End of the Journey

4 Oct –

Another beautiful morning at Joshua Tree National Park. We sat outside having breakfast watching two guys climbing the huge rock slab behind our campsite. Before heading off, we walked a short nature trail thru the desert with many different types of cactus.

We headed west on the I-10 and then got lost finding the connecting road to the I-15 south. Lunch was in a town park before getting onto the I-15 and driving into the traffic of San Diego and our RV Park on Mission Bay. Good internet at last so we completed a list of stuff to do before publishing the last blog and Claire skyped Glen.

5 Oct –

We decided the best way to get to the San Diego Zoo was to drive there in “Ernie”. We arrived about 10:00am and after buying our tickets took the free bus around the entire zoo to get our bearings. Off on foot to find an animal Phoebe had been dying to see called an Aye Aye. It turned out the damn animal was nocturnal and therefore in its burrow sound asleep.

The zoo was smaller than we imagined and very easy to walk around. We saw every animal on the planet. The tigers, rhinoceros, pandas, orangutans and gorillas were my favourites.  We left the zoo at 5:00pm exhausted. It was a difficult drive back with the peak traffic and the setting sun. Back at camp we enjoyed a swim and a spa.

                                                 6 Oct –

Claire and Phoebe took our bikes for a ride around Mission Bay to Ocean Beach while Val did laundry and I cleaned the outside of “Ernie”. After lunch we caught the bus and light rail into San Diego to the USS Midway.

This is an aircraft carrier which is open to the public. We had seen it before but it was huge and we had missed going up onto the bridge. We ticked this bit of the tour off first and it was worth the admission alone. There are ex-crew members everywhere guiding and explaining the ship. Standing on the flight deck and looking at the 250ft used for take-off is impressive as is the 650ft for landing. We all enjoyed the tour.

We walked along the waterfront before catching the light rail back to Old San Diego town for a margarita at a Mexican bar with an old guy playing Mexican type music. A bus ride back to camp to end another exhausting day.

7 Oct –

Up the busy I-5 between San Diego and Los Angeles and stopped at San Clemente State Beach. The camp is above the beach on a cliff. After lunch we walked down to the beach and spent the afternoon there. There was a dumping surf coming in which made swimming difficult. Only Claire and I braved the waves. Claire got completely dumped, even drawing blood! After pre-dinner drinks we walked back to the top of the cliff and watched the sunset over the bay.

8 Oct –

We debated whether to go back down to the beach but decided not to, as the surf conditions were the same. On the short drive up to Anaheim we stopped at a Wal-Mart to do our last shop of the trip. At the camp we collected our mail which had been forwarded on and also got the tags (number plate) for the next owners, Judy and Noel. We walked down the road to the entrance to Disneyland and checked out the prices. We sorted out a rental car for tomorrow and had an ice-cream before returning to the RV Park and a swim in another great pool.

9 Oct –

The rental car guy picked Val and I up to take us to pick up our car. We paid for an economy car but gave us a Mustang convertible for the same price. What a bugger!!! Off down the I-5 with the top down. Great except that when you hit L.A. traffic doing 5mph it gets a bit hot! Eventually we had to close the top and turn on the air-con.

At Hollywood we drove passed the posh shops in Rodeo Drive and parked near the best bits of Hollywood Boulevard. Walked passed the Chinese Theatre and the view of the Hollywood sign before having a great Mexican lunch. Back on the road in the ‘stang and up into the Beverley Hills passed the “stars” homes to the Observatory at the top with great views of L.A. and Hollywood.

Down to the coast at Santa Monica where Claire and Phoebe hired bikes and rode down as far as Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier. Val and I went for a swim in the Pacific and enjoyed a relax on the beach. Claire and Phoebe joined us and we stayed on the beach until almost sunset. On our trip back to our RV camp we went back to Wal-Mart again for another last shop. We had the top down on the ‘stang for the trip back to the camp.

