This is a special trip because I got to visit a TV studio! That is the name of the building where TV shows are made. When Mr. and Mrs. North went to Wheel of Fortune, they took me along. I met Flat Vanna White and Flat Pat Sajak in the lobby. It's nice that I'm not the only one who's flat!
Afterwards, we went drove around Los Angeles. It is a very big and busy city - the second biggest in our country. Only NYC is bigger. It has a lot of hills. We went up to the top of one and looked down. The tall buildings look small now because they are far away.
The weather is warm and sunny all year. It looks foggy, but that is not fog at all. It is smog. That is dirty air that looks smoky instead of clear. It is from pollution made by all of the cars and other vehicles, and by chimneys in buildings. Smog is not healthy to breathe. I'm glad that our air in Rock Hill is a lot cleaner than this.
Besides hills, California does have a lot of mountains too, but not near Los Angeles, where we are. Search on your computer for Yosemite Park, and you will see pictures of many big California mountains.
It is so warm that we left our winter coats in Rock Hill because we won't need them here. It hardly rains at all. Because it is so hot and dry, special kinds of plants grows here. They are called succulents. The leaves of succulents are fat, and filled with water. They are a lot like cactuses, except without the pointy spines that stick out. The plant stores water so it will be able to live for a long time between rains. Here's a picture of a succulent:
California has so many beaches because it is a big state, and one side is next to the Pacific Ocean. The waves are bigger here than the ones at SC beaches. We rode on a ferris wheel at the beach, and took this picture looking down. Even though it is December, a lot of people are there, but not too many are in the water. Most are staying on the sand.
This will be a quick trip. It is almost over. We will get home on Sunday night. Mrs. North and I will be back at school on Monday.
See you soon,
Flat Stanley