We finally Made it to Los Angeles, CA earlier today. It was a long a grueling trip. There was some beautiful scenery along the way, a dust storm, and some unique characters.On Day One we drove from Key Largo, FL all the way through to Baton Rouge, LA. That was the most grueling part of the journey. We did all of Florida, through Alabama, Mississippi, and finally Louisiana. We had planned to stay closer to Slidell, LA but we couldn't find a pet friendly hotel in the area. The Choice hotel chain claims to have pet friendly locations but I don't think they really practice what they advertise. Luckily we did find a Motel 6 in Baton Rouge that was true to their advertising on being a pet friendly location. The hotel was a located in a somewhat "rough" neighborhood but it was still a welcome reprieve from the road.
On Day Two we got another early start and headed towards the grand expanse of Texas. We made it through much of Texas and wound up staying at the Motel 6 in Ft. Stockton, TX. Note, when taking I-10 West through Texas do not take the short cut through Austin to avoid San Antonio, TX. The short cut does take you through some picturesque little towns but it's full of street lights, stop signs, and reduced speed limits. It's great if you don't have a time table, but otherwise I-10 West would likely be quicker. The Motel 6 in Fort Stockton was much nicer than the one in Baton Rouge.
Day Three we finally made it through the remainder of Texas. SW Texas is very beautiful. The desert was awe inspiring. The scenery was such a sharp contrast to the scenery of origin. It consists of a desolate desert landscape with abundant beauty. Sunrises and sunsets were very dramatic, even without the backdrop of the Florida Keys waters. On that leg of the journey we managed to drive through Texas, New Mexico, and finally into Arizona. We settled in for the evening at the Motel 6 in Chandler, AZ. That was the snobby Motel 6. The person at the front desk tried to tell us that pets were not accepted at that location. They were quick to change their position when questioned about the company policy and the lack of local or city ordinances to the contrary. Compared to the Baton Rouge location it was comparable to a four star hotel.
Day Four got us through Arizona and into California to the Travel Lodge at LAX, great little hotel. It is a garden oasis in what I can only describe as a pit. The Los Angeles area is the most environmentally vile area I can imagine. How the residents actually breathe surprises me. Having lived in Atlanta, GA I am use to living in highly polluted air. But what awaited us here is absolutely disgusting. The air quality resemble footage of the most polluted industrial cities in China. Beyond the post nuclear apocalypse looking sky, there is the litter, the graffiti, and the worst road surfaces of our entire 2,800 mile journey. California has more beautiful locations than the Los Angeles area. If you can, avoid Los Angeles at all costs.
We will spend Thanksgiving and the following day in LA while we get our vehicle picked up for shipment to Kauai. Soon enough we will arrive in paradise.
Aloha!
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