First TR: SQ SIN-LAX via NRT RT (J) with California / Nevada / Arizona Road Trip

[jonleong]

Before I proceed further, I want to add that being raised and living in the countries I am from, I know very little or understand the delicate issues that surround the animal issues at Seaworld. Due to this I am not too sure how or what I should feel. My visit however did make me feel relatively sad that the animals are not in their natural habitat (similar to zoos around the world), but at the same time convinced that they were all looked after extremely well.

Nice TR so far

Btw, I don't see why you would feel the need to justify why you chose to visit and enjoy SeaWorld. To each his own.

[yflyer]

Very enjoyable read so far, Mlee888!

Nice photo of the Changi Control Tower from across the bridge. I've always wanted to take a photo like that, but never managed to...

BTC Lobster Thermidor is one of my favourite meals on SQ as well.

Looking forward to the rest...

[Mlee888]

Thanks, guys.

Will post up next installment once I have a few hours spare.

Jonleong. Fully agree with you, I didn't have to justify but wanted to let readers know that I was aware of the recent sensitive issues surrounding the park.

[Mlee888]

Day 3 - San Diego USS Midway Museum

Day 3 - San Diego USS Midway Museum

The 3rd day of our US trip was a nice stress free easy day, a day much needed to help get over our initial jet lag with only 4 hours sleep for the first 2 nights. This day would begin with a tour to the USS Midway Aircraft Carrier now museum.

We arrived at the magnificent USS Midway just before midday. Parking at the attraction was around $10, although I know on the roads outside nearby are much cheaper. These however are hourly metered whereas the attraction itself was stay as long as you need.

The entry price...



Audio tours came in 6 different languages with the US flag representing English.

After collecting our headsets you come to this part of the ship.



I was in complete awe. The aircraft on show, the stories of the missions before the carrier was decommissioned, the history, and the overall structure of the carrier. It was a complete new world I was entering.

This is just a small insight into the lives of those on the sea fighting for the freedom of their country.

Living quarters on board show that each officer was entitled to one locker and a bed approx 6 foot long.



Sleeping quarters were also found in corridors.



Some photos from the crew on board on show.



Aircraft on show...





The outside deck where more aircraft and helicopters were on display was my favourite part of the tour. Being able to sit in and experience this was something I never expected to enjoy.







Final one of the control deck.



The whole tour took around 2 hours at a medium speed. I know some have mentioned the tour can take 3 to 4 hours but at the same time others have taken less than 1.

After this our group decided to go to Las Americas Premium Outlet which was close to the Mexico border. Unfortunately no photos here, but definitely a great place to pick up some bargains.

A nice easy simple day before we prepare for day 4 which would be a long drive from San Diego to San Francisco. To be continued....

[yflyer]

Great USS Midway pics, Mlee888! I was in San Diego recently as well and went for a run along the waterfront past the USS Midway Museum, but did not have time to go in. Looks like I missed quite a lot!

[726]

Waiting for the next one. I appreciate that you blur people's face to protect their privacy.

[Mlee888]

Great USS Midway pics, Mlee888! I was in San Diego recently as well and went for a run along the waterfront past the USS Midway Museum, but did not have time to go in. Looks like I missed quite a lot!

Thanks, yflyer!

It is definitely worth visiting for half a day. I think by looking at some of your trip reports I miss at least half of what those places have to offer! Ha.

[Mlee888]

Waiting for the next one. I appreciate that you blur people's face to protect their privacy.

Thanks 726. I will continue to do this unless I accidently forget so in some photos some faces of the public are clearly visible.

[Mlee888]

Day 4 – San Diego to San Francisco

Day 4 – San Diego to San Francisco

3 nights in San Diego is definitely not enough, there is so much more to do and see here than I realised, I’m sure we only just touched the tip of the iceberg. We never had the chance to pop into downtown or visit areas such as the Gaslamp Quarter, both of which I heard were great places to visit. Next time we visit San Diego, we will stay for at least 5 days there. Until next time SD we bid you farewell.

Thank you Homewood Suites Liberty Station for making our stay comfortable. We will definitely come back. With all the construction going on it will be interesting to see what the views of the other side of the lake will be next time round.



We originally planned to leave SD around 7am but were worried about hitting the morning rush hour traffic once approaching LA. Because of this we decided to leave around 9am instead. After checking out and saying our goodbyes to the staff, with 4 of us in total in our 7 seater Dodge Caravan, we laid down the back row seats and maximised the luggage space. I wish I had taken a photo but between us we managed to get 5 large suitcases, 2 medium suitcases, 5 carry-ons and 2 rucksacks into the back with plenty of space to spare for at least another 2-3 suitcases.

