http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , California , Los Angeles , Venice Beach en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:26:39 BST Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:26:39 BST Arrived in L.A on wednesday afternoon feeling tired after a long but ok flight. Staying at the Venice Beach Cotel first impression was how hot it got as we went higher up the stairs we were staying on the 3rd floor. Room itself ok bathrooms shared but clean enough.L.A. particularly Venice Beach is full of extremes. Filthy rich and destitute calm spaced out hippies and impatient frantic nee http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-308795.html Sunday 6th July to Wednesday 9th July 2008After a lazy Saturday spent recovering from the July 4th celebrations by simply taking a leisurely ride up the beach for a spot of lunch and very little else I deemed Sunday to be another day of exploration and decided there was no better place to check out than the adjoining neighbourhoods of Santa Monica and Venice Beach forty five minutes drive north http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-299759.html Monday 30th June to Saturday July 5thThe fourth of July is a big day for Americans in fact it's by far and away the biggest day of the social calendar. A day more than any other when they celebrate their overbearing sense of national pride combined with their Independence from us Brits by essentially doing two things i bedecking anything and everything in stars and stripes and ii getting piss http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-296684.html Well we finally returned from Vegas as hard as it was to leave it was just burning a hole in our wallets I finally understand what they mean when they say What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas cause they were just determind not to let us leave We spent about 7 hours in the air port trying to re book our plane tickets back to LA also while extreeeeemly hung over from our last night of partying http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-287825.html Tim The drive into LA was mad with traffic dodging and weaving accross 6 lanes of traffic. So we arrived in LA after a 6 hour drive from San Fran. Tom guided us to the hostel like a lazer guided warhead. I am now driving a Crysler 300C which is very nice to drive big engine and looks a bit like a Bently. At the hostel We met some other English lads one of whom lives just down the road from me http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-284881.html These are the pics http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-284160.html Meeting at the airport with parents in tow we found each other with ease. A good startGet to the flight lounge and we meet our first celeb...Mike Tyson oh yeahAfter a delay of two hours sitting on the plane we set off on a 13 hour stretch of food films and no leg room. We arrived in LA hot and disheveled and go have a chat with our new mate Mike. See photos we no lie.We found our hostel g http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-282962.html Neither of us slept too much on the overnight flight down from Anchorage to Denver. The stop over then was brief maybe two hours before flying on to Los Angeles. We both tried to make up more sleep time but who knows if we did. Arrived here about 10.00 ish only to find New Zealand Airways were closed until 130pm not good so we had to wait because there no such thing as left baggage lockers any http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-282362.html On this day we left LA and headed north on a twelve hour train journey 2 San Francisco.The train wasn't 2 bad as it was through the day and for a large part we were coastin right above by the sea and u could even see dolphins out there havin a fun time.I was readin a Stephen King book that i really shouldn't have started but i now needed to finish. I got a nice distraction from the book by a nativ http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-281529.html Yes yes i know i have been pretty bad on the blogging front as of late and i do have a lot of catchin up 2 do. Well here it goes startin from where i left off.The last day in LA we thought it would be a good idea 2 hire bikes and have a cycle round the beach front glorious day that it was. We got the bikes which were beach cruisers and 2 brake u had 2 pedal back which was strange but once i got http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-281528.html Venice Beach We had a very memorable time in L.A. Staying at Venice Beach was a fantastic location. During the day the promenade was packed with a mixture people. Some locals selling souveniers to us tourists tshirts jewllery arts and crafts the usual stuff. Others looked homeless or very hard up begging with some comical twist. For example a man sat all day in his chair dressed in strange http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-277589.html Feelin still very tired i departed the bus in downtown LA it was real early in the mornin and was 2 tired 2 be able 2 navigate the buses in this way 2 big city. I came to the taxi rank and asked a driver how much it would be 2 Venice Beach 'about 30 bucks' he says. 52 bucks later i was pissed. However in the taxi we pulled onto highway 10 i thought 2 myself that it was pretty amazin that i had b http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-276081.html Well i did it i finally left Las Vegas round of applause i thank u Well i best tell u all about my last day in sin city i got up and started chewin through 'on the road' by Jack Kerouac the book that really made me want 2 travel this vast country. After been in Las Vegas and gettin pissed off with it i perhaps needed a reminder of this mighty country.After readin 4 a while i took a walk up 2 http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-276076.html After a tough game of beach soccer it is customary to go for a postgame analysis at the closest place that serves beer. Ok maybe not but that's the outcome of this particular game of Swedes versus locals. One local joins our little group of Scandinavians. He's not from California. Moved out there to catch a break. Pretty much like everyone else in LA. So what do you do for a living. I'm a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-275465.html Come with meI am on the brink of another adventure in Latin America. It will take me through Costa Rica Nicaragua Honduras El Salvador Guatemala and Belize. Last time many of you kept me company through this blog. I truly appreciated it and I hope you will peek