Last Stop- Long Beach, CA

Speeding across the desert into the veritable armpit of California- Blythe, Indio and the whole of Riverside County, we made our way into Long Beach in the late afternoon. We met up with Emily's friend Kim Johnson, a Marin transplant to Southern California, and dined at Open Sesame, perhaps the best Lebanese food we've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Chicken schwarma, pitas with house-made hummus and Lebanese beer was perfect for this little beach town, the main strip of 2nd St. bustling even on a weeknight.
We found a sports bar down the way where the ladies could talk and Andy could drown his Sarah Palin sorrows in Belgian beer, Moose sleeping on the cool hardwood floor. Our hotel, found after having parted ways with Kim, was the most nondescript Comfort Inn one can imagine, right down to the remote control affixed permanently to the sidetable.
No Pictures of this stop, unfortunately, as scarcity of time, subjects and the fatigue of travel made it impossible.
It felt good to be back in California, and when we traveled in the morning up I-5, over the notorious grapevine and into the central valley by noon, we were in high spirits over our return.
We made it back into San Rafael in the late evening, to find a somewhat pungent refrigerator holding back a few moldy veggies, our comfortable bed ready with fresh sheets, and about $30 of laundry to do. The work of travel doesn't end even upon arrival home!
Moose guarding all our luggage as we take it up the elevator in shifts!