We used the quickest route to San Francisco which took us mostly on the i5. After starting our journey at 9am, we reached the sight of Los Angeles downtown by around 10:30-10:45am. Once we past Los Angeles, the number of cars visible on the roads started to dwindle. This gave a clear path all the way to close by San Francisco.

The scenery was wonderful, for a few hundred miles all we could see was dry land and mountains in the background (some of which were apparently 80-90 miles away). This is something we don’t get to see or experience much in Europe or South East Asia.



I originally made plans to stop at designated gas stations with a number of food choices along the way to break up the journey as we wasn’t sure how frequent the availability of stops would be, however after noticing gas stations every 10-20 miles we decided to scrap that plan and would stop as soon as one needed a toilet break or got hungry.

With the group sleeping, I ventured up the i5 driving past each exit salivating after seeing signs for at least one of the following chains Carl’s Jr, In and Out Burger, McDonalds, and KFC. Please would one of you wake up and tell me you need a pit stop! After coughing loudly, one of the group wakes up and announces they need a pit stop……Bingo!

Next stop, we come off the i5 and make our way to explore the numerous food choices available. However at this one there doesn't appear to be much except for a Denny’s and a Gas Station. I had heard so much of In and Out Burger I really wanted to try it. Oh well, I have waited 30 odd years so a few more days won’t hurt. Denny’s it is then!

The Denny’s we’re at is based in Grapevine, California. A nice atmosphere inside with friendly staff but the food overall isn’t that great in my opinion. In fact I’ve been really disappointed in the quality of food at both Denny’s and iHops.



The food always looks great in the menu.



I didn’t take a photo of my meal as it didn’t warrant memory space sadly. However Denny’s didn’t completely disappoint (after seeing food choices at the other stops) as the view outside around the back was one I had never experienced before. I stood, admired the view and reflected my life and future for a couple of minutes.



I stood until it got too hot for me so I ran back to the car turned on the air conditioning and prepared myself for the remainder of the journey.

Beginning the second part of the journey at 1pm, we were still around 300 miles away from our destination. The whole journey in total was just under 500 miles so at this point we had yet to reach the halfway point.

After nonstop driving for around 3 hours following the GPS system, I wake the sleeping threesome and ask one to help take a photo of the outside. Does anyone know where this is? I remember it being part of a national park in California.



After setting off at 9am, by 5:30pm we start to drive past exit signs for places such as Foster City, Mountain View, San Jose, and eventually San Francisco Airport. By 6:45pm we had reached our second hotel of the trip, Homewood Suites, San Francisco Airport North.

After checking in, the room we booked was again a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite (same as San Diego). Our room was located on the ground floor but it seemed to be the furthest away from reception. There was also a railway track behind the hotel but I don’t recall hearing any trains during the night.

No photos of the outside of the hotel but it was in a nice location with plenty of parking. I originally chose this hotel because to begin with we planned to leave our car here and take a train into the city, we never did this in the end. In Hindsight I probably would have stayed much closer to the Bay Area and paid for parking instead of going for the free option. Reasons will be explained later. 

Homewood Suites has a social evening every Mon-Thurs where guests can mingle and enjoy free food from 5:30pm-7:30pm.

The reception area is quite homely here.



The 2 bedroom suite had a nice ample sized living room and kitchen. The sofa bed can again fit 1 large adult or 2 small persons. Overall again, same as San Diego the place can fit 5-6 adults easily.

The living room area.



The beds are extremely comfortable! I wish I had this mattress at home. One room contained a king sized bed and the other, a queen sized bed. Both bathrooms had a bathtub with shower and plenty of towels and amenities.



Dinner was at a local McDonalds near Cow Palace that is close to the hotel. After this we settled down for the night and woke up early for our first day out in San Francisco! 

Day 5 coming up soon.

[Mlee888]

Day 5 – San Francisco Part 1

Day 5 – San Francisco Part 1

So our original plan was to leave the car at the hotel and take the BART from SFO airport into the city. After working out that the cost for 4 persons would be approximately $80 for a return journey, we decided to put this towards the cost of parking near Fisherman’s Wharf instead. This option gave us more flexibility and freedom especially for returning back to the hotel at the end of the day.

After reading online that finding car park spaces after 10am in SF might be troublesome, we decided to give ourselves an hour to reach Fisherman’s Wharf. We left the hotel at 9am and the journey took less than 30 minutes of which 10 of this was in standstill traffic.

Heading down the Embarcadero, we see our first glimpse of the Bay Bridge. We pull over for a few shots before heading down further to look for parking.



There’s an open air car park with an entrance on the corner of Taylor Street which is right in the heart of Fisherman’s Wharf. Parking for the day would cost $45 which in itself is quite expensive, however this is much cheaper than what the BART would cost.

