May 1997

<<< Friday, 1 May 1997

Prepared for a long drive north up to the Grand Canyon. Passed through dramatic scenery changes, including a rather winding road elevating to over 5000ft and arrived at 3 pm, where we camped alongside teepees. Time for the Canyon experience. We went to the Imax theatre (I understand your enthusiasm now, Kevin) which introduced us dramatically to what we were about to encounter.

After pizzas we headed for our first view and a Ranger's talk, having booked up a helicopter flight over the Canyon for the next day. This cannot be described, as those of you who have seen it know well, needless to say, we were...(add your adjectives).

We heard this evening that the election in the United Kingdom resulted in the Labour party taking the place of the Conservative party therefore, Tony Blair is now Prime Minister.

Tip for day 1: Don't pick up a cactus from the Cactus Nursey Surprise, Arizona.

Tip for day 2: Take two jumpers when viewing the Canyon at sunset.

Saturday, 2nd May 1997

Temperatures dropped last night to 10C which caused the ice cooler pipe on the fridge to freeze and then come loose, leaking water, however, disaster was averted and the problem was quickly solved. Temperatures rose as the sun did and we went for a forest walk before the flight. I think I (Ian) was the most nervous, although everyone did take a travel sickness pill beforehand. Nerves were worse on take off as it was Susie's and my first time in a helicopter and the tilting and slight turbulence took a while to get used to. However, all this was forgotten once we hit, sorry reached the Canyon: more adjectives; slight watering of the eyes; helicopter door remarkably remained shut. It was all over too quickly but well worth it. Lots of photos were taken and this continued throughout the day as we toured by car around the eastern rim of the Canyon and visited various Indian sites including a Tusayan ruin which was no more than an extremely old pile of rocks. Also noteworthy is the Watchtower at Desert View, a recreation of prehistoric towers beautifully decorated inside with a collection of Native American rock art.

To entertain ourselves this evening Dad and Val introduced us to the game of 'Pegs and Jokers', with easy-ish rules this game could become quite addictive. Valerie and Susan 1, George and Ian 0.

Tip of the day: DON'T sit next to a loose helicopter door mid-flight when Susie's frantically trying to change the film in her camera.

Sunday, 3 May 1997

Here the snow from the Rocky Mountains feeds the Colorado River which fills Lake Powell, held back by the dam. The Colorado River flows from here through the Grand Canyon and empties into the Gulf of California.

Then back at the RV, we had another BBQ meal followed by a couple of rounds of Pegs and Jokers before bed.

Tip of day 2: Sometimes you are forced to learn from your own mistakes:- 1-2 to the girls.

Monday, 4 May 1997

Washing day followed by shopping tour in Page and lunch at an Italian restaurant. On the way back to the campground we went on a guided tour of Glen Canyon dam, which was very interesting. It took 3 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days to complete the building of the dam, which is made of better-quality concrete than the Hoover Dam. The dam can generate 1,288,000 kW of electricity.

More scenic views of Glen Canyon as we walked beside the waters and watched the sunset, extremely beautiful pinks, purples and blues etc....not quite the same as you get in Peckham. The lovely campsite here. The local wildlife (hares and lizards) seems quite unperturbed by humans.

Quip of the day: " I'm so old now that the doctor doesn't test my eyes anymore, she just counts them!" [Tour Guide for the dam].

Tuesday, 5 May 1997

Here we ate our sandwiches in a flurry of snow, well it had the visual effect of snow although it was the scattering of fluffy white seeds from unidentified trees. We drove further and walked to Weeping Rock, where surface water passing through a sandstone layer, hits a slate bed and flows to the surface to emerge as mini waterfalls. Amazing scenery here with lots of green vegetation, including Maidenhair ferns.

Further on we stopped at the Temple of Sinawava and began quite a long hike up alongside the Virgin River, hoping to reach the large waterfall at the end. We knew we would have to cross the river when the path ended and continue hiking up the river bank, however, we hadn't anticipated firstly how cold the water would be, secondly how slippery the river bed was, and thirdly how deep the water would get (having seen some people return very wet).

