①U.S. West Coast Travel Journal

I traveled alone to U.S. west coast in November 2018.

Dates and times are in local time.
Departure: Wed evening, Nov 21th from NRT
Arrival: Wed morning, Nov 21th to LAX
～
Departure: Mon evening, Nov 26th from LAX
Arrival: Tue evening, Nov 27th to NRT
Five nights, seven days.

About 10 years ago, I visited to San Francisco and LA for a school trip, but it was just sightseeing on the course set by the school. I wanted to see and experience more freely, and I decided that I will come again there some day.

This time I was able to do so.

Purpose Of The Trip

The purpose of the trip was mainly sightseeing, but to be more specific

(1) To drive a muscle car in a country of muscle.
(2) Visit the locations of the movie Fast and and Furious.
(3) sightseeing at Coronado island.
(4) Crossing the border to Mexico on foot.
(5) Watching the NFL live.

Cost

Flight tickets: 80,000 Yen (NRT-LAX round trip)
Car rental: 60,000 Yen (5 days)
Dormitory: 10,000 Yen (5 nights)
Watching NFL live: 10,000 Yen (1 game)
Food: 10,000 Yen (5 days)
Others: 10,000 Yen (e.g. shopping or so)

Total:180,000 Yen
Only car rental was rich, but basically it was a poor trip

1st Day (Wed, Nov 21th)

I arrived in the morning, it was pleasantly dry and hot.

I almost slept on the plane to adjust for the time difference. But the rest of time I was chatting with an American woman sitting next to me. When I told her that I'm going to Tijuana in Mexico, she said with some concern: "Be careful of scary people." "Don't let your passport leave your body." I might have looked like a son of hers. I thanked her for her kind words and now I'm going to be more careful.

(1) To drive a muscle car in a country of muscle.
Let's start with the first objective.
Chevrolet Camaro $510.92 (5 Days)
The car rental agent which rented me had some more cheap cars which could be rented by me for less than $300 for 5 days, but it's my purpose to drive a muscle car. I don't have another choice.
It's most expensive fee in the journey without flight tickets, but it's my purpose to drive a muscle car.　I don't have another choice.
The color of the car is not yellow but silver. I don't have another choice.

I have driven a left seat car on right side road and left side road. But it was my first time to drive a muscle car. The acceleration performance is amazing.

I went to Santa Monica Beach and a Lincoln Park.

This is quite sudden, but I'm a fun of Linkin Park which are American rock band. The unit name was made from a Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, so I just visited there.

Santa Monica Beach is famous for its amusement park called Pacific Park you know. It often appears in a video game.

This pic is an inland direction view from the park. I just feel like I like the park.
The sun was going down.
I got a hamburger for lunch, but I will make dinner, so I will stop by a supermarket on my way back to the dormitory.

Banana Bungalow West Hollywood Hotel & Hostel
The dormitory has a good courtyard. A BBQ dinner party seems to have been be held here last night. I should have come a day earlier.

Tonight event was a Karaoke party.
I was happy to sing Linkin Park songs in LA.

Follow to 2nd day.

#LINKINPARK #LA