At 9:40am, the parking lot was empty. Our car was probably one of 3 cars only to be parked at the time. The car park is behind the Boudin Bakery Café on Jefferson Street.



The main reason why we parked the car there is because it is located right opposite the terminal stop for the Big Bus Company. We purchased 2 day tickets instead of 1 day ones in case we were unable to visit all the sights we wanted to see on the first day.



The bus itself is a double decker bus with the top level being open air. Everyone is provided with a set of poor quality ear phones so you can listen to the in-bus tour audio guide.

The bus departs and straight away we see some iconic sights, an Applebees and a Ripleys Museum!



The bus takes us past some wonderful buildings as we venture through the financial districts of the city.





I spot a famous SF Cable Car.



Approaching Union Square where we see some famous department stores.



Next we approach Civic Centre where the famous City Hall can be found.



We get off the bus to visit the Painted Ladies. Surprised how iconic these are.



[Mlee888]

Day 5 – San Francisco Part 1 Continued

After getting back on the bus, we finally reach the part we have all been looking forward to. The Golden Gate Bridge, and what a sight this was!



The bus took us over the bridge towards Sausalito and in all honesty I never expected it to be as windy as it was. It was also very cold! I was lucky I had a small hoody with me.

The view of the bridge from Sausalito….



We transferred to the Sausalito tour which was included with the tour ticket. I don’t have any photos from here but the view of the bridge was one of the best and the town itself was a lovely charming place. I recommend you visit for a few hours if you are ever around.

We transfer back to the main bus and make our way to the Palace of Fine Arts.



By now the time was 4pm. Lunch??? We forgot to eat lunch as we were too engrossed in our sightseeing activities. We head back on the bus and decide to go to Chinatown to see what the local roast meat and rice dishes are like. Problem – heavy traffic. It seemed like we had hit a busy part of the day as traffic was horrendous. The driver let us off the bus as it was quicker to walk. We were hungry, we needed food quick!

We followed the GPS on Google Maps and realised we were not too far from Union Square. We remembered seeing a Cheesecake Factory restaurant advertised near Macy’s so we decided to head there instead.

A quick healthy lunch –



The best part of Cheesecake Factory is the window shopping!



Which one do you order?

During lunch, we decided to head back to the Big Bus Company terminal and join the Night Tour that begins at 7pm. We finish lunch about 5:30pm which gives us 90 minutes to get there. We walk through Macy’s and realise we don’t have enough warmth! If it was cold in the daytime as the bus glides through the windy air of San Francisco, it’s only going to be a lot colder in the night time. Ammunition time. We buy jackets in Macy’s that’s on offer. Needless to say I have not had to use this since arriving back in Singapore. We walk all the way from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf. We made it just in time.

We reach the bus and we take our seats on the upper deck, open air of course. It begins with a warning that it’s going to get extremely cold.

Who likes chocolate?



A lovely view of the bridge during sunset time.







As it got darker, the air got colder so I put my camera away and decided it was more important to keep warm. The bus tour took us over the Bay Bridge which had some great views of the city. Unfortunately my hands were so cold I kept my camera away and admired the views without taking any snaps.

With the tour ending around 9:30pm, we had a short walk back to the car and I decide to take us on a drive to Daly City. Why? For In and Out burger time!!!!



After waiting many years to try the famous burger, was it a letdown? No. The burger was totally worth the wait. For the price and quality it’s probably one of the best I have had. Highly recommend people to try this if they ever go US west coast.

This is it for day 5, a great day out with a happy ending. Will post up the next chapter soon.

[yflyer]

Nice pics in your latest installment, Mlee888!

I can't decide which picture I like more, the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, or those delicious In-N-Out burgers (And the "animal style" fries!)

[Mlee888]

Nice pics in your latest installment, Mlee888!

I can't decide which picture I like more, the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk, or those delicious In-N-Out burgers (And the "animal style" fries!)

Thanks Yflyer.

Definitely the burgers! For some reason I have always wanted to try this ahead of visiting San Fran.

First world problems.....

[KC*]

Great TR and nice pics, Mlee888!

I'm so impressed - you drove all the way from San Diego to SF in less than one day. That's one long drive.

You also saw in San Francisco in just one day what took me 3 (or was it 4) separate visits! Hahaha... Well done.

[Mlee888]

Great TR and nice pics, Mlee888!

I'm so impressed - you drove all the way from San Diego to SF in less than one day. That's one long drive.

You also saw in San Francisco in just one day what took me 3 (or was it 4) separate visits! Hahaha... Well done.

Thanks, KC*.

We initially didn't plan to include San Fran in our trip but figured this may be our last chance to visit for a while. We needed to cut down 2 days somewhere so reduced our number of days stay in LA and SD by a day each. We made the right choice in the end.