In the end, after George had witnessed Susie and myself get our feet wet, whilst he pretended to get ready to cross with us, we decided to turn back. We drove on further south, after watching two people climbing up the face of one of these huge rocks (rather them than me), to Springdale where we had our second Imax experience entitled Treasure of the Gods; very good but not as good as The Grand Canyon - Hidden Secrets. More photos as we returned to the campsite but no photos of the frog chorus, which sounded like manic sheep, or the scattering of real buffalo.

Evening entertainment of Pegs and Jokers leaves V and S with 4 points, G and I with 1, yes 1, point!

Near slip of the day - while attempting to cross Virgin River.

The fact of the day - Dad likes things to be interesting, and I (Susan) like things to be nice. Dad says this is an example of the difference between men and women. (!?).

Wednesday, 6 May 1997

A visit to Bryce National Park which is at an altitude of 8,000 to 9,000 feet to marvel at the Hoodoos - which are free-standing columns of rock up to 200 feet tall, which have been separated from the cliff face by the erosion effects of wind and freezing water. Bryce has very clean air and consequently, you can see for over 100 miles. Some groups of Hoodoos have the appearance of huge magical castles or citadels, also erosion has caused grottoes to be formed in the cliff face, which looks like parts of a massive cathedral. We ventured into some of the hoodoos on foot for a 3-mile hike, which took about one and a half hours due to the steep terrain, heat and lack of oxygen at this elevation, It is difficult to describe this spectacular and dramatic scenery but is captured well by the following:

"I wish you were here! Here in this land of juniper, pinyon, aspen and spruce.
Here in this land of sandstone, rattlesnake, raven, quicksand, badger, slot canyon, petrified wood, scorpion and Kokopeli.
This land of scientific fact and shamanistic mystery.

I wish you were here, right here in this land of contradiction.
This dry, sun-parched landscape was carved and shaped by the force of raging water.
This land of Wagnerian opulence and Zen-like simplicity.

This is a land which will wear you out, tear you down and leave you for the vultures.
It will also fill your being, enrich your spirit and make your life worth fighting for.
It is a helluva place to lose a cow and, God - almighty...I like it!"

Nicholas, Wilson and Wilson Islands in the Sky.

After an exhausting day of hiking, snowball fights and stunning panoramic views it was back to our apple orchard campsite for a BBQ and pegs and jokers re-match- S and V, 5 points, G and I, 3 points (a little more respectable).

The nip of the day - blue bottle-like flies bite out here, especially in the hoodoo canyon.

Tip of the day - (which we should have mentioned a long time ago) when leaving the car hold onto a piece of metal before you move your butt or else the chances are you will receive an electric shock due to the dryness of the air (20% humidity as opposed to the 'usual' 60%).

Thursday, 7 May 1997

A cloudy start to the day in Glendale as we set off to Las Vegas to win a million. Highway 9 led us winding back through Zion National Park. Here there are two tunnels, the first being no problem, but the second tunnel has an edge height of 11.4 feet and the RV reaches a height of 11.8 feet this meant we had to wait for the on-coming traffic to be stopped so that we could drive down the centre of the tunnel. Then onto Highway 15 where we had a quick stop for coffee at a new town called Mesquite. This is similar to Palm Springs, with palm trees and green grass in the middle of the desert, though the difference here is the number of casinos - our first glimpse of Nevada!

Unless you have been before, Las Vegas is a difficult place to imagine, a dusty desert area surrounded by mountains, some even have snow on the top. The Americans have brought water into this barrenness and they have air conditioning everywhere so that the searing heat is only felt when you step outside a building. After parking, we went to a food shop which was preceded by a stroll in 'Belz', a brand-name wholesaler shopping centre. Here Ian got what he came to America to buy; a pair of Levi's jeans. An after-shop swim and then change before we went for a buffet dinner at the Boomtown Casino (the RV resort we were staying at). When you pay a fixed amount but can eat as much as you like, it is easy to overdo it so we were very full as we drove into the most famous part of Las Vegas, The Strip.

