Roadtrip up the Pacific Coast Highway: Santa Monica, Malibu and Santa Barbara.

We had wanted to do this trip for months and so after university had finished we finally had the time to actually plan it and go. We wanted to drive up the Pacific Coast Highway, famous for its beautiful coastal scenery to Santa Barbara, stopping along the way at Santa Monica and Malibu. 

Our first stop was Santa Monica, we walked along the pier, famous for being the end of Route 66 and went on the Ferris Wheel which had amazing views of the LA area, mountains and coast. We then had fun relaxing on some swings on the beach. We also walked down the main street which is great for shopping and got a burrito at Chipotle for lunch.

Santa Monica Pier

Route 66

Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

View from the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel

Waves

Santa Monica's Main Street

We then drove further up the coast to Malibu which is known for its beautiful beaches and stopped to have a walk along the beach.

Malibu Beach

Surf/Swim

Driving up Pacific Coast Highway

We had booked to stay in the Holiday Inn at Carpinteria which is before Santa Barbara on the coast. We dropped our bags in the room and walked down to the beach to watch the sunset. The view of the mountains on the way really reminded me of those in Hawaii, it was hard to believe we were not even that far from LA. It was a quiet town with not much to do but it had a great beach for the sunset. We found a spot and had fun taking photos. We went to I-Hop to have pancakes for dinner and then went back to the hotel to relax in the hot tub under the stars.

The Mountains of Carpinteria

Carpinteria Sunset

Silhouettes

The next day after breakfast we continued driving and reached Santa Barbara. It was a very windy day making the walk down the pier a bit of a struggle, however it was clear just how picturesque the town was, with the mountains, ocean and old style Spanish buildings. It almost felt like you were in another country.

Santa Barbara Pier

We stopped by Tourist information to get some information, we were given a map and told to start at Santa Barbara's Courthouse in the Old Town which is a lovely area with lots of shops and restaurants.

Old Town Santa Barbara

The Courthouse, built in 1926 after an earthquake destroyed the earlier building, is an example of how the town has been influenced by the Spanish Colonial style. It has beautiful interior decoration with patterned ceilings and walls, large murals and also tile mosaics. The mural room's paintings reveal some of Santa Barbara's interesting history and the extensive murals make the space very dramatic. However, the most impressive part of the Courthouse is perhaps the view from the clock tower. You can see 360 degrees, to the coast, the mountains and to all the pretty tiled buildings of Santa Barbara.

Courthouse

Patterns

The Mural Room

Mountain View from the Clock Tower

Ocean View from the Clock Tower

After we had visited the Courthouse we walked through a little area, La Arcada, which had some nice small shops and restaurants. There was even a fountain which had turtles swimming inside. The atmosphere was very relaxed and felt quite European.

La Arcada

Mozart Trio

We went to the Santa Barbara Mission after lunch. Built in 1786 it was the tenth mission of twenty-one in California, which sought to convert Native Americans to Christianity to help their attempt at colonisation. Over the years parts of the mission have been rebuilt due to earthquake damage. The missions are the oldest buildings in California and have historical significance for the state. This was the second mission I had been to and it was smaller than the first, however still interesting and pretty to see. It is intriguing to see some of California's history, where it began and how it has influenced the state to this day.

Santa Barbara Mission

A Franciscan Friar

Spanish Colonial Style

The Chapel

I loved this road trip, the places we visited were so picturesque and I wish we could have gone for longer. I'd like to drive all the way up Highway 1 to San Francisco so I guess it just means I'll have to go back and do it one day!!

Moving Out and LA: The Last Bookstore, Central Library and the Hollywood Museum.

The semester and the academic part of my year abroad had come to an end. After the most amazing time living the American dorm life I had to move out and onto the next phase of the year. It was really sad to say goodbye to so many people but it was made easier by the fact that my friend Abbi had finished her year in North Carolina and had come to stay with me for the weekend. It was kind of chaotic as I had to pack up all my stuff and move but we managed to fit in some fun things that weekend and it made my transition easier. I had about a month before I had to leave Long Beach and head home and I wanted to make the most of my time left. 

On Thursday, after handing in my final essay of the year we went to pick up Abbi from LA. I then showed her around the Long Beach campus and took her to 2nd street where we had one of my American food favourites, Yogurtland! The next day I showed Abbi downtown Long Beach and we relaxed in the sun with a smoothie at Shoreline Village. On Saturday which was a really nice day, I took her to Huntington Beach where we had a lovely walk along the beach, the pier and also around the shops.

Views from Huntington Pier:

On the Sunday, Abbi, Sara and I took the Metro to LA. We visited a cool spot called the Last Bookstore where we had fun seeing the unusual set-up, the impressive building and looking at the books. There are also some interesting shops and art pieces to see. It is definitely worth a visit to see the quirky arty side of LA. 

