San Francisco to Los Angeles

Departure - Road Closed means Road Closed

Leaving San Francisco we headed to Monterey Bay with the intention of making our way to Los Angeles via the Big Sur. Good intention … just the wrong time to do this.

Our first stop in our Ford SUV rental was Monterey Bay for a mediocre seafood lunch but the setting was delightful with clapperboard houses scattered amongst some luxurious homes. Following the coastal route we found ourselves in the upmarket town of Carmel, setting of the HBO series, Big Little Lies. We didn’t get to see Reece Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman or Meryl Streep, apparently they were disappointed to not to meet us. Carmel is gorgeous; not a leaf out of place. Our accommodation Carmel Garden Inn for the night was built in 1949 and hadn’t been altered since then, out-dated in its presentation, it’s enormous bed, delightful gardens and charming host Kurt made up for the lack of modern touches.

During breakfast conversation with other guests the following morning we learnt that our plans to travel the coastal route via the Big Sur may not be possible due to road closure but upon checking the road App, CalTrans, we were assured that this road had been re-opened and this confirmation was reinforced by a highway sign just out of the town. Further down the road we encountered a sign saying “Road Ahead Closed - No Detour”. Obviously this was left from the previous day… so onwards we travelled, and over the dramatic Big Sur; stunningly beautiful scenery abounded and then 46 miles later we came across the reason for the road closed sign we had seen; there had been a huge landslide onto the road and apparently it was going to be at least two more days before reopening. And so, for the second time, we travelled over the Big Sur before taking a 3 hour detour inland through vineyards and accidentally stopping at the beautiful town of Los Olivos. Finally we arrived at San Simeon, our intended overnight destination. The contrast between our previously night’s accommodation was stark; those dive motels in American films really do exist.

The reason for coming to San Simeon was to visit La Cuesta Encantada; the Enchanted Hill, or Hearst Castle and the following morning that is what we did. Built for the newspaper magnate, Randolph W Hearst by architect Julia Morgan this opulent 115 roomed mansion constructed from 1919- 1947 is extraordinary in its lavishness. Unfortunately, time did not permit us visits to the 38 bedrooms but we did get to see some of the beautiful Italian-esque gardens, the grand saloons, cinema and the two magnificent swimming pools before heading down the hill to visit the elephant seals and almost crashing the car when we spotted zebras grazing with the Hearst cattle.

This was my second visit to the castle, Johnny’s first. I had forgotten how un-American it is with the emphasis on replicating European Castles and Palaces. It represents one man’s dream of what a stately home should look like. The commentary celebrated Hearst’s fascination with European art and his hospitality to the rich and famous of the time and his companionship with the actress Marion Davis. A lost opportunity to celebrate American culture but impressive nonetheless. I got the feeling that my questions about W R Hearst’s wife, mother of his five children, and of his granddaughter Patty were seen as rather intrusive.

Los Angeles beckoned. 6 lanes of traffic travelling in each direction at 65 mph takes some courage to navigate. Our accommodation at the hotel tommie Hollywood was sleek, designed for the trendy business set but lacked the personal care that we had in San Francisco.

What can we say about Los Angeles? It’s big.

For a taste of Hollywood-past you can’t do better than its oldest restaurant Musso & Frank Grill. Great food, fantastic personal service and a wonderful ambience, right on Hollywood Boulevard with the stars under our feet.

Eschewing the organised tours of LA we created our own Farah-Church tour. First stop was the Observatory in Griffith Park with great views over the urban sprawl which makes up this city. It is true that when you look up in LA you see blue sky; when you look out you see a haze of pollution. This didn’t obscure our view of the “Hollywood” sign.

Driving in LA during the daytime is a doddle so we easily drove around the grand homes of manicured Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive before hitting the less that salubrious Venice Beach. A wasted photo opportunity not to record the man tuning his grand piano on the beach. The relationship between opulence and destitution is a recurring theme on this journey.

If daytime driving is easy then anything from 4pm is the opposite; speed is not of the essence in this automobile loving city; you get to experience the rush hour for three hours. Drivers fill their idling time by using their phones to talk, read or watch Netflix and Youtube. That said, we have never encountered such courteous drivers.

Without a doubt the highlight of our time in LA was meeting with Johnny’s cousin Steve, his wife Monica and his sister Susi whom he last saw in Jordan 46 years previously. Steve’s generosity of spirit, genuine warmth and hospitality made this a very special reunion. Post lunch we had a quick tour of Steve’s 60 vintage cars in storage in Sherwood Oaks … well it is California. Thank you Steve, Thank you California

Next stop New Zealand.