Our last morning in America.

We checked out of our hotel & set off in search of the sea! Why? Well it will mean that we have travelled from the Atlantic to the Pacific & it is the first time I have been in the Pacific.

Then we drove to the airport & said our last goodbyes to our faithful companion throughout this journey - the Buick!

Mileage = 25.3 miles

TOTAL MILEAGE = 4421.4 miles

So we have 5 hours to kill in the airport......

Hooray for Hollywood...

Well, we were staying in Hollywood so we had to take a picture of the sign. Most of the camera-weilding tourists were taking hazy distant pictures from the shopping mall on Hollywood and Highland, but we went in searchof a closer view. After a few dead ends, we ignored the signs saying no views or access to the sign and drove up some really steep and winding roads in Hollywood Hills until we found ourselves really close. So, it took us about 25 miles of driving around, but we got our pictures.

Then we used the metro and buses to get to the Museum of Tolerance. It was certainly thought provoking, and the exhibit on the lead up to the Holocaust was very powerful. Then we had to dash back across town to get to Paramount Studios. We had been promised a new sitcom called "Out of Practice", but we actually got one called "Cuts". The best thing was that it was being directed by Carlton from "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". It was quite funny, but it did go on a bit.

Joshua Tree to LA

First stop on today's travels was Joshua Tree National Park. The trees were just so bizarre - straight out of a Dr Seuss Book!

After a quick tour & rescuing a tortoise (!?) we drove to Pioneertown. Built in 1946 as a Western movie set, people now live there - tres cool!

After picking our way through the maze of highways we made it to LA & our Hotel. We are right by all the touristy stuff, so we've been along Hollywood Blvd & the Walk of Fame. The Stars are a bit wierd - I mean, really famous & talented people have them, but so do not-so-famous & not-so-talented people, like Celine Dion! I don't understand how they decide who gets them. Mann's Chinese Theatre was better - the handprint & footprint place - I have the same size feet as Bruce Willis!

Finally we decided to take in a movie (well, it is the movie capital of the World) so we watched the Dukes of Hazard - QUALITY!

Mileage = miles

Leaving Las Vegas

Today was mainly driving. We headed south from Las Vegas through some big thunder storms, trying to get to Joshua Tree National Park. The first road to Twenty-Nine Palms had been cloed due to flooding and the second had completely washed away. So, we ended up driving all round the National Park ia Palm Springs - quite a detour. Once there, we stayed at another El Rancho, and had one last Mexican Restaurant meal.

Vegas Baby!

Another American City, another huge building - the Stratosphere. Here I went to the World's highest Starbucks, whilst Will went on 2 crazy roller coasters.

Next we went to the Elvis-a-rama via every air conditioned building along the Strip - it's just too dam hot!

More gawking at the wierd & wonderful offering of the Strip, including a show at Circus Circus. We followed this with an all-you-can-eat lunch at the Bellagio, then back to the hotel for a show.....

The Amazing Jonathan - The Madman of Comedy & Magic.

Madman? Yes. Comedy? Of the type my Dad would be proud! Magic? Of the foam variety ... so not really. Overall though, he made us laugh.

Then it was off to the card tables ... and to cut a long story short I trebled my money! 200% profit! In your face Vegas!!!

Off to the Sahara.....!?

We started the day the proper way - with a Breakfast Burrito! After that the last bit (well for a while) of Route 66 beckoned....

We turned off Andy Devine Ave (You reading this Cavey!?!?) & headed towards Vegas. En route we took in the spectacular Hoover Dam.

Arriving in the popular playground of Las Vegas, we booked into one of the few remaining old style casinos - Elvis, Frank & the Beatles had all stayed there! The hotel had been updated since then, including the addition of a roller coaster, which naturally we had to go on.


After freshening up we headed out along the Strip, had some food & giraffe or two of Jackpot Ale. We spent the rest of the night gawking at the bizarre sights of Vegas.

Mileage = 253.1 miles

The Grand Canyon

We made an early start because rain was forecast for the afternoon. Once we got there, the sight of the canyon was just breathtaking. Nothing quite prepared me for the scale of it, and we just spent ages walking along the edge looking down. The pictures don't really do it justice; you really do have to stand there yourself and take it all in. (That didn't stop us taking some pretty cool pictures of walking out on a ledge that made you look like you were hanging right out over the canyon - in reality loads of us tourists were doing it, and it wasn't as scary as it looks in the pictures.)