The US and CA with a child – history, waterfalls, big cities, woods, jail and another Disney (belated)

[Matt_01]

Today was the favourite day for MissM we are off to the Top of the Rock and you guessed it American Girl, however as her school friend was in NYC at the same time it was like a play date, but only in NYC.




I have seen something a little more interesting.
I
I think I will just leave this to MrsM.

 

[Matt_01]

There seemed to be no end in sight at American Girl so I decided to walk across town to the USS Intrepid.

 

[Matt_01]

Time to go to the MET.

 

[Matt_01]

A bit OT from the TR, I travel pretty light 4-5 weeks in the US and CA all I need is HL and a back pack, but when travelling with the girls an empty checked bag comes with us. We are off to SFO tomorrow and by the end of repacking my stuff has been distributed across all the luggage and the only bag I can call my own is my back pack and even that has their headsets and iPads in it.

Off to SFO and getting to the airport the dial7 driver was great. We seemed through every back street possible to JFK or so it seemed but he got us there in a reasonable time and he was also a nice guy to chat with. Getting through check in and security was a similar experience to any other US airport I have been through.

Plane to SFO was one of those 737s with F, J, and Y. We were in J with lie flat seating. I struggle to understand how AA can make these flights profitable when 2/3 of the cabin space seem to be filled with F and J and a small Y section. Maybe they have cracked the code when compared to the AU carriers VA or QF run recliners on the narrows and flats only on the a300 series. Who knows.

 

[Matt_01]

After a couple weeks on the east coast we have started our journey home first stop SFO. A quick look around down town then off to the wharf.


All of us like this place, full of old games and pinball machines.

 

[Matt_01]

More of the wharf area

Lombard St.

Walked back to the Hilton passing some parks and walked back through china town.

 

[Katie]

MrsM's photos are reminding me of a lot of mine - the back view of my husband and child in our travel environs!

 

[Matt_01]

Next day now off to Muir woods and back it was both a nice and then unexpected surprise. Apparently some roads had collapsed so no more big bus and transport changed to a US mini van, actually it was just a big SUV.


Lunch in Sausalito, was not the healthiest but tasted good

 

[Matt_01]

I like San Fransisco, sure like any large city there are some not so nice areas so we boarded the trolly bus and headed to the painted ladies and a few other buildings along the way and way back.

 

[Matt_01]

Final place in SFO off to prison. Alcatraz Island

 

[JohnM]

That reminds me - I still haven’t paid my San Fran parking ticket - from about 10 years ago .

 

[Matt_01]

Time to move further south to LAX. Stayed at the Beverly Hilton. LA was not on MrsM or my place to visit so we only stayed a couple of days stayed at the Beverly Hills Hilton. The only places on the radar for MissM was Rodeo Drive, the Farmers Market (American Girl) and Hollywood Boulevard.

The Farmers Market and more American Girl

The odd shot of the Boulevard

This is how the hotel keeps the pigeons in check

 

[Matt_01]

While the girls were doing it tough I just went for a wander and took a few snaps of things that interest me.

If you can afford a Bugatti, why not give it a custom paint job

 

[Matt_01]

Next on the list was ticking off another Disney or 2. We were staying 3 days, so both Disney California Adventure Park and Disneyland were on the list. Disneyland.

 

[Matt_01]

Disney California Adventure Park

 

[Matt_01]

Back to Disneyland

 

[Matt_01]

Time to go home, through check in, immigration and straight to the F lounge. A quick shower then time to relax.


No photos of the plane a standard QF a380 in J, it was about 3 hours late departing and by that stage we had been well and truely watered, so we just went to sleep. Missed our connection in MEL however a QF staff member approached us at luggage collection and asked which were our bags, took them off us, gave us new boarding passes and sent us us to the Dom Terminal as the plane was being held. QF took care of all the luggage transfers.

Trip over time to move onto the next one.

 

[OZDUCK]

Thanks very much for the TR. It seems to have been a great trip and I am sure your daughter will have great memories of it.

 

[VPS]

Thanks - a few more snippets of information for the next trip