Day 19 – Calico Ghost Town
Today we’re going to Calico, another ghost town. This time, however, it’s more of an amusement park than a real preserved old town. The site is quite large and there are some nice attractions for children. There’s a show in which a Sheriff is gunfighting a gang of outlaws, we can pan for gold or even take a short train ride. We take our time in the parc, Côme marvels at the duel between the sheriff and the outlaws and we set off again towards the mountains towards Los Angeles.
When we arrive in the evening, the park is closed but we settle down not too far from there to spend the night.
Day 20 – And The Last Days…
When we wake up, we go back to the park that was closed the day before. It is a protected area and there are quite a few people hiking there in the morning. So we hike there for a bit too, being careful not to disturb the rattlesnakes.
And then we head to another mountain range in the suburbs of Los Angeles. This time, we arrive early enough to settle in a very pretty campsite in the middle of the mountains and play ball outside before it gets dark. The last couple of days were not like we would have wanted them to be, but we are still enjoying ourselves.
Day 21 – Back in L.A.
Today is our last day in the van. We are going back to Los Angeles to see Venice beach and Beverly Hills. But the weather gods are definitely not kind to us in the United States… It’s pouring rain all day… It never rains here at this time of year. That’s what people say… So we go through Venice beach but the beach is deserted and we don’t even bother to get out of the van. If our clothes get wet, we won’t have time to dry before we take the plane. We drive through Beverly Hills in spite of the rain, but we don’t stop there either. We must be jinxed…
Tonight, we park in a residential street next to where we have to return the van. It definitely won’t be the best spot of our trip…
Day 22 – Goodbye House…
Today we’re a little sad, we’re giving back our moving house… 😢 After parting, we take many different subways to go to Burbank, a city north of L.A. from which we take our plane tomorrow. We really didn’t miss Los Angeles subway at all. The ride is a real nightmare for Julia: the dirtiness, the lost souls, the misery… Still, we make the acquaintance of a nice man who tells us about his music and who’s flabbergasted to meet French people on the day he puts, for the first time, a t-shirt with the Eiffel tower on it.
After a long commute to our hotel, we will spend the rest of this afternoon in our room. It feels good to rest on a comfortable bed and take a good long hot shower. We’ll scrub ourselves thoroughly everywhere. 😅 Tomorrow, a very long day awaits us. We are leaving at 6 o’clock in the morning and will arrive at 7 in the morning the next day.
Our next destination: Santiago, Chile!!
These last days, Côme:
Did not understand: why he didn’t find gold but pyrite instead.
Learnt: that air could destroy a Coca Cola can (there was a demonstration in Calico Town)
Loved: the gunfight.
Julia:
Did not understand: how the wealthiest city in the United States could leave that many people in such misery.
Learnt: that a ranger could also host a campsite.
Enjoyed: the last evening in the campsite with such nice view.
Doo:
Did not understand: how the sheriff could win this fight.
Learnt: that there were mountain lions around L.A.
Enjoyed: our brief encounter with Mark Bibbee, the artist.
Final burger count: 11 (only according to Doo… that much!!! according to Julia…)