Am writing this from San Fransisco after the Great Green Tortoise!!
I managed to get my camera stolen in LA which was a bit annoying but at least it was nothing really awful like my diary or passport! While I was working at the hostel we had to cover on reception sometimes. When the front door buzzed you had to look at the security camera and ask for 'name and room number'. However after a while that gets boring so we would ask things like' how many stripes on the american flag?' and 'spell pneumonia' before we would let people in - made it more fun, especially if they (or more likely us) were drunk!!
Derricks boss in Nashville bought an Airstream caravan (google for pics if you want) and we were to drive it from California to Nashville - Road Trip baby!!!!!When Derrick arrived we drove to Palm Springs then onto Indio to pick up the Airstream, it wasnt fit to sleep in but it was so cool and we towed it with a huge black SUV and I attached 2 scottish flags to the back of the airstream. Pictures to follow soon hopefully when i get a new camera!! Everywhere we went people were asking about it and taking pictures of it!
From Indio we drove to Joshua tree National Park which was my first real taste of desert land, and had some amazing scrambling routes on it, the rock was so easy to climb and there were some amazing cacti. We drove on from there and got got to Nevada at night time. Parked the caravan and then walked up to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. The moon was out and it was so stunning it completely took my breath away. I couldn't speak for about 10 minutes (and I know what a chatterbox I am!) There isn't really words to describe it - go and see it for yourself is the best I can say. On the way back walking through the dark woods we kept hearing coyotes which was so so scary!!The next morning we got up at 6 to watch the sunrise and I was able to fully appreciate the size of the Canyon, wow!! Definitely a highlight of my trip so far. I hiked down Bright Angel Trail during the day while Derrick did some work on the caravan (duct taping the windows became a huge highlight of the trip - every time we stopped!) We got through 5 rolls!!!!! Going into the Canyon just made me appreciate even more how enormous it was! I didn't get that far down as we had to leave that day for Flagstaff.We drove around the south rim to various viewpoints and then on through the painted desert past Gray Mountain that had lots of snow on it. I had no idea that Nevada and Arizona were so high up in elevation, it was pretty cold in the Grand Canyon and in Flagstaff.
We stopped in Gallup where we spent the night. We passed the Petrified forest National Park but it was late and we didn't stop. We were mainly on interstate 40 which has replaced Route 66 but they interconnect every now and again so there are signs for Route 66 everywhere you go!
I didn't manage to kill Derrick but the best I can say is that he is even bossier than me (and yes i know what that says!) so we have had a few run ins! Part of it is cabin fever spending so much time in a small space with somebody! Most of the time we get on well and have been swapping stories about family and stuff.
The indicators stopped working on the SUV so driving an automatic HUGE car on the WRONG side of the road pulling a caravan is no fun when you have to overtake or change lanes in a town!!!!
After Gallup we drove through Texas and Arkansas where we stopped and spent a few days with Derricks cousin Repete (his twin brother was called Pete.....)They all had extended families and it was great to spend some time not on the road and seeing Oklahoma City for a few days. All the extended family had boys (about 3 each) ranging from 7 months to 9 years, and I got on so well with them, I think I want to have boys when I have kids. Mind you when we arrived at the house and there was 8 very similar looking boys running around it was like'how many of that kid are you seeing!!'
Arriving in Nashville was very surreal it has to be said. I got all my mail, thanks everyone! and then the next day I got my photos downloaded and we made jack o'lanterns for Halloween. I got the bus from Nashville to St Louis and then the plane from St Louis to California San Fransisco - yes it seems like Im trying my hardest to see every corner of the states!!!
I managed to get my camera stolen in LA which was a bit annoying but at least it was nothing really awful like my diary or passport! While I was working at the hostel we had to cover on reception sometimes. When the front door buzzed you had to look at the security camera and ask for 'name and room number'. However after a while that gets boring so we would ask things like' how many stripes on the american flag?' and 'spell pneumonia' before we would let people in - made it more fun, especially if they (or more likely us) were drunk!!
Derricks boss in Nashville bought an Airstream caravan (google for pics if you want) and we were to drive it from California to Nashville - Road Trip baby!!!!!When Derrick arrived we drove to Palm Springs then onto Indio to pick up the Airstream, it wasnt fit to sleep in but it was so cool and we towed it with a huge black SUV and I attached 2 scottish flags to the back of the airstream. Pictures to follow soon hopefully when i get a new camera!! Everywhere we went people were asking about it and taking pictures of it!
From Indio we drove to Joshua tree National Park which was my first real taste of desert land, and had some amazing scrambling routes on it, the rock was so easy to climb and there were some amazing cacti. We drove on from there and got got to Nevada at night time. Parked the caravan and then walked up to see the Grand Canyon for the first time. The moon was out and it was so stunning it completely took my breath away. I couldn't speak for about 10 minutes (and I know what a chatterbox I am!) There isn't really words to describe it - go and see it for yourself is the best I can say. On the way back walking through the dark woods we kept hearing coyotes which was so so scary!!The next morning we got up at 6 to watch the sunrise and I was able to fully appreciate the size of the Canyon, wow!! Definitely a highlight of my trip so far. I hiked down Bright Angel Trail during the day while Derrick did some work on the caravan (duct taping the windows became a huge highlight of the trip - every time we stopped!) We got through 5 rolls!!!!! Going into the Canyon just made me appreciate even more how enormous it was! I didn't get that far down as we had to leave that day for Flagstaff.We drove around the south rim to various viewpoints and then on through the painted desert past Gray Mountain that had lots of snow on it. I had no idea that Nevada and Arizona were so high up in elevation, it was pretty cold in the Grand Canyon and in Flagstaff.
We stopped in Gallup where we spent the night. We passed the Petrified forest National Park but it was late and we didn't stop. We were mainly on interstate 40 which has replaced Route 66 but they interconnect every now and again so there are signs for Route 66 everywhere you go!
I didn't manage to kill Derrick but the best I can say is that he is even bossier than me (and yes i know what that says!) so we have had a few run ins! Part of it is cabin fever spending so much time in a small space with somebody! Most of the time we get on well and have been swapping stories about family and stuff.
The indicators stopped working on the SUV so driving an automatic HUGE car on the WRONG side of the road pulling a caravan is no fun when you have to overtake or change lanes in a town!!!!
After Gallup we drove through Texas and Arkansas where we stopped and spent a few days with Derricks cousin Repete (his twin brother was called Pete.....)They all had extended families and it was great to spend some time not on the road and seeing Oklahoma City for a few days. All the extended family had boys (about 3 each) ranging from 7 months to 9 years, and I got on so well with them, I think I want to have boys when I have kids. Mind you when we arrived at the house and there was 8 very similar looking boys running around it was like'how many of that kid are you seeing!!'
Arriving in Nashville was very surreal it has to be said. I got all my mail, thanks everyone! and then the next day I got my photos downloaded and we made jack o'lanterns for Halloween. I got the bus from Nashville to St Louis and then the plane from St Louis to California San Fransisco - yes it seems like Im trying my hardest to see every corner of the states!!!
posted by Amy | 8:07 PM
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