Frank's Christian Thoughts: September 2025

Saturday, 27 September 2025

Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza - Part 41.

Arrival in Hollywood and a day at Universal Studios.

It was the last day of my visit to San Luis Obispo, and as I was preparing to vacate my hostel bed, I made a phone call to the HI-AYH Santa Monica to book a bed reservation, only to be told that there were no more unoccupied beds for the next two nights. But I managed to reserve a bed for the third night onwards for the next few days. This was to be my final stop before flying back home, bringing the 1997 Round the World backpacking trip to a close.

This advanced reservation was still quite new to me. The first time this has happened abroad from the UK was when I was in San Diego in 1995. When I wanted to move on to the next hostel, which was the same one in Santa Monica, I found out that I had to pre-book. After this, I found it more convenient to reserve a bed or room in advance, which I began doing during the latter weeks of my travels in Australia.

But there is a flip side. As one who was accustomed to simply showing up at the door and asking whether there was an unoccupied bed or bedroom, I felt a greater freedom of travel without adhering to a fixed schedule. This enabled me to ask the bus driver to allow me to alight here, instead of the original destination. This happened in Australia when I asked the driver to unload my rucksack at Hervey Bay instead of Brisbane, after a last-minute decision to visit K'Gari. However, one could argue that booking in advance provides a guarantee of a bed before arrival. But for me, "off the street" bed hunting has always added that flavour of risk to travel, thus enhancing its spirit of adventure.

With a US hostel guidebook in my possession, I became aware of a Banana Bungalow hostel in Hollywood, not far from Universal Studios. This gave me a good opportunity to spend a day at the studios, my second visit since my first visit twenty years earlier in 1977.

At Universal Studios, 1977. Then aged 24.

Hollywood in 1997. None of this was here in 1977.

I checked in successfully "from the street" without advanced booking. Once settled, I made my way to find a grocery store, passing the Hollywood Bowl in doing so. My bed was one of the bunks housed in a carport. There were four units altogether, that is, eight beds in all. With only a plastic sheet covering the garage entrance, I was grateful for the warm, subtropical weather.

The next day, it was a short walk to reach the studios. Much has changed over the 20 years since my first visit. The site was transformed into a theme park, including roller coasters. One was a water chute, Jurassic Park, with the route lined with cloned Dinosaurs. A Tyrannosaurus tried to approach us. However, just as well that I was dressed in light summer clothes. The climax of the ride consisted of a waterfall, where the boat plunged, drenching all of us, especially me, who sat in the front row. At least, that was one way to escape from the ravenous carnivore! After the ride, I was left dripping wet as I walked around, but I allowed the Californian sunshine to dry me off.

However, from the Glamour Tram, the outdoor filming props remained unchanged over the years, although various new additions appeared, including Bedrock, the hometown of the film version of Fred Flintstone. The Courthouse used in the movie, Back to the Future, and also in Bruce Almighty, was easily recognisable. When filming on one of the mock streets, for example, the camera focuses on a car pulling up at a front door, and a person gets out of the car and approaches the property. At this point, the filming stops. The room where the actor had just entered is in a separate studio elsewhere and includes the identical door the actor had just entered, at the start of a new take.

On to Santa Monica, where I meet up with another loner.

The next day, after visiting Universal Studios, I boarded a local bus to Santa Monica. At last, I was able to check in at the HI-AYH Santa Monica, a far superior hostel to the Hollywood Banana Bungalow. At least, I bedded down in a proper purpose-built dormitory.

It was while I was settled there, I checked over the public notice board on display near the entrance. One was a request for anyone to accompany him to Disneyland. I thought the matter over. I wasn't intending to visit the theme park this time, having already visited three times (in 1977, 1978, and again in 1995). But this would be different. As a duet, we could devote ourselves to each other; therefore, I took on his offer. No bus this time. He offered to take me by car he was renting.

The next day, he appeared, but not alone. His request has also attracted a third person. I felt slightly disappointed, as I have always believed, two is company, three is a crowd. However, I was polite to them both, as both were in their twenties, half my age. Therefore, due to the age difference, I felt the odd one out. The one who posted the appeal was Chris. The third person was Mike.

