Sunday, January 13, 2013
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Long Beach, Wednesday 3rd - 7th October (I think)
Last night in Las Vegas we went to a show - Absinthe - absolutely brilliant. VERY politically INCORRECT, but hilarious. It was basically a show of incredible acrobats doing the most amazing things with their bodies, which were basically their only props!!! Chairs piled randomly in frightening shapes, onto which these athletes climbed and balanced, occasionally came into play!!! The "ringmaster" and his "assistant" were hilarious, and their patter was shocking at times (for it's political incorrectness) - not sure you would get away with that in "liberal" Oz!!!! I guess anything goes in Vegas!
Uneventful flight from Vegas.... Thank god that's over!!! Arthur would go back in a minute, so I need to find him a gambling partner with whom to go!!!! It will be a very cold day in hell before I return!!
Hotel is pretty much right amongst the action here - close to the beach, and one block from a street which is full of restaurants. Surprisingly, we had a brilliant Greek meal here on our first day - totally unexpected.... And, got a real Greek Coffee too - yee haa.........
We caught a bus for a longish ride out to a major shopping Mall. Arthur once again, had a ball, and shopped like a girl!!! Prices are really so low, it's hard to resist... Not much for me to buy, but got some cute things for Tessa!!
Days are sunny, but with a lovely cool breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean. So nice to be able to go outside without threat of physically melting down!!
There's a Marathon here tomorrow (Sunday), so all the roads will be closed for the day, and the village is abuzz.
Definitely winding down, sleeping like logs, and thoroughly enjoying the ability to sneak off for an afternoon nap too. Oldies DO sleep more (I hear)......
Anyway, that's it for me (us).
It's been a truly memorable holiday, and we've loved it. This country is so geographically beautiful, and we have barely stopped gasping at the amazing sights.
We'll be home in the blink of an eye, and looking forward to catching up with everyone.
Cheers,
Ann and Arthur
Uneventful flight from Vegas.... Thank god that's over!!! Arthur would go back in a minute, so I need to find him a gambling partner with whom to go!!!! It will be a very cold day in hell before I return!!
Hotel is pretty much right amongst the action here - close to the beach, and one block from a street which is full of restaurants. Surprisingly, we had a brilliant Greek meal here on our first day - totally unexpected.... And, got a real Greek Coffee too - yee haa.........
We caught a bus for a longish ride out to a major shopping Mall. Arthur once again, had a ball, and shopped like a girl!!! Prices are really so low, it's hard to resist... Not much for me to buy, but got some cute things for Tessa!!
Days are sunny, but with a lovely cool breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean. So nice to be able to go outside without threat of physically melting down!!
There's a Marathon here tomorrow (Sunday), so all the roads will be closed for the day, and the village is abuzz.
Definitely winding down, sleeping like logs, and thoroughly enjoying the ability to sneak off for an afternoon nap too. Oldies DO sleep more (I hear)......
Anyway, that's it for me (us).
It's been a truly memorable holiday, and we've loved it. This country is so geographically beautiful, and we have barely stopped gasping at the amazing sights.
We'll be home in the blink of an eye, and looking forward to catching up with everyone.
Cheers,
Ann and Arthur
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Platinum Hotel, Sunday 30th, Las Vegas,
Absolutely gorgeous hotel, really a small apartment, and we're on the 16th floor, one block away from the strip, but this means we have a bird's eye view of fairyland.
Spent the afternoon watching the Ryder Cup, having spent the previous day doing the same.... FANTASTIC, and the crowds were SO hideous, and such bad sports, I was doubly pleased that the Europeans won!
Wandered out along the Casinos in the (relative) cool of the evening. Arthur was twitching and dying to get to the tables, but thought he would wait until Monday... Such strength!
Monday
We wanted to post a couple of large parcels home (maps, books, etc.,) so set off to walk the couple of blocks to the Post Office!!!!! OMG..... We were given a bit of a bum steer, and walked so far in the heat (about 35 degrees in the shade), that we nearly died getting there - it took over an hour!!!!!
Business done, we caught a cab home - cost - less than $10...... We nearly killed ourselves for $10!!!
So, this afternoon, I have spent the time lounging about in the cool, reading, and fiddling about on the computer, happy as a sand-boy!!!! Arch has gone off to win our fortune on the tables - he'll be back eventually, I guess!!!!! If not, there's a very cozy bar downstairs, and NO Casino!!!!!! Yay....
On the home stretch now, and we're both dying to get home!!!!!
Spent the afternoon watching the Ryder Cup, having spent the previous day doing the same.... FANTASTIC, and the crowds were SO hideous, and such bad sports, I was doubly pleased that the Europeans won!
