{"id":5250,"date":"2019-08-27T22:17:40","date_gmt":"2019-08-27T22:17:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/?p=5250"},"modified":"2019-08-27T22:17:45","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T22:17:45","slug":"thoughts-on-a-two-week-holiday-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/2019\/08\/27\/thoughts-on-a-two-week-holiday-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts on a two-week holiday in California"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='e-content'>It\u2019s my first day back at work today after two weeks spent visiting and travelling up the California coast from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Before it all gets lost in the mists of time I want to capture my thoughts to look back on.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Virgin Atlantic\u2019s \u2018automated\u2019 check-in process at Heathrow is abysmal. It felt like a flashback to the early days of self-service checkouts in supermarkets, albeit in a much more stressful time-sensitive situation. The \u2018job to be done\u2019 of a check-in assistant isn\u2019t just to review your passport and tag your bags, it is also to resolve any situations that come up such as overweight luggage and relieve the tension of the airport a little bit. Replacing this with machines is a bad idea, but I am sure there is no going back. The staff that <em>were<\/em> on hand weren\u2019t too happy about it either.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5234\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5234\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5234\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f.jpeg\" alt=\"Checking in, all by yourself\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f.jpeg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c2f-1200x900.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5234\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Checking in, all by yourself<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The exchange rate is <em>terrible<\/em>. With credit card fees taken into account it wasn\u2019t too much of a stretch to just change the $ sign to a \u00a3 and be roughly correct. Great for mental conversions between the two currencies, not so great on the wallet. Despite our plane tickets being mostly paid for by airline points it was still on balance the most expensive holiday we\u2019ve ever had. We joked that each meal consistently cost us around \u00a350-60 for two adults and two children, unless we went out for something special in which case it was more.<\/li>\n<li>There\u2019s not much point in going to upmarket restaurants when travelling with young children. It\u2019s not worth trading a slightly better dinner and larger expense for battling over trying something new. I know I was <em>much<\/em> worse than my own children when I was their age (they at least eat vegetables, which I am not sure I did!), I just have a newfound appreciation of it now.<\/li>\n<li>Never underestimate how much the kids love a swimming pool of any kind, and how many hours of joy it will bring them.<\/li>\n<li>I am so grateful that in the UK our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.asa.org.uk\/advice-online\/compulsory-costs-and-charges-vat.html\" title=\"Advertising Standards Authority: Compulsory costs and charges: VAT\">retailers have to advertise an \u2018all in\u2019 price for consumers<\/a>. It was horrible to think you were paying X but then finding out at the checkout you were actually paying X + Y% in tax and sometimes with multiple additional taxes, expecially in hotels. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.blazingsaddles.com\/san-francisco\" title=\"Blazing Saddles San Francisco\">Blazing Saddles in San Francisco<\/a> added a 4% \u2018convenience charge\u2019 for using a credit\/debit card, \u201ckind of a tax\u201d as the lady told us. How convenient!<\/li>\n<li>There is zero consistency in paying for stuff. Tap your card here, key your pin in there, swipe for this one and sign this screen\/bit of paper. Occasionally, do more than one of those things. Sometimes you get an automated detailed email of your transaction and other times you don\u2019t.<\/li>\n<li>The California coast is exceptionally beautiful and surprisingly sparsely populated. We tried to travel up <a href=\"https:\/\/en.m.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/California_State_Route_1\" title=\"Wikipedia: California State Route 1\">State Route 1<\/a>, along the coast, as much as we could and were consistently treated to gorgeous scenery and wildlife. We really got a feel for just how big the state and the country must be.<\/li>\n<li>Criticism of Americans for not having passports and travelling internationally is unfair. There is <em>so much<\/em> to see in their own country that there is much less of a reason to go travelling abroad. We were sweltering in 30C heat in Los Angeles and this dropped by 10 degrees when we travelled a little north. We were marvelling at how we could need hoodies in the evening whereas a couple of hundred miles to the east of us in Death Valley they had temperatures of 51C.<\/li>\n<li>Cambria was a personal favourite for me. Deserted beaches, wild, crashing waves, elephant seals, a quaint town and a wonderful boardwalk. We saw Emilio Estevez there too, who happened to be holidaying in the same hotel.<\/li>\n<li>Hearst Castle had the best outdoor swimming pool I have ever seen. Apparently it is still used by the Hearst family, but closed to the public. We were itching to take a dip.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5242\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5242\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5242\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w.jpg\" alt=\"The outdoor pool at Hearst Castle\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/49M9pGJ4QKqrwuBJ6dB46w-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5242\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The outdoor pool at Hearst Castle<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Disneyland is so much fun, even with older children. I was very glad that we paid the $15 each on top of our ticket prices so that we could book our place in the speedy queue for the next ride. <em>Hyperspace Mountain<\/em> (formerly <em>Space Mountain<\/em>, now rebranded to be more <em>Star Wars<\/em>) was punch-the-air awesome and there are loads more great rides to go on. The <em>Star Wars<\/em> land was incredibly well done, with even the cafes and toilets fitting in with the theme. We