Author: Snoo

So this is the last blog of the driving adventure. The final day of driving didn’t disappoint. It felt like I was driving on multiple spaghetti junctions, with a few breaks in between where the motorway was 7 or 8 lanes wide. It was almost as if I could feel the hustle and impatience of people desperate to get somewhere very fast. Saw at least three almost crashes. And so many cutting ins and ups. I just pootled in the third of fourth lane doing a regular 65mph and stayed calm. We had no time pressure and we wanted to be safe.

Just before hitting the road into the city, we stopped off at a cafe for a coffee and breakfast in Riverside. It was very kitsch and called ‘Kountry Folks’. I had never seen so many chickens (not real) in one cafe. Bert went for the California chips which came loaded with cheese and bacon, and I had a piece of cherry pie.

Next stop was Castle Park, a kid’s adventure park two minutes from the cafe, for a game of mini golf. The temperature had dropped a bit but as we went round the 18-hole course it got hotter and hotter. Hotter than Moab Arches in my opinion. Eventually even my palms were sweating. Luckily there was an air-condition amusement arcade where we sat for a good half-hour drinking pints of lemonade and letting our bodies return to a functioning level of heat. The adventure playground was fab – so good for kids with every ride imaginable.

Feeling more human we got in the car for the final leg into LA. It did feel I was driving in a arcade race track. But an hour later we arrived at our hotel on Venice Beach and saw the ocean. I had to go straight for a swim in the sea. It was bracing but warmer than Anglesey.

So it’s a cool 21C and we are feeling at bit chilly! Luckily I bought a sweatshirt at H&M yesterday.

Thanks for joining me on the road trip!

Be seeing you.

A quiet rest day. Well, England were playing in the semis so we tuned in on Fox Sport to watch the game which was the first one I had watched for the full 90 minutes. I did pop to the ‘Guest Laundry’ a couple of times during the game – even while the dryer was running, it was still a lot hotter outside.

We went to ‘Farm’ for brunch – highly recommend if you are in the area. I had a savoury crepe with mushrooms and Bert plumped for the strawberry, banana and chocolate version. It was sort of French themed and they played a weird version of Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne with a French woman singing in a tinny voice. As I said, weird.

We sat outside under a massive shade and water was sprayed in a fine mist. Was very comfortable.

And there were some beautiful flowers.

After the footy, we went to the largest shopping mall in Palm Springs (my choice) and wandered around in the cool. I bought a new sweatshirt (might need it in LA if it’s only 25C). We also visited Trader Joe’s and stocked up on beer and crisps. Imagine you can get Swami beer! What would my swami say!

We are off out tonight to Mr Lyons. Then heading to LA tomorrow on the final leg. Planning a few stops and a visit to some of Larry David’s favourite cafes/shops.

S’all Goodman!

After just over 1700 miles, we have arrived in California. Slight tardiness on writing my blog as I had a Long Island Iced Tea with my Caesar salad and that was enough to mean I wasn’t in a good state to write.

Bert and I agreed that the drive/scenery yesterday paled into comparison with the previous days. From a driving point of view, the roads were fab. We decided to drive south and the. through the Joshua Tree National Park which was recommended by the tour company. They also advised topping up with petrol regularly as there weren’t many places to fill up en route. I took this a little too religiously, and barely let the dial fall below 300 miles in the tank.

The drive to 29 Palms (or Twentynine Palms) was great. Long straight roads with no traffic, a few tumble weeds, the odd sand squirly/sand storm but tiny, and a number of unmade side roads that made us think we were in Breaking Bad territory. Even saw beaten up/maybe abandoned RV/potential meth lab.

There were two exceptionally wide loads we had to overtake early on but given the visibility this was easy. Looked like people were moving their actual houses. Odd.

We got close to the border with California quite a few times and Bert was ready with the camera to snap the ‘Welcome to California’ sign. He had to stand down a few times. But eventually we crossed the state line and began the last miles through the final state.

We stopped in 29 Palms which was a bit more like a 1 Horse town. Everywhere looked closed but it was 115 degrees and no-one in their right mind would walk around. There was a bar called The Virginian and I suggested we try it for lunch. Was hoping to see Trampus behind the bar. I loved watching The Virginian when I was young – and remember watching it with my grandma.

