Wednesday 9th April - Day 6
After 5 days in New York City we've now moved out to Newark close to the terminal where we collect the van. The ship has arrived and is unloaded, we've cleared the import of the van with customs who have released it from the ship's manifest but we still can't collect it. Apparently the ship's cargo must be checked by the agriculture department before it can be released and rumour has it that it may take some time.

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Thursday 10th April - Day 7
Checked with shipping company at 9.30am, the agriculture department inspector was not due until the afternoon. We booked the hotel room for another night, rented the car for another day, and following local advice on what to do we went to the Jersey Gardens shopping mall. The place is massive and sells anything you want provided it's clothing, footware or smellies. Luckily we received a phone call at midday to tell us the van hadn't got foot and mouth disease and had been cleared for collection. The van is now parked outside our hotel room ready to set out for Niagra Falls in the morning

Friday11th April - Day 8
Moved on to Niagra Falls with only a couple of minor problems. The weather turned on us and began raining quite hard which prompted the windscreen wipers to stop. After a quick diagnosis and temporary repair we set off again. Almost immediately, the radio started up with a Gospel Choir singing "God is your Saviour". That's strange I thought, I was under the impression that it was me under the bonnet, in the rain, fixing the wipers. Then I realised that I had set the radio on auto search for stations and as we moved location it just happened to find "Radio God" playing an appropriate song. Maybe there was a small amount of divine intervention there somewhere. The other problem was with the leisure battery (for supplying the living quarters) which had gone to sleep whist crossing the Atlantic and refused to wake up again. It appears that a direct replacement doesn't exist in America, which meant purchasing the nearest size available and securing it to the vehicle with ratchet straps. We were heading for a campsite at Niagara Falls but disovered that it was about two miles across the Canadian border. Not wishing to start exporting and importing the van between countries at ten o'clock at night we succumbed to the luxury of an Econolodge Motel for the night.

Saturday 12th April - Day 9
We spent a few hours around the very impressive Niagara Falls. The weather was quite cold and there was a lot of ice in and around the falls. Many of the "attractions" in the area had not yet opened for the season which was quite a blessing. A boat ride up to the falls would have been a must, but in almost freezing conditions was probably not advisable. In the afternoon we moved on towards Chicago, stopping at a campsite near Lake Eire on the Canadian border.

Sunday 13th April - Day 10
We awoke to heavy snow, but fortunately it wasn't laying. We set the GPS navigation for Chicago but told it to avoid motorways and toll roads. We spent a leisurely day driving through towns, villages and the City of Cleveland Ohio before stopping at a campsite near Toledo.

Monday 14th April - Day 11
Weather much better today, brilliant sunshine and warm. We again set the GPS to head for Chicago avoding motorways, but with a small detour to an Amish community at Shipshewana. The Amish people live a very simple life, often without electricity and other modern conveniences. They use traditional horse drawn carriages and are self sufficient within the communities. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of Amish produce which left us bloated for the rest of the day. The village of Shipshewana has many shops and outlets selling Amish goods, but as you would expect from America everything is dressed up with tinsel and bullshine, which rather destroys the image of a simple lifestyle, After lunch we continued towards Chicago and as we crossed the timezone from Indiana into Illinois we gained an hour. This extra hours gave us time to meet some friends who live in the city.

Tuesday 15th April - Day 12
Our friends took us on a downtown tour of Chicago. Unfortunately Al Capone was out of town so we couldn't seek an audience with him. The city, which is on the shore of Lake Michigan, is clean, cosmopolitan and quite laid back compared with New York. After a Mexican Lunch we headed of on the next leg of our adventure which was to follow Route 66 across to the Pacific Coast. Route 66 gained it's fame as it developed into the highway to the West and soon became known as The Mother Road. The original route starts from Chicago and runs South to St Louis before heading West. After negotiating traffic out of the city we camped the night near Joliet.

Wednesday 16th April - Day 13
Illinois is a rather industrial state and full of urban sprawl (especially in the North) so we decided to take the Interstate 55 which follows the route of Route 66. Today we were troubled a liitle by wind. This had nothing to do with the Mexican meal yesterday. We were heading South straight into a 40 mph Southerly wind. Our van has the aerodynamics of a brick, and only a 2 litre engine. The state maximum speed limit for us is 55 mph, but today this was just a dream. What troubled us more was the minimum speed limit of 45 mph. Not wishing to chase the van too hard we often detoured off the Interstate and followed the original Route 66 where we could back off without upsetting anyone. Much of the original road still exists and has been declared an Historic Site. Some of the old roadside cafes and motels still exist, and are often run by the original owners. After a blustery drive we stayed the night on a campsite alongside Route 66 just North of St Louis and within walking distance of a famous Route 66 landmark at the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

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Thursday 17th April - Day 14

Lovely sunshine and a pleasant day in St Louis before moving on towards Memphis. St Louis has become known as the Gateway to the West as this is where many journeys into the newly discovered territories of the West began along  the Missouri river. A 630 feet archway was built in 1964 to symbolize the city's role as a cultural and commercial gateway between the settled East and wide open lands of the West. We took a ride to the top in a very cramped steel tram car. The ride takes about three and a half minutes and is not for the faint hearted. At the top there are wonderful views over the city and beyond, but camera shake can be a problem as the arch moves in the wind. After a movie show about the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1803-1806 that opened up the West, we enjoyed a cruise on the Mississippi River before moving on.

Friday 18th April - Day 15
After fixing a non operative headlamp, we had a leisurely drive down to Memphis in the rain. Not long after we arrived, the rain stopped and we're now parked up in a RV park behind a hotel on the outskirts of Memphis. The name of the establshment is the Heartbreak Hotel, and it's just across the road from some famous building called Gracelands. All sounds very interesting - best have a look while we're here.

Saturday 19th April - Day 16
Today is Elvis Day. A tour of Gracelands, the home of Elvis, was expected to take about 3 hours. In the end we were immersed in Elvis nearly all day. This really is the place to see if you're an Elvis fan and even if you're not it tells a fascinating story. The exhibits include his home, his costumes, his cars and his two private aircraft. Everything locally is themed on Elvis and in the evening we were picked up by a local eating establishment in a Pink Cadillac Limo. The transport was free, the meal excellent (and far to much of it) and the price reasonable. The down town tour will have to wait until tomorrow.

Sunday 20th April - Day 17
The day started with a Harley Davidson Rally forming up outside Elvis's Heartbreak Hotel. They were visiting Gracelands, and making quite a noise about it. After watching a display team perform we were off to downtown Memphis to the Peabody Hotel. This fine establishment has a decades old 11 am tradition of bringing ducks down from their roof top palace (Qauckingham Palace) for a short walk along the red carpet from the lift to the Lobby Fountain. They remain there until their return to the palace at 5 pm. 
After this we went on a visit to the Sun Recording Studios. This is where Elvis made his first hit record along with many other stars such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash etc. This studio is the birth place of Rock & Roll. Unfortunately, the owner Sam Phillips had to sell Elvis's recording contract to RCA Victor Records in 1956 to relieve financial difficulties. 
Then it was on to The Civil Rights Museum which is housed in a building on the site of the Lorraine Motel where Dr Martin Luther King Jnr was shot in 1968. The museum preserves the motel frontage and rooms associated with the murder, and also the building across the road from where he was shot. The fight for civil rights by the balcks was a long and difficult one, and still continues today. 
After this it was a quick visit to Beale Street for a meal and to enjoy the atmosphere. The Beale Sstreet is the heart of Memphis and is pulsating to the beat of Rock & Roll and Blues music. The atmosphere is exciting, the presentation brilliant and the prices are high. 
Finally it was back to the campsite to prepare for the journey West across The Great Plains area of America. One last treat before bed was an apple pie with ice cream in the Heartbreak Hotel whilst watching Elvis in concert on a big screen.

Monday 21st April - Day 18
Nothing much to report today. After a leisurely start we set off through Tennasee and Arkansas States to Oklahoma City and rejoin Route 66. There were a couple of highlights to the day. First, we managed to resist the temptation to drive into Little Rock, Arkensas - the birth place of Bill Clinton of sexy cigar fame. The second highlight was when we stopped at McDonalds for a milkshake and the staff gathered around to hear our accents. One young lady said that English men sounded sexy, and she also said that age didn't matter when it came to love. We're going back there tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.... oh, I've just been told were NOT going back there ever! We found a campsite somewhere near Fort Smith on the Arkansas/Oklahoma State border, and McDonalds was not mentioned again.

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Tuesday 22nd April - Day 19
We made a detour off our route to find the Cherokee Indian Heritage Centre where we were educated about the Cherokee Nation. The Hollywood image of the Indians is far from the truth in relation to the Cherokees who were an agricultural based nation and lived in settlements rather than a nomadic existance. I guess this image didn't suit the European Settlers who were trying to take there land, but the Nation has survived and is today a thriving and profitable community - they even issue their own vehicle registration plates. 
After the heritage centre we continued West and picked up a severe weather warning on the radio just as we were enveloped in a hail storm. I was concerned about the windscreen at one stage, but all turned out well and we camped just outside Oklahoma City.

