Irvine, Orange County, CA

We spent three great days in Irvine, Orange County with Brad and Kyra who Dan had met last summer on his cycling trip across the States.

Brad and Kyra were intent on giving us a true American experience and they certainly suceeded. We spent a lot of time eating out! We experienced some huge portions sizes at the steak house, fish tacos at the beach and some excellent frozen yoghurt at the mall. We also experienced the biggest piece of chocolate cake we have ever seen served on one plate, it was ridiculous!

Aside from eating we also took in some local activities and events. On our first night the guys took us to a traditional local fair where we braved it on a few of the ultra fast spinning rides. At this point the large portions sizes were not being appreciated and Jen had to swap the fast rides for the ghost train, as she seemed to turn a little green!

We also got a nice taste of the Californian beach culture during a day spent at Huntington Beach. Keen to practice our moves before our surf trip in Peru we hired some boards and braved the pumping surf. We seemed to spend most of our time underwater as we got pummeled by the waves, but it was really good fun and nice to be in the sea again. Mesmerised by the talented local surfers we spent a large part of the afternoon on the pier wathcing how those waves should be surfed!

On our final day in Irvine we did some hiking at Top of the World Park, where we walked on trails overlooking the sea. It was really nice but the heat soon took its toll, and we decided on a lazy afternoon by the pool. On our last night we went to a sports bar to watch the big Monday night football game. It was great to soak up the atmosphere and experience the Americans giving out high-fives and cheers as a touchdown or home-run was scored.

We had a great time in Irvine and would like to say a big thanks to Brad and Kyra. Your hospitality was so kind and we really enjoyed getting to know you both. We hope to see you in England sometime in the future - we look forward to Groo updates (his work has changed our lives)!