Cheesecake Factory

Imagine Aidan going anywhere near a cheesecake factory! Well that's where we went for dinner tonight! He was safe enough though - the menu runs to about 15 pages, and that doesn't include the cheesecake page!

Cathy & Kevin invited us, and after being delayed by Pageant of the Masters traffic in Laguna beach we found the Irvine Spectrum Centre easily enough, and it's only 8.4 miles away (according to G).
http://www.cheesecakefactory.com/ Have a look for yourself! here are a few of the cheesecakes on display:

I had Miso Salmon, recommended by Kevin, as he always eats it here. Delicious marinated salmon on a bed of brown rice surrounded by the miso sauce. Aidan opted for the chiken and shrimp combo, in a kind of Thai curry sauce, on a bed of rice. This wasn't on the menu, a special announced for tonight. So Kevin tried it too. They both enjoyed it, but Kevin hasn't been converted. Cathy had chicken biscuit! I was dying to see what the biscuit would be. It was something like a white scone, on both sides of her chicken - served with veg and a potato mash.
Here are the happy couple (without suglasses,Deirdre!)

After all that, it wouldn't be right to leave without having cheesecake, now would it? So the choice was left to me. I opted for the Dutch apple cinnamon & nut streusel cheesecake!!!

The Irvine Spectrum Mall is huge!! And really modern and classy. It's the favourite hang-out spot for teenagers here. That isn't a problem though. They all seem pretty well able to conduct themselves! There's a big wheel as well as a carousel, and a huge number of shops and restaurants. Really impressive.

I was delighted to pick up a cover for my Kindle in Target. I had taken a chance when ordering the Kindle that I'd be able to find a cover for it in USA. Luckily, I spotted one tonight, and saved myself about 20euro. (Also got onion salt there for you, Mam!!)

Hollywood Boulevard

Well, we decided (after all) to head to Hollywood instead of Capistrano. So no relief from the fog!
Now what can I say about Hollywood after an afternoon spent there? It certainly doesn't qualify me to expound.
We would have been iffy about tackling he drive into the centre of LA, but with our new friend Garmin, we felt secure in the knowledge that we couldn't get lost. Yes, we got bang into the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, and yes, there are oodles of places to park. We parked in the Highland Centre - very posh!
And then we came out on the street! What a street!

Quite a few characters dressed up as film characters; we saw an excellent "Samuel L Jackson" and a pretty "Marylin Monroe" as well as a few in full costume such as the guy above. And it was hot! Somewhere in the 80s. And everyone who wants to can make a buck here - with a bucket!!

Drummer #1

Of course the stars were all along the boulevard. There are still a few empty ones, waiting for me & you! The closest I got to a star was overhearing someone on a mobile phone asking "How did the audition go?"!!
Outside the Chinese Theatre is where all the stars have left their hand & footprints. Here are just a few:

That will have to do you! People were walking all over them trying to get to best angle for their photos. I liked the one of Gene Autrey & Champion!
After the glitz of Hollywood Boulevard we walked to the Hollywood Bowl - far more sedate! Here's a pic of an unusual building along the way:

It was nice to just imagine yourself at a gig of one of the greats. Here's a few to remind you:

When we went inside Joni's Jazz was rehearsing for their gig that night. Note the "boxes" - They seat 4, on folding chairs. There are also tables being set in front of the stage for the rich people!!

And then there are the cheap seats!

Along the walk outsside the Bowl, there is a grove of pepper trees! can't tell you if the seeds are really peppercorns, but they certainly look like it!

There's a lovely peacful shady garden there too. As we passed through, a group of people were gathering with picnics to get the best seats/picnic tables for a concert that was being set up - some kind of benefit.

After that we decided it would be a pity to leave without seeing Sunset Boulevard. That's when we saw the tacky side of Hollywood we were really trying hard not to notice. Bedding and a supermarket trolley in the side street linking the two boulevards. They say this street comes alive at night, but it's hard to believe it. On our way back to the car park we passed the more risque shops - one called Exotic Footwear looked tempting, but to be honest I don't think I'd have the opportunity to wear the flowery or tiger pattern thigh boots, or cowboy-boot sandals too often!!

Oh and then we realised why everyone was lined up on a bridge between two towers in the Babylon Court, with their cameras a-clicking:

Our route home was clogged with traffic, as it was about 6pm when we were leaving. So 'Garmina' took us through South LA, down a 7-mile street called Alameda St. Mmm... Factories, followed by more factories, a park with about 8 trolleys "parked" outside belonging to the street people, then into the more populated districts again, where all the signs seemed to be in Spanish. We could tell we were in a seedier side of town, so didn't stop to take photos!! Signs saying No Cruising $1000 fine and 6 months in jail we reckoned were aimed at more serious crimes than cruising for prostitutes!!

Here's a view of the traffic on the freeway. Taken from the front seat - I couldn't get them to stop and pose! Let's just say they were moving fast.

Californian fog

This isnt funny!!!
The view from our balcony this morning, and most mornings last week.
All we have to do is travel inland a few miles and here comes the sun!
Off to San Juan Capistrano soon - to have a look at the mission - and pray for sun!!