It was a bit like that scene in American Werewolf when the tourists enter the pub in Yorkshire and everything goes quiet. There were three people seated at the bar a few stools apart. We asked if they did food and the woman behind the bar said they didn’t. Bert popped to use the facilities and I stood there trying to work out what to do. I saw it was cash only but I had no cash. No-one spoke. When Bert emerged he saw the ATM inside the bar and got some dollars out. We ordered and coke and a lemonade, and the woman behind the bar said there were places to eat but further up the road. First time I have felt a bit nervous.

We found a lovely cafe just round the corner (google maps is very useful when you are in a furnace and just need to find a good place to stop). It was called ‘Kitchen in the Desert’ and served a delicious cucumber, cilantro and house-made lemonade. My egg, bacon and cheese roll was ok and Bert had a smashed burger. It was as far from The Virginian you could get but less than 500ft away.

So onto Joshua Tree National Park. Because it was so hot, we agreed just to drive through as spending longer than a few minutes outside the car was just a bit too much, even for me. The landscape was very different and I guess if we hadn’t seen the Rocky Mountains, Moab Arches, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon already, it would be awe-inspiring. I loved the yucca trees and the weird shaped boulders scattered randomly. It did look like a set from Star Trek (the first and really the best) – half expected Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and some random-soon-to-be-killed extra to be beamed down in front of a loads of rocks.

Joshua Tree done, we headed to Pioneertown which was a town built as a set for the Westerns in the 1940s. I was expecting a sort of ongoing film set where we could swagger into a saloon through half-doors and walk up to the bar and order a double. Where we would see horses tied up outside the bank and stage coaches rumbling up and down.

It was out of season. We saw no horses, stage coaches, cowboys, spurs, or gun slingers. So disappointed. We parked up in our Nissan Rogue outside the Red Dog which looked like a bar. The guy came out and asked us to park somewhere else as we had parked where the horses tied up. So maybe we would see horses! But they never showed.

Bert had a Whistle Pig whisky and I had another coke. That was Pioneertown done!

So 35 minutes later we checked in to the Renaissance Palm Springs hotel. Such a culture change. We are in room 4215 – luckily it was hard to find so I was able to increase my step count given we had been in the car all day.

A swim in the warm pool and then dinner in the bar. As I said earlier, the Long Island Iced Tea was all that was needed to lead me to my bed.

And Spain beat France. I am Spain.

So imagine looking out over London Bridge when it’s too hot to go outside because you would burn to a crisp, and it is 7pm. Scary, huh? Maybe it’s a reminder of how we need to take care of our planet. I love the heat, but this is really too hot.

Today was another driving day but we got up super early (although not as early as our neighbours as the car park outside our cabin was empty by the time we emerged) to do a small hike round the Grand Canyon rim trail. There were people jogging. It was already hot. But it was a great walk and we saw a Condor, a hummingbird, a squirrelly thing and maybe another kangaroo mouse. We stopped off in the geology museum and both got more confused with the geology of the Grand Canyon. It seems the Colorado river made it. And the rocks were formed when the earth was formed – with loads of things in between that and the dinosaurs.

After a coffee at the cycle hire shop – overheard the guide saying it was a 20-mile ride – four miles in the forest and 6 miles on the rim, then back – which I thought I would do next time, we checked out and headed south to Williams to pick up the old Route 66 west. We had trouble finding Route 66 – had to come off the I-40 a couple of times and at one point ended up at a dead end. Travelling with someone other than your husbant is much easier when you end up on the wrong road, or going the wrong way. It seems less blameless. Given we had all day, a few wrong turns meant we got to see things we would have missed so it was a win-win for me. We had a cracking playlist to guide us along our route, and played Chuck Berry’s Route 66 (my favourite and thought of Nick) and the Rolling Stones version.

We stopped briefly in Williams for a coffee at our first Route 66 diner and sat at the bar. The coffee is disgusting everywhere. Bert had a malted strawberry milkshake. Was a good choice.

