Thursday 11 October 2007

This ain’t no country club… this is LA.

Well, that’s enough of the Sheryl Crow lyrics… it is amusing how everything in LA seems to have a film, tv or music link though.
Did you know that if California was a country all on its own, it would have the 7th largest economy in the world… and Arnie is in charge of it. Scary!!

Having been told by the staff at the KOA that there was an off road show at the “Fairplex” over the weekend it seemed rude to miss out on it, so our first day in LA was spent 200yards down the road from the campsite checking out the American off road scene. We were told that we couldn’t walk there as there wasn’t a predestrian entrance so Charlie had a really long drive 200 yrds to a car park next door to the campsite (and we had to pay to park!). The show itself was probably about the same size as Billing, but with a lot more space and lots of stands in exhibition halls. Unsurprisingly there were no Landies there at all, just a load of American muscle and far too much chrome. Like the bling on the UK scene, some seem to function on the idea it’s not so much about your vehicles capabilities as how much chrome you can stick on it and how tall you can make it.

There were only a couple of bits that really interested us, and I’m almost embarrassed to say it, but it was the jeeps (I’m not, some were really cool – Jen) and the sand racers. It was nice to be able to compare them to what we have back home in the way of 90’s Rangies, and Discos. Neither of us really know the US off road scene and we’d hate to offend anybody, but there was as much bolt on as you’d get on Scrap-iron racing and amongst most stands there seemed to be a distinct lack of innovation. Some seemed to work on the theory whatever type of off road toy you want, you just go buy it off the shelf, then spend a disgusting amount of money adding bolt on bling! One stand we saw that stood out was selling suspension mod kits for Jeeps… at ONLY $10,000! Huh!?! Thanks, but when I can buy a complete kit for a Landy for under £300, I know which way I’d go. However, looking at the sand racers and some of the jeeps was pretty cool, that was where the innovation seemed to be and therefore where we spent most our time, Jen spent a vast amount of it underneath several vehicles with a camera, poor George (JU – e-mail coming your way with some questions! – Jen). We did however manage to pick up a couple of bargains. Firstly a book listing a load of off road trails in Moab… essential reading! Secondly, a rather nice 4ft hi-lift jack… for £27. Bargain! (about £50 to buy at home) :-)

The following day we checked out Universal Studios. What a fantastic time of year to visit these places. Its just out of season, but still lovely sunny and warm, and not too many visitors. We managed to do the whole park before it closed. If you are ever there, check out Waterworld… Fantastic! The park had it’s usual themed shows, (including the Blues Brothers, much to my delight – Jen)

and the behind the scenes tour, which was a bit disappointing from an inside information point of view, but we did get to drive down Wisteria Lane (Desparate Housewives) which was amazing, turning into a ‘town street’ on a backlot is a surreal experience. The best part of all though – they’ve kept the scene from War of the Worlds (the one with Tom Cruise) where the 747 crashes into the neighbourhood.
Wow. That was truly amazing, luckily they stopped there for a while so we could all gawp. At the end of the day, as we were in Hollywood, it was only right we should go to a cinema, so we went to see The Kingdom at Universal Village.