10 Oct –

We returned Mustang Sally and walked over the road to Disneyland. For a Monday the place was very crowded and we made good use of the fast pass system to ride all the good adventures including “Pirates of Caribbean, Indiana Jones, The Haunted House, Small World, and Buzz Light Year, the Tea Cups and Thunder Mountain (Val and I passed on this one).

We also enjoyed Mickey’s Parade. You cannot not smile when you are at Disneyland. The Park closed at 6:00pm. A bit of a surprise! Back at the RV Park we had Noel and Judy (new owners) around for drinks, pizza and a catch up.

11 Oct –

Our last day in the US of A! Scrambled eggs for breakfast before Claire and Phoebe set off to California Land Theme Park. Val and I started the long job of packing 4 years’ worth of stuff and cleaning. It took us to 2:00pm to finish the job but we got all we wanted to take home in three bags. (one courtesy of the Ingrams).

Judy and Noel arrived and we went thru all the bits and pieces of “Ernie”. Claire and Phoebe arrived back from their day and we had a drink before our shuttle arrived to take us to LAX. It was a nice fast trip and we sailed thru security quickly. We managed to bluff our way into the Koru Club with my expired membership card. We sat in our seats on the plane for 1 ½ hours while they sorted out a door arming problem. We all managed a couple of hours sleep.

13 Oct –

No 12 Oct as we lost that crossing the International Date Line. We did not gain much time on the flight so we arrived in Auck 1 hour late just in time to miss our connecting flight down to CHCH. Only an hours delay and again managed to bluff our way into the Koru Club. Glen was at the airport to greet us and bring us home. It was all a bit of a mixture of sadness, sorry we have ended our 4 year North American adventures, happiness to see Nicola and the family, and relief that we have sold “Ernie” to a couple who will enjoy him as much as we have. We drove about 12,000 miles this year and a total of 46,000 in the 4 years with the only expense being some tyres. Australia in 2018?? 

National Parks with Claire & Phoebe

19 Sept –

We left Flagstaff and followed the I-17 south to Phoenix. There is a difference of 6000ft between Flagstaff and Phoenix so the 188 mile trip was a lot downhill. This also makes a huge difference to the temperatures. We have come out to Lost Dutchman State Park at the foot of the Superstition Mountains. We stayed here just after we picked up “Ernie” 4 years ago. It was a great park in the desert, with nice views and huge saguaro cacti everywhere. We pick up Claire and Phoebe from the Phoenix airport on Thursday and so we will stay here for 3 nights moving to an RV Park closer to the airport on Thursday.  We sat outside in overcast conditions with the temperature 40C+, well over 100F. The air is dry however so it is quite bearable. Into the air-conditioning for dinner but turned the air-con off before bed.

20 Sept –

Last time we were here we walked up into the Superstition Mountains following a great track. As the temperatures have dropped to around 35C we decided to repeat the hike. We climbed 1500ft for 2 miles up the mountain and enjoyed the views before heading back to camp. In the afternoon we spent some time cleaning and prepping “Ernie” for 2 more occupants. It has been much cooler with a lovely sunset and dinner outside.

21 Sept –

There was an electrical storm at night and the day was much hotter. We spent the day getting things organized for Claire and Phoebe’s arrival tomorrow. In the afternoon it went over 100F (40C) so we sat inside read and I even had a sleep. In the cool of the evening we biked around the camp admiring another great sunset.

 

22 Sept –

A lazy start to the day and a bit of cleaning. We drove the 35 miles back into Phoenix stopping for a stock up at Wal-Mart on the way. Our RV Park is only 6 miles from the airport.  Not a great place but very convenient. We booked a taxi to go to the airport to pick up Claire and Phoebe. We think it must have been an Uber as it was a very flash Cadillac. We timed it just right driving thru the arrivals area and there they were. Much excitement! Back to “Ernie” and after showers and a round of mouse traps off to bed.

