Well folks, we’re off again heading to the US for our annual fix of Nitro.
Wednesday 28th October - Home to Las Vegas
Today has been a very long day. We were picked up by our car service at 09:20 and despite the pouring rain (for the first half of the journey) and the nose to tail traffic on the M25 we made fairly good time to Heathrow. Our flight was delayed by just over an hour as the aircraft needed a tyre change so it was around 17:15 by the time we left but a generous tail wind enabled the crew to catch most of that up on the way across. This is the first time we have flown direct in to Las Vegas and I’m not sure if we’d do it again as it felt more like a noisy party bus than a civilised flight with at least one stag party on board; it certainly made the flight seem even longer than the 10 hours it actually was!
We arrived into Las Vegas without any fuss and, once we’d managed to get a car Graham could drive, made our way out to North Las Vegas and our hotel which, unfortunately isn’t as well positioned as their website suggested. It turns out that our next five nights will be spent in an industrial area with a very noisy railroad line just across the road, not ideal but at least it’s fairly close to the drag strip.
Thursday 29th October – Las Vegas
After breakfast this morning we made our way over to the drag strip and collected our tickets for the next 4 days. We then spent a good few hours sitting in the stands watching the Sportsman class cars run although there were one or two short breaks because of a few fleeting rain showers (first time we’ve ever seen rain in Vegas). We left the strip at around 15:00 this afternoon as we had tickets booked to a show on the Las Vegas strip.
After a short stop off at our hotel to change and freshen up we took the Interstate in to Las Vegas and the Aria Casino. We had already decided that to save any messing about we would make use of the Casino’s Valet parking service, we had expected the cost for this to be around $25 but we were pleasantly surprised to be told that this was a complimentary service. We then went inside to find something to eat and after some deliberation we decided on a Thai meal which turned out to be very nice but also pricey; long gone are days where you could eat for next to nothing in Vegas. One of the restaurants, a steakhouse was charging around $48 for a steak and then another $14 for the fries to go with it !!
The show we had booked to see was ‘Zarkana’ another production by Cirque du Soleil and very good it was too, it was certainly worth making the effort to drive down to the Las Vegas strip.
Friday 30th October – Las Vegas.
It’s been another long day, this time spent sitting on the bleachers at the drag strip watching some pretty good racing. The weather forecast for today had said sunny and windy and they were right. Sitting out in the sun during the day was pretty warm but as the racing ran on until around 19:00 the sun was long gone and we’d forgotten just how cold the desert nights can be. We’ll definitely be taking an extra layer to put on tomorrow.
After a quick bite to eat and a stop off at Walmart to get a top-up for our cellphone we’ve decided to call it a night.
Saturday 31st October – Las Vegas.
We were at the drag strip by 09:15 this morning and spent the whole day watching some really good racing with some very fast times being set. As it is Halloween a number of the team crews were also in fancy dress today so that was err, interesting! It was really sunny a quite hot again today and this time there was no wind so the heat was even more noticeable. Once the racing was over we drove in to North Las Vegas and stopped at one of our favourite restaurant chains ‘Famous Dave’s’ (you may remember this one Pete and Ann) which is a really good barbeque pit. Having had their ‘feast for two’ we’re now completely stuffed so once we’ve caught up with our errands we’ll be calling it a night (that includes changing the clocks as daylight saving time ends tonight).
1st November 2015 – Las Vegas
Another hot sunny day and another good days racing with some great time being set again. Two of the professional class championships were also settled today so there were some trackside celebrations to watch too.
The racing finished rather earlier today so we decided to take a drive down to the nearest BassPro shop (Huntin', Shootin', Fishin' etc.), unfortunately they didn’t have anything we wanted so it was a bit of a wasted journey but hey ho.
We’re now back in our room and about to look at the maps to see just where we going to head for tomorrow.
2nd November 2015 – North Las Vegas to Caliente, Nevada.
We haven’t got quite as far as we had planned today. Although we were on the road by 09:15 I had spotted a scenic byway on the map which ran through the Fire Valley State Park and we decided to take that in on our way north. It may have added around 50 miles to the route but it was definitely worth the time and trouble as the park was full of great views and interesting rock formations.
