tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27386198478879710752024-02-08T06:56:24.208-08:00USA Road Trip - America by car for dummies: Planning, Travel Info, Tips, Guide and Rock'n'RollRoadtripping.. traveling by car from the US west to east coast, listening to music, eating all the food, making friends & seeing wondrous things.supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-65511571047001796722012-08-08T04:16:00.000-07:002012-08-08T04:16:08.617-07:00The Top USA Road Trip Travel Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">USA Road Travel Tips<br /><br />Phones</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Make sure that your mobile is unlocked before you travel, otherwise you have to buy a cheap phone for $20. Get a AT&T contract, NOT a TMobile one. The coverage of TMobile is a bit crap. You can't buy a SIM card the same way you can in the UK. It's called Prepay and you have to spend between $30 - 40 in total for a month.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Driving</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Crossroads:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">In towns and cities there are crossroads where there are no lights but you HAVE to stop at the line. The first person who get's to the crossroad has right of way. If two or more cars arrive at the same time, the car to the right has the right of way first. If you see blinking red lights hanging over a crossroad, the same rules apply.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Highways: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Slower traffic is supposed to keep to the right BUT a lot of drivers don't really care where they drive. There's no use of bullying them from behind with a honking horn into getting over to the right lane (especially if you can see a gun rack at the back of the pickup driver cabin). Just overtake them on the right like everybody else. It's not the official law but everybody is doing it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Don't get into 'road fights' with trucks. They are big and mean.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Speed limits vary from state to state. There is no rhyme or reason. Don't speed in towns, as there is always the possibility of a sheriff lurking in a side street. On the big roads most of the cars go a bit faster than the limits. After a while we did the same and got away with it. But we certainly don't recommend it to you ; )</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Navigation:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"> A GPS is a must have if you don't know any of the roads that you want to drive - but back it up with a proper detailed road map, as the GPS sometimes gets a fit and doesn't know it's arse from it's elbow. Having a map will also allow you to take different routes, especially when you want to get off interstates and use 2 lane highways instead.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Licence:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"> Have your driving license and ID card with you in the front of the car in case you get stopped. Don't keep it in the boot at the bottom of a suitcase.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Food</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Sometimes it pays to go to cheap chains like Coco's or Wafflehouse for breakfast. The food will (should) not be below a certain standard and you save time. We tried to find local cafes but you spend a lot of time searching around and if you cant find one you go back to Wafflehouse having spent half an hour searching for an alternative. We went to McDonalds once to buy a 'Rancher salad' each. It was ok.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">If you can't live without burgers: All roadside restaurants have them on their menu. They are between $7 and $9, come with fries and salad and taste ten times better than the McDonalds ones.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Check out micro breweries. The are everywhere now, popping up like mushrooms. They sell quality beer in great variety and we had the best food in terms of quality and price in a lot of them.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Tipping:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"> The official rule is to tip between 15 and 20%. Most Americans generally tip 20%. That's what keeps the American service industry (and you as a customer) happy. Also take into account that on top of the price on the menu you get charged between 7 and 10% tax, depending on what state you are in. Everything is a third more expensive than you think ; )</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Alcohol:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;"> Also depending on what state you are in, you have to show ID when ordering a beer or a glas of wine in a restaurant with your meal. It doesn't make a difference if you look like 85 - you HAVE to show ID. Best thing is to always carry your ID and driving livence on you.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Generally, the quality of food is as good as your quality of choice. Yes, some portions are big but you don't have to stuff your face just to finish the plate.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19.5px;">Money</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">We took a Currency Card with us that we got here in the UK. They count as credit cards and you can use them nearly everywhere except from paying directly at the pump at petrol stations. As with all things, shop around for the best deal on excange rates and charges. We used FX but this may not suit everyone.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Ask for a receipt for everything that you buy because you don't have to sign aything when paying by card. They just take your card away in a restaurant and smile when they bring it back.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">We didn't have any prolems but it's always good to keep track of what you are spending.</span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">Anything clever to add? Please leave your tips in the comments : ) NO SPAM AMIGOS!!</span></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-28012892281110744432011-12-29T19:47:00.000-08:002010-04-08T10:51:57.980-07:00Intro<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Howdy! Or maybe we should say Hello! as we are not yet in America. So here we go!</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>The Great American Road Trip.. across the USA by car. </b></div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We decided to go from San Francisco to New York in four weeks. That should give us enough time to see a few of the things along the way. We got very cheap flights from American Airlines from London to New York and even cheaper flights from New York to San Francisco. We will also save a bit of money by doing <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.couchsurfing.org/">CouchSurfing</a> where possible. It's actually the best way to discover interesting stuff because you stay with locals - and only the locals know what the locals know ; ) Plus, you meet some interesting people along the way.</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are you ready? <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Girlschool/_/C%27mon+Let%27s+Go">Ok, let's go. Vollgas!</a><br />
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PQY79D2X5EFX </div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-64312501289215010132011-12-28T00:12:00.000-08:002010-01-15T22:03:29.655-08:00Verse 1: Falmouth - New YorkNew Year’s Day 2010 and we’re off on our honeymoon, one month of road tripping across the USA ahead of us, San Francisco to New York City via the southern states so we’re calling it the Big Smile – even if it is a little crooked.<br />
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<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S07PlbmS5XI/AAAAAAAABiI/mc0QiOiYhzw/s1600-h/P1050017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S07PlbmS5XI/AAAAAAAABiI/mc0QiOiYhzw/s320/P1050017.JPG" /></a>That's us on the left by the way.. Sharmila & Ingo.<br />
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First step is to get to Heathrow airport from Falmouth – easy right? Well think again. Our lovely plan to spend New Year’s Day lunch in Sunningdale with my cousin Sue’s family, my brother Adrian and his girlfriend Jess and then get a lift to Heathrow started to become just a distant fantasy when our trusty (?) VW Sharan broke down at Okehampton. After waiting over 2 hours at a Little Chef (rank food) for the AA we had lost our healthy journey cushion and could feel the ‘will we get to the airport in time’ panic set it. After a bit of faffing and several calls to regional control, the AA man dropped us off at Exeter Airport (and arranged for our car to be towed back to Falmouth) as he was not allowed to take us all the way to Heathrow. We had only one choice… pay 240 quid for a taxi from Exeter to Heathrow and hope that the driver was a friend of speed. <br />
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Sometime later, with our nerves jangling and no nails left we finally made it to Heathrow at 5.45pm with time to spare. Here we go! Security was no big deal, apart from the extra frisking with latex gloves and bag turn out at the boarding gate.<br />
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7.5 hour flight. Middle aisle seats on the plane, American Airlines, basic but did the job. Tried to watch movies but we both fell asleep, waking only to munch the dry chicken and soggy pasta presented to us as food. Uneventful flight as it was dark so nothing to look at. Good landing in NYC just ahead of schedule. Sharmila’s legs had expanded so much on the plane that she couldn’t get her boots back on. TIP: Don't wear knee-high boots on a plane ; )<br />
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10.30pm local time. NYC – JFK airport, cold and snowy. After the trauma of nearly missing the flight we decided not to crash out with our blankets at JFKfor the connecting flight to San Fran at 10.30am the next day and sought out some cheap accommodation near the airport – everything booked up apart from JFK Inn, a free shuttle bus ferried us to a tired pit-stop kind of brick building in an industrial estate near the airport, classic half the letters on the sign didn’t light up kind of thing. Huge room but very utilitarian. Watched David Letterman, he was a very detached interviewer and the interviewees were equally dull. We were left wondering how come he managed not to vilified about being an adulterer when Tiger Woods is being lambasted left right and centre? Just because he confessed on TV, sounds a bit fishy to me – double standards, embedded racism? Anyway whatever. Then fell asleep watching The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Scottish and funny. Good night..supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-76526194440136565902011-12-27T00:31:00.000-08:002010-07-06T15:39:20.490-07:00Verse 2: New York - San Francisco (by air)Good sleep, woke early at 6.30am so we could get the 7.30am shuttle back to JFK but it left without us. No worries though as the very helpful man at the desk (from same area in India as Sharmila’s Mum) sorted it out for us so we grabbed a complimentary croissant and a coffee while we waited for the shuttle. This was out first experience of breakfast options in the USA… stacked up in the food counter was piles of sugary delight, icing covered doughnuts, chocolate buns, muffins smothered in sugar, giant croissants and endless coffee in polystyrene cups. Unfortunately the camera was buried in our bags so we couldn’t record the belt busting counter (yes, many more photos later). More snow on the ground this morning.<br />
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Flight to San Fran seemed really long although it was only 5 hours. American Airlines again, no food this time and shared entertainment rather than a personal system. It was really sunny outside as we flew over the USA, again we had aisle seats so we didn’t see much which was a shame but we checked out the view from the back next to the restrooms, which is always a little awkward when someone comes out of the loo and you’re standing right there to greet them. Hello stranger! <br />
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The whole of the US seemed to be frozen, covered in a blanket of snow and white billowing cloud. Another smooth landing and we were swiftly spewed out to luggage reclaim. Always a nervous wait after a flight transfer, ‘will my luggage get here’ – answer: Ingo – yes, Sharmila – no. Fear not, after initial cussing it transpired that Sharmila’s luggage came in on an earlier flight and was waiting at the AA office. Then on the Air Train, followed by a ride with the Bay Area Rapid Transport System (BART) into downtown San Francisco, Mission district to meet up with Aaron, our first Couchsurfing host. We will meet at the Revolution cafe. And we will also finally start shooting some photos.<br />
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Please continue reading here: <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/2010/01/verse-3-san-francisco-day-1-meeting-our.html">Road Trip San Francisco</a> Part 1supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-12937435444119513082011-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:002010-07-06T15:42:40.085-07:00Verse 3: San Francisco Day 1 - Meeting our CouchSurfing hostUp out of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport – like the Underground/subway/metro/U- and S-Bahn etc.) onto 24th and Mission, straight into the centre of the Mission district of SF. It was warm, balmy even. A veritable melting pot of Mexican culture, bohemians, graffiti, murals, food stops, dollar stores, colour and noise, but also strangely familiar. It kind of reminded us of Kreuzberg in Berlin but with the Turkish influence replaced by Mexican. Spanish language everywhere, signs, voices, music. Sauntered down Mission past phone shops and enticing eateries, dragging our suitcases behind us, noting the smell of the place – everywhere in the world has such a distinct smell. Here it’s Mexican spices and an underlying funky aroma that popped up every now and then, as yet unidentified – the stench of a city wafting around us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ijhjPSjpI/AAAAAAAABi4/695K_USJUCg/s1600-h/P1040734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ijhjPSjpI/AAAAAAAABi4/695K_USJUCg/s400/P1040734.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ikjC2KIpI/AAAAAAAABjI/j1jSFhizWNw/s1600-h/P1040736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ikjC2KIpI/AAAAAAAABjI/j1jSFhizWNw/s400/P1040736.JPG" /></a></div><br />
So our CouchSurfing host Aaron was at the Revolution Café on 22nd St, between Mission and Valencia. We managed to find it thanks to the wonderfully easy grid structure that nearly all US cities and towns share – so hard to get lost, just turn left and left again. So Revolution, on the corner, wouldn’t have looked (or smelt) out of place in Amsterdam… a rag tag assortment of bohos, dudes with dreads, skaters, all drinking, some smoking sport cigarettes, spilling out onto the pavement, jazzy beats in the background, good beer. Almost a cliché ..and we almost believed it was summer.<br />
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Aaron was really sweet – hugs all round. He picked us up in his car and took us to his place on 21st St, a typical artist, boho house share on the first floor of a Mission townhouse, painted wooden boards and steep stairs. Inside was a jumble of bikes, throws, incense, the smell of cooking lentils, records, unidentified boxes, half dead plants, cushions, home made artwork, discarded knitting. Turns out that Aaron lives with four girls, all students or artists or performers – could this be anymore typical of SF?! He informs us that one of his housemates is known as Calypso and that apparently it’s common that people have alternative names in SF. Ingo from this moment on is Igloo and Sharmila is Minx.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1inhoOPIlI/AAAAAAAABjo/JTeYfowWn_o/s1600-h/P1040745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1inhoOPIlI/AAAAAAAABjo/JTeYfowWn_o/s400/P1040745.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1in7FmV9oI/AAAAAAAABjw/asZrStIlyR4/s1600-h/P1040751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1in7FmV9oI/AAAAAAAABjw/asZrStIlyR4/s400/P1040751.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ioL_5HDjI/AAAAAAAABj4/dkmHjx6rRoM/s1600-h/P1040754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1ioL_5HDjI/AAAAAAAABj4/dkmHjx6rRoM/s400/P1040754.JPG" /></a></div><br />
We dumped our stuff and walked to a Mexican place on Mission called <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=mexican+food+Mission+San+francisco&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mexican+food&hnear=Mission+San+francisco&cid=9881976733909915543">Taquería Cancún</a>. There’re loads of Mexican places to eat but Aaron recommended this place. It’s open late, it’s buzzing, it was packed at 3.30pm on a Saturday, its very yellow and there’s a very low solid door frame to the restrooms, as Igloo discovered when he clonked his head on it heading to the back of the counter queue, which stretched into the back to the restrooms – yes it was that busy.<br />
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Confusion at the counter as we had no idea what to order and it was one of those fast, order at the counter and grab a seat on a big bench table places. Despite warnings that even normal US portions are BIG, Igloo in his hungered desire for food ordered a Super Burrito, Minx went for enchiladas and a carrot and fresh squeeze orange juice. Free tortilla chips, guacamole, salsa and sour cream dips while we waited for our number to be called. When it arrived Igloo soon realised that reports of portion sizes were not exaggerated – his Super Burrito turned out to be a Super Jumbo Massive Mega Giga Burrito of which he managed to eat half, just about, with a little help from Aaron and Minx. Food was tasty, spicy, cheap and flavoursome. A bit saltier than we are used to but what the heck it was lip smacking and generous. For all three of us it was around $20. Life stories exchanged, love and politics dipped into along with the guacamole to a soundtrack of tinny Mexican pop and a background of lurid jungle and parrot murals. The carrot juice on top of the jetlag made us hyper.<br />
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We wandered back to the flat, gawping at the murals, especially a particularly freaky one on the side of an old people’s home (see above pic of tower block), the congregation of guys hanging out at the fenced basketball court just down the block from Aaron’s place, sitting on old crates and quaffing out of brown paper bagged bottles. Got back to Aaron’s and there it was: Calypso was sitting at the table dressed as a clown.<br />
