USA Sept 2025

 Photos are at:- https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xrp5nbf6Sv2dxJCX9

Wednesday Sept 3rd 2025

Bus to Cardiff and Flixbus to Gatwick. McD Queen St was closed, so some rolls got consumed. Bus was on stand for quite a while. Saw poster for Tim Peak at New Theatre, couldn't believe it would cost £45! Will stick to Cardiff Uni.
    It's a long bus ride to Gatwick, better done at night. McD for food - sorted out the app. Train was cancelled - don't think delay repay is worth it for £1.60, but it was annoying that a return ticket was not available. I could have walked it faster, but there were showers around. Easy walk to Gainsborough Lodge in Horley, which is OK.

Thursday 4th
Decision to get the train was the correct one. Checked in and the tag did it's job. While I was at McD  the heavens opened, I would probably have been soaked. Not a window seat but a spare seat - despite this it was a long flight and a long time getting through passport control. There must be a better way.
      Transfer to Metro was good and the card worked, Hotel is OK - lack of wardrobe but in time for the game, which I had not expected. Only problem is there is no way to adjust the volume, at least not that I have found. Eventually I asked Google who pointed out a switch on the side.

Friday 5th

Managed to sleep fitfully. Out around 7.30 and breakfast at McD - the app actually worked and I could pay on it but not use the offers. Transport was OK but quite a long wait for the No10 bus.
      Arrived at SoFi Stadiun just before 11am and got transferred onto the 11am tour rather than wait 30 mins. only five of us on it. Unsual american fascination with the rich. It certainly is an outdoors indoor stadium - a very impressive hole in the ground!
      Back to a Mc D and the app didn't work but I got a code and the ice cream and wrap was nice. Back via a supermarket in time for the game - falling asleep half way through -but waking up to catch most of the second half

Saturday 6th

This time I couldn't pay on the App, but the code worked and offers were available. Then it was off to San Pedro via Metro and the 142 bus. The ride alone was worth it, the size of the container port and the view from up on the bridges was fantastic. Google didn't have the route quite right at the end but it was good enough, Maritime museum didn't open til 12 so Iowa was quite a good fit. Jeff the tour guide was good - the tour centred on the Presidents. Quite a ship.

    Once finished the 45min harbour tour was about to start, so I took that. Still some sea lions in the harbour and the one with a fish being mobbed by seaguls. Massive container port, a federal prison, coastguard station (with the inevitable movie reference - A Few Good Men?) Then the Maritime Museum which concentrated on the fishing fleets. Lots of model boats/ships. 

   Bus back was interesting. Timing by google was confusing and I thought I could see somethin that might have been a bus in the distance - and it was |(doing the usual thing of waiting for the time). Back in Long Beach I took the Passport bus around to the Queen Mary. Difficult to know if it is too far to walk but that is the plan for Monday.

Sunday 7th

One day I will get McD right - this time failed to get an egg. Back for a day of NFL on the TV and nibbles all day so got some more grapes and cookies on my way back.

    It went OK until the internet and air con went out for a second time and stayed out. A pizza place was recommended but even that was having problems getting the match (49ers v Seahawks) to show on their big screens. The Chicken pizza was OK, but more than I wanted, and the beer was extremely carbonated - all for $28.14 £20.98. Message that internet was back so came back to hotel at half time. Room was beautifully cool. Then there was the problem of getting into YouTubeTV. Eventually got back to the match in time for most of the fourth quarter, 49ers beat Seattle. Sunday Night game was spectacular with Buffalo coming back from 15pts down to beat Philadelphia in the 4th Quarter.

Monday 8th

Was Queen Mary day. Walked over the bridge enjoying watching the tern fishing and got to the QM. Booked a tour and got on board about 10.30. Had fun watching the cormorants and pelicans fishing.  The water was clear enough that you could see cormorants moving underwater - and they could move. Chatted to one of the guys varnishing the rails. The Tour - The Glory Days - was pretty good as well. Continued to tour myself, was lucky to be in the engine room when the engineering tour came through or I would never have seen the propeller shafts. There was also a pretty big cinema down there as well showing stuff about the ship. Kept wandering around until 3pm.
      Back in time for the Monday night game, Vikings v Bears. Another one that turned in the fourth quarter and Chicago were left stunned by the defeat. 

Tuesday 9th

Plan was to visit the Getty Villa so A and E line to Santa Monica and then bus for 4mls along the beach to the Villa only to find it was closed Mondays and Tuesdays so Plan B. This was a hike up the hill. The trail was officially closed but someone had battered the fence down so I went up to the "Official Trail" and scrambled up to Parker Mesa Overlook. Pretty spectacular views from 480m 1574ft. Back to the bus - the beach is as spectacular and McD ice cream and lemonade was most welcome even if it had only been 10km of hiking.

Wednesday 10th

Checkout day, but first McD for breakfast and use of the survey (buy one get one free) sce you don't get points for this it is not that good a deal. Got a "You are my favourite person" mug for Marylin at the supermarket, I just hope it survives.
      Check out about 10am and A Line to Union Station. Discovered that there is a 3hr limit on the Lounge Pass and they wouldn't take my bag so I had to tote it all day - since the day was meant to be transit all day that wasn't too bad. Took the B line to Hollywood Highland - Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame and the Hollywood sign - so Extremely touristy - howerve, I got fridge magnets. On to Hollywood North in search of the G line which is a busway. Not very exciting so when the bus stopped at the halfway point I hiked off in search of a McD. Getting to like lemonade and an ice cream even if I indulged with a double cheeseburger. Went back to Best Buy and saw the 12" Surface (not impressed). Bit of a hike to get the "Commuter Express" bus back to downtown. LA Highway traffic meant it was slow and the views were not very good but I did see the Universal Theme Park and got a better view of the Hollywood sign. 10min walk to Union Station was through the historic district.
      Still had 45 mins to kill so took the A Line out to Pasedina. The mountains looked spectacular with clouds around them but couldn't get a decent photo, also failed to get a picture of the old bridge over the LA River. The App caused a slight hassle getting in to the lounge but I am esconced and knocking back lots of Hot Chocolate. What was not so nice was being chased out of the lounge about an hour and a half before departure. However, I gave this woman in a wheelchair a hand by carting her bag and ramps. She was shuttled from one end of the train to the other, which passed some of the time. Nice seat and I found the power socket!

Thursday 11th

On time arrival at Maricopa - unfortunately the van was not there, and when it did arrive it was not the best, no view but the driver was OK. Google did a great job after we were dropped at the airport. Caught the skytrain to Metro Centre then 4 busses and a walk to Marylin & Marvins.
      Harrassed by a homeless guy at one of the bus stops but otherwise all went smoothly, despite my getting lost.

Friday 12th
Half an hour in the pool and the rest of the day trying to sort the photos and watch Football. Having missed the NFL last night we got the repeat today

Saturday 13th
Spent most of the morning playing with itinerary for the January trip, sorting the photos online as I had duplicated a number and the order was weird as I put a number together so that they are all in TV format.