So if I had to sum Hollywood up in one word it would be... MENTAL! We decided to check it out on day two of our trip. The first thing you notice is all the people dressed up as characters from cartoons, movies and TV. I got accosted by Popeye five steps out of the car park who insisted on photos with me and Dan and then informed us he "worked for tips" - should have seen that coming really but I was dazzled by the light after leaving the dark car park and was try...

Saying goodbye to Texas meant the start of my road trip with Dan, and my adventure taking on a whole new dimension. I don't recall ever having to fend for myself in the USA before, because I usually stay with friends or family, so this trip was going to be interesting. We started out with 3 nights in LA. The first night was pretty chilled - a spot of dinner at the dinner next to our hotel and a peppermint tea at the Starbucks over the road, followed by an early ...

On Monday Pru took me to the Texas State Fair. The Texas State Fair is an annual event that started in 1886. You can easily spend all day there riding rides in the amusement park, trying your hand at the various games, visiting museums and exhibitions, and let's not forget the food! Basically if you can think of it someone has fried it and is selling it at the state fair. Highlights for me included: - Giant fried smoked turkey leg. Does exactly what it says on t...

Dad has a job working in Austin now so I decided to take the 4 hour road trip with him to see a new city. Highlights were (again, in no particular order): - Pru joining us for a couple of days and giving me a guided tour of the city and surrounding countryside. I now know where Sandra Bullock lives! - Taking the bus downtown to see the Capitol Building (pictured). The bus was really cheap, only costing $1 each way, and the Capitol Building is very impressive. I...

I really enjoyed my time in Texas. It was great to see Dad, Pru and the family and hard to say goodbye. The highlights for me were: - Spending quality time with Dad after way too long. I really enjoyed getting to hang out with him when he finished work and we'd go and get food. I forgot how much I love talking to my Dad. - Visiting the Cosmic Cafe (www.cosmiccafedallas.com). This used to be my favourite place to eat whenever I came out to see Dad and Pru in Tex...