started walking home down Main Street USA when the evening finale started and it was a great spot to watch the amazing show; fireworks, acrobatics, lasers, fake snow \u2014 it was contrived but it was still breathtaking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5235\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5235\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5235\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg.jpg\" alt=\"Star Wars land\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HjTxDVc3TgaCOpnusSohWg-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5235\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Star Wars land<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5240\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5240\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5240\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow.jpg\" alt=\"Star Wars canteen\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/HoG1vUcEQ2iLl9qcgbYTow-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5240\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Star Wars canteen<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5229\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5229\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5229\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA.jpg\" alt=\"More Star Wars canteen\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/PL8tXbuR7WEkcmuFkmbzA-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5229\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">More Star Wars canteen<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Universal Studios was great, but for me it wasn\u2019t quite as good as Disneyland and definitely not worth the eye-watering admission price. I was lucky enough to visit as a small boy in the 1980s and some of it hadn\u2019t changed \u2014 the <em>Jaws<\/em> and \u2018subway station in an earthquake\u2019 sequences on the tram studio tour was just as I remembered and it was cool to have them scare my kids just like it scared me back in the day. The <em>War of the Worlds<\/em> set with the destroyed jumbo jet on the tram tour was incredible, as was the 3D glasses <em>Fast and Furious<\/em> sequence. With the notable exceptions of the <em>Jurassic Park<\/em>-themed gigantic flume ride and <em>The Mummy<\/em>-themed rollercoaster, all of the other rides were simulator-based which got a little tedious towards the end of the day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5243\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5243\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5243\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ.jpg\" alt=\"A crashed plane from _War Of The Worlds_\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0Y8TqwpnRgOmFTJtVOWyqQ-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5243\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A crashed plane from _War Of The Worlds_<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5239\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5239\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5239\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q.jpg\" alt=\"Krustyland\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/exHRHABiQVGeNiCXWwfL7Q-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5239\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Krustyland<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The <em>Harry Potter<\/em>-themed land at Universal Studios was unbelievable in its size and scope. You felt as though you could enter many of the little shops and houses, and with a lot of them you could. The snow-covered rooftops didn\u2019t fool us in the hot weather but we were grateful that the park had fans with water misters littered everywhere to cool us off.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5238\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5238\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5238\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw.jpg\" alt=\"Hogwarts, I presume\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/jGQXHwBKSCagYr5wv0wGqw-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5238\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Hogwarts, I presume<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Breakdowns on the rides and shows seemed to be surprisingly common. We started to get a little used to audio notices that the ride was being held and would restart shortly.<\/li>\n<li>For such historical places as the Universal Studios lot and Disneyland there was a surprising lack of history that you could go and find out about. Universal Studios didn\u2019t have a book store, although the person I asked said there used to be one, which is probably a sad take on how peoples\u2019 interests have changed over time.<\/li>\n<li>I get car envy every time I travel abroad. Our car is so dated and low-spec whereas our rental cars seem to come with all mod cons. The Nissan Pathfinder we rented had some amazing features such as indicator lights near the wing mirrors to let you know that someone is in your blind spot, and an overhead parking camera that I still for the life of me cannot work out how it functioned.<\/li>\n<li>Americans really know how to do ice cream. We fell in love with <a href=\"https:\/\/mcconnells.com\" title=\"McConnell's Fine Ice Creams\">McConnell\u2019s<\/a> in Santa Barbara and progressed from there. It\u2019s going to be tough to break the ice cream-a-day habit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5247\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5247\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5247\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30.jpeg\" alt=\"McConnell's marvellous menu\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30.jpeg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c30-1200x900.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5247\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">McConnell&#8217;s marvellous menu<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>The drive along <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Big_Sur\" title=\"Wikipedia: Big Sur\">Big Sur<\/a> is just as stunning as everyone says. We had to stop ourselves from parking up every few minutes to take pictures.<\/li>\n<li>Monterey was probably my favourite place of the whole trip. Big enough to have a good selection of paces to eat, tons of wildlife on the doorstep \u2014 we saw humpback whales and kayaked with seals and sea-lions \u2014 and a beautiful place to wander around in.