After stressing for much of yesterday about my lack of a place to stay in Santa Monica, I finally found a host by calling some available phone numbers for nearby Warm Showers hosts. I walked the pier and rode the roller coaster there - not a big one but it circles the rest of the park so that's kind of cool. Ate a mediocre burrito and headed to the host's address in Marina Del Rey.
I met him at a gate by the water, thinking he'd come out of the nearby apartments, but instead came up from the dock - he lives on a boat, which would be my home for the night. How cool is that!
Over time I've noticed a strange correlation between how desperate you are for lodging and how spectacular the resulting place is. Not in the way that food tastes better when you're hungry, but in an absolute sense. Some of my favorite places I've stayed, both indoors and out, were found later in the day when I was starting to stress about things. I think part of it is that, when the usual places are lacking, you need to look for somewhat different solutions, and that often leads to a more unique experience.
So. After relatively toodling along with the plan to end in Los Angeles, I have reached LA with a few days to spare. I plan to continue enjoying the beaches every day (for example Seal Beach, where I am now) but I'm on my way to San Diego!
And if I have just a bit of extra time:
