Final weeks- Football Coaching in California/Roadtrip across the desert

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I have been back home now for two weeks and havent had anytime to comment on my last few weeks in California.

I had just over two weeks left before my visa expired, but had just one week of coaching in the sun left. That last weeks sessions were all really casual and fun-filled. I spent most of the time just mucking about with the kids and talking to the parents and coaches. It was quite sad saying goodbye to the teams as I had seen them every week for the past two months. I managed to get some really good pictures and alot of the parents and coaches gave me their email addresses to keep in contact with.

My final session ended and it was quite sad as my experience was coming to an end. I had my final meal with my Host family, said my goodbyes (it was raining aswell) Again it was quite sad as I had become really close to the family... However, the fun was just about to start! I now had just under two weeks to experience America on a little roadtrip before heading home. This Roadtrip would see me start off in San Francisco to see my friend Mike again, then drive (all on my own) down to Los Angeles where I would meet my friends from England who were due to meet me. However I had four days to get to LA and so wanted to make the most of it.

And to make the most of it, I plotted a rough route in which to follow, but i didn't want it to be that precise as I wanted to have the feeling of going where I wanted when I wanted. This, was done to great effect. I said goodbye to the family at the train station, from there it was upto San Fran to see Mike one last time and to have a few nights out up there. As it was a Halloween weekend, we both decided to go out as Prince Harry and Prince William! What a couple of muppets. Anyway, it was a good weekend, beers were consumed, bars were hit and unhealthy food was eaten. After watching Mikes team again the following morning, I picked up my hire car and now it was time, a moment I had been waiting for for two months, a moment of pure enjoyment, a moment to saviour, a moment when I would hit The world famous Pacific Highway 1, but not just hitting this highway, no, I had a CD waiting anxiously to be played, a cd that had been waiting patiently. I was waiting at the traffic lights at Half Moon Bay to turn onto Highway 1. waiting, waiting, still red, waiting, and then finally green I turned the wheel left, poked the CD into the player and off we were, the amazing Beach Boys Surfing USA Album being played at full blast while I drove down the Highway! what a feeling, but a moment I will not forget. The only bad thing was the fact it was pissing down with rain, but it was a Pacific storm and so the coast looked really firce and menacing, Im glad I saw it like that. But onto the journey, the road was empty, it was off season and raining so it was a real feeling of isolation, however I had the coast to my right, amazing scenery to my left and the open road infront of me. 400-ish miles to LA.

The sheer feeling of freedom was a feeling I hadnt experienced before, I had no-one to ask whether it was OK to do or see a certain place, I just had me and my beach Boys CD! I would just stop off at random viewpoints or beaches and take it all in. The stormy seas were incredible, the wind intense, the feeling second to none!

My first night on my own would see me visit the coastal town of Santa Cruz, as it was raining there wasn't much happening in the town but you could see that it could be a very buzzing and happening town in the summer as there was a theme park and loads of seaside shops etc. I stayed in a motel near the beach. As there wasn't much to do I just went to a local bar. I got talking to a few people in there, one was a fellow Brit who was travelling around, eventually heading for South America. A few beers later this American lad started talking to us and we all went to this other bar to play some pool. Which was cool. Even more beers later, I somehow ended back at my motel, The car we got a lift back in was an estate and so had a boot where you could sit in, The car only had 2 seats. So I had to sit in the small boot and I was all crunched up in that, quite cold, hoping the Police wouldnt see me!

The follwing morning would see me wake up with a terrible hangover!! My own fault I no. Anyway, I made sure I woke up early. The storm had cleared and was replaced by beuatiful clear blue skies. Now it was onto Monterey, another coastal resort. I looked around for the cheapest possible Motel but struggled to find anywhere at a decent price. The town itself was very pleasant, a small fishing village, with a very tourist feel about it but historic at the same time. I went to the Aquarium which was interesting. That afternoon I drove to the historic 17-mile-drive which is a drive with some of the most spectacular scenery you will see. The drive is simply stunning. I would be driving down this road at a snails pace just looking around, taking it all in, some points you would have a beautiful golf course on your left with the coastal waves hitting the rocks on your right and the next minute you would be amongst a lush forest. I would stop every 5 minutes to get out of the car to take pictures and to go on mini-walks.

That evening I wondered down to the main strip, there were bars, restaurants etc. I went to this one bar and got talking to another Brit, but he was a weirdo and so I went to another Bar. This bar was busier and it was election night!! I got talking to these older Americans and they wanted McCain to win but most people in the bar wanted Obama. Tense. Obviously Obama won and they wernt best happy. But that didn't stop them buying me driinks which was very nice of them!!!

The following morning would see me driving around 190 miles to San Luis Obispo. Along the way, The Beach Boys would be being played at full blast, the sun shining, windows down, arm leaning out, and the Beach boys blaring out was always a great feeling. I stopped off for lunch in this tiny little village in the middle of nowhere. I had lunch outside overlooking the coast and cliffs below me. Amazing.

Onward to San Luis Obispo, I eventually arrived and found a Motel. I only had that evening there and so I had no time to wonder round the town. It is a college town so I had to pay a few of their bars a visit. Had to be done. I never thought there would be a day where I would just walk into a bar on my own, sit down, order a beer and sit on my own. But for some reason I had no hesitation in doing that here. A Mexican lady and her friends came up to me and invited me to sit with them. Couldn't say no really. She was very loud, but nice. The I went up to the bar to get a drink and got talking to these American nurses...mmmmmmm, very tasty! They loved my accent. All I had to do was say Harry Potter and they would go weak at the knees! haha. Again the feeling of being somewhere where I wanted to be, talking to who I wanted to, that kind of freedom is rare.