Here there is one completely bizarre building after another outrageous building. It has the feel of stepping into a Walt Disney video. All these buildings are hotels open to the public, which house huge casinos and even shopping arcades and it is confusing at times to know whether you are indoors or outdoors. On arrival at Treasure Island Hotel/Casino, we witnessed a pirate ship battle. Inside, Ian and I had our first gambling spree and left about 20 dollars up! Outside the Mirage Hotel, a waterfall turned into a volcanic eruption of red streaming water and fire - very effective- this happens every 15 minutes and is one of the many free shows. We then went into Caesars which has a shopping arcade with blue sky and clouds on the ceiling. Here we witnessed the marble statues of Greek Gods come to life with a dancing display of constellations above their heads. A further gambling spree followed by a coffee and a listen to one of the live bands that regularly play in the Casinos ended the first night of our Vegas experience.

Friday, 8 May 1997

A trip to the library for me and Susie in the morning. We started to walk back towards the Strip at about the hottest time of the day (2 pm-3 pm) and it was then that we understood that Las Vegas is in a desert! so beers and a taxi seemed the best idea. In the early evening it was out to the Casinos again and a buffet at the Pink Flamingo. Food is good and plentiful out here and this time free wine came with it. Susie and I continued our 'roll' from last night and visited MGM, Excalibur (with a dragon and Merlin fire and fireworks clash) and the Luxor casinos but unfortunately, the slots weren't running for us.

....Oh well, that's Las Vegas...What an experience!

Saturday, 9 May 1997

On the road again and heading out of Nevada back into California and Los Angeles, arriving early afternoon at our destination, the Californian RV park in Acton which is surrounded by the San Gabriel Mountains. A beautiful site with a swimming pool and spa. A bit of a 'crashing out' day, recovering from the feverish betting of Vegas, doing our washing and an exhilarating swim. However, a significant swing for G and I regarding Pegs and Jokers as we triumphed rather significantly and scraped back a game to land 5 - 4 to the ladies.

Sunday, 10 May 1997

Up early-ish and into Hollywood and Universal Studios. The first ride we went on was Jurassic Park, the best ride as it included an 80-foot waterfall drop whilst being chased by a T.Rex. Excellent for cooling off and is most exhilarating. Next, it was Backdraft, a sample of the fiery inferno the actors had to go through - most realistic. Then onto ET, where Susie successfully managed to get the lost ET, back home to his planet. After a light lunch and Rumba band, we headed for Waterworld and a most excellent display of water stunts. Then it was a stomach-twisting ride Back to the Future and a Backlot Tram Tour of some of the props used in past films, including, Psycho, King Kong, and Jaws, as well as earthquakes and collapsing bridges together with building fronts and interiors used on many cowboy films. By this time we needed cooling off again and so decided to visit Jurassic Park one more time. This time I (Ian) managed to keep my eyes open on the 80-foot sheer drop while, of course, Susie waved her arms above her head.

Back to the RV for the final duel of pegs and jokers which ended at 6-5 to the girls. Home tomorrow after a wonderful holiday. HURRAH for the experience!

Tip of the day: Come to America!!! You'll love it.

Tuesday, 12 - Saturday, 16 May 1997

With the departure of Susan and Ian we have eight days before the arrival of Carole and Irvine, the plan was to spend the week doing very little, however, things have a habit of not turning out quite as planned. We decided to stay at the campground at Acton which is set in a range of hills, high on the side of a valley overlooking the busy CA14 Freeway, occasionally we spent some time watching the traffic going by and wondering where they are all going. The campground is picturesque with flowers at each site (pitch) which get automatically watered via the sprinkler system, normally during the night, in fact thinking about it, most of California seems to be watered by a sprinkler system.

Our USA entry permit is due to run out on the 22nd of May so we needed to find out how to obtain an extension, it turns out that the responsible department is the Immigration and Nationalisation Service. Having tracked down via yellow pages and the British Consulate, that the nearest office is in Los Angeles we set off expecting a simple rubber stamping process. Upon arrival, we found a line (sorry queue) of at least 150 people outside the building and probably a similar number inside. At this point, the penny drops as we remember that the USA has set a deadline requiring all non-USA citizens living in the USA to complete the nationalisation process this year or be deported. As we could not see any option we joined the line and watched the comings and goings of people from every nation carrying paperwork, foreign passports, chairs as well as food and drink as they expected a long wait. After about an hour we reached an information desk and found out that all we need to do was to fill in form I585 and send $85 (yes, £60) to obtain the appropriate rubber-stamped form, which we might receive in about 12 weeks; however, by then we would have been to the UK and returned to the US!