As we move West we're finding the locals far more friendly and talkative. In the East it was difficult to engage anyone in meaningful conversation. When "confrontation" was unavoidable they were full of the "Hi, how are you guys doin' today" and "Have a nice day", but beyond that there was little else. It appears that most Americans have little comprehension of the world outside America, the only interesting conversations being with those that have travelled beyond. We did meet up with two French speaking Canadians in Memphis who had a great sense of  humour. We were on the same wavelength, and they were also travelling in a small camper similar in size to ours. Theirs was a 1983 Volkswagen. 
The campsites here are geared up for the big American RV's which come in two types. There are the 35 ft plus coachbuilt types that we often see in England, but more popular are the "5th wheel" caravans. A lot of Americans own big 5 litre plus pickups and tow their massive caravans as articulated units attached to the base of the pickup body. When they arrive on site they connect to the water supply, connect their "dump" pipes and hook up the electricity. Judging by the size of the electricty cables and dump pipes, they must sit inside their RV's all day eating and burning electricity. They also complain bitterly about the price of fuel as it's rocketed to somewhere around $3.50 per US gallon, which equates to around £2.15 per UK gallon
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The weather has been kind to us, with only a small amount of rain. Temprratures have ranged from freezing at Niagra Falls to 27 degrees celcius in Oklahoma. There was a lot of flooding along the Mississippi. In St Louis most of the riverside parking was under water and flood plains everywhere were flooded. Many side roads were also under water. The flooding has extended right through to Oklahoma State. One other thing to mention was an earthquake in Illinois. We did feel the tremour briefly while we were staying near St Louis. but apparently there was no loss of life.

Wednesday 23rd April - Day 20
Only a short ride today from Oklahoma City to Elk City, again taking in some of Route 66. Although the route is now preserved and signed as an Historic Route it's difficult to follow because the signs only tell you when you're on it, not how to find it. The roads in America are known as alignments because they generally align with North/South or East/West. This appears at first to be a good system allowing for easy navigation, especially with the excellent sign posting they have out here. However, it does become a little confusing when the signs tell you you're travelling West on I40 and also South on I77 at the same time. Presumably this is because the destination of I77 is not directly South of its origin and therefore the road has to occasionally "jogg" (an Americanism) West along a Westerly alignment before reaching the next Southerly alignment. Or maybe you are travelling South on I77 and I40 has to "jogg" South to the next Westerly alignment.Confused? I know the feeling. To make good use of the system when travelling anywhere other than directly North/South or East/West you first have to decide if the best route South (for example) is to head East to the next Southerly alignment, or if West would be the better option. Following Route 66 is difficult through the towns as it "joggs" all over the place, and you don't know if your "jogging" is correct until you've "jogged". Now here's a thought. If roads were constructed diagonally across the North/South and East/West alignments (maybe call them "semi-joggs"), would the fuel saving be enough to stop global warming? Anyway, we managed to jogg our way to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton and had a very interesting hour or so enlightening ourselves about Main Street USA. If all this Route 66 stuff makes it appear we have become Route 66 anoraks, I can assure you we haven't - they're too expensive! Route 66 is just an ongoing interest along an otherwise long stretch of road across the Mid West.

Thursday 24th April - Day 21 First stop today was the National Route 66 Museum as opposed to the Oklahoma version yesterday. The Route 66 part was not very interesting but the complex also housed the Elk City Museum which gave a very interesting insight into early American life. Afterwards we continued on towards the next state of Texas, again visiting some of the historic attractions preserved on Route 66. We passed through a town called Texola which is right on the border between Oklahoma and Texas - hence the name. This is a real Route 66 Ghost Town as it lost all it's trade literally overnight when the new Interstate 40 opened, completely bypassing the town. Many old buildings from it's hey day are now in ruins, and there are only a handfull of residence. It's strange to stand in the middle of what was once the Main Street of America, and all you can hear is the distant thunder of traffic on I40 about a mile away.
	A former road side restaurant in Texola
A few yards up the road we crossed into Texas and the plains began to open up. Throughout Oklahoma the countryside was not unlike English countryside, although the landscape was becoming more open as we headed West. Texas is real open plain country. It's asy to imagine just how difficult it was for early travellers to pass this way, especially before the paved roads appeared. As we passed through the town of McClean we came across the first Phillips 66 Petrol Garage, now restored to it's former glory, and further down the road was the Cactus Motel which is still in operation. But without a doubt, the highlight of McClean is the world's largest collection of Barber Wire at the Devil's Rope Museum. With hundreds of different variants of barbed wire neatly catalogued, displayed and labelled we expected to spend at least five minutes looking around, but in the end it took us about half an hour to see everything before moving on to pass on our new found knowledge to the world. Our next highlight, and first disaster was when we stopped for a photo opportunity at the leaning water tower at Groom. The "Leaning Tower of Texas" was purposely built with one leg shorter than the others to attract visitors to stop and ask questions, and hopefully purchase something. As we pulled over to line up for the photo, we discoverd that the puddle was in mud, not gravel, and we were stuck. Fortunately we had purchased some Flexy Mats to help us through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia, but they also proved useful in Central America. As the evening drew near we headed for a campsite close to the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo where you can eat a 72 ounce steak for free, providing you can consume the steak and the accompanying salad, baked potatoe, shrimp cocktail and buttered roll within one hour. If you fail the cost is around $50.

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Friday 25th April - Day 22
Shortly after leaving our overnight camp we found The Cadillac Ranch where a wealth eccentric decided he would bury 10 Cadillac cars in a field. The cars are neatly aligned and half buried at an angle. They make quite an impresive sight, especially as they're now covered in many decades of graffiti. With nothing much else to see along our route in Texas. we headed west again, taking in some of the old Route 66 road to relieve the boredom of Interstate 40. We stopped at a small town called Adrian on the old Route 66. There's nothing nmuch left of the town now except the original MidPoint Cafe, which still flourishes due to it's 66 fame. The cafe is right on the midway point between Chicago and Los Angeles, the start and finish points of 66. Soon after this we passed into New Mexico, and into another time zone. We are now seven hours behind the UK. The scenery became more rugged and we climbed slowly for most of the afternoon. Driving our little Fiat makes you very sensitive to any changes in altitude, no matter how small. Overnight camp was near Alburquerque.

Saturday 26th April - Day 23
After a chilly night, we had a late start due to some maintenance required on the van. We've lost power to the nearside front headlamp. The power leaves the switch but doesn't arrive at the bulb. In between there are numerous 20 year old electrical connections in the most inaccessible places. The fault still persists, and will do until I can gain the enthusiasm to attack it. We had a quiet drive today, the only notable thing being crossing the American Continental Divide. The divide is a line that runs North/South across America, and all rainwater to the East drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and all to the West into the Pacific Ocean. I don't know who checks it when it rains, but I'll take their word for it. Overnight camps was near Gallop, not far from Arizona.

Sunday 27th April - Day 24
Last night was another cold night, this time with ice on the inside of the van windows. We were at around 6600 feet, New Mexico is a lot higher than we thought. The locals tell me temperatures can be quite extreme this time of year, and when the rainy season comes it's "like a cow pissing on flat rock". 

Today we moved on to Arizona and Navajo territory. Our first stop was at a town called Window Rock, and surprisingly there's a damned great rock with a hole in it. The town is today the administrative centre for the Navajo Nation. Our next chore was to visit the "Hubbell Trading Post" which has been trading continuously with the Navajo Indians since 1874. The post has been owned by the National Parks Service since 1965 when the Hubbell family relinquished ownership with a condition that the house and store remained exactly as the family left it. The post store is still active, selling Navajo produce, and the house is a museum, maintained exactly as the family left it.

Next we were to visit the Petrified Forest National Park further west. We had a leisurely start to the day and had taken longer than expected at the trading post, so it was decided to stop early for the night and defer our visit to the National Park until Monday. Through a confusing set of events, we hadn't realised that the time had gone back another hour. This is how it works: New Mexico and Arizona are in the same time zone, Mountain Time (GMT -7), but New Mexico practices daylight saving (GMT - 6) and Arizona doesn't. However, we entered Arizona in Navajo territory and the Navajo's practice do daylight saving (GMT -6) so we didn't pick up the Arizona time change until we left the Navajo reservation. Of course, it must be remembered that the UK is practicing daylight saving so you're an hour ahead of GMT. Anyway, we're now eight hours behind the UK, and having stopped early for the night, we find we have another hour to spare. Tonight's forecast for just down the road in Flagstaff is minus five celsius, but they're another thousand feet higher than us.