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HELP! THERE’S A CLOWN IN THE ROOM!!!!! (hehehe..)<br />
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After a bit of chit chat with the lovely clown and other flatmates, the discovery of mice in the cupboards, Igloo helping to set a trap (that was later at night in an act of mercy removed) with some peanut butter and a nice cup of herbal tea we decided to have a nap before heading out to see Aaron playing with some friends at the aforementioned <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.myspace.com/revcafe2006">Revolution Café</a>. We retired to the back workroom, rickety platform bed that our hosts had kindly provided for us and drifted into a slumber… the quick nap turned into a jet lagged 10 hour deep sleep, not even the partying in the adjacent kitchen that went on till 2 in the morning woke us! So we missed the gig : (<br />
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Please continue reading here: <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/2010/01/verse-4-san-francisco-day-2-streets-of.html">Road Trip San Fracisco</a> Part 2supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-64947638478472766932011-12-25T15:19:00.000-08:002010-07-06T15:46:26.426-07:00Verse 4: San Francisco Day 2 - The Streets of San FranciscoSunday 3rd Jan. Woke at 4am and dozed in and out of dreams as the sun rose and a golden glow swathed the wooden boards and wonky back stairs of the surrounding houses.<br />
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Left the house in the sunny morning light before anyone was up and headed into Mission district on a mission for a good breakfast. Found <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.boogaloossf.com/">Boogaloos</a> (open 8am-3pm) on the corner of 22nd and Valencia, a really cool pink, burgundy, gold and black diner specialising in amazing breakfast and it didn’t disappoint. It was packed already at 8.30am on a Sunday morning, mainly wih families and couples, but gradually as the morning wore on, red eyed revellers chasing away their hangovers with Huevos Rancheros and stacks of buttermilk panckes joined the party. Amazing breakfast selection, moderately priced (under $30 for 2 massive breakfasts and drinks), endless coffee (The Minx downed 6 mugs) served by very friendly staff – loads of stuff on the table, various sauces, jug of maple syrup, jar of strawberry jam. Really nice décor apart from the bizarre art the walls, which was temporary and for sale. <br />
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Wandered up Valencia St with its selection of thrift and vintage stores, books shops, a really cool <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.826valencia.org/store/">Pirate Shop</a> at 826 Valencia - being a Sunday lots of stuff only opened at midday or was closed but window shopping is always fun and kinder to the wallet.<br />
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Crossed over onto Market Street and Mr. Igloo received a quip from a chirpy worker that felt as though it was straight out of a movie; <i>“Excuse me sir, excuse me but you dropped something, sir, you dropped something…</i><br />
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…your smile”</i> <br />
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Delivered with perfect timing and a smile. What a lovely smartarse/philosopher ; )<br />
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Wandering impressions: Market Street and the Mission - Lots of rubbish (or trash) on the streets, a lot of people mashed in the head on booze or drugs, staring eyes, shouting, mumbling, piss-heads and bums exchanging pleasantries and insults in equal measure. Between 6th and 5th there were tables laid out for games of chess, a tall black transvestite in a white dress, old dudes pushing pieces round the boards.<br />
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Into Chinatown with its noise and colour and smells, tacky shops full of cheap plastic merchandise, shops full of expensive stone, marble and glass work, throngs of people.<br />
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Into Jackson Square historic district, nestled in the shadows of the towering downtown skyscrapers, and the only part of SF not razed to the ground during the great earthquake and fire of 1906. Low brick buildings and tree lined streets, deadly quiet, not a soul around on this sunny weekend day (must be more of a work area). Out onto The Embarcadero and the sea front overlooking the Bay Bridge. We wandered round the back of building with benches looking out to sea and across to the bridge.<br />
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It was really quiet out on the modern pier, just a couple of people dozing on the benches or leaning on the railings. A seal bobbed about next to the harbour wall. Back into the melee and a big undercover food market full just opposite the Embarcadero Plaza (near Pier 1) of speciality stalls and delicious looking pricey food, cheeses, beers, meats, breads, ice cream, oils, olives. <br />
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Being a sunny day we decided to head over to Golden Gate Park the other side of town. Hopped on the number 5 Fulton trolley bus from the Mission bus depot.<br />
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Back down Market Street, past the Civic Centre and it’s grand buildings and open spaces, on to a run down residential area, which gave way to the gorgeous and very individual townhouses of Haight-Ashbury (pronounced Hate-Ashbury) area, all meticulously painted wooden boards, sumptuous colours, hanging baskets, front porches, wide bay windows, three storey loveliness. Lots of men with small dogs and ladies on bikes with black rimmed glasses and brightly coloured tights.<br />
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A friendly man sitting in front of us told us when to get off and we ambled into Golden Gate park on a gloriously sunny Californian Sunday afternoon. Like all beautifully kept and well loved parks in every city the world over it was thronging with people on Sunday strolls, lying on the grass, riding bikes, jogging, children wobbling on two wheels, parents pushing buggies, hot salty pretzels being munched and the general sound of relaxed and happy people. Wending our way through the tall trees to the white framed, domed Conservatory of Flowers, a must for horticulture lovers.<br />
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I went in and oohed and ahhed at the plants while Mr. Igloo sat out on a bench and watched a Japanese family having a professional photo done, it took a good hour to arrange the group, not least because it took granny half an hour to walk from her chair to her designated spot and even then more family member turned up late.<br />
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Meanwhile back in the Conservatory of Flowers, Minx was still oohing and ahhing at flowers but had also discovered the amazing automated model of San Francisco made out of various household and tech/sound junk.<br />
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More wandering, people playing Frisbee, pitching baseballs, munched a hot Pretzel and stumbled across the roller disco area, nodded to the tunes for a bit, watched a middle aged lady throw some shapes and children weave their way expertly through the white cones.<br />
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Found the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a> with it’s incredible living roof, the huge banners for the aquarium and planetarium grabbed us and led us though the doors. It was a great place although for the entrance fee you were left feeling that there could have been a little more in terms of exhibits – more dinosaur bones. However what was there was brilliant and really well executed, fascinating research and well laid out information. The Aquarium was good but without the draw of really BIG SCARY SHARKS, but other stuff more than made up for that, in particular the Albino Alligator, the unbelievably giant Sea Bass (over 100 years old), spotted jelly fish billowing gracefully in their cylindrical tank, the Leafy Seadragon which has to be seen to be believed – gets our vote as the coolest looking animal in the world, luminescent Sea Nettles glowing orange against the deeply coloured turquoise water of their tank, the Giant Sea Pens looking like voluminous feathers discarded by a burlesque troupe, all the very cool frogs and toads and the astoundingly colourful Philippine Coral Reef. <br />
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After a wander round the other exhibits we went out onto the living roof and marveled at it and the surrounding park – asking ourselves why more buildings in cities don’t have living roofs when they make so much sense environmentally and don’t take that much maintenance once set up… insert answers here please!<br />
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Our ticket for the Planetarium show as was 6.30pm so we watched some of the vidoes and explored the education room and then excitedly joined the queue for the show. Word of warning: If you have vertigo don’t sit up the top in a Planetarium especially when it’s the biggest one on the world. We sat at the top in the middle for for the best view and the best chance to vomit. So the show began after a bit of animated preamble by a headset wearing host who stood with his legs too far apart and waved his hands a lot.<br />
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Darkness… and then Whoopie Goldberg’s voice boomed out across the auditorium and off we went on a journey to the stars as Whoopie very kindly explained the whole Universe to us. It was very impressive and we were both completely transported, zooming round the stars, nice one Whoopie. <br />
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The sun had set by the time we left the Academy and we headed back to the Mission for an overpriced Indian meal at Dosa, which blew the Minx's head off. It was tasty but way too expensive for what it was. It was so hot and expesive that we had to drink lots of beer to forget the price and that led to us forgetting to take a photograph of the meal. In retrospect we should have gone to the Burmese/Thai that Aaron recommended, <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/yamo-san-francisco">Yamo</a> on 18th and Mission, cheap, home cooking style and very tasty apparently. A lesson there, always listen to locals and not the Rough Guide. We make mistakes so you don't have to.<br />
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Back home to sleep off the jetlag but not before being serenaded by Calypso The Clown using a very loud sewing machine right under our bed until nearly midnight and the fourth flatmate returning from Copenhagen and getting jiggy with it in the garden just outside our window with a guy she met a few weeks ago. And that’s why couch surfing is just brilliant – what hotel is going to give you that authentic SF experience, eh?<br />
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Please continue reading here: <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/2010/01/verse-4-san-francisco-day-2-streets-of_22.html">Road Trip San Francisco Part 3</a>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-63438050301000291052011-12-24T09:31:00.000-08:002010-02-23T15:45:21.599-08:00Verse 5: San Francisco Day 2 - The Streets of San Francisco Part 2Monday 4th January. Awoke early again thanks to the remnants of jet lag and 7am feeling more like 3pm. Aaron’s "getting jiggy with it" housemate recommended we try out breakfast at St Francis Fountain diner on York St and 24th in the Mission area, they also recommended Boogaloo’s but we’d already been there so went for <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.stfrancisfountainsf.com/">St Francisco Fountains</a>.<br />
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Very cool original retro, slightly rough round the edges classic diner with booths and tables in the window and staffed by the Kings of Leon. More expensive and not as much choice as Boogaloo’s, good if you want that classic American city diner vibe though – you can tell it’s an institution with locals and it was fun to watch the world wake up and start going about its working day. We even came up with a name for our future band – The GoGo Bats, inspired by some graffiti in the toilets.<br />
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Igloo spotted a cheap hairdresser across the road and decided to get his barnet chopped as the Hitler Youth Franz Ferdinand fringe he was sporting was pissing him off. So we popped across the road and were accosted by the friendliest, most healthy glowing homeless person we’ve ever seen. Happy and sprightly he was. Igloo bought a SF version of The Big Issue from him and he gave us a bottle of sparkling white wine (?!!) and waltzed off. We ducked into the hairdresser and entered an episode of Ugly Betty, a speedy $10 haircut later and Igloo was a new man. Adios hair!<br />
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The matriarch of the salon didn’t speak English, only Spanish and gleefully told the Minx that she had a 'pico pico moustache', great thanks for that! She was surely hawking for more business. The Minx bought some Veet hair remover instead and did it herself. Can’t beat a bit of direct honesty, especially when it’s delivered with sucha winning smile and a throaty laugh!<br />
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</div>After wandering round the Mission for another couple of hours soaking up the atmosphere we decided that the lure of the famed Big Sur coastline was just too much. We decided to see if we get the car earlier and head out by evening time and spend the night at a hostel down the coast so that we could start Big Sur early and catch a sunrise over the sea. Not that we didn’t like San Francisco but this is a road trip and the urge to move on to the next sight and the next adventure is impossible to resist.<br />
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We booked our car in the UK with <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.alamo.co.uk/">Alamo</a>. The [reasonable] plan was to go for a mid-price Pointiac G5 but when we picked up the car in San Francisco a day earlier than planned they only had a small ugly Pointiac Vibe or a big fast <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.nissanusa.com/maxima/">Nissan Maxima</a>. We got the Nissan for an extra $300. It has a 3,5 liter V6, 290 hp and drives like a dream. A unreasonable dream, but if you are about to spend four weeks in a car, you don't want to spend them in a shitty car. No way José.<br />
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We packed our bags and said good bye to our hosts, apart from Aaron – after our Mexican meal on the first day we had managed to completely miss him everyday and we never saw him again as he headed off to Europe for a tour with his band <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpuAQIdoD4">Rupa and the April Fishes</a>, good luck and best wishes to him as he’s a lovely man.<br />
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Before driving out of the city we popped into a pizza place (Escape from New York) next to Revolution Café on 22nd. The kind of place with two tables and a counter with slices of dripping, hot, tasty pizza calling out to you, it’s a chain but it’s pretty good, big slices but not to cheap. We just wanted something quick and on the run and it was that in between time when cafes are closing and evening food joints are not yet open so it was perfect and filled a hole.<br />
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After swearing at my English mobile for a while and not being able to work out how to dial American numbers, a really friendly behind the counter guy in a coffee shop on Harrison and 24th, sporting sky blue nail varnish and a beard, helped us out by lending us his phone and explaining how to dial US numbers – rocket science!<br />
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As the sun was setting, Igloo popped into a T Mobile shop and purchased a T Mobile phone. We couldn’t just get the SIM card as our phones weren’t fully unlocked, although I swear they both are – anyway we had to buy a basic handset for $10 and a prepay contract for $30, still cheaper than using our UK phone. <br />
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We set the GPS for as near to Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel as we could get it and then set off. Bye bye San Francisco, good fun for a couple of days. Maybe a summer time trip next time and more hanging out rather than just scratching the surface. An easy drive out of SF in the dark and along the coats road with the sea to our right, not that we could see anything apart from darkness punctuated by stars.<br />
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After an hour of driving in the darkness along the apparently picturesque Highway 1 we arrived at <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.norcalhostels.org/pigeon/">Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel</a>, the sound of waves crashing on the rocks, the tang of salty sea air in our nostrils and the hypnotic beams of light from the towering lighthouse.. What a contrast to an hour before.<span style="color: black;"> Let the road trip begin</span>. Arriving in the dark is quite exciting, as you have no idea what you will be waking up to the next morning.<br />
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We managed to blag a whole dorm room to ourselves, complete with bunk beds and an en-suite bathroom. Better than the private doubles as they didn’t have en-suite facilities. The bungalow that the dorm was in was really well equipped with a big kitchen, dining area and cosy lounge. The lovely lady at the desk was really friendly and after a long and heartfelt conversation about death and love and moving, booked us a slot in the hot tub for 8.30pm. And what an experience that was, the tub was out on a private deck, hidden from view to all but the stars and the sea, the waves tumbling onto the rocks at the bottom of cliffs below us and the powerful beams from the lighthouse reaching far out to sea, the stars put on a good show and we wallowed in the steaming hot water as the wind whipped around out heads. We emerged glowing some 50 minutes later and fell into our bunk beds and a deep, deep sleep…<br />