As a result of our detour we decided we should stop early as there are huge areas of nothing in this neck of the woods and if we hadn’t we would have needed to continue on until it was well and truly dark. We’re now holed up in an okay motel in a very small town which has a few motels (probably because there’s nothing else for miles) two small restaurants and an even smaller supermarket.
It’s been hot and sunny again today but also very windy in places. Unfortunately it’s supposed to rain tonight/tomorrow so we’ll have to see how we get on.
3rd November 2015 – Caliente to Ely, Nevada.
Well, that was an interesting evening!! When we checked in at our motel yesterday we asked for a restaurant recommendation and were told that the people at the ‘Brandin’ Iron’ would look after us so after we’d called in at the supermarket to buy some bits for breakfast (there wasn’t any included) we drove across to the restaurant only to find that it was just closing (at 6pm). We then drove back across the road to the ‘Knotty Pine’ which, thankfully, was still open. We’d finished our meal and, as there was bugger all else to do in town, were back in our room watching rubbish T.V. by 7pm.
When we woke this morning we were greeted by some unexpected sunshine but it was cool at around 47F. As the day progressed we were increasing in elevation through some fabulously open big sky country (and I mean really, really big sky) and the temperature dropped as low as 33F. We encountered a number of showers en-route but they weren’t of rain but of snow!
I said yesterday that we were passing through large areas of nothing and the same could be said of today only more so. Shortly after leaving Caliente we made a brief stop at Cathedral Gorge State Park to take in the views, then passed one small town 13 miles along the road and then there was nothing for 93 miles and I mean nothing, absolutely nothing, in fact the sign at Caliente said the next services were 113 miles ahead. After the 93 miles of nothing we turned right towards the Great Basin National Park which we reached after another 40+ miles of nothing! The park itself is huge with lots of great views and there is a set of caves which can be visited too only it turned out that all of the tours for today were taken so we weren’t able to visit the caves (having spoken to the guides it is unlikely Graham would have been able to take the tour anyway as there were lots of low ceilings and staircases).
By the time we reached Ely we were really, really hungry having had just a cereal bar for breakfast and some crisps for lunch (all of the restaurants near the park were closed for the season) so once we’d check in to our motel we went for bite to eat at a very nice 1950’s style diner inside a pharmacy. This was recommended by the young lady who checked us in to the motel and she’s also recommended a Mexican restaurant for this evening (and it’s in walking distance) so fingers crossed that will be good too.
The weather forecast for tonight/tomorrow includes a ‘winter weather warning’ for more snow and possible as much as 1 to 2 feet in the mountains so if it turns nasty we may well be spending a second night here.
4th November 2015 – Ely to Elko, Nevada.
As soon as we woke up this morning we knew the weather forecast had been right as there was the unmistakable bright glow of snow coming through the windows. There had been the predicted 3 to 4 inches of snow across the town and it didn’t help that there was ice underneath it in places. As we collected breakfast from the motel reception I asked the owner if she had any idea how good/bad the roads might be and she suggested that we might like to reconsider our original route as we had planned to take the scenic drive through the Ruby Mountains en-route to the Bonneville Salt flats and then Salt Lake City and she said that the snow up there would definitely have been worse.
There were a few options open to us but all meant starting off north up US93 towards the I80 so we decided we would reserve judgement until we tested the conditions and, if necessary, turn around and head back. As it turned out the roads were completely clear although we weren’t certain they would be once we turned on to US229 towards the Ruby Mountains themselves. We decided as they seemed okay we’d use the same logic i.e. to start off up there and turn back if needs be. A short way down the road we saw a ‘Road Closed’ sign at the side of the road and two DOT workers close by so we asked them and they confirmed the road was clear all the way. The road was indeed clear and it made for some really great views on the way across. It has however been really, really cold with the maximum being 34F (around 1C) and the minimum 29F (around -1.5C).
