Hollywood and Santa Monica

After leaving Watsonville, we found a gem of a place to stay, with one exception, to be discussed momentarily.  We drove to Tapo Canyon in Simi Valley on Thanksgiving Day.  Yep, a whole lotta miles with PBJ and taco salad on the menu.  Can't say it felt much like Thanksgiving, but that's okay.  We did have a fabulous, early Thanksgiving with my sister Janet and her family, so we were all thankful for that.  This place had nice, spacious concrete sites, with a nice bathhouse, pay showers, and a lovely playground...and awesome sunsets.  The only downside was the sugar ant population that located our rig and decided to take up residence indoors.  The warmer, dryer weather was a welcome, needed change after the cool, damp temps in Watsonville.  We discovered that our rig doesn't do cool, damp weather well; our windows and walls were dripping condensation!  It was good to have the chance to let everything dry out and air out, even if it did come with sugar ants!

The Jakeman

While here, we planned to visit the Ronald Reagan Library & Museum.  Steve was sure that everyone would be at the malls for Black Friday, but he was oh so wrong.  Steve dropped us off at the entrance, then went back to find parking.  He found parking along the road at the 13th president, walked back, saw the line to purchase tickets for entry, and determined it would be an unwise choice considering we were there with four kids.  When we left, the parking lot was still full, and both sides of the road were lined with cars nearly all the way back to the main road.  Craziness!!

We decided to drive through Hollywood, though we didn't stop.  Apparently the last time Steve saw Hollywood he didn't get a good view of the famous Hollywood sign & needed to remedy that.  He did, and then he was ready to move on.

Hollywood Blvd

Off to Santa Monica we went.  We found parking right off the pier for $7.  There were plenty of people there, so we were sure we wouldn't find any treasures along the beach.  Alyssa was the first one to find an intact sand dollar!  A tiny, intact sand dollar!  She proceeded to find two more tiny little sand dollars; the smallest one was almost identical in size to a dime, with the others slightly larger.  Shanan & I also found a larger, intact sand dollar each, and Steve once again watched the two little ones have a blast covering themselves and everything around them with sand.  Jake flirted with some more Asians and got his picture taken, something that seems to happen a fair amount on these travels;.I think it must be a cultural thing.

We walked out on the pier and watched a beautiful sunset.  Plenty of people watching to do here!  Plenty of street performers, too!  Fun times were had here in Santa Monica!