Next stop was the Roadkill Cafe in Seligman. I think I scared Bert by explaining that their slogan was “You kill it, We grill it”. So literary roadkill. Turns out they just call their regular food things like ‘Swirl of Squirrel’, ‘Bad-brake steak’, ‘Fender Tenders or ‘Splatter Platter’. So he opted for a fried chicken steak which was actually beef (think chicken schnitzel but beef) and I had a kid’s burger. I also saw my first Trump flag.

We drove along Route 66 and passed through a few little towns and each time we missed the opportunity to take a photo by the iconic Route 66 sign. The road was fab to drive – long straight roads with no traffic for miles. Finally we got to Kingman and our last opportunity to get the photo. Sadly, it was a very busy town with many cars and lorries thundering past. But we did it anyway.

We turned off Route 66 back onto the I-40 and hit the worst section of our trip so far. The road was terrible and for about 20 miles I felt like I was in ‘Duel’, Stephen Spielberg’s 1971 movie. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend watching it. My version was an enormous white truck that decided to take me on at 75mph on the 65mph speed limit road that was worse than Quartermile Road in Busbridge. I felt very uncomfortable for a good 15 minutes. Luckily, the road surface improved and I was able to get away.

The temperature started rising almost by the minute until the car registered 125 degrees Farenheit (almost 52 degrees Centigrade). But the roads weren’t melting and the aircon was keeping us very cool. We arrived at Lake Havasu and made a slow dash to the hotel. Bought beers and sat in the cool of our room playing Texas Hold ‘Em until we got hungry again and found a place a minute’s walk away. I had the tempura prawns and Bert went for a French Dip!

So it’s still 47 degrees and we are tucked up in our cool room.

Couple of observations! Showers have varied enormously in all the places we have stayed. Tonight’s hotel is aptly named The Heat hotel and I voted this one the best shower yet. The Grand Canyon cabin had a terrible shower which nearly took my eye out with the force of the water. Other showers have been awkwardly angled with complicated pull/push buttons. So maybe the showers are on an upward trajectory.

Second observation. When you spend four nights in four different hotels, it is a real test of your memory to remember where the toilet is. I never like putting the light on in the middle of the night in order note to wake anyone up. But remembering where the bathroom is relative to where I am sleeping, and then which side of the room the loo is, is challenging. I can safely say I have scored 100% every time. I have probably just jinxed that. My early worries about early onset Alzheimer’s were knocked out of the park when I got turned down for a drug trial. This confirms that I can make new pathways in my brain, even if it is just remembering where the toilet is each night in a different bathroom!

Leaving the monuments of Monument Valley as early as we could, we drove at a fairly thrilling speed along the AZ98. As husbant would say, conditions were good. i wasn’t the fastest on the road but the dial was tested.

We arrived in Page, Arizona and joined a tour going to the Antelope Canyon. A great group of four Germans, an Italian and two Americans. Our guide was Sonni. It was amazing. Even the ride to the canyon was exciting as we zoomed along the road in a open-sided desert vehicle. There were lots of requirements – no bags, no fanny packs, just yourself and a water bottle and camera. I can’t fill the blog with all the photos (check my instagram #snoofish). But it was stunning.

Bert chatted with the Germans but my Italian disappeared so settled with asking Sonni loads of questions. After a 20-minute walk through we came back out into 105 degrees and had a short walk over a sandy hill back to the jeepy thing.

We were so close to Lake Powell that I thought I should at least say hi, so we did just that and Bert found a bar which turned out to be in a golf club for lunch. The place was a bit weird – very male – but the “wings” were delicious. Not sure what a chicken with wings like that would actually look like in real life. And to top it off I had a salad. With proper salad ingredients.

Fed and watered, we set off on the AZ89 south to Cameron (Prescott was also near by). Cameron was just a trading post but we got ice-creams as the temperature gauge hit 107 degrees. I had a twix ice cream. Not as yummy as a twix that you freeze and then eat and break your teeth on.

Turning left at Cameron, we stopped to fill up inside the grand canyon national park. The petrol was so much more expensive but I had tried and failed to fill up before we entered the park. I have trouble turning left snd big junctions. By the end of the trip am sure I will have got it sorted.

