Last day - Nevada to Los Angeles to Auckland

Another beautiful day and we spent the day looking for good camera spots. Had lunch at one of the diners on Route 66 and met a couple who are traveling in their 1958 silver Corvette and visiting a few of the iconic diners still left.

Our journey into LA was not as stressful as last time when Maureen navigated to the wrong airport. So this time right airport, on time and some excess luggage.

It has been 29 days and a really amazing experience. We have visited some great places, met some really nice people, packed in as much as we possibly could but there is still so much to see. America is a great place to visit and we can understand why Americans want to spend so much time in their own country. In a couple of hours the scenery can change from flat sandy desert to lush mountains. If you like the outdoors there is so much to do. We discovered many galleries, we found a number of places that were'nt in the guide books and we found many cafes and restaurants listed in the travel books no longer open. We have experienced every type of weather. We have not had time to spend as much time in some places so we will have to come back sometime..............

Day 28 - Barstow

Had a lovely day driving from Bakersfield to Barstow. Much to Paul's disappointment there was not much action between Bakersfield and Tehachapi which is a famous section of railroad mountain grade including the renowned Tehacapi loop.
Drove through the Mojave high desert and it was a glorious day. Arrived in Barstow on time to have a swim in the pool and a quick tour of the outlets which are much superior to the ones in Las Vegas.

Day 27 - Bakersfield

We have now picked up a car for the last couple of days of our journey to Los Angeles. Lovely weather and there will be a bit of train spotting. We left San Francisco at about 2 pm and had a leisurely drive down to Bakersfield.

Day 24, 25 & 26 San Francisco

We have now completed 4,900 miles and dropped off our car, it has been great but we are looking forward to our few days in in one place.
San Francisco is very busy as there is a festival on this weekend and every room in town in booked. We met up with some friends on the first day and walked across the Golden Gate bridge. Well not quite all the way as the last 50 meters was closed due to some construction work. It was a beautiful day and the scene changed constantly. We then went to Sausilito for lunch and just sat on the pier and watched the sun go down and caught a ferry back to the pier.
We went to a great bar and met a really nice couple Lori and Brad from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and they took us to a crab restaurant and it was wonderful.
We do a number of tourist things including a ride on the cable car but we didn't have enough time to visit everywhere so we will have to come back. By the time we worked out all the routes for all the public transport it was time for us to leave.

Day 23 - Lake Tahoe, California

A private jetty on Lake Tahoe

Today we drove from Reno towards Lake Tahoe, half of which is in Nevada and the other half in California. We made a stop in the historic town  of Truckee for lunch at a Diner. The proximity of  the railroad level crossing might just have influenced this choice!! 

We then drove along the Alpine Drive to Lake Tahoe and on to South Lake Tahoe for our overnight stop. The lake is beautiful and we would have loved to have stayed longer. Next time perhaps!

A typical lakeside dwelling

We looked through some of the real estate brochures and there aren't many properties available under $1m. Average prices are $3m - $10m.

Lake Tahoe is one of the highest, deepest, cleanest and coldest lakes in the world. The contrast of the alpine forest and the blue of the lake is quite stunning. Yet another great place to fish, cycle etc. The area is also very popular for skiing. Tonights' motel had a swimming pool, and after a long hot day we just had to jump in...........it was cold but refreshing! We soon retired to the adjacent hot spa tub. As a dare to each other, we emerged from the spa and jumped back into the pool.......nowhere near as painful as you might imagine! 

Day 22 - Reno, Nevada

Whilst Reno is known for being a gambling town, it is much smaller than Las Vegas. Nevada  has been particularly impacted by the current economic conditions with associated higher than average unemployment figures. Apparently less people are visiting to gamble these days.

Reno made the national news shortly before our arrival because of a tragic accident at the annual air races held outside the town. A P-51 Mustang racing plane went out of control and dived into the tarmac close to spectators sitting on "box seats" in front of the grandstand. 11 people including the pilot were killed and many more were injured. Locals we spoke to still cannot believe it.

We have been using some promotional vouchers to stay in some motels. The voucher for Reno allowed us to stay at the Ramada for a mere £30 or so. This is one of our cheapest nights! These voucher booklets can be picked up in petrol stations, supermarkets and motels.

The famous arched sign in Virginia Street "the strip"

Day 21 - Salt Lake City, Utah & Elko Utah

Joseph Smith Memorial Building and Salt Lake Temple

We spent the day exploring Salt Lake City and it's a big city to  explore.

As it was a stunning day we spent hours meandering out of the city and between photo opportunities. One of our favourite movies is 'The Worlds Fastest Indian' so we were delighted to see Bonneville Salt Flats and there appreared to be a team of people preparing for an upcoming race. We had intended driving further but leaving late meant we decided to stay in Elko a coal mining town and so very similar to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. We read that the annual cowboy poetry event was to be held in Elko in the next few weeks and would have liked to attend.