Wonderful West 1: A Californian Dream

On the road

We leave from Fiumicino airport in the morning, on the Lufthansa flight that will take us to Frankfurt. After almost nine hours we land again in New York, where we take care of the US entry formalities and wait for the American Airlines flight that will take us to Los Angeles, landing late in the evening. We get our first glimpse from the plane, looking at the vastness of the city we fly over. An hour has passed since we began flying over the city of angels and landing at the airport. Finally on the ground, exhausted from jet lag, we take the bus to the car rental where we pick up the Dodge Durango booked from Italy. Overnight stay near the airport.

Los Angeles & Palm Springs

After a few hours of sleep we began the quick visit of Los Angeles, starting from Beverly Hills where we are amazed by the size of the famous street. A corner of luxury, at this time of year decorated for the holidays in an equally lavish and sparkling way. We are still a bit confused and everything seems to us...like something out of a film. As if we had already been here. We continue, crossing the wealthy Bel Air district, as far as Hollywood, where we park near the Kodak Theatre to walk a short stretch of the Walk of Fame as far as the Chinese Theatre, doing what everyone does, as if on a pilgrimage: finding your own star on the stars and comparing the handprints with those of Hollywood's super stars. Here it feels as if we have changed city, because of the confusion and the somewhat scruffy and decadent appearance.

But even this atmosphere seems like something we have already experienced on TV! We continue further to Griffith Park, from which we enjoy a splendid view over the city and the most famous sign on the hillside on the planet!! Now it is really time to go and set off for our next destination, Palm Springs. We will come back here on the last day of the trip. The first impression? Well...what appears here as cinematic fiction really is like that. We are electrified. After about 250 kilometres on the Californian roads, where everything strikes us for its greatness and vastness, we reach Palm Springs, where we settle into the hotel, the typical Best Western with doors onto the street, and have dinner in a charming Mexican restaurant! Still out of sync from the time difference, we put everything else off until tomorrow.

Joshua Tree NP & Phoenix

In the morning Palm Springs appears to us as a paradise of greenery, palms and golf courses in the middle of the desert. Today we set off again in the direction of Arizona. Along the way we stop for the visit to Joshua Tree N.P., where we bought the National Park Pass; the subscription that allows entry to all the national parks in the USA territory for the registered car. The cost is $50. Right away we're attracted by the solitude and immensity that envelop us. Endless expanses, colors, cacti and Joshua trees open up before us. From the car radio come the notes of country music from a local station....this IS THE TRIP. It feels like I'm dreaming. Looking back we can say that it's almost nothing compared to what we'll see later, but it stays in the heart for the spaces and the silence that reign there.

...........Continues in Wonderful WEST2: Arizona.........

PSYCHEDELIC DEATH VALLEY

...........continues from WonderfulWEST4: NEVADA..........

We re-enter California and turn north. The expanses of the Mojave open in the distance to the mountains, the landscape is immense. Today Pink Floyd are the perfect soundtrack that accompanies us to the entrance of Death Valley NP. From our direction of arrival, we're soon at Zabrinskye Point, from which there's a lunar and spectacular view. The landscape here is psychedelic. For those who have seen Antonioni's film, perhaps it will be illuminating in understanding its spirit. Here too we're alone and the climate is far from the 50° reachable in summer. For the umpteenth time I'm speechless before the greatness of the spaces and the total diversity from what I've ever seen before. We continue toward the Visitor Center and again to the lowest point of the depression, at Badwater Basin, truly very striking. We drive the whole of that called the "Artists road" and we understand why.

Finally we head toward the sand dunes, from which the highway we take to leave the park starts. Now we're headed to Ridgecrest, where we'll spend the night. The many miles we drive reveal another America to us. Poor and desolate. I wouldn't call the clusters of trailers and containers that we pass through towns, but I believe they were. As travelers we like this too, but thinking about those who live there fills us with sadness. Ridgecrest is an absolutely strange place. For the first time the motel not only doesn't have doors on the street, but also has bars on the windows. Few people on the street, closed gates (anomalous for the USA). At the reception they advise us to use the facilities of our room for dinner, equipped with a microwave, table and fridge. Tiredness doesn't make us curious to know more and we decide to accept the advice.

