Las Vegas

As we were pretty close to Las Vegas by this time we decided a visit was necessary. Sharon rang Charla who managed to find us a sweet deal on the Interweb for a hotel.

The unassuming front entrance to the Riviera. $40 per night.

Luckily there was a side entrance.

Hairdresser, barber, wedding chapel.

World Famous Tattoo Parlour (except in my world, I’d never heard of it)

Naturally we weren’t the only people taking advantage of the $40 room rate. We shared the surrounds with a colourful cross section of guests, tattooed, bespangled, bleached, tanned, underdressed…you name it.

After washing the road grime off we met one of Sharon’s friends out in the suburbs for sushi and then we drove along the strip. If you are in any doubt about who's winning at the casinos then a quick trip down the strip will clarify things for you. The casino's are winning.





I kept seeing entertainers I though has left this world long ago. Vegas is where entertainers go to die.

Donny and Marie Osmond (on side of casino) .....I though they were dead.

Sienfield....that's where he went, Caesar's Palace.

The shows were many and varied and unfortunately we didn't have time to see any. We were only there for two days and that wasn't even enough time to look at the casinos. Without a doubt our favourite show advert would have to be the giant billboard advertising 'Naked Boys Who Sing'. The five average looking men pictured were indeed naked, as advertised, but I hope they sung well because they really weren't competing with the Chippendales billboard. The creative department must have spent ages coming up with the name.

Death Valley

The next day we continued on towards Death Valley, the closer we got the hotter it got. A stop at the visitor centre revealed that it was going to be 47 degrees that day. It felt like 50 already.

This aerial view of Death Valley gives you a good idea of the rich, colourful landscape (click to enlarge)

The hills around Death Valley are multicoloured and obviously rich in minerals, they reminded me a lot of the Atacama Desert in Chile. After exploring the desert for a while we decided to find a camp site early, set up and chill out for a while (as much as is possible on a 47 degree day). The guide book was vague, the map even more so. Our first choice turned out to be a treeless patch of gravel just off the highway. Some poor souls were already camped/roasting there, I can only assume it was because they were on bikes and couldn’t go anywhere else. We could, and did.

Next to Camp Car Park...and the only tree for miles...which is currently not providing any shade.

Our second choice was up in the hills (maybe there would be trees), through a narrow pass and at the end of a couple of miles of dirt road


…..there were no trees.

Camp Hot and Lumpy.

Mmmm....inviting.

We back tracked and were feeling a little hot and over it by now. We decided to try the enticingly named “Furnace Creek” camp ground. It turned out to be pretty sweet. It was still a billion degrees but some thoughtful person had planted a snaking line of weeping conifers throughout the camp grounds which provided shade and a soft bed of pine needles. Score!

Furnace Creek camp ground

Feeling good about finally finding a camp ground that isn’t like the surface of Mars.

While we were setting up a funny looking bird visited us. ‘It’s a roadrunner’ Sharon told me. Yep, there was no mistaking it once she had pointed it out. It didn’t make any noise but I heard the ‘beep! Beep!’ in my head.

After we had set up the camp we rushed off to an area of sand dunes to watch the sun set.


We didn't quite make it in time for the sunset but we amused ourself in the still baking heat by taking lots of silly photos. Some other tourists offered to take photos of us but we were really just succumbing to the heat by then and only interested in looking like idiots. Luckily we are both experts.

Sharon trying to tutor me in the ways of photo bombing.

Over exposure does wonders for the complexion.

My beautiful friend Sharon in the desert, with the moon...and heatstroke...just kidding that tube she is holding is attached to a big sack of water. They don't call it a camel back for nothing.

Back at the camp we had enough ice in the esky to chill two small bottles of wine which was good because by the time we had set up and made dinner we were both hot and tired. After the sun went down the ground just kept radiating heat. We estimate it didn’t get below 34 that night.

I had discovered running water in the toilet block and a sink. Score! I ran the water for a while to cool it down....the pipes must be near the surface of the ground....still waiting.....eventually I realised that there was not going to be any cold water. :( The next day we found out the significance of the name 'Furnace Creek' . The town water supply comes from a hot spring. In summer the locals get their cooler water from their hot water storage tanks which have been turned off. The hot water comes straight out of the cold tap. This explained why the toilet block was like a sauna. Apart from the heat radiating off the brick walls, the steam coming out of the toilet bowls didn't help the situation. Getting your bottom steamed could become a popular new spa treatment but we weren't enjoying it. We spent as little time as possible in the building as just walking in the door made us break out into a sweat.