Huntington Beach

Finally it's sunny again at the coast!
We decided on Huntington Beach today, as it's the surfing capital of the USA. That is, ever since a Hawaiian Irishman by the name of George Freeth, a champion surfer, was imported by Henry Huntington in 1907 to attract people to the town he was developing!!
Plenty of surf dudes and surf shops on show, although we didn't explore beyond the beach. The first feature we noticed was the pier, so we walked up to it and then out along it. Lots of people fishing, but most were, like us, watching the surfers. I'm sure there have been more spectacular waves in the past, but these were pretty impressive, as were the surfers. I don't have the terminology to describe the moves, but there was plenty of swirling over and back along the wave, and we saw a few guys getting inside the tube!
Along the prom there are cafes, bike hire places and shops, as well as plenty of toilets and showers.
When we arrived at 12 there was a large group of kids all dressed in white T shirts & red shorts - aged 10 -14. On closer inspection we realised they were finishing a session of some sort of summer camp. Then we realised that the logo on their clothes said Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard. At 2 o'clock another group arrived for their session (maybe 100 kids in each group). We reckon it's the local water safety classes, made cool by giving everyone a lifeguard status, of sorts. Good idea!
Later again I noticed older teenagers obviously involved in more serious training:

Sorry the photo is a bit distant! They had to run in the sand after their warm up as well as rolling in the sand etc on instruction!
The sea was rough, as always, but I was determined to step into the Pacific before I went home!

No! You won't catch me posing for the camera in my bikini!!
On the way back we detoured to Newport Beach. Much nicer in terms of more family oriented with lots and lots of amenities right there within shouting distance of the sand. On first inspection, this is where we'd recommend anyone to base themselves for a holiday. Must take a closer look tomorrow or Thursday.

SUN!!

Yeah! The sun is back! I was going to take a photo of the foggy view from our balcony this morning to post for you, but it's gone.
Now we have to decide which beach to go to!

More road stories

We are getting used to Cathy's husband Kevin's sense of humour!! Ha! Ha! Kevin - now I'm in for it!!
As we drive on the freeway, on overpasses and underpasses - they are amazing - I keep remembering Kevin's comment that this is when you pray there's not an earthquake!! Thanks mate! Very comforting!!

It was also comforting, on our drive in the hills, to see signs for a "Runaway truck ramp" Yes, it's a special ramp, when you are going downhill, that just veers upwards off the main freeway, so that if a truck's brakes fail, the driver can pull off the freeway and head up the ramp to slow him down. Nice one!

And when we were driving on the narrow mountain roads, we kept seeing signs for Turnout. Just a widening of the road at every possible opportunity, for slow vehicles to pull in to let others pass. Thinking of the confusion it could cause in a conversation between an American and an  Irish person talking about a turnout at a funeral!!

On most of the freeways around LA, there's a fast lane for use by cars with more than one occupant. Really handy in rush hour (which is nearly always). But you can only get into and out of it when the yellow line becomes a broken line. Crossing the line, or driving in the lane with no passengers incurs a fine of $341.

Seatbelt signs say "Click it, or ticket" And the fine for that is $142.

Are thinking what I'm thinking? Strange amounts for the fines!! No rounding up to the nearest 10 here! Aidan reckons the original fine might have been increased by a percentage, resulting in the few extra units. (Mathematician!)

Lake Elsinore

OK, so let's learn something about the Pacific Coast here: it's foggy!!


Coastal fog, Laguna Beach.

We are sick of waking up every morning to a view of fog, and waiting around for it to clear by afternoon!! Some afternoons it does clear enough, up where we live to allow us to sunbathe, but forget about going down to the beach. So today we headed inland, to Lake Elsinore. Quite a picturesque drive over the hills (2000ft) and down into the lake valley.

On our way up, I was starving (after an earlier swim at the pool) so we stopped here for a sandwich:

The woman took such pride (and time!) in making my sandwich that Aidan was beginning to  remember various films he had seen where the wife disappeared mysteriously in a back country road!! It was an amazing sandwich, made in a croissant (common here) with baked ham,  Meunster cheese, mustard, romaine lettuce, salad, accompanied by potato salad, fruit & a biscuit!! And the 'store' was quaint - just like you'd expect to find in the backwoods. There was a bikers' cafe across the road, called Hell's Kitchen!

There are camp-grounds/recreational areas along the shore of the lake, and we pulled into one. The payback for clear blue skies was the soaring temperature! We didn't actually take note of it when we arrived, but when we got back into the car at 6.30pm it had cooled to 92F!!! Still, we wanted sun and heat - and we got it. The lake shore was quiet (Maybe because high school was open today! Can you believe it? We saw all the kids coming out at 3pm, not looking happy!) And one mom advertising that she would pick up students if parents needed it - with a big poster, in the middle of the traffic!!
But I digress!!
Here are a few views of the lake:

The ducks were happily foraging around the shore:

We had just enough time(!) to visit the Lake Elsinore Outlet centre on our way home. Well, you see they have Dress Barn and Guess - so essential for "career wear", as they call it here!