into the trip now and then. I hope to improve Version 2.0 with audio and video. Lucky for me I have real life travel buddies this ti http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-267445.html hi everyone..okay so sophie and i have been in america for a whole week now which is pretty scary in itself..its been a weird couple of days getting used to being away and the strange things about the states.. but weve been keeping ourselves busy and so just to make you all wish you were here with us heres what weve been up to..weve walked allllll the way along sunset strip and onto hollywood boul http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-262547.html is going to have a cafe like cafe Buna near to it. This place rivals the diners in New York ad San Frensisco for its breakfasts. The pancakes are 'to die for' and probably will add to my hardened arteries Lots of fruit and the coffee keeps coming Have a look at the website losangeles.citysearch.comprofile41076985Today I was really brave and went to the J P Getty Museum by bus. I have very http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-261089.html I remember some working days when I wished for a thirty six hour day should just have got on the plane to LA then The journey over was slightly surrealistic there was no darkenss in all of those extra hours so we were trying to sleep in broad daylight. In spite of flying north over Iceland Greenland and parts of Canada.However I arrived in Los Angeles at dusk and could see the 405 with a http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-243657.html Flight went quick over Greenland Canada. Weather was really bad for the first few days so we kept getting soaked. Spent the first night in a hostel in Santa Monica then went to Hollywood went along the Walk of Fame had a wonder around.After meeting a few people we changed hostels to one which was a lot more fun lively but didn't realise there was no room for FriSat night so we had to fin http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-240026.html My appologies for such a late entry however the internet is still in its infancy in Fiji so its had to waitDay 16 10th December 2007 Lima to Los Angeles Whilst waiting in Lima airport for my flight to LA for what seemed like forever I noticed yet another delay posted on the departure boards. My flight was due to leave at 00.40hrs and the new departure time was now 3.30hrs. I did however notice http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-230955.html How could i forget... the pic from muscle beach like i said i didnt stay there long coz felt like a perv staring at them all working out... but managed to get a sneaky pic from afar... sorry claire i didnt have the balls to ask them to pose... wish i had now... you should have seen mr t in the leaopard skin speedos http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-220526.html Robyn and I went to Venice Beach and had a blast rollerblading. Then we got some lunch and took a siesta. Que Bueno macho manAs the summer draws to a close fun in the socal sun is the greatest thing to behold. Rays sprinkle my face as the blades slice the cement path ahead. Robyn and I glide now accustomed to the new rules of forward motion. But we weren't always this foot facile. Almost 30minu http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-207089.html As we patted our trusty chariot on the bonnet and said our emotional farewells we left The Beast at LAX and what only 28 days before had been a brand new car and embarked on our new life of relying on public transport. And what better place on Earth to do this than in Los Angeles California big 'Ahem'. From the airport we endured a couple of bus rides then a long walk with our backpacks t http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-199695.html Today we had to bid a sad farewell to our dear friend Sooty aka the pea. After a rather hectic jorney from Hollywood to the bus stations Sweep and I dropped our baggage off at our hostel in Venice Beach suffering a VERY traumatic journey involving many sweaty large people and raced to meet Fee at LAX Airport. We spent ages looking for her and figured she must have already checked in. We were http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-194658.html So today we are off to Venice beach with Jessica. She passingly dropped it into conversation at the house party 'Do you like fireman' Her ex is a fireman and so she thought the lovely English girls would like to go on a tour around the fire department. Oh yes we would So I shall be off for more beach fun in a moment and hopefully some sliding own firemans poles.Yesterday after another very http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-193819.html Trek AmericaKim Mwah So finally we arrive in LA after what seemed hours of no sleep My journey starts with the Qantas Red Eye from Perth to Melbourne. I said goodbye to my mom and Jeremy as I boarded the flight I would see them again in 12 days after finishing a Trek America that started in LA and finished in San Francisco. I arrived in Melbourne at 500am cold and already tired....... I meet http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-179610.html I cannot believe that I am 33 years old today. I remember when I thought that any age over 30 was old. Itrsquos funny how perspectives change isnrsquot it Well today my sister and I left Las Vegas and headed to Los Angeles. When I was planning my trip I decided that it would be fun to celebrate my birthday in both Vegas and LA. Itrsquos worked out well. It was sad to say goodbye to my http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-172908.html 2 premiers joursOk on est peut etre pas tres original parce qu'on atterrit a deux places ou notre precedent road trip direction California nous avait deja amene mais c'est ou bon le vent nous mene...J'avais deja quitter un aeroport dans un taxi rose ou bien dans une toyota corolla 70 mais jamais en... longboard L'aeroport de LAX se situe en pleine ville alors pourquoi pas Un bonne tite rid http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-171783.html LA and Venice BeachnbspNorth America raquonbspUnited States raquonbspCalifornia raquonbspLos Angeles raquonbspVenice Beach By DR Drea AKA TedJune 19th 2007Paul Michael James Drea to be honest i wasn't really looking forward to LA but ended up really enjoying it. Venice beach was very funky and great for people watching. Hippies everywhere Santa monica was very different very http://www.travelblog.org//North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Venice-Beach/blog-170989.html