We found a sink outside, behind the toilet block and in the dark of the night we furtively stripped down to our underwear and washed. The hot wind gave us some cooling evaporation but it only lasted about 10 seconds then we were dry. By the time we walked the 50 meters back to the camp site we were hot again, it was still about 40 degrees at this point and the ground was still radiating. We had left the fly off the tent and I slept with a wet facecloth tied around my neck, Sharon with one draped over her forehead.

The next morning when we turned back onto the highway a coyote strolled across our path. My Loony Tunes experience was complete.

On the road again....(Cue Willy Nelson)

We rented this fabulous car for US$300/week,

and hit the road.

Being in the relaxed frame of mind that we were we packed everything and anything, ready for mountains and desert. Sharon is a very organised camper and had all of that gear under control.

After a late start (relaxed frame of mind) we drove through California to Yosemite National Park. The scenery was spectacular, of course, pine trees and mountains. Being school holidays the park was completely full for camping but we found a nice spot just on the other side near a place called Mono Lake. We set up our first of many night camps, Sharon took care of the tent and I took care of dinner. All the camp sites had 'Bear boxes', a big metal box to put your food in at night so the bears don't get into the habit of wandering in for some takeaway. Our tent wasn't in a big metal box and I wondered briefly if the bears might consider the tasty morsels wrapped in rip stop nylon worth a visit.

Sharon is packing up our first camp while I make breakfast. The 'Bear box' is on the right.

This ground squirrel wants to know what's on the menu.

We spent the first part of the day skirting the eastern edge of a massive national park system. Lots of mountains, lots of trees, really beautiful. Then we stopped off at a hot springs public pool. Perfect place for a shower and to soak away any car cramps.

Not a great picture, but you get the idea. By this stage we were realising the even though the mountains look huge and spectacular to your eye....when you take a photo they become small and insignificant.

Stopping for some water at a public park. Free, palatable, drinking water, a novelty for an Adelaidian.

We're laughing because in my haste to get back in the shot before the timer went off I nearly pushed Sharon down the embankment behind us.

Mountain pass.

We found a place to camp at Inyo Forest which actually looked a lot like the Flinders ranges. The good news was that because of the more arid land there weren't any Bear boxes....and we assumed no bear. There were tonnes of lizards though. The camp area was almost deserted and very peaceful. Most of the camp sites we went to had long drop toilets and we started rating them based on how clean they were. The ones at this site were a 3, not great.

Camp scrubby.

One of Sharon's ambitions is to execute as many photo bombs as possible before she dies. Captured here demonstrating her mastery of the art form.

Are you going to San Francisco....

Have been having a very nice time in San Francisco. On the day I got here Sharon and Charla were putting on a BBQ for some of their friends so I got to experience the classic US BBQ. Ribs, chicken, BBQ corn and some really nice salads. They have really high quality produce in California so everything was delicious.

On holiday from the Degaba System, Yoda decided to drop in when he heard about the Australian delicacies I had brought over for Sharon. Of course he drank too much, tried to do some complicated Jedi combat move and face planted into the pool table. I certainly wasn't going to tell him to cool it....he is a Jedi Master after all.



Went to Golden Gate Park the next day and managed to see an Amazonian water lily that only blooms for two days every 15 years in flower....so that was lucky. The Hari Krishnas were at the park also and gave us free food which was great because I love Hari food and it was free!

The weather in the city is weird. Basically we spent the day in a cloud, misty and foggy and then we went back across the bay to where Sharon lives and it was sunny and mild again. Apparently SF spends most of summer in a cloud.

The area Sharon lives is really nice though with lots of beautiful and interesting old houses and better weather than across the bay.
























































































We went to Six Flags roller coaster park on Monday. Woo Hoo! It was a lot of fun and I have never ridden on so many roller coasters in my life. It wasn't very busy so the lines were mostly only about 5 or 10 minutes. We went on everything multiple times and by the end of the day were fairly dazed, a little bit queasy and with slightly sore throats from all the screaming and laughing.

Beautiful Six Flags appears out of the surrounding swamp.

The Upchuck.

The Change Machine.

The Discombobulator.

Old Yella.

Yesterday we hired some bikes in the city and rode across the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a fun ride although really windy on the bridge. It was so windy that my sunglasses, which were tucked into the front of my shirt, blew away. I briefly considered retrieving them from amidst the 4 lanes of traffic they were sitting in....but then decided that's why I only buy $30 sunglasses and rode on.

After the bridge we rode to Saucelito and had very nice fish tacos (2 for $5 - Score!) and caught the ferry back to the other side of the bay to return the bikes. Saucelito is a very picturesque little coastal town of old wooden buildings and boats. Probably originally a fishing village, now filled with restaurants, shops and touristy things. Still really pretty and the fish tacos were excellent.