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california dreaming

love bites

California Dreaming: Los Angeles (Part 1)

Leg 4: Stargazing in the City of Angels

Being in LA was exactly what I expected it to be. Having lived on a staple of Hollywood fare pretty much all my life, I felt like I knew all the shops along Rodeo Drive from when Julia Roberts sashayed down the street in Pretty Woman. I even had the soundtrack in my head as I tried to reenact the scene. Sunset Boulevard, Orange County and Santa Monica were all familiar places from various movies. The sidewalks and palm trees. Blading on the Venice Boardwalk, chillaxing in Newport Beach. Ah, I felt like I was home.

The first thing we did upon reaching LA was to head to Staples Centre to catch a Lakers game. It happened to be game night against the Houston Rockets (The Yao, baby) and being the die hard Lakers fan that he is, the husband refused to check into the hotel until we caught the game. Only thing was, we didn’t have any tickets and we had to loiter outside the stadium looking for black market ones. We eventually got a pair of courtside tics from a burly dude at half price just 5 minutes before the whistle blew and it was like winning the lottery.

We looked like crap after a 7 hour drive so there's no way I'm putting those pics up
We looked like crap after a 7 hour drive so there’s no way I’m putting those pics up

I wasn’t a fan of either teams, but it was the Yao, so being Chinese and all, I pledged my allegiance to the Rockets for the 80 minutes while the husband was screaming himself hoarse for the Lakers. The game turned out to be quite a cracker. Kobe Bryant stepped up with a buzzer beater and I was the only crazy Rockets fan booing him and being stared down by a sea of yellow and purple. Although, the highlight for me was watching a showdown between a feisty little black lady and a giant Italian dude whom I suspect has links with the Mafia cos he sounded like Don Corleone and said Omerta a lot. Or it could have been Berta. It was kinda hard to tell with all that noise.

I was really excited to check out Hollywood Boulevard and I even promised the husband that was THE place to meet Brad Pitt and maybe we might even get spotted to star in the next Rush Hour. Well, nobody told me that famous Hollywood stars didn’t spend all their time hanging around their stars on the walk of fame. Because if I had a star on the walk of fame, that would be all I did. Just sitting next to it looking all smug and pleased with myself. All. the. time.

In case you didn't notice, it was Hugh Hefner's star. Which is totally bad ass. And also cool
Spare me some change

I bet the husband $5 and a lifetime of gloating rights that he wouldn’t be able to make a stranger give him money. Which he totally won. Also, the guy who threw him a quarter was actually really cute and possibly gay.

I did manage to take a photo with the Cat in the Hat, which cost me a dollar. I still feel ripped off when I think about it now. I was too shocked that he made me give him a dollar for the photo and I was partially afraid that he would summon Thing One and Thing Two to sit on me and start rhyming if I didn’t pay up. The worst thing was the husband actually managed to take a kickass photo with Borat (I swear he was real) FOR FREE, which was actually way cooler than some stupid striped cat.

I know, I'm a sucker.
I know, I’m a sucker.
Very nice, how much? FREE
Very nice, how much? FREE

The thing about LA is that there’s just so much to do and see. The 5 days we spent were barely enough to cover all the main attractions and unlike SF, we hardly had time to sit and watch the world go by. We would be in downtown LA in the morning, and by the afternoon, we’d be in Venice Beach and finally, to Santa Monica to catch the sunset. Speaking of Santa Monica, it was a place filled with awesomeness. It was where we met and fell in love instantly with Sha-Shaty. The guy has mad sax skills.

The soundtrack still gives me goosebumps
The soundtrack still gives me goosebumps
Santa Monica, where I was trying to do the whole walking into the sunset thing.
Santa Monica, where I was trying to do the whole walking into the sunset thing.

Another great thing about being in LA? In-and-out burger. It is by far the best burger I’ve ever tasted and we had it everyday for because we couldn’t get enough of it. Fatburger doesn’t even come close. And Carl’s Jr tastes like McCrap in comparison. It is THAT good.

love bites

California Dreaming: Lake Tahoe

Leg 2: Heavenly Village is well… heavenly

Whatever heaven must be like, it’s gotta have Tahoe. The folks at Heavenly Village obviously shared the same sentiment, seeing that they came up with the perfect name for  the place. With its unassuming rustic charm, it totally took my breath away. Being in Lake Tahoe is like stepping into a Hemingway novel, complete with plenty of that old-school romance.

I loved everything about it – the babbling brooks, the snow-capped mountains, the Lake with water so still you’re almost afraid to disturb its serenity. It was the perfect place to escape from the cares of the world, as it were. No phone calls, emails or pesky work issues to clear (URGENTLY it always seems). People knew how to stop and smell the roses, to give you the time of day and chat like old friends and enjoy the little things in life.

snow-capped mountains

Snow-capped mountains in the distance

the lake at 30,000 ft

The lake from 30,000 ft

The lake at ground level

The lake at ground level

Some may say that it’s terribly backward but sometimes, a little trip back in time may be just what we need.

Originally, we wanted to stay in a log cabin, the kind with walls made of actual logs, a fireplace with actual chimneys and an actual wooden bear outside. I found the loveliest place – the Hyatt Regency in Incline Village, but then it was situated at the other side of the Lake (about an hour’s drive from Heavenly Village). So we settled on Harveys, which was right at the heart of the action.

The perfect place to stay in Tahoe

The loveliest place to stay in Tahoe

You can't have a lodge without a real bear outside

You can't have a lodge without a real bear outside

We were in Tahoe in the middle of April, so it wasn’t supposed to snow but we woke up on the second day to find a thick layer of snow had fallen during the night. It was like Christmas came early for me and while everyone was running for cover, there we were, 2 crazy Chinese kids jumping around in the snow.

Speaking of Christmas, Starbucks only brings in Toffee Nut Latte in December and it is the most delightful drink on the planet. Imagine my ecstasy when I wandered into the Starbucks in Tahoe to find Toffee Nut Latte in April. I could have died happy there and then.

I refused to take shelter until I couldn't feel my fingers

I refused to take shelter until I couldn't feel my fingers

Ice-kachang, anyone?

Ice-kachang, anyone?

Of course, Tahoe would not be complete without a ride to the top of Adventure Peak on the Gondola. You could ski, snowboard and for the less adventurous, do kiddy stuff like tubing. I watched in awe as skiers flew down from the top of the mountain. It was poetry in motion. I thought for a while and decided to go with tubing just in case I broke a rib or got a concussion. As it turns out, tubing was surprisingly fun. Ok, so it was an activity for kids, but my inner child was having the time of her life.

We were so high I could reach out and touch the clouds

We were so high I could reach out and touch the clouds

Tubing on Adventure Peak

Tubing on Adventure Peak

Gives ice cold beer a whole new meaning

Gives ice cold beer a whole new meaning

In my opinion, Lake Tahoe is the best place to fall in love. And if you’re already in love, GO TO LAKE TAHOE. There will be lots of boom-chica-wow-wow action. Trust me, I should know.