Monday 28th April - Day 25
The temperature was OK overnight, no freezing to worry about. Today's task is to visit The Petrified Forest National Park which includes The Painted Desert, followed by a Meteor Crater about 50 miles further on. We're so pleased to be in Arizona as the landscape is everything we expected, with vast open spaces and spectacular geology. The Petrified Forest National Park consits of a 21 mile drive with various viewing points and walks along the route. Admission is $10 per vehicle and for this you get some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, immaculate "rest room" facilities, a film show and museum. First up is the painted desert which is stunning. The desert stretches for hundreds of square miles but the viewing points in the park show every aspect of it. Further down the road the scenery changes in spectacular fashion until you reach the petrified forest. Millions of years ago the forest was home to Dinasours in distant places. The trees were washed away by flooding and over the next few thousand years were buried in layers of silica and volcanic ash . Eventually the trees were pushed up by seismic pressures and the surrounding alluvium was erroded leaving behind the petrified wood. Over the years many of the crystals that have formed in the wood have been robbed but what remains is a fascinating sight. When I grow up I want to be a geologist. The visit to the park took longer than expected, so we moved on towards our next destination at the Meteor Crater near Winslow Arizona, and camped about six miles away from it. Thankfully the campsite shop sold after sun lotion!! On the way we stopped off at another famous Route 66 business, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Dorothy now has a lovely pair of earings with delicate black and white Route 66 shields tastefully mounted on beautiful gold chain.

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Tuesday 29th April - Day 26
Meteor Crater was just a few miles down the road from our campsite. Private ownership of the site started when a geologist determined that the crater was an impact site and not a volcanic site. He bought the land with a view to recovering the iron from the meteorite which he believed was buried in the bottom of the crater. Later research determined that the meteor vapourised on impact. He eventually sold the site to a local rancher who now runs it as a tourist and research site. The crater is about a mile across and about 570 feet deep. It was created about 50,000 years ago by a nickel-iron meteorite about 160 feet across, which was travelling quite quick at the time. It's now recognised as the best preserved and first proved impact crater in the world. We walked for about a mile around the rim of the crater where our guide Eduardo explained the geological significance in a very entertaining and informative manner.
We were talking to some Australians at the Petrified Forest the previous day and they said we should not miss Sedona, which was only 15 miles off our route. We took their word for it and followed a back road which took us down to the beautiful scenery around Sedona. What they didn't tell us was that the drive was about 25 miles and involved dropping 3,000 feet. Driving back up 3,000 feet was never going to be easy in our van so we had planned to return via the nearby interstate. The other thing they didn't tell us was that the road linking Sedona with the interstate was unpaved and went across a mountain. We ended up travelling another 15 miles to find the interstate just to cut out the steep climb and preserve the van for another day. So the 15 mile detour turned into a 75 mile marathon, but the views were good. We continued North towards the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park and camped about 20 miles from the entrance.

Wednesday 30th April - Day 27
Today was reserved for the Grand Canyon. Entrance to the park is $25 per vehicle and is valid for one week. There is a 25 mile drive along the Southern Rim with various viewing points, museums and visitor's centre along the way. If you don't fancy driving there is a free shuttle bus that runs around the park every 15 minutes. The canyon is awesome. Words can't describe it and photos don't do it justice - not mine anyway! It's very difficult to comprehend the scale of the thing as distances deceive the eye, but the canyon averages about 3 miles wide and is up to a mile deep. For the energetic there are trails that lead to the bottom (about seven miles) but there is no shuttle bus back up. Helicopter rides are available but we visited on a windy day when there was no flying. Our visit lasted most of the day before we descended from 7,000 feet to about 5,500 feet to camp near Williams.

Thursday 1st May - Day 28
Nothing planned for today other than a move 70 miles down the road to Seligman ready for the Annual Route 66 Fun Run. Today is a good opportunity to get to grips with another electrical problem on the habitation side of the van. We shipped from the UK with a defective battery on the accessory side of things, and had a melt down of a fuse holder while the system was trying to charge the bad battery. Eventually we bought a new battery but it had never charged properly, sometimes leaving us in the dark for the 2 o'clock toilet run (and the 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock). Further investigation revealed that a relay which controls charging of the accessory battery had also had a bit of a melt down and wasn't giving a full charge. As expected the correct replacement wasn't available but a suitable alternative was found. While trying to wire it in outside the parts shop a native American Indian introduced himself to me and offered assistance. He spotted the spare wheel mounted under the bonnet and said "That ain't American style, that's cute. Does it have a clutch?" After a brief discussion I decided that he was out of his head on something. My suspicions were confirmed when he announced that he was an electrician, and my voltmeter should be reading 100 volts. He asked "Can I help you buddy?". I politely declined his offer and continued with the problem in hand. He persisted with his offer of help until he was despatched in a very assertive manner that is understood in most cultures. While this was going on Dorothy spotted a Mexican looking gentleman wearing a pistol around his waist who had come for some car spares. Things are different out here. With the auxiliary battery now charging correctly we moved on to the campsite at Seligman and had a leisurely afternoon watching the vehicles arrive for the Fun Run.

Friday 2nd May - Day 29
After a cold night the sun was soon up and preparations started in town for the Fun Run. Throughout the day hundreds of Classic, Custom and Exotic cars signed on for the run. Included in the line up was our 1987 Fiat Ducato, which aroused a considerable amount of interest. One admirer asked me if it had a straight six or V8 engine. He was amazed to learn that it was only four cylinders and 2,000 cc! I the afternoon we returned briefly to our camp and met other enthusiasts who had arrived with their "Tear Drop" caravans behind the classic cars. Our new neighbours included a very nice lady call "Lindy Lou". After directing her husband in how to set up the caravan, electric hook up etc. etc. she turned her attention to herself and tried on a couple of different wigs before she settled for the medium length blond. Lindy Lou was an exceptional lady as she is the only person I have found in America who likes George Bush. Having engaged her in the subject of politic, I was instructed in the strengths and weaknesses of each of the candidates in the forthcoming election. She explained to me that "if those damned democrats get in it ain't gonna be good. This country will be like shit in a handbag". I couldn't disagree as I've only been here a few weeks and it's not my problem anyway, but it made for an entertaining few minutes. Back to the run. Seligman is a small town of around 800 inhabitants with some real characters amongst them. The town is much as it would have been in the 50's and 60's and just about everything in town is original Route 66 or themed around it. At 8 pm there was a parade of vehicles through the town which was by then in party mood with live music in the street etc.
  
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Saturday 3rd May - Day 30 After a massive breakfast in town it was time to line up for the run to Kingman. By the 10 o'clock start time the town was alive with around 800 classic cars, trucks and only one Fiat Ducato. During the line up, the car in front of us did a burn out in front of the commentator. The commentator was on something before this happened, and the ensuing cloud of smoke didn't help matters. We can now sleep to the smell of burnt rubber in our van. The run set off at a pace and we were struggling to keep up on the hills. Each town or village we passed through was putting on something special for the day including live music, Bar-B-Que's etc. but we decided to stop at a famous Route 66 stop off, the Grand Canyon Caverns. They are Arizona's answer to the Cheddar Caves although not as spectacular.

We carried on to Kingman where the historic area of town was closed off for the vehicles to display. We were disappointed to find no refreshments other than alcohol. After a quick look around it was off to the commercial area for some cold refreshments. Night camp was at a site on the outskirts of town.

Sunday 4th May - Day 31

Day two of the run was a spectacular ride from Kingman to Golden Shores. The route took us on the original Route 66 road through mountains to the gold mining ghost town of Oatman. The main street is now lined with tourist outlets but the character of the place still survives from the Wild West days. We survived a shoot out at noon in Main Street, which was full of classic cars at the time. At the end of the run there was a prize giving ceremony for the best this and that but we avoided it just in case we had been awarded something. The Fun Run was a great weekend and we made many new friends. The vehicles varied from Model T Fords up to modern Corvettes and BMW's, and included a "brace" of Volkswagens. Ours was not the only mini camper on the run, there was also a VW Transporter.

After the run we decided to move on about twenty miles and camp for the night at Lake Havasu City - now home to London Bridge.

Monday 5th May - Day 32
The weather is now very hot as we've descended from around 6,000 feet to 500 feet. During the night we ran out of gas and everything in the fridge was warm. The first half of the day was spent trying to find a solution to the gas problem. America uses several fittings on their propane cylinders, including the same as ours. Unfortunately our cylinder does not have the latest type safety valve and it is therefore illegal for anyone to fill it. Their is a $10,000 fine if caught.After trying numerous different options, we purchased a replacement from Wallmart and found a regulator to suit. The only problem with this is that the cylinder is about 2 inches too big to fit in the locker. We're OK for now but I haven't given up on our cylinder yet. One of the secrets of travelling is to always have a "Plan B", even if you don't know what it is.
Having overcome the gas issue we headed up to Las Vegas and drove straight through. We decided to head North for a couple of hundred miles to the Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon, leaving Las Vegas for later in the week. Tonight's episode is coming to you from the Luxury of a Best Western Motel at Mesquite in Nevada. This is our first night away from the van since leaving Chicago a few weeks ago. During the day we passed into another time zone in California, but we believe we're back on mountain time (plus daylight saving) in Nevada. Time is only relevant when making contact with the UK.

Tuesday 6th May - Day 33
After a leisurely start to the day we left the luxury of the motel behind and headed north east for a relatively short drive to Zion National Park. On arrival we purchased a one year pass to all National Parks in the USA. We were able to use the $25 entrance fee to the Grand Canyon as part payment against the cost of $80. This is excellent value for money if you intend visiting more than three parks, which we do. Once into Zion NP we parked up and took the free shuttle bus which runs the full length of the Canyon until 10 pm. The bus operates on a hop on hop off basis with stops at many viewing points and trail heads along the canyon. The driver gives an informative commentary along the route, and there are free Ranger led activities throughout the day which range from talks to walks. The fantastic scenery throughout the canyon is a product of water erosion over millions of years. To the learned in these matters, the varying formations throughout the length of the canyon tell a long story of how planet earth has developed. To the non learned, the canyon is stunning, awe inspiring, mysterious, tranquil and all round jolly good. Again, pictures don't do it justice, but I've done my best. Having explored the full length of the canyon we found a spot at the campground inside the park. Camping is on a first come first served basis with a self checkin facility. For a cost of $16 (£8) you get a large shaded pitch with a picnic table and bar-b-que/grill. Toilet facilities and water are nearby as well as a well equipped supermarket style shop, restaurant, gift shop etc. All this, and we were surrounded by some of the most spectacular scenery on earth! It's a hard life travelling, but someone has to do it.

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Wednesday 7th May - Day 34 Today we decided to make an early start which was going quite well until we discovered we were working on the wrong time. Somehow our clock was an hour behind local time. Without internet connection we can't work out how this happened. Maybe we moved from Pacific Time back to Mountain Time when we crossed from California to Nevada, or maybe one or the other state did or didn't practice daylight saving, or maybe we were on an Indian Reservation where the time is different. It could even be that we were on the wrong time when we passed from Arizona to California. Anyway, the sun was up and we continued with our plans to move north east to Bryce Canyon National Park. To do this involves driving a short distance up Zion Canyon and then heading east out of the park. The road winds up a couple of thousand feet before passing through a mile long tunnel which was built in the 1940's. As we left the tunnel to the east the scenery changed dramatically. Still climbing we passed through many different sandstone formation that have been eroded away to expose a mass of different colours formed as the sand was deposited millions of years ago. We reached Bryce Canyon in the early afternoon. Here the canyon is viewed from the top rim rather than the bottom. There is a road that takes you along the rim for about 18 miles with stopping places and viewing points at regular intervals. The journey starts at around 6,000 feet and rises to over 9,000 feet. Due to the elevation the season starts a bit later here and the shuttle bus system doesn't start until the end of May. After reserving a place at the campsite within the park, we set off to view the sights.
Our first stop was at Inspiration Point. We walked up the hill to the viewing platform where nothing could prepare you for the scene that unfolded. From the top of the rim you could see across to the plateau on the other side of the canyon around 50 miles away. Below us on our side was a mass of incredible sandstone formations in multi colours. Dorothy was moved to tears by the beauty of this natural wonder. Different from the other canyons, Bryce was formed as the Colorado Plateau fractured during uplift creating the canyon, and mini vertical fractures formed allowing erosion by constant freezing and thawing of the very minimal 18 inches of rain anually. The resulting pillar formations, created over the last ten to twenty million years are known as Hoodoo. The resulting panorama was spectacular. Words and pictures cannot do it justice.
Further along the rim, views become more expansive. At over 9,000 feet there was still a considerable amount of snow laying around. Wildlife seen included chipmunks, deer and wild turkey. We returned to camp in the early evening where we experienced our first "brats". Brats are large sausages with cheese inside. The sausage meat is probably made from donkey's queer things (and they look similar) but the cheese gives them a very interesting taste.

    

As we start our 6th week, and because I'm confined to quarters because of rain, I thought it might be time to reflect on the trip so far. We have already fulfilled many of our lifelong dreams and we're only halfway through the first country. America is a very user friendly place. There are reasonably priced and easy to find facilities everywhere. Travelling is made easy by an abundance of filling stations, motels, campsites and eating establishments. The Interstate Highways are good roads with ample capacity and signage is excellent even if a little confusing with the alignment system where you're told that you're travelling both south and east at the same time. It's a good feeling when nine months of planning starts to come together and things happen according to plan and on schedule. There have been a few small issues with the van but nothing too serious. This is only to be expected with a twenty year old van. Keeping the website up to date has been relatively easy so far as we've been using good campsites which nearly always have WiFi internet access. I mustn't say wireless as out here mobile phones are known as wireless. Whilst on the subject of mobile phones, the promises from Vodafone of seemless connection with their preferred roaming partner AT&T has once again spectacularly failed. Despite having full signal strength in many places the system is unable to connect me. I wrote a long screed to Vodafone via their website contact form and submitted it only to be told there was a fault on their system and they were unable to receive my report of a fault. The term "anal retentive" comes to mind where Vodafone are concerned. I hope they are also "anal receptive" as this is what I have in mind for their system when I get back home. We purchased a cheap mobile phone for use in America, but as we move west through the desert area phone signal has become very limited outside of towns. Also, when available internet connections are very slow in the remote areas, making uploading the website very difficult if not impossible. To amuse ourselves en route we've purchased a cheap CB radio enabling us to listen in to the truckers. We now have an intimate knowledge of the private lives of truck drivers, and have picked up some amusing terminology. A few days ago a male trucker was chatting up a female trucker, and she was obviously getting a little bored with his verbal advances. She terminated the conversation by asking him "hey,why do you want a big boat like me for such a little shrimp". A few day's ago we were thundering across the desert highway towards Las Vegas at about 45 miles an hour (head wind, its normally 50) and I had my hand out the window fiddling with the magnetic Union Jack I had stuck to the driver's door when a gust of wind blew it off. We screeched to a halt in a cloud of desert dust, and I decided to walk back into the desert undergrowth, midst rattle snakes and scorpions, to find it. Dorothy opted to stay in the vehicle in case anyone suddenly appeared and tried to steal it. While I was risking life and limp trying to find my flag, a couple of trucks started talking about me on the CB radio while Dot was listening in. The first driver explained to his mate following that he thought I was looking for something. His mate replied, "perhaps the sad arse is looking for trees in the desert". When I returned to the safety of the van, Dorothy was in hysterics.  To all the people we've met up with and who are following our exploits, thanks for your friendship and encouragement. To those with whom we've exchanged email addresses, we haven't forgotten you and we'll be in touch as soon as we can. To summarize the trip so far, America is a fantastic country and has surpassed our expectations. Our preconceptions have been shattered by the diversity of the landscape and the people. Americans tend not to travel abroad as much as Europeans, and as one gentleman put it, "I can see why Americans don't travel abroad, but that's no excuse". Whilst we're looking forward to the rest of our trip and meeting other cultures, if the whole thing ended today it will have been worth the effort.

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Thursday 8th May - Day 35
When we went to bed it was raining hard, but in the early hours of the morning it stopped. To our surprise the rain had been replaced by a light dusting of snow. After the usual morning ritual of coffee, pills, shower, breakfast etc. we planned our next move back down the 280 miles to Las Vegas. Before departure I had a small surprise for Dorothy. We drove up to Sunset Canyon view point for one last look, but I persuaded Dorothy to walk the Navajo Trail hike of 1.3 miles. The trail took us down into the canyon and back up again on narrow paths that were a little slippery due to the overnight rain and snow. What an experience to get so close to the natural forces that are still at work on the sandstone. This will certainly be a high point of the trip, even though the climb back to the top was exhausting.
Once we recovered from the hike we set off at a leisurely pace for Las Vegas where we arrived at around 7.00pm. Were not sure how long it took us because we didn't know the time when we left Bryce. Those damned time zones again! We are now camped in a site at Circus Circus, right beside The Strip and all it has to offer. Immediately behind us is a swimming pool and hot tub. Also included in the $50 a night fee are the facilities of the Circus Circus Hotel. Oh, and free breakfast at the weekend and three nights for the price of two over the weekend. This traveling business is difficult at times!!

Friday 9th May - Day 36
From snow to the heat of the Nevada Desert in one day was probably not a wise thing to do. Before we were properly awake the sun was turning the van into an oven. Luckily there was some shade under the palm trees just behind us. We had a casual day catching up with things that needed to be caught up with followed by a bus ride down "The Strip". We stopped at a couple of the hotel/resorts but kept getting lost. Hotels, casinos, shopping malls and amusements all merge into one giant complex. There are walkways and monorails between some hotels, but the exit to the street is never signposted. Once in the hotel catchment area, everything possible is done to keep you there. Tactics include multiple food outlets, gaming machines of every description, attractions such as circus acts, aquariums,fun fares, live shows, shops, museums and gaming tables. But you can never find the damned exit. The larger hotels are themed. The whole place is testament to the incredible lengths businesses will go to to get there hands on your money, but in return they do provide a fastcinating spectacle.
Our plan for the rest of the day was to go back to the van for a rest and return to the strip in the evening. However, we bacame so relaxed that this didn't happen and we sat outside talking to our neighbours from Canada until the early hours of the morning.

Saturday 10th May - Day 37
Up early today for the free breakfast (subject to a small donation for kids with cancer) which was provided by the campsite just behind our van. We ventured out onto the strip but the heat makes things very uncomfortable for us. Luckily there is a hop on hop off air conditioned bus that takes you up and down all day for $5 (£2.50). We explored some of the hotels, the most amazing being the Venetian. The shopping mall is themed on Venice with Gondolas offering rides complete with singing Gondoliers. This man made indoor marvel has to be seen to be believed. Most hotels are themed around something but the Venetian really appealed to us. After a swim and a rest at the campsite it was back down the strip for nightime viewing. The most spectacular show was the musical fountains outside the Belagio Hotel. Eventually it was time to return to the van and after a last bus tour along the strip we hit the sack just after 1.00 am.

Sunday 11th May - Day 38
Another free breakfast (and another donation) which was cooked just behind the van. There was a lot of talking today as people were coming for breakfast and were intrigued to see a steering wheel on the right. This in turn led to a lot of talking about our journey and a delayed departure. The choices for today were to head south west towards Los Angeles and the end of Route 66 at Santa Monica or to go west to Death Valley.and Sequoia National Park. Death Valley is the lowest point in North America and is famous for it's heat. We had been discussing the wisdom of this visit and the Americans were hesitant about visiting even with their modern air conditioned vehicles. As we appear to have the only van in America without air conditioning we decided to give Death Valley a miss. Instead we headed towards Edwards Airforce Base which is strategically located on the road to both Santa Monica and Sequoia National Park, The plan was to stop overnight near the air base and have a look at the Flight Testing Museum on monday. Despite strong southerly headwinds we made good time and managed a stop off at the ghost town of Calico. Founded in the 1800's the town grew up around silver mines before the economic situation led to it's demise. Recently the town has come back to life as a tourist attraction with the usual gun fights etc. Apart from the touristy side of things there is much of the old town now in preservation.  There are a few museums and some mines still exist along with a working train. It was well worth the visit as we arrived later in the afternoon and were not charged for entry. In fact Dorothy was given a flower for mother's day. As we left a long snake slithered across the road in front of us. I just managed to steer the van over it and it safely passed between the wheels - at least it appeared to be OK when I looked in the rear view mirror. The car that was overtaking me at the time also appeared to survive the situation!  After the heat of the last few days we opted for an Econolodge Motel for the night at Mojave town.

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Monday 12th May - Day 39
Before setting off for the Flight Testing Museum I checked the opening times only to find it was shut on mondays. Also, looking around in the small print  discovered that it was generally only open to military personel with security clearance to visit the base Members of the public are permitted to attend on tours subject to prior application and security clearance. Oops, time to execute Plan B which on this occasion was to not visit the museum. The next decision was to decide our direction of travel. Santa Monica and the end of Route 66 was less than 100 miles away and I had a sticker that says the vehicle has completed 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica. On the other hand, Sequoia National Park was north of us with the draw of the world's largest living object in the form of a giant Sequoia tree and some stunning scenery. The weather forecast for the Pacific coast was unusually cold for the next couple of days so we opted for the national park, and decided to lie about completing Route 66. I won't tell anyone if you don't.
After setting off into more strong headwinds, we climbed out of the desert area, through some mountains and out onto the plains around McFarland. The whole area is irrigated and forms the nation's food growing capital. Everything is grown here including fruit, vegetables and wine producing grapes. After the desert of the last few days it was such a contrast to suddenly see such lush scenery. The roads were lined with colourful shrubs and everywhere you looked there was life. Passing through this we climbed back up into the Sequoia NP and camped the night within the park.  The Sequoia park is quite extensive and leads into Kings Canyon NP. The road involves steep climbs up the mountain and we had only half a tank of fuel, Before settling for the night we decided to back track for a few miles to refuel outside the park rather than risk anything.

Tuesday 13th May - Day 40

Having done the rocks and stones at other National Parks, today it's time for trees. Sequoia NP is home to some of the largest Sequoia groves on earth. As we wound our way up the mountain we passed through massive pine forests. The vegetation and wildlife changes as we pass through the different altitudes. Bird life is in abundance although we can't always see them. I've been keeping a sharp lookout for tits but haven't seen many at this altitude. Dorothy has been concentrating on peckers and has seen quite a few different sizes and varieties. The small woodpecker shown opposite was near a visitor's centre and was relatively undisturbed by human activity. We are also in bear country, with warnings posted everywhere about keeping food and anything scented firmly sealed away. On the campsite there were bear proof metal lockers for us to store food and anything scented away from the vehicle.

After climbing above 5,000 feet we began to see the Sequoia trees. Unlike other trees the sequoia's trunk doesn't taper much as it gets taller. This gives the trees a tremendous mass compared to others. After a short hike we saw "General Sherman" which is the world's largest living object. Weighing in at 1,385 tons and with a volume of 52,500 cubic feet the tree stands 275 feet tall and is 2,200 years old - or so they say. 
Although today was tree day, we also took a hike to the top of Moro Rock which is 6,725 feet high and gives a wonderful view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. You've probably guessed we didn't climb the full 6,275 feet but we did do the last quarter of a mile up a steep staircase. The air is quite thin even at this altitude which makes physical excercise even more difficult than usual. After exploring the different habitats, and still being amazed by the size of the trees we made camp in a pine forest close to Hume Lake.

Wednesday 14th May - Day 41
Camping in the National Parks is quite basic. There are no on site facilities apart from toilet blocks, picnic tables and usually a steel bar-b-que for use with firewood. There's no electric or water, no wifi internet and usually no phone signal. This is a small price to pay for the pleasure of waking up in some of the most wonderful places in America. We've arranged things so we're self sufficient for a few days at least, so this "primitive" camping gives us a chane to test our facilities. So far, so good. This morning we woke to total silence. The campsite was almost empty as the season hasn't really started, and unfortunately we weren't visited by the bears during the night. After breakfast under the pines we continued on from Sequoia National Park and into Kings Canyon NP. Previously we've seen Bryce and Zion Canyons which have been created by wind and water erosion. Kings Canyon was formed by glacial activity and is totally different to the others, and in places is actually deeper than the Grand Canyon. There are spectacular views, varied plant life and some pretty decent waterfalls, Trying to capture this on camera is very difficult unless you have time to sit and wait for that split second opportunity when everything is right for the perfect shot, and  I don't have the patience or the equipment for that. Mid afternoon we headed out of the parks for the short 145 mile drive to Yosemite National Park.The route took us around a couple of major towns which were quite a shock after the last few days in the parks. We made camp 20 miles short of our destination in a campsite that has internet and telephone conversation. We'll be calling the family when we wake up, around 4 pm UK time.

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Thursday 15th May - Day 42

The short 22 mile drive to Yosemite Park took us until mid afternoon. Not long after we set out from the campsite we came across the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Originally a logging train, the original railroad closed in 1931. A section of one of the old railroads has been reconstructed using original track and two Shay steam locomotives have been brought in and restored. Original railcars have been refurbished and now haul passenger excursions around the track. During the excursion we had a very informative commentary on the rise and fall of the original Madera Sugar Pine Lumbar Company. Eventually we made it to Yosemite National Park and quickly reserved one of the last campsites. The remainder of the day was spent exploring Yosemite Valley and all it has to offer. The Park extends to almost 1,200 square miles, but the main point of interest is the spectacular valley, which accounts for around 1% of the park. The rock formations carved out by glacial activity are of immense proportion which has to be seen to be believed. There are many spectacular waterfalls around the valley and hiking trails go everywhere. Thankfully the heat of the day calmed down as we returned to camp at around 4,000 feet.