23 Sept –

Breakfast outside and then off on the busy roads thru Phoenix. Very quiet in the back whether thru fright or tiredness, I am not sure. Eventually we cleared the city and onto the I-17 and the road to Sedona. We planned to go to Bell Rock but ended on a scenic road in the Red Rock State Park. It was a great drive and we eventually ended up at Bell Rock where we had lunch before walking a track around Bell Rock and The Courthouse Butte, a 4 mile walk. In was only a short drive thru the rest of Sedona (an up market tourist town) and up the Oak Creek Canyon to our camp site. The girls lit a camp fire while I cooked dinner which we had outside. It was very cold in the night. We will have to review our night attire!!

24 Sept –

Porridge for breakfast to warm up before driving out of the canyon and up the steep road to the top where we stopped to admire the view. At Flagstaff we stopped at the Wal-Mart for winter PJs (Phoebe) and warm hoodies before continuing on to the Grand Canyon. At the National Park gate we found that it was “National Park day” with free entry. So much for our Annual Parks Pass which we had paid US$80 for!! Our plan was to drive to the visitor’s centre and walk straight to Mather Point and a great view of the Canyon. Unfortunately, because it was free entry, the car parks were full. Eventually we went to plan B and drove to our pre-booked campsite, found our site and walked around the rim walk to the visitor’s centre. It was a beautiful clear day and the lookouts were great, if not a little crowded. We caught a free shuttle to the Bright Angel Trailhead and followed the trail into the canyon for a short distance. We will do a longer walk tomorrow. Another cooler night.

25 Sept –

A late start to the day as the travellers slept in. After breakfast outside we packed our lunch and caught the shuttle to the South Kaibab trailhead and started down into the canyon. It was another lovely clear day. Val and I had done this hike 4 years ago and the views were again spectacular. The trail zig-zags down the first part and then follows down the ridges. We passed a tourist party on horseback and then a mule train carrying their gear. After a rest at Ooh Aah Point we continued on to Cedar Ridge and had our lunch. 1800ft below the rim and a distance of 1 ½ miles.  The hike back up seemed easier than the downhill trip and we were back at the top and on the shuttle after 3 hours. A great walk which everyone enjoyed. Before going back to our camp we had an ice-cream and bought some firewood. We lit a camp fire before dark and cooked kranksies, corn, s’mores and raisin bread.

26 Sept –

We had planned an easy day today with a short 25 mile drive along the canyon rim to the Desert View camp. We got a great “first come – first served” site and after a rest we walked around the rim to the Watch Tower. This is a beautiful stone tower built in the Navajo style with more spectacular views of the Canyon. Back to “Ernie” for more relaxing before again walking to the rim with chairs, drinks and crackers to watch the sunset. Very impressive with the canyon slowly changing colour. We walked home in the dusk and had dinner inside.

27 Sept –

A road trip today. Out of the Grand Canyon and around it until we came to the Navajo Bridge which crosses the Colorado River at the west end of the G.C. We stopped for lunch at a view point before passing the road to the north rim, across the Arizona/Utah border and on to our planned camp in the town of Kanab. It was a trip of 182 miles but with great desert scenery all the way. There was a minimum of sleeping in the back seats! We walked up the town of Kanab and had great burgers and beer at a restaurant.

28 Sept –

With a relatively early start we drove up towards Bryce Canyon National Park. The road went higher ending at the gates of the N.P. at 8000ft. We found a camp site in the park, packed our lunch, and caught the free shuttle the visitor’s centre where we bought a map for the trails. Another shuttle ride to a lookout and the start of a trail into the canyon. It was a bit cloudy but the “hoodoos” were still spectacular. The trail lead down a slot canyon and wound around the “hoodoos”

We sat with a great view and ate our lunch before continuing on passed “Queen Victoria” (a hoodoo which looks like the statue of Queen Victoria in Victoria Square) and thru the Queens Gardens before climbing back out of the canyon and along the rim to our starting point, a 4 mile hike. Back at “Ernie” we sat outside for a while until a cold wind drove us inside. After an early dinner we walked back along the rim for the sunset but clouds spoiled the effect. Still a great last view of Bryce Canyon.