Wandered out along the Casinos in the (relative) cool of the evening. Arthur was twitching and dying to get to the tables, but thought he would wait until Monday... Such strength!
Monday
We wanted to post a couple of large parcels home (maps, books, etc.,) so set off to walk the couple of blocks to the Post Office!!!!! OMG..... We were given a bit of a bum steer, and walked so far in the heat (about 35 degrees in the shade), that we nearly died getting there - it took over an hour!!!!!
Business done, we caught a cab home - cost - less than $10...... We nearly killed ourselves for $10!!!
So, this afternoon, I have spent the time lounging about in the cool, reading, and fiddling about on the computer, happy as a sand-boy!!!! Arch has gone off to win our fortune on the tables - he'll be back eventually, I guess!!!!! If not, there's a very cozy bar downstairs, and NO Casino!!!!!! Yay....
On the home stretch now, and we're both dying to get home!!!!!
Beatty to Pahrump, Thursday 27th
After convincing our "tour guide" that we were NOT interested in driving back through Death Valley to look at a "house" as he had planned, we took a nice short drive to a town called Pahrump, really halfway back to Las Vegas.
As we drove out of town, about 2kms out of town, in the middle of a paddock, someway off the road, in a large tin shed, was painted this sign - "Nude Girls" and "Bikinis". Huh?
Artie nearly crashed the van trying to make the turn at the last minute!!!
You know you're in Nevada when you see signs like that, particularly in the middle of nowhere, and also when you go to the mini-mart at the service station to get a pint of milk, and instead of the bread being along the front wall, there are 10 or 12 slot machines blinking away at you!!!
At the same time, you can't buy spirits or wine, but you can buy beer with your milk!!!
We tried to give them some lettuce, but they weren't interested, however, scoffed down a loaf of bread!!
Almost into Pahrump and we noticed another gorgeous contradiction!!! Signs, always signs.......
Small shop front with "Cup of Faith" sign on the front window, and behind, a large wall, with, in very big letters "Adult Superstore"... The poor folk from Cup of Faith must have a hard job going to work every day!
Sad little Casino at this RV Park, pretty much just poker machines. However, in the middle of a desert, we were camped beside a stunning lake, emerald green lawns, and water fountains spouting forth!!!
What the????????
Got back to Las Vegas late morning on Friday, happily handed back the van, and moved back into the Urban Casino Hotel, Sam's Town. Nice to be able to spread out again!
Two nights at Sam's and then move into a hotel virtually, but not quite, on The Strip.....
As we drove out of town, about 2kms out of town, in the middle of a paddock, someway off the road, in a large tin shed, was painted this sign - "Nude Girls" and "Bikinis". Huh?
Artie nearly crashed the van trying to make the turn at the last minute!!!
You know you're in Nevada when you see signs like that, particularly in the middle of nowhere, and also when you go to the mini-mart at the service station to get a pint of milk, and instead of the bread being along the front wall, there are 10 or 12 slot machines blinking away at you!!!
At the same time, you can't buy spirits or wine, but you can buy beer with your milk!!!
We tried to give them some lettuce, but they weren't interested, however, scoffed down a loaf of bread!!
Almost into Pahrump and we noticed another gorgeous contradiction!!! Signs, always signs.......
Small shop front with "Cup of Faith" sign on the front window, and behind, a large wall, with, in very big letters "Adult Superstore"... The poor folk from Cup of Faith must have a hard job going to work every day!
Sad little Casino at this RV Park, pretty much just poker machines. However, in the middle of a desert, we were camped beside a stunning lake, emerald green lawns, and water fountains spouting forth!!!
What the????????
Got back to Las Vegas late morning on Friday, happily handed back the van, and moved back into the Urban Casino Hotel, Sam's Town. Nice to be able to spread out again!
Two nights at Sam's and then move into a hotel virtually, but not quite, on The Strip.....
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Death Valley - Wednesday 26th September
We left Bullhead City (nice name huh?) after a lovely cool evening, but by 7.30am it was already sweat-inducing to breathe the air!
There are some crops planted along this valley floor, and a very strange motorised vehicle, which looks like something out of Star Wars, with wheels below 'legs' about two metres high, trundles about between the rows, spraying the crops.
Once we leave this valley we instantly enter the DESERT.... Quite a lot of low greenery, heaps of cacti and cycads abound. Forests of huge tree-sized, multi-branched (you know what I mean) cacti stand impressively and defiantly above the red sand. These areas are fenced, and there are frequently "For Sale" signs along the road. Are they kidding???? Can't imagine what one would do with acreage such as this, with the aim of making money!!!!
Out of nowhere appears an Oasis - about 2 acres of beautiful, tall, green trees!!!! Obviously someone has tapped the underground stream below, and has indeed found gold..