Friday 16th May - Day 43
Not long after wake up time the sun began to burn through the trees again. Today we planned to drive up through the park to Glacier Point. The Glacier Point Road has apparently only opened within the last few days following snow clearance. The 15 mile drive to the point is well worth the effort as the views over the valley and it's waterfalls are spectacular. There is a famous four mile hike from the bottom of the valley to Glacier Point which takes most of the day. Unfortunately Dorothy wasn't feeling up to it, and I couldn't go on my own and leave her. What a shame as it would have been nice in the heat of the day. By early afternoon things were really warming up again and we decided to make a 200 mile dash to the coast at San Fancisco where we were assured it would be cooler. As we wound down out the mountains things became hotter and I spent all afternoon wondering where I went wrong when planning the trip. I carefully studied average temperatures and though I had worked things out for a comfortable trip. We had never expected such heat, not even further south in Nevada. We pulled in to a McDonalds for some air conditioning and ice cream only to find their air conditioning had broken down. As we left we noticed on a display that the air temperature outside was 40 degrees Celsius, and this was at 5 pm!! As we neared the coast things began cooling off a little and we decided on a motel for the night as the van was like an oven. On our way into San Francisco we had a small road traffic incident as we slowly approached a set of traffic lights. We heard the screach of tyres followed by a thump as we were hit fom behind. There was no damage to our van and the other car was only slightly damaged. The driver was an atractive young lady so that was the end of the incident. When we arrived at the motel we put the weather channel on TV and there were reports of record temperatures all down the Pacific coast, with at least 50 records being broken. Maybe my planning wasn't that bad as temperatures are forecast to fall by around 10 degrees Celsius in the next few days.

Saturday 17th May - Day 44
Today was a day of mixed fortunes. The sun was warm but not hot, such a relief after the last few days. Television reported that many of the beaches in San Francisco were closed due to high levels of bacteria, and one of the famous cable cars that run around the city had crashed into some shops. We had stopped overnight just outside San Francisco at Oakland. Bearing in mind the previous evenings episode with the car running into us from behind, we decided to minimize the risk factor and not drive into San Francisco, where parking would be a problem anyway. There was a ferry a couple of miles from the motel so we decided this was the best option. We arrived at the quay around 10.40 am to find the ferry left at 10.20 am and the next one was at 12.20 pm. The good thing to come out of this piece of bad luck was that whilst waiting for the next ferry we managed a bite to eat in a Mexican restaurant in Jack London Square. A very nice "Mama Elenor" breakfast of steak, eggs and other things more than compensated for the small delay. The ride across to San Francisco was about 20 minutes and very pleasant with good views of Alcatraz thrown in. Next we wanted to find tickets for the ride out to Alcatraz. We boarded a tram to Pier 39 where all the action is. The tram was full to bursting point but we managed to hop on through the rear exit doors, which is a traffic violation, but I won't tell if you don't. As the tram was full we had to stand, and I had a look around for suspect characters before I took my hand off my wallet to hold on to the grab rail. Everyone around me looked "normal" but I made a mental note to concentrate on my wallet rather than the surrounding armpits. As we approached a stop I felt unusual activity in my left pocket and as I looked down, the person next to me quickly withdrew his hand. I had a quick check on all pockets and everything was intact. I let it be known to the owner of the hand that I knew what he was doing and he jumped off at the next stop. He almost certainly had an accomplice, and I'm certain he got off the tram one stop after the low life parasite. Tickets to Alcatraz were already sold out for the day, but we managed to buy some slightly suspicious tickets from a traceable but slightly suspicious source. The tickets were sold at face value (after a bit of haggling) and were accepted by the ferry company. I suspect the tickets were issued as part of a discounted combined package and were subsequently split to be sold individually. I also think I got away with paying face value only as the tickets were dated and the day was half over. Whilst waiting to board the ferry, dark grey fog blew across San Francisco Bay and completely enveloped

Alcatraz. We had come prepared for the heat. I was wearing a thin shirt and shorts, and nearly died of exposure whilst on "The Rock". Dorothy was so pleased to not be hot that she didn't complain. I'm sure everyone knows the story of Alcatraz so I won't bother with my version of it. Hollywood does an equally good job of getting the facts wrong as I do and provided better pictures. The visit was very interesting, but returning to the mainland and sunshine was a relief. We walked back to the ferry terminal under the impression that ferries ran late into the evening. Lucky for us we arrived just in time for the last ferry of the day at 6.40 pm. After a quick visit to Walmart to take on some more supplies we returned to the comfort of our motel for another night.

  
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Sunday 18th May - Day 45
Now we had more of a feel for San Francisco we decided to take the van into the city and try some of the steep hills for which SF is famous. First port of call had to be Lombard Street, which is the hill that zig zags down through ornamental flower beds. Getting up to the top procved more interesting than coming down. The hills were so steep that I had to attack them in first gear and hope nothing happened to stop me. The van was struggling even in first and a stop would have meant reversing down to level ground to start another attempt. Luckily all went according to plan and we arrived at the top of Lombard Street which was surrounded by spectators. A sign at the top said "No Campers", but it was wrong because we made it down without any problems. Flushed wth success we tried a few more hills and then found a parking spot close to China Town. We picked out a restaurant that was busy with locals and decided to have a go. The menu was very comprehensive, and in addition to the food it contained a good helping of bacteria as it was well used and a bit sticky in places. Thinking that a busy restaurant does not allow time for bacteria to gang up against us, we ordered and enjoyed a first rate meal at less than UK takeaway prices. Just before leaving we used the rest rooms which were conveniently located next to the food preparation area. After this daring feat we took a ride on the famous cable cars that run up and down the streets of SF. For those that don't know, the cars are pulled up and down the hills by an underground cable system. It all works in a similar fashion to cable cars that run up mountains, but it's the other way up. If you don't know how cable cars work on the mountains, it's a similar system to the San Francisco cable cars but the other way up. After all the ups and downs of the day we headed out of town via the Golden Gate Bridge, and then took a scenic drive up the Pacific Coast on Highway 1. We stopped for the night in a State Park near Bodega Bay.

Monday 19th May - Day 46
After a very peaceful start to the day we went for a walk to Bodega Bay where we could hear the sound of seals but couldn't see them. There was fog again but not as bad as when we left San Francisco. We set off north along Highway 1 which follows the Pacific Coast, sometimes a little too closely for my liking. Perhaps more significantly it follows the line of the San Andreas Fault, which one day will destroy San Francisco. Luckily today it was calm and we had a very pleasant drive along the switchback road, passing in from fog to sunshine and back to fog on numerous occasions. It was hard going for the van, and not too easy for the driver with hundreds of gear changes and tight turns without power steering. We had a brief stop to look at the Chandelier Tree which is one of California's biggest trees and has been mdified to allow cars to drive through for photo opportunities. The road continued on through redwood forests until we reached the Redwood Highway 101. We were looking for a nice campsite to catch up with some washing and general housekeeping. We reached a town called Eureka, and I found it - the campsite that is.

Tuesday 20th May - Day 47
Nothing much to report today. After breakfast we went into town for some vitals and had a look around the Clarke Historical Museum which particularly appealed to us because it was free. It was an excellent museum incorporating history of both the settlers and the local Native American Indians. The museum was full of authentic exhibits, not the "book on a wall" type of museum that is so often found. After this we took a leisurely drive up to the Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park some 80 miles north. Alternating between coastal scenes and massive redwood groves we saw Elk calmly grazing by the roadside and a herd of them just back from the road. We camped in the State Park beneath some tall redwood trees.

Wednesday 21st May - Day 48
We were joined for breakfast outside the van by a chipmunk, but he soon became bored when we refused to feed him. Before heading off for the day we took a walk along one of the park's many trails. The redwoods really are a magnificent site and the area is full of wildlife. Apparently there is a whole eco system up in the tree tops which supports animals and plant life that is rarely seen on the ground. The trail took us along the banks of the Jedediah Smith River which also supports a mass of wildlife. After this we set off for Crater Lake National Park which was a couple of hundred miles away. The scenery was spectacular along The Valley of the Rogue. As we neared the crater we started to climb, and the weather started to close in. We passed 6,000 feet where there was snow laying everywhere and it was getting darker. As we approached the park entrance it began snowing quite hard and slush began to build up on the windscreen but the road remained clear. After entering the park we climbed another 1,100 feet to the rim of the crater. When we arrived the crater was shrouded in cloud, but within minutes of our arrival the clouds cleared, allowing us to see the full five mile width of the extinct volcano. Mount Mazama erupted 7,700 years ago and collapsed into itself. The resulting

The Visitor Center was closed

crater filled with rain and melted snow and at 1,943 feet deep it's the deepest lake in the USA, the second deepest in the Western Hemisphere and the seventh deepest in the world. I'll have to take their word for that as it was too cold to check, but it is a magnificent view and worth the 7,000 feet climb to see it. All facilities were closed, so once we had experienced the view it was back down again to find a warmer climate and campsite for the night. We set the satellite navigation and religously followed the instructions. We began to doubt things a little when the road turned to gravel but decided to continue as the road was a highway and was numbered. The gravel ran out and it became forest track. We continued on until we found our given path blocked by a fallen tree. There were tracks everywhere so we turned around

and took another track heading east. The satnav recalculated the route telling us to turn left here, bear right there etc. As we moved east the track started to descend but was getting a bit rough and wet where the snow was melting. With caution in mind we didn't follow any path that we couldn't back track on and no matter which track we took it became too risky to follow. We were only a few miles from the highway we wanted, but just couldn't get there. After about an hour and a half crashing around the forest we found our way out to the south and back onto tarmac. The satnav had very thoughtfully tried to cut about 15 miles off our journey by short cutting across the forest. We continued on towards our destination, but as it was getting late we camped in a State Park campsite close to where we should have emerged from the forest. I had a splendid time off roading, but somehow Dorothy gave me the distinct feeling that I had done something wrong. As usual I had no idea what it was, but not to worry, tomorrow's another day. I must check the sump guard in the morning to see if we've gained any battle scars!