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PLEASE <b><a href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-12-24T09%3A31%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=30">KLICK HERE</a></b> TO CONTINUE READINGsupaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-32963493721604407042011-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:002010-05-28T18:50:11.783-07:00Chorus: The Americana Road Trip Soundtrack - Top 100 Road Trip SongsEvery road trip has it's own soundtrack and on a rainy day, driving through the endless never-changing landscape of Texas, we tried to come up with our personal Top 10, then, quickly realising that a Top 10 is almost impossible, expanded the task to a Top 20, Top 50, till we finally settled on a Top 100 favourite songs.<br />
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one - two - three - four<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-weight: bold;">The Road Trip Playlist</span></span><br />
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Sergio Mendes - Cristal Illusions<br />
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MGMT – Time To Pretend<br />
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Ween – Japanese Cowboy & Buenos Tardes Amigos<br />
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Lou Reed – Satellite Of Love<br />
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Beach Boys – God Only Knows<br />
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Aaron Neville – Hercules<br />
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Ryan Adams – New York<br />
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Chris Isaac - Wicked Game<br />
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John Spencer Blues Explosion – Bell Bottoms<br />
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De La Soul – Ring Ring Ring<br />
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The Stone Roses – Waterfall<br />
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Paul Weller – Wild Wood<br />
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The Primitives – Through The Flowers<br />
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Beastie Boys – Intergalactic Planetary & Shake Your Rump<br />
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PJ Harvey – C’mon Billy & A Perfect Day Elise<br />
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O.D.B. – Raw<br />
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Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit<br />
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Bomb The Bass – Beat D’is<br />
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Buffalo Springfield – Mr. Soul<br />
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Radiohead –Paranoid Android<br />
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Ennio Morricone – Once Upon A Time In The West<br />
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Redd Cross – Jimmy’s Fantasy<br />
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Pharrel & Snoop Dogg – Beautiful<br />
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Bobby Womack – 110th Street<br />
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John McCrae – Rock You Baby<br />
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Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun<br />
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The Gun Club – Sex Beat<br />
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Pizzaman – Sex On The Streets<br />
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Roky Erickson– Burn The Flames<br />
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Pixies – Gigantic<br />
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Pulp – Common People<br />
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The Beatles – Tomorrow Never Knows<br />
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Nick Drake – River Man<br />
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Depeche Mode – Everything Counts In Large Ammounts<br />
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Camera Obscura – French Navy<br />
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Go Team – Bottle Rocket<br />
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Filthy Dukes – What Happens Next<br />
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LCD Sound System – North American Scum<br />
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The Cure – Killing An Arab<br />
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Bat For Lashes – Daniel<br />
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Archie Bronson Outfit – Dead Funny & Cherry Lips<br />
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Kraftwerk – Trans Europa Express<br />
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Girlschool – C’mon Let’s Go!<br />
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Rainbow – Kill The King<br />
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Deep Purple – Highway Star<br />
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Van Halen – Jump<br />
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Manfred Man’s Earth Band – California<br />
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Beck – Lonesome Tears<br />
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Barry Manilow – Mandy<br />
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Seasick Steve – Doghouse Blues<br />
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The Birds – 8 Miles High<br />
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The Fall – How I Wrote Elastic Man<br />
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Smashing Pumpkins – 1979<br />
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Prince – When Doves Cry<br />
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Supertramp – Breakfast In America<br />
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Tom Petty – Learning To Fly<br />
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Arlo Guthrie – Coming Into Los Angeles<br />
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Jefferson Airplane – I Saw You<br />
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Ideal – Eiszeit<br />
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ELO – Turn To Stone<br />
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The Cramps – Bikini Girls With Machine Guns & Kizmiaz<br />
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The Stray Cats – Rumble In Brighton<br />
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Frenzy – Clockwork Toy <br />
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Supergrass – Sun Hits The Sky<br />
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Falco – Junge Roemer<br />
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Waterboys – The Whole Of The Moon<br />
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Donna Summer – I Feel Love<br />
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Cake – I Will Survive<br />
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Adam Green – Jessica Simpson<br />
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AC/DC – Girls Got Rhythm<br />
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Boney M – Daddy Cool<br />
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Chris Isaac – Wicked Game<br />
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CSS – Let’s Make Love & Listen To Death From Above<br />
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The Pogues – A Pair Of Brown Eyes<br />
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The Beautiful South – A Little Time<br />
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Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater<br />
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REM & Patti Smith – Ebow The Letter<br />
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Led Zeppelin – The Song Remains The Same<br />
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Abba – Dancing Queen<br />
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Blondie – Presence Dear<br />
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Supermax – Love Machine<br />
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Kate Bush – Cloud Busting<br />
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Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy<br />
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Outkast – Shake It<br />
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Dead Kennedys – Holiday In Cambodia<br />
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Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Red Right Hand<br />
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Oasis – Live Forever<br />
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Smog – Hit The Ground Running & Dress Sexy At My Funeral<br />
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The Breeders – Driving On 9<br />
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Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Tell Me When My Light Turns Green<br />
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The Smiths – There Is A Light That Never Goes Out<br />
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Gene Vincent & The Blue Cats – Cat Man<br />
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The Housmartins – Happy Hour & Caravan Of Love<br />
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Happy Mondays – Loose Fit & Kinky Afro<br />
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Sonic Youth – Incinerate<br />
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The Flaming Lips & Sparklehorse – Go<br />
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Copter – Testify<br />
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Neil Diamond – The Grass Won’t Pay No Mind<br />
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Minnie Ripperton – Les Fleurs<br />
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Arctic Monkeys – You Look Good On The Dancefloor<br />
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Blur – The Universal<br />
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Soft Cell – Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go?<br />
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Elastica – Line Up<br />
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Sparks – Number One Song In Heaven<br />
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Electric Prunes – Too Much To Dream Last Night<br />
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The Byrds – Eight Miles High<br />
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American Analog Set - The Oly One<br />
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Jacuzzi Boys - Island Ave<br />
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Refused - New Noise<br />
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British Sea Power - Waving Flags<br />
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William Shatner - Rocket Man<br />
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Noah and the Whale – Blue Skies (Death to the Throne Remix)<br />
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Ideal - Berlin<br />
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The Bedroom Philosopher – I'm So Post Modern<br />
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Dinosaur Jr – I Want You To Know & Freak Scene<br />
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The Wannadies – You And Me Song<br />
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Dead Moon – Dead Moon Night<br />
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2raumwohnung – Wir Trafen Uns In Einem Garten<br />
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Elastica – 2:1<br />
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Peter and the Test Tube Babies – The Jinx<br />
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Leila K – Got To Get<br />
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Arms - Shitty Little Disco<br />
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Shiny Gnomes - Lazing at Desert Inn<br />
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Cocorosie – Japan<br />
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The International Noise Conspiracy - Capitalism Stole My Virg<br />
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Thee Headcoatees – My Boyfriend's Learning Karate<br />
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Owen Gray – Apollo 12<br />
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Nouvelle Vague – Friday Night Saturday Morning<br />
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Fad Gadget- Collapsing New People<br />
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Radiohead – Cinnamon Girl<br />
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dEUS – Suds & Soda<br />
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Hasil Adkins – The Wild Man<br />
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The Legendary Shack Shakers – Shake Your Hips<br />
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Angriff aufs Schlaraffenland – Die Radierer<br />
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OMC - On The Run<br />
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Cake - Long Line Of Cars & I Will Survive<br />
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At The Drive-In – Invalid Litter Dept.<br />
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Batmobile – Ballroom Blitz<br />
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Guana Batz - Rock and Roll (Led Zep Cover)<br />
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Violent Femmes – Crazy<br />
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Judge Dread – The Belle Of Snodland Town<br />
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Beirut – Elephant Gun<br />
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Whale - Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe<br />
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The Whitest Boy Alive - Island<br />
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The Dells - Stay In My Corner<br />
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Lonnie Smith - Son Of Ice Bag<br />
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Jurassic 5 - In The Flesh<br />
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Neil Young - Cortez The Killer<br />
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Jimmy McGriff - Chriss Cross<br />
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Dave and Ansel Collins - Double Barrel<br />
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We also listen to tons of Reggae, Dub, 60s Soul and Rockabilly. But that's another list. Like this one:<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">The "Robert Crumb's Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country List"</span><br />
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Memphis Jug Band - On The Road Again <br />
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Blind Willie McTell - Dark Night Blues<br />
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Cannon's Jug Stompers - Minglewood Blues <br />
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Skip James - Hard Time Killin' Floor Blues<br />
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Jaybird Coleman - I'm Gonna Cross The<br />
River Jordan<br />
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Charley Patton - High Water Everywhere <br />
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Frank Stokes - I Got Mine<br />
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"Dock" Boggs - Sugar Baby<br />
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Shelor Family - Big Bend Gal <br />
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Hayes Shepherd - The Peddler And His Wife<br />
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Crockett's Country Mountaineers - Little Rabbit <br />
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Burnett & Rutherford - All Night Long Blues <br />
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East Texas Serenaders - Mineola Rag<br />
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Weems String Band - Greenback Dollar <br />
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Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra - Kater Street Rag<br />
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"King" Oliver's Creole Jazz Band - Sobbin' Blues <br />
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Parham-Picket Apollo Syncopaters - Mojo Strut<br />
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Frankie Franko & His Louisianians - Somebody Stole My Gal<br />
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Clarence Williams' Blue Five - Wild Cat Blues<br />
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"Jelly Roll" Morton's Red Hot Peppers - Kansas City Stomps<br />
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Jimmy Noone - King Joe <br />
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..and of course <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0&feature=fvst">this one</a> ; ]<br />
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The lighthouse is graceful and a very distinct landmark along the cliffs, it looked all the more beautiful for the soft, early morning light. Got up early, had some porridge, took some pics of the rising sun.<br />
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We continued along Highway 1, towards the Big Sur via Santa Cruz, briefly checking out the magnificent old roller coaster which was closed for the season. There’s always something charming and slightly melancholic about seaside resorts in the winter, they fall into hibernation and signs of life are few and far between... until you scratch beneath the surface. Move away from the sea front and see what the locals are up to. Unfortunately we are on a road trip and just passing through so we didn't have time to find out what was going on in this pretty town but enjoyed it's retro splendour none the less. <br />
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Just after Santa Cruz we took a minor detour to a good ol’ tourist con – <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/1998/0909/spot.html">The Mystery Spot</a>. A place where trees grow in corkscrew formations (that’s a bit of an exaggeration – more like a gentle twist), balls roll up hill and short people get to be taller than their tall friends!<br />
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It’s quite obviously one of those great American swindle myths that have been really well constructed and marketed, but it’s really fun – especially if you have the quirky, very sharp witted guide that took us round and did the spiel. It’s a good place for silly photos and is in a pleasantly wooded spot. I was disappointed that none of the tricks made me taller than Ingo though.<br />