However, at Disneyland, the reins of leadership passed from Chris, who drove us there, to me, who knew the park far better than they did, as for both of them, this was their first visit. Both Chris and I enjoyed the more "gutsy" rides, such as Space Mountain and the Matterhorn Bobsleds. Mike had a preference for the gentler rides, and on one occasion, I accompanied him on a children's ride while Chris stood by. However, it was Chris who suggested a visit to the Sleeping Beauty Castle, whose interior I had never seen. When I thought that it might have housed the administration office, it turned out that it was a museum of the park's beginnings.

To complete this week's album, I took a day out to Downtown Los Angeles, a location nobody had any interest in visiting. But for me, the city meant something. After all, as I noticed two years earlier in 1995, the skyline of Downtown has changed enormously since my last visit in 1978.

Click here for the Index linking to the main Biography, Weeks 104-107.

Photos of Hollywood Universal Studios.

View of the outdoor mock-ups from the upper tier.

A view from the ride on the Glamour Tram.

All these properties are for outdoor filming only.

This Courthouse appeared in 'Back to the Future'.

Bedrock, the home of the Flintstones.

A tree stands in a dilapidated area...

Until a flood uproots the tree.

A cowboy prepares for a shootout.

Hollywood Theme Park. Jurassic Park flume ride.

A waterfall at Jurassic Park.

Splash! Afterwards, I was drenched.

Palm Trees grace the park.

The escalators link the upper to the lower levels.

Photos of Santa Monica, Disneyland, and Downtown.

Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica has a wide, sandy beach.

A view of the coast from the pierhead.

The pier is the terminus of Route 66 from Chicago.

Sunset at Santa Monica.

Main Street USA, Disneyland.

An abandoned Mine, Adventureland.

A Pirate ship at Tom Sawyer's Island.

A Mississippi Steamer.

New Orleans Square, taken from Sawyer's Island.

Waterfalls at Frontierland.

New Orleans Square Railroad Station.

Matterhorn Bobsleds, Fantasyland.

Approaching Tomorrowland Railroad Station.

Toontown, home of Mickey Mouse and Pluto.

One of the children's rides, Toontown.

Pershing Square, Downtown Los Angeles.

Outside the Library, Downtown Los Angeles.

The Broadway, Downtown Los Angeles.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next Week, the final visit before flying home to the UK - Malibu.

Saturday, 20 September 2025

Travel Biography Photo Extravaganza - Part 40.

The Hike Up Los Padres Forest Mountains.

This week's album contains photos of three venues I visited while I was staying in California in 1997. The first are of the second half of my stay in Santa Barbara, consisting mainly of the hike up Rattlesnake Canyon to near the summit of the mountain ridge. After that, I travelled further north to San Lous Obispo, roughly midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Then, I returned to the Los Angeles administration area and spent a couple of nights at the Banana Bungalow in Hollywood.

As for Hollywood, only two introductory photos will feature here; the rest will appear next week.

After arriving at Santa Barbara from San Diego, I stayed mostly in town and on the beach. However, one afternoon, I was browsing in a bookshop when I came across a book on hiking in California, and a section of the Los Padres Mountains was included. This gave me an idea, despite warnings of bug bites that could put me in hospital. Even if I held a health insurance policy, the dread of hospitalisation in the USA was a source of worry. I could still face a bill of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

Therefore, despite my desire for adventure, I baulked at the thought of hiking. I spent some time tossing the idea from one opinion to the other. I knew about the consequences of taking risks. Yet, I also knew that if I didn't take on the challenge, I would be flying home with a bitter feeling of regret. Furthermore, I wasn't a neophyte when it came to long-distance walks. I had the experience of the West Country Coastal Path, the Grand Canyon, and the Blue Mountains National Park hikes already under my belt. To miss out on this one would have been a sacrilege!

