Leesa Turner: America Day 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 & 35 – Route 66, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Carmel Valley, San Francisco and back to Carmel Valley

Ahhhh… I have been so busy that I haven’t been able to update my blog for so long. Even though I have so much cool stuff to update all my lovely friends and family on! I literally have not had a spare second, which also accounts for a lot of lack of sleep and general all round tiredness. Wow… I think I am going to need a holiday after this holiday!

DAY 27

Yay, so I finally felt better on after my long rest day and night. I woke up with so much energy it was ridiculous. Which was awesome because it was off to VEGAS! Woo! It was funny though because everyone else had a massive night in the Grand Canyon so they were all tired and hung over which was a huge mistake for them… not me though!

On the way to Vegas we watched ‘The Hangover’ on the bus. It made me so much more excited to go to Vegas, if that was even possible. AND then we stopped at Route 66! Yay! It was pretty cool just because of how famous it is!

Getting my kicks off Route 66

Then it was onto Vegas! That was an epic moment of the trip finally driving into Vegas. I have never been so excited then that point of the trip. Our hotel was directly across from Caesar’s Palace. It was a casino called Harrahs. It was actually really cool and again added to my excitement. Then we quickly went to get shopping in before our big night out.

The shopping mall was so cool. I forgot what it was called but it was a part of Caesar’s Palace. So Cool!

Spiral staircase escalators!! So cool!!

Hmm... I was confused... inside or outside??

Then it was getting all dressed up for my first night out in Vegas. First it was the nightly city tour though. Where we went to the Vegas sign and all the hotspots.

Viva Las Vegas!

Lots of bus fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!

Then it was off to Jaime Fox’s birthday party the Playboy Club in the Palms. It was a little amazing.

Oh Leesa... no no no!!

Bec, Dan, Eli and Me! At least I managed to smile and keep my eyes open here!

Then everyone left because Jamie Fox was late. They were going to come back but went to Ghost Bar in the meantime. I was over nightclubs and wanted to go to the strip to check out all the massive casinos. Most people stayed at the clubs, but me and my friends Dan and Eli went to the strip for lots of casino fun. We found out the net day that Jamie Fox did show up and sing and all that but I wasn’t too worried because I had an amazingly fun night anyway.

We started with shots at our casino bar. Then we decided we had to do one at every casino we went to. There are a lot of casinos in Vegas so that was a silly idea. Here are some of the photos we got of the shots.

Shot 1 - Harrahs

Shot 2 - Caesars Palace

Shot 3 - New York New York

Shot 4 - MGM Grand

Then we had lots of fun running all over the strip. I’ll let the photos do the talking…

Las Vegas Po Po

Is this the real Caesars Palace? Did Caesar live here?

Oh pretty Bellagio at night where we waited for live 1/2 an hour for the fountain show before we found out it stops at midnight

Random party bus that we jumped on while it was parked at the lights. It took us to MGM Grand in fun and style!

Me and Dan partying on the party bus... it's what you do!

Playing the Sex and the City machine in New York New York

One big bottle of Bacardi in the MGM Grand

New York New York

I didn’t get home until 4am that night. I remember lying in bed and seeing a green light floating around my room and I told myself I had to stay awake and watch that light until I could make it stay still. I fell asleep! I blame that light for my hangover the next day. I figured out that the light was actually from the smoke detector and it was just one spot that didn’t move. So obviously I could not see properly. I stupidly then got up at 8am. So silly!

DAY 28

Anyway, I started the day by trying to eat something, which didn’t work very well. I could not eat no matter how hungry I was. So instead I walked the strip sober and during the day just so I could really check everything out and take it all in.

Vegas Vegas Vegas Strip! Yay!

We went to so many places. We went to ‘Paris’, which was so amazing because it has an Eiffel Tower and inside looks like you are under the Eiffel Tower and the sky above. We went to MGM and saw the Lion habitat. We went to New York New York, which has a rollercoaster (which I couldn’t ride because of the hangover) and the Statue of Liberty. Then we watched the fountain show at the Bellagio. I literally started to tear up it was so beautiful and just made you feel like you really were in Las Vegas… just in case the hangover I was suffering from wasn’t enough of a reminder.

Pretty Bellagio fountains themed to 'Time to say goodbye'... AMAZING!

Then unfortunately there was no time to rest so it was onto the bus for a trip to downtown Las Vegas. It wasn’t that great though. We had some dinner quickly and watched this music light show thingy. It’s hard to explain but all the casinos were covered. The roof was actually made into one huge television. It was all blank until the show started and then they just had really cool pictures and music playing. All kind of hippy themed and really pretty, but it wasn't ultra amazing.

