Zig Zag Around the US

[RB]

Talkeetna to Seward
Our host made a 5 minute drive to drop us at Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge (newest fanciest place in town) for our Park Connection Bus trip from Talkeetna to Seward. Just tourists, no locals. Extremely comfortable 50 seat toilet equipped coach (plenty of seats to choose from), with plenty of informative commentary by our lady coach driver (very high % of female coach drivers in Alaska). The highway ( mostly a very good surface & flanked in many parts by bike/walking track) revealed the most traffic we had seen so far. Passed through Houston Alaska where the 1990’s saw a wild fire destroy 450 homes & fireworks started things. Anchorage is certainly spread out coming in from the north. We are alerted to signs that announce that 225 moose have been killed on the approach freeway so far this year. We have read in the local paper that in the last 2 weeks that 6 young bears have had to be killed as they hunted for food We are also told that a north side hardware store sells world record amount of duct tape for all manner of repairs & all Alaskan vehicles host at least one roll of tape! A 1.5hr lunch stop in Anchorage coincided with lunch time. We ate light with a reindeer sausage & a marinated chicken sausage purchased from a street trolley. Add onions, cheese, saukreet and condiments for princely sum of $5 each.
Back on the coach & a change of driver for the trip to Seward. Commentary became a basic outline of stops & arrival times. Still plenty of seats to choose from & plenty of comfort. I cannot recall a more interesting & naturally occurring scenic route over such an extensive distance (2.5 hrs) certainly rivals Amalfi Coast & Canadian Rockies trips we have done. We passed extensive snow capped mountains down to the water, lakes, gulls nesting, wind surfing, new season net fishing, huge tides in Cook Inlet. Arrival at Seward is on time & our set-down with only us plus a lone Asian girl again confirms the majority of people appear to be herded from one ferry owned establishment to another.


http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPkaSn6IJI/AAAAAAAAAjs/pqg0SIU_NYY/P1030045 Bear Glacier.JPG-Bear Glacier
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPka3d5g5I/AAAAAAAAAjw/pFJi2P3yfAY/P1030076 Aialik Glacier.JPG-Aialik Glacier
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPkbSWuz7I/AAAAAAAAAj0/Cxy9k7GZoBs/P1030095 Orca spouting.JPG-Whale Spouting
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPkcyhQZhI/AAAAAAAAAj4/-Z6WU88LeRI/P1030129 Orca up close.JPG-Orca
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPkdq5KsGI/AAAAAAAAAj8/9oA1tU3fEs4/P1030141 Puffins.JPG-Puffins
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDPkZtViX_I/AAAAAAAAAjo/IDaz-8Mla7U/P1030152%20Woody%20gives%20me%20the%20eye.JPG-Woody

Kenai Fjords Tour with Major Marine Tours

We ended up on Major Marine & were happy with this with only 50 odd passengers as opposed to a more crowded Kenai Fjords company cruise ship. It seems that the various cruises communicate with each other to alert to sightings of the various wildlife. Our 7.5hr tour left on time and covered more than 120 miles of marine wildlife, sea birds and tidewater glaciers. There was narration by a National Parks Ranger and plentiful opportunities for photos. We were provided with a table number as a base & this ended up just being the 2 of us at a bench with seating for 6. There were binoculars provided for use (free) and we certainly enjoyed a high level of sightings. We encountered sea otters, nesting eagles, mountain goats, puffins, sea lions, seals, killer & humpback whales and other birds as well as the endangered steller sea lions. Our multiple encounters with the whales resulted in a slightly delayed return but no complaints from the human participants. There was a very mixed (geographically and aged) group of people but much co-operation on photo opportunities. We saw Bear, Aialik & Holgate glaciers. It was extremely cold as we sidled up extremely close to Holgate glacier with massive blocks of floating ice. We witnessed glacial calving (breaking off of slabs) that created waves & were amazed by the extreme thunderstorm like noises we heard. Overall a fantastic day.

Alaska Sealife Centre Seward.
Again able to use discount book. What a setup! Aquariums with underwater views & the surface life of birds nesting, interacting & diving and feeding. Lots of research happening and hands-on touching displays that are wonderful showcase for kids of all ages.


Around Seward

Seward food probably best experienced at Showcase Bar, not the most exotic surrounds and no tap beer but well cooked meals. Mrs RB has excellent steak & the wings were top shelf for a snack. Mike’s bar (hidden behind a metal door with no signage) was good for cold tap beers and fresh wine by the glass. Locals all exceptionally friendly and keen for conversation. Spent 1 night talking to a couple of true Alaskans about their life work on pipelines throughout the world. Mechanics work certainly sounded a challenge but at $1,500 a day in Russia with food & lodging not a bad cop despite the bitter conditions.