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We continued on our way and briefly passed through Monterey (famous for the Jazz fest) and Pacific Grove. We briefly stopped off in Pacific Grove to check out an area of Eucalyptus wood that is well known as a winter haven for Monarch butterflies. Most years there are 10s of thousands of these beautiful butterflies dripping from the branches of the trees but unlucky for us there was only a few hundred or so scattered around this year. Thankfully there was a lady with a telescope who let us take a peek at a group that had gathered high in the branches of a particularly tall tree. They looked like shards of delicate stained glass as the sun shone through their wings, which only open up once the temperature gets to 13°C (55°F). Apparently the best time to see them is around 4pm on a balmy afternoon when they get a little more active. It was still a lovely sight to see them flitting from branch to branch. It was also funny watching the people watching the butterflies.<br />
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Had lunch in a pleasant little café called Toasties on Lighthouse Ave, it was so warm we sat outside in t-shirt and soaked up some small town rays.<br />
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Soon after Pacific Grove and Carmel (which are all part of the Monterey Peninsula) we hit the Big Sur coastline. Ninety miles of winding, two lane black top hugging the precarious cliffs as it winds round the headlands, fingers of sea mist gradually being burnt off by the sun, sun, sun. Clear blue California sky. Stopping every 10 minutes to take in the incredible vistas. Every time we stopped we could see hundreds of seals in the water, little black heads bobbing in and out of the water, calling and honking out to each other. Over impressive steel bridges spanning deep canyons, past steep slopes covered in waving Pampas grasses, glimpses of huge remote glass and wood houses built high up on the mountains (and even more incredible price tags I am sure).<br />
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</div>As the afternoon wore on we crossed into the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, through majestic, coastal Redwood forests with their wonderful alpine scent. It seemed strange to be driving one minute along the sunny Pacific coast and then diving headlong into deeply shaded forest valleys only a few miles away. We decided to check out Pfeiffer Beach for a late afternoon walk and an ocean bound sunset. The turn off is not sign posted so you have to look out very carefully for a small road going off steeply to the right about a mile after the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park ranger station (if you are coming from the north, or left and about one mile before the ranger station if you are coming from the south). After winding our way down Sycamore Canyon Road, which follows a wooded creek right down to the beach, you come to a car park and then walk through some trees out onto the beach. For a moment ingo and I thought we were back in Cornwall, it was so reminiscent of the north coast beaches around Bedruthan Steps. A mile and a half long walk along the sands at the foot of the cliffs, more seals surfing the waves, monumental rocks and arches, pink sand, people playing Frisbee, reading, meditating or just staring out to sea. We felt right at home. The sunset was hidden by a thin bank of clouds on the horizon but the colours and mood of a sunset at sea never disappoint (apart from when you try and capture it in a photograph and end up taking 50 shots of nearly the same thing - yawn).<br />
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After ambling back to the car we drove a few miles onto <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.deetjens.com/home.htm">Deetjens Big Sur Inn</a>, tucked in amongst the Redwoods it was one of the most atmospheric places we have ever stayed in. We chose a beautiful wood paneled cabin called Grandpa’s, with a rocking chair and a wood burning stove and a huge luxurious old bed. One tasty meal later and it was time to snuggle up under the blankets with a glass of champagne. What a lovely way to end the day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t270pEkpI/AAAAAAAABuo/y2hax-Ez-N0/s1600-h/P1050021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t270pEkpI/AAAAAAAABuo/y2hax-Ez-N0/s400/P1050021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3QsQbjDI/AAAAAAAABuw/5I6pvJuiuQg/s1600-h/P1050048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3QsQbjDI/AAAAAAAABuw/5I6pvJuiuQg/s400/P1050048.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3dYIvp-I/AAAAAAAABu4/XuW39B4yxBA/s1600-h/P1050049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3dYIvp-I/AAAAAAAABu4/XuW39B4yxBA/s400/P1050049.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t307EoD1I/AAAAAAAABvI/jdg7wjFiW08/s1600-h/P1050051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t307EoD1I/AAAAAAAABvI/jdg7wjFiW08/s400/P1050051.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3_92So6I/AAAAAAAABvQ/7vp6IHbu8kM/s1600-h/P1050053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t3_92So6I/AAAAAAAABvQ/7vp6IHbu8kM/s400/P1050053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t46tUQxZI/AAAAAAAABvY/8U_PPenf4ws/s1600-h/P1050062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t46tUQxZI/AAAAAAAABvY/8U_PPenf4ws/s400/P1050062.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5DaNmIkI/AAAAAAAABvg/gcPVop8YhRs/s1600-h/P1050063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5DaNmIkI/AAAAAAAABvg/gcPVop8YhRs/s400/P1050063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5bTSA2QI/AAAAAAAABvo/mOv2g1eVj2s/s1600-h/P1050080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5bTSA2QI/AAAAAAAABvo/mOv2g1eVj2s/s400/P1050080.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5rzpRJAI/AAAAAAAABvw/Vw4CcVVHPFw/s1600-h/P1050093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S1t5rzpRJAI/AAAAAAAABvw/Vw4CcVVHPFw/s400/P1050093.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We even had a harmonium and a guest room..supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-18705280547645193412011-12-21T18:13:00.000-08:002010-02-23T15:51:00.680-08:00Verse 7: Big Sur to Santa Barbara<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ioRNSLjAI/AAAAAAAABwQ/uCQLtN3D0Tw/s1600-h/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+Grandpa%27s+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ioRNSLjAI/AAAAAAAABwQ/uCQLtN3D0Tw/s400/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+Grandpa%27s+Room.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After a really good and cosy sleep in our lovely wooden cabin (called Grandpa's Room) at <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.deetjens.com/">Deetjen's Big Sur Inn</a>, it was champagne in bed and up early for another mega breakfast. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2in30IvpmI/AAAAAAAABwI/PCuts2TOXI8/s1600-h/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2in30IvpmI/AAAAAAAABwI/PCuts2TOXI8/s400/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+room.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iodrPjl2I/AAAAAAAABwY/wooB5HyRxkM/s1600-h/deetjens+bed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iodrPjl2I/AAAAAAAABwY/wooB5HyRxkM/s400/deetjens+bed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iowp7zcuI/AAAAAAAABwg/Qli98Npl364/s1600-h/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+our+room+outside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iowp7zcuI/AAAAAAAABwg/Qli98Npl364/s400/Deetjens+Big+Sur+Inn+our+room+outside.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our cosy cabin bottom right and on to the breakfast room...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipEYDKP8I/AAAAAAAABwo/cLxzVSHKciA/s1600-h/s+and+i+at+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipEYDKP8I/AAAAAAAABwo/cLxzVSHKciA/s400/s+and+i+at+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipcYG5DPI/AAAAAAAABww/QVfWKfWfrR8/s1600-h/ingo%27s+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipcYG5DPI/AAAAAAAABww/QVfWKfWfrR8/s400/ingo%27s+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mr B's perfect breakfast, poached eggs not ice-cream by the way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipzJMRPgI/AAAAAAAABw4/qkQhXZtBOBk/s1600-h/sharmilas+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ipzJMRPgI/AAAAAAAABw4/qkQhXZtBOBk/s400/sharmilas+breakfast+deetjens.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mrs B's Eggs Benedict, mmm lip smackingly good, just add Tobasco.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We decided that this was not enough food and added bacon...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iqOLfwv3I/AAAAAAAABxA/4qmR8I4qZCs/s1600-h/add+bacon+deetjens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iqOLfwv3I/AAAAAAAABxA/4qmR8I4qZCs/s400/add+bacon+deetjens.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was only half way through this gigantic plate of food that Mrs B realised that she had meant to order the half portion. After several pauses and coffee refills, she struggled on and managed to clear the plate of every morsel. Praise the Lord for stretch jeans!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">So after that wonderful breakfast it was back to the winding Big Sur and another gorgeous day of blue sky, sunshine and t-shirt temperatures. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iuRvyHazI/AAAAAAAABxI/2p0qHD7FuM4/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Nissan+Maxima+Sharmila+Pampas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iuRvyHazI/AAAAAAAABxI/2p0qHD7FuM4/s640/Big+Sur+Nissan+Maxima+Sharmila+Pampas.JPG" width="360" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The car and Mrs B.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iu6bVSXyI/AAAAAAAABxQ/rH6Zo3NCBA0/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Pampas+Grass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iu6bVSXyI/AAAAAAAABxQ/rH6Zo3NCBA0/s400/Big+Sur+Pampas+Grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ivXbFyb2I/AAAAAAAABxY/rOa1t-SP2oA/s1600-h/Big+Sur+post+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ivXbFyb2I/AAAAAAAABxY/rOa1t-SP2oA/s400/Big+Sur+post+box.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The person who owns this letter box probably has a view something a little like this:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ivwUVU4gI/AAAAAAAABxg/P0pfm_tAWBk/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Coastline+Headlands.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ivwUVU4gI/AAAAAAAABxg/P0pfm_tAWBk/s640/Big+Sur+Coastline+Headlands.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We stopped several times to take in the incredible view of the mountains cascading into the Pacific. At one stop there was a honky tonk chorus from hundreds of seals on the beach below. Pulling up just after us was a friendly New Zealand family touring in an RV, one of the children was more interested in playing Nintendo than the epic nature on display. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iwxlbaidI/AAAAAAAABxo/_uAXOCYtfBk/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Seal+Beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2iwxlbaidI/AAAAAAAABxo/_uAXOCYtfBk/s640/Big+Sur+Seal+Beach.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Look closely (click on the pics for larger image), all those rocks are actually seals... big fat and lazy looking until they dragged themselves into the water where they became graceful and playful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ixJ5DxKcI/AAAAAAAABxw/ePi8KrxTNOc/s1600-h/Big+Sur+seals+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2ixJ5DxKcI/AAAAAAAABxw/ePi8KrxTNOc/s400/Big+Sur+seals+beach.JPG" width="355" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As we drove we kept an eye out for tell tales signs of the elusive Gray Whales which migrate south along the Californian coast in the winter months between December and early February. Mrs B was determined that we would see them without having to go on an expensive tour (although if you have time it is probably worth doing this to get really up close). An excited shout and a grab of Mr B's arm as he drove... a bushy spout of water! Yes... Gray Whales, not just one but three travelling together. Now don't get too excited about this picture as we were high up on the cliffs and the whales are out at sea but we can assure you that these are whales, although when Mrs B later tried to focus the binoculars she only managed to find a large log and some foamy flotsam.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i00M3rzVI/AAAAAAAABx4/9KZKiFekEQ8/s1600-h/grey+wales.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i00M3rzVI/AAAAAAAABx4/9KZKiFekEQ8/s400/grey+wales.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Actually these could be rocks but we really did see some whales, honest. Our sighting was later affirmed when we bumped into the NZ family again and they excitedly asked us if we had seen the whales. We said "yes" (although we might also have seen two logs or some rocks). Mrs B is adamant that she saw the watery spout of a Gray Whale, Mr B was concentrating on the road at the time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i2Zen5kgI/AAAAAAAAByA/Mz_yQWve_QI/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Coastline+beach+cliffs+headlands.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i2Zen5kgI/AAAAAAAAByA/Mz_yQWve_QI/s400/Big+Sur+Coastline+beach+cliffs+headlands.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">There's a beach tucked away in the middle of this picture, no idea how you get down there, or even if you can. I am sure Big Sur is dotted with tiny little bays like this. Apparently there's one called Partington Cove but we missed it and drove on to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park where the fragrant mix of alpine Redwood trees and the tang of the sea on a clear winter's day was a potent mix. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Our plan had been to take a short hike in the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578">Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park</a> but the trails we wanted to follow were closed due to last summer's fires, bridges collapsed and vulnerable habitat. We should have checked at the State Park Ranger Station the day before in order to replan but hey we're on a roadtrip so who cares. Fortunately we could still do the short and very accessible walk to the viewing platform above the waterfall at McVay Cove, that should at least burn off half an Eggs Benedict, well maybe a quarter, possibly just one poached egg.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">And what a site... the waterfall cascades some 80 feet directly into the Pacific Ocean, it looked like a scene out of that 80s classic Blue Lagoon, we half expected a naked Brooke Shields to sashay out from behind the rocks. Instead three young lads had managed to get down onto the beach, or perhaps they were ship wrecked becasue we could not for the life of us see any way down. There are worse places to be stuck.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S3ayyRBUwpI/AAAAAAAAB5c/wrUJ0z1PfiY/s1600-h/P1050145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S3ayyRBUwpI/AAAAAAAAB5c/wrUJ0z1PfiY/s400/P1050145.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We walked a little further around the headland to a viewing platform. In front of us and around us tiny metallic shimmering hummingbirds flitted about, shooting at incredible speeds high into the air and dropping like swooping bullets back into the orange flowers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i7_r90q2I/AAAAAAAAByY/bg_hGq-ZILk/s1600-h/P1050149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i7_r90q2I/AAAAAAAAByY/bg_hGq-ZILk/s400/P1050149.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">As with our Gray Whale photo, our camera is not well equppied for nature documentary. However if you look right in the middle of the above photo (click on it to enlarge) there is definitely a tiny green bird there... honestly, go on take a closer look. Oddly it looks quite big in that picture, it was tiny.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i57M4LD1I/AAAAAAAAByI/vovNhyE9EfI/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Partington+Cove.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i57M4LD1I/AAAAAAAAByI/vovNhyE9EfI/s400/Big+Sur+Partington+Cove.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lovely. To top off our day of amazing sightings a UFO appeared on the horizon, it approached gradually then passed over us, as we stood overlooking the waterfall beach, and then continued on its way down the stupendous Big Sur coastline:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i9wuCpRwI/AAAAAAAAByg/nSAvV5p9jmM/s1600-h/Big+Sur+UFO+waterfall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i9wuCpRwI/AAAAAAAAByg/nSAvV5p9jmM/s400/Big+Sur+UFO+waterfall.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Eat your hearts out <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.daniken.com/e/index.html">Erich von Daeniken</a> (or if you understand German <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://twitter.com/vondaeniken">Twitter</a> him), <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/42001">Robbie Williams and Peter Andre</a>!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On the way back to the car Mr B entered a dark tunnel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i-7Qe5r3I/AAAAAAAAByo/LEEyqXl52Is/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Julia+Pfeiffer+Burns+State+Park+tunnel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2i-7Qe5r3I/AAAAAAAAByo/LEEyqXl52Is/s400/Big+Sur+Julia+Pfeiffer+Burns+State+Park+tunnel.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">and disappeared in a flash of light! We had found the Big 'Sur'chedelic Tunnel (see what we did there?)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jBJeBX83I/AAAAAAAAByw/FemJuAVNaZk/s1600-h/Big+Sur+psychedelic+tunnel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jBJeBX83I/AAAAAAAAByw/FemJuAVNaZk/s400/Big+Sur+psychedelic+tunnel.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">This really happened, believe everything you see.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Eventually Mr B reappeared and we got back in the car and drove off down the road. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After many wonderful winding sunny miles, the steep cliffs and deep headlands and canyons started to give way to shaggy hillsides and the floor of the Pacific Valley section of Highway 1 and eventually onto rolling dunes and hills.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jCbzZ9XgI/AAAAAAAABy4/bckGZkACVYc/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Pacific+Valley+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jCbzZ9XgI/AAAAAAAABy4/bckGZkACVYc/s400/Big+Sur+Pacific+Valley+sign.