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Thursday 22nd May - Day 49
Today we planned the route a little more carefully. The satnav wanted to take us a long way round using motorways which it insisted was the quickest way to Yellowstone Park. What the satnav doesn't know is the performance figures for our van. There's little point in using high speed roads with a low speed vehicle, so a short cut across the back country was planned and, following assurances there were no forest roads involved, approval from "high command" was granted. By the way, there wasn't much damage to the sump guard following yesterday's off roading, I must try harder. The route planning had to be done carefully as the distances are great and the filling stations are few. The route took us from forest into high desert, over mountains, through valleys, across fertile planes, past lakes and alongside rivers. Each time we cleared a summit a new panorama opened in front of us, often with it's own micro climate. The roads were good, traffic was almost non existent and there was plenty of wildlife to see including coyote and a baby deer that jumped out in front of us. The ride was most enjoyable even though it was windy for most of the day. We made it to Ontario, not in Canada but on the border between Oregan and Idaho states. Somewhere along the road we passed from Pacific Time to Mountain Time, so that means we're now... er.. um,.. well who cares anyway, it's getting dark.

Friday 23rd May - Day 50
We decided to give the van a bit of TLC today. After 7,000 miles all we've had to do is put in a couple of pints of oil three days ago. On our way into town last night we noticed a fast lubrication facility promising an oil change in ten minutes. We presented the van but they were a little hesitant because they didn't think they would have the correct oil filter. I gave them one I had in stock together with a sump plug washer and special tool for releasing the plug. Unable to find any other excuses they completed the job in about half an hour. It took longer because of the sump guard I had fitted for Mongolia (and in the forest!). We then headed off towards Yellowstone Park, making a detour to see The Craters of the Moon National Monument. The area is the result of lava flow and ash from an extinct volcano and contains some weird and wonderful formations. We took a drive around the area but as the weather was not too good (light rain) we decided against any of the trails and headed off again after a couple of hours. Most notable roadside wildlife seen today included Vultures and Antelope. The area east of the Craters of the Moon park is a massive nuclear laboratory facility and we were expecting to see animals with several heads. Unfortunately everything appeared normal, although the Antelope did have a sparkle in their eyes. We stopped overnight at Idaho Falls.

Saturday 24th May - Day 51
We're now close to The Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks but monday is Memorial Day in the USA when all men and women who died in American wars are remembered. It’s much like a UK Bank Holiday but with a more significant meaning for some. National Parks are usually busy on this weekend so we were in no rush to enter Yellowstone Park. Also the weather isn’t too good at the moment so we’re killing time for a couple of days. We moved on from Idaho Falls to Jackson Hole in Wyoming, which is just south of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. On the way we passed over the Teton Pass at 8431 feet. The ride up was a 10% gradient which I can assure you is steep. The van was struggling in second gear towards the top and I was preying that I wouldn’t have to make a gear change down to first as the Ducato has a terrible gear linkage making such a gear change very difficult. The journey down the other side was also interesting as I’m trying to preserve the brakes without overworking the engine. Jackson Hole is a very thriving town built in the style of an Old West town with wooden buildings and boardwalks. Because of the Memorial weekend there were celebrations in town and after finding a very expensive campsite we ventured into town for a look. Between rain showers we were treated to a display of Native American India drums and dancing. After this we took a look around the shops and quickly realised the prices were not for us. The town is very up market and is home to many wealthy Americans. Before finding a campsite we navigated to two others that had closed down. Apparently the price of property is so high that it’s more beneficial for business owners to sell the land and bank the money. Nice if you can get it! We returned to the van to find the town had become even more expensive as we had a ticket on the windscreen saying that I was “hereby summoned to appear at the Municipal Court in the Jackson Town Hall, 150 E, Pearl, Jackson, Wyoming to answer the charge/s that you violated Section 10.04 of the Jackson Municipal Code, against the peace and dignity of the State of Wyoming”. I had parked in the wrong place! I was in a marked parking bay but one of the lines was old and doesn’t count anymore. I now have a fixed penalty fine of $25 (£13). Feeling very guilty we scurried back to camp with our tails between our legs, but managed a meal on the way. I hope I can sleep tonight.

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Sunday / Monday 25th / 26th May - Days 52 - 53
Unable to resist any longer we ventured into the Grand Teton National Park. We were expecting more mountain roads but were pleasantly surprised to find there are none in the Park. There are no foothills to the Teton Mountains, they just rise up out of flat plain. The National Park encompasses the Teton Mountain range and the Elk migratory routes from Yellowstone down to the Elk National Reserve just south of the Park, where thousands of Elk spend the winter months.. The Elk had already left the reserve to return to higher ground for the summer but as we continued up into Yellowstone National Park sightings became more regular. Yellowstone was to be one of the highlights of our trip and we were full of expectation. However, temperatures drop below freezing overnight and the possibility of snow was forecast, so we went straight to the only campsite in the park with electric hook-up, and reserved a pitch. We don’t have any heating in the van other than the gas cooker but we managed to buy a cheap two burner electric cooker in Wallmart to take advantage of the electricity we keep paying for and not using. This cooker gets accidentally left on overnight when it’s cold and we stay warm. So there we are at 7,000 feet in Yellowstone Park, in our 21 year old camper, temparatures below freezing, warm as toast, watching a DVD on the laptop and charging my electric toothbrush at the same time. What more can you want from life? There is only one small issue. Yellowstone Park sits on top of a massive volcano which is the most active earthquake area of America, and apparently is overdue for an eruption. Anyway, before we settled we couldn’t resist the 40 mile drive to see Old Faithful Geyser. There was heavy snow the previous night and the road to the geyser was closed for a while, so we thought we would make sure and see it while the weather was OK. Not long after leaving the campsite we were treated to a Black Bear walking across the road in front of us. Despite all the warnings of bears in other parks this was the first we had seen. We arrived at Old Faithful Geyser where we had to wait about an hour for the next blow. When it came it was quieter than expected but quite spectacular, and worth the drive. 

For Monday the forecast was for a 70% chance of rain or snow, but it turned out to be OK with just a small amount of light rain. I’ll try not to go on too much about Yellowstone, but today we saw spectacular geyser basins, thermal pools, thundering water falls, canyons, mountains, grasslands, herds of Bison, herds of Elk, Canada Geese by the hundreds, numerous other small birds and waterfowl and a Coyote that casually crossed just in front of us as we left a visitor centre. I think you may get the picture, we’re enjoying it very much. Tonight (Monday) we’re staying near the historic north entrance to the park ready to follow up on intelligence about bear and wolf sightings tomorrow.

Tuesday 27th May - Day 54
Today was taken up almost entirely watching the wildlife. Black Bears, Antelope, Deer, Coyote, Grizzly Bear (in the distance), Bison, Long Horn Sheep etc. Sometimes help is needed from the experts with spotting scopes to identify the animals. Unfortunately we’ve only seen the wolves den so far. The wolves have managed to elude us, but we’ll be back. Because one of the park roads is still shut due to snow, we were unable to complete a round trip, so it's back again tomorrow to see some more geysers.

Wednesday 28th May Despite today's weather forecast being the best of the week, we had the most rain since arriving at Yellowstone. Mountain weather is very unpredictable and changes in a short space of time, and in case you don't know Yellowstone is about 7,000 feet up in the Rocky Mountains. 

Rain didn't stop play and we visited more of the geological features of the park as well as more wildlife. As we pulled into a car park I noticed the familiar outline of a van similar to ours. On investigation we found an Austrian couple who had shipped a 1986 Citroen (the same as our Fiat) to Baltimore for a three month tour of the US. They also were having a fantastic time which only goes to prove that you don't need to spend a fortune on luxury to have fun. The day continued with a second visit to Old Faithful. There's something familiar about that geyser. It continually simmers and you know something is going to happen, it blows it's top quite regularly but nobody knows exactly when or why it happens. This is such a familiar story but I can't quite put my finger on where I've come across it before. Anyway, we eventually left the park to start the next leg of our journey towards the North West.

We camped the night about 30 miles outside the park where my "old faithful" put the kettle on, and for the first time in several days it whistled when ready. This was a sure sign that we were at a lower altitude.