Rising up out of the valley, we're trvelling at about 4,000 feet elevation, and then suddenly we're plunged to the bottom of the valley again, down to 1,000 feet, and later on, we actually get to 190 feet below sea level. No wonder it's so hot down here!!
The air is very hazy and once again looks like a lunar landscape, and we drove through Death Valley Wilderness - how aptly named! Huge yellow sand dunes on either side, and some barren sandstone mountains still along the valley edges, Spinifex-like plants are about the only greenery in sight. No more multi-storey-building sized boulders waiting to crash down, these hills are so old, they're smooth and rounded, and very non-threatening in that regard; they're just crumbling slowly back into the sand from which they were built a few million years ago!!!
We drove about 280 miles (haven't yet converted it to kms, but it's a lot) through Death Valley and did see a Coyote, but not much else. Animals do of course live here, but they're wisely nocturnal!!
Passed through another tiny town which had a sign "Death Valley Health Centre", hilarious I thought, but I didn't get a photo.
Here we priced petrol and US$4.50 per gallon - you do the maths, and NEVER complain about the cost of petrol again!!!
In this town, estimated population; 6 people and a dog - there is an OPERA HOUSE... Again hilarious!
At some stage in this Valley's chequered history, it was assumed that the population would boom due to the finding of gold, silver, or something else which was precious. This of course, never materialised, but the Opera House still stands!
We lunched at a place called Furnace Creek - again very aptly named. Sat in our van, ate salad sandwiches and had the air conditioner up full. Temperature about 38 degrees C, in the shade!
It was an amazing journey through the Valley, and of course there are the remnants of a once very deep lake here, in the form of a salt pan which glistens in the heat.
Set up the Van for the second last night in a town called Beatty, and after sealing ourselves inside the cool van for an hour or two, we emerged to find a gorgeous balmy evening. So, off we wandered - truly amazing place again. There seem to be lots of "second-hand" shops across the way. Actually, 'shops' is not the right word, they are more collections of decaying debris spread over the landscape, in the vain hope that someone might be mad enough to buy something.....
As we were musing about the possibility that we were actually having a nightmare of some sort, that this couldn't possibly be for real, a head popped up over a brick wall to enquire as to whether we were looking for some place to eat, or whatever... So, we wandered over for a chat, as you do, and ended up having a very pleasant hour or so with him, and a bottle of wine, outside on his "patio". He's apparently some filthy rich, ex racing driver, who built, owned and then sold, a racing track and driver training school in a town nearby, and after marrying and divorcing 4 times, is now living every man's dream, living in a big shed, surrounded by boys' toys. His huge establishment houses a couple of Masserattis (sp?), several very impressive motor cycles, a motor home half as big as our house, and much, much, more.
Even after he told us his name I failed to be impressed, as I didn't recognise it as I apparently should have!! However, I did Google him when I got back to the Van, and indeed, he's for real!!!! Perhaps this was our actual "brush with fame", I just wish I'd recognised it at the time!!!!
Lovely cool evening for sleeping.......
There are some crops planted along this valley floor, and a very strange motorised vehicle, which looks like something out of Star Wars, with wheels below 'legs' about two metres high, trundles about between the rows, spraying the crops.
Once we leave this valley we instantly enter the DESERT.... Quite a lot of low greenery, heaps of cacti and cycads abound. Forests of huge tree-sized, multi-branched (you know what I mean) cacti stand impressively and defiantly above the red sand. These areas are fenced, and there are frequently "For Sale" signs along the road. Are they kidding???? Can't imagine what one would do with acreage such as this, with the aim of making money!!!!
Out of nowhere appears an Oasis - about 2 acres of beautiful, tall, green trees!!!! Obviously someone has tapped the underground stream below, and has indeed found gold..
Rising up out of the valley, we're trvelling at about 4,000 feet elevation, and then suddenly we're plunged to the bottom of the valley again, down to 1,000 feet, and later on, we actually get to 190 feet below sea level. No wonder it's so hot down here!!
The air is very hazy and once again looks like a lunar landscape, and we drove through Death Valley Wilderness - how aptly named! Huge yellow sand dunes on either side, and some barren sandstone mountains still along the valley edges, Spinifex-like plants are about the only greenery in sight. No more multi-storey-building sized boulders waiting to crash down, these hills are so old, they're smooth and rounded, and very non-threatening in that regard; they're just crumbling slowly back into the sand from which they were built a few million years ago!!!
We drove about 280 miles (haven't yet converted it to kms, but it's a lot) through Death Valley and did see a Coyote, but not much else. Animals do of course live here, but they're wisely nocturnal!!
Passed through another tiny town which had a sign "Death Valley Health Centre", hilarious I thought, but I didn't get a photo.