So the next morning, I hired a bicycle from the hostel and cycled through the town until the urban area gave way to the countryside. There was a metal gate on the quiet roadside, and I thought that this would be a good spot to lock up the bicycle and continue on foot.

A trail led up Rattlesnake Canyon, with Rattlesnake Creek flowing through it as it made its way to the ocean. At certain points, the creek would pond up behind a natural dam before continuing on, and in one of these pools, I enjoyed a cooling swim. At the summit, I watched a paraglider near me take a leap into the sky, then glide gently towards the coast.

The photo below shows the location of Rattlesnake Canyon as seen from the pier. It lies directly north of where I was standing, as the Santa Barbara coastline faced southeast, despite being on the west coast of America.

Arrowed location of Rattlesnake Canyon at Los Padres.

On to San Luis Obispo and Avila Beach.

It took around two hours for the Greyhound Americruiser to cover the 95 miles from Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo. Like Santa Barbara, this was the first time I visited this missionary town. But unlike Santa Barbara or San Diego, San Luis Obispo lacked the touristic verve. It was another way of saying there wasn't much to see there. It was hardly more than a provincial American town. However, its central attraction was Mission Square, founded by Catholic missionary St Junipero Sierra. Like Santa Barbara, this town also had a Spanish-style shopping precinct, which gave a feel of being in a foreign country.

I only spent three days there, and two nights, the shortest stop in California outside Los Angeles, and possibly of the whole Round-the-World trip. I spent the two nights at a HI-AYH hostel, which was a private home with a few more bunk beds installed upstairs; therefore, it could only accommodate a few guests at a time. The member's kitchen was roomy enough to be adequate.

Yet, despite the small size of the hostel, a bicycle was available for hire. I took advantage of the offer and rented it to cover the ten miles from the town to Avila Beach. Unfortunately, the bike didn't come with a chain lock, as all the others had, which meant that throughout the day, I had to keep a close eye on it when not riding. I only wish that I had pointed that out to the owner at the time, rather than discovering its absence after arriving at the coast.

If my knowledge of this part of the world were more complete, I probably would have stayed an extra night, maybe two extra nights, before leaving for Hollywood. There was a hiking trail along the coast leading to a lighthouse, and also, in the opposite direction, Dinosaur Caves Park would have been worth a visit, especially if it was a fossil dig. All this depended on how high the demand the bicycle rentals was.

At the eastern end of the beach was a stub of a headland known as Fossil Point. Viewed from the beach, it had a startling resemblance to a giant domestic cat resting as it faces the sea. I then compared this stretch of beach with its counterpart, Seven Mile Beach in New South Wales, just south of Byron Bay. The north end of Seven Mile Beach also terminated with a stubby headland, Broken Head. Yet, despite their similarities, the two environments couldn't be more different. The Australian beach, reputed for its golden sunshine, was deserted of all people, and it rained heavily, and I was drenched to the skin. In turn, Avila Beach was under warm sunshine and crowded with daytrippers. There was even a live band playing at a nearby garden.

In this week's album, I have included a photo of Seven Mile Beach in Australia. This will enable you to compare the two beaches at a glance. In NSW, I'm looking north towards Broken Head. In California, I'm looking east along Avila Beach towards Fossil Point headland. Like this, I could relate the nostalgia I felt for Australia, even while I was still in California.

For the cycle ride back to town, I had a tailwind. Thus, I was able to ride very fast along the freeway, returning to the hostel in quick time.

During the third day after my arrival, I prepared for the 184-mile bus journey to Hollywood, a stop before the bus terminated at the Los Angeles Bus Station. While I was still in San Luis Obispo, I booked a bed at the AYH Santa Monica, but that night, it was fully booked. Although not originally my intention, it opened a door of opportunity to spend a day at the Hollywood Studios. Indeed, I ended up with a thorough soaking, but I was still impressed by how Hollywood had developed since my first visit to the studios back in 1977.

Click here for the Index to my main Biography, covering Weeks 101-104.

Photos of the Los Padres Mountain Hike.

The trail leading up Rattlesnake Canyon.