 

[RB]

Seward to Anchorage
Trip in a 30 seat Ford F550 V8 diesel with luggage trailer. Only 4 other passengers. No commentary, limited vision out front but seatbelts and huge windows for side viewing. Left on time & being weekday, less traffic on this scenic route. Driver has undertaken to drop us off at Days Inn. Quick pit stop after 1.5hrs and 1 passenger gets off to catch train & ferry to Valdez-job working in fish factory where there is nothing to spend your money on apparently. Flat plain area Portage that covers a village that disappeared in earthquake of 1964- our bus driver recalls working on boat in Ketchikan at the time & heading out to sea to escape tsunami. Arrived at depot a bit early & then transferred to a smaller van for a drop at the door of Days Inn


Anchorage
Used our time to get some last minute souvenirs of Alaska and get some early sleep before our 5am wakeup. Lunch at the Glacier Brewhouse. Calamari had been recommended & was indeed how it should taste. Our attempt to eat back there for dinner failed- cruise ships had arrived in & we were informed there was a wait of at least 2hrs for food. Went and found a bar & enjoyed a final meal of Alaskan salmon which was fine. Anchorage is a basic small city that doesn’t justify much time out of a holiday although zoo apparently worth a visit & some good walking trails



http://lh5.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...4s/P1030183 Seward Bus Lines to Anchorage.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T.../tLhSZ1RZRzo/P1030167 Seward to Anchorage.JPG

 

[RB]

Alaska Air –Anchorage-Chicago O’Hare Flight 130 Seat 2C 737-800 Using Redeemed Miles
Joined Alaska Air at time of booking & got bonus miles so had to buy less miles to cover the trip. For our time this worked better than burning QF points.
Enjoyed a no hassle & free shuttle from hotel to new looking south terminal at Anchorage. Checked in, through security in 20 minutes from leaving the hotel. Made our way to the Board Room to wait for our early morning 8.15am flight. Small room maybe fit 80 people but would be very crowded at that number, very quiet with no announcements. Conference room available for use. Four TV screens, couple of computers, free wi-fi, plenty of phones. Bar apparently opens at 10am with limit of 3 complimentary bevies per visit. Casual access is available at $40 per visit. Breakfast a fairly basic self serve. Coffee, soft drinks, yoghurt, toast machine & new to me was an automatic pancake maker. Fairly steady stream of people but no more than a dozen or so at a time in the room.
Boarding started at advertised 40 minutes before departure & orderly with easy access to 1st line & quickly seated. Ready to go early but ended up about 5 minutes late pushing back for some reason. According to Alaska Airlines magazine flight is 2,847 miles which is Alaskan Air’s longest domestic haul & exceeds Hawaii distances. Comfortable with plenty of room, access to digiplayer for music, tv episodes, movies and short Alaskan promotions. Wifi available in flight & current promotion allows free access. Connection easy & speed fine- is only available at over 10,000 ft and with 100 nautical miles of continental US. Attentive service with water prior to takeoff, another drink run then breakfast ( my choice sausages & scrambled eggs with French toast). Had a small paper card with a grace written on it on the tray and American services are acknowledged for their efforts during the boarding announcements. Again offered refreshment very soon after breakfast cleanup. Only 1 spare seat in first but seems to be a few in economy on a flight that is code shared with AA
Around Chicago
Our first morning we had a booking with a Chicago greeter. Bill was a great ambassador and showed us around the cultural centre where we met, a quick stroll around downtown, Chinatown, old town area, Wrigley Field (local derby being held) and back to the CBD. Our visit also coincided with the parade for the Blackhawk ice hockey side that had won the Stanley Cup- police estimated 2 million people watched the parade. We visited Navy Pier (very touristy) and certainly appreciated the breeze of Lake Superior. A reasonable walk got us to the Blues Festival that was just warming up while we were there but certainly plenty of talent on show (the mayor certainly is not shy in promoting himself). Looked at a few stores on the magnificent mile & clothes are certainly cheaper than in Australia. Spent part of the last night at Timothy O’Toole’s bar that was crowded with watchers of the cage fights on TV. Weather during our visit was variable from hot & humid to cool breeze with some showers but nothing bad enough to interrupt any plans (no tower visit though because of low cloud).Transfer back to the airport was again easy & 70 minutes saw us standing at the airport check in.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...t-wg/P1030193 flying Anchorage to Chicago.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDQ92v1E47I/AAAAAAAAAk4/SWbkMpjhg8A/P1030196 Chicago.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...AjGTu8I/P1030206 waiting for the Redskins.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDQ9812yfUI/AAAAAAAAAlM/MDEmELFffM4/P1030225 Wrigley Field.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...KHI/P1030233 outside stands Wrigley Field.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...eCRQj2xB4/P1030250 Chicago Blues Festival.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDQ-AMGziLI/AAAAAAAAAlY/eyeF3RIZPSU/P1030264 Chicago.JPG

