NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP
DENVER, COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHER
We made it to....California!!
palm springs -269 6+ hours (because of bad traffic)
burbank-125 miles 4+ hours (because of bad traffic)
We left the blazing sun of Phoenix and headed to Palm Springs. The traffic leaving Phoenix was rough. We sat in virtual standstill for a couple of hours so we made it to Palm Springs later than planned. Entering California was interesting. We had travelled across the country from one side to the other and had not gone through any check points. But when we arrived at the California state line there was a check point. The lady asked me if I had any fruits, vegetables or plants from New York. I answered no, then I was ushered to continue on. I noticed that some of the cacti that had decorated the view on our drive up to now had been exchanged for palm trees. I felt myself smile realizing that this is where I live now! I live in a place with palm trees!!!
I had hoped to explore Palm Springs. But unfortunately (or not) we didn't leave our hotel. At this point in the trip we were tired! We had no motivation to drive if we absolutely didn't need to. So we relaxed. It was needed. My son spent 3 days playing in the pool, so he was very happy.
I was apprehensive about leaving Palm Springs because it meant that we had arrived at the part of the journey that required us to drive through LA. I purposely planned the route so that we avoided the city but I had been advised by everyone that there is no way to avoid the LA traffic unless you go way up towards the mountains. It isn't as scenic and as we know from Flagstaff to Phoenix, I do not like driving through mountains.
We left on a Sunday afternoon. The journey took double what the GPS said, but I think had we left any time Monday-Saturday it would have been worse. We booked a night at the Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown Burbank. It was located just a few minutes walk from the center of downtown where there are lots of restaurants, bars and a mall area.
If you are planning to visit LA, but would like to avoid the traffic and crowds of the city, Burbank, is a great option. It is just 10-15 minutes drive from the Hollywood sign and public transportation is available. Check out the video below of the beautiful tree lined street as we walked into downtown.