It’s fast becoming the new way to travel in major American cities and the best bit – there’s no Trump chat! I’m talking about Waymo One, the driverless taxi.

Waymo is an American autonomous driving technology company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company. It originated from the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, with the mission of making transportation safer and more accessible for people and goods.

Waymo is an app based service so you’ll need a smartphone that’s compatible with their app. Once you’ve signed up and entered a payment card, booking a ride is exactly the same as booking an Uber or Lyft ride. Additionally you’ll get real time updates on when your car will arrive. I found this to be fairly accurate.

I took my first Waymo ride in San Francisco back in 2024, a short trip from the Golden Gate Bridge to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was an interesting experience with two main takeaways – it drives like your 80 year old granny and it won’t double park

Fast forward now to summer 2025 and Los Angeles and my latest Waymo experiences. I booked a Waymo to take me from the Cows End Cafe on Venice Beach to the the shopping complex at Marina Del Ray. Once you’ve placed your booking via the app, you’ll get realtime up dates on when it will arrive. On the whole this was fairly accurate although it did slip by a couple of minutes due to traffic. Of all the journey’s I’ve taken, I’ve been able to book a Waymo and then not wait any longer than 10 minutes for it to arrive. So broadly speaking, the same as Uber and Lyft. On pricing it’s compatatble with the latter and sometimes cheaper at peak times.

Once your taxi arrives and you’ll know it’s yours as it has your initails flashing on a revolving drome on its roof, you’ll need to unlock the doors using the button in the app on your smartphone.Once you’re inside and belted in, you’ll need to push the ‘Start Journey’ button on the mini display in the center console for the ride to begin. And that’s it.

You’ll be entertained enroute by Waymo’s playist of soft spa music – but you can change that on the center consiole for pretty much what ever you want. On reaching your destination, you’ll be prompted to open the doors and leaving to complete your trip.

One final though, I was highly impressed when it pulled over to let a host of 911 responder vehicles through. 

Happy travelling and let me know your experiences of using Waymo.

LOS ANGELES – March 2nd, 2023.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has told Beyond The Boardwalk that it is anticipating a busy spring break travel period that is expected to draw more than 12 million passengers to the airport between March and April. The increase in passenger and vehicle traffic will make this spring break the most traveled at LAX since 2019, and guests are encouraged to plan their journey ahead of time for a smooth travel experience.

“With the demand for travel set to increase this season, we look forward to sharing all the ways in which LAX has implemented new technology to make the passenger experience more seamless,” said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports. “From our award-winning smart parking system that allows you to pre-book a parking space, to our food and beverage online ordering with LAX Order Now, to pre-booking a window to go through security screening with LAX Fast Lane, we ask our passengers to take advantage of these offerings and more to help ensure a great start and end to your spring vacation.”

While the spring break period is spread out over two-months, the airport is expected to see an average of 195,000 passengers per day in March, which is 82% of the passenger volume compared to March 2019, and an average of 204,000 passengers per day in April, which is 85% of the passenger volume compared to April 2019.

Vehicle traffic in the Central Terminal Area also is expected to continue increasing during the travel period, with an estimated average of 78,500 vehicles per day in March and 81,000 vehicles per day in April. With heavy traffic around the airport and parking garages nearing full capacity, guests are highly encouraged to reserve a parking space online ahead of time at Parking.FLYLAX.com, which allows guests to book a space in the LAX Economy Parking facility, as well as the Central Terminal Area garages. Pre-booking is the only way travelers will have a guaranteed space at the airport.

Travelers also are asked to consider using alternative transportation including the LAX FlyAway, or get dropped off at the LAX Economy Parking Facility and use the free terminal shuttle there. LAX Economy Parking offers a 24-hour, frequent and free shuttle service from the facility to the terminals, and uses a dedicated lane within the Central Terminal Area to provide the fastest service possible.

Passengers traveling with United Airlines may also participate in the LAX Fast Lane program, which allows travelers using Terminals 7 and 8 to reserve a 15-minute window at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening areas for the fastest service using a dedicated lane, at no cost.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 21, 2023)

Los Angeles Tourism invites visitors to discover what’s ‘Now Playing’ in the City of Angels with the second phase of a star-studded global advertising campaign that coincides with some of the city’s most celebrated milestones and events including the centennial of the iconic Hollywood Sign and the 95th annual Academy Awards. ‘Now Playing’ will appear in traditional and digital marketing channels in the U.S. and in international markets including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

The centerpiece of the campaign is a dynamic :30 second ad narrated by award-winning actress Jenifer Lewis that brings together a cameo from LA Clippers star forward Paul George, who was recently selected as a Western Conference All-Star for this year’s NBA All-Star Game, and a surprise animation illustrated by Mister Cartoon, a renowned Mexican American artist whose black and gray tattoos have become synonymous with LA street culture. Shot on location at several iconic LA sites, the spot combines live-action film, music, animation and voiceover to create an awe-inspiring mix of campaign content.

“The newest iteration of ‘Now Playing’ brings a fresh perspective to what’s unique about Los Angeles through the lens of top local talent including NBA All-Star Paul George and street art icon Mister Cartoon,” said Don Skeoch, Chief Marketing Officer for the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “As Los Angeles continues on a triumphant recovery trajectory, we are proud to leverage this timely campaign to invite visitors to experience the City of Angels as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the landmark Hollywood Sign and roll out the red carpet for some of the world’s most highly anticipated events including the Oscars.”

