June 12, 2019
Time flew by and Pop Pop and I reached the seventh and final day of our cross-country road trip. We had my favorite meal of the day at the quaint Southwest Diner that provided a complimentary breakfast with our stay at the Best Western there in Boulder City.
Our last destination of the trip before Los Angeles was another unexpected one for me: The Hoover Dam. I honestly didn’t know there was more to do than look at it, but the national park offers three different tours to learn all about the history and inner-workings of the dam. Pop Pop and I chose the Hoover Dam tour, which taught us about the power plant and how the dam operates plus took us into the tunnels built within the dam itself. Maybe I could have imagined myself one day seeing the dam, but never being inside of it! The amount of steel, concrete and engineering that went into building the dam, which serves places as far as LA, is truly impressive.
After that enlightening tour, Pop Pop and I made a quick stop and walked onto the Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge, which opened in 2010 and redirected most traffic from the part of U.S. Highway 93 that crosses the Hoover Dam. It’s a modern structure that gives a wide view of the dam, which you can see below.
And with our dam visit behind us, off to Los Angeles we went. I haven’t talked about the scenery of the road trip in a few posts, and I have to say I was stunned with the mountainous terrain once we reached Colorado. Everything West of Colorado seems to be never ending mountains and dessert. This really felt true in Nevada and as we headed West on Interstate 15 to Los Angeles.
Four and a half hours and expensive gas later, we made it to Santa Monica, where I will temporarily be staying with my old babysitter, Hallie, until I find a place. That was something my Pop Pop and Hallie’s mother unexpectedly set up, and I am so grateful I have the option to have a place while looking for my new home. Another lucky part of it is Hallie is out of town for a week, so the place is all mine for the time being. It is very trusting and generous of her to allow us to use her apartment without her there.
Pop Pop and I brought some of my belongings into the apartment and got situated before heading out for dinner. I immediately started scanning Craigslist and Los Angeles housing groups on Facebook for potential places, because that was my biggest concern. The apartment in Santa Monica is located right around the block from a street full of restaurants and shops, so we had no problem choosing a small Italian restaurant called Osteria Bigoli. I was more than excited to eat something other than fast food.
After a delicious Dinner, Pop Pop and I strolled back to the apartment where he enjoyed an early night to bed and I stayed up scrolling through housing ads. Night one in Los Angeles was a success and I was more than thankful to have my Pop Pop there with me for the next two days.
Whitmanythought 1: I thought California was supposed to be sunny. Why is it so overcast?!
Whitmanythought 2: I am so thankful Pop Pop will be here for two more nights.
sarawhitmanythoughts 
I, too, am thankful that we had a few days together in LA. I was sorry that I did not get to see Hallie in LA. Hallie’s making her apartment available was so kind and generous! It provided our entire family great relief from our anxiety over your not having a place in LA or, maybe worse yet, your having to pick a place over the internet sight unseen! Thanks for inviting me to share your trip West! I loved experiencing it with you!!!
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I loved it, too. 🙂
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