Crazy Frequent Flyer Asians: UA38/37 Dreamliner Nonstop to LA, Vegas & Grand Canyon

[SQfanatic]

The next morning, we flew from Vegas back to Los Angeles on AA.



This time our aircraft was an A320...



Inside, AA’s Y hard product on the A320 was remarkably consistent with their 738 Y cabin…with almost identical seats, as far as I could tell…



Good legroom in Y…



An interesting observation was that there was an AA crew member on the welcome screen of the IFE, however there were different crew members on each screen! (There are obviously some repeat faces, but quite a number of different ones…)

As for the AA safety video… I understand there is a need to make safety videos entertaining, but I found the AA video to be a riotous overload of onscreen activity to the point of being distracting...even trippy...

Do I remember the safety instructions? Not really, I was completely distracted by all the extraneous activity in the video...

but I do remember extra hands…



…the picture squares where the escape slide was deployed…



…and the hall of mirrors…





As we took off, we could see, in the distance, Nellis Air Force Base, which is the USAF airbase used for the Red Flag air force training exercises, better known as “Top Gun”, the most recent of which had just concluded earlier in the month.



As we flew from Vegas to LA, we flew over a vast solar farm…





…but otherwise, the land between Vegas and LA was largely uninhabited until we got close to LA…

Great views and TR of AA. I flew this airline last December from SFO-MCO via DFW both ways. Except for the delays, I like the IFE on their A321, but their 767 had nothing, not even a charger :/

Also flew AA from IAD-SFO via CLT, but their A320s were older but did not have these. :/

[SQfanatic]

After deplaning and picking up our luggage, we headed to the departure level to catch an Uber. At the time, surge pricing was in force, and fares were quite high, so rather than head to our hotel, we decided catch an Uber to the nearby In-N-Out burger outlet at 9149 S Sepulveda Boulevard for lunch first.

This is a very popular outlet located just next to a runway at LAX…



All In-N-Out's I have visited have been busy, but this one seemed to be exceptionally so. Both the restaurant queue, and the drive-through, had long lines.



I joined the line...



Everything is made fresh at In-N-Out…you could see the staff working at an amazing pace to fulfill orders, which meant the line moved fairly quickly...



The weather that afternoon was perfect. We sat at a table outside…



…and ate our burgers while watching planes land, including, this Singapore airlines 777-300ER...



As I watched 9V-SWU land after operating SQ12, a 10 hour flight from NRT to LAX, I recalled the last time I was on SQ12, which was in 2015. At that time, this flight was still being operated by an Airbus A380. I remember that flight well because I flew J rather than my usual Y (...and enjoyed every minute of it). And on that occasion, schedules had also coincidentally matched up to allow a brief meeting with the esteemed SQflyergirl who was also in transit at NRT -- a meet up which almost didn't happen!

This is a wonderful In-N-Out to go to for a bit of plane-spotting...not to mention their great burgers!

Honestly, I love In-N-Out, though I'm a vegetarian. Their fries and burgers are out of the world, made really fresh. In-N-Out is California exclusive, so if one had to move to another state, there would be no In-N-Out, just a burger restaurant or something exclusive to that state. Proud to be a Californian, even if I only eat there once in a while.

On the SQ side you're super lucky you got to spot one of their newer 77W(R), 9V-SWU, which obviously operated SQ12 and turning back as SQ7.

[9V-JKL]

In-N-Out is California exclusive, so if one had to move to another state, there would be no In-N-Out, just a burger restaurant or something exclusive to that state.

It’s available in AZ, UT, NV, TX & OR as well

[reddevil0728]

Honestly, I love In-N-Out, though I'm a vegetarian. Their fries and burgers are out of the world, made really fresh. In-N-Out is California exclusive, so if one had to move to another state, there would be no In-N-Out, just a burger restaurant or something exclusive to that state. Proud to be a Californian, even if I only eat there once in a while.

On the SQ side you're super lucky you got to spot one of their newer 77W(R), 9V-SWU, which obviously operated SQ12 and turning back as SQ7.