Once we arrived at Elko we called in at the Tourist Info centre where a very helpful young lady recommended a locally owned motel in downtown which is where were staying (it’s $50 + tax for the night rather than the $121 + tax we were quoted by one of the chain motels). As this is the first town we’ve come across that actually has some shops we went to take a look and found that the local K Mart was selling off their clearance items at $1.99 a piece so we’ve bought a few things we hadn’t intended to but sometime you have to take the chance whilst you’ve got it. There is also a shopping mall at the other end of town so we may take advantage of that once we’ve eaten this evening.
5th November 2015 – Elko, Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Today’s was a fairly boring run as there is absolutely no option but to take the Interstate across to Salt Lake City and the road is very straight for most of the way. The only real upside was the opportunity to stop off at the Bonneville Salt Flats and to visit the area where speed week takes place. There is not much to see really, just lots and lots of salt (and water at this time of year) with a truck stop and small café at the Interstate junction but at least it gave us a break.
We’re now at a hotel in Downtown Salt Lake city. We haven’t ventured out yet (the guest laundry was calling) but it looks like being a pleasant, open city and we are told there is some sort of free tram system which we can use to get to the main attractions. This evening we plan to walk (yes, walk) a few blocks to a Brewpub I found on the internet before we came across and then we’ll go and explore the city tomorrow.
We’ve, thankfully, had no more snow today, it’s been dry all day but still very cold.
6th November 2015 – Salt Lake City.
We did walk to the ‘Squatters’ Brewpub last night and very nice it was too. We had thought that we might be able to have a ‘flight’ of whatever real ales they were serving but it seems that Utah state law only allows a maximum of two to be served at any one time so they were selling sample glasses (1oz) but had to deliver them two at a time. It took a little while but in the end we tried all 12 and Graham also had a bottle (9% ABV) of one of their other beers, the food was pretty good too.
This morning we walked a block to the Trax station where there were three lines to choose from and, of course, we picked the wrong one and ended up heading towards the University. We jumped off of that one, headed back the where we’d started and waited for the right tram!! We got off of the tram quite close to Temple Square and walked over to see the temple complex which houses three visitor’s centres, the Temple (which is closed to the general public), the famous Tabernacle, the Assembly Rooms and a number of other buildings. We spent quite some time looking around the area and speaking to lots of young people who were there on their ‘Misson’ and who were acting as guides. We also went along to the lunchtime Organ recital at the Tabernacle which was very pleasant.
Salt Lake City is a very pleasant small city with lots of very wide roads and green areas, there is also a surprising amount of parking around the city. The only downside is that there seems to be quite a population of down and outs which was something of a surprise.
It’s been cold again today and there were quite few snow showers this morning but these passed by this afternoon, it didn’t get any warmer though!
We’ve decided to stick a bit closer to the hotel tonight as Graham has already walked a long way today and we really need to think about how much we spend on this evenings meal (it’s a nice City but not a cheap one) so it looks like we’ll be going to a Denny’s.
7th November 2015 – Salt Lake City to Provo, Utah.
Our plan for today had been to take the pretty roads via Big Cottonwood Canyon to Park City, an old mining town that we had been told was worth a visit. We made the Canyon without any issues and started on up through the ski resorts via some pretty twisty roads only to discover that the road that used to go right the way through to Park City apparently no longer exists and ended at a very snowy village so we had to turn around and head back to where we’d started and take the main road around.
It turns out that Park City is where many of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic events took place and it is essentially a modern ski resort town, not really to our taste at all. There is also an outlet shopping mall on the edge of town and we spent an unproductive hour or so there before moving on. Once again we decided on the scenic route via Heber City and out towards our next planned stop close to the Interstate only to find that after a 15 mile or so drive up into the mountains that the road across was closed so, for some unknown reason this time, so for the second time in one day we had to turn around and double back on ourselves – arrrgh!!
We arrived in the University town of Provo and found a brand new Holiday Inn Express and decided to check out the price. After trying to negotiate a good price the very helpful young lady on the desk suggested that we see how many rewards points we already had with Holiday Inn to see if we could get a free rewards night. As it turns out we did have sufficient points so we booked via the rewards scheme (by ringing the central booking from the hotel lobby) and were then upgraded to a really nice suite. She also told us that we could get a discount at the Denny’s across the road so we ate at Denny’s for a second night in a row. We also discovered that there was a shopping mall in town and managed to get a few of the things we were looking for there.