Cleaning, washing, shopping, maintenance and dealing with our mail become the order of the day. We are getting used to our mail arriving in large parcels about every two to three weeks with some of the letters up to one month old. Recently we have been receiving mail from two sources either via our normal mailbox in Texas or via our visitors from the UK. In both cases it is a bit like Christmas opening a surprising number of items, yes we seem to already have our name on numerous US junk mail lists. As always the letter we are waiting for never arrives when expected, but usually turns up in the next delivery, the exception is George's income tax return which is never welcome.

The DSS satellite TV receiver is turning out to be an excellent investment in several ways. Most of the local US TV stations are not very good at reporting world news but we can now find out what the main events are back home via channels like CNN or better still NWI, which is a Canadian station specialising in world news. Interestingly, a high percentage of NWI's programmes concentrate on Japanese and German events, with the UK only getting limited coverage. We have even been able to watch the State Opening of Parliament as well as the election of the speaker. In some areas, we can pick up local terrestrial TV but of variable picture quality, however, with the DSS system, we get perfect TV reception wherever we are. Some campgrounds provide a cable hook-up normally for an additional cost of about $1.50 a day but again the picture quality is variable and the number of channels is normally less than 20, which compares to about 150 channels on DSS. In addition, the DSS service also includes dozens of very recent full-length films which are transmitted without commercials. All we need to do is make a free phone call and specify what time we want to watch the film and it is automatically switched on, each film cost $3.18 about the same as renting a video but without the need for two trips to the local Blockbuster video shop.

Saturday, 17 - Sunday, 18 May 1997

As the campground at Acton was full over the weekend we decided to try The Walnut campground at Northridge as an alternative pickup location for visitors arriving at Los Angeles airport. However, immediately upon arrival, it was clear that it was an old, poorly maintained RV park being mainly used by long-stay campers. On Sunday we moved to the Golden Shore campground at Long Beach to await the arrival of Carole and Irvine tomorrow.

Moving on so regularly means we have had lots of practice hooking up and unhooking, which fortunately takes surprisingly little time. Typically the drill, when we arrive at the campground reception, is that George unhooks the tow car while Valerie books in, George drives to the site which is frequently a pull through and levels the RV using the four hydraulic legs, and then hooks up the electric, water and drain hose while Valerie opens the slide-out and switches on the air con and the kettle for a cup of tea. From arrival, the whole process normally takes no more than ten minutes.

Carole & Irvine

Monday, 19 May 1997

Mark and Grace took us to Heathrow - a wet journey. Arrived with 4 hours to spare! Boarded the aircraft at 5 p.m., the skies cleared and the sun was shining when we took off at 5.45 p.m. with 438 passengers!

Arrived in Los Angeles at 19.30 PST, where the welcoming sight of George and Valerie awaited us.

Tip of the day - soda water is good for removing in-flight drink stains!

Our journey in the RV would cover 2,150 miles and a similar mileage in the car, also take us through four States, numerous mountain ranges and deserts.

Tuesday, 20 May 1997

Drove to Long Beach after breakfast to a local supermarket - in search of the elusive ginger wine, but no luck. Returned to the campground for some 'hot and cold treatment' from the swimming pool and hot tub. Returned to Long Beach and posed for a photo in front of the Queen Mary Liner, looked around Shoreline Village before having lunch at The Yard House - very good. Irvine thought the waitress's figures did not reflect the ample-sized meals. Afterwards, we set off in an RV for Palm Springs where George and Val expertly parked both vehicles in a very narrow parking space. On route to the site, the roads were planted with many trees and shrubs, notably blue hues, with an abundance of oleander down the central carriageway. Many road signs in simple language amused us - 'wrong way' for 'no entry, as well as 'don't walk' and 'walk'. Early evening we made a trip on the Palm Spring Aerial Tramway to the summit, where we enjoyed another very pleasant meal.