YOSEMITE NP

This morning we're setting off for Yosemite NP. We cross the Californian plain toward the north

For the first time the miles driven seem to never pass. It resembles a bit our Po Valley shrouded in thick fog. The sun welcomes us again as we climb toward the entrance of the park. Here we don't find snow but, despite the season, lots of green. We go immediately toward Yosemite Valley, the park communicates peace and carefreeness with its paths and its waterfalls. There are many animals that we manage to observe up close without problems: birds, squirrels, deer and dulcis in fundo... a wolf, which seems more than accustomed to the human presence. A beautiful day, even if the park is the one that can be considered the most similar to our mountains, or in any case to panoramas we're more used to. In short, it leaves you less breathless. We spend the night in the town of Oakhurst, near the visitor center of the park.

Arrival in San Francisco

This morning we set off in the direction of S.Francisco. Crossing the bridge that takes us into the city, at first sight we're already enthusiastic about it. The hotel here isn't a motel but the Holiday Inn at Civic Center. The time to settle in and we immediately begin with the visit of Pz.Alamo in search of the most beautiful Victorian houses, we continue with the neighborhoods of Castro and NobHill. In the afternoon we leave the car and visit Washington sq. and Union Sq. from where we take our first Cable Car to Fisherman Wharf. The multicultural and global character of the city had already appeared to us while wandering by car, but walking along Market Street between the Civic Center and Union Square it appears to us in its full extent. Here you skirt the perimeter of Tenderloin, a block to avoid in the very center of the city.

On the sidewalks derelicts, prostitutes, shady characters wander around or warm themselves on braziers lit in the middle of the street. They look at us, and we don't feel particularly at ease with our cameras in sight. A few meters are enough to return to normality and to the luxury of the boutiques of Union Square.... The piers of Fisherman are an attraction not to be missed, as is the unmissable dinner based on crabs and clam chowder! The soup is excellent. We make it all the way to the famous Pier39, from which the view of the bay at night, Alcatraz and the Golden Gate in the distance is unforgettable. Dinner at the Crab House.

SAN FRANCISCO

This morning we leave the car in the garage. We return to Fisherman's Wharf with the cable car and, after a round of shops and souvenirs, we begin a long walk through the neighborhoods of North Beach, China Town, Financial District, Coit Tower until we return to Union Square. Despite the biting cold we fall in love with this city and the diversity of each of its neighborhoods. We feel a bit at home at the ringing of the bells in Washington Square, we are struck by the Chinese neighborhood, the skyline in the financial one is remarkable. In the afternoon, back in the car, we devote ourselves to the Marina and Presidio neighborhoods and, naturally, to the Golden Gate which we will photograph from every possible angle. We cross it and visit the delightful Sausalito and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area: the view of the entire city across the bridge alone deserves a stop.

We return to the city crossing the neighborhoods of Tween Picks and Richmond. Evening again at Fisherman's Wharf..we can't resist a second visit to the "Crab House".

MONTEREY&CARMEL

With a bit of regret we leave San Francisco, heading south again, traveling along California's Highway 1, described by many as one of the most beautiful roads in the world. First stop Monterey: a true jewel. We visit the old pier, Cannery Row, we walk along the waterfront admiring its beautiful and well-kept gardens. We drive the 17 Mile Drive with numerous photo stops and a stop at the super-rich Pebble Beach. Driving these 17 miles of road has a fee, but it is absolutely money well spent. The villas, the beaches, the ocean views, the postcard of the famous "Lone Cypress" are unmissable. Having reached Carmel we visit the Mission of San Carlo Borromeo, one of the first founded in California. We continue on Highway 1 crossing the entire Big Sur area. Perhaps it really is the most beautiful highway in the world.

We stop again to see the sea lions breeding at Morro Bay and we arrive exhausted in Pismo Beach, where we spend the night

The beaches of Los Angeles

We take Highway 1 again, heading south. Today there is a bit of sadness since it is the last day on American soil, at 9:00 pm the flight that will take us back to New York awaits us. We visit the beautiful town of Santa Barbara and continue south. We speed along while beside us the most famous, very long beaches of California begin to scroll by. My mind catapults back in time, with images of surf films in my eyes and the Beach Boys in my ears.....We visit Malibu, Santa Monica and its pier where we spend a few hours on the beach. Finally we go to Venice Beach: it is absolutely not to be missed for the varied human types you will meet here and for the unique atmosphere that overwhelms you. A wonderful sunset over the ocean gives me a fantastic goodbye, because I already can't wait to return and start again....... We leave the sunset behind to return to the Airport.

We also leave the Durango behind with nostalgia...which after 16 days shows 4998 miles..not even one will be forgotten.