It’s been a beautiful sunny day today but it’s still been really cold (as low as 25F in the mountains).
8th November 2015 – Provo to Kanab, Utah.
There’s not too much to report today. We’ve been following the US89 south for most of the day and very pretty it was too with lots of mountains, interesting rock formations and wide open valleys. Apart from a brief stop for lunch we’ve just stayed on the road and taken in the views, finally stopping at Kanab close to the Arizona state line (we had thought about stopping around 65 miles earlier at Panguitch but though there were plenty of motels there wasn’t anywhere to eat!).
The motel we’re staying in tonight has, apparently, only been open for two days so we got a reasonably good deal although with a few hiccups along the way i.e. the receptionist sold our room twice so we had visitors we weren’t expecting and we’re missing a shower curtain but never mind.
It’s been sunny all day today and the temperatures have varied greatly. There was frost on the car when we started out but it eventually reached the dizzy heights of 59F.
9th November 2015 – Kanab to Page, Arizona.
It was bright and sunny when we left his morning and we decided that, as the roads were clear we’d do as planned and head for the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, we’ve been to the South Rim a few times but never the North. In total it was an 80 mile journey and we weren’t entirely certain that the road would be open all of the way but thankfully it was although there were a few patches along the way which were covered in thick ice which was interesting! The road to the North Rim is very different from the south, much quieter (at this time of year at least) and greener with some very nice open meadows.
Once we reached the rim we took a short walk to see the canyon and it was definitely worth the effort. I then left Graham at one of the viewpoints and walked a bit further out towards Angel Point which is a rocky outcrop with a great view. I chickened out before I got right to the end though as the path was narrow, covered in ice and had a massive drop to one side.
Once we’d had a good look around we drove a further 80 miles or so to Page, a small town close to Lake Powell. There are lots of Motels here and quite a few restaurants but as it is a big tourist area it’s not cheap (the motel prices weren’t bad but some of the restaurants were really pricey). After a brief look around the town and a stop at Walmart we decided on a Mexican Restaurant which was reasonably priced and it turned out to be a good choice as the food was really good.
10th November 2015 – Page to Winslow, Arizona.
What a difference a day makes!! I’m really glad we went to the Grand Canyon yesterday as the weather today has been pretty awful and if it had been like this we wouldn’t have gone. It’s been really, really windy all day and although we’ve seen glimmers of sunshine we’ve also had showers of rain, sleet and snow and a few downpours so heavy it was difficult to see where we were going. As a result we’ve missed a few things along the way, we were going to stop at a Volcanic National Monument but it was belting with rain so we passed that by. We were also going to stop at Meteor Crater which is exactly what it says, a massive meteor crater but we bypassed that too but that one’s near enough to go to tomorrow, weather permitting.
Most of the day we’ve continued south on US89 but we then had to join the I40 (there is no other option) and we decided to stop early as we’d had enough of the weather by lunchtime. For those of you of a certain age you’ll remember the Eagles song ‘Take it Easy’ which includes the line “standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona” well, the town has made as much of that as they can. They have a statue on the corner and a mural painted behind so lots of people stop on their way through particularly as the original Route 66 runs through the town.
We stopped at the visitor’s centre when we arrived in town and got the gen on the motels, restaurants etc. and the Quality Inn was recommended as being good and not too pricey – wrong!! The rooms were okay but when we discovered they wanted $150 + tax we decided to look elsewhere and we’re now staying in a Motel 6 a block away for $56 including tax. Okay, its’ a bit tatty around the edges and it doesn’t include breakfast but we’re not willing to pay $100 for breakfast!!
11th November 2015 (Veteran’s Day) – Winslow to Springerville, Arizona.
We had a really good evening yesterday. We went across to the restaurant at the very expensive Quality Inn and had an okay meal and then moved next door to their lounge where we got chatting to some guys who were working in the area, a female bar tender who could definitely be called a character and a family of three from New Mexico who just happen to be into drag racing (they and some friends run an alcohol dragster). After a few drinks and exchanged addresses we retired as the bar closed at 10pm.