<\/li>\n<li>Neighbouring Carmel was gorgeous but we just stopped there for lunch; if we had more time I would have liked to have spent it there. Monterey\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.seemonterey.com\/events\/sporting\/concours\/\" title=\"Monterey's Car Week 2019\">car week<\/a> had attracted tons of people to the area and it was by sheer luck that we managed to park there.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5244\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5244\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5244\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A.jpg\" alt=\"A car in Carmel\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mQp5WW58SxCcstaJuIr87A-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5244\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A car in Carmel<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5246\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5246\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5246\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw.jpg\" alt=\"More cars in Carmel\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/z2X9KNAWQX2kwtD3P9qdw-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5246\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">More cars in Carmel<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5230\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5230\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5230\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw.jpg\" alt=\"...and more\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/0uBdz4SISVOiaxLKzvLWnw-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5230\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">&#8230;and more<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5231\" style=\"width: 3034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5231\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5231\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mqVbkm9ZQDOWTk66zb03RA.jpg\" alt=\"Beautiful old Porsche in Carmel\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mqVbkm9ZQDOWTk66zb03RA.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mqVbkm9ZQDOWTk66zb03RA-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mqVbkm9ZQDOWTk66zb03RA-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/mqVbkm9ZQDOWTk66zb03RA-1200x1600.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5231\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Beautiful old Porsche in Carmel<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5237\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5237\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5237\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g.jpg\" alt=\"The most disgustingly-decorated BMW I've ever seen\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/dIzLaQGtQMikMiJATTzm0g-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5237\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The most disgustingly-decorated BMW I&#8217;ve ever seen<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>I could never get used to the warnings that I was in a <em>Tsunami Hazard Zone<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5232\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5232\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5232\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ.jpg\" alt=\"Tsunami Hazard Zone in Monterey\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/NXGEj9TNR9e5dDcfBmw8aQ-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5232\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tsunami Hazard Zone in Monterey<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Monterey, Carmel and Salinas are well aware of their heritage with regards to John Steinbeck. Reminders of him are everywhere you look. I was in my element. The highlight of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinbeck.org\" title=\"National Steinbeck Center\">National Steinbeck Center<\/a>\u2019s exhibits is the original <em>Rocinante<\/em> which Steinbeck had built for his journey across America with his dog, Charley. It was wonderful to see it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5245\" style=\"width: 3876px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5245\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5245\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33.jpeg\" alt=\"Inscription in the Carmel Bakery\" width=\"3866\" height=\"926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33.jpeg 3866w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33-300x72.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33-768x184.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33-1024x245.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fullsizeoutput_4c33-1200x287.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3866px) 100vw, 3866px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5245\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Inscription in the Carmel Bakery<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5249\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5249\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5249\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g.jpg\" alt=\"Mural on a wall across the street from the National Steinbeck Center\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/aRm7VlHuSdqw0cBZceMp8g-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5249\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mural on a wall across the street from the National Steinbeck Center<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5241\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5241\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5241\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q.jpg\" alt=\"Steinbeck's _Rocinante_\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/rQ1UmkNORrWdtYucIN3X0Q-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5241\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steinbeck&#8217;s _Rocinante_<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>San Francisco was much less \u2018techy\u2019 than I thought it would be. We saw more artisanal sandwich bars than evidence of technology companies. From reading articles on the Internet you would expect not to be able to move on the pavements\/sidewalks for scooters and other forms of personal transport. Yes, we saw them, but they weren\u2019t any more ubiquitous than the \u2018park anywhere\u2019 bikes in London. I also hadn\u2019t appreciated just how far away Cupertino and Mountain View are from the city; we drove past them on our way there and they are completely separate places. The city felt like New York with more hills and slightly less people.