The narrative unfolds with a writer at work on an ever-changing screenplay that follows a group of friends as they crisscross the city, visiting LA highlights such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, The Broad, and The Music Center. This next phase of the ‘Now Playing’ campaign – the first iteration of which debuted in September 2022 – also showcases the rooftop pool of the new Downtown LA Proper Hotel and the flourishing port-side neighborhood of San Pedro, where Paul George is seen shooting hoops as the sun sets on another beautiful day in Los Angeles.

“What inspires me about LA is the culture, just the vibe here. You get a little bit of everything – you get the beach, you get the mountains, great food, great nightlife,” said LA Clippers forward Paul George. “When you see and you meet people, they’re pretty diverse and complete all-around people. I think I will always embody that part of being from California.”

LA native Mister Cartoon is a legendary tattoo and street artist with a wide-ranging global influence on lowrider culture, hip hop, fine art, fashion, and more. The spring ‘Now Playing’ spot includes a “dream sequence” of custom illustrations by Mister Cartoon depicting a mural of a lowrider against the LA skyline come to life.

“LA is in the soul of my artwork and what I do,” said Mister Cartoon. “When people come to LA, I want them to pay attention to the murals on the wall. Take everything that’s good. Take it in.”

In conjunction with the launch of the ‘Now Playing’ spring campaign, Los Angeles Tourism is releasing a video spotlighting Mister Cartoon’s story of becoming an artist in LA and what makes LA’s street art scene special as part of LA Tourism’s “These Lovely Streets” series, as well as an editorial guide on Mister Cartoon’s Los Angeles. The guide shares the artist’s favorite LA sites including the restaurants Casa Vega and Mercado, Elysian Park, Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, Master Deluxe barber shop, the Petersen Automotive Museum, Point Fermin Park, Whittier Boulevard, and Mister Cartoon’s murals.

Along with the :30 second ad, ‘Now Playing’ will also include connected television, YouTube, out-of-home, native, display, social, and search engine marketing elements. In celebration of Los Angeles’ long-standing connection to Mexico, the advertising campaign is a production with Panamericana, bridging the cultural gap between the two sister cities of Los Angeles and Mexico City.

The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board invites LA visitors — whether first-timers or returning friends — to explore, experience and enjoy all that’s ‘Now Playing’ in the City of Angels. To learn more, visit @discoverla on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Welcome to the inaugural edition of ‘Beyond The Boardwalk,’ the entertainment and travel tales podcast with me rAndrew Wright.

For our first show we’re heading to America and the West Coast city of Los Angeles

Maggi Mayfield is a Radio Personality, Stand Up Comic, Voice Over Actor, & Cohost of the popular YTunesShuffle podcast and she joins us today to talk comedy and of course what to see and do in Los Angeles.

When away in the USA I am very much a creature of habit.

I spend my days on the beach or sightseeing and my evenings curled up in the hotel room watching my favourite TV shows including Madam Secretary, NCIS Los Angeles and Modern Family to name but a few.

On a recent trip to Los Angeles I ventured out one evening to the Ma Vista Comedy Festival in Culver City and I was glad I did.

‘Social Media Friend’ Radio Host and Comedian Maggi Mayfield was doing ‘Stand Up’ comedy in Culver City just a short drive from where I was staying in Gardena.

It was a great evening with a variety of comedians doing seven minute sets over two hours. I loved the venue too. The FanaticSalon Theater, on Sawtelle Blvd is a stunning small intimate venue.

After the show we chatted Radio and comedy and life in general before I headed back to the hotel.

If you’re ever in Los Angles and fancy a night of comedy check out Maggi Mayfield’s website for dates when she’s performing.

I certainly haven’t laughed this much in ages and had a enjoyable night out.

The Cambria Hotel and Suites was a great affordable find and just a couple of miles from Los Angeles International Airport.

The hotel is not your normal airport hotel, in fact in is in the middle of four corporate office blocks including Mattel. For me this was perfect as it was quiet and with no noise such as traffic. I loved the clean simple furnished rooms, the ability to do laundry plus being able to relax by the pool and the patio area in the evening in front of the log fire heater.

In terms of eating, there’s a host of restaurants just a short walk away. It took me around 10 minutes to walk to Five Guy’s which is just around the corner with Starbucks and several other restaurants. There is also a huge Walgreens and Ralph’s supermarket there too.

If you like walking, then the Manhattan Village Shopping Mall, Best Buy and Fry’s are about a 20 minute nice walk away. Getting around was easy too. The beaches were a short $8 Uber ride away and I used Uber to go to Santa Monica too which cost $20.

The hotel does offer a free shuttle to LAX which is shared with two other hotels and an off airport parking company who supply the shuttle. I only used it once and it was fine. Just make sure that you leave yourself plenty of time if using.

All in all this was a great a hotel for me and I will be back next time I am in Los Angeles.

Happy Birthday Michael Jackson. ‘The King Of Pop’ would have been 60 today.

I was inspired to write this latest ‘Blog Post’ after watching a documentary about the singers life recently. Coincidentally, it also coincided with my latest visit to Los Angeles so I took the opportunity to head to Beverley Hills to see if I could see Michael Jackson’s house.

In his latter years and after moving out of the famous Neverland Ranch, Michael lived here in this modest property in Beverley Hills.

His finances were in a dire state towards the end of his life. Michael was forced to leave his Neverland Ranch as the banks threatened foreclosure. It is hard to believe that despite owning The Beatles back catalogue, and the income from royalties from his songs, the singers finances were in such a dire state. That said, he’d not produced any new material in years and yet was still spending 2 Million Dollars a month to support himself.

One of the main reasons that Michael Jackson was persuaded to tour again with sponsorship from AEG was to bring in income and to pay debts.

His choice of property in Beverley Hills was a smart one as rehearsals for the tour were taking place at the Staples Centre in downtown Los Angeles which just a short drive away.