Los Angeles

Our final stop of the tour was Los Angeles. On our final night, we had dinner on the beach as a group. We also had yet another amazing sunset, this time over Venice Beach - perhaps also a metaphor of the sun going down on our tour. It was a chance also to say farewell. Whilst we had only been together a week, the group got along really well, and it was sad it was all over. Still, I had plenty of time left to go - including 4 nights in LA.

The end of the trail, the end of the tour...

I am actually staying in Santa Monica, which is about 16 miles from downtown LA. But actually, given the hostel is just 2 blocks from Santa Monica Pier and beach, the location could not be better. I am at the Hostelling International. It is perhaps a little more expensive than most places, but the facilities are great and it is also very busy and social.

Santa Monica itself is a beach suburb. It is rather upmarket - at least compared to neighbouring Venice Beach. There's also plenty of chain stores for a range of budgets, and likewise a range of restaurants. For example, I ate at a place called Pieces Tacos - which cost just $11 for 3 Tacos, rice and beans. The promenade is also very smart as great to walk along. Santa Monica also seems very liveable. Home to loads of tech firms (Uber, Snapchat and Google all have offices) it has brought a real, young, cool vibe to the place.

I also had a chance to explore downtown LA - following Lonely Planet's walking tour to give us a flavour of the place. It has a real mix of architecture: from modern skyscrapers to Art Deco cinemas (my brother is an Architect, so was completely geeking out). There were also places like LA Live, with big stadiums and the Grammy Museum (which we didn't visit) and the music equivalent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Just one of many cinemas in LA
Like every tourist, I also felt obliged to visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Whilst there are busier sections, to be honest, it was a little rubbish. Realistically, it was just a load of names written on the floor. The main ones are clustered together, but I am really not bothered about lesser known people outside of the main block or two. Still, I managed to get photos of Bowie, Queen and the Simpsons - plus stuck my fingers up at Donald Trump. The walk up to the sign is also ten miles according to my friends who have visited before - so I didn't venture. In summary, something ticked off the list, but a bit of a let down.

It may sound odd, but an unexpected bonus of the trip was the fact there was loads of traffic and public transport was hit and miss. This meant we relied on Uber and similar app Lyft for rides (use codes liamc3506ue for Uber and liam119942 for Lyft to get free credits). On our taxi back from Hollywood, we got super lucky. The driver was super friendly, and as we were visiting, gave us a guided tour of LA at no extra cost. We drove back through West Hollywood and Beverly Hills - pointing out the odd landmark or celebrity home along the way. Given that tour busses are very expensive, this was pretty awesome!

I also spent a lot of time on the beach - as you'd expect. We picked the hostel for the beach and it is definitely worth it. I've visited a lot on beaches in the USA now, but this is probably my favourite. It is golden, the water is warm and big waves - just perfect for that bit of relaxation after camp. Santa Monica pier itself is also great. It has a mixture of rides (all pricey), an arcade and live music (well, buskers but alright ones). Plus, it was a huge Pokèmon Go hotspot...

Santa Monica Beach with the brother

Santa Monica was just brilliant - and LA is definitely my favourite US city I've visited so far. Chilled, great beaches and plenty to do - love it! Next (and indeed final) stop of my time in America is San Diego, where I will be spending my final 5 nights.

Need to Knows

Hostel: Hostelling International Santa Monica (Los Angeles)
Cost myself (inc tax) $55 for a standard room and with YHA membership

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