Are you sure about this?

http://www.in-n-out.com/docs/default..._Printable.pdf

[yflyer]

Remind me to try this if I ever go to Vegas next time. Looks so delicious, though I will control my intake as I'm a pre-diabetic.

Yes, Milk Bar is worth a try!...But everything in moderation of course, especially sugar, which is the new food villain...

I really love the Bellagio shows and their music. I definitely enjoyed their Christmas version when I went back in 2013 and the usual version when I went on MLK weekend of 2016. My hope is that I can go back to LV again in the near future.

I was amazed that each Bellagio fountain show was different: set to different music, with different water fountain choreography to match the mood of the music...

Great views and TR of AA. I flew this airline last December from SFO-MCO via DFW both ways. Except for the delays, I like the IFE on their A321, but their 767 had nothing, not even a charger :/

The AA transcontinental A321s are amazing. Haven't tried the AA 767's. The best 767's I've tried are JAL's.

Honestly, I love In-N-Out, though I'm a vegetarian. Their fries and burgers are out of the world, made really fresh.

I am sure there are many "secret menu" selections as well as not-so-secret options for vegetarians.

It’s available in AZ, UT, NV, TX & OR as well

My issue is that they are not available in SG . The last In-N-Out pop-up in Singapore was way back in 2014...they need to come back soon!

I don't buy the distance argument as to why they can't expand. On SQ or UA, the beef patties, potatoes and buns can get from California to Singapore in 16 hours...

At least Shake Shack is opening in the Changi Jewel next year. Hope they maintain standards!

Are you sure about this?

http://www.in-n-out.com/docs/default..._Printable.pdf

A very useful PDF! Thanks, reddevil0728 and 9V-JKL, for the info!

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...

This was our second last day in LA, and it would be a busy one, at least as far as food was concerned...

We would first be meeting Mrs yflyer's cousin, L, and her family, for lunch, and then, in the evening, we would be catching up with HUGE AL for dinner...

L came to pick us up at the hotel, and we drove over to Little Ethiopia, one of many ethnic neighbourhoods in LA...



This was not huge in the way LA's Koreatown was, but it clearly was a hub of activity for the local Ethiopian community.



We entered Messob, one of several Ethiopian restaurants along the street...





The lunch menu…



I knew nothing about Ethiopian cuisine...it was one of those occasions where absolutely nothing on the menu looked familiar...

The specials…



The menu also included a few tips on dining etiquette...



...including the concept of giving Gursha, where you would give food to your dining companion by placing food directly in your companion's mouth with your hand...

[yflyer]

"Do you want to try the raw beef?", Mrs yflyer's cousin, L asked. The genes for adventurous eating were certainly very apparent in her side of the family...

Kitfo was the most striking thing on the menu: described as finely chopped minced beef with Ethiopian butter, cottage cheese, and hot chillies...

I notice that the menu conveniently omitted the fact that the beef was raw...

But anyone who came here probably knew what he or she was in for.

One review in the LA papers described Kitfo as the "original power lunch"...



Among the diners that day, we did not have a quorum of diners willing to sample this delicacy, and while I would have liked to try it, I did not feel up to more than a bite or two on this occasion -- hardly enough to justify ordering a whole plate of kitfo. We would have to come back on another occasion to sample this intriguing Ethiopian dish. Something for my next trip to LA...

Instead, we ordered a shared platter, the Super Messob Exclusive, which was a mixed plate of many of the specialities of the house. This large platter would be placed in the middle of the table and shared by all, to be eaten with the fingers, along with the Ethiopean staple, injera bread...

But first, local Ethiopian beer...



...and their honey wine/mead...



The large platter arrived...

It looked stunning, and very appetizing...



The all-important injera bread, tasting like a cross between pancakes, dosa and sourdough...quite delicious...



...you used the injera bread to pick up the morsels of meat/vegetable, and to soak up the gravy...not a bad way to dine with your fingers.

There was no cutlery -- everyone used their hands...

Our friendly waitress gave us an orientation tour of what was served on the large platter...



...and then we tucked in...

