Day 1: San Francisco to Carmel-by-the-Sea

    The drive from San Francisco to Carmel-by-the-Sea is some 125 miles along the beautiful Pacific coast. It’s a 2,5 hour drive and the scenery is stunning, if this is a foretaste of what Highway One is like, then we’re in for a real treat. On the way to Carmel, there is the town […]

Day2 : Driving Highway One; Carmel to Solvang

Vis større kart The US Coastal Highway runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles, but it is the part between Carmel and San Luis Obispo that is the real treat.  The road follows the ragged coastline and the views are spectacular, there are lots of parkingspots and it offers a lot of photo oportunities. The […]

Day 3 : Solvang to Santa Barbara through Saint Ynes and Los Olivos

Walking around in Solvang certainly gives you the flavour of Denmark, but in a strange sort of American way. The houses look very much like the typical oldfashion danish countryhouse that you don’t find too many of in Denmark anymore. In a sense Solvang is much more Danish than Denmark. All in all, nice place […]

Day 4 – The American Riviera – Santa Barbara to Santa Monica

Driving along the American Riviera is a spectacular experience. The clear blue skies and the green hills with the vast Pacific ocean pounding on the shores.       The wind will now and then work with the sand on  the beaches to create artwork: Approaching Santa Monica:    Tomorrow we shall see more of […]

Day 5 – Santa Monica and Hollywood

This is how Santa Monica presents itself to tourists: Santa Monica was originally developed as a seaside retreat at the turn of the 20th century. The railroad owners built the first version of the amusement park on Santa Monica pier as an attraction to fill empty train seats on weekends. Santa Monica grew into an urban, […]

Day 6 : Through the Desert to Palm Springs

This Morning found us leaving the cold ocean winds of Santa Monica for warm and desertlike Palm Springs. But first we had to make a little detour: As one of us take a more than average interest in textiles, fabrics and quilting, a visit to LA’s textile and fabrics district and the famous “Santee Alley, LA’s Premiere […]

Day 7: PioneerTown and Palm Springs Street Market

  Just some 30 miles outside Palm Springs, in the Yucca Valley you’ll find Pioneertown, a worn-down  former movie-set, now turned into a tourist trap. It’s a dusty, windy place but, of course, it’s  a remnant from the westerns way back when…. I suppose it can be of interest if you’re in the neighbourhood, but […]

Day 9; Through the Desert from Palm Springs, Ca. to Kingman, Az.

    The drive  from Palm Springs take you through places like Yucca Valley, 29 Palms and at  Amboy you hit the iconic Route 66. No drive in the West or Midwest could possibly be complete without at least a few miles on this legendary stretch of tarmac. We met up with The Route 66 […]

Day 10; Riding Route 66 from Kingman to Williams

Leaving Kingman, we also left the Interstate 40 and headed for the legendary Route 66. It’s a leisurely drive, and just outside Kingman we found a touristshop giving us a glimpse of what this road used to be. Riding the Route 66 has become a popular thing to do and this is one of the […]

Day 12; Sedona and the Red Rocks

    Waking up and looking out the window in Sedona is a special experience. the famous Red Rocks are shining in the morning sun. From our window at the Matterhorn Inn we have an excellent view of the surrounding mountains. Outside it is still chilly though and our plans of going on a tour […]

Day 14; San Francisco, Haight Ashbury and the Fishermans Wharf

Haight Ashbury is more than a name. Haight  Ashbury is one of those neighborhoods that  defines a whole culture.  Even though more than 40 years years have passed since the “Summer of Love“ the name Haight-Ashbury still has a ring to it. The whole district became known for psychaelic drugs, pot, music, beaniks and hippies, […]

Day 15;Over The Golden Gate to Sausalito and Muir Woods

This is our last day in San Francisco and USA for now. Tomorrow we’re heading back home to Norway. So, today we’re doin’ the last few “must-sees” in the Bay Area. Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito and the Muir Woods. Sausalito is a small and charming town, more or less a residential area close to San […]

Living it up at The Hotel California, Palm Springs

Hotel California, in Palm Springs is very unlike any hotel experience you’ll ever have and I can’t imagine any other hotel that would even come close! I know that this is a lot to say about a hotel but I am willing to stand by every word of it! First of all it’s the staff […]

Santa Barbara – moorish and detached

Santa Barbara has something for you ,whether you like hiking, fine-dining, water sports, lazing on the beach, culture, or a great night-life. Santa Barbara is a town with a difference Santa Barbara county is sometimes referred to as the American Riviera. Its beautiful beaches, majestic mountains, and colorful culture make Santa Barbara a premier resort […]

Los Olivos – Small and charming

Located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley, this charming little historic town is a gem. With a grand view of Santa Barbara County’s vineyards and horse ranches, Los Olivos is famous for its art galleries, wine tasting opportunities, restaurants, antiques, a great countryside and friendly residents found throughout the village. Foxen Canyon Wine Trail starts […]

The Escape from Alcatraz

50 years on – the hunt for the three escapees continues. Half a century after the illustrious escape, US Marshall Michael Dyke is still trying to catch up. On June 11th 1962 the three men, Clarence Anglin, John William Anglin and Frank Lee Morris escaped from Alcatraz Prison. The prison was considered inescapable due to […]

Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is located 2.4 km offshore from San Francisco.   Often referred to as “The Rock“, the small island was originally used for a lighthouse, then a military fortification, then a military prison (1868), and then as a federal prison from 1933 until 1963. Then, in the beginning of November 1969, the island was occupied for more than 19 months […]