#TIMONTOUR - SANTA MONICA EDITION

Santa Monica is such a lovely place to visit for the day. We took Tim down there mid-week so it was slightly less crowded. It was a coldish start to the day but warmed up by the end of the day. It was hilarious taking Tim round it though because Santa Monica is very typical California, with its white sand beaches, tall palm trees and very beachy look to it. To be fair though Andrew was quite giddy too! See below!

We did a little bit of shopping but spent most of the day along the beach front. For the first time we hired bikes so that we could cycle along the famous broad walk. We'd never done this before as we always seemed to have Macintosh with us, but we'd left him at a friends for the day so that we could do that. It was pretty fun. We managed to see a lot of the other famous beaches by cycling along the path.

Here are some photos of the day...

That last photo cracks me up so much! Now are we making you want to come visit yet?!

H

MACINTOSH MONDAY

It's going to be a quick post today. Macintosh has been fairly good of late but that could be due to the sunny and warm weather. He's spent most of the day lounging around outside soaking up some rays! He really loves sunbathing and always look quite cross when you make him come inside, unless you're about to feed him, then he positively runs in. 

But just in case you are beginning to think he's a wonderful dog who is just so photogenic and in no way crazy. I wanted to remind you that he's also quite weird. You see Andrew and I were attempting to start a Christmas puzzle we had been given by his parents, and well, Macintosh thought he would help. Naturally dog's are good at puzzles. See....

He stayed like that for quite a while. He was ever so helpful as you can imagine. What a weirdo!  
H

HAPPY 4TH JULY AMERICA

               

Today is Independence Day in America. It's a weird day for a Brit to be celebrating as they are celebrating their freedom from British rule. Awkward some might say...but its fine by me really. So this evening I am celebrating with my small group from church with a good old BBQ and then I'll be peeking out of the window at some fireworks whilst Macintosh hides or attempts to destroy the house. He's not a fan of fireworks. Are any dogs?!

Now you might have noticed I've said "I" quite a lot. You see Andrew left this week to go back to Florida for 6 weeks which explains the silence on the blog. Andrew's been getting to grips with actual work and I've been well....enjoying! Hopefully this week we'll get back onto the posting. I know Andrew's going to be sharing about one last trip we took before he left for Florida and I've got a lately post to do so you all know what things I'm obsessing over at the moment!

Until then I'm off to look as patriotic as I can. I mean red, white and blue is patriotic. You just don't know who I'm cheering for....or do you?!

H

TO SEE THE SEA

After a very long week of work and driving around house hunting we just needed some time to let the dust settle for a day and mull over the decisions to be made in the coming week. So we decided to head to the coast. This begun with amazing views over the our valley as we headed west into the hills.

We drove down the incredible Bouquet Canyon Road through the Angeles National Forest, a small winding road that cuts right through the mountains and hills north of LA. Emerging from the forest road we drove through vast orange groves nestled between the hills. From a single lane the Canyon Road widens to seven lanes as we pass through Santa Clarita.

We headed out towards the state beach at Ventura and parked up only to discover we were near to a minor bomb threat cordon, our first one in the USA. No one seem too worried though and it was all gone by the time we got back.

We then walked, yes walked down the beach, we had been driving everywhere during the week we just needed to stretch our legs for a good stroll. It was a lil cooler than the climate we are slowly getting used to. The water was freezing so we had a quick paddle before heading further down the beach. We were more in the residential part so I enjoyed the different designs of houses along the beach, pointing out the positives and negatives of each one to Hannah (much to her dismay)

We then headed back to the Social Tap, a restaurant bar half way along the beach frequented by cyclists with some very cool bikes. We enjoyed a burger and a BLT sandwich whilst listening to the Americans get very excited about the Kentucky Derby. Two mins of craziness. We then strolled back along the warm sand to the car to head back through the hills and finish the day with a Ben and Jerry's Ice-cream and a beer.

A

FAST BOAT

The previous week some of the guys had an opportunity to do the state boat safety course so we could hire boats out. This saturday a group of us hired a boat to got for a little spin around Chocowatchee Bay, especially as the weather was perfect for it. 

The Bay has some quite shallow sandbanks around the side so was perfect for anchoring up and going for a dip. The water was very cold but crystal clear so managed to avoid the jelly fish! We had a small fly past from some vintage warplanes who were heading east along the coast.

I had a short go at the wheel, and thoroughly enjoyed it as you can see from my silly smile!

Thankfully you don't see the rather funky shorts I am wearing. lol. I love the feeling at the end of the day of a glowing face from the wind and sun after being on an adventurous day. We finished the day with a home-cooked pasta meal laughing at the photos and videos we had taken.

Here are a few snaps.

A

THE GRAND GUMBO TASTING FESTIVAL

What on earth is gumbo some of you will ask... it is a slightly soupy stew containing everything and I mean everything (fish, shrimp, sausage, pork, beef) but it tastes better than it sounds. It is a very popular dish from the southern states creole cuisine.

So at the festival a load of the local restaurants and groups fought for the prize of the best gumbo, and at times used some very high pressure selling techniques! With live music playing and perfect weather we strolled around the stalls trying to find the best. 

Now professional gumbo eating judgement says that my favourite was Stall No.2; a less spicy gumbo with more of a smokey taste from the pulled pork. It was yum! However Stall No.11 set my mouth on fire with the amount of chillies in it! One of the guys even had a crab claw in his, very funny as he hates the taste of crabs!

Here are some snaps of the day's event. 

A

I'M SORRY

Yup it was super sunny today and took the opportunity to explore the area. But before you get annoyed, it is Saturday so I am free to enjoy. It's a long weekend too because of veterans day on Monday, wahey!!

A