Adrian Can’t Cook and he loves to travel…but where?

When not living in Sydney, the city he loves, this international foodie with over a million followers, loves to travel. But, the decision on which destination to choose for the perfect vacation is a tough one.  Being part Spanish and part Hungarian, Adrian Erdedi finds it really difficult to not have a soft spot for Europe, but he now loves the States.  Here in our two-part story Adrian shares his favourite two travel destinations, which include California, USA and Andalucía, Spain.  Here in California Adrian get's right to the point of where to stay, play and dine and in part two Adrian's insider knowledge of Andalucia will have you packing your bags armed with everything you'll need so you won't miss a thing.

PART ONE: California – USA

I never really had any desire to go to the USA. There was nothing about it that excited me. I was never one of those kids that cared for Disneyland or Universal Studios. I always thought Americans were rude and that the country is boring. That was untill I quite randomly decided, I should go.

I decided I would go for 3 months and see as much as I could. I didn’t have great expectations, but I thought, if I am going there – I’ll do it all and get it over and done with.

Well, after only a couple of days in LA, my attitude towards the US completely changed. I was blown away by the people mainly – everyone was so nice… I mean, everyone! No matter whom I spoke to, shop assistants, waiters, locals, celebrities – they were genuinely super nice.

This set the tone for what turned out to be an amazing trip! I did the East and West coast of the US, but there is one place that stood out most to me, California. Not just the city of Los Angeles, but the whole state.

I got in my Mustang Convertible and drove from LA to San Francisco, then San Francisco to Yosemite National Park, through Death Valley, through to Las Vegas then back to Los Angeles via Palm Springs, finishing in beautiful Santa Monica.

My breath was constantly taken away, the coastline, the mountains, the cliffs, the terrain, the desert, the deep forests and the weather. Every aspect exceeded my expectations.

Places I definitely suggest you see, stay and do:

West Hollywood

Eat Eveleigh/Sur/Ciccones…. Stay The London, Mondrian or Sunset Marquis…. See Live show at Viper Room, The Roxy or The House of Blues

Santa Monica

Eat Head to the 4 Weekly Farmers Markers where you can sample farm fresh cuisine directly from the growers.  Sample award winning cuisine at California Chef of the year 2014’s restaurant, JiRaffe…. Stay The Huntley – Be sure to enjoy dinner or cocktails from the Penthouse level on the 18^th floor for gorgeous 360-degree views…. See Hire a bike and cycle along the world’s longest ocean front bike path to Venice Beach.

Malibu

Eat – Duke’s Malibu…. See Bush walk through Solstice Canyon to the lost house…. Stay in Santa Monica. There is only one hotel in Malibu. It is best to just visit for the day.

Morro Bay

Eat The restaurants down on the wharf are great! Not many choices, but they are all great!…. Stay Any of the hotels are fairly decent. It's a small town, so don't expect amazing…. See The big rock! You can’t miss it. I arrived at night, so I didn’t see it till the morning; it just hit me in the face when I opened my curtain in the morning.

San Francisco

See The street murals in The Mission District, get on a double decker bus… Best way to see the city…. Stay The Westin St. Francis in Union Square or The Fairmont San Francisco in Nob Hill…. Eat The Stinking Rose (everything here has garlic in it) in North Beach or one of the great shops in The Ferry Building like Slanted Door for modern Vietnamese, Cowgirl Sidekick for local cheeses or Mijita for regional dishes from Mexico.

Sonoma

See Wine country! Tour and tasting at Francis Ford Coppola – rent a cabana for the afternoon and relax at the amazing pool after lunch/tasting…. Stay Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa…. Eat The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa hotel's restaurant, Sante. They have amazing food and wine pairing.

Yosemite

See the valley floor from high above at Glacier Point look out…. Stay (outside Yosemite)  – Hounds Tooth Inn, Oakhurst…. Stay (Inside Yosemite) Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Village, amazing architecture and location, also not that many options!…. Eat lunch at the Ahwahnee (not a whole lot of options here!)

Lone Pine

See The town itself is tiny… You will literally drive through it in 60 seconds. But it's adorable, it's like a wild western movie set. Even the McDonalds restaurant looks like a ranch! It's so picturesque sitting at the base of the mountains…. Stay Comfort Inn…. Drink Jake’s Saloon

Death Valley

Eat Stop in the Death Valley township (if you can call it that) and the restaurant across the road serves us great, wholesome food!  

Fall in love with Andalucía, Spain and read part two here.

Adrian Erdedi runs Adrian Can’t Cook – a site that uncovers and discovers kitchen tips and tricks.  A self-confessed terrible and useless cook Adrian loves interviewing people and visiting them in their natural habitats for tips and recipes that are easy for him to learn and make at home… then teach passes that knowledge on for all to enjoy.  For more visit the website or follow Adrian on Facebook and Twitter.

Alison Carmichael-Rulten

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