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">It was around 2.30pm by the time we hit the sandy dunes and soft grass covered hills just north of San Simeon and <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.hearstcastle.org/">Hearst Castle</a>. The highway was now at sea level with the lush, hilly meadows to our left. Suddenly to our right we caught a glimpse of the beach - what were those big blubbery shapes just beyond the shallow dunes. Some way up ahead we could see cars parked up along the road and as we got closer throngs of people lining the narrow path that snaked along the top of the dunes right on the beach. We jumped out of the car and were hit by the almighty stench of defacating animals and the rumble and raucous barking of some seriously large mammals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jEzcEkfVI/AAAAAAAABzA/E8ygg9-EGgM/s1600-h/Big+Sur+Elephant+Seals+beach+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jEzcEkfVI/AAAAAAAABzA/E8ygg9-EGgM/s400/Big+Sur+Elephant+Seals+beach+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A male Elephant Seal shows off his probiscus to his harem of females.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Only to be outshone by a battle royale further up the beach between two HUGE males. Amazingly no one else seemed to have noticed these two mammoths bellowing and battering at each other so Mr B and I hotfooted it along the path to the end of the beach to get a front row seat of this amazing spectacle. Using our highly technical nature documentary camera, which had earlier that day captured whales, hummingbirds, a man disappearing and a UFO, we managed to capture this remarkable footage for you. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Time for Mr and Mrs B's 'Life on Earth: Smelly Majestic Mammals'</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After our brush with the Elephant Seals we hopped 8 miles down the road to Hearst Castle an incredible manmade fantasy vision, after the miles of awe inspiring nature. We could see the Disney like turrets peeking over the hilltops from some distance. Hearst Castle was conceived, built and lived in by William Randolph Hearst a latter day Rupert Murdoch who partied in the Castle with Hollywood greats including Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant. Simply spiffing dahling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Another 'we make mistakes so you don't have to' moment now. If you want to actually go right into Hearst Castle you have to book a tour in advance, even in winter... as we found out the wrong way i.e all sold out for the entire day. So we had to join other groups of disorganised road trippers and tourists in just staring up at the Castle from the visitor centre as it lorded over us up in the hills, with its magnificent Mediterranean Revival architecture and sheer camp presence. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jM0xDFU3I/AAAAAAAABzI/LC77uXLPl00/s1600-h/Hearst+Castle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jM0xDFU3I/AAAAAAAABzI/LC77uXLPl00/s400/Hearst+Castle.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The visitor centre is free but miles from the castle, you have to get a bus to the actual castle and you can only do this if you have a tour ticket, of which there are 13 possibilites, each of varying cost and duration. We satisfied ourselves with the information in the free visitor centre and an envious gaze up to the castle. We also took in the glamourous dramatisation of William Randolph Hearst's life. Shown in the onsite IMAX cinema this was a tale of success, money, hard work and most importantly 'the building of a dream', a phrase repeated at around a rate of six times per minute. The title of the movie was Hearst Castle - Building the Dream. It was dramatic, slick, glamourous and full of sweeping strings crescendoing and pulsing tear inducing theta-waves across the audience. So much so that I felt the compelling urge to stand up, punch the air and leading the audience through the Star Spangled Banner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Dramatic license aside it did look pretty amazing and it's an interesting place with a very glamourous history. We would love to go back and see the castle up close some day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After coffee and a hot chocolate, accompanied by a delicious choclate brownie (the first of two brownies that we forgot to photograph, clearly they are just too tempting to wait for a quick snap), we headed onto Santa Barbara. Past San Luis Obispo and the palace of kitsch that is the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.madonnainn.com/">Madonna Inn</a> (read <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/oct/25/charlie-brooker-american-road-trip?page=3">Charlie Brooker's opinion</a> of this motel that we will definitely stay in if we pass this way again) and on into the sunset to another meeting with strangers trusting enough to host strangers in their own home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jTrH1W3-I/AAAAAAAABzQ/99Jj_I_65_0/s1600-h/California+coast+sunset+on+oil+rig.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2jTrH1W3-I/AAAAAAAABzQ/99Jj_I_65_0/s400/California+coast+sunset+on+oil+rig.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">See that small prick of red light, that's an oil rig. Not a UFO.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The road ran by the ocean and skirted round towns and then curved inland towards the coastal mountains of California, carving through hillsides and rugged rock and into darkness. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Good evening Santa Barbara.<br />
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PLEASE <b><a href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-12-21T18%3A13%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=30">KLICK HERE</a></b> TO CONTINUE READING<br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-12665434549187541062011-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:002010-02-07T16:14:37.414-08:00Verse 8: The Santa Barbara Cruise<div style="text-align: justify;">We arrived in balmy Santa Barbara early evening under a cloak of star studded darkness. The nice lady in the SatNav box led us expertly to the door of our second couchsurfing hosts, Mark and Jen. There's always a moment of nervous anticipation as you stand on the doorstep of complete strangers waiting for them to open it up and welcome you in... imagine if they open the door and take one look at you and say 'maybe not' or what if they are completely psychotic, or even worse, they have a collection of old china dolls in a room full of ticking clocks and clown masks... and you have to sleep in it. (Mr B just broke into a cold sweat). Well thankfully that hasn't happened to us yet and everyone we have stayed with and everyone we have hosted has been really lovely and all very different.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So Jen and Mark's place was a south Cal version of a Mexican adobe, a one storey bungalow with a driveway and a back yard and lots of cactii and interesting but dangerous looking plants in the well tended front garden. Very nice. We were welcomed in by Jen and their two beautiful little twin girls who we never got a photo of :-( and then Mark arrived home from work and we all had a jolly laugh and a refreshing beer from a Santa Barbara microbrewery. Mark told us that the US is now full of great microbreweries which challenge the assumption that all US beer is mostly pig swill. We agree. Mark also collects Mexican Day of the Dead things.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oiVpA6-hI/AAAAAAAAB14/QAGwrI6b4Mc/s1600-h/day+of+the+dead+bride+and+groom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oiVpA6-hI/AAAAAAAAB14/QAGwrI6b4Mc/s400/day+of+the+dead+bride+and+groom.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We soon realised that this was going to be a very comfortable couch surfing experience. The main house (yes I said main house) was really nice, wooden floors, loads of interesting things to look at, books, music and then we were shown to our guest suite, a converted room next to the garage, complete with double bed, throws, a TV, a laptop, a shower-room, heater and more interesting books (Mr B read a big <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.saidbak.dk/images/nervous_dogs.gif">Gary Larson</a> comic book on the loo for the duration of our stay here).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n5WpeZLsI/AAAAAAAABzg/DeSus5htPCk/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+couch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n5WpeZLsI/AAAAAAAABzg/DeSus5htPCk/s400/Santa+Barbara+couch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>After another beer and a glass of wine with Mark and Jen we headed out for dinner at a Vietnamese place round the corner called <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.saigoninandout.com/">Saigon In and Out</a>, which sounds like a title for an interesting movie. Fairly cheap, around $25 for a starter and two main courses, which were delicious and highly spiced with tongue tingling chilli.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n6nsm7NtI/AAAAAAAABzo/nZM_azZmzQg/s1600-h/saigon+in+and+out+santa+barbara+vietnamese+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n6nsm7NtI/AAAAAAAABzo/nZM_azZmzQg/s400/saigon+in+and+out+santa+barbara+vietnamese+food.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n7j5rDRbI/AAAAAAAABzw/MGPFRLpRGDg/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+Vietnamese+Saigon+In+and+Out+starter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n7j5rDRbI/AAAAAAAABzw/MGPFRLpRGDg/s400/Santa+Barbara+Vietnamese+Saigon+In+and+Out+starter.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Despite appearances these are spring rolls - not the MSG laden deep fried kind we are used to but a cold, fresh explosion of tiger prawns, shredded carrot and lettuce, coriander and lime juice wrapped in a delicate leaf of moist rice paper, served with a moorish peanut sauce. They were really good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n-f2LY4yI/AAAAAAAABz4/wtbgLqfElvk/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+Vietnamese+Saigon+In+and+Out+entree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2n-f2LY4yI/AAAAAAAABz4/wtbgLqfElvk/s400/Santa+Barbara+Vietnamese+Saigon+In+and+Out+entree.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After our spicy and delicious main course we wandered home and sat with Mark and Jen, had another glass of wine and got the USA map out and talked about Santa Barbara, the weather, routes and roadtrips and travelling... then we all yawned a lot and we said good night to our gracious hosts. Off to bed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Zzzzzzzzzzz. We woke up around 8am and headed into the kitchen to say hello to Jen who had made us a pot of coffee. Scoffed down a bowl of Quaker Oatmeal with cinnamon and apples, which we forgot to photograph. Jen kindly offered us their spare beach cruiser bikes so Mr B got busy giving them a service, well he pumped up the tryres. And off we went to explore Santa Barbara on four wheels. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oBkgVI2-I/AAAAAAAAB0A/utbMVQ1PbBk/s1600-h/Mrs+B+with+cruiser+Santa+Barbara+at+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oBkgVI2-I/AAAAAAAAB0A/utbMVQ1PbBk/s400/Mrs+B+with+cruiser+Santa+Barbara+at+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oB9D4XYBI/AAAAAAAAB0I/DtwK8rygQzA/s1600-h/Mrs+B+cruising+by+the+beach+Santa+Barbara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oB9D4XYBI/AAAAAAAAB0I/DtwK8rygQzA/s400/Mrs+B+cruising+by+the+beach+Santa+Barbara.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Did we mention that the temperature was over 20 degrees C?</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oCsPMtKtI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/fpIlCMWm8sg/s1600-h/Mr+%26+Mrs+B+cruising+the+beach+Santa+Barbara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oCsPMtKtI/AAAAAAAAB0Q/fpIlCMWm8sg/s400/Mr+%26+Mrs+B+cruising+the+beach+Santa+Barbara.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Brace yourself for another great nature photo: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oD4PelOZI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/whxm5DAI01Q/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+pelicans+beach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oD4PelOZI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/whxm5DAI01Q/s400/Santa+Barbara+pelicans+beach.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There are several pelicans chilling out on the lagoon, can you see them? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Somehow we managed not to take many photos in Santa Barbara, the bikes were too fun. I was wearing red stilletoes and these are not known for being sensible footwear for a bike that you have to back pedal in order to brake, before scraping your feet along the ground in order to bring it to a complete standstill. We rode around and checked out some nice looking buildings including <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://santabarbaramission.org/">Old Mission</a> and some downtown area buildings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We took the bikes onto the pier and parked up. There was a sign at the entrance saying 'No high heels' heels'. Oh well, Mrs B kept her weight on the balls of her foot so that her heels didn't get caught in the gaps between the wooden planks, she's well practised at these things. We fended off the boisterous seagulls and greedy pigeons, watched the Pelicans flying low over the water and sniffed out lunch on the pier from the take out hatch at <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.sbfishhouse.com/shellfish/index.html">Santa Barbara Shellfish Co.</a> We settled down on a bench table to a cup of lobster bisque and a really seriously stuffed and succulent crab sandwich. All of which tasted even better thanks to the sea air, the view, the warm sun and the company.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oKQ2jdAxI/AAAAAAAAB0g/aJCvX-5o49Q/s1600-h/sb-shellfish-company-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oKQ2jdAxI/AAAAAAAAB0g/aJCvX-5o49Q/s400/sb-shellfish-company-1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oLEo-eXmI/AAAAAAAAB0o/1X3AI5LxqxM/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+crab+sandwich+and+chowder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oLEo-eXmI/AAAAAAAAB0o/1X3AI5LxqxM/s640/Santa+Barbara+crab+sandwich+and+chowder.JPG" width="360" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">...and I forgot about the huge onion ring, that was good too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We also got a little lost in several fascinating junk shops. For a start they are all huge and labyrinthian with all the good stuff jumbled up with all the utter toss (the latter often being the more fascinating and informative of a culture). These are like ramshackle museums of the everyday detritus of life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Santa Barbara is quite small, very affluent, laid back, pretty and very fit. Everyone was slim. Lots of people jogging, jogging with dogs, jogging with buggies, jogging with lovers, jogging with parents, mainly jogging... perhaps a little cycling, rollerblading or skating as well. Because we thought you might actually want to see what Santa Barbara is like rather than just seeing what we ate, here are some pictures we didn't take - each picture is a direct link to the website of origin. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/photos/santa_barbara_california/images/Santa%20Barbara%20Riviera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oNwyBURpI/AAAAAAAAB0w/Yk53J9K_23E/s400/Santa+Barbara+Riviera.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.gothereguide.com/santa+barbara+california-city/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oN68YIsnI/AAAAAAAAB04/DzFLT4aEWFE/s400/Santa_barbara_old_town1.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://conservegan.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/santa_barbara_red_tile_roofs3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://conservegan.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/reagan-ranch/&usg=__zA65Aq8YCDljvOx8s4Kb-CxbAI4=&h=300&w=400&sz=65&hl=en&start=5&sig2=xyEKdgkCWKA29B72VR8J5g&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=3QtX1pvXEzADOM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsanta%2Bbarbara%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1&ei=RRBqS6DVLsv_4Aae8uHgBg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oOE3St19I/AAAAAAAAB1A/YbtQaPZq_Qw/s400/santa_barbara_red_tile_roofs3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.igougo.com/story-s1258458-Santa_Barbara-Santa_Barbara.html" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oRbkOmz5I/AAAAAAAAB1Y/v-DDMEYKdjI/s400/zoinks+electric+cars+santa+barbara.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.firsttimecentralcoast.com/images/santa-barbara-skate-park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oOaENnAAI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/TqqVveK0pSc/s400/santa-barbara-skate-park.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://z.about.com/d/architecture/1/0/N/o/SantaBarbaraCourthouseGetty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oSqvLrS9I/AAAAAAAAB1g/h2Eq28Uk8S8/s400/SantaBarbaraCourthouseGetty.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And here is our offering:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oTyC7u9FI/AAAAAAAAB1w/p-3OQqOcLpA/s1600-h/Jitters+Waffle+and+coffee+Santa+Barbara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oTyC7u9FI/AAAAAAAAB1w/p-3OQqOcLpA/s400/Jitters+Waffle+and+coffee+Santa+Barbara.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">A banana and blueberry waffle with ice cream and a coffee at Jitters Coffee on State Street (where most of the shops, cafes, cinema etc can be found) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oTEE-wxBI/AAAAAAAAB1o/7xMGWHJ8vm0/s1600-h/+vintage+thrift+store+Santa+Barbara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oTEE-wxBI/AAAAAAAAB1o/7xMGWHJ8vm0/s400/+vintage+thrift+store+Santa+Barbara.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">and a blurry vintage shop called<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.cominichis.com/"> Cominichis</a> - check it out on street view on Google Maps, <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=santa%20barbara%20map&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl">434 E Cota St Santa Barbara</a>... just because you can. It was huge and Mrs B bought a red 60s coat. She definitely needed another coat. We thought we had better take a photo before it got dark. Useless.