Our flight from Vancouver to Los Angeles was smooth and event-free. We knew our three nights here were going to be very comfortable when we first set eyes on our huge motel unit with the bedroom upstairs overlooking a big living space.

The weather was glorious with sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid to high twenties. It was very pleasant to shed our cool weather clothes and feel the sunshine on our skin again. On our first day here we did some sight seeing around Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Yes, all touristy things I know, but hey, this is L.A. It is the law - you must see these places. Anyone who doesn't get a kick out of catching a first glimpse of the huge Hollywood sign in the hills or spotting names of stars on the Hollywood Boulevard walk of fame is either lying or dead. It is all good fun. And then to glimpse the famous street signs like Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive - more good fun. All the hotels and sights shot in famous movies keep leaping out at you. This is Hollywood, baby!

The highlight of our first day, however, was the afternoon spent at Santa Monica. We strolled along the beachfront towards Venice Beach and marveled at the width of the beach and the wide winding paths for walkers, joggers, cyclists, roller-bladers and anyone else who loves the great outdoors. I kept expecting Pamela Anderson to run down the beach in a red swim suit and dive into the water to save a soul in distress. She didn't, but we did see the little towers in which she worked dotted all along the beach. We dipped our toes into the Pacific Ocean and agreed it felt much the same as it does on our East Coast.

Next we walked out onto the Santa Monica Pier, did a spot of people watching and lapped up the carnival atmosphere evoked by its famous ferris wheel and roller-coaster. As the day drew to a close we found a great little bar on the pier and saluted the setting sun with cold Margaritas and hot fish and chips. The sun sank gloriously, all rosy and red, into the Pacific. What a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

Day 2 was a rest day for the men. Helen and I, however, decided more fun was in order so we headed to Disney to nurture the inner child we still possess. Despite the crowds, we got to do most things and go on most of the rides. Now, the corny bit ... we loved the It's a Small World ride so much we did it twice! Everything around the park was decked out in pumpkins to mark the approaching Halloween season. Another great day all around.

Now we are about to board the ship for the next leg of our cruise - 15 days down the coast, through the Panama Canal and up to Miami.