Lisa

So I stayed in a Westin in Southern California and was awake all night because they put me in a room with clanking pipes and the reek of fresh paint, and they had no extra rooms. It was well worth it, because I wrote a letter and got a free night at any of their hotels. Even though I lived right across the bay at the time, it made for a sweet Valentine’s Day.

There’s a public beach tucked in among the mansions. Check it out. It’s gorgeous.

This was my second favorite memorial, after FDR’s

The feeling is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. You’re completely submerged just “floating” in warmth.

Not for the squeamish. People we were with had to leave.

Make sure you have plenty of gas. Stations are few and far between. We were coasting on fumes but barely made it to a gas station.

smoky, smoky, smoky

Where else can you climb up a waterfall?

Don’t grab lunch and plan to sit on the steps to enjoy it. No eating on the Steps.

Go for the view