 

[RB]

Reviews for Seward, Anchorage & Chicago rooms are here
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...eviews/alaska-point-of-view-suites-24111.html
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ces-and-reviews/days-inn-anchorage-24114.html
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ws/chicago-embassy-suites-lakeside-24144.html


Jet Blue Flight 908 Chicago ORD to JFK-A320, Seats 2A & 2C

Seated in row 2 after spending an extra $15 to obtain the extra legroom of 38 inch pitch. All looked well as the captain came out to the cabin & announced we would be leaving early & enjoy tailwinds & only 1hr 45 min. We then sat around & were finally joined by a deadheading pilot & family & we scored one of the daughters in between our window & isle seats. Seems the delay meant we missed a slot & then taxied for a long time, were warned we may have to return to terminal as it looked like exceeding 3hrs (some US time limit) but after cutting engines & sitting for a while we received new times & departed approx 50 minutes late. We also ended up with a flight path up to north so we ended up approaching with a southward run and arrived just over an hour late.
Couple of small notes re flight
- extra leg room was excellent, there were approx 40 live v channels ( use own headphones or buy for $2) plus radio stations
- daughter of pilot ( maybe 8yr old) sitting in middle eventually threw up just before decent but most landed on floor or her backpack & thankfully had no aroma
- Dog on board-supposed to be in carry on & weighed. Was across aisle in row 2. Not sure what happens with fellow passengers with allergies or number 1 & 2 moments. Owner kept it in rug, basically sitting in a cabin bag & patted it throughout.
- Crew provided a soft drink & choice of crisps style run & generally Ok without being noticed doing any extras
- Baggage claim reasonably prompt & then onto link to Jamaica Station (surprised at how far this took us) to get out of the airport.
We then caught a train to Penn Station (express service helped to catch some lost time) & then walked short distance to 33rd Street Path station. Being a Sunday we had to travel via Hoboken which meant a longer trip to our B & B at Jersey City near Journal Square. We stayed in Jersey City as a compromise of price, excellent reviews of B&B & not sure of our desire to be “right in the thick of things”. The B&B is about 12 minute walking from Journal Square but with rain & all our gear we opted for the $5 cab ride.
Spending Time in New York
First night in we order in a good supply of very cheap but good quality Chinese takeaway. Beers & sparkling were purchased during our local surveillance walk.
Being walkers we plan to get around mainly using public transport rather than guided tours. First up is a short taxi ride to the Jersey City site for the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry service. The day is a bit foggy & not totally ideal but we still get decent photos & experiences. We walk around to the Hudson St Jersey City area & have a great pizza lunch. Then it is on the path again & over to the Twin Towers area then walking down to Battery Point then back up via Wall St area then back home on the Path. Dinner was down to Exchange Place at the Iron Monkey Inn on the rooftop terrace. New York steaks a bit overcooked & beer choice was limited to craft style beers. The walk home in the dark from the station posed no threats & the trip in the train was also very uneventful.
Day 2 was concentrated on seeing some of Central Park. The trip to 33rd Street is just over 20 minutes from Journal Sq & then a walk to Empire State Building, Times Sq & on further to SW corner of Central Park. More walking saw us see the Carousel, The Mall, Bethesda Terrace, Loeb Boathouse, Belvedere Castle, the Great Lawn and The Reservoir before we emerged out at 86th street. We caught the subway back to just south of Times Square, grabbed some good pizza, did some browsing in Macys & other stores & had a drink in a pub off Broadway before catching the path back to Journal Square. Dinner was Vietnamese at Nha Trang restaurant in the traditional area of Jersey City- nothing special but nice & fresh.
3rd full & final day we walk to Journal Sq & again pass the church celebrating its 350yr anniversary. We head 1st to Greenwich area that appears to be a nice compromise between nearness to action & quiet times but bars & restaurants. After a good walk around we go via subway to Brooklyn & then enjoy a leisurely walk back over Brooklyn Bridge- many people, cyclists but a good pleasant experience. We then walk up through Chinatown & Little Italy & have a light lunch & drink. All refreshed we hop on the subway & head to 81st street where Mrs RB is happy to buy her first pair of Merrell joggers at a heavy discount to the Aust price. We walk & subway back towards 33rd . I spy the New York golf shop from a distance & score a great bargain on a polo shirt. Then we drop into Macys which is a store that is overwhelming in size for 1st time visitors. Mrs RB is subdued in the 45 minute stop but I score another 3 heavily discounted golf/sports polos that I consider to be great easy care quick dry material. (score the 10% bonus as a visitor). A quick disoriented walk sees us back at 33rd street station where it seems we need to reboost our metro card (thought $50 was going to see the pair of us through). Both got a seat despite peak hour & arrived back to see market day was still happening outside Journal sq station. Picked up some beers & walked back to B&B for a break. Ventured up to Journal Sq pub for a few drinks & meal (good chicken pasta & burgers & cold ales) then home to prepare for tomorrows transfer to Boston. Again no concerns with traffic or safety on way back to B&B in the dark. Day transfer from Jersey City B&B to Sheraton Back Bay Boston involved walk to Journal Square station, path ride to Newark then catching the Amtrak train to Boston Back Bay.