We found our way to the Yavapai lodge, our beds for the night. Posh dinner at El Tovar and then back for sleeping. Long day travelling but amazing views.

Long driving day on mainly good roads. We left Moab and headed west towards Monticello where Bert had located a Silver Queen mini golf place. It was inside a hardware store. We drove past a Mormon Church and I just had to take a photo. I was a little nervous as I didn’t want to upset anyone. So here are my very quick photos!

The mini golf was great – the theme was a neon mine. And I won!

We then drove onto Bluff for lunch. Great name for a small town. Most of the towns we passed through have been small. But we picked a winner with Bluff. The lunch spot was called Twin Rocks cafe. And this was why:

Happily, we had a 15-minute wait for a table so I went to the Trading Post next door for some retail therapy. There were some amazing handmade rugs, beautiful jewellery and gorgeous pots. The prices reflected the authenticity and were just a little too high for me.

The food was really good. Again far too much and I have started worrying about whether I will fit into any of my clothes or get charged for excess baggage (aka my expanding belly). But I am impelled to try things on menus that I have never eaten before. Today’s ‘must try’ were Navajo blue corn pancakes. I tried to persuade the waiter to give me just a small one to try but he could only serve me two. And they weren’t small. They were delicious.

And I also had to try the Navajo fried bread – which was also very tasty and could only come with lashings of pork canitas, two eggs and refried Anasazi beans. I am not joking when I say I am worried about my clothes…

I just couldn’t have any deserts but the Polygamy Porter Cake caught my eye. I guess we were in Utah.

Full to bursting, we turned off the official route as Bert had seen that we weren’t far off the Four Corners Monument. This is the only place in the US where four states meet at a single point. Breaking Bad fans might remember that Skyler goes to the Four Corners Monument and tosses a coin to see which state she should go to. It was 100 degrees Farenheit with very little shade and a queue to be able to stand in four different states. Luckily, only 3 photos per group were stipulated on the sign and most people stuck to the guidance. Just in front of us was a family with 7 kids – so they all wanted single photos of each kid, then mum, then dad, then the whole family. At least we had got to a shady bit. My idea was to do a downward dog with one foot in New Mexico, one foot in Arizona, one hand in Colorado and one hand in Utah. Didn’t realise how hot the ground would be but I managed it for a few seconds and Bert got the shot. It was all worth it.

Four Corners done, we re-joined the official route – was interesting driving back into Colorado, then briefly into Arizona and then back into Utah. The roads in Utah were not as smooth. And the speed limits vary a lot too. Keeps me on my toes!

Our overnight stop is a cabin in Monument Valley. It’s beautiful. But am knackered. They were showing Stagecoach after sunset in the main hotel. But I am too tired. We have been driving through the backdrop of every spaghetti western you can imagine. I even saw some tumbleweed bounce across the road in front of me, and we had to slow down as wild horses crossed over. There was even a turn off that looked just like those places in Breaking Bad where dodgy things happened.

This is tonight’s view directly from our cabin.

And the same view after sunset.

The heat has started to build and it’s getting a bit too hot even for me.

More adventures tomorrow with an early start. Grand Canyon by way of Antelope Canyon. Night night.

Actually, we didn’t visit a place called Hope Springs, but that was what a new Labour government feels like. I fell asleep when Grant Shapps lost but Bert stayed up watching events unfold in real time. He won the betting – we lost count of all the bets we had made but I called the Greens getting more than 3 and he called Farage. Sadly, the people of Godalming let me down badly. The only fly in the ointment of an otherwise amazing night.

Another American hotel breakfast – the yoghurt machine was keen to explain that it was 100% organic so I had expectations of the yummy Greek yoghurt we have at home. It turned out to be a sugary substance that was more akin to some crappy supermarket own brand. The granola was also heavily sugared. Bert had three “sausages”.

We had a 9am entry slot for the Moab Arches. I hadn’t really researched exactly what we would actually be doing. Vaguely thought there would be a visitor centre where you could have a coffee and a pastry, and then drive around. First, no coffee or pastry on offer. Second, it seemed to be a place where you could do short hikes graded easy, moderately easy, and difficult. I hadn’t prepped for hiking. But we had water and some wine gums. And I bought another water bottle and some Moab Mountain Snax. We had our walking boots but only one pair of socks. I offered them to Bert who tried them on but they were too small. So he wore his boots sockless.