Mmmmm...this was really very good, with a mix of meat and vegetables, and different sauces and gravies, some of which were mildly spicy. The flavours reminded me a little of a large plate of nasi kandar, or mixed curry rice, except of course that there was no rice, and you had injera bread as the carb component...

[yflyer]

Caught up in the moment, I decided to give Gursha a try...

I scooped up a little portion of meat in a sliver of injera bread...

"Can I feed this to you?"...I asked Mrs yflyer...

...she looked surprised but agreed...this activity is something that definitely needs the consent and cooperation of the receiving party...

Even though Mrs yflyer was my spouse I felt very self conscious as I carefully slipped the food between her lips...

It felt strangely intimate, which I guess was the whole point of the maneuver. A nice tradition, even if it was not our tradition...

As far as I know, that was the only attempt at Gursha at our table that day...maybe I should have more actively encouraged the others at the table to try, at least once...

Even without Gursha, lunch at Messob was a very unique experience, and a rare window into a very different culinary world...

[yflyer]

Another must-try dish at Messob was the fish...

This was whole white trout, fried Ethiopian style, with slices of lemon as garnish...

Wow...a very distinctive way of preparing and presenting fish...



A crisp skin, and fine white flesh...very tasty...

Dessert was baclava...



A memorable meal. Just one of an astonishing variety of ethnic cuisines that you could find in LA.

[yflyer]

On the drive over, I noticed that a sign along the freeway that said La Brea.

"Is that where the La Brea Tar Pits are?" I asked Mrs yflyer's cousin, L ...

"Yes...in fact the Tar Pits are right around the corner..."

...just a 5-10 minute drive away from Little Ethiopia, in fact...

L dropped us off there...





The La Brea Tar Pits are a remarkable archeological site...pits of tar which, over tens of thousands of years have trapped and preserved insects and animals, from mammoths to saber toothed tigers...

There is now a museum there...



...as well as a park open to the public.



The actual tar pits are still present...



With leaves and twigs on top of the soft, sticky tar, it was easy to see how animals would stumble and fall into the well camouflaged tar pits...



Archaeological field work is still going on to this day...



Some actual bones on display...



The actual museum exhibits were stunning and well worth a visit to the museum (Ticket required)...

Mammoth skeleton…



Sabertooth…



Having just come from Las Vegas, I almost laughed out loud at this T-shirt in the museum gift shop...



For anyone visiting LA, I would highly recommend a visit to La Brea...

[yflyer]

Our last stop before dinner was the Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park, on Mount Hollywood.

This is a very popular spot for visitors (and locals), because of the commanding view of LA, and the Hollywood sign from the Observatory, not to mention the Observatory itself, with its exhibits, telescopes, and view of the night sky.



We arrived at dusk...



This was a great spot to view the Hollywood sign…



…and the stars…



There were also amazing views of the city of LA at night…



And inside the Observatory, various astronomy and science-related exhibits, including this Foucault Pendulum, swaying and slowly changing direction based on the earth's rotation...



Some things to be aware of: Cell coverage was not great at the time we were up there, and also that the roads leading up and down from the observatory were narrow, winding, and quite busy.

Here is a pic of the road on the way up...the traffic was worse on the way down...



This meant that it was very hard to call for an Uber car to pick us up from the Observatory...unless the car was in the area, it would be a painfully slow drive up Mount Hollywood to pick us up. We ended up taking an expensive taxi from the Observatory to Santa Monica for dinner...the only taxi ride of our visit to LA...

[orionmiz]

After lunch, we called for an Uber car from outside the In-N-Out.

Our Uber car dropped us off at the Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, in downtown LA…



This hotel has recently undergone a full refurbishment, and has been beautifully redecorated…

Hey, I stayed in this hotel too, during my trip for Los Angeles Marathon 2018 back in March. This is one of the hotel that provides transportation to the start point (at Dodgers Stadium). It's also near to the metro station too (7th Street/Metro Center station).

Our last stop before dinner was the Griffith Observatory, located in Griffith Park, on Mount Hollywood.

This is a very popular spot for visitors (and locals), because of the commanding view of LA, and the Hollywood sign from the Observatory, not to mention the Observatory itself, with its exhibits, telescopes, and view of the night sky.



