Greetings from Los Angeles California!

I am very excited to be writing this quick update from my home state of California, the LA area. I arrived this morning on Uncle D(elta), which was an A330 from ATL to LAX. The person next to me was Don Lemon from CNN News, visiting LA for interviews for an upcoming story.

I arrived at the hotel, which sits on Avenue of the Stars in Century City, only 30 minutes from LAX, to be greeted by a beautiful lobby. This hotel changed to an InterContinental Hotel a few years ago, but this visit, was a refreshing look at where it the hotel is now.

Social Networking and a Hotel… In my travels last year to 10 countries and countless nights in hotels, some check ins get a response, but the InterContinental took it to the next level. My room is a beautiful Junior Suite that is on the corner of the hotel and floors above the street. Besides the amazing room, with parlor, bedroom, and two balconies, the views were spectacular.

Only being a few floors up, I could see the Hollywood Sign, Downtown, Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. I have had mixed feelings on returning back to Los Angeles, after leaving in 2004, but seeing the beauty of the area, reminds me why I call Southern California Home.

I returned to my room tonight after an amazing dinner to find a card from the hotel. They recognized my tweets and oddly my love for “Coffee with Baileys”. How could a hotel know that I had that on the plane today from ATL and that is my travel drink of choice? Now, is the Coffee and Baileys were to be free, I would be heading down now…. Maybe on Friday morning, before I leave at 8:30, one will be delivered to my room… (smile)

In addition to a beautiful room, amazing view, great staff, the savvy approach this hotel has taken to Social Networking gets them their own post in my blog tonight.  INTERCONLA – Twitter .  This hotel has taken an aggressive response to Social Networking and it was honestly, pretty cool. I have the doors open, listening to traffic, feeling the breeze, nice to be home.

More to come from LA.

Today is my 555th flight, with Delta quickly coming up to United in terms of mileage flown life time to date. United Airlines is at 270k and Delta Airlines is at 210k miles. While the segments are much less on Delta Airlines due to longer haul flights on Uncle D(elta). Mama United has not missed my departure.

Here is a link to my flight memory – http://my.flightmemory.com/astriker

Here is a map of places flown -

Aboard AirFrance (A321) from CDG to Rome, with an ontime departure, landing in 1 hour and 45 minutes. The room keys timed out at 12:00, with us returning at 12:02. Papa seemed a bit bothered by the timing out of the key, then remembered that Marsha was in their room still.

The Opera Metro station was as busy as the previous days, only no “Information” help, which was needed today. The Metro pass that was fixed yesterday no longer worked today. In frustration of the long line for the one Metro employee to make sales, I was able to fit through the luggage area of the entrance into the station. After 5 sets of stairs, one elevator ride, and one escalator ride, we arrived at the Metro Line, for a quick trip to the next stop to connect to the RER B to the airport.

Our luck slightly improved when we boarded out train to the airport and realized it was an express with only 5 stops instead of the normal 11. A trip on a metro would not be complete without some type of street performer. Today was no difference, after the deaf person passing out the pens for a donation of 2,00, a family affair began their performance. This trio including a child of no more then 5 years old playing the tambourine, a portable sound system, and an accordion player. After 3 French Songs, they departed to the next car. Our entertainment about the RER B ended as quickly as it began.

CDG was as busy as always, with long queues to maneuver through the airport. We arrived at the check in of Terminal 2F, to find a SkyTeam Elite checkin line, with no one in the queue. Bags checked, boarding pass in hand, and directions to the lounge in less then 3 minutes. Way to go Air France!! Security at CDG was a bit more strict, in a different way. Shoes are allowed, but belts are not allowed, and iPads are laptops (or treated as such). After 2 failed attempts through security, I was given clearance to move forward. One interesting thing I did notice was that when my wallet was put through the machine, it was placed in between two trays to not allow the employees easy access to it as it passed through. While my inability to travel was apparent, we cleared the security queue in five minutes.

The AirFrance Business Lounge is now the Carb Lounge, full of potato chips, cookies, wine, crackers, yogurt, soda, alcohol, and Happy Snacks. The peach Schweppes was refreshing and when added to white wine, it made for a great spritzer. One hour in the lounge, off to gate F29 to board for the flight, on time push back, and enroute now.

Farewell Paris, it was an inspiring adventure in the city of lights, it feels as though Barcelona was a whim, and a long time ago. Hopefully we will be able to locate somewhere with wifi in Rome, without a high price tag.

We have changed altitudes looking for smooth air, no such luck yet!

Farewell Paris, this morning was the last morning in Paris, it was also the only day that I woke up before 10am. When traveling, days of flight, I tend to wake up around 06:00 regardless of when I began my slumber the night prior. With a departure planned for the hotel at noon, and a plane ride included in the day (Air Francei, A321), the day is unstoppable. Packed and ready to explore, we departed at 08:30, 30 minutes before our alarm was scheduled.

With the mission given by Papa to find a Cream Puff, we found a patisserie called LaDuree, located 10 minutes from the InterContinental Paris – Opera. The patisserie and restaurant offered one of the best varieties of sweets to savor. We departed with 2 chocolate eclairs, 1 cream puff, a raspberry shortcake, and two other baked goods. While the prices were higher then a street vendor, the quality and effort in the products was incredible.

The return back to the hotel involved a stop for Postcards (10 for 2,50), Starbucks Coffee, and a pursuit for Wifi. Wifi in France is pronounced Wee-Fi, and all of the Starbucks connection that provides the password for the rate of 2 for 30 minutes were not functioning. After visiting two Starbucks, the final location offered a beautiful area to savor food, coffee, with outdoor seating and a very classic Parisian feel inside. Starbucks in the US seem so small, yet in Europe, they have been more spacious and inviting. Waking up early revealed so many businesses that appeared closed throughout our visit, the late starts gave the perception that many were closed permanently.

Quick stop by the Apple Store in the pursuit of the iPad camera kit, no luck, and purchased a few souvenirs. Apple Store was busier then that of those in the US, and offered up free Wifi for the few minutes we ventured in. Off to CDG now for 15:25 departure to Rome.

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