Phoenix to L.A. (Wednesday and Thursday)

I woke around 9 A.M., walked the 8 or 9 blocks to Matt and Eric’s hotel, and the three of us took a cab to to the airport.

We flew to L.A. today—the flight left around 12:30 and we were in Eric’s car in LA for 3 P.M. While Eric drove home to Ventura for the night, Matt and I were staying at the Crowne Plaza in Beverley Hills. First thing we both did after checking in was to hit the hotel pool for a couple of hours. After the scorching heat of Phoenix, it was nice to be in the chilly 70° weather of L.A.!

Matt had arranged to go bar hopping with a couple of friends he’d met the last time he was here in 2010. I was more than happy just to head to the local Chipotle for dinner, then head back to the room to chill out and catch up on the latest episodes of Game Of Thrones and The Killing.

Matt on the flight to L.A.         LAX                                   So inviting from our room     Matt and Eric arrive in L.A.

  

Eric picked us up the next morning around noon. The three of us were booking into a hotel in Santa Monica for three nights—THREE NIGHTS—in the same room! You have no idea how nice it is to be somewhere for more than one night—somewhere you can actually unpack your bag and not have to pack it up and move on the next morning. We stopped by a great old-fashioned diner that Eric used to frequent as a kid. (Eric grew up in Santa Monica.) I had the French toast and scrambled eggs while Eric and Matt had omelets. They brought out a HUGE pile of food, and that set us all up for the rest of the day. We didn’t eat again until 8 P.M.

We checked into the hotel around 2 P.M. and headed straight for the pool again. It’s a nice hotel full of suites situated around a courtyard with a pool in the middle. We have a bedroom with two twin beds, a huge living room with a pullout sofa, plus a kitchen and bathroom.

Breakfast                                           Hotel pool                                           Groceries! Mine are on the bottom shelf

  

Eric's cousins’s wife Mandy works at an Irish bar about 2 miles from our hotel, so after a short trip to the supermarket to get some groceries, Matt and I decided to walk to the Irish bar. Eric took the bus. 25 minutes later, Matt and I arrived well before Eric. Of course, we were a lot hotter and sweatier than him! It was nice to see they had Strongbow cider on draft, and the first pint I had hardly even touched my sides as I downed it. Of course, this went straight to my head and gave me an instant buzz. Eric arrived 15 minutes after us and introduced us to his brother and sister in-law, Mandy. Eric got the timing wrong, though, and Mandy had just finished her shift at 6 P.M.—not started it!

Best pint of cider ever!                          Mandy, Eric and Matt

  

After another pint of cider, I was positively on my way to being just a little drunk! Mandy made Eric and Matt a special of hers—a concoction full of vodka, fruit, and tonic water. I think she called them Mandy’s Sunshine Drink. Mandy headed off home, and Eric, Matt, and I walked back towards 3rd street, Santa Monica. This is a great pedestrian street full of stores, restaurants, bars, and street performers.

On the way there we passed the “world famous” Gas Lite bar. I’m not sure what it’s famous for, but the bar did have a sign outside that it opens at 6 A.M. and has karaoke all day and night!

Eric headed down to the Kings Head English pub to meet a friend of his while Matt and I headed to Johnny Rockets for a burger. By that point I was done for the day and ready for bed! I’m still getting over the flu, so I headed back to the hotel and chilled out before getting my head down for a good night’s sleep.

A few pictures below that Gail took of Roger in Phoenix. Thanks Gail (click the thumbnails for larger size)