Thursday 29th May - Day 56
We had a late start today after too much talking (I'm told) at the campsite about American RV's. We expected to cover about 400 miles today but only managed around 250. After the late start and a few stops we took a scenic detour through the Lewis & Clark State Park. History lesson time: Lewis & Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to find an overland route from the Mississippi river to the Pacific Ocean. They set out in 1804 and reached the Pacific in 1806, and are credited with opening the west of America to future expansion of the United States - end of history lesson. Our detour to the Lewis & Clark State Park took us to an area where they camped after a very difficult day struggling up river on their journey west. If only they'd had TomTom GPS they would have known the Interstate 90 was just a few miles to the North. Back on the main road we stumbled across the Old Prison Museum complex at Deer Lodge. Well, we didn't actually "stumble" across it as it was well signposted off the Interstate. The prison museum was housed in the old Montana State Prison buildings. Illustrations and exhibits provided an interesting insight into life in the prison from it's opening in 1871 until it’s closure in 1979. Adjacent to the prison was an automobile museum with over 130 interesting exhibits including a Morris Minor and London Taxi. Across the road was a Frontier Museum that was full of memorabilia from the "Wild West" days, including authentic cowboy clothing, guns, Indian artefacts and a display of objects from General Custer's family. While we were perusing the displays we met and American couple who we previously met somewhere in New Mexico several weeks before. What a coincidence in a country the size of America. I'm pleased we did meet up with them as they pointed me in the direction of a first class ice cream shop. The museum detained us until late afternoon after which we managed a few more miles before camping at Missoula.

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Friday 30th May - Day 57
Our journey West continued along Interstate 90 passing from Montana into Idaho and then Washngton States. I90 approximately follows the route of Lewis & Clark's journey until it crosses the Columbia River. Lewis & Clark continued west down river to the coast; we were heading northwest towards Mount Rainier National Park. We covered 370 miles passing through more mountains and out onto a vast plateau before camping at Ellensburg. A quick check on the internet informed us that two thirds of the roads in Mount Rainier National Park were still shut due to snow, and that further on Mount St Helens was also still snow bound. We'll sleep on that one, and make a decision in the morning.

Saturday 31st May - Day 58
We decided to miss out on the snow bound national parks and drive straight to the Seattle area to meet some friends and make onward travel plans. We arrived there mid afternoon after some spectacular views of the surrounding mountains. Scenery in Washington State is wonderful and the climate is very British.

We're currently having a relaxing break whilst waiting for plans to come together. The organising of ferries and paperwork is far more difficult than the travelling. We're waiting for agents to come back with options for shipping the van before we can make our own arrangements for flights and visas. The American economy is in bad shape at the moment and I'm beginning to wonder if there are any Korean cars being imported to provide empty ships for our van to be transported to Korea. However, we're having fun in the meantime, and what's the rush!

Sunday 1st - 11th June - Days 59 - 69
Apologies for no recent updates, which has been due to a technical hitch. We've had to purchase additional server capacity to maintain this site with the increasing number of photos, and during the migration process a fault occurred which blocked updates. Our time has been spent with friends in Washington State where we've learned more about the domestic side of America as well as seen some of the wonderful scenery Washington has to offer.  When we first arrived in the area we caught a glimpse of both the Olympic Mountains and Mount Baker. Since then the weather has been overcast and they've disappeared. We've been assured that they still exist, but believe this may just be a local legend. We were also invited on board by the Captain of an Oil Recovery Vessel to have a look over the ship which is the main vessel for recovering any oil spillage in the Puget Sound area of North West America. What a fascinating tour that was. Anybody who thinks America doesn't take it's environment seriously is wrong. I have the impression that America cares more than the UK.

Travelling has a wonderful way of exercising your emotions. There are moments of exhilaration and there are moments of despair, but rarely do they come as frequently and as close together as over the last few days. Our plans were researched over the previous nine months, and although some minor difficulties were expected, we didn't think the demise of the American Dollar would cause any problems. Quite the contrary, we have had a fantastic time in America at a discounted price. However, it appears that most ships leaving the US are full of exports as the rest of the world takes advantage of America's financial difficulties. This has caused great difficulty in finding a passage for the van to Asia within an acceptable time frame. The best quote we were getting was for shipping at the end of July to arrive in Siberia mid August, or Korea in early August if we drove to Los Angeles for shipping. This would leave us very little time to clear the high altitude regions before winter sets in. Siberia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan are not good places to be with a two wheel drive camper van in winter. After repeated attempts, following different lines of communication, we stumbled across a Russian ship that was due to depart Everett (Seattle) for Vladivostok (Siberia) on Saturday 14th June, with space available. There was one condition. As the ship was due to leave in four days time, the shipping company would not be able to clear our van with US Customs. They would only accept the booking if we could clear customs ourselves. We didn't anticipate any problems as it only took ten minutes to import it at New York, but when we approached Customs in Everett they insisted on 72 hours to clear the vehicle's title before they would release it. I repeatedly pointed out there was no American title to the vehicle as it was British registered, and they would have nothing to check. This got us nowhere for two days. Surely a piece of paper wasn't going to jeopardise our adventure!

Thursday 12th June - Day 70
Today was our last chance to get the van cleared by customs. We had moved South to the port of Tacoma where the plan was to harass a different customs officer in a last ditch attempt. The day started well when I went for a shower and walked in on a young lady who had forgotten to lock the door. (Un)fortunately she was fully clothed and there was no embarrassment, but it was a good start. After breakfast I telephone the customs office to announce our pending arrival and was passed to a supervisor who promised to investigate the export procedure for us. Within two hours the shipping company had authorisation from Customs to load the van without any further paperwork. We were underway again. Next was a visit to the shipping company offices in the centre of Seattle where the paperwork was completed without fuss. Many thanks to Ralph and Tammy for their help, patience and understanding. What a difference a few hours can make. When travelling the word "no" usually means "try harder". With our emotions fully exercised we decided to take a short drive to the Boeing factory at Everett where we were treated to a fascinating tour of the factory which produces the "Jumbo" 747, 767, 777 and nearing completion was the very first 787 Dreamliner. The new Dreamliner is a very interesting aircraft constructed of composite materials giving it a weight advantage of 30% over standard construction methods. Boeing have some very interesting ideas on how to take advantage of the strength and light weight of the Dreamliner (www.boeing.com)

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Friday 13th June - Day 71
The next problem to resolve was our onward travel to meet the van in Vladivostok. We would be homeless for nearly three weeks and the cost of hotel accommodation frightened us. Our initial plan was to ship the van through Korea and obtain visas in Seoul when we joined it again. However, the information obtained during research didn't mention that shipping to Korea would be a trans shipment through Japan, and this would cause another delay. After some quick research of all the options, the best we found was to change our return flights to the UK, obtain visas in London and make our way to Vladivostok for the first week in July. When we came to America we purchased return tickets as they were considerably cheaper than one way tickets. I'll never understand that one! Having decided on what to do, the next three hours were spent making all the arrangements. We delivered our van to the docks for loading at 2 pm, and spent the last few hours with our friends before taking an overnight flight to New York via Charlotte. A very big thanks to our friends for taking us under their wing for the last couple of weeks. It's not everyone who would welcome two wandering lost causes into their home. Again, many thanks - we'll be back, that's a threat!! 

Saturday 14th June - Day 72
Nothing much to report. Despite a delay in the flight from Seattle to Charlotte we made the connecting flight to New York at 7 am. This update comes to you from the departure terminal at New York (Newark) whilst we spend 12 hours waiting for our overnight flight to the UK. These overnight flights are good, they save on hotel bills. Well, it is the "Cheap Way Round"! The current flight status is "on time", which means it's still in London waiting to be delayed.

Sunday 15th June - Day 73

Flight from New York was delayed by one hour and we arrived in the UK at around 10.00 am. We tried to survive the day without sleep to get back onto local time. After 48 hours without sleep, we eventually crashed at around 8 pm and woke up 14 hours later. 
      

We're now ploughing our way through the paperwork for onward travel. We have flights booked to meet the van in Vladivostok and are now working on visas. We require double entry into Russia as we will need to pass through Russia a second time between Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The original plan was to obtain a second tourist visa in Mongolia but our Foreign & Commonwealth Office are advising that travellers have been experiencing considerable difficulty in obtaining Russian visas in Mongolia, and they strongly recommend getting Russian visas before arriving in Mongolia. Double entry tourist visas are only valid for 30 days which will not give us enough time. We will need to obtain a "business visa" which allows two entries for up to three months. Russian visas require support documents in the form of "letters of invitation". These can be obtained via the internet within five working days, at a considerable cost. Once all the paperwork has been completed, several trips to London will be necessary to physically obtain the visas for Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. All other visas required must be obtained en route - oh, deep joy!!

One slight complication has occurred with our travel insurance. Long term insurance can only be purchased as a "single trip" policy, and returning to the UK has technically voided our policy. However, after some careful negotiation and an extra fee we've managed to get an endorsement added to the policy to allow our unexpected return to the UK.

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We'll keep these pages updated with a short diary and some photos
of progress as and when we can find an internet connection