On from there I would head for my last night on my own, still the coast on the right and mountains on the left, which were scary at times as you got the feeling there was going to be mudslides at anytime! I was hoping to stay in Malibu but later found out that the price for a bed was going to be around $900....move on. Before arriving in the LA area i stopped off for lunch in Santa Barbara. A very Spanish feel about it, white buildings and sun shining were the order of the day here. A place I wish i stayed longer in. So then onto LA, I made it all the way from San Fran, I stayed in the Santa Monica area for my last night.

Then it was onto the airport where I would meet my friends and then for the next part of the roadtrip!! We stayed in Hollywood for three nights, It isn't the best place to stay in, very run down and dirty, not how you imagine it but we went to a club on Hollywood boulevard the first two nights which were really good nights! We done the usual tourist things, walk of fame, Hollywood sign etc. We even spent a few hours on Malibu beach trying to find us some celebrity friends!!!

After LA it was time to head for the desert where we would finish off in Vegas. First off though was a desert experience, we drove for around 3 hours to a town in the middle of nowhere, probably nothing within 100 miles of anywhere. So we stopped there to find somewhere to stay for the night. The first motel we pulled up in was fully booked as there was a film crew staying there, The second (which we typed into our sat nav) took us to a place where it looked like it had been knocked down and the third was called the Royal Hawaiian. Royal and Hawaiian it most certainly wasn't. This was a motel which looked like one of those dirty, seedy places you see in films. This was our last chance though, So we knocked onto the reception door and there wasn't an answer, looked inside and it looked like it had been abandoned some years ago. Then out of the blue this big, dirty truck came driving towards us with this big, dirty hairy man inside. I think we all thought we were going to get mugged and die or something but this man got out of the truck. He had a dirty old tank top on with what looked like ketchup stains all down it. He went to the back and opened the door for us. The motel hadnt been abandoned after all. It was open for business! So this man got us a room. "So you guys are from Germany right" The man said. "No, London" we said. when Steve asked what address do you want us to put on the form he just said "Just put Germany, I dont care" This man now became legendary status with us and will live in the memory. Arnie his name was! This motel was atrocious and I sware was haunted as I woke up in the night thinking there was a ghost in there with me. It was probably Arnie trying to massacre us!! haha.


The follwoing day we would drive into the Mojave National preserve, this was a huge area, roads that would go without any turns for 30 miles. Again it was time to wind down the windows, whack the beach boys cd in and enjoy life. We would just randomly stop in the middle of nowhere to take pictures and to take in the sheer silentness, baron, dry, awesome landscape. We even ventured off road for a mile or so but it started to get a little to bumpy, any breakdowns here and we would be in trouble!!! I just kept on thinking of the Hills have eyes films!!! While driving through the desert you wouldnt see a car for 20 minutes and so it was ok to drive in the middle of the road at 90mph. I even spotted a tarantula crossing the road, immediately stopped and filmed the beast! He was just minding his own business, crossing the road when three English hooligans screech past him and nearly kill him. Must've like us!!

Now it was onto VEGAS!!!! A two hour drive from there saw us finally enter the land of sins. For the first four nights we stayed in Circus Circus AKA Butlins. A basic hotel but cheap and ideal really. Gambling and drinking were the order of the day for those days and just visiting the hotels. My girlfriend arrived a day late as she didnt get on her flight. I hadnt seen her for two months, I was both nervous and excited to see her. I met her at the airport. Great feeling!!! My gf was back where she belonged (with me!)

That night, we had the best night out of the trip. We went to a club in the Belaggio called The Bank. It was a fantastic night, drinks, quality music, quality company, quality club and for the first time ever a compliment from my gf on my dancing! I was just really getting into it! Alot of celebrities go to that club but we didnt see any.

My favourite hotels were the Wynn and New York New York. In the Wynn there was this lad gambling $10000 at a time on Blackjack! What a legend, he drew a crowd. Then there was me betting $10 minimums!! haha.

Grand Canyon was the next stop, the long hard trek through the desert finally saw us reach the South Rim. As I had been to the Grand Canyon before, I wasnt blown away. But it still was a tremendous sight. We went on a little trail into the Canyon but it was starting to get dark and so decided to turn back.

My final day in America saw us wake up with a puncuted tyre! in the middle of nowhere in the grand canyon and 50 miles from the nearest reopair centre!! tut tut. Steve managed to put the space saver on and so we had to trickle along to the nearest garage and we were greeted by these legends in cowboy hats who helped us out and fixed the puncture.

Our last night we stayed in th MGM grand. The unlucky thing was the fact that Ricky Hatton was fighting there a few days after we left! Hows your luck. We went for one final meal and to a club in the hotel and suddenly my two month experience in America was over!!

It was quite sad as I had done and experienced so much in that time. I was sad to go home as I had made loads of good friends and had many happy memories in Redwood City but was happy to go home as I got to see my friends and family again and get back to getting used to the freezing temperatures and wind and rain, oh yeah and football, not Soccer. WHAT AN EXPEIRIENCE. ONE I WILL REMEMBER FOREVER.

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Photos

My host family
Flying the flag

Prince Harry and William
Im the better looking one