The Last Bookstore:

Colour-coordinated:

We decided to continue our book theme by going to see LA's library, a 1920s building, as shown by its architectural features. The Library is surrounded by LA's downtown skyscrapers which are quite a contrast. The library, although somewhat dwarfed by the surrounding structures, is an example of the LA area's rise to importance at the beginning of the 20th century. The building holds its own amongst the modern and this is also shown by the interior which has impressive artwork covering the walls and ceilings which was completed in 1933.

"In the world of affairs we live in our own age, In books we live in all ages."

The Hollywood Museum was next on our to-do list and well worth a visit to experience some of Hollywood's history and also view its impressive collections of costumes, props and autographs. Hollywood, with its extraordinary reputation, can be somewhat underwhelming if you just visit the Walk of Fame. However, visiting places like the Hollywood Museum make you realise you are in the iconic and creative place where so many films have been made and where so many stars have lived and worked.

The museum building itself was originally owned by Max Factor, who was the original make-up artist to Hollywood's actors and actresses. Opening in 1935, designed in an art deco style, the building became a place where make-up was now acceptable for the higher classes and many stars went there to be prepared for their roles. Inside the museum are old make-up sets and brushes used by the stars and also authentic make-up rooms where actresses such as Marilyn Monroe were transformed into the iconic images we know today. There is also an invention of Max Factor's, The Beauty Calibration Machine, which spotted where corrections needed to be made with make-up, showing just how innovative for the times Max Factor was.

The Hollywood Museum:

Max Factor Make Up:

The Max Factor Beauty Calibration Machine:

The museum has many of the most iconic props and costumes in film and television history, including Dorothy's Red Shoes from The Wizard of Oz, boxing gloves from Rocky and the red swimming costumes from Baywatch. It also features a piece of the original HollywoodLand sign which stood from 1923 to 1978.  The sign deteriorated over the years as it was intended to stand for less than 18 months, not for over 50 years, however it continued to represent the film industry. It was decided in 1978 that it was to be replaced with a long-standing structure due to its iconic significance and today it remains one of the most important landmarks in Los Angeles.

Dorothy's Red Shoes:

A Piece of the Original HollywoodLand Sign:

There are items featured from Hollywood's beginnings to its most recent productions. The museum has featured items from TV shows as recent as Breaking Bad, Modern Family, Once Upon a Time and The Walking Dead. The combination of the restoration of the Max Factor building with its purpose as a museum in which you can learn about the rich history of Hollywood makes this one of the best attractions for the film industry in LA.

Breaking Bad Costume and props:

A LOST Costume:

Next up: Road trip up the Pacific Coast Highway to Santa Monica, Malibu and Santa Barbara!

Salt Lake City, Utah.

I decided to take a spur of the moment trip in April to see my friend Meg who has been doing her year abroad in Salt Lake City. I was excited and curious to visit Utah and see how different it was from California. When I arrived I had a wander around the city and became aware of how nice it was and how different it was to downtown Long Beach. It was refreshing to have the main shopping mall actually in the city centre and it was designed to have the roof open on warm days. The area was very nicely designed and well-kept to compliment the impressive Mormon Temple which is also at the heart of the city. It was even more interesting on that particular day as there was a Comic Convention which meant people were walking around in all types of wacky costumes. I met Meg and after grabbing some food at Subway she showed me around the city. That night we went out for Pizza at The Pie with her friend which was really good.

The next day we walked through the University campus and went to the bookstore where I bought a couple of T-shirts. We then went to a British Store where an American was pretending to be English with a bad Cockney accent. I'm sure it was obvious to the American customers who the real English were when they heard us! We then went downtown and saw some of the important old buildings and a colourful arty mural which I would not have expected to see in Salt Lake but it shows how interesting and diverse the city actually is.

University of Utah stadium:

Downtown Salt Lake Art:

After we had seen downtown we took the train to Syracuse for Easter weekend to stay with a family Meg had met when she arrived in the US. We went for a walk and saw the snow-capped mountains and then headed back to the house to try an American Easter tradition, dip-dyeing eggs!

View of the Mountains from Syracuse:

An American Easter Tradition, Dip-Dying Eggs:

On Easter Sunday we had a relaxing day, including an Easter egg hunt, lots of candy, and some amazing food, which you appreciate that much more when you've been living on dining hall food for months! We then went back to the city and visited the LDS Church temple and also saw the Utah State Capitol Building.

The Salt Lake Temple:

Salt Lake Selfie with Meg:

Utah State Capitol:

Salt Lake City Council Hall:

View of the Salt Lake in the background:

The Temple at Sunset:

The Mother and Children Statue in Temple Square:

The Temple at dusk:

Salt Lake City, surrounded by its impressive mountains, is definitely worth a visit! Thanks Meg for having me! I'd love to go back to Utah for longer, especially to fully experience the natural beauty of the state, which unfortunately I did not get time to do while in the USA.