9/3- Caught a 7AM flight out of Birmingham with a connection in Dallas. There was a delay on the second flight, but no harm done. I checked into my hotel and was still able to make it to Dodger Stadium on time even with a stop at Pershing Square and Grand Park. I walked to Union Station then caught a bus to the gate. The Dodgers won big, and I walked back this time on Grand Avenue then had a drink at a rooftop bar at my hotel. Really cool.
9/4- Drive on Sunset Blvd through Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive to Santa Monica. I wasn't overly impressed with Hollywood, but Beverly Hills was very nice. Initially, I planned on going south to Huntington Beach but because it was a holiday weekend during a heat wave, I figured that parking would be a nightmare unless I got there super early. Instead, I decided to stay in Santa Monica before going south in the afternoon. BAD CALL!
I had to leave my clothes and key out because if the key fob got wet, it would be ruined. I figured that it would be safe enough to leave it at a lifeguard tower. WRONG! It was stolen. Could have been worse. At least the thief did not find my car. How would I get home if the car was stolen with my wallet and phone inside? Still a manageable situation, right? The rental car company would send someone to give me a replacement key. The asshole stood me up. I expected him to meet me at the agreed upon address, which was a restaurant. He parked a block away and stayed in his car for 5 minutes then left. Apparently, I was supposed to meet him at the address on the app. INEXCUSEABLE that he left! I could understand it if I wasn't there 20-30 minutes later but not 5 minutes. The driver himself never texted me either. Only the rental agency stayed in contact. I had to call a locksmith to get a new key and when it was all said and done, I did not get out of there until 5:30 PM (5 hours later). Don't even ask how much money it cost me.
I hoped to get to Torrey Pines for a cliffside sunset, but I was too late. Instead, I went to Bolsa Chica State Park. At least, I knew that beach was safe. I would do my best to enjoy the rest of the trip, but this experience left me badly shaken. Supposedly, the safest thing to do was remove the door key and leave the key fob in the locked car. Still, if someone breaks in, they can start the car. Not all key fobs have a removeable door key either. If I had a car with a door key to start the ignition, none of this would have happened! My suit has a pocket with a zipper, so I won't lose the keys on a wipeout. Some sort of waterproof case is a necessity in the future, but it must fit different sized key fobs.
9/5- Morning at Pacific Beach, near San Diego. I found the conditions to be very nice and the sea water was a tad warmer than Santa Monica and noticeably clearer as well. Not quite as clear as Miami or Destin but not far off. There was nothing with wipeout potential, but I got plenty of good rides. By early afternoon, I made my way to the border at San Ysidro and crossed into Tijuana. I've done this enough that it feels almost routine now. I had a nice time there but limited myself to 10 blocks of Revolucion and Constitution Ave. for safety reasons. Tijuana is one of the most violent cities in the world, but I never felt unsafe because tourist areas are well-patrolled.
9/6- Long line at the border back to the USA so after a photo op at Centennial Park, I would choose the San Diego Zoo over the beach. The zoo is really not my kind of thing, but I still enjoyed it. I checked into my downtown hotel and relaxed for an hour or so. Next, it was a walking tour of the Gaslamp Quarter before the Padres game, which they won in walk-off fashion.
9/7- Back north toward Los Angeles. First stop was Laguna Beach, and it was mostly a walking tour. I was gun shy about going in the ocean for more than just a quick dip though I'm sure it would have been safe especially in the coves. It was REALLY beautiful there and I wish I had more time. I'd say it rivals Hawaii in terms of natural beauty. After lunch at In & Out Burgers, I had a safe surf session at Bolsa Chica about a half hour north then made it to Manhattan Beach for the sunset.
9/8- Manhattan Beach is only 15 minutes from LAX so I had time for another dip but chose not to do so. I just didn't want to risk another SNAFU. The 2 flights home went off without a hitch.
Final thought:
I'm not going to let one bad experience affect my view of any location. So-Cal is a beautiful area, and I found the people to be nice as well. You won't get a smile from strangers but if you engage them in conversation, they will be friendly in response. I do intend to go back. I won't go to Santa Monica again, but I really didn't do justice to San Diego or Laguna Beach. I've seen pretty much all I want to see in downtown LA and Tijuana, however.
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