I'm leaving for Florida tomorrow morning and will not be updating my site for a couple of weeks (this includes my "Daily Adventures").
When I return I will have a batch of movie, game and book reviews ready to go as well as a surprise announcement (or two).
Enjoy this video of swans in High Park until I return (yes that is Amber telling them to attack me!).
Since my last update we have been to Monterey, Carmel and we got married on Sunday at the Martine Inn in Pacific Grove. The wedding went great and it feels good to not have to worry about it anymore. On Monday we started our drive down the coast. Highway 1 is a great drive even though it can be scary at times (especially at night). Along the way we stopped at the Lucia Lodge in Big Sur (which is very rustic but relaxing) and in Santa Barbara we stayed at the very first Motel 6. Both places are very beautiful and often forgotten when planning a California trip.
Arriving in LA was a little stressful but once we got some sleep and had dinner I started to feel more comfortable. Being an indie filmmaker here really puts things into perspective. This town is practically one giant movie and everyone is an actor, producer, director or writer. No matter how much I want to love it I still feel that Toronto is a much better place to live.
Today we drove through the hills and saw the Hollywood sign up close. We dropped by the Forever Hollywood Cemetary and paid our respects to Mel Blanc and then checked out all the hype on Hollywood Blvd. Tomorrow we are off to yet another hotel and are going to check out Beverly Hills and Malibu along the way. We leave for San Diego on Tuesday and then home on Friday.
As always check my flickr page for photos and my Textamerica page for photos and video.
Yesterday started with a tour of Alcatraz which was cool. Nothing special but something that had to be done. Realized that parking in a garage is very expensive in this city and that Fisherman's Wharf really is a tourist trap and does suck!
After the Alcatraz tour we jumped on the trolley (cable car) and went to Union Square. The trolley is an awesome ride and although we waited over 45 minutes to get on it it was well worth it. Union Square was interesting - went to the massive Apple Store and all the other giant shops in the area and didn't spend a penny (except on coffee of course).
The day ended at Haight-Ashbury (which we passed on the night before). Barb was in her glory but I was a little disappointed. This is where hippies once ruled and now there is a GAP on the corner. Still felt cool to be there though.
Today was a chill day - Golden Gate Park and the Palace of Fine Arts. We ended the day at SPECS in the North Beach - which I think is my favorite area. I got the urge to draw so I did a little comic and left it on the wall (if anyone ever sees it there let me know).
More photos are up on my flickr page and a few video clips have been added to my Textamerica page. Barb is also blogging the food scene in San Fran. and the rest of Cali. over at eat my cake for those interested in good eats.
Another update will be posted on Monday after I'm hitched. Photos on my flickr page will be updated regularly though.
In other news, Barb and I have arrived in San Francisco - the first stop in a three week California trip in which we will get married along the way.
We got together with Amber, Kevin, Jenn and the rest of the Rev3 crew on Saturday night and had a very interesting time in which we saw more of the city then we would have on our own. Even though we missed the show we had tickets to we had a great time - thank you guys!
On Sunday we checked out the tourist trap that is Fisherman's Wharf (it is not that bad actually) and we of course went to the taping of This Week in Tech which was a blast. Met Patrick Norton (who was great) and it was interesting seeing how they record the show.
So far I love everything about San Fran. We are checking out Haight-Ashbury tonight and doing the Alcatraz tour tomorrow. Sometime before we leave we will be cruising Silicon Valley and then it is off to Monterey, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and San Diego.
Photos are up on my flickr site from some of the things we have done so far (will be updated regularly from the road).