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5236\" style=\"width: 3034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5236\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5236\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ.jpg\" alt=\"A typical San Francisco street scene\" width=\"3024\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/grH9XFMUTXeHxSnOmMqzQ-1200x1200.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5236\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A typical San Francisco street scene<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>We\u2019d been told about the amount of homeless people to expect in San Francisco but it was still shocking to see. So many people seemed to have complex mental health issues too. I\u2019ve not knowingly walked past human faeces before but did so multiple times as we wandered around the city.<\/li>\n<li>San Francisco smells a lot like Amsterdam did when I visited 20 years ago. The sweet smell of cannabis wafts past you on a regular basis as you walk around. What we didn\u2019t see was many places selling it, whereas in Amsterdam it seemed to be for sale everywhere.<\/li>\n<li>Alcatraz was worth seeing and the audio tour was fantastic, but I couldn\u2019t help but feel a little disappointed by it. Maybe its reputation is so big that it would always disappoint. There was a lot of history revealed on the tour but I clamoured for more. There were teasing bits of information about some of the inmates and what they had done to be put there, and some sideways mentions of the amount of people incarcerated in the US and what that might mean today, but short of buying a book there wasn\u2019t a way of digging deeper. I remember visiting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.libertyellisfoundation.org\" title=\"The Statue of Liberty -- Ellis Island Foundation, Inc.\">Ellis Island<\/a> in the early 2000s and being fascinated by the searchable database kiosks where you can look up details of immigrants to the US. Something along the same lines on Alcatraz would allow you to explore things more deeply, but there wasn\u2019t anything outside of the book selection in the gift shops.<\/li>\n<li>San Francisco <em>really<\/em> know how to do recycling. Everything seemed to be compostable and they went to great lengths to get waste sorted at the point of disposal. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/2018\/07\/13\/how-san-francisco-became-a-global-leader-in-waste-management.html\" title=\"CNBC: How San Francisco sends less trash to the landfill than any other major U.S. city\">Really impressive<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5233\" style=\"width: 3034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5233\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5233\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ.jpg\" alt=\"Compostable plastic cup, which felt more solid than most that I've used in the past\" width=\"3024\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/F1NNC0cMS64sBsAUbsrQQ-1200x1200.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5233\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Compostable plastic cup, which felt more solid than most that I&#8217;ve used in the past<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_5228\" style=\"width: 4042px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5228\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5228\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ.jpg\" alt=\"Typical recycling in a restaurant\" width=\"4032\" height=\"3024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ.jpg 4032w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/lRcuaOJMTKiUka4hUyBzEQ-1200x900.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 4032px) 100vw, 4032px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5228\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Typical recycling in a restaurant<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Getting an extra seat on the way home was a massive blessing. It wasn\u2019t a great night\u2019s sleep for anyone, but it was a lot better than it otherwise would have been.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_5248\" style=\"width: 3034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5248\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5248\" src=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/6wh0gDlsQgCgWQmTMaMiaA.jpg\" alt=\"Sleepy time\" width=\"3024\" height=\"4032\" srcset=\"https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/6wh0gDlsQgCgWQmTMaMiaA.jpg 3024w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/6wh0gDlsQgCgWQmTMaMiaA-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/6wh0gDlsQgCgWQmTMaMiaA-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/andrewdoran.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/6wh0gDlsQgCgWQmTMaMiaA-1200x1600.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 3024px) 100vw, 3024px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-5248\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sleepy time<\/p><\/div>\n<p>A wonderful holiday with lots of great memories made. Despite the miles we covered it still felt as though we had scratched the surface. You could probably holiday in California for years and not visit the same place twice. One day we may be back.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span hidden class=\"__iawmlf-post-loop-links\" data-iawmlf-links=\"[{&quot;id&quot;:4970,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.asa.org.uk\\\/advice-online\\\/compulsory-costs-and-charges-vat.html&quot;,&quot;archived_href&quot;:&quot;http:\\\/\\\/web-wp.archive.org\\\/web\\\/20251118222826\\\/https:\\\/\\\/www.asa.org.uk\\\/advice-online\\\/compulsory-costs-and-charges-vat.html&quot;,&quot;redirect_href&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;checks&quot;:[{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-02-04 23:38:34&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-02-23 12:50:08&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-03-30 20:42:13&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-02 16:23:48&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-17 13:50:19&quot;,&quot;http_code&quot;:200},{&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2026-05-24 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