Kim has been doing his research and determined that late September is the best time to travel to California. The tourists have gone home, and the kids are beginning their school year. That means fewer people on the roads, restaurants etc.
To get to America, Kim first made his way to China where he mailed himself to a town in Utah, near the world famous Bonneville Salt Flats; a mysterious place that Kim has always wanted to visit.
Kim loved the Salt Flats and was impressed by the vastness of the salt desert. He claimed that he could see the curvature of the Earth. Kim’s schedule was tight, so he took one last lick of the salty playa and hit the road. Next stop, Lunar Crater in Nevada.
Located in the middle of Nevada, this ancient volcano has a diameter of 3,600 feet, 430 feet deep and only part of an enormous volcanic field of craters, cinder cones, basalt flows and ancient lava beds that don't appear to be cozy at all. Kim didn't want to sleep in a lava bed, so was off to nearby Tonapah where he knew he would find a cozy bed at the Clown Motel.
First stop in California was the mysterious Mono Lake, a unique body of water located on the eastern edge of the Sierras. Mono is a terminal lake therefore all local watersheds terminate there, building up high levels of minerals that give rise to amazing Turfa formations, "Wish you were here" Kim laughed, (Kim is a big Pink Floyd fan and the only reason he wanted to see Mono Lake is that is the shooting location for Hypgnosis' famous Wish You Were Here postcard included with the classic Pink Floyd LP of the same name).
Kim loves to ski and is no doubt the best skier in North Korea, but he arrived at Kirkwood in the off-season and didn't have the opportunity to show America how it's done.
With the mighty Sierras behind him, Kim found himself in the vast farms and town of California's Central valley where he stopped for a soda at Dean's Shoppe.
When Kim arrived in the extra-Bay Area, he dropped in on his old eyeball buddies, The Residents. It had been decades, and the boys had lots to talk about, so they headed out to Zeni, Randy's favorite Ethopian Restaurant where they dined on Injera, Miser Wot, Kik Alitcha, Gomet Wot, etc. and chatted into the wee hours.
Next day, Kim found himself at his intended destination, Santa Cruz, CA. Kim's favorite place in the whole world.
Kim stayed at a little beach house at Twin Lakes Beach and spent the next few days exploring his favorite beaches and eating at his favorite restaurants.
Kim strolled out to Santa Cruz' newest lighthouse at the mouth of the Santa Cruz Harbor. Walton Lighthouse was dedicated in 2002 making Santa Cruz the only California city with two lighthouses.
Kim loves skateboarding and stopped by the Ken Wormhoudt Skate Park, which was designed by world premier skate park designer, Ken Wormhoudt. The skatepark marks a significant place in scooter history. This is where the iconic pop star, and scooter legend, Oliver Tree, became the first person to ride a scooter at a skate park. Everyone laughed. Tree a local Santa Cruzan revolutionized scooter culture and pop fashion, had the last laugh, and as Kim says, "He who laughs last is the last laugher"
Kim loves fresh, California grown, produce and attended two farmers markets while in Santa Cruz. Kim was surprised to discover that a vendor at the farmers market was selling magic mushrooms. Knowing that magic mushrooms are illegal, Kim asked the young man behind the counter how they are able to sell them without fear of arrest. The young man said that Santa Cruz has decriminalized their use and consider mushrooms a low priority for the police. Kim was curious but didn't buy any mushrooms from the friendly and informative vendor. Kim knows an undercover FBI agent when he sees one.
Kim's Central California Coast vacation was over, and it was time to head to a secret rendezvous location somewhere in the Nevada desert. Singing, California Uber Alles, Kim boarded his personal saucer and returned home to North Korea, the happiest dictator on Earth.