The Smiley Smile Message Board

I’m back! And what a trip it was!

In those 3 weeks that me and my wife were in California and Arizona we’ve really started to love these states. Especially the national parks and forests. We’ve been to Yosemite, Death Valley (where we were so lucky to experience a thunderstorm WITH rain! Unique, as about 5mm’s each year is the maximum, and refreshing as well when it’s +100 degrees Fahrenheit), Grand Canyon, Saguaro, and Joshua Tree. When we drove the coast route, we camped in central Big Sur, at Ventana Creek camping, located in a small canyon, a forest really with a mountain creek just along our camping-site. Beautiful!

Los Angeles of course was another highlight, when talking in Beach Boys terms. We camped at Sycamore Canyon, drove most of Mulholland Drive, went to Hollywood and Beverley Hills, saw Capitol Towers, went to Westwood to see Carl’s grave (not a ‘highlight’, but nonetheless impressive), and even found the Firehouse on Cahuenga Blvd. Hawthorne 119th Street was something else: it feels a bit surrealistic when you’re there. A bit quiet (even with 105 highway just above us), newer houses, different streetstructure. But the monument is there. For a moment I thought that the “The Little Store (as described in the Fall 2005 issue of Endless Summer Quarterly) was still there, but later I found out that this was a new home (in old style): www.map24.com shows that a couple of years ago the old house was broken down as well. We also went to Chez Jay’s. Unfortunately, Jay had already left the building for that day, but ‘sans Jay’ it was nice as well. Didn’t know the restaurant was there for more than 45 years! Driving the Pacific Coast Highway route was really cool. Luckily we took the time for this one, driving it in 2 days.

As a collector I couldn’t resist visiting some record stores. I found Village Music. Although impressive, I couldn’t really find what I was looking for. Did buy Anthony Dean’s book though: great pictures, lousy writing.
We stayed at the hostel at Fisherman’s Wharf (San Francisco), and asked there if there were more stores like these. They recommended Amoeba Records (Haight Street) and Grooves (Market Street, corner with Valencia Street). Amoeba, although impressively big, felt too commercially for me: lot’s of cd’s, dvd’s, and also some records). But recommended for 1 thing: they had 2 copies of the SOT-vinylpessing of SMiLE!! $18,-…in case someone is still looking for it. Too bad I bought mine a few weeks earlier for $10 more…
Grooves is smaller, more quiet, friendly seller. More my style, but unfortunately nothing interesting for me.
The best record store I found though wasn’t in California, but in Tucson Arizona. On our way to a good friend of ours, we passed a shop called ‘PDQ Records and Tapes’. I went there the next day, and I entered record-heaven! The size of Amoeba, but just records, 45’s, tapes, Reels etc. To give an idea: of Holland and In Concert they had at least 5 records each. (no EP’s btw). I really had to make a (financial) choice, and finally left with Today, Holland, and Wilson Phillips ‘Shadow And Light (on vinyl!! strange). Bought some 45’s as well. And happily left the building. Can really recommend this one. I you want to visit it: it’s on the corner of Grant Ave and North Dodge and is also known as Judy’s Music Shop. Btw, don’t expect too much knowledge of the personnel: I had to explain them what an EP was…(answer, oh that’s interesting!).

But, in short, this was the best holiday ever! Probably we’ll go back again someday.

Wow - sounds like a great time. Speaking from over here in the UK I can only say that it's my dream to follow the route you made - and the wife has promised me we'll do it before I turn 50 (still a few years to go on that one !). Fascinating read - nice one !

great report! thanks for sharing :3d

O, and I can recommend you all going to California the way we did:

1. Buy 2 (plane)tickets, rent a car via internet (from Europe it's often cheaper, and we rented a 3-door, but got a 5-door!), take a tent and some camping-gear with you, and just drive and have the time of your life! A little forward-planning on how to drive is recommended of course. You can find a lot of information of other people's experiences and driving-schedules on the internet.
2. Go during springtime:
     - it's not that warm yet (especially in those desert-parks),
     - nature is at his most beautiful, still very green, lot's of flowers, etc.
     - it's not high-season yet, which means the prices for tickets, car-rental, camping-sites are lower
        (hey, I'm Dutch you know!)
     - there's still room left on camping-sites, high-season often means a full camping and reservations are necessary.
3. If you're planning to visit a lot of those National parks: buy a National Park Pass: $50,- , but you can visit all their parks a year long for free. Visiting them individually without that pass will cost you $15-25 for each park...

And if you don't like camping: (almost) each village or city has at least one motel...a bit more expensive, but more comfort as well. Not every Park has motels or lodges though.

But this is off-topic...

Totally forgot, last but not least:

Thank you all for your recommendations. A lot of those locations I wouldn't have found without your help.