Flavors of America - Vroom Vroom

Flavors of America - Hollywood!

In the distance and fuzzy because of the smog, but still uber-cool to see it in person.

Flavors of America - The ABCD of Santa Monica

We took a virtually free vacation to LA last weekend.  Flights on airmiles, a dear friend to host us, etc. We had a great time! 

Mulholland Drive, Chinese Theatre, Hollywood sign... all the classic stuff.

Continuing the tourist thing, we went to Santa Monica pier.  It was a blisteringly hot day, and the mad folks were all out...

The Doggie pram...

The Hair Fashion Crime...

The Mylie Cyrus Wannabe, who God has cruelly cursed with a mediocre voice...

Next, the beach.  Who knew what wonders awaited us?  

It was packed to the gills with people... under umbrellas, paddling, body-surfing.

Our experience was a little different.  I chose not to illustrate the two nastiest with photos... you don't need that.

A is for Armband

Lying on the sand, one of those rubber things drug addicts tie around their arms, pulling one side with their teeth to tighten and make their veins bulge before they shoot up.

B is for Butt

Say no more...

C is for Condom

Yes, we paddled into the water and there it was... a used blue condom.  There then followed one of those Charlie Chaplin moments where we tried to run out of the sea and the little waves kept washing the condom after us.  I started singing the jaws theme while breaking into a sprint up the sand.

D is for Disgusting

You thought the condom was bad?  Nope.  Further horrors awaited us.

We started to leave the beach and got to the outdoor showers.  There was a woman in a bikini with a wrap around her waist.  At first she seemed to be rinsing off like everyone else... but then I saw her take out shower gel.  And then I saw her take out a razor.  And then she proceeded to shave her inner thighs.  Seriously.  Patootie shaving in public.  Lovely.

Flavors of America

The sign says it all

Flavors of America: Classic Diner

Just outside Ellensburg there's an old gas station that has a new life as a classic diner.  And the burgers are pretty good, too.

Flavors of America: Best Bridge

Everyone should get to drive over the Golden Gate bridge in an American-manufactured convertible at least once in their lives and yell "Wheeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Flavors of America - The sign says it all

Flavors of America - Snoopy at the Geyser

We stumbled on a Geyser somewhere in California. The fun find was that Charles Shulz had been there and signed the Guest Book like no-one but him could...

Flavors of America - Lunchpails

A little while ago, we took a roadtrip on the West coast of the USA.

Outside Los Banos, on highway 5, we found a little restaurant called the Apricot Tree. It was stuck amongst gas stations and the other boring things you find when you turn off at one of those signs that says "Gas Food Lodging".

But the Apricot Tree had a little decor pecadillo. The walls inside were covered in retro tin lunchpails.

The lunchpails were arranged according to category, with a little sign below them. For instance, in "Cops, Spies and Detectives" there were lunch pails showing:

• Charlies Angels
• Nancy Drew
• The Hardy Boys

There were some lunchpails, obviously more valuable than the others, in a glass cabinet.

Fluffy Bear was very impressed with one showing Mike Mercury in his Supercar and another showing Lost in Space.

It was a strange and fascinating lunch...

I love these flavors of America...