 

29 Sept –

We retraced our route out of Bryce Canyon south towards Kanab turning west towards Zion Canyon National Park. On the way we stopped at one of the many rock shops where Phoebe bought a mixed bag of exotic rocks. We entered Zion Canyon at the east gate and followed down the great scenic drive thru the red rocks and valleys until we reached a long tunnel, paid an over-sized vehicle fee, and drove thru Mt Carmel. Out on the other side we arrived at our pre-booked campsite. Another full camp so it was a good job we booked.

After lunch we walked to visitor’s centre and then caught the free shuttle bus and trailer up the canyon to Weeping Rock trailhead. It was only short walk up to this feature which is a large rock overhang with water cascading down. Great views in all directions. Back on the shuttle for the rest of the canyon and then back to the visitor’s centre. Our plan was for a longer hike to a view point above our camp but heavy rain set in. We filled in ½ hour at the visitor’s centre and the gift shop (dangerous place to fill in time!)
The rain cleared and we set off for our hike with now thick red mud on the track. It was a great climb affording a great view from the top. We saw two tarantula spiders on our walks. On our return Claire and I walked to the shop for firewood. We had a great camp fire and cooked dinner over it. A beautiful night with great views of the red peaks all around.

 

30 Sept –

Pancake breakfast, courtesy of Claire and Phoebe, before driving out of Zion Canyon N.P. and thru the town of Hurricane where we used the internet at the library to confirm bookings at Las Vegas. A great drive thru the Virgin Mountains on the I-15, across the Utah/Arizona/Nevada borders, before turning off and thru to the Valley of Fire State Park. We stayed at this great little park 4 years ago. The red rocks are spectacular. The temperature has climbed as we are only at 1500ft now.

A rest in the heat of the day before a drive to the visitor’s centre and then a scenic drive to the White Domes trailhead for a short walk including a slot canyon. Back at our camp the temperature dropped and we enjoyed a nice sunset with dinner outside. A very short twilight and the stars were brilliant.

1 Oct –

We drove thru the red rock hills out to Lake Mead which is very low. There was a triathlon with cyclists on the road which we had to dodge. At the Hoover Dam we went thru security and parked for a walk on the new bridge with a great view down onto the huge concrete dam.

 At Henderson we stopped for a shop and fuel and then on to Las Vegas. We had booked an RV Park at the back of Circus Circus at the north end of the strip.

There was a welcome swimming pool to cool off in before an early dinner and a taxi ride to the Mirage. Claire had shouted us tickets for Cirque du Soleil, the Beatles “Love”. What a show!!
All the Beatles songs with spectacular lighting and sound. The performance was in the “round” with action below, on and above the stage, aerial acts, VW Beetles, projection and dance, it was a mix of them all. Very hard to describe. Out of the theatre we walked down to The Bellagio for the hourly performance of the famous musical fountain. After an ice-cream served by a hilarious Turkish guy we wandered the strip back to “Ernie” enjoying the sights and sounds which are Las Vegas.

2 Oct –

We all slept in this morning before making some accommodation bookings by phone. The internet was hopeless so we were not able to publish the blog. Washing, laundry and swims at the great pool. After lunch we caught the bus down the strip to the Outlet shops at the other end. The ladies shopped until I dropped!! Back to “Ernie” for drinks and a rest before the bus up the strip to the Freemont Experience. This was the old strip but is now enclosed and has a great atmosphere. The whole roof is a giant superscreen (the largest in the word). Every hour all the neon signs go out and there is a great musical video on the superscreen. There were zip lines overhead and lots of entertainment. We enjoyed the sights before going into a casino for burgers and beers (Phoebe soft drink). Back to “Ernie” after another late night.

                                                 3 Oct –

Cooler in the night. We left Las Vegas and headed south for 230 miles thru the desert to Joshua Tree National Park. Some of this trip was along Route 66. It was sad to see all the abandoned towns along the way. After a quick stop at the visitor’s centre we drove into Indian Cove camp site where we had a great spot among the impressive rocks. We had our last camp fire of the trip under the brilliant stars.