Tipple of the day - definitely not Ginger Wine!

Wednesday, 21 May 1997

Woke up to a beautiful morning and went again for the 'hot and cold' treatment before breakfast - most invigorating! Saw many hummingbirds busily feeding from colourful feeders. There are over 15 species and we were shown a nest made out of spider webs, small cup size, collected from beneath RV's. Many are hummingbirds are killed each year by the Roadrunner. Set off on a 164-mile journey to Parker across High Desert - stopping to refuel on the route - then passing through the High Desert where we stopped for lunch. Passed several cyclists pounding up steep slopes - rather them than us in the rising temperatures! A highway patrolman signalled 'were we OK?' when we had stopped at the side of the desert for coffee, George signalled back - OK thank you.

Camped up in the afternoon on the bank of the Colorado River - beautiful spot - too hot to go outside until evening, when we had a 4x4 drive in the desert, followed by a super BBQ while watching the local boys playing with their water toys (speedboats and jet skis) under a moonlit sky.

Thursday, 22 May 1997

Perfect start to the day. Had breakfast outside, then left Empire Landing campground at 8 a.m. for the 270-mile journey to the Grand Canyon, passing through variable scenery including some snow-capped mountain tops. The Yellow Warbler and Common Crackle were seen at the campground before we left, the latter given this name by the noise it made. We think Spielberg adopted this sound for one of his creatures in Jurassic Park - the one who attacked the fat guy as he was escaping with the flask of embryos!

After arrival at the GC campground we visited the Imex Theatre for a thrilling pre-view into the hidden secrets of the Grand Canyon and then booked our helicopter flight for the next day.

Listened to an interesting talk in the evening by one of the rangers about his five week walking expedition along the floor of the Canyon and exploring various drainage channels. During the walk he found interesting artefacts of primitive Indian tribes, specifically a double-edged stone knife, mining tools and a copper kettle or pot from about l00 years ago, a mangle with a Cottonwood tree now growing through it, as well as three spent supply canisters from the 1940's dropped to feed pilots who bailed out over the Canyon. All these things were returned as he found them which we understand is the National Park rule - 'Find, admire and leave'.

Friday, 23 May 1997

Pegs and Jokers: Initiation evening 1 - 0 to George & Irvine

Saturday, 24 May 1997

Awoke to howling wind - were we back in the UK? Left Grand Canyon Camper Village at 9 a.m. - jumpers and cardigans were needed as we started our journey to Page and Lake Powell. Ever changing scenery - with fields of wild thyme, leading up to the Painted Desert with its unusual colourings of cliffs looking like raspberry ripple and hills like giant chocolate mousses - mealtime again! Also on route we passed many Indian settlements, comprising run down shacks, some with satellite dishes - market stalls were along the roadside in abundance, selling trinkets and jewellery. Valerie purchased a turquoise necklace and Carole a kokopeli pendant (Indian flute player). At one stall we saw an Navajo Indian family, complete with full Indian head-dress and regalia, prepared to dance for 5 dollars for a video picture or 3 dollars for a still photo - shame he wasn't 5 dollars the richer! Thundery showers developed but didn't hinder other Indians sowing their crops.

Spectacular thunderstorm with dramatic lightening strikes as we entered the town of Page, built in 1957 for the purpose of accommodating those 'Dam' workers! Irvine and Carole visited the Dam for the guided talk. Pleasant campground overlooking the spectacular Lake Powell. In the evening listened to another very interesting talk on the local rock formations in an open air amphitheatre. An unworried Jack Rabbit (long-eared) scampered across our path on our way to the talk.

Pegs and Jokers score so far - The boys 3, girls 0. (Oh dear!)