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">We cycled back home through the rush hour traffic, with no lights. It was a little hairy. Got back to our cosy abode and Mr B did some important internet stuff while Mrs B walked to the local supermarket, thankfully not a huge megastore, just a normal size local store, lots of exotic fruits and mexican food, piled high, cheap and busy. Mrs B stocked up on items for the road trip - food and water, wet wipes (very handy) and stuff that Americans call butter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Mrs B sat with Mark and Jen in the main house chewing the cud and getting tips for the roadtrip. We forgot to photograph dinner, which was two over priced organic pizzas from the supermarket, which were the only thing Mr B could find when he realised he couldn't pay with card at the Mexican take away.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Food over we all settled in to watch <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1022603/">500 Days of Summer,</a> a US inde movie, staring Zoey Deschanel and the kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun, but grown up, as he should be. It was a love story with a real ending and a quirky narrative structure - this sounds lame, but it was good, mildly funny and completely inoffensive, we weren't bored and the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.500days.com/500-days-of-summer-soundtrack-listing.html">soundtrack</a> stimulated an enthusiastic conversation about late 80s UK indie music and early 90s American indie rock. Mark got his guitar out and tried to work out how to play Here Comes Your Man by The Pixies. Which coincidentally was the song that we were singing as we drove into Santa Barbara the previous evening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oifZcatYI/AAAAAAAAB2A/kfQ9TVYAMFI/s1600-h/Santa+Barbara+CS+hosts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S2oifZcatYI/AAAAAAAAB2A/kfQ9TVYAMFI/s400/Santa+Barbara+CS+hosts.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Because we had decided to do the mammoth drive to Grand Canyon in one day, we had an early start in the morning. So we did a group photo and said good bye to Jen as she would be sound asleep when we left at 6am, then we stumbled off to our bed in the back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Tomorrow the serious driving will begin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-3926436265981637722011-12-19T15:55:00.000-08:002010-02-07T16:16:09.013-08:00Verse 9: Santa Barbara to the Grand Canyon - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">DRRRRRRRRRRRRRINNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">DRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGGG</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">DRRRRRRRRRR *****BANG*****</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6am in the morning and time to rise and shine ready for our 600 mile 11 hour drive! For us folk that live on the teeny tiny British Isles, that's like waking up in the morning at Land's End in Cornwall and thinking 'mmm I fancy driving to Dundee in Scotland today, just for the fun of it!'</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So up for coffee and goodbyes with Mark (being a teacher he always has to head out early). In our state of fuzzy headed early mornign confusion we had to content with our first petrol station fill up of the trip. Pay at the kiosk before filling up. Mrs B asked the clerk to put $100 on the pump and got a funny look from Tony (that's what it said on his name tag)... in the UK that would be about right to fill up the tank, of course we are in the US where petrol is at least three times cheaper, Tony suggested $40 and he was right. Cheap, very... but this doesn't come without a price that has to be paid elsewhere.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Heading out of Santa Barbara as the sun was rising was a lovely idea, despite the bleary, sleep infested eyes. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28yzA9JwvI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/OiZ_HsBA7Ek/s1600-h/leaving+Santa+Barbara.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28yzA9JwvI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/OiZ_HsBA7Ek/s400/leaving+Santa+Barbara.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">We drove along the highway parallel to the Pacific Ocean and were treated to the sight of dolphins playing in the surf, even Mr B saw them although he was at the wheel... sorry no photo this time, you just can't capture every moment but as we drove Mrs B decided to scribble down notes in our little red book. Every now and then we managed to stop and snap a photo or catch a passing landscape through the lens. But mostly we were happy to sit back and soak up the incredible landscape.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And it goes a little something like this... </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sunrise over the mountains to the east (above), silver ocean to the west, dolphins in the rolling California surf. Surfers.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Trailer parks lining Highway 101 towards LA, grim, run down. 7.24am, starting to see the LA traffic now. Miles and miles of polytunnels flanking the freeway around Ventura, growing who knows what. Breakfast stop at Coco's, a Californian diner chain, too tired to make a note of where, but somewhere before LA. Mrs B took a nap in our booth and then we ate a huge breakfast!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29M4cw-2UI/AAAAAAAAB4o/KBTqKTgVjNw/s1600-h/asleep+in+Cocos.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29M4cw-2UI/AAAAAAAAB4o/KBTqKTgVjNw/s640/asleep+in+Cocos.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29NEfswfjI/AAAAAAAAB4w/W5LlLopQdWs/s1600-h/Cocos+breakfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29NEfswfjI/AAAAAAAAB4w/W5LlLopQdWs/s400/Cocos+breakfast.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Guns 'n' Roses on the radio just north of LA 'Welcome to the Jungle', could there be a more appropriate song? Listening to 100.3FM The Sound: Tom Petty, JJ Cale's Cocaine, Smashing Pumpkins, Bob Marley, Hendrix... a true LA soundtrack.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hit the five lane freeway that skirts round LA, views of LA from the Pasadena highway. A layer of smog hanging in the air like a thick blanket.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">East on to Highway 10 and entering the Low Desert plains heading towatds Twentynine Palms and the northern reaches of Joshua Tree national park. Hundreds of wind turbines.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285aDXkE1I/AAAAAAAAB2g/koxjszh8vj0/s1600-h/wind+turbine+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285aDXkE1I/AAAAAAAAB2g/koxjszh8vj0/s400/wind+turbine+1.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285k94gufI/AAAAAAAAB2o/ny7kerMVQDk/s1600-h/wind+turbine+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285k94gufI/AAAAAAAAB2o/ny7kerMVQDk/s400/wind+turbine+2.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285yBJE9iI/AAAAAAAAB2w/jhkClUuRCnI/s1600-h/wind+turbine+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S285yBJE9iI/AAAAAAAAB2w/jhkClUuRCnI/s400/wind+turbine+3.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Off Highway 10 and onto Twentynine Palms highway, blue skies, snow capped mountains and desert. Joshua Trees (which are actually giant yucca plants - agaves -not trees) cropping up all over the place once we got near Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. Dusty low lying towns spread out along the highway. Fast food chains, knife shops, Indian craftshops, tourist information, dust, Joshua trees, rocks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S287aHEqgaI/AAAAAAAAB24/PIRzDKtvtps/s1600-h/Joshua+trees+in+Twentynine+Palms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S287aHEqgaI/AAAAAAAAB24/PIRzDKtvtps/s400/Joshua+trees+in+Twentynine+Palms.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Passed Kickapoo (best name yet), a town in Yucca Valley.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S289_tbly-I/AAAAAAAAB3I/AA2yozpNjAg/s1600-h/Kickapoo+California.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S289_tbly-I/AAAAAAAAB3I/AA2yozpNjAg/s400/Kickapoo+California.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Popped into a HUGE Wal-mart in Yucca to grab a cool bag for all our roadtrip food. Parked next to a car that Mr B would gladly have swapped the Nissan Maxima (looking drab in the background) for this matt black and lime green beauty:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S288K_QQIlI/AAAAAAAAB3A/3_lKYZyduPU/s1600-h/Cool+car+Yucca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S288K_QQIlI/AAAAAAAAB3A/3_lKYZyduPU/s400/Cool+car+Yucca.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just before Twentynine Palms we did a quick detour off the main road into Indian Cove campground, a rocky wonderland of towering rock formations with a campsite snuggled cosily at the foot of the rocks. The sites were empty apart from one RV belonging to a couple of climbers who we could see dangling of the rocks high above.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_2fzQMwI/AAAAAAAAB3o/yIjqoNXpUes/s1600-h/car+frolics.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_2fzQMwI/AAAAAAAAB3o/yIjqoNXpUes/s400/car+frolics.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_WWBOA6I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/RLhqZ-QigbE/s1600-h/into+Joshua+Tree+National+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_WWBOA6I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/RLhqZ-QigbE/s400/into+Joshua+Tree+National+Park.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_flL4m0I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/42us8Jxbu94/s1600-h/Joshua+Tree+Park+alien+landscape+and+MrB.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28_flL4m0I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/42us8Jxbu94/s400/Joshua+Tree+Park+alien+landscape+and+MrB.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28__0AtxgI/AAAAAAAAB3w/Af6qP-3BpFw/s1600-h/Joshua+Tree+park+toilets.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S28__0AtxgI/AAAAAAAAB3w/Af6qP-3BpFw/s400/Joshua+Tree+park+toilets.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">One of the discreet toilet blocks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Back in the car after a brisk walk and scramble over the rocks. Turned off Twentynine Palms onto the Amboy Highway heading north up and over the mountains. Views over the salt plains that belong to the American Chloride Co. and the barren darkness of the Amboy Crater and lava field. We pulled over and took a picture in what felt like the middle of nowehere, only to find a rock full of graffiti.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29CxeUjmWI/AAAAAAAAB34/_VYrMcCz4q0/s1600-h/car+and+graffiti+Mojave+desert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29CxeUjmWI/AAAAAAAAB34/_VYrMcCz4q0/s400/car+and+graffiti+Mojave+desert.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29DCRt4zHI/AAAAAAAAB4A/jKwpGWDNI5U/s1600-h/middle+of+nowhere+California+Mojave+Desert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29DCRt4zHI/AAAAAAAAB4A/jKwpGWDNI5U/s400/middle+of+nowhere+California+Mojave+Desert.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Onto the salt plains and the winding road (see above) through desolate landscape, would not like to be here in the summer. Hit part of Old Route 66 and our first Route 66 relic, Roy's Motel, once a buzzing crossroads on the two lane blacktop journey across the US, now a dusty reminder of life before the impersonal Interstate highways.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29D3WwmizI/AAAAAAAAB4I/gcqY9H5tj-o/s1600-h/Roy%27s+Motel+Route+66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29D3WwmizI/AAAAAAAAB4I/gcqY9H5tj-o/s400/Roy%27s+Motel+Route+66.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Route 66 stretched out ahead of us, a poker straight line for 50 miles before the first bend. All along the banks of the road people had laid out their names and the names of loved ones using white stones. We whizzed on enjoying the panoramic desert vistas, dust, no life apart from the scrubby plants and occasional bird riding the thermals high in the sky. Crazy yucca plants with gnarled blackened trunks and branches and vivid lime green heads.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Suddenly back on Interstate 40 and huge trucks crawling up the righthand lane. Freight trains that go on and on, carriage after carriage after carriage, snaking their way across the high desert valley.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At some point we drove past <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.walkingman.org/us2009">a man walking</a> at the side of the road, pushing a trolley with a sign saying 'World Walk'. Check out his website. We drove past him during weeks 9-10! Had we not been on the speedy Interstate we definitely would have stopped to have a chat with him and give him a bottle of water and some roadtrip food. Good luck to him on his journey. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shortly after seeing Gary 'Walkingman' Hause we passed over the mighty Colarado River and from California into Arizona. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29O1Qw87JI/AAAAAAAAB44/qER_ReQ-WcE/s1600-h/California+Arizona+BORDER+at+Needles+Colarado+River.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29O1Qw87JI/AAAAAAAAB44/qER_ReQ-WcE/s400/California+Arizona+BORDER+at+Needles+Colarado+River.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Goodbye California!<br />
Hello Arizona!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29JxBfWOlI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/21dq7Q_F38M/s1600-h/Arizona+sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S29JxBfWOlI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/21dq7Q_F38M/s400/Arizona+sign.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-58388966828177419862011-12-18T15:48:00.000-08:002010-03-16T17:46:42.047-07:00Verse 9: Santa Barbara to the Grand Canyon - Part 2So we crossed into Arizona and marveled at the epic landscape that unfolded around us and the manmade ephemera scattered by the roadside; a pick up truck balanced on a tall pole, dead motel signs, a large ball covered in peeling silver paint like a bad UFO special effect...<br />
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</div>It's very hard to do it justice as the views are so huge - big sky, big landscapes, just breathtaking. As we headed north towards Kingman and our second meeting with old Route 66 we drove in awe past jagged mountains, crazily deformed yucca plants and chimneys of red rock.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYxQ5niYI/AAAAAAAAB6E/4Jadce0UR70/s1600-h/mountains+of+Interstate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYxQ5niYI/AAAAAAAAB6E/4Jadce0UR70/s400/mountains+of+Interstate.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYUrmpEPI/AAAAAAAAB58/lSYVJotFGv4/s1600-h/Mountains+Arizona+Mojave+High+Colarado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYUrmpEPI/AAAAAAAAB58/lSYVJotFGv4/s400/Mountains+Arizona+Mojave+High+Colarado.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYETw_YEI/AAAAAAAAB50/R4WwpQe_AkM/s1600-h/arizona+mojave+high+colarado+desert+views.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GYETw_YEI/AAAAAAAAB50/R4WwpQe_AkM/s400/arizona+mojave+high+colarado+desert+views.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><br />
We decided to detour north off the Interstate just after Kingman and drive part of the old Route 66 loop. In the low light of late afternoon we came across the dazzling sight of ranks of new, bright yellow and red DHL planes, lined up in precise formation awaiting their first carrier assignments. Elsewhere, dotted around the flat plain of the airport, the rusty hulks of decaying planes faded into their desert graveyard. <br />
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We saw another long train travelling across the flat desert, its heavy bulk snaking across the land into the distance.<br />
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We lost an hour as we crossed over our first time zone into Mountian Time. Desolate, stunning landscape.<br />
