Peter's Awe-Inspiring Conquest of California on a Budget

[PeterAlt]

Believe it or not, there are many stories about my trip I've left out because I didn't have time to post them or because I was out of power. I'll try to backtrack and post these. Just some minor things for now...

I told every single person I came in contact with that Florida is without a doubt the worst state in the country (I told some people it was the worst state in the world... Lol).

When I took the bus to Santa Monica, I spoke with this Russian Ukrainian on vacation in the US.

After getting off the bus, we walked to the Santa Monica pier. On the sidewalk, there were two kids working a lemon aid stand, calling us over.

"Excuse me, sirs! Would you like some free lemon aid?"

We walked over to the and they handed us cups with iced lemon aid.

"All you have to do is answer a question for us!" one of the kids said.

"Then, this isn't really free," I said.

The Ukrainian guy said, "Sure, what is the question?"

I'm skeptical by nature, and as the Ukrainian guy engages into conversation with the kid, I'm looking all around the place. Behind a tree in back of us, I see a camera on a tripod and someone working it aimed at us.

The kid said to the Ukrainian guy, "Name one Justin Beaver song."

The Ukrainian guy scratches his head and says, "I know one. It's the one about..."

I interrupt, "Do you know we're being recorded right now? Look behind you. See that tree. See that camera? It's pointed at us."

I turn to the kid, "Is that camera recording us?"

The kid said, "Yes."

"Are there other cameras," I asked.

"Yes," the kid said.

"Where?"

"There's one over there, over there, over there, and over there. And one more over there. You've been pranked for a new television show on Nickelodeon."

"Let me guess, next you're going to ask me to sign a release form, right?" I asked.

"Goodbye! Enjoy your lemon aid!"

As we started walking away, a man ran up to us with a clip board and asked us to sign release forms.

The forms were very vague and did not say what show it was for or for what network. For all I knew the piece could have been for 20/20 or something like that and could say anything out of context. The Ukrainian guy signed the release. I told them to blur my face if they decided to use the footage and I did not sign.

More things happened that same day while I was at the beach. I'll write about these later.

 

[MOXOMUMD]

You definitely had quite the California adventure it sounds like.

 

[PeterAlt]

Another from the event in San Jose...



There are many pics I took throughout the trip I haven't yet posted. I'll post the good ones here slowly as I go through them.

 

[PeterAlt]

Come to think of it, even though that event was out of the way, it added a lot of adventure to the trip. Most people would never ever even consider putting something like that on their itineraries. That's because they're not real adventurers!

 

[MinnieM123]

Come to think of it, even though that event was out of the way, it added a lot of adventure to the trip. Most people would never ever even consider putting something like that on their itineraries. That's because they're not real adventurers!

Well, as they say, to each his own! Glad you had a happy trip and got to experience lots of variety in your itinerary.

 

[PeterAlt]

Well, as they say, to each his own! Glad you had a happy trip and got to experience lots of variety in your itinerary.

And let's not forget that the DFM was originally scheduled in for that Tues. instead of at the last minute on Sunday morning and would have worked out perfectly but that was the one day they weren't opened...

 

[PeterAlt]

More stories from the day at the beach...

Any way, as mentioned above, a Ukrainian/Russian guy and myself were pranked for a show for Nickelodeon. I told them they cod use the footage if they blurred my face and refused to sign the release because the release did not say that name of the show or network it was going to air and I wasn't comfortable signing such a vague release. The Ukrainian guy did sign it and did much of the talking, so the footage will quite possibly get aired.

So, we split up after that. I walked around the beach a and the pier. Beautiful!



I then ventured south by foot to find Venice Beach. As I got close to Venice, I overhead a conversation between two women.

One said to the other, "I hope Joan Rivers is okay! Because I'm going to have to work late tonight and produce that piece..."

I interrupted, "What happened to Joan Rivers?"

"She had a heart attack," the woman told me.

"I didn't know," I said.

I was floored by what she was about to say next. "Yeah. I work for E! and I'm going to have to produce a bit about her and work late if it's anything serious!"

I didn't care who she was and I said exactly how I felt about what she just said: "That's shallow!"

"Well, yeah, I suppose it is," she said

I told her it was good meeting her and continued walking.

I got to Venice, without knowing I was actually in Venice. The beach has a walking lane, two lanes for bicycle and skateboard traffic, and two lanes for motor vehicles.




Any way, after arriving at Venice Beach, there was another camera crew. They were recording a pilot for Nickelodeon called Groove It or Loose It. A dance competition show. I recorded them recording it in 3D. I'll post that on YouTube later.

I then bumped into a group of people who were stuck in California like I was with the original intention of going to Burning Man. I hung out with them for a couple of hours before going back to Santa Monica.






More Santa Monica Beach...

 

[PeterAlt]

These are the people who I hung out with at Venice Beach who were going I go to Burning Man, like I was.


They rented an RV. Good idea!

Another pic from Santa Monica...

 

[MinnieM123]

I told them they cod use the footage if they blurred my face and refused to sign the release because the release did not say that name of the show or network it was going to air and I wasn't comfortable signing such a vague release.

I think you exercised sound judgement by not signing a release, that did not clearly identify either the name of the show or network.

Your pictures are interesting and show what a different "world" it is out there. It's amazing how unique the various differences are between East and West Coasts.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Any way, as mentioned above, a Ukrainian/Russian guy and myself were pranked for a show for Nickelodeon. I told them they cod use the footage if they blurred my face and refused to sign the release because the release did not say that name of the show or network it was going to air and I wasn't comfortable signing such a vague release. The Ukrainian guy did sign it and did much of the talking, so the footage will quite possibly get aired.