 

[drron]

The states really are good for retail therapy.you weren't too far from Jersey Gardens-factory outlet.
Mrsdrron likes her merrell's too.never paid more than $70 for them in the US.
Wouldn't EWR been better staying in Jersey city?

 

[RB]

The states really are good for retail therapy.you weren't too far from Jersey Gardens-factory outlet.
Mrsdrron likes her merrell's too.never paid more than $70 for them in the US.
Wouldn't EWR been better staying in Jersey city?

Guess we weren't up to speed with the Jersey Gardens outlet- didn't plan on a lot of retail. We had locked our flights in before deciding on our accommodation-from the way we were able to catch the Path to Newark Penn from Journal Sq you are certainly right it would have been much quicker & easier than JFK.
(thanks for tips on loading photos, seems to be working although I am obviously doing something a bit different to what you do)

 

[RB]

New York To Boston-Amtrak
[FONT=&quot]We decided to go by train to avoid waiting time at airports and also decided to leave from Newark instead of NY Downtown to avoid crowds (it also got us first go at seats before the hordes got on downtown (scored 2 seats each). Booking on the net from Aust was Ok & we had a printout with a bar code that was validated by machine at the station & then machine printed boarding passes. Despite warnings, no ID was required and it was get on & find a seat rather than allocation as we had expected. Train was in cattle class but certainly clean, comfortable & quiet with power available to each seat. Signs and announcements on station were clear, there was adequate space for luggage above seats or in racks at the end of carriages. Lunch from the food car had reasonable choice, beer cold & the wine was apparently pretty good. Back Bay station was our drop-off & we then walked under cover all the way to the Sheraton via an array of hotels, convention facilities and shops

Around Boston
[/FONT] With only 2 nights & thus 1 full day we realised we were limited in what we would achieve. After check-in (where we received a great outline of city streets & a handy map) we walked to get a feel of the city. The Celtics were playing the LA Lakers in the take-all game of the finals series so the bars were filling up early. We get onto Boylston St & aim for downtown. We get to South Station & Tea Party area before turning back to look at the Common & vary our walk between Newbury St & Commonwealth Avenue. We have drinks & food (sausages & curry sauce & meatloaf) at an Irish pub back in the Back Bay area & then ended an early night with a drink at the Sheraton bar (also crowded with the basketball watchers).
Early start on our full day with a walk down Beacon St & through part of the Common to pick up the start of the Freedom Trail- with help we locate & then follow the red line on the footpath all the way ( apparently 2.5 mile) to Monument Square. The trail is really well done & Quincy markets were perhaps our only disappointment. We passed on the 294 steps up the Monument & walked over to Cambridge Community College to catch the T system back to Back Bay station. More retail therapy at Filene’s Basement was followed by a late lunch at the Whisky Bar where we scored a full lobster 1.25lb (& fries & coleslaw) at $9.95. Then it was time quick check of emails in the lobby on the hotel computers & then a spell. Later we also used the free Wi-Fi in the lobby with good fast connection and also a Sheraton dedicated computer for check-in and boarding card printing. Dinner was back to the same Irish Pub for chicken dish, great hamburger, cold Stella & good sparkling wine before an early night.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDWzIZdkEOI/AAAAAAAAAnM/wG1FHkOEXPU/s512/P1030380 Paul Revere.JPG
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...7kQjJ8/P1030388 Whiskey bar Lobster Lunch.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDWzKibLnlI/AAAAAAAAAnU/fUy3XrdxaYU/P1030392 leaving Boston.JPG