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Then we came across the Hackberry General Stores, another quirky old relic from the heyday of Route 66. We had the place to ourselves so we had a good old mooch around despite the fact the store itself was shut. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gnv3sMHlI/AAAAAAAAB6U/8jnc2zx_5tY/s1600-h/closed+gas+station+on+route+66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gnv3sMHlI/AAAAAAAAB6U/8jnc2zx_5tY/s400/closed+gas+station+on+route+66.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GncFXKd6I/AAAAAAAAB6M/WVFRmiij4Sg/s1600-h/closed+garage+route+66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GncFXKd6I/AAAAAAAAB6M/WVFRmiij4Sg/s400/closed+garage+route+66.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GouMzgnaI/AAAAAAAAB6k/ttGvWLHvSoU/s1600-h/gas+pumps+at+Hackberry+general+store.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GouMzgnaI/AAAAAAAAB6k/ttGvWLHvSoU/s400/gas+pumps+at+Hackberry+general+store.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GoPB3HOcI/AAAAAAAAB6c/3AJBy-g1OOk/s1600-h/corvette+parking+only+sign+Hackberry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GoPB3HOcI/AAAAAAAAB6c/3AJBy-g1OOk/s400/corvette+parking+only+sign+Hackberry.JPG" width="300" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GyMG_vj9I/AAAAAAAAB8M/fQD9mSu2QtU/s1600-h/Hackberry+Stores+Route+66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GyMG_vj9I/AAAAAAAAB8M/fQD9mSu2QtU/s400/Hackberry+Stores+Route+66.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GpgQzy1JI/AAAAAAAAB68/qcBack8LGGY/s1600-h/Mr+B+and+wise+Indian+woman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GpgQzy1JI/AAAAAAAAB68/qcBack8LGGY/s400/Mr+B+and+wise+Indian+woman.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GpMPUWeqI/AAAAAAAAB60/5tcYuBTk_xY/s1600-h/Mr+and+Mrs+B+Route+66+neon+sign+Hackberry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GpMPUWeqI/AAAAAAAAB60/5tcYuBTk_xY/s400/Mr+and+Mrs+B+Route+66+neon+sign+Hackberry.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GqIpeTRxI/AAAAAAAAB7M/nXIf4WlO5pk/s1600-h/old+car+hackberry+store.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GqIpeTRxI/AAAAAAAAB7M/nXIf4WlO5pk/s400/old+car+hackberry+store.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We drove on through the dusk, zooming through the wide epic landscape of the Havasupai Indian Reservation.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Go7M_CxzI/AAAAAAAAB6s/Mbq4srEJsYI/s1600-h/Hackberry+sunset.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Go7M_CxzI/AAAAAAAAB6s/Mbq4srEJsYI/s400/Hackberry+sunset.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Sometime after the Sun's light disappeared and the stars appeared in the clear night sky we rolled into the classic Route 66 town of Seligman, a small town lined up along the old road, all kitsch and neon signs glowing in the dark. We jumped out of the car for a quick wander, pulling on our warm winter coats against the bitter wind. Hard to believe that we had been basking in temperatures around 20 degrees C that same morning in Santa Barbara, it felt a world away.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Grr8YhgjI/AAAAAAAAB7s/JNmq7neJEKM/s1600-h/Supai+Motel+Seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Grr8YhgjI/AAAAAAAAB7s/JNmq7neJEKM/s400/Supai+Motel+Seligman.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GsKF29tCI/AAAAAAAAB70/460lsjtAe4I/s1600-h/The+Rusty+Bolt+Seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GsKF29tCI/AAAAAAAAB70/460lsjtAe4I/s400/The+Rusty+Bolt+Seligman.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gqj3Mvm0I/AAAAAAAAB7U/To50SmUUzRs/s1600-h/pink+cadillac+outside+Rusty+Bolt+Seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gqj3Mvm0I/AAAAAAAAB7U/To50SmUUzRs/s400/pink+cadillac+outside+Rusty+Bolt+Seligman.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/B6RBWTkL3e4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/B6RBWTkL3e4&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Realising that we hadn't eaten for 10 hours (the landscape was seriously distracting) we decided to escape the biting cold and grab dinner in one of the warm and welcoming diners. Only two were open so we chose Westside Lilo's because it was on the right side of the road. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gsd0W7EEI/AAAAAAAAB78/tBWL2VjkPjo/s1600-h/Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+Seligman+Route+66.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gsd0W7EEI/AAAAAAAAB78/tBWL2VjkPjo/s400/Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+Seligman+Route+66.JPG" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gp74aYifI/AAAAAAAAB7E/PTjCStkwn48/s1600-h/Massive+coke+Seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gp74aYifI/AAAAAAAAB7E/PTjCStkwn48/s400/Massive+coke+Seligman.JPG" width="300" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The biggest Coke this side of the Colorado River!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GrVm011MI/AAAAAAAAB7k/3mNrg_BUO70/s1600-h/starter+Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GrVm011MI/AAAAAAAAB7k/3mNrg_BUO70/s400/starter+Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+seligman.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Our starter paled in comparison to the table top.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GtdcCQqBI/AAAAAAAAB8E/_FvkUF3aK3s/s1600-h/entree+seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4GtdcCQqBI/AAAAAAAAB8E/_FvkUF3aK3s/s400/entree+seligman.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the burgers hold a place in our top 5 ever best burger list. Surely, for us they were the best tasting burgers on Route 66. And then the unspeakable happened.. The attack of the 20 ft. stag!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gq2TVwmzI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Gm9K8jSiER4/s1600-h/Stag+Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+Seligman.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S4Gq2TVwmzI/AAAAAAAAB7c/Gm9K8jSiER4/s640/Stag+Westside+Lilo%27s+Cafe+Seligman.JPG" width="360" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Luckily we made it out alive, jumped in the car, left some rubber on the track and headed for the final destiny of a long day: The Grand Canyon, where a cosy bed in the Bright Angel Lodge was waiting for us. The closer we got, the less we could see. It was cold, dark and snowy, and with our last ounce of energy we made it to the rim of the canyon. As our plan was to get up before sunrise, we went straight to bed, dreaming of giant burgers, coke and deer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">PLEASE <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://usa-roadtrips.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-12-18T15%3A48%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=30">KLICK HERE</a> TO CONTINUE READING </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-58115937255939497942011-12-17T17:32:00.000-08:002010-03-16T17:51:47.011-07:00Verse 10: The Grand Canyon<div style="text-align: justify;">We woke up an hour before sunrise and headed out to the South Rim to watch the sun coming up over the canyon. When we got out of the door of our lodge, we were greeted by a whole doe eyed deer family, munching away at the shrubs right by the door. Good morning nature!!! </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_8lGcFp_I/AAAAAAAAB8c/079HlNn_Ek0/s1600-h/dark+grand+canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_8lGcFp_I/AAAAAAAAB8c/079HlNn_Ek0/s400/dark+grand+canyon.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_9U8o1u8I/AAAAAAAAB8k/aeEK0cr6Q2w/s1600-h/Light+Dark+Grand+Canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_9U8o1u8I/AAAAAAAAB8k/aeEK0cr6Q2w/s400/Light+Dark+Grand+Canyon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_9-jbqLLI/AAAAAAAAB8s/61juFDf7kvc/s1600-h/More+Light+Dark+Grand+Canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_9-jbqLLI/AAAAAAAAB8s/61juFDf7kvc/s400/More+Light+Dark+Grand+Canyon.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_-6DkXU5I/AAAAAAAAB80/9T_4b51sLKk/s1600-h/Light+Grand+Canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5_-6DkXU5I/AAAAAAAAB80/9T_4b51sLKk/s400/Light+Grand+Canyon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5__RryfwxI/AAAAAAAAB88/7yRPQi16_6k/s1600-h/Lighter+Grand+Canyon+South+Rim.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5__RryfwxI/AAAAAAAAB88/7yRPQi16_6k/s400/Lighter+Grand+Canyon+South+Rim.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5__4sbm7XI/AAAAAAAAB9E/MlHfnPOxb_o/s1600-h/Grand+Canyon+South+Rim+Sunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S5__4sbm7XI/AAAAAAAAB9E/MlHfnPOxb_o/s400/Grand+Canyon+South+Rim+Sunrise.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ABXXA_NTI/AAAAAAAAB9M/uT6dZsFZmIo/s1600-h/Sunrise+Grand+Canyon+South+Rim+Final.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ABXXA_NTI/AAAAAAAAB9M/uT6dZsFZmIo/s400/Sunrise+Grand+Canyon+South+Rim+Final.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Ta-Daaah! It was friggin cold and just as the sun started to come up in a very romantic way, a huge coach full of tourists arrived and parked directly next to us with the engine running o_0.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ADRDEfIsI/AAAAAAAAB9c/bkDFblK65_M/s1600-h/ingo+sharmila+grand+canyon+sunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ADRDEfIsI/AAAAAAAAB9c/bkDFblK65_M/s400/ingo+sharmila+grand+canyon+sunrise.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">At least one of them took a proper tourist photo of us : )</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AEd-GcTbI/AAAAAAAAB9s/LMtUSKUFgOM/s1600-h/Grand+Panorama.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AEd-GcTbI/AAAAAAAAB9s/LMtUSKUFgOM/s400/Grand+Panorama.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AE_9FU_BI/AAAAAAAAB90/vRjssNcJHqQ/s1600-h/Grand+Panorama+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AE_9FU_BI/AAAAAAAAB90/vRjssNcJHqQ/s640/Grand+Panorama+1.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AGGi46n9I/AAAAAAAAB98/lltFw1R-uBY/s1600-h/Canyon+Panorama.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AGGi46n9I/AAAAAAAAB98/lltFw1R-uBY/s640/Canyon+Panorama.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Our growling bellies commanded a return to the lodge for a Grand Breakfast. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AHysZT9MI/AAAAAAAAB-E/AWxyYfxnoOU/s1600-h/Grand+Canyon+Breakfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AHysZT9MI/AAAAAAAAB-E/AWxyYfxnoOU/s400/Grand+Canyon+Breakfast.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">After our morning munch we headed out again to walk down into the canyon. Well.. not all the way down, that takes two days: One down, one up, but more like 3 hours down and 4 hours up again. Tip: Buy some Yak Tracks (those are the metal things you put under your foot so you don't fall flat on your face if it's icy) at the supermarket in Grand Canyon Village. Don't open them. If you need them on your walk, use them. If not, return them and get your money back. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We tossed a coin to decide which trail to do: The South Kaibab or the Bright Angel. The coin said South Kaibab, so we decided to take the Bright Angel trail... probably because 'Angel' sounded better than 'Kebab'. Another tip: Listen to the locals... we should have done and then we would have gone down the kebab route as that has far more sun on a Winter's day and we soon realised that the Angel trail was in shadow the whole way down, and it was VERY cold perched on the rocks eating lunch. So the tip is Bright Angel in summer and South Kaibab in winter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ALO3cXDbI/AAAAAAAAB-M/ZukNhW3FgOc/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ALO3cXDbI/AAAAAAAAB-M/ZukNhW3FgOc/s400/Bright+Angel+Lodge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AnhguWrdI/AAAAAAAACAk/lWrub0RhGYY/s1600-h/ingo+bright+angel+lodge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AnhguWrdI/AAAAAAAACAk/lWrub0RhGYY/s400/ingo+bright+angel+lodge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AMdVNBtyI/AAAAAAAAB-c/hxdOsZlKs7A/s1600-h/Grand+Canyon+Warning+Sign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AMdVNBtyI/AAAAAAAAB-c/hxdOsZlKs7A/s400/Grand+Canyon+Warning+Sign.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ANY1yb2JI/AAAAAAAAB-k/353bNbbArF8/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ANY1yb2JI/AAAAAAAAB-k/353bNbbArF8/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AN68aYQJI/AAAAAAAAB-s/Bj_8eLeg0mI/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AN68aYQJI/AAAAAAAAB-s/Bj_8eLeg0mI/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AOXUONYQI/AAAAAAAAB-0/VrvwUCSOY8g/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AOXUONYQI/AAAAAAAAB-0/VrvwUCSOY8g/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6APSYw4otI/AAAAAAAAB-8/y3oDD6FZp04/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6APSYw4otI/AAAAAAAAB-8/y3oDD6FZp04/s640/Bright+Angel+Trail+4.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ARFwIzmeI/AAAAAAAAB_E/mB7HaHDhgU4/s1600-h/grand+canyon+lunch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ARFwIzmeI/AAAAAAAAB_E/mB7HaHDhgU4/s400/grand+canyon+lunch.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ASJ1RMOGI/AAAAAAAAB_M/uRPpSxd1wgo/s1600-h/yak+tracks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ASJ1RMOGI/AAAAAAAAB_M/uRPpSxd1wgo/s400/yak+tracks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ATcHuG9jI/AAAAAAAAB_U/x2NDmH4xdQY/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6ATcHuG9jI/AAAAAAAAB_U/x2NDmH4xdQY/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+5.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AT2NF18MI/AAAAAAAAB_c/k-mf3_Ttyrs/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AT2NF18MI/AAAAAAAAB_c/k-mf3_Ttyrs/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AUQphSciI/AAAAAAAAB_k/MXZdK9WHNdc/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AUQphSciI/AAAAAAAAB_k/MXZdK9WHNdc/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+7.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AU9QkD-WI/AAAAAAAAB_s/l8yPHgEnU5o/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AU9QkD-WI/AAAAAAAAB_s/l8yPHgEnU5o/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AVxojhSzI/AAAAAAAAB_0/wzJJVLEuoGI/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AVxojhSzI/AAAAAAAAB_0/wzJJVLEuoGI/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AXDFoaB2I/AAAAAAAAB_8/RBpW7DsEeIs/s1600-h/Icy+trail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AXDFoaB2I/AAAAAAAAB_8/RBpW7DsEeIs/s400/Icy+trail.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AXiSGCRNI/AAAAAAAACAE/cQQNNu3vTus/s1600-h/Bright+Angel+Trail+10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AXiSGCRNI/AAAAAAAACAE/cQQNNu3vTus/s400/Bright+Angel+Trail+10.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Strange things that we saw in the Grand Canyon: </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">An Italian guy in his 30s running down the trail in normal trainers, no Yak Tracks, wearing only a fleece and those outdoor trousers you can zip off at the knee, overtaking us and then some time later, still running, overtaking us again on our way up. When we asked him if he was an Olympic athlete, he just said "I have a bus to catch" and dashed passed us on his hurried ascent. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Two girls and a boy in clothes you'd wear on a night out in Newcastle, one of the girls glammed up to the nines, teetering along the ice in very high wedges, the guy shouting nonstop in a Baltic sounding language into a mobile, the girls giggling. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Respect! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Grand Canyon Fact: The most dangerous animal in the Grand Canyon is not a bear or a wild cat or a freaked out pony. It's the squirrel. Every year hundreds of tourists get their fingers ripped off while trying to feed them. Beware.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Back on the road we set the SatNav to Flagstaff and soaked in the endless highway, lit up in the evening sun.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6Ab-K4XneI/AAAAAAAACAM/pizgimA2cVg/s1600-h/To+Flagstaff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6Ab-K4XneI/AAAAAAAACAM/pizgimA2cVg/s400/To+Flagstaff.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In Flagstaff we booked ourself in the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.grandcanyonhostel.com/about/html/facility.htm">Grand Canyon Hostel</a> and headed out to get FOOD!!! The guy at the hostel told us about a nearby <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.beaverstreetbrewery.com/">Beaver Street Micro Brewery</a> that was doing cheap but great food and even greater beers. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AfT56AygI/AAAAAAAACAU/3vu8HOR6lwc/s1600-h/Flagstaff+Micro+Brewery.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AfT56AygI/AAAAAAAACAU/3vu8HOR6lwc/s400/Flagstaff+Micro+Brewery.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AfwHxoOpI/AAAAAAAACAc/ZNF-lC5toDo/s1600-h/Flagstaff+Micro+Brewery+Beaver+Desert.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S6AfwHxoOpI/AAAAAAAACAc/ZNF-lC5toDo/s400/Flagstaff+Micro+Brewery+Beaver+Desert.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">..yum yum yum.. good night! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-29116664639114042942011-12-16T16:07:00.000-08:002010-04-07T03:36:08.031-07:00Verse 11: Flagstaff, Sedona, Globe. The West.After sampling a variety of Microbrewery Delights (solids & fluids) we stumbled home, trying not to slip on ice and snow or get run over by the formidable freight trains that run through Flagstaff, honking their brain reverberatingly loud horns every 20 seconds, or so it seemed.They probably honk those horns all the time to give drunkards like us a tiny chance to get off the tracks - there's not much between space between life and death as those carriages thunder through, dissecting the town. Thank you. Back at the hostel we stuffed our ears with cotton wool and tissues and drifted towards sleepysnoozyland.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ovaPRKDaI/AAAAAAAACAw/io6ftd0Ys1s/s1600/Flagstaff+Breakfast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ovaPRKDaI/AAAAAAAACAw/io6ftd0Ys1s/s400/Flagstaff+Breakfast.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">No, we didn't eat all of the apples. </div><br />
Wake up, shower, breakfast. The people working at the hostel are (as always) very friendly and suggest we should check out an ancient American Indian settlement in a canyon nearby, when Mr. B suddenly felt all the energy leaving his body. What was happening? A curse? A hole in Mr. B's energy field? Both??! No time to waste.. we had to crack on. Petrol for the car, Aspirin for Mr. B.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ov8IZ1HgI/AAAAAAAACA4/Tp8OQRJal9U/s1600/indian+canyon+landscape.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ov8IZ1HgI/AAAAAAAACA4/Tp8OQRJal9U/s640/indian+canyon+landscape.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
After a short drive we arrived at the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.arizona-leisure.com/walnut-canyon.html">Walnut Canyon National Monument</a>. Thanks to our great idea of travelling in January, there was no long winded tourist cue, only a couple of cool looking Rangers. After paying the usual, slightly overpriced fee [just joking, it goes to conservation after all so is worth every penny] Mrs. B jumped for joy at the history lesson about to unfold before her and danced down the 100s of steps that had been carved into the rock by ancient Native American peoples, Mr. B meanwhile tried his best not to pass out straight away. This will be a day of very little steps for our hero. A lot of very little steps.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7owrfRB84I/AAAAAAAACBI/x7fWfNPoX-4/s1600/ingo+indian+ghost+energy+ball.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7owrfRB84I/AAAAAAAACBI/x7fWfNPoX-4/s640/ingo+indian+ghost+energy+ball.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">In this picture you can actually see another ball of energy disappearing out of Mr. B's body.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7oyTajM7FI/AAAAAAAACBw/BjX_mCvHu2M/s1600/sharmila+holding+indian+cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7oyTajM7FI/AAAAAAAACBw/BjX_mCvHu2M/s640/sharmila+holding+indian+cave.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">And here you can see Mrs. B taking the piss out of Mr. Bs mis-fortune. She is clearly showing off, holding up a gigantic piece of rock with her sheer strength.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>The Walnut Canyon has a similar history as the Grand Canyon, carved out of the rock by a steady stream of water during the last 60 million years. Early settlers are originally thought to be from the north, refugees from the fiery eruption of the Sunset Crater Volcano. In the 11th and 12th century, 100s of people harvested crops on the rim of the canyon and lived in these carved 'rock houses' further down in the canyon. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7owhEZ46oI/AAAAAAAACBA/GKMS2-tYxOA/s1600/indian+settlement+canyon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7owhEZ46oI/AAAAAAAACBA/GKMS2-tYxOA/s400/indian+settlement+canyon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ox_uuZiPI/AAAAAAAACBo/8dqeehd21TE/s1600/sharmila+indian+cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7ox_uuZiPI/AAAAAAAACBo/8dqeehd21TE/s400/sharmila+indian+cave.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7oxQE8BgxI/AAAAAAAACBY/gfMTuWnmWeI/s1600/tired+ingo+indian+cave.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7oxQE8BgxI/AAAAAAAACBY/gfMTuWnmWeI/s400/tired+ingo+indian+cave.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o1pARuUsI/AAAAAAAACB4/sV5u74DeBEM/s1600/walnut+canyon+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o1pARuUsI/AAAAAAAACB4/sV5u74DeBEM/s400/walnut+canyon+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After a 2 hr walk that should have taken 45 mins we returned to the car and set sail towards the East. Sedona. Oak Canyon.. red cliffs .. pine trees .. beautiful holiday chalets along the creek .. jagged cliffs, towers and fingers of rock.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o3zZOXOKI/AAAAAAAACCA/ZBvm3PyNts4/s1600/arizona+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o3zZOXOKI/AAAAAAAACCA/ZBvm3PyNts4/s400/arizona+1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o9sWeuIhI/AAAAAAAACCI/9fN5hRq3Exg/s1600/arizona+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o9sWeuIhI/AAAAAAAACCI/9fN5hRq3Exg/s400/arizona+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o90DTXwbI/AAAAAAAACCQ/eOJwj15vT-I/s1600/arizona+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o90DTXwbI/AAAAAAAACCQ/eOJwj15vT-I/s400/arizona+3.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-BXi8wuI/AAAAAAAACCY/AgGWf6z4jXQ/s1600/arizona+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-BXi8wuI/AAAAAAAACCY/AgGWf6z4jXQ/s400/arizona+4.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-TTVrUNI/AAAAAAAACCo/bGOo5hK8jvs/s1600/arizona+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-TTVrUNI/AAAAAAAACCo/bGOo5hK8jvs/s400/arizona+6.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-bqeIuXI/AAAAAAAACCw/vYraDJNgZZ8/s1600/arizona+7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-bqeIuXI/AAAAAAAACCw/vYraDJNgZZ8/s400/arizona+7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-kkXuvJI/AAAAAAAACC4/DaKCO7ki1UE/s1600/arizona+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-kkXuvJI/AAAAAAAACC4/DaKCO7ki1UE/s400/arizona+8.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-txoQOAI/AAAAAAAACDA/2DNCvwiXg_E/s1600/arizona+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7o-txoQOAI/AAAAAAAACDA/2DNCvwiXg_E/s640/arizona+9.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
