2013 Lap around the USA

Day 31 – Sunday 9th June 2013 – Route 66 ,St Louis, Missouri – Haskell, Oklahoma- 431 Miles

We woke to a wet overcast day. On the road by 8am and had trouble finding pieces of Route 66. A lot of it is covered by the interstate or small strips running parallel to the interstate. It was at times better to saty on the main road.

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The rain was quite heavy and wasnt long before we came across a pileup of cars travelling in the opposite direction. Traffic was blocked for miles and miles.

With our lanes clear we travelled on 66 before making a necessary stop in Springfield, Missouri.

Bass Pro Shop. Something I had read about and there was no way I would miss it. I called it the Husband Daycare Centre. You could easily drop them off all day and they would still be there that nigh. It has a website if anyone wants to check it out. Acres and acres of indoor fun, sporting camping, boating and fishing.
The sign above the door says it all. Welcome Fisherman, Hunters and other Liars.

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It has to be the biggest sport store around. We spent at least three hours there and didn’t see it all. But I did get to purchase a few toys. Even my wife was impressed with it and came away with a cammo handbag.


Leaving Springfield we drove through Joplin and had a look at where the Tornado had hit two years earlier. All the time we were still looking at the weather, and what thinking about how severe and frightening it must have been.


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My wife the navigator led us into Kansas for a whole twelve mile, so we could tick another State of our list.
Route 66 led us through some wild back roads and through farms and right past the farm houses.
If it wasn’t for the concrete strip for a road I would have thought we were lost.

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On our previous trip we stayed with some friends in Phoenix Arizona. They had now moved to Haskell, Okalahoma. Our plan was to spend a few days resting once we got there.
With the trip now half over I would be a good time just to chill and park the van for a while. A quick phone call to confirm our arrival and it wasn’t long before we got off Route 66 at Tulsa, Oklahoma and on our way to Haskell.
We arrived at 9.30 pm after a long day on the road. I was asleep before 10pm but my wife stayed up all night catching up on the last two years since we visited last.
Now looking forward to a few quiet days in Oklahoma.
We did not realise how tired we were and definetly needed the break before moving on.

Day 32 – Monday 10th June 2013 – Haskell, Oklahoma Miles – 0


After 31 days into the trip, it was nice just to do nothing. We had enjoyed every minute of the trip but didnt realise how much of a hammering we had given ourselves.
We were pretty worn out from the long days on the road and all the sight seeing and adventures we had taken.

A hot day so it was inside under the air conditioner. Highlight for the day was a visit to the Laundromat and a drive down the main street of Haskell.

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The rest of the day was spent checking out the van and going through my photos and making copies to my second hard drive, and of course doing very little else.

Day 33 – Tuesday 11th June 2013 – Haskell, Oklahoma – Tulsa – Haskell 66 Miles.

Up at 6.30 am and ready to hit the road. Only one problem, were here for another two days. Im not one for staying in the same place for too long if not a lot to do.

My wife was happy to sit and talk but I get bored. I wrote myself a list of things I needed and headed off to Tulsa for the morning.
My wife had earlier confiscated my second SLR camera as her point and shoot had battery problems.
The only lens spare was my favourite 31mm prime. It was also my main lens for panoramics.

It didn’t take long find a camera shop and wasn’t long before I walked out with a nice 18 -250mm telephoto lens. Also half the price I would have paid in Australia.

Now my wife was happy with a lens more suitable and me with my favourite lens back in my camera bag. It looks like I have lost the camera for good. There was never any talk of it returning. Happy Wife – Happy Life I suppose.

Second Item on the list was a Ipod. We wanted to listen to music on the road. The Apple Ipod store wanted to sell me one for a few hundred dollars. Not the amount I wanted to part with.

I headed to Walmart and ended up buying a similar thing with a mini SD card for $45. Loaded all our music on and plugged it into the CD player. Its all ready now for next trip.

It was mid afternoon by the time I got back to Haskell. I spotted a sign to the local lake and diverted for a quick look.