 

[RB]

JetBlue Boston (BOS) to San Diego (SAN)-Flight 415, A320 seats 2a & 2c

Online check-in had been done the night before & boarding passes collected. However after immediate attention from check-in agent, those boarding passes were torn up & new ones for same seats reissued. We are a little nonplussed when our check-in lady (guessed 2hrs) & a later information desk of JetBlue are unable to confirm the flight time (we hadn’t done a check on time zones). I did hear a lady complaining to check-in that her bus driver had given her luggage to another person & that person had checked in the wrong luggage! Security was a minor nuisance with shoes off, belts off, watches ok to be in hand but not on & Mrs RB was subjected to full body scan ( only operating on 1 of 3 lines)-basically poorly communicated with a lack of instruction of requirements, no opportunity to watch bags start through before walking through yourself & as with many airports no seats, benches etc available to regather and organise yourself. Waiting area at the gate had limited seating be we were there early enough. There was free wifi available throughout the airport (fortunately saw a small sign advising as such) and boarding was called a few minutes early and takeoff was basically on time. This time we paid $25 extra for the more roomy 38” inch pitch (34 otherwise) on the A320. We gambled that nobody would pay extra to sit in the middle of row 2 & we scored a victory with the 3 seats on the almost 6hr flight. There were actually quite a few spare seats in the roomy section which was a surprise considering the small cost of the opt-up. After a few hiccups the 38 live TV stations & 100 radio stations became available. We were able to watch Socceroos live in their game with Ghana.
JetBlue claims that the captain makes a personal appearance at the front to welcome everyone and it did happen on our previous sector but not today. There is a run offering coffee/soft drinks & potato chips etc but staff are certainly not overly enthusiastic (however keen to drink their coffee, tell passengers they could not help with heavy carryon because of a bad back, have snacks, have a yarn to each other). There also seems to be little regard to the seatbelt warning with passengers wandering to the loo on a regular basis while the light is on
(Maybe the constant snacking of the locals contributes to the incessant lines for the facilities!). Our flight path is pretty well a straight line between cities & is smooth most of the way despite storms across the country. We arrive on time, bags are quick & out early & we catch the local bus downtown (hadn’t organised the free hotel shuttle) to the Westin on Broadway.
Around San Diego
Taking into account our loss of 3hrs & just 1 full day & 2 half days we opt for a lazy walk. We wander down Broadway to the Pier then continue around the waterfront towards the convention centre, having a look at The Midway and generally enjoying the Saturday activities around Seaport Village. A quick beer & fish & chips near Petco Park was followed by a walk through Gaslamp Quarter & a zigzag back to the hotel for a spell & watch the US Open golf with Tiger shooting 31 on the back nine of the 3rd round. It is at that this time we appreciate our room view as we start watching planes very low in there final approach behind the Double Tree. Another dinner at the bar at local establishment where hot wings & nachos do the job. Locals are a bit apathetic to the Padres current game.
Our full day continues our fortunate run with the weather & we set out to walk from Downtown to San Diego Zoo in bright sunshine. A steady rise out of town gives us good views back to the Coronado Bay Bridge and the experience of being flown over by a number of jets approaching the airport. We walk around the zoo precinct & then jump on a free shuttle that gives a more complete view around Balboa Park. The walk back to town is downhill & easy & we drop back into the hotel for a short spell. Then it is a short walk to the ferry terminal for the 10 minute trip across to Coronado Island. We walk up Orange Avenue & enjoy a late lunch burger where they claim to have been voted best burgers in San Diego for 9 yrs- our experience gives credence to the claim. Fathers Day has certainly heralded beach weather & there are big crowds on the beach near Hotel De Coronado-an absolutely massive hotel with freestanding units on the beach. Back from the ferry we settle into our room for drinks & to watch the last few holes of a very tight US Open golf. Dinner at one of the breweries where they boast of having the worlds most beers on tap-pretty impressive even if not true. We are well & truly over eating out & tonight it is a simple chicken & easy pasta dish before an easy night as we feel the effects of all the days walking.