Fremont Street in Downtown LA

After downtown Las Vegas we were driving back to the strip. We had all paid for a ‘surprise’ optional activity. It was $10 but we had no idea what it was going to be. We did figure out though that it was the last night we would all be together because some people were not driving with us to LA the next day and they were staying at Vegas. So, the surprise activity had to happen that night.

We pulled off the road and the tour guide pretended that the bus had overheated. After they walked around outside for ages and made phone calls they told us that they had organised taxi’s for everyone to get back to the strip. We had to come wait in the place around the corner. We didn’t buy it at all. We knew it was the surprise.

We got around the corner and walked into a Vegas wedding chapel. It was so cool. We all sat in the little chapel and Elvis cam out and sang some songs for us. It was hilarious. They then told us all the history of the chapel and it was the first one in Vegas and had actually been heritage listed. It was actually really cute, although I could never bring myself to actually get married in one.

A historical wedding chapel!

Then Elvis asked if we would like to see an actual wedding ceremony. He called up to people on our tour. The tour manager had actually prearranged these two because he thought they were good friends and would take it as a good joke. What he didn’t know though was that they had actually hooked up a couple of nights before so it was even funnier and more awkward!

Every little girls dream wedding

Miraculously when the wedding ceremony was over the bus fixed itself. YAY! So we went back to the hotel to get all dressed up for another big night in Vegas with lots of activities to get through.

We started with a beautiful gondola ride at the Venetian casino.

Gondola (pronounced gon-doe(like a deer)-la) riders

So Italian!

Then we went and watched the Bellagio fountains at night, which was really pretty but the song wasn’t as beautiful as the daytime one. I was really glad I got to watch it during the day otherwise I might not have been so amazed by them.

Still so pretty!

After our gondola ride and fountain watching we then went in a limo all over Vegas with lots of free champagne. Well it wasn’t really a limo but a massive stretch hummer. It was so cool cause it was the first time I had been in a limo and it was all around Vegas. Before that point of the night I was saying how tired I was and that I might just have a couple of drinks and a fairly early night. The free champagne and limo ride changed my mind.

Wow, Limo Ride in Vegas!!

I was looking for a sunroof so I could stick my head out of it but there was none. So the driver directed me to the window.

The things you have to do in a Limo

Me and Keri hanging out the window

Yay... fun!!

I had an absolute ball in that limo. I really felt like it was an experience. The limo’s then dropped us off at another nightclub but the same people I hit the strip with the night before and me decided we just wanted to go see more casinos and more of the strip instead of another nightclub.

The original three Vegas brat pack!

We went back to our hotel and started the night there again. Since the night before we had a jagerbomb shot at every hotel we went to we decided that the other people who wanted to come on our strip adventure had to do an initiation jagerbomb with us.

Could not do too many of these shots again!

Then it was a drink for the road and starting our strip trip all over again.

I love when you can take your drinks in the street with you

So glad I didn't get on the bull this time, I have learnt my lesson!

Cocktails in Margaritaville

Winning at Blackjack... before losing!

Snack time at Hooters Casino

Time to go home Leesa!

Then I was absolutely wrecked and went back to the hotel and passed out for the very last time on tour. Oh so sad but an amazing night to end on.

DAY 29

Waking up in Vegas on our last morning together was so sad. We were leaving Vegas, which was sad enough, but knowing that we were all leaving each other was even sadder. We all piled onto the bus for the very last time and drove to LA.

Driving into LA was not what I expected. It was very epic because of all the California themed music we had but the city was covered in what I thought was fog because it wasn’t a very good day but apparently that was just smog. Ew! It was way worse then New York, which I thought was amazing. It is just because everyone drives their car, which I later figured out was because the public transport is so terrible in LA and all of LA is so spread out.

Getting off the bus was just a weird experience. We all knew we were about to say goodbye but no one wanted to be the first ones to leave. When we finally got to saying goodbye I balled my eyes out. I didn’t think I would be as upset as I was. It was just like saying goodbye to family, which is what they had become. They were the nicest, happiest and funniest bunch of people I have ever met and I miss them so much!

Knowing that Keri had to fly out the next day we decided to go see the Walk of Fame and the Chinese Theatre that night so she didn’t miss out.

There was actually a line up to take a photo at this star!

Clint Eastwood has bigger hands then me

HARRY POTTER!!

Chinese Theatre

This was actually a little scary... this guy liked his job a little too much!

So girly!

A for Arnie

Hollywood Blvd

We also had some dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood, which was fun.

