the three hour drive to Marion and getting a bite to eat with Nissa and Joe, we finally arrived at our home at 6:00pm. And there was snow on the ground. Welcome back to Ohio.
Conclusion: We had a great trip and a great time together. We really do not have a desire to visit that area again but want to see the Redwoods next. Who knows what our next adventure will be. Stay tuned...