Sunday, 25 May 1997

Awoke to sunshine at last! Decided to stay at the campground for the morning and for Valerie and Carole to do the weekly wash at a local launderette. Two different species of lizards were seen by Irvine while he awaited our return, also the Common Cackle Bird and some ravens. After lunch went for an afternoon drive down a dirt track only suitable for 4X4 leading to Cottonwood Creek. Very rugged - the creek practically dried up with thick mud at the edges. Saw a variety of flowers, comprising small sunflowers, white creamy bell type flower with orchid markings inside, flowering cacti and yellow sedum and others growing from the rock sides. Two baby chipmunks were seen on the return journey. The Ranger's talk in the evening was given by a Navajo Indian about the many designs of woolen rugs woven by his people.

Pegs and Jokers latest score 4 - 1 (the girls score at last!)

Monday, 26 May 1997 - Memorial Day

Early start for our journey to Bryce Canyon. On the way we saw many flags flying on buildings and in gardens for Memorial Day, which is also marks the start of the holiday season. Entered Utah - time zone change - lost an hour - shame!

The Indian shacks were replaced by cowboy ranches and scenery became more lush green. Left RV at a campground in Glendale and continued by car to Bryce. Road followed meandering river with glimpses now and again of prairie dogs and mule deer.

Tuesday, 27 May 1997

Set off to Las Vegas via Zion and Bryce National Parks. Road markings showed evidence of a recent earthquake as we drove along a bumpy route. Compared to Bryce, the Zion Canyon was larger and the rocks had a smoother appearance. Driving through the park we entered two tunnels, the first fairly short but the second, with bends in the tunnel, put George's driving skills to the test. Impressive wooden houses with orchards were seen as we left Zion and Bryce National Parks also the first of many casino advertising boards which heralded the approach of Nevada. Vegetation changed from orchards and green fields to Joshua trees and sand with wild thyme which seems to be able to grow in any condition.

Desert landscape continued with a dusty looking Las Vegas welcoming us. Our campground is landscaped with Palm trees and putting greens - well-named The Oasis. After lunch we shopped in the pleasant coolness of the air conditioned shopping centres and returned to the campground for a refreshing swim in the pool before seeing the sites of Las Vegas. The evening tour revealed the real Las Vegas, millions of lights attracting tourists like moths to a candle, many hotels having free shows, the scenery and visual effects would make many a London company envy! Inside the casinos, hungry machines with one arm would spit a return on your money if lady luck was on your side.

Wednesday, 27 May 1997

After breakfast for three at nearby Boomtown, we journeyed towards Barstow across the Mojave Desert with vegetation non-existent except for wild thyme and Joshua trees. Passed several abandoned cars, victims we guess of overheating. The worlds tallest thermometer displayed 99F (feels like 120!)

Valerie wisely stayed in the air conditioned RV for the afternoon while George, Irvine and I visited Calico Ghost Town. We stood in the shade to watch two shoot-outs, which were very entertaining.

It was so very, very hot that much of the time was spent in the air-conditioned shops! Peggy Sue's 50s theme diner was the evening's venue, decorated with old posters and juke boxes.

Pegs and Jokers 5 - 2 to G & I

Thursday, 29 May 1997

Left the campground after breakfast on route to Porterville. A loan cowboy on horseback was seen in the Mojave Desert. Bakersfield heralded the sight of orange groves and grape vines - in fact the whole area was geared to agriculture, irrigated by man. Much of the ground was tinder dry, except where there were fields and fields of orange trees and later pistachio and olive trees. Numerous nodding donkeys, the metal kind, were busy in the fields. How pretty the pink red and white oleanders looked used as hedging down the central reservation on much of our journey.

We camped at Lake Success, a Corps of Engineers campground. After our Peggy Sue Pizza lunch, which had lasted for two days, we took a 30 mile scenic, semi-circular tour, driving through the Sequoia National Park with giant Redwoods and alpine type flowers, also blue birds (Pialated Jays). After climbing to an elevation of 7,000 feet, with mountain streams far below, we came across fir cones as large as coconuts on the ground, collecting some for our camp fire that evening.

A super BBQ was enjoyed around our camp fire on a very warm evening. We noticed later on that hooked posts around the site are used to keep food out of any bears reach!

Pegs and Jokers 6 - 3 to G & I

Friday, 30 May 1997

Saturday, 31 May 1997

Pegs and Jokers 9 - 4 to G & I. >>>

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