We then had some more fun along the Walk of Fame and we were all buggered from lack of sleep after Vegas and exhaustion from all the sad goodbyes. It was home time for much needed sleep for Disneyland the next day. We really tried to jam a lot into the little time we had in LA.

DAY 30

Ahhh… Oh my god… DISNEYLAND!! We got up at like 6.30 to leave the hotel at 7.30 because we wanted to get loads and loads into our day at Disneyland.

Firstly, I had to start by saying goodbye to my bestest friend on tour, Keri. We both cried and hugged so much. I miss her heaps already and to make matters worse she is all the way in England so it isn’t like saying goodbye to everyone else who were mainly all Australians and I will see back home. Keri is starting to plan her holiday to Australia already though. I cannot wait!

After making myself look horrible by crying so much it was off to the happiest place on earth.

We hopped on the subway on our way to Anaheim. We should have been a little concerned that our subway went to through a stop in Compton. Another warning sign should have been that we were six white Australians on a subway full of black people and Mexicans. The final warning sign should have been that when we hopped off at the Anaheim station we didn’t feel like we were in the happiest place in earth.

We crossed the road and went into a store to ask were Disneyland was to which the lady replied, “You in Long Beach!” Not exactly sure what that meant we all stared at her blankly. She explained to us that we got off at Anaheim Street Station in Long Beach and that we were about 40 minutes away from Disneyland. We decided we were just going to catch a cab to Disneyland now because of all the drama. We didn’t expect that decision to be so hard either. We could not find a cab anywhere. Although I don’t blame cab drivers because I wouldn’t want to pick people up from that area either.

We finally found a hotel that called us a personal driver that just cost us like $15 each to Disneyland or wherever we wanted to go. It was awesome because it was no hassle and we also could call him whenever we wanted to that night and he would pick us back up.

The hotel that we waited at initially for the driver had this sign out the front…

Oh, I was dying to stay in this hotel!

We finally made it to Disneyland about 10.30, which wasn’t too bad anyway because it was open until midnight. We got a lot done while we were there. Obviously it would be so hard for me to write everything so here are heaps of photos!!!

The Happiest place on Earth

It's a Bug's Life 3D adventure

Chipmunks!

More 3D fun in the Muppet show

I was not getting wet in that weather... ponchos all the way!

We looked ridiculous... we even wrapped our feet in plastic bags

All the girls with Mickey at California Adventure

The most amazing show ever... it was fountains, lights and disney music. Blew the Bellagio out of the water completely. I filmed so much of it so I will show everyone when I get home. Absolutely amazing!!

After being promised all day that we would find Goofy, I thought I had to settle for a picture of Goofy, until...

WE FOUND HIM!!! I think I scared him because I kept hugging him and telling him that he was my favourite! I was so his most crazed fa for the day!

Everyone loves Goofy!

Yay... Disney castle... so happy!

So pretty all lit up

We got picked up by our personal driver friend at 11.45 and all collapsed when we got home from such an amazing and exhausting day! I absolutely loved Disneyland. It was not like an amusement park so much but more like an actually town. There was some rides but it was more amazing looking at everything. All of Disney had come together. It was like where all the movies were made. It really was like I was a little kid again and it was magical.

DAY 31

I do not know how I was able to function this day. I remember waking up and feeling like the whole month worth of travel had just hot me. I was the most tired and exhausted I had been for the entire time I was in America. Even worse then when I was jet lagged. I told myself though that I only had this one last day in LA and I had to make the most of it. I don’t have much longer left in America and I wanted to make the most of the time I did have left.

A half an hour long shower later and I was able to function a little better. Our first stop for the day was Warner Brothers Studios! It was so cool.

They began the tour by playing a montage of all the movies that had been made by Warner Brothers. It just got me star struck. I realised where I was and really felt I was in the land where all the movies and television was made. It was exciting.

We went through the back lot of Warner Brothers, the prop storage and the front lot and saw all this stuff…

The front of the orphanage in 'Annie'

Jim Carey's apartment in 'The Mask'

Restaurant set used for an upcoming episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'

An alley where Rachel and Monica hid and spied of some star (can't remember who) in an episode of 'Friends'

Down these stairs Gizmo was bought in 'Gremlins'

Carrie Bradshwa sat on these steps in an episode if 'Sex and the City' after a meeting with Matthew McConaughey and was told she was not allowed to smoke there... to which she replied 'But this is New York' because it was actually a set of New York. I have watched way too much 'Sex and the City'

This is the ally where the famous spiderman upside down kiss happened

Where they go skinny dipping in 'Tru Blood'

Where they stop to get the world's best lemon pie in 'Million Dollar Baby'

Front of Christopher's Dad's house in 'Gilmore Girls'

The back pouch on the 'Gilmore Girls'

The REAL Scobby Doo car

The REAL Batman cars

Oh my god, the REAL Harry Potter car that got beaten

The General Lee from 'Dukes of Hazzard'

Lucky 7 - Where they filmed movies such as Casablanca, Gypsy and My Fair Lady

Ahhh... Central Perk

Sitting on the REAL 'Friends' couch

I'm in the Central Perk

We also went to the sound stage of Two and a Half Men (manly men show). It was really cool because we saw the beach side house they are supposed to live in. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos!