I've signed releases for video footage of myself multiple times, but the names are always given. Weird that they didn't give you that information.

 

[PeterAlt]

This is Hotel California... The San Jose Transit Center, where I had to sleep from 3am to 8am because the trains were on a holiday schedule. I had no idea if I was ever going to get back to San Francisco (or home for that matter). This city will haunt me for the rest of my life!

 

[MinnieM123]

View attachment 64710

This is Hotel California... The San Jose Transit Center, where I had to sleep from 3am to 8am because the trains were on a holiday schedule. I had no idea if I was ever going to get back to San Francisco (or home for that matter). This city will haunt me for the rest of my life!

That doesn't look comfy for sleeping, but look at the bright side--at least it wasn't raining that night!

 

[The Mom]

View attachment 64710

This is Hotel California... The San Jose Transit Center, where I had to sleep from 3am to 8am because the trains were on a holiday schedule. I had no idea if I was ever going to get back to San Francisco (or home for that matter). This city will haunt me for the rest of my life!

Or, you might have looked at their schedules online while planning your trip, to see what the weekend (which is what was running when you got stuck) schedule was so you could be sure you could get back, or knew (and budgeted) for an alternative form of transport.

Actually, checking schedules for attractions, travel routes and duration, and payment options for lodging/transportation would have saved you most, if not all, of the stress you suffered on your trip.

 

[Nemo14]

Or, you might have looked at their schedules online while planning your trip, to see what the weekend (which is what was running when you got stuck) schedule was so you could be sure you could get back, or knew (and budgeted) for an alternative form of transport.

Actually, checking schedules for attractions, travel routes and duration, and payment options for lodging/transportation would have saved you most, if not all, of the stress you suffered on your trip.

Exactly!!!Something one would expect anyone his age to do...

 

[Gabe1]

Despite the fact that there were multiple hurdles, I pronounce the trip a success. Did anyone actually think I was going to get everything I planned to do done? I ended up doing everything except DFM and even did a major event that was never originally planned. There were hurdles, delays, unforeseen inconveniences, and close-calls, sure, but nothing stopped the overall plan. I call that pretty darn successful, especially when all the odds were pretty much against me!

What an awesome adventure you had. Yes you had some set backs but you are back home safe and sound, that's all that counts, don't beat yourself up for the missteps, you'll hold the memories of your adventure forever.
You're photo's paint a picture of your adventure, they are excellent. The trip is almost reminiscent of the young adults of the '60s, pilgrimages to California by the seat of their pants something their elders didn't understand which made it even more of an adventure for them. My BFF eldest DD 30 just backpacked through Europe without a master plan for the entire summer on a tight budget. The people she met, the culture she saw were similar to your experiences, not what you necessarily get from tours and quaint hotels. This was not a typical vacation but not one you'll likely ever forget. Treasure it.

 

[PeterAlt]

Or, you might have looked at their schedules online while planning your trip, to see what the weekend (which is what was running when you got stuck) schedule was so you could be sure you could get back, or knew (and budgeted) for an alternative form of transport.

Actually, checking schedules for attractions, travel routes and duration, and payment options for lodging/transportation would have saved you most, if not all, of the stress you suffered on your trip.

True, but in this case, everyone I talked to seemed to have forgotten it was a holiday. Had it not been a holiday, the next train would have been 4am, which isn't bad. I was more concerned about getting there and figured that in a worse case scenario I would just return to San Fran later, which is what happened. It wasn't all that bad. I'm still glad I did it. I'm just saying San Jose is a haunted city. I felt the presence of other souls that didn't make it back and weren't so lucky.

 

[PeterAlt]

Exactly!!!Something one would expect anyone his age to do...

The schedule said 4am. There was only one schedule on the wall. So, I assumed it was the same for any day.

A worker later came out and explained it to me.

My mindset was that I could always find something to do if I had to wait longer. Unfortunately, San Jose is not a 24 hour city and it was literally a ghost town during those house. I did have my iPad and my iPhone and power chargers. So, I did spend most of my time online. I did snooze off for some time but I have no idea how long I slept.

 

[PeterAlt]

Plus I have material now for a screenplay to write.

 

[PeterAlt]

What an awesome adventure you had. Yes you had some set backs but you are back home safe and sound, that's all that counts, don't beat yourself up for the missteps, you'll hold the memories of your adventure forever.
You're photo's paint a picture of your adventure, they are excellent. The trip is almost reminiscent of the young adults of the '60s, pilgrimages to California by the seat of their pants something their elders didn't understand which made it even more of an adventure for them. My BFF eldest DD 30 just backpacked through Europe without a master plan for the entire summer on a tight budget. The people she met, the culture she saw were similar to your experiences, not what you necessarily get from tours and quaint hotels. This was not a typical vacation but not one you'll likely ever forget. Treasure it.

Thank you.

 

[PeterAlt]

Another thing, I just so happens to be that the BART subway passes under San Jose and does not stop. It stops at every city it passes, but not San Jose. If it did stop there, there would be no problem escaping the city at any time. I find it real odd that a big city like San Jose would be absent of a BART station, despite the fact that the BART passes under it! Isn't that weird? It's like that elevator that doesn't stop on the 13th floor but there is a 13th floor and you have to take the stairs to get there but the stairwell is locked and the maintenance people won't be in until the morning.