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A few photos and it was back to base for the rest of the day. Starting to think ablout the rest of the trip, so my batteries must be nearly recharged.

Day 34– Wednesday 12th June 2013 – Haskell, Oklahoma


Another sleep in before getting up to another beautiful warm day in Haskell Oklahoma. With no plans today, I just went about repacking the van and making sure everything was ok for the next chapter in our adventure.

I fuel up and checked the van over before another trip out to the lake after dinner. I think if we had stayed any longer in Haskell, it would have been very hard to leave.
So easy to just relax and unwind.

I sure my wife found it hard to leave after a few days with her friend.

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Tomorrow we are back on the road.

Hahaha Im guilty of Drop bear stories. Ends up a big laugh.

Day 35– Thursday 13th June 2013 - Haskell, Oklahoma – Route 66 – Pilot Service Centre, Amarillo, Texas – 438 Miles.

Up at 6.30 am but didn’t hit the road until 9.30am. I had a new lease of life and ready to put some more miles behind us.
We followed Route 66 to Oklahoma City before turning off and heading to Moore County. I had remembered the name when the Tornados were shown on the news. We had never seen the so much damage caused by a storm like this. After a few minutes we turned around and headed back to pick up Route 66 again.

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It wasnt our intention to drive around through the affected area and it didn’t feel right being there. I think I took a couple of photos of a shopping centre before putting the camera away.
After leaving Oklahoma City, we passed through El Rino, which had been hit by a Tornado two weeks prior.
Again it was damaged houses and trucks tipped upside down everywhere. Our hearts went out to the affected people.
There were fires everywhere as people were burning rubbish and cleaning up.

Im sure witnessing first hand the destruction caused by the Tornado’s had me worried for the rest of the trip and forever looking out for signs of bad weather. So far we had only a few days of rain and nothing too severe.

A couple more photos from along Route 66.


Sunset On Route 66
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Railway Silos.
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Giant Cross. Route 66
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We continued on Route 66 until we reached Amarillo, Texas. Again we chose a Pilot service centre as out camping area for the night.
It was just on dark as we pulled over for the night so it wasn’t long before we were all tucked up in our van after 12 hours on the road.

Day 36– Friday 14th June 2013 - Amarillo ,Texas – Route 66 to near Albuquerque, NM – Santa Fe – Taos NM - Motel - 376 Miles.

Up at 7.am and on the road by 8.am.. Today would be our last day on Route 66 and we were looking forward to a change of direction and hopefully scenery.

Travelling the full length of Route 66 had been a fantastic journey and really enjoyed doing it in two sections and having the break in between. I don’t think I would have been able to enjoy it as much in on direction unless it was the whole road trip..
It’s a great drive but I think it has to be something you are really into and prepared to take the time to experience it.

First stop on the road was the Cadillac Ranch where someone has buried all the cars nose first in an open field. It looks as though everyone takes a tin of flouro paint and puts their own signature on them. Lots and lots of empty tins on the ground so not sure how long it will be until someone gets sick of it.

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Getting to make my panoramic photos took a while as more and more people were now starting to pull up. I eventually got what I wanted and we moved on.
For such a very popular place I was surprised that no one was taking advantage of the continuous stream of visitors stopping to look at the cars. I thought maybe a stall or something.

Back on the road and it wasn’t long before we arrived at Adrian,Texas. With a fantastic little Roadhouse named Midpoint, midway between Santa Monica and Chicago. . 1139 miles in both directions.

Everyone was out having their photo taken at the Midpoint sign across the road from the diner. We waited our turn before heading over to the diner for breakfast. It was a very popular place with a constant stream of people waiting leaving or waiting to be served.
This would be our last stop in Texas so we thought it would be an appropriate place to sample some more of the local hospitality.

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Motorcycles seem to be very popular on Route 66 and the riders came in all shapes and sizes as well as varying age and from all over the world. We watched them come and go as we sat in the diner. The Harleys were in one area and the Japanese bikes parked in another.