As I said yesterday, what a difference a day makes. It has been a completely cloudless day today although still cool at around mid 40’sF but beautifully clear. We were really glad we left our visit to Meteor Crater until today, it meant doubling back for 20 miles but it was well worth it. It is, apparently, the best preserved Meteor crater in the world. It is privately owned so the entry fees are a little high but there is disabled access to view the crater which was great for Graham and a few short walks to viewing points for me. There is also a guided tour available (we didn’t take this as it was an hour walking) and a very good, interactive museum to boot.
From there we drove back passed Winslow and out into more open country heading towards the White Mountains. As we arrived at Springerville quite early we thought we might continue through the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest but we were uncertain of the availability of accommodation south of the forest so we stopped at the visitors centre here to ask and it’s a good job we did. The road we intend taking is, apparently, something of an accident black spot this time of year as it is untreated and suffers from large areas of black ice. The very helpful young lady we spoke to told us that the journey would take around 4 hours (by which time it would have been well and truly dark) and strongly recommended that we delay until tomorrow and that even then we don’t leave too early giving plenty of time for any ice to melt so that’s what we plan on doing.
12th November 2015 – Springerville to Thatcher, Arizona.
It’s been another beautiful day today with blue skies all the way. As we’d decided to heed the advice and leave later than normal we treated ourselves to an American breakfast at the restaurant next door so it was 10:00 by the time we left. It was cold when we started off as the altitude at Springerville is around 7000ft and the road we’d chosen to take (the Coronado Trail) took us up hill (well mountain really) and down dale quite a few times so the temperature ranged quite considerably (and, yes, there was ice in places). The highest point on the trail is around 8800 feet and it eventually brought us down to 2900 feet so we’ve ended the day at almost 70F, very pleasant.
The Coronado trail is around 120 miles in total and as well as up and down there’s quite a bit of round and round too (well, at least by American standards). For the most part it takes you through the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest (Although quite a bit of it was burned a few years ago) but it finishes off at Morenci at the most hideous looking open pit mine which seems to go on forever, it truly is a massive blot on the landscape (apparently they’re mining mostly for Copper but also Gold and Silver).
A further 40 miles or so brought us to Safford/Thatcher two communities which essentially spread in to one. There isn’t a great deal here but there are motels and restaurants and we’re not sure there is much further along the road so it’s been another fairly early stop.
13th November 2015 – Thatcher to Wickenburg, Arizona.
Since we arrived in the US a few weeks ago we have been in touch with our friends Brian & Barbara (who, having retired are now living in an R.V. and touring the country) and we have arranged to meet them in Wickenburg, Arizona where there is a Bluegrass festival on this weekend.
The first part of our journey was fine, driving through more open countryside until, that is, we reached Pheonix which was, as we expected much busier than anywhere we’d been so far this trip. It took us a while to wend our way across this city and we arrived at our motel in Wickenburg at around 15:30 (having stopped at a shopping mall en-route).
Brian & Barbara then drove across to meet us at our motel (They are towing a car behind the R.V.) and we all went along to the local Elk’s Lodge (a bit like our Lions clubs) for a fish supper and some very cheap drinks, all very pleasant. After we’d dropped our car off at our motel we walked across to a local bar and had a few drinks before parting company for the evening.
14th November 2015 – Wickenburg, Arizona.
Brian & Barbara arrived at our motel at around 10:15 this morning and we all jumped in our car for the short drive to the Bluegrass festival. Brian & Barbara had brought along some garden chairs for us all and we sat out at one of the local Rodeo grounds in the beautiful sunshine watching/listening to a number of bands and the Arizona State Banjo, Mandolin and Bluegrass band competitions. Not only was it beautifully sunny it was also quite warm but not quite warm enough to warm me that I was getting slightly frazzled – never mind I’ll wear long sleeves if we come back tomorrow.