As I was getting ready, I had a brief thought about Michael Mosley. There were big warning signs saying ‘Allow a quarter of a litre of water per person’. I felt I hadn’t planned a hike and it would be high 20s/early 30s degrees by the time we got to the Delicate Arch. But then Bert said he could see small children heading up. So while it was graded difficult and with areas of no shade, we set off.

It was a tough hike. There were a few trees dotted about that soon filled up with people trying to get out of the sun. And we stopped at almost every one. Just as I thought I really couldn’t make it, a family walked by on the way back and said it wasn’t too much further – maybe 10 minutes. That, and the last of the wine gums, spurred me on and with Bertie’s patience and kindness, we arrived at the most amazing viewpoint. And all that dizziness and sweating, and doubt, fizzled away. Here is what we saw.

The path back down was joyful.

Tonight we have been to the Dead Horse point or valley to look at the dark skies with a guide. We saw the Milky Way, two galaxies, a nebula, and a star that had just been born. Mind blowing.

It’s 1am and we have another great day planned.

PS. Just reread this and fixed the terrible typos. Forgot to mention the food from yesterday which was pretty ok. For lunch we went to the Moab Garage Co and had some delicious tacos – Bert even said the chicken taco was one of the best he had ever tasted!

And for dinner we went to Pasta Jay’s where I ordered a tomato and mozzarella salad which, for the first time, was smaller than I expected. Maybe my brain has changed to expect monster plates. Bert ordered Chicken Parmigiana which came on two big plates. We shared.

And I also forgot to mention that we saw a kangaroo mouse on our trek. And a couple of other small rodents.

Today was the best drive of the tour so far. We stopped in Rifle. I had been thinking we would find a saloon bar a bit like you see in the old Westerns and would perch on a stool and order a whisky (although that bit was far-fetched as we got to Rifle at 10am). And maybe a gun fight would suddenly break out outside. Sadly, or maybe happily, it was a very calm diner with crap coffee.

Back on the I-70 West until we got to Grand Junction. I was expecting a big junction, a bit like spaghetti junction, but it seemed to be a rolling retail park. Bert found us a great restaurant called The Devil’s Kitchen which turned out to be a rooftop restaurant with an amazing view. Our first glimpse of the desert. And given all my moanings about no fresh vegetables, I ordered Tatonka Cruciferous aka Tempura seasonal broccolini with buffalo sauce and citrus aioli.

So I ODd on broccoli. Couldn’t eat it all. Best not to moan about lack of greens.

Bert went for a Nashville chicken sandwich which was fried chicken in a doughnut with maple syrup and bleu cheese coleslaw. With a side of chips. Few things to confirm. Yes it came in a doughnut. And yes they call it bleu cheese not blue cheese. The overall taste was, strangely, sugar. The chips were amazing.

The view was like in the old movies and we saw more people wearing US flags in all forms. It’s a big thing.

As you can see the scenery has changed enormously. As we drove further west, we dropped a few thousand feet. About half an hour after lunch, we hit the State Line and passed into Utah. Stopping at the first view point for a photo opportunity, the heat had started to build.

Even better, the speed limit also started build and the magic 80mph kicked in. The road surface was fab. And everyone drives so beautifully!

We turned off the I-70W onto the UT128. Wow. Really. It knocks Honister Pass out of the park. It was indescribably beautiful. Photos really can’t do it justice. Just giant slabs of red rock, some like fingers, some like cathedrals.

The views just got bigger and better. I felt so grateful that my eyes were able to see these amazing things and that I was lucky enough to have Bert with me.

We were very keen to get the 10pm (UK time) exit poll so had a white knuckle ride as the radio came in and out of signal. We pulled over at 9.59pm UK as the radio crackled into life and listened as the likely Labour landslide was announced.

Giddy with excitement, the last few miles were joyful. Suddenly, we emerged from the red giants into Moab town and our hotel. Stepping out of the car, the heat was incredible – 35 degrees. That’s hot.

