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I think Janet was working in San Fran and I was able to get a DHL Courier flight from Hong Kong so we could take a week off and go touring around.
We hired a car and set off from Burlingame through Oakland, Sacramento and on up towards Lake Tahoe.
Lots of snow. When we got into Stateline we hit big traffic
jams and couldn't understand why it was so busy. Found Hurrahs Hotel (where I'd
stayed back around 1976) although I couldn't recognise it - and asked for a
room..... no chance!! President's Weekend or Day (whatever that is) - but it
seems to be a public holiday which explains why the roads had been so busy....
but we were homeless!
What to do?? Decided to drive on to Carson City (quite a wild road!) which was fairly empty - and we got a room at a Casino and had our dinner and first plays of the one arm bandits.
Next day.... very cold.... back to Lake Tahoe...
Near Zephyr Cove.
Down Route 395 around
Devil's Gate and onto....
Mono Lake. I reckon
these were taken around Conway Summit 8,143 feet. We'd been hoping to get into
Yosemite National Park - but all the roads/passes were closed (snow) so we just
pushed on and arrived in Bishop. Martin Turner had told me about this town (and
I reckon I'd stopped there for food back in 1976) saying it was situated at the
foot of wonderful mountains, had some good restaurants etc... so we stopped for
the night.
We wanted to turn North (on Route 6) and head towards Nevada after leaving Bishop - we were low on petrol but reckoned we'd find a petrol station along the way...... Not!!
First of all.... those wonderful mountains.....
The White Mountains in the Inyo National Forest - fabulous..... dry
desert with snowy mountains as a backdrop!
115 Miles to Tonopah - just made it!! Then down Route 95 to Scotty's Junction/Castle... very weird place!!
Then - just bowling along through Death Valley and Pahrump and just at dusk - into Las Vegas. Checked with Tourist Information - very helpful and got a room somewhere on the strip ?Jockey? Hotel or somesuch?? Straight out... we were next to Bellagio..
and...... the next
day... special treat.......
Brilliant....
helicopter into the Grand Canyon!! Only leave your footsteps behind.....
we landed had a bit of a walk-about, some champagne (all
included) - then off back to Las Vegas - fabulous - you have to do it!!
What's that Klingon attached to my left foot??
Pilot's name was Mike.
So then it was off across the Mojave Desert heading towards Los Angeles, and just before Barstow... the ghost town of Calico.... bit of a theme park type place but enjoyable...
I think we had a ride on a train..
and then it was one of
those wonky houses - made you feel quite weird..
The plaque thingy says something like "Knotts Berry Farm has rebuilt buildings on their original site..."
Then through Barstow past Edwards Air Force Base to Mojave - left turn - Rosamond, Lancaster, Santa Clarita then somehow or other to Ventura and on up the coast past Santa Barbara to Morro Bay and a lovely hotel (cannot remember its name).....
First things first -
get the priorities right!!
Funny bathroom
arrangement - but the bubble-baths were nice... first Janet
then me...
Next day - up and off - to....
Hearst Castle at San Simeon..
all very Hollywood - over the top - but wonderful setting and must have been
great in its heyday.
We then HAD to visit Clint Eastwood at Carmel, Monterey and Pebble Beach (some money there!!)
The drive around Pebble
Beach...
Then back into Burlingame... and then back to Hong Kong.