George, my Roadtrip 2009 buddy and Philadelphia-based friend, flew into LA so that we could spend the week discovering Los Angeles. Our 15-day adventure across America ended here in LA on August 23, 2009, but George only got a chance to spend a dozen hours here before jetting back to Philly and most of those hours were spent catching up on sleep. I, on the other hand, have been here for a little over six months, but I have been traveling the country to report on video game at press junkets. This was the first opportunity to see much of LA for the both of us.

After picking George up at Burbank Airport and having him eat at In & Out Burger for the first time, the remainder of the day was spent at Griffith Park. We decided to hike the hills first because it was going to get dark very quickly. After taking in the magnificent views of the city and the nearby Hollywood sign, we wanted to see how far we could get to the sign from where we were at. But, it got darker sooner than we had expected and the “Beware of Rattlesnakes and Cougars” signs made us want to hasten our way back to the main road. Getting lost in the dark put a kink in that plan. Poor cellphone reception and no data for GPS maps didn’t help the matter. When we got back on the right path, we headed to the Griffith Observatory. Because of the time, we were among the last to see Saturn through the observatory’s massive telescope before the line was curtailed. But I feel like we accomplished a lot for the first half-day.

Day 2 started at 6:45 AM because it was jam-packed with activities at Catalina Island. We grabbed a packed-lunch at Ralph’s, boarded the 8:30 AM ferry out of Long Beach Downtown Landing, which cost $66.50, and spent about an hour getting to our destination, Avalon, Catalina Island. By the time we were able to exit the ferry, we only had about 15 minutes to get to Descanso Beach Ocean Sports. That’s where, before 10 AM, kayaking with a life vest, wet suit and snorkeling gear included, cost $45 for 4 hours. After that time, the “not-so-early-bird special” expires and the package costs $52. Needless to say, we hustled down Crescent Avenue mighty fast.

Piloting two yellow Ocean Kayaks, we saw several seal lions and fish as we tried to get as far around the island as possible before stopping for lunch. After every bend, we kept saying, “One more turn,” so much that we must have gone one-fourth of the way around Catalina. Of course, we were tired and running out of time, which after a quick stop for lunch and an attempt at snorkeling, complicated paddling back. Also not helping the situation was the fact that we were paddling against the current. In the nick of time, we made it back at around 2:00 and even though the snorkeling wasn’t very clear, we did get some fun HD video with George’s new underwater camera.

Zip-lining was the final and most expensive excursion at $94 per person. It was also the most adventurous and fun. The rather new Catalina Zip Line Eco Tour had us sailing above canyons at speeds of 45 mph in some cases and dropping from 300 feet off the ground and 500 feet above sea level. As George and I traveled 1,100 lineal feet from the five zip stations, we ended back at Descanso Beach. But, not before taking HD video of each other’s launch and landing. In between that, we were even able to carry the HD cameras while zipping across the lines. Without a doubt, we clutched our videocameras as much as we clutched the harnesses and it made for unique shots of the thrilling experience.

Tired from the full day Sunday, Monday was a little less over-the-top. We went to eat lunch at Langer’s Deli near Echo Park (as Bay Cities in Santa Monica is closed on Mondays), visit Santa Monica and Venice Beach and have dinner at the sushi restaurant Wakano across from my apartment complex in Burbank. Slowly but surely, Tuesday through Thursday ramped up the activity level again: a visit to Universal Studios Hollywood, a full day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, getting my California Driver’s license and celebrating that accomplishment while simultaneously celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Friday was dedicated to driving to and exploring San Diego, the first time in the city for both of us. The first thing we did there was check out the world-famous San Diego Zoo. We saw panda bears, polar bears, giraffe, camels, elephants, zebras, koala bears… the list goes on. Next, we ate a late lunch at Filberto’s, a Mexican fast-food chain that isn’t in LA and certainly isn’t on the Taco Bell-dominated east coast. After watching the sun set at La Jolla Beach, we went to go indoor rock climbing, another first for both of us.

You need to be exceptionally trusting of the your rock climbing partner, as they’re the safety hanging in the air from the rope and falling to the ground with an immediate trip to the hospital or worse. Luckily, George and I have known each other since high school and, all of the “Yeah, sure, I probably won’t drop you” joking we did aside, we weren’t going to bail on each other when we needed to hang tough. Following some vital instruction, we set out to climb various-colored path difficulties and felt good afterwards. Although tired from this fun, but strenuous activity, there was a two-hour drive to Burbank before we could rest and take it easy for George’s last full day in Southern California.