So luckily for us, it’s 5.30pm and we can easily watch the results come in while the day is still youngish. No bar in the hotel as alcohol and Utah have an interesting relationship, we managed to buy some beers and crisps to bring up to the room. What a great end to an epic day. And tomorrow, well, we are going into the desert at 10pm to see the dark skies, and the milky way zoom overhead. Life is truly great.

After a proper breakfast of eggs over easy, bacon and potatoes, we set off towards Glenwood Springs. Driving out of the Rocky Mountains, where the average speed limit seemed to be 45mph, we joined the I-70 West where I saw my first 75mph sign and breathed a sigh of relief – at long last I could see what the Rogue could do.

We made a pit stop to fill up with petrol – anyone watching would have probably had a good laugh. I didn’t check which side the petrol cap was so had to do a complicated manoeuvre to right-side the car. Then I had no idea what sort of “gas” the car needed. Playing the stupid foreigner, I asked the guy on the adjacent pump what sort of petrol I needed – he was super helpful and explained I needed the black pump as the green pump was diesel (thank goodness I asked). Then he showed me how to pay first, lift the pump, press the 85 button and then start filling up. While thanking him profusely, he showed me how I could just set the pump and let it stop automatically. His daughter was in London visiting friends. All in, the tank was filled for $33. Bargain!

There was a Granby supermarket just next to the petrol station so I had to go in. Wow. I could have been in there all day. But we were on a mission so I did a quick trawl and took loads of photos.

After the pitstop, we stopped about an hour later in a place called Empire for a coffee. Everywhere was shut except for a clockmaker’s shop. I walked in and three cuckoo clocks suddenly cuckooed (is that right?)

Next stop was Vail. I had heard of Vail and it was a very touristy town with some good shops and loads of restaurants. The scenery had changed and we started seeing ski lifts and ski runs – which always look a bit weird when there is no snow. We had yummy tacos for lunch.

The last part of the day’s drive was spectacular. We drove into Glenwood Canyon and the cliffs were beautiful – bright red in places. I nagged Bert to take some photos – it was hard to capture the enormity and we drove along the Colorado river all the way. We even saw a train that seemed to be a mile long.

We arrived at our hotel and went straight to the Iron Mountain hot springs. These are the largest hot springs in the world. They had about 15 springs which had been recreated in the style of hot springs around the world. So there was a dead sea pool, a Vichy pool, a Blue Lagoon pool – you get the idea. Felt a bit like seeing the Eiffel tower in Las Vegas. We spent two hours travelling around the world in hot springs. There were another 30 springs in another section but we had both sprung enough.

So our final meal was a diner so a full American food fest day was complete. I went for the double cheeseburger but declined the fries/coleslaw/salad/potato sides much to the confusion of the waitress. It was actually quite delicious. Bert went for a pot roast sandwich with fries. His wasn’t very photographic so it’s just my burger below.

Definitely getting into the crap food, and looking forward to eating some fresh vegetables when we hit California. Tomorrow is 4th July.

Bert is super excited about the election and we have got a book of bets which I think will make me $30 richer. Luckily we will be 7 hours behind you guys, so will know the result at 8pm rather than 3am. I think there is also some fireworks due this side of the Atlantic too.

Here’s hoping! Don’t forget to vote!

Long day so not many words today but lots of pictures. Breakfast at 7am (had been awake since 4am as the jet lag seems to still lingering) in order to enter the National Park before 9am. It was the low point of the day – oatmeal with banana and blueberries turned out to be defrosted/microwaved frozen bananas on a bed of oats that were barely lukewarm. See what you think.

But then we hit the Timber Lake trail which was stunning. The sun came out and the sky got more and more cloudless as the day went on. I became obsessed with the Colorado Columbine so excuse the multiple photos.

We saw lots of wildlife but my wildlife photography isn’t great. We saw loads of elk, moose, deer, chipmunks but no big longhorn sheep.

The hiking was great – the waterfalls were beautiful.

We were too tired for mini golf. There’s a great live band playing in the bar just below my window so will sign off and fall asleep to some country twangs.