RODEO DRIVE
December 26

Graffiti is not restricted to state park plant life. Some other Peter left his mark on a Rodeo Drive tree, two blocks up from the shops. Note the chandelier street lamps, and well-earned naps at LAX, as we wait late at night for our delayed flight to Fiji after a day of driving and walking around Santa Monica, Topanga State Park, Sunset Boulevard, Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Hollywood. Nick's succinct take on L.A. was that it wasn't as "Hollywoodish" as he thought it would be. There was a lot of construction around, and it probably didn't help that it was garbage day on Sunset Boulevard and everyone's trash cans were at the curb. Sarah and I pointed out to Nick that we were actually seeing some of the better, wealthier parts of the city and that there were miles and miles of poor neighborhoods out there.