Lee’s World
California August 2004
Towards the end of August 2004, a group of us - Richard and Noel, Michael and David, and Luke - went to California and Nevada for a couple of weeks.
It was a great chance to catch up not only with each other, but also with friends there - my friend, Mark in LA, plus friends Michael and Stephen in Palm Springs.
We stayed initially at an airport hotel (the Furama) close to LAX, as we were all arriving on different flights. Mark and I had dinner in the evening at a wonderful little bar in Santa Monica on Montana Avenue called "Father's Office".
The next morning it was on the road to Vegas. Half way across the Mojave Desert, we came across Peggy Sue's Diner - a 50s diner in the middle of nowhere. Well worth stopping there.
We stayed at the Four Queens Hotel, Fremont Street, some distance from the Strip, and an expensive cab ride. Whilst in Vegas, we explored the Strip as well as saw the La Cage show at the Riviera Hotel, and saw Olivia Newton-John perform at the Hilton. Highly recommended was a trip up the Stratosphere Tower - the view was amazing.
After a few days it was time to hit the road again. This time we took the scenic route across the desert to reach Palm Springs and avoided Interstate 15. It was an amazing drive through some amazing countryside. Take Cima Road off Interstate 15, 20 miles from Primm into California, and follow the signs through Cima, Kelso, Amboy to Twentynine Palms and through Yucca Valley to Palm Springs.
Palm Springs was relaxing - shopping at Desert Hills, sitting by and in the pool, and eating and drinking well. We rented the house adjoining the Triangle Inn, as we did in 2002.
On the way home, we stayed aboard the
Queen Mary, now
a floating hotel in Long Beach. The Staterooms were well preserved and
fairly comfortable, although a little worn in places. The ship though seems
to have an identity crisis - is it a tourist attraction or a luxury hotel.
During the day it is crawling with tourists on a self-guided tour, including
through
parts
of the hotel, and at night it is simply a hotel.
Service in the restaurants was mostly appalling, even in the fine dining, Sir Winston's restaurant, and fell well below expectations.
Whilst back in LA, we took the opportunity to visit Universal Studios in Hollywood - a wonderful day out and great value for money. Look for discount vouchers in information racks of hotel lobbys.
The highpoint of the trip though- spending time and catching up with some great friends.