We weren’t allowed to take photos either of the Warner Brothers museum that we went into. It was really cool. It mainly had all the costumes from loads and loads of Warner Brothers movies and TV shows. They were the real ones actually worn by the actors. It was funny because they all look tacky ad not really amazing like I thought some of them would. I guess the editors of movies do a good job at making them look amazing on film.

Some of the costumes I saw was the Batman suit worn by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger’s joker costume as well as the nurse one he wore, costumes worn by Sam and Dean Winchester on Supernatural (insert squeal here Shell!! – our boyfriends!!) and Gossip girl costumes. There were loads and loads more I just can’t remember anything at the moment. The best part was the second floor of the museum that was dedicated solely to Harry Potter costumes and props. AMAZING!!

I got to try in the REAL sorting hat. It put me in Slytherin! I was so angry but then I figured out it is just on continuous loop and put people in the following order, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Gryffindor and Slytherin. So I tried it on again when it suited me and funnily enough I got put in Gryffindor. There was heaps more there too like the costumes worn by Hagrid, Cederic Diggory and lots from Harry, Hermione and Ron. I also saw the Goblet of Fire, the Triwizard cup, the room under the stairs that Harry lived in, Tom Riddles diary, and the sward of Godric Gryffindor… eh, I could go on forever. I finally managed to drag myself away from there and then we had to finish the tour.

After all the excitement of Warner Brothers we got a quick bite to eat and then it was onto the HBC studios for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Yay... This was really fun

Waiting in line for Jay Leno

On the tonight show we got to see Jason Segel who was really funny. Just in case you don’t know who he is, he is Marshall from ‘How I met your mother’ and he was in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. On the show, there were also the hosts of Top Gear America but I didn’t know who they were. It was just cool to see how it all works behind the camera.

I was so exhausted by the time I got back to the hotel that we ate a really nice dinner in the hotel restaurant, packed my things, watched a bit of the Jay Leno show we went to then went to sleep cause I got to see Duckface the next day… woooo!!!

DAY 32

ANOTHER early morning that felt just like being back on tour. I got up and was running so late for the shuttle bus that was going to take me to the airport. It was actually waiting out the front of the hotel when I finally got to the lobby. I felt a little bad because there were other people waiting inside the shuttle already that it had already picked up from other hotels… oops!

I got to the airport at like 8am and my flight was at 10am. I didn’t get to my terminal until 9.45am. Let me just point out how much I hate LAX airport! For something that is so huge and used so much, they have the worst systems and procedures EVER! Anyway, since it is over now I can relax.

I got on a little plane and flew off to meet Ducky! It was kind of strange flying out of a massive airport like LAX into a tiny airport that I think is smaller then Canberra airport (especially since Canberra airport has had all the renovations). Was so excited to see Duckface though.

At that point it all kind of hit me that my holiday was nearly over. All my Contiki friends are gone and all the Contiki organisation is gone. It was nice but sad at the same time. I actually have to start using my brain a little again (try to resist making jokes right now)!

We then went to pick up our hire car! Oh my god… this was the most amazing car you have ever seen in your life. Eh, sarcasm does not translate well through writing. This car was hilariously ugly!

A Nissan Cube... it is literally a cube!

Ducky then drove me back to his camp and showed me all around. It was really cool to see what an American Summer Camp looks like and to finally put places and pictures to Ducky’s stories. I will make sure I take photos so I can put them up.

We couldn’t spend too long at camp though. Ducky went and did some work while I did my washing and watched a movie. I think I mainly fell asleep though. I really feel like everything is catching up to me.

We left camp at around 4.30ish and headed to San Francisco!

We stayed at Ducky’s friend’s friend’s house. This was kind of weird because I hadn’t met Ducky’s friend before and the Ducky had never met the people whose house we were staying at. I felt a little uncomfortable but Ducky was used to it. Anyway, it was free accommodation and the house, while being a boy style frat house, was amazing! It was in a really expensive area, was three stories high, had 9 bedrooms, loads of bathrooms and on the top it had this room with a massive glass window that looked out over the Golden Gate Bridge.