http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDZuOn0vteI/AAAAAAAAAn0/97t9Hyi9UkY/P1030412 USS Midway Museum.JPG
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...4/04P0YoQrpI8/P1030419 Hotal Del Coronado.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDZuN8iRRMI/AAAAAAAAAnw/RHjsX-T18N4/P1030401 San Diego Harbour.JPG

 

[RB]

I have posted some accommodation reviews here

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...-and-reviews/b-b-jersey-city-442-a-24145.html
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...ws/westin-hotel-broadway-san-diego-24165.html
http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...d-reviews/sheraton-back-bay-boston-24157.html

San Diego to Los Angeles
Not having experienced this area previously we opted to travel by bus with Lux Bus. They offered door to door service & a chance to see the countryside without the airport waiting & transfer times-so probably similar times overall. It ended up being 3hrs 5min overall. Start was a bit of a milk run around downtown & then Mission Valley area before heading north on the freeway. Bus was a 32 seater (not particularly Lux but very comfortable). Only a few travel comments by our driver but he was a good driver. Plenty of variety in the countryside with one section of country & vegetation reminding me of the drive towards Taormina Sicily from Catania Airport. Interesting to see a massive tomato plantation right next to the ocean at one point, a nuclear development nearby & also a huge navy hovercraft playing games just off the coast. We were interested to see San Clemente as we had contemplated spending some time there. Bus group was split at Anaheim to expedite people’s arrival to various areas of LA. Only 1 other family on our split bus & we were first drop before the airport.


Around Los Angeles
With only the afternoon & then full day before our flight we opted for a do nothing on flight day & look at Manhattan Beach the other afternoon. While the airport hotels are fairly isolated they have grouped to provide a shuttle to Manhattan Beach & 2 shopping areas in the vicinity. Return trip was $5 each & the stop was straight outside the hotel(Sheraton Gateway). In 20 minutes the direct ride down the coast had us enjoying a walk on the beach & along the way we had sighted an apartment we had considered staying at in El Segundo. Not a lot of action at the beach volleyball but plenty of people in the water just swimming & a few board riders. There is a fine aquarium at the end of the jetty. Basically a walk around & people watch spot & buy some drinks for pre-dinner drinks. Then it was back on the shuttle on the service that runs every 30 minutes. Took 40 minutes on the way back via the shopping centres & again we were dropped straight out the front. We had spent more time than normal in cities this trip & had no inclination to visit downtown.

VA 2 LAX-SYD Premium economy 12A & 12C

Departure procedures are certainly smoother than arrivals. From footpath to sitting down near Gate 34 at Terminal 3 was 15 minutes. We are early & some of VA passengers to Melbourne are still booking in. There is no one else in the premium economy line and we are looked after immediately. We only have 2 bags & they are weighed together, seats are as booked and we are directed towards the gate. Boarding passes are glanced at the bottom of the escalators & we are directed around a different path & bypass our first line. At the top of the escalator we emerge with no one in front of us & go straight towards scanning & jump past another hundred odd people (maybe premium economy fast track?). Its shoes, belts & all off, liquids in clear bag & notebook out & we are straight through. The gate area has very limited facilities so it’s a walk & find a quieter corner to sit & wait.
Boarding started on time, a small champers was offered & accepted and we were quickly organised in our seats. Takeoff was on time, there was a drinks round & then dinner about 2hrs after takeoff. Our concerns about the hardness of the seats on the way over was overcome when the flight attendant grabbed a couple of blankets from business class & we used them as padding on the bottoms of our seats. The recline and space is great in a way but to me it seems to me that at full recline your lower body is thrust forward & the support under the thighs is minimal & becomes uncomfortable for my height. There were a couple of spots of mild turbulence but generally a good flight & the opportunity to catch a few hours sleep. With less than an hour or so to Sydney the flight map started to indicate Melbourne- flight deck then informed us about fog concerns in Sydney & we were to be one of the early ones to try & land in Sydney. Fortunately we got in & avoided the 8hr turnover that would have apparently occurred in Melb. We had a quick duty free shop, used smart gate through immigration, our bags were already out when we arrived at the carousel & then we were nabbed by an customs guy who stamped our declaration & sent us out without scans. From door of plane to waiting for our lift was 20 minutes & the end of a fantastic trip. This was our first experience of arrivals being designated north & south at Syd & we hadn’t prepared our mates picking us up to expect this.



http://lh6.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/TDgR7ln30yI/AAAAAAAAAoY/68dqtlqpUjI/P1030424 LA movie star.JPG
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_M1ArWFpAcYI/T...FKgOoSVA/P1030427 Pier at Manhattan Beach.JPG