I chose this destination as a
honeymoon so we had something to remember. We have done so many longhaul All Inclusive beach holidays they all just roll in to one, so I wanted something we could look back on with a clear picture. A
USA Multi Centre Holiday seemed a great choice.

Our 1st stop was LA for 3 nights, we stayed in the Best Western on Santa Monica Boulevard, it was just a simple basic hotel but in the perfect location. If you want to be able to get around on the buses in the day and then walk to the bars and restaurants at night then this is the best area to be in. We walked up to Sunset Boulevard at night for drinks in the cool bars and saw some (want to be celebs) and the odd famous local pulling up in their Ferrari’s and getting noticed. During the day we visited Universal Studios, the stars homes of Hollywood, the Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame and Rodeo Drive!! Santa Monica beach is nice, just how you imagine an LA beach to be, lots of people blading and jogging and hardly any sunbathers except me and the new Hubby sat people watching, very nice and relaxing. Also another beach to visit was Venice Beach now that was an experience; you have to see it to believe it, great fun. If you like the gym, Muscle Beach, the outdoor gym on Venice Beach is the place to be! A trip to the mall is worth it for any sports stuff, although the trainers are not much cheaper than here. Apart from Universal Studios you can also get to Disney Land and Knott’s berry farm from here, these are great family days out.

2nd stop was Vegas for 4 nights at the Luxor, Wow the hotels here are amazing, it doesn’t really matter which one you stay in as you can visit all the bars, casinos and shops in each of them and it’s good to walk to them in the day and have a mooch. They all have their own theme that runs throughout the hotel so they are all different but whichever you choose to suit your budget will be good. The Outback Steak house is half way up the strip which serves the best steak I’ve ever had, and cheap too. The shopping mall at Ceasers Palace is fantastic, Abercrombie is cheaper in here! Casinos are the main thing in Vegas but there are also shows to see, clubs to go to and pools to sunbathe around so there is enough to keep you occupied for a good 4 days. The day trip over Grand Canyon by Helicopter is a must if you can.

We then flew to San Francisco and spent 3 nights here at the Hilton Golden Gate Bridge, we hired a car from the airport here to drop off in San Diego. A sat nav with car hire is important for these areas as you don’t want to get stuck somewhere you are unsure of, there are many areas that you need to avoid in America so I would recommend a sat nav. In San Francisco we took the trams and did it in true style! we visited china town, Union square and fisherman’s wharf with a day trip to Alcatraz, I loved Alcatraz it was definitely one of the highlights. Union Square is good for shops and bars.

From San Fran we drove down the coast road to San Diego, stopping off at various places. Santa Cruz, my hubby loved this place as it is where they filmed the lost boys!! Then moving down we found this little town called Buellton, not far from Santa Barbara. We stopped for petrol and the lady recommended it as it’s where Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton have their ranch; it reminded me of a little Holland, such a pretty place and a good overnight stop half way. Next stop was Malibu and then the OC, Newport Beach, we just pulled up at a Motel and stayed overnight, we had a walk down the moorings for a meal overlooking the water, this is definitely a place I could live (if I had the money!!)
The next day we went on to San Diego for 6 nights at The Solemar, A Kimpton hotel located in the gas lamp quarter. This is the place to be if you want the cool bars and nice restaurants, there is the TGIs and Starbucks but there are also some nice Fish Restaurants, we had one of our best meals in one, the starter was enough to fill us and we shared that!! A car is a must in San Diego as everything is very spread out and nothing is in walking distance. Mission bay and Coronado bay are the nicest beaches, Mission bay is where people have their beach houses, hotels and boats moored and Coronado bay is more like its own little beach town, with a promenade of shops and cafes. You can do various day trips from San Diego, there is Sea World, San Diego Zoo, LEGOLAND and you can also drive in to Mexico and do some shopping in Tijuana.
Overall I would definitely recommend this
multi-centre trip to anyone looking for something different and to take home some wonderful memories! So much to see and do but with also the option to relax by the pool or chill out at the beach, perfect for a honeymoon or those important family holidays before the kids grow up!!
No comments:
Post a Comment