After we left the festival we collected Brian & Barbara’s car and followed them back to the site where their R.V. is parked and very nice it is too (the park and the R.V.). Barbara provided us with a very pleasant meal and after a few drinks we made our way back to our motel.
15th November 2015 – Wickenburg, Arizona.
We had originally planned on going back to the Bluegrass festival today but the day dawned cloudy & cool and the forecast was for rain/showers so we decided between us to give that a miss as it would have meant sitting out in whatever the weather god’s had thrown at us (it was just as well as it did rain on and off). Instead we decided to visit some of the town’s attractions, this included a coffee stop, a visit to the Western Museum which was very well worth the effort, another stop for lunch, and a visit to an antique store where I bought something I definitely hadn’t planned on taking home i.e. a (fake) fur stole.
Later in the day we returned to the “Escapees” R.V. site (yes, that really is what it’s called) for an ice-cream social where we met a number of people living the life Brian & Barbara have just embarked upon. Barbara then cooked us another very nice meal before we headed for ‘home’ in the pouring rain.
We had originally planned on driving up to Prescott/Sedona tomorrow but the weather forecast was for more snow so we changed our route and will be meeting up with Brian & Barbara again in Yuma, Arizona which is right on the state line between Arizona & California and only a very few miles from the Mexican border.
16th November 2105 – Yuma to Kingman, Arizona.
It was wet when we woke this morning but the weather gradually improved as we made the drive south to Yuma. The drive was pretty uneventful, more open desert views and little traffic so we arrived quite early.
We have been having trouble with our U.S. mobile ‘phone for most of this trip so were pleased to see an AT&T shop right next door to the hotel and went along to see what they had to say. Basically what they did was to change the SIM card (which we’d bought at Walmart) and the ‘phone now works. It seems that the original one was corrupted in some way.
Brian & Barbara arrived at our motel at around 17:00 and we went along to the on-site café as they were offering free burritos and two free drinks each (they didn’t know Brian & Barbara weren’t guests) so we had those as an aperitif before walking a short way to ‘Famous Dave’s’ for dinner. After a good meal and a few drinks we walked back and said our goodbyes before retiring.
17th November 2015 – Yuma to Kingman, Arizona.
We decided, once again, to take the back roads and these really were back roads. Very little traffic, sand blowing across the roads and nothing for miles except for a very lonely border patrol station where we were stopped by a very bored looking officer. We were on our way again after a few questions and a chat. Our route took us just in to California before we crossed the Colorado River back into Arizona and more back roads which eventually took us to the I40 which was the easiest way to get to our motel. After settling in we took a drive out to a Honda shop where Graham was able to buy a few of the bits he wanted.
Earlier in this trip we met some fellow drag racing fans in motel bar and when they heard we were coming to Kingman they gave us the name and contact details for some people they know here and suggested we get in touch so that’s what we did. Peter and Yvonne are ex-Brits who now live a few miles from Kingman and when we called them they invited us to their house to see their cars (including a restored Super Gas Chevy) and, after our visit they joined us for dinner just a few miles from our motel. All very pleasant.
18th November 2015 – Kingman to Las Vegas Airport.
As we had quite a bit of time on our hands today (our flight was due to leave at 20:30) we took our time to pack up and then headed out onto Historic Route 66 through Oatman a very nice old town which is very much a tourist attraction these days. We’ve been there a few times before but it’s still worth a visit. After a wander around the town and an ice cream stop we continued on towards Vegas stopping a few more times along the way.
Once we reached Vegas we discovered that there were major road works which prevented us from getting to the nearest Gas station to the rental return so it took us a while to get fuelled up and get the car back but we still had plenty of time to spare.
Unfortunately our flight was delayed by 40 minutes so didn’t leave until 21:20.
19th November 2015 – Las Vegas to Home.
We had an uneventful flight and it was, thankfully, a bit quieter than the flight out. We landed at just after 15:00 and it took until 16:15 for us to get our luggage and meet up with our driver which meant we got out just in time to hit the rush hour – great! We arrived home some four hours later very tired and glad to be home. We should now be able to upload this Blog and our photo’s as we’ve struggled to find a decent connection whilst we were away.
Total Mileage this trip: 3111