It wasn’t until we were leaving that we looked in the visitor’s book, that we noticed the last group that left were not only from Australia but lived only a few hours from where we lived.
We purchased our last Route 66 souvenirs’ before taking a few more photos and back on the road.
Our plan for the rest of the day was to go as far along Route 66 towards Albuquerque before turning off and starting the northern leg of our adventure.

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It was early afternoon when we made a right hand turn and headed north towards Santa Fe. Just to have a quick look around before heading off.

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We were greeted with some very heavy rain so our stay was shorter than expected. The buildings were spectacular and the colours beautiful. I asked my wife if she wanted to stay for the night. Her reply was “No” I just wanted to drive through and have a look.I was quite happy to keep driving for a while yet.
The scenery was spectacular as we drove along side the Rio Grand towards Taos. Lots of stops and lots of photos, while dodging the more frequent rain showers.

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We arrived at Taos before dark, found a motel and settled in for the night. Taos is a very pretty town sitting below a huge mountain range. The town buildings and houses remind me a lot of Santa Fe with all the rich colours and design.

Watching the television News that night we were reminded of the large wildfires burning through Colorado and the area we had planned to visit. We spent a while looking for a new route in case we need to make changes the next day.

Day 37– Saturday 15th June 2013 - Taos NM - Durango –Silverton – Ouray – Montrose - Paonia State Park – Colorado. 394 Miles

We were up early as usual and enjoyed a free breakfast of waffles and coffee at the Motel.
On the road by 8.am we followed our GPS and map in the direction of Durango and soon found ourselves crossing over the Rio Grand Bridge.

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We couldn’t resist stopping for some more photos and looking at stalls and goods on display at the local markets. Back into the van and it didn’t seem long before we were crossing into Colorado.
The closest we had been to Colorado was in 2011 when we were at four corners.

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As we drove along it was like being in a different country as the scenery started o change from desert to pine forests and then into beautiful mountain landscape. More photos before moving on again.
I have this tendency to visualise what a town would look like going by its name. Durango to me sounds like a small western town wide streets and old buildings. Wrong again as we entered another large city. Just like El Paso I couldn’t be further from what I had imagined.

The drive from Durango to Silverton was beautiful and very scenic. Winding roads and steep drop offs kept both myself and my wife alert for the trip. As we approached Silverton we stopped to photograph a steam train in the valley below, taking passengers on a trip to Durango and return. We would love to have done that but had missed the train.
Now Silverton was exactly like I had thought it would be like. A real Western town in my opinion..

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Our original plan was to get to Gunnison and head down into Colorado Springs and drive up Pikes Peek before going to Denver. Then find our way to Nebraska and onto South Dakota.

A visit to the Visitors Information Centre soon changed that plan. With the wildfires in the Colorado Springs area, we had a choice of going down to Denver through the smoke, or heading into Wyoming and then into Nebraska.

After some thought and discussion it was decided that we would continue on into Wyoming and avoid any of the danger or smoky areas.

A while later when getting gas I mentioned how beautiful the scenery was and if it gets better. When I told him we came from Durango he just smiled and said, ”It sure does”. He was right too.

We left Silverton and onto the Million Dollar Highway to Ouray.
I thought the name was for the million dollar views and not the true meaning because of the mineral rich ore that was used to build the highway.

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Ouray.

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Spectacular views, winding roads and steep drop offs with no guard rails only added to the thrill of driving this road.
I was forever reminded to watch the road and not the view. It was very slow going, but all the better for soaking up the scenery and time for a photo or two.

We spent the rest of the day just cruising along enjoying every moment we were in Colorado. Not sure where to stop for the night we asked while getting some food supplies’. Someone mentioned Paonia State Park, and only a half hour away we set this as our destination.

Arriving at the campground around 8 pm, the sign said pay before entering. So we filled out the camping permit, paid our money and drove in only to find the place full. I think we misinterpreted the sign.
I drove around for a while and found a spot near a big skip