The gold rush, the silver rush and the transcontinental railway built the prosperity that Hollywood since then successfully presented on the big screen. The settlers who moved over the mountains and founded the largest cities in the West were in search of adventure and money. California still attracts the adventurous in search of success, riches and a carefree life in abundance. Author Joan Didion became famous with her depiction in the book California. She writes that it was the “impatient and the bold” who sought out California.
Burn again, beautiful land, writes Robindon Jeffers, and in recent years California has been plagued by fires. We think about the fires when we go to Santa Barbara. My childhood friend lives there, she is married to a rock star. We sleep in his studio with gold records on the walls. We live in their house with a view of the ocean. There is a long beach here for walking or windsurfing. We shop for food at Lazy Acers, a sumptuous and impressive greengrocer for the successful, well-made up and well-trained yoga mothers.
Santa Barbara is about an hour from LA and about 4 hours from San Francisco. The city has a distinct Spanish heritage. We eat incredibly food at the Montecito Club down by the water. In Santa Barbara there are also cozy restaurants out on the pier and we get a midnight romantic cruise as a gift. It means that we go along the coast at sunset and have a lot of fun mixed with sunset drinks.
There are many different day trips that you can do from Santa Barbara. We get to borrow one of the household cars. We go to places like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Malibu beach, Bel Air, Pasadena, Montesito which are all famous and exciting places to discover.
Around the 1920s, Hollywood and the film industry began to make the city of Los Angeles famous — a city that attracted hippies, actors, celebrities, writers, and artists. I take a celebrity sightseeing bus tour. The guide points out exclusive homes where various celebrities live. We can even pat Taylor Swift’s mailbox, if we want. Justin Bieber isn’t home, but we see his cars parked outside, and in the distance he points at the area where the Kardashian family own several luxury villas. We’re allowed to take pictures. Of course, you can also buy maps showing where different celebrities live, so you can explore on your own instead.
Then we have a classic afternoon tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel, the place is also known for its fantastic brunch in their Polo Lounge on Sundays from 11 am. There are lots of places where celebrities are said to appear. Many people like to see the stars on Sunset Boulevard and the exclusive shopping on Rodeo drive in Beverly hills. Spend a hole day walking around one of the famous film studios that are here or to visit the NASA related Calefornia Science Center with Space Shuttle Endeavore.
Santa Monica beach is called the gold coast. Here you can walk around and check out the ever-running show at Venice Beach, which attracts famous actors and directors. Malibu beach and Malibu Colony Plaza are also a magnet for celebrities and one of the best surfing spots in California.
We can’t get enough of California itself. There are excellent wines and hundreds of wineries here. There are dense forests and high cliffs to follow via Highway 1 out to Big Sur. California also has the Mojave Desert, San Diego County and San Francisco. The city with its famous parades and the famous Financial District. Having a car makes it easier in the USA, many people drive here. Some places are difficult to get to if you don’t have one. Another thing that is good to have, is time. There is so much to see and experience. We stayed for several weeks and we will go back.