This morning started early. This is the longest day of driving, so we needed to be on the road ASAP. It's Columbus Day over here too, so we were expecting lots of holiday traffic.

Got off to a good start - heading south on Highway 1 for a couple of hundred miles towards Los Angeles. Grumpy told me we'd be having a picnic lunch in a park on the way.

This was a good opportunity for me to learn how to drive the American way. Basically, you get a big car, automatic (of course) so no need for your left foot or right hand, stick the cruise control on so you have no need for your right foot and for extra comfort, such floaty steering that you don't need 3 fingers of your left hand either. I guess that way it's easier to talk on your mobile, do your make-up and eat huge bags of McDonalds muck while you 'drive'.

Eddie is at least comfortable - it's like driving a giant armchair! And the scenery is out of this world. Even after the ocean has slipped away on the right, the huge mountains form a breathtaking backdrop to everything on the left. Really makes you feel tiny (or maybe that's the yanks and their ENORMOUS vehicles).

Driving on the right is pretty confusing (especially when you've been forced out of bed so early) so I didn't twig where Grumpy was leading us. We came off the freeway and drove through these weird residential streets that twisted and turned up the mountain. I thought we were getting really lost, but he insisted it was the right way. After the houses the road levelled out and just twisted from side to side in a strange kind of no man's land. Even the grass verges looked funny (as Grumpy pointed out). I thought we were going to wind up in some dodgy industrial estate.

Next thing I know, we round a corner and right in front of us is the Hollywood sign! I was that surprised I had to pull over (Grumpy told me we wouldn't have time to see it, and that we'd be on the wrong side of LA to see it. Clearly I can never believe another word he says!)

So we jump out and take the obligatory photos before heading down to the park below it to munch left over takeaway pizza from last night. The sun was blazing - I dread to think what the actual temperature was.

So, after a surprising pit stop we were back off on the road to yet another unknown destination. All I know is Grumpy keeps setting the iPod to play U2 as we drive........