Monday and we were booked in to Warner Bros for a studio tour in the afternoon, can you tell we’re both film lovers?! This meant we had a morning to kill, so we headed to the Observatory in the hills above LA, this has also been used in a few movies! But we really wanted to see the telescope etc. Unfortuantly, it was closed, and not advertised until you get pretty much to the door. Still, we looked at the building (beautiful) and enjoyed the views and for the first time realised the LA smog really does exist! Words can’t really describe what it’s like when you can *see* the pollution and know you have to spend the next few days in it. We drove back down the hill to Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard where the walk of fame is, we parked up and had a quick look, but got bored quite quickly as at the end of the day it’s just some bronze stars in the sidewalk. The Warner Bros tour was one Jen had really been looking forward to and ensured we got right behind the scenes of many TV shows and movies. We saw the old set from Friends and the current one for Two and a Half Men (very popular in the US… and I think its out in the UK too, but have never watched it). We also saw the full set of the mock up of the Chicago hospital used in ER and got to have a good wander around. One of the chaps on the tour was from Chicago and said it felt way strange being at home… but in LA! We also heard a few details of the filming, how they create the Chicago light and rain and how they did the helicopter crash that killed one of the doctors a few years ago… I remember seeing it on television – basically the helicopter fell off the roof of the hospital onto said doctor… how they created it? They hoisted a helicopter 60ft in the air on a crane filled with explosives and dropped it. Lol! That’s Hollywood for you.
Jen got all excited and clappy by the Harry Potter stuff (and to be honest you can’t blame me, they had a ton of props from the movies there including a giant spider (ahh!) and the Triwizard Tournament cup etc. etc). We even got to wear the “sorting hat” in the Warner Bros museum and were both glad to be put in Griffindor. We saw the “Friends” front door and loads of props from the series including the sleeve from the porn video Buffay the Vampire Layer!! Outside the museum were 4 “General Lee’s” that were used in the Dukes of Hazzard film. Unfortunately they were all under wraps, awaiting auction, but being the sad muppet I am I can recognize a Dodge Charger from its tail pipes and wheels ;-) They were filming a movie whilst we were there, the new Adam Sandler one, but I can’t remember the name.

On our last day in LA, we checked out Bel Air, Mulholand Drive and Santa Monica and the famous beaches, including Venice Beach where all them daft body builders pose… errr… I mean work out. What a bunch of posers! One bloke there was in a posing pouch.. You just gotta laugh (but not when they are within earshot)!
We also happened to drive past a house and a school.. anyone recognize them? Jen got a bit overexcited – answers on a postcard…

Waiting in a traffic jam we also got questioned by the fuzz. They wanted to know how long we’d been in California. Apparently any more than 20 days and you have to register your vehicle. Personally I thought this is a load of old cobblers, and my suspicions were confirmed when he pulled up next to us again and said “I only asked ‘cos I really like your truck”. Oh how our heads swelled :-)

After 3 days getting snarled up in the LA traffic, we decided that we needed to get back to what we know, i.e. the great outdoors, so headed out in to the San Bernadino mountains, another National Forest that has plenty of off road tracks and had been recommended to us by a helpful chap at the off road show. As it was getting late though we headed straight for camp, this time at Green Valley Lake National Forest campground.

This morning we got up and were determined to get some off roading done. We planned to be in Death Valley by late afternoon, giving us ample time to check out the trails in and around Big Bear Lake. We started with the easy trails, then tried something middle of the road. As the trail went on it got more technical, big boulders all over the track, steep climbs and drops and a load of axle twisting. A bit later we found out that we’d actually just driven half of the John Bull trail… one of the most difficult! With some careful driving and good spotting by Jen we made it through unscathed and with seriously big grins on our faces :-)

As I type this we are currently traveling along route 18 having missed our turning for the 395. This part of the 18 is actually part of the original route 66. Not much to see here tho! As it turned out, we went back the right way but got caught in a jam behind a fatal accident :-( A huge detour later and we pulled up in Barstow just as it was getting dark, we won’t make Death Valley until tomorrow, but it’s better than driving in the dark.

5 comments:

Margery said...

Yahhoo! good for you Charlie - that looked fun!if not quite intended! Glad you go the wrond way too... must be something to do with the no 39.. 39, 395?

By the way, having seen how loaded Charlie is....just WHERE did you put the enormous jack????!!!!

Margery said...

who was the strange person beside the bluesmobile...not shorts or trousers...nah,can't be Jen!! must be some strange woman!

moo said...

Does this mean i can have mine back or has it rusted to bertha, he he...

Ryan said...

Good to see some proper off-roading!!

Jen said...

LOL... Moo... You deserve a slap! Or just buy me lots of beer and I may forgive you! ;-)
Margery... You know me, I like strange women!
Ryan... Yep, it was good to get some dirt under the tyres again :-) Next stop Moab which I reckon will be brown trousers type stuff!