The parents who owned the house just sort of gave it to their sons to use as a weekend house. The son’s do not even live there all the time. It is just a half way party style house for rich kids. It was definitely a different experience. I would be so unbelievably amazed if I could have a house as good as that but these kids are just so used to that lifestyle that it was nothing to them. I mean the kitchen/dining area alone was the size of my entire house, if not bigger!! Was interesting to experience that!

The first night in San Francisco we went out with Ducky’s friend and all his friends. We had dinner at a nice restaurant first and then went to some club that only placed music with no words. Inside it was like a warehouse. It was actually loads of fun though. I think we were the only normalish people there though. Everyone was… different!

Fun at the Nightclub!

Wow... bad photo but look at the tallest man alive in the background

Me and Duckface partying!

We then went to one of the guys apartments in the city, which was again amazing. These kids were all really rich… or at least their parents were. We didn’t get home until like 4.30am! This obviously didn’t help with how tired I was making myself. 6 weeks of touring and partying is really catching up… I know I have said that a few times but I am seriously starting to die!

DAY 33

At least we kind of slept in the next day. I don’t think we got out of bed until like 11.30. We went and got a quick bit to eat. It was a terrible day so we thought we would try stay in the car while getting as much touristy things done as possible.

We went to Baker’s Beach were the Princess Diaries filmed a little and took photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.

I was obsessed with this bridge!

Then because it had stopped spitting rain at us we decided to go play on the beach a little and get closer to the bridge! I was so excited when I realised that we were next to the Pacific Ocean because I knew that it was the same Ocean that touched the east coast of Australia. I miss home!

Oh look... Australia!

Then I had lots of fun playing in the sand! I forgot how much I loved beaches even if it is rainy and cold.

All our love from San Francisco

Yay

Love you daddy!

Because I am the luckiest person in the world, it then started to rain! Yay. We had to get to the other end of the beach and up the stairs. I was drenched by the time I made it to the car. Plus I was wearing jeans, which was just yucky. Oh well, we still had a few more things to see.

Just around the corner from the beach we were at was Robin Williams’ house. It was huge.

It's soooo big!

He is in Australia at the moment though so we couldn’t go knock or wait around for him. Oh well!

We then drove to Lombard Street, which is just a really windy and steep street. It was just really random! It is on a long straight street and then randomly for one block they put in this brick road that is just stupidly windy. It was a fun activity though!

Windy Windy Windy

We got a little lost too and ended up on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge were we stopped for more photos

It's pretty from both sides

After our little touristy day we went and visited one of Ducky’s friends from camp and she cooked us some dinner. Instead of spending more money and going out again in San Francisco, we went to watch a movie. Thank god because I could not have handled another night out. We watched ‘Love and other drugs’ which was ok.

After we got back to the random mansion frat house thingy, everyone was just leaving to go out. Since there was too cars they asked us to drive them out. It wasn’t my car that I was driving on the wrong side of the road so I was keen for it. It actually wasn’t that weird driving on the wrong side of the road but apparently I was staying really close to the right side. I got the hang of it pretty easily though and then it was just simple.

Then I got to speak to Barry on Skype before I went to sleep!

DAY 34

We first woke up at about 8.30 on this miserably wet Sunday. I was so keen the night before to go to Alcatraz and Fishermans Warf, but when I woke up in the morning I just wanted to keep sleeping and forget about doing everything else. So that is exactly what I did. I didn’t wake up until 11.30! When I did wake up though I still wanted to go to Alcatraz and Fishermans Warf. So we did!! Yay!!

We caught a boat out to Alcatraz Island. It was soooooo windy! It was fun though!

Wow it was windy!

Alcatraz

The only thing we really did on the island was visit the prison. Which is all I wanted to do so Yay! It was pretty cool cause visiting a prison was another first for me. Plus Alcatraz was pretty amazing in itself. Remind me to never commit a crime that I will need to go to prison for. Well, maybe to be safe, not to commit any crime! Anyhoo, here’s some more photos of Alcatraz!

Let me out!

You have to pee in front of everyone... embarrassing!

Prison version of New York

Dining hall!

After we got back from the island we walked around Fishermans Warf for a bit. In particular we hung around pier 39 and went and saw the Sea Lions.

Peir 39

Fisherman's Warf

Sea Lions

Me and Duckface just chilling by the Warf

Cookie's and Cream YUMMY!!!

Then, buggered again after another busy day it was back to the cube and back to camp! A couple of quite days until I leave for Canada! What the hell do I do in Vancouver??

DAY 35

Really there is nothing exciting I did today. We slept in, returned the rental car, went to the supermarket and then watched a movie while updating this blog.