 

Memphis to Monument Valley

5 Sept –

Before leaving the camp at Nashville we published the last blog and swapped some books at the camp library. Our e-readers can no longer be loaded as the download programme from adobe has stopped working. We have tried everything and now have given up on them. We will fix the problem when we get home. Thru Nashville and back on the I-40 for a short drive of 108 miles to a state pack at Natchez Trace. We decided to cut the trip to Memphis in half as we will go out to Beale St there.

6 Sept –

We drove thru Lexington, stopping for a shop before heading into Memphis and our camp at Gracelands RV Park. We stayed here last year but got a better site out the back under the trees and on grass. It was now hot and humid and after booking a shuttle into Beale St we relaxed in the pool. We were dropped off at Beale St at 6:30pm. This is the club and bar area of Memphis but was fairly quiet when we arrived. We found two good bars with great bands, one playing modern country, the other the blues before heading to The BB King Club. There was a really good band, 4 vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, keyboard, sax and drummer, all Afro American. They played blues, ballads, country rock and even a bit of Elvis. The place was full with a great atmosphere .We had a great meal, me with my usual burger and Val pork ribs. The music was so good we stayed there until 10:30pm and caught the last shuttle back to camp.

7 Sept –

Got a text from Claire saying that Phoebe had broken her little finger at school. Hopefully it will not be a problem for their trip. We decided we had better start getting some miles under our belt so drove 216 miles stopping for a lunch break. The first part of the trip was thru Memphis and over the Mississippi River into Arkansas and back on the I-40. Our overnight stop was at a state park on Lake Dardanelle, a very pretty lake.

8 Sept –

We continued on the I-40 for about 80 miles across the Arkansas/Oklahoma border and a further 100 miles to Lake Henryetta where we found a site with power overlooking the lake. Two other RVs were here and they said that you are meant to pay at the town hall 4 miles back down the road but nobody pays. That will suit us! When the temperature went over 100F (38C) at around 5:00pm we retired into Ernie and the air-conditioning. When it cooled in the evening we chatted to the other campers. They told us this lake is famous for ‘noodling” for catfish.  I had seen it on an extreme fishing programme on TV. The idea is to wade in the muddy water feeling underwater along the banks for holes where the catfish live. Finding one, you don a protective glove, reach into the hole as far as possible, and grab the catfish by the mouth and wrestle it out. The catfish can be up to 80lbs! We WILL NOT try this tomorrow! Today’s trip 176 miles.

9 Sept –

We drove back thru the town of Henryetta and fuelled up at a record low price for us of $1.95/gallon. Converted to NZ$ it would be 70c/l. Later down the road we saw $1.79/gallon! We skirted around Oklahoma City still on the I-40 and the landscape changed from rolling hills to flat farming land. We pulled off the interstate and parked on a side road for lunch. Later we realized we were on the old Route 66. Our overnight stop was at a RV Park in Elk City for laundry and internet. We booked some camps and a scenic rail trip for next week. Again it was hot in the night but rain and thunder came and it all cooled down. Today’s trip 208 miles.

10 Sept –

The theme for today was “Show Me the Way to Amarillo” over the border into Texas. This area is the Texas panhandle high plains. The landscape was flat with no trees or hills. We are slowly gaining altitude however and were now over 3000ft. This was cattle country with corn and beans feeding the cattle in huge feedlots. There were also many windfarms working as we were buffeted by cross winds. We stopped at a rest area before passing through Amarillo, a nice green looking town, and another 40 miles where we found an RV Park just off the I-40 at a one horse town called Vega. It had been a pleasant cooler day. Today’s trip 180 miles.

11 Sept –

We continued on the I-40 over the border into New Mexico. Immediately the landscape changed from farms of corn and beans for the cattle feedlots, to ranch land and semi desert. We continued on a steady climb and this coupled with a strong head wind, made “Ernie” a thirsty boy! After a lunch break at Santa Rosa we stopped at the first RV Park we saw a further 90 miles west. At some stages the road was over 7000ft.  Today’s trip 223 miles.

12 Sept –

We drove our last bit of the I-40 to Albuquerque where we turned north. Our most direct route to Phoenix would be to stay on the I-40 to Flagstaff and then south but we are taking a 200 mile detour for a scenic train ride and to visit Monument Valley. We missed doing these trips last time we were in this area 4 years ago. We followed the “550” with spectacular desert country with red rocks and soil and many ridges and buttes.

We had both forgotten how much we love this desert scenery. Half way to Durango where the scenic train trip departs from, we stopped for the night in a small New Mexico town called Cuba where we spied a handmade sign for an RV Park. It was deserted so we parked up but could not contact the owner as there was no cell phone coverage. Black clouds rolled in and soon an electrical storm and rain. After it had cleared some workers returned to their RV and told us there was cell phone coverage in the centre of town. We walked into town which was very run down with most businesses closed and abandoned. All a bit sad as it could be a nice town. There was more rain when we got back and the owner showed up and charged us $5 to stay!

13 Sept –

The great drive continued and soon we were in oil country which seems to be the only source of income in this area. As we neared the New Mexico/Colorado border there were more signs of life and some nice towns. Arriving at Durango, Colorado we shopped before finding our pre-booked RV Park. Val did some laundry later in the afternoon then the usual electrical storm arrived with rain. Tomorrow we take the scenic train trip.

14 Sept –

It was a really early start as we were booked on the 8:00am scenic train trip. We caught the trolley down to the station. It was cold so we were in full winter clothes and jackets. We had booked a “gondola carriage”, basically an open carriage with two rows of seats facing outward. A very large steam engine pulled the train with various styles of carriages, ours was the cheapest! It was a narrow gauge track (36”) and the first hour of the trip was up the valley where Durango is situated passing homes, farms, a golf course etc.

The train left civilization and we climbed into the gorge of the Animas River. Great views of the river sometimes right beside us, at other time hundreds of feet below. A great feat of engineering which only took 9 months to complete. We climbed 3000ft to the frontier town of Silverton.

We had a 1 ¾ hour break before the 3 ½ hour return trip. We had lunch at a local brewery and wandered the cute town.  The couple we sat next to offered to take us back to our camp. Halfway to the camp Val realized we were going the wrong direction and it turned out they were in a different camp. They took us back to the town and we caught the trolley home. It was a long day but very enjoyable.

15 Sept –

We headed west to Four Corners Monument.  This is the only place in the USA where 4 States meet - Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is traditional to but a body part in each State.

On thru Mexican Hat and in the distance we could see the mesas and buttes of Monument Valley. What a sight! Our camp was at Navajo campground right inside Monument Valley with fantastic views of the area. The valley road is very rough so we booked a guided tour for tomorrow. The sunset over the buttes was great as there was a full moon rising. We sat with a glass of wine and enjoyed the spectacle.

16 Sept –

A spectacular sunrise before our guided tour at 10:00am. We were the only ones on the trip with a very quiet Navajo Guide. He was very good however and we bounced our way passed many fantastic sights. There were mesas, buttes, and needles everywhere. This is where many cowboy movies were shot. We also saw some arches and visited a Hogan, a traditional Navajo house. The trip was 3 hours long, expensive but well worth it. After lunch we walked to the visitors centre and continued on for a 3 mile hike thru the desert and up to a view point. There is a hotel here but it is very cleverly disguised. Another great sunset.

17 Sept

We had a quick last look at the view before heading out of Monument Valley and down towards Flagstaff. We stopped 20 miles before Flagstaff at a National Monument at Sunset Crater. We had stayed here 4 years ago. It was a very cold night as we are over 7000ft.

18 Sept –

We had been confused by the time last night and the radio this morning made things worse. Our GPS insisted that the time was an hour earlier than our clocks and the navigator (Val) insisted we had not gone into a new time zone. We had to go to the visitors centre and ask what the time was. The GPS and the radio were right! Arizona does not observe day light saving and therefore has the same time as the Pacific Time Zone. All very confusing! As we only had a short trip into Flagstaff, we went for a walk around the crater area. This is an extinct volcano with a moon like landscape. At Flagstaff we booked into a camp for laundry and to charge up “Ernie’s” battery.