Sedona.. sounds great on the map. It turns out to be a heavily commercialised new age spiritual sort of town. Lots of dream catchers in windows here. And crystals. A harmless tourist trap high street. Nice clean toilets. Is this Arizona's Vegas? Kind of. Also not that big. Stunning surroundings. A lot of hiking/trekking/mountainbiking industry. There is for sure a beautiful soul in this slightly overdressed hippy haunt.<br />
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Big houses .. teracotta reds .. dark greens and browns .. blended into the landscape.<br />
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A crazy house at Oak Creek Village outskirts southbound on Interstate 179, made up of coloured domes in primary colours. An old lady standing outside the house, wearing the same blue, red and yellow colours like the house. It's warm here .. no snow anymore. We're heading to Payson .. climbing from Arizona style desert hills into mountain forest, snow again, tall graceful trees. Nothing but climbing slowly and one more hour of trees. Then on the summit of the climb... incredible views over mountain scenery - in the distance more mountains, covered in dark green pines and dusted with snow at the highest peaks. Cold winter sunlight casting watery fingers over the landscape. Towards the East is the Apache reservation. Down the mountain.. icy curvy lanes .. more curvy lanes .. the scenery opens up again .. Wild West.. Payson, Cottonwood Creek .. a massive bike scrapyard next to the road .. horse ranches .. <br />
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The landscape is now properly Wild West and the hours flow by as we gorge ourselves on the passing rocks, lakes, trees and ocasional outlaw bikers on Harleys without helmets or exhaust pipes. The first big Saguero cacti .. suddenly all along the road .. America .. cruise control.<br />
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The beginning of a massive swamp on our left ..more bikers. The basin that we are driving through opens into a large lake, huge rocky hills on its side. The evening sun just touches the tops of their peaks. The Theodore Roosevelt Lake. It's huge. And then dusk..<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pSjjsEX-I/AAAAAAAACDQ/ifI4hh6gCac/s1600/arizona+bridge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pSjjsEX-I/AAAAAAAACDQ/ifI4hh6gCac/s400/arizona+bridge.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pSUnib3PI/AAAAAAAACDI/Bn276va-nu0/s1600/arizona+bridge+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pSUnib3PI/AAAAAAAACDI/Bn276va-nu0/s400/arizona+bridge+1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pS_vAYddI/AAAAAAAACDY/JyHmaPbv_PU/s1600/arizona+evening+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pS_vAYddI/AAAAAAAACDY/JyHmaPbv_PU/s400/arizona+evening+1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pTOtaxbdI/AAAAAAAACDg/QCKsJHZ5YQw/s1600/arizona+evening+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pTOtaxbdI/AAAAAAAACDg/QCKsJHZ5YQw/s400/arizona+evening+3.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pTcEeHl7I/AAAAAAAACDo/6C5sdFka4O0/s1600/arizona+evening+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pTcEeHl7I/AAAAAAAACDo/6C5sdFka4O0/s400/arizona+evening+2.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pT1K74puI/AAAAAAAACD4/3g0jf3y4PE4/s1600/arizona+evening+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pT1K74puI/AAAAAAAACD4/3g0jf3y4PE4/s400/arizona+evening+6.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
"I can't be bothered to drive anymore in the dark.. I'm really knackered.. let's find one of these cheap motels and then get some burger stuff or something cheap.. but not shit .. and then I have to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep to regain my energy for all the adventures that are yet to come ..ok?"<br />
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"Ok!"<br />
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So we checked into Motel 6 at Globe and then hit the local burger joint - it was as cheap as it looks:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pVmu4weII/AAAAAAAACEI/Fv-92wuD-tU/s1600/arizona+evening+food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pVmu4weII/AAAAAAAACEI/Fv-92wuD-tU/s400/arizona+evening+food.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pV_a2mSOI/AAAAAAAACEQ/bZaeVmDaHJg/s1600/arizona+evening+food+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pV_a2mSOI/AAAAAAAACEQ/bZaeVmDaHJg/s400/arizona+evening+food+1.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pWYOT2huI/AAAAAAAACEY/tZEfVBTRc70/s1600/arizona+evening+munch+munch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pWYOT2huI/AAAAAAAACEY/tZEfVBTRc70/s400/arizona+evening+munch+munch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pVH9u2EKI/AAAAAAAACEA/oLKxod9Sa3A/s1600/arizona+evening+food+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S7pVH9u2EKI/AAAAAAAACEA/oLKxod9Sa3A/s400/arizona+evening+food+2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After stuffing his face with a lot of deep fried food, the nearly lifeless Mr. B fell into a deep dreamless sleep while Mrs. B stayed up late and watched a lot of episodes of True Blood. See you tomorrow!supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-54765459474175609112011-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:002010-05-09T17:09:36.055-07:00Verse 12: Globe to Bisbee, Arizona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cqlBHlomI/AAAAAAAACEo/eM_oeW6f3xs/s1600/Motel+6+Globe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cqlBHlomI/AAAAAAAACEo/eM_oeW6f3xs/s400/Motel+6+Globe.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After sleeping like a dead man for 12 hours, a rejuvenated Mr. B woke up next to a Mrs. B who, having spent most of the night watching the rest of True Blood series 2, had taken on the pallor of deathly vampire herself. We can't remember having breakfast and there seems to be no photographic evidence either. Strange..<br />
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We headed south to Tucson via Mammoth and Oracle. The spectacular landscape continued with huge Saguaros, epic Joshua trees, dry mountains blanketed with dark green shrubs and spiky trees, shimmering black top winding alongside the St Pedro River with the Pinaleno Mountains to the east (on the left at least!). Some of the Saguaro are huge with many arms. We saw one that looked as though it had its arm round a smaller one, like a mother and child.<br />
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The valley started to widen out as we approached Mammoth and the landscape in the river plains became flatter with ranches scattered along the road. Isolated post boxes at the roadside stood like dusty sentries guarding who knows what, no sign of the houses down the winding dirt tracks. A cacti strewn landscape with cows grazing on the coarse dry grass. Abandoned vehicles dotted around the grasslands, we zipped past a row of old buses, their bright colours dulled by the weathering effects of sunlight and sand laden wind. Dusty old trailer homes... it seemed such a remote place despite only being 50 miles from bustling Globe.<br />
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One of the most awe inspiring things about this trip is seeing how the tectonic power of the Earth created the landscape that we walk up on the surface... here there were incredible escarpments, vast folds in the Earth's crust. A sense of our place on this world and the tiny amount of time we have spent on it... yikes..<br />
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After tiny Mammoth it felt like we were in an episode of Dune, boulders and desert plants, red soil, giant worms! Not really. <br />
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It was [again] a beautiful day and our next stop was the amazing Biosphere 2 near Oracle [Biosphere 1 is our good old planet, Earth itself]. Mrs. B impressed once more with her amazing bull pole dancing skills. Not for the faint hearted.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-crF-awm2I/AAAAAAAACEw/EHoSCTMnx1M/s1600/Cattle+sign+near+Biosphere+Arizona.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-crF-awm2I/AAAAAAAACEw/EHoSCTMnx1M/s400/Cattle+sign+near+Biosphere+Arizona.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-crTKdqE8I/AAAAAAAACE4/36KQBdY9IJE/s1600/Biosphere+2+entrance+Arizona.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-crTKdqE8I/AAAAAAAACE4/36KQBdY9IJE/s640/Biosphere+2+entrance+Arizona.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
The Biosphere was as interesting as expensive and we decided to watch a lot of free videos and read all the literature and ooh and ahh at the pictures and stats instead. Terrible, eh? Here is a video for you to watch:<br />
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It's a bit like the original <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.edenproject.com/">Eden Project</a> but not as accessible in that it is far more scientific and academic. It's really quite mind blowing when you realise how big it is and how much technology there is going on underneath the many biospheres and habitats. <br />
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We needed to save some time for the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm">Saguaro National Park</a>, our next stop. As you can see, now it definitely looks like we are in America. The cacti were numerous and absolutely amazing. As this is America, you can drive through the whole park by car, if you promise at the entrance not to kill any people on bicycles or on foot. As always there where excellent picnic areas with BBQs. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-csQgs3DlI/AAAAAAAACFA/E-bio7300i0/s1600/Sharmila+and+Cactus+at+Saguaro+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-csQgs3DlI/AAAAAAAACFA/E-bio7300i0/s400/Sharmila+and+Cactus+at+Saguaro+Park.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-csz0lOOmI/AAAAAAAACFI/M0-eIw7tOPg/s1600/A+well+placed+picnic+table+Saguaro+Natinal+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-csz0lOOmI/AAAAAAAACFI/M0-eIw7tOPg/s400/A+well+placed+picnic+table+Saguaro+Natinal+Park.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-ctHrK3b3I/AAAAAAAACFQ/P0YaHDg8pN8/s1600/Lunch+at+Saguaro+National+Park+Tucson+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-ctHrK3b3I/AAAAAAAACFQ/P0YaHDg8pN8/s400/Lunch+at+Saguaro+National+Park+Tucson+.JPG" width="400" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-ctgdaIMDI/AAAAAAAACFY/GiPR2lD080g/s1600/Kiwi+fruit+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-ctgdaIMDI/AAAAAAAACFY/GiPR2lD080g/s400/Kiwi+fruit+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cuOsgKiHI/AAAAAAAACFg/uQrrPcLe6ko/s1600/sibling+cactii+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cuOsgKiHI/AAAAAAAACFg/uQrrPcLe6ko/s640/sibling+cactii+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cuiMdQDlI/AAAAAAAACFo/2qnvphazjGk/s1600/Amazing+cactus+and+Ingo+Saguaro+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cuiMdQDlI/AAAAAAAACFo/2qnvphazjGk/s640/Amazing+cactus+and+Ingo+Saguaro+park.JPG" width="360" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cu-fPqq0I/AAAAAAAACFw/-Txx9qsZ4Dw/s1600/Ingo+does+Tai+Chi+with+cactus+saguaro+national+park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cu-fPqq0I/AAAAAAAACFw/-Txx9qsZ4Dw/s640/Ingo+does+Tai+Chi+with+cactus+saguaro+national+park.JPG" width="360" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cvShqvw9I/AAAAAAAACF4/FV1JAgHu7Xw/s1600/Giant+cactii+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cvShqvw9I/AAAAAAAACF4/FV1JAgHu7Xw/s640/Giant+cactii+Saguaro+National+Park.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Mrs B's over excitement at the size of the enormous cactus pictured above, she brushed past one of the smaller specimens and screeched in pain as a small segment detached itself from the main plant and hooked itself firmly onto her leg, piercing her skin through her jeans and pinning denim to flesh. A first attempt to pull out the bugger resulted in the main needle breaking off the segment. Mrs B now had to strip of her jeans [to the great amusement of passers by] and Mr B pulled with all his might to remove the remaining needle. I wish we'd filmed the whole procedure ; )</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cwKRsXOPI/AAAAAAAACGI/LjyUqnHrKKM/s1600/Killer+cactus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cwKRsXOPI/AAAAAAAACGI/LjyUqnHrKKM/s400/Killer+cactus.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cwisBGwVI/AAAAAAAACGQ/LIF6zAt7YaE/s1600/Sharmila%27s+leg+after+cactus+attack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cwisBGwVI/AAAAAAAACGQ/LIF6zAt7YaE/s400/Sharmila%27s+leg+after+cactus+attack.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxBtNCeYI/AAAAAAAACGY/011lmkgyP3E/s1600/Sharmila+takes+on+the+killer+cactus.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxBtNCeYI/AAAAAAAACGY/011lmkgyP3E/s400/Sharmila+takes+on+the+killer+cactus.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Mrs B takes her revenge. Never ever upset a secret ninja master. After fighting off killer cacti and watching the sun set, we headed further south towards Bisbee and the <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.theshadydell.com/">Shady Dell</a> where a cosy 1950s trailer awaited us. Our trailer was a '57 <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.theshadydell.com/Trailers/El_Rey.html">El Ray</a>. It was dark when we arrived but warm light shone through the retro curtains and drew us in. There was music playing in the trailer and it was unlocked, so Mr B's first thought was that someone else was already residing in our spot, but after knocking on the door and no answer, Mr B entered the El Ray to find it prepared for our arrival by the lovely couple who runs the place. The original radio was playing 50s rock n roll, cigarettes adverts and delta blues non stop and the whole interior was restored beautifully as if new. It was very cosy, warm and romantic.<br />
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We quickly combed our flat tops and headed into Bisbee to grab some food. You are the most vulnerable and prone to make errors when you are very hungry, so we decided to eat at the Copper Queen hotel, a gorgeous old building from the early 1900s but unfortunately the food didn't match the surroundings. Because we where a bit late, they started vacuuming [!] around us, after our starters arrived. The food was overpriced and awful. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxV38axDI/AAAAAAAACGg/CD_F20QWyHQ/s1600/Starter+1+Copper+Queen+Hotel+Bisbee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxV38axDI/AAAAAAAACGg/CD_F20QWyHQ/s640/Starter+1+Copper+Queen+Hotel+Bisbee.JPG" width="360" /></a><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxoCQa8VI/AAAAAAAACGo/8o5itUO2KiM/s1600/Rank+main+courses+Copper+Queen+Hotel+Bisbee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/S-cxoCQa8VI/AAAAAAAACGo/8o5itUO2KiM/s640/Rank+main+courses+Copper+Queen+Hotel+Bisbee.JPG" width="360" /></a></div><br />
See what we mean? Never mind.. we went back to our gorgeous Polynesian dream of a caravan, snuggled up for the night and dreamt of tomorrow's breakfast in the original 50s diner next door.<br />
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See ya tomorrow folks!!!supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2738619847887971075.post-91343933806714226832011-12-14T08:42:00.000-08:002010-11-09T15:53:36.954-08:00We ran out of gas ..but now we're ready to go!What a year! We road-triped through America, moved house in the UK from Cornwall to Bristol and changed jobs. Moving.. just keep moving. The USA Road Trip blog suffered the most this year but now, after everything is a bit more settled, <b>we'll keep on blogging</b>. There is so much more to come.. some proper crayzee experiences and sweet pictures from the road to New York.<br />
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So, please bear with us. New posts COMING SOON. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.. <b>PLEASE START YOUR ENGINES!</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/TNgoBzirtII/AAAAAAAACLs/XbW7SZfut1Y/s1600/roadtripusa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Id-cdHu26OA/TNgoBzirtII/AAAAAAAACLs/XbW7SZfut1Y/s400/roadtripusa.jpg" width="351" /></a></div>supaswaghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13719735462917695570noreply@blogger.com0