Here we priced petrol and US$4.50 per gallon - you do the maths, and NEVER complain about the cost of petrol again!!!
In this town, estimated population; 6 people and a dog - there is an OPERA HOUSE... Again hilarious!
At some stage in this Valley's chequered history, it was assumed that the population would boom due to the finding of gold, silver, or something else which was precious. This of course, never materialised, but the Opera House still stands!
We lunched at a place called Furnace Creek - again very aptly named. Sat in our van, ate salad sandwiches and had the air conditioner up full. Temperature about 38 degrees C, in the shade!
It was an amazing journey through the Valley, and of course there are the remnants of a once very deep lake here, in the form of a salt pan which glistens in the heat.
Set up the Van for the second last night in a town called Beatty, and after sealing ourselves inside the cool van for an hour or two, we emerged to find a gorgeous balmy evening. So, off we wandered - truly amazing place again. There seem to be lots of "second-hand" shops across the way. Actually, 'shops' is not the right word, they are more collections of decaying debris spread over the landscape, in the vain hope that someone might be mad enough to buy something.....
As we were musing about the possibility that we were actually having a nightmare of some sort, that this couldn't possibly be for real, a head popped up over a brick wall to enquire as to whether we were looking for some place to eat, or whatever... So, we wandered over for a chat, as you do, and ended up having a very pleasant hour or so with him, and a bottle of wine, outside on his "patio". He's apparently some filthy rich, ex racing driver, who built, owned and then sold, a racing track and driver training school in a town nearby, and after marrying and divorcing 4 times, is now living every man's dream, living in a big shed, surrounded by boys' toys. His huge establishment houses a couple of Masserattis (sp?), several very impressive motor cycles, a motor home half as big as our house, and much, much, more.
Even after he told us his name I failed to be impressed, as I didn't recognise it as I apparently should have!! However, I did Google him when I got back to the Van, and indeed, he's for real!!!! Perhaps this was our actual "brush with fame", I just wish I'd recognised it at the time!!!!
Lovely cool evening for sleeping.......
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Grand Canyon to Bullhead City, Tuesday.
Nothing too memorable about the drive today, just reminders of what an arid, inhospitable place most of Arizona is.....
We diverted off the highway to call into a town called Seligman, which is on the famous old Route 66. What a hoot - it was full of memorabilia - old 1960s Police Cars, and posters, etc.... A real time warp. Most of the tourists are also old farts like us - the younger generation has no interest in Route 66, and in fact, probably have no idea what anyone is talking about. Actually ran into two groups of men doing the Route - one group of Aussies and another of Kiwis....
We also drove through another town (name not known now!), and it seemed that actually many hundreds of people lived there..... These houses were planted amongst scrub, rocks and red dirt. There did not seem to be ANY possible reason for this town to be there, I couldn't fathom what anyone would do for a living, and in fact it looked like Hell - only worse - death would be slow........
We finally arrived at Bullhead City, temperature about 35 degrees, or more, and you also wonder what on earth this city is doing here. It is in the bottom of a deep valley, through which runs the mighty Colorado River - again sustaining life.
This town is also Indian owned, the Mojave Indians this time, and they own the local Casino (in whose RV park we're staying). No real reason to be here, we're actually en route to Death Valley tomorrow......
We had dinner, courtesy of our tour leader, at the Casino tonight. Another Buffet...... OMG, if I never see another buffet meal again it will be too soon. The food continues to be barely edible, and I'm truly sick to death of bad food......
Cheers...
We diverted off the highway to call into a town called Seligman, which is on the famous old Route 66. What a hoot - it was full of memorabilia - old 1960s Police Cars, and posters, etc.... A real time warp. Most of the tourists are also old farts like us - the younger generation has no interest in Route 66, and in fact, probably have no idea what anyone is talking about. Actually ran into two groups of men doing the Route - one group of Aussies and another of Kiwis....
We also drove through another town (name not known now!), and it seemed that actually many hundreds of people lived there..... These houses were planted amongst scrub, rocks and red dirt. There did not seem to be ANY possible reason for this town to be there, I couldn't fathom what anyone would do for a living, and in fact it looked like Hell - only worse - death would be slow........
We finally arrived at Bullhead City, temperature about 35 degrees, or more, and you also wonder what on earth this city is doing here. It is in the bottom of a deep valley, through which runs the mighty Colorado River - again sustaining life.
This town is also Indian owned, the Mojave Indians this time, and they own the local Casino (in whose RV park we're staying). No real reason to be here, we're actually en route to Death Valley tomorrow......
We had dinner, courtesy of our tour leader, at the Casino tonight. Another Buffet...... OMG, if I never see another buffet meal again it will be too soon. The food continues to be barely edible, and I'm truly sick to death of bad food......
Cheers...
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