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We picked up our car from the airport at Las Vegas (a midsize Pontiac which was good) and drove across the desert - 110⁰F although we were comfortable in our air-conditioning! We found Ken & Karen's house in San Clemente although we had taken the long way to get there which was on the Ortega Highway, over a very twisty road over the mountains - very scenic but an hour's extra journey!
Ken & Karen have a very nice house in a large estate which is very neat and well managed, reminds us of the better parts of the Gold Coast. Ken had arranged for Mal to go with him to the Los Angeles Roadster Show which had an amazing array of hot rods as well as open topped and unusual cars. He met some of Ken's mates there who also have their own hot rods, one was a nuclear physicist; they ate a healthy man's breakfast ie hamburger and lunch a hot dog plus beer. The most expensive beer of the trip US $9 for a pint in a plastic cup to take away!! Many spectators pulled little carts with small children aboard and an esky at the rear or under. Most visitors were in 50-60 + age group and many were in electric mobility vehicles often because of their weight. There were no young hoons presumably as the cars are quite expensive (as much as a new car) and the owners buy the cars to restore or modify as a hobby - cars unrenovated are as expensive as those renovated, they all say there is no money in it!
Later that day we drove around the local area - the shopping centre and the pier of San Clemente ( a strong Spanish style influence is still evident), the marina at Dana Point and up to Laguna where we haddelicious Thai dinner. On Sunday we went to near Newport Beachto the Swap Meet - the hugest collection of stalls selling everything you could imagine!! We travelled hundreds of kilometres on freeways to get to the two events - they think nothing of driving long distances, the roads are particularly good (the health system is particularly poor)
As it was Father's Day Ken & Karen's 3 kids, Katie, Kristina & Kyle came for a BBQ dinner with Kristina's boyfriend, John and his dad, as well as Frank, Ken's dad whom we had met on the trip to Russia. It was lovely to be part of a normal family get-together (as we would have at home) and meet the kids - good fun!! I think I have invited all out to OZ! - so we can return the hospitality. They love the outdoors and their big toys including V8 twin cab truck/ute, campervan, hot rod, vintage sports car, dune buggies, speed boat, bikes etc.
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