Some things to be aware of: Cell coverage was not great at the time we were up there, and also that the roads leading up and down from the observatory, were narrow, winding, and quite busy.

Here is a pic of the road on the way up...the traffic was worse on the way down...



This meant that it was very hard to call for an Uber car to pick us up from the Observatory...unless the car was in the Uber, it would be a painfully slow drive up Mount Hollywood to pick us up. We ended up taking an expensive taxi from the Observatory to Santa Monica for dinner...the only taxi ride of our visit to LA...

You can walked down to the bottom of the hill to the main road for better reception, which takes around 15-30 minutes depending on how fast you walk.

By the way, I did walked from Vermont/Sunset station to Griffith Observatory, which took me about 45mins of brisk walking (because i was there in the late morning, and the bus service to Griffith Observatory have not started yet).

[yflyer]

Hey, I stayed in this hotel too, during my trip for Los Angeles Marathon 2018 back in March. This is one of the hotel that provides transportation to the start point (at Dodgers Stadium). It's also near to the metro station too (7th Street/Metro Center station).

You were there for the LA Marathon? Fantastic! Weather must have been great at that time of the year.

Yes, the hotel location is right next to the metro station -- very convenient. I would have taken the metro to Santa Monica beach for my run (A direct train taking less than an hour) but I was short of time that morning...

You can walked down to the bottom of the hill to the main road for better reception, which takes around 15-30 minutes depending on how fast you walk.

Good point...not a bad idea if it was day time...

By the way, I did walked from Vermont/Sunset station to Griffith Observatory, which took me about 45mins of brisk walking (because i was there in the late morning, and the bus service to Griffith Observatory have not started yet).

I would have loved to do a long run around Griffith Park at Mount Hollywood...but I didn't realize it was such an interesting place for a run until we went there on the 2nd last day of the trip, so I didn't have time...

Something to plan for if I am in LA again...

[orionmiz]

You were there for the LA Marathon? Fantastic! Weather must have been great at that time of the year.

Yes, the hotel location is right next to the metro station -- very convenient. I would have taken the metro to Santa Monica beach for my run (A direct train taking less than an hour) but I was short of time that morning...

Yep, the weather was great, other than the very cold morning at 8°C at the start... The route is rather scenic, especially for the 1st half of the marathon, which brings you to the places such as famous Sunset Boulevard which you always see in movies, the Hollywood area, Chinatown, and ends at Santa Monica beach.

Seems like you didn't visit Universal Studios Hollywood or Disneyland at Anaheim. By the way, the 1-hour Studio Tour in Universal Studios is great!

I would have loved to do a long run around Griffith Park at Mount Hollywood...but I didn't realize it was such an interesting place for a run until we went there on the 2nd last day of the trip, so I didn't have time...

Something to plan for if I am in LA again...

Well you can consider going in March, which is when the marathon is held (24 March 2019 for next year).

[yflyer]

Yep, the weather was great, other than the very cold morning at 8°C at the start... The route is rather scenic, especially for the 1st half of the marathon, which brings you to the places such as famous Sunset Boulevard which you always see in movies, the Hollywood area, Chinatown, and ends at Santa Monica beach]

Yes, sounds like a very nice scenic route! Quite a cold start, but preferable to heat, I guess!

Seems like you didn't visit Universal Studios Hollywood or Disneyland at Anaheim. By the way, the 1-hour Studio Tour in Universal Studios is great!

Not this time round...too few days in LA! And the kids weren't with us. Our kids would never forgive us for visiting Disney or Universal without them! On the other hand, they've been to Orlando's Universal Studios and Disney World (Twice!) so they've had their fun...

Well you can consider going in March, which is when the marathon is held (24 March 2019 for next year).

Sure sounds like fun...I have never run even a local marathon, not least a foreign one, but I know friends who do travel overseas just for these, and they have a great time! One of my friends just did the Berlin marathon earlier this month, and he had a great time. Prior to the race our Singapore ambassador to Germany even hosted an informal reception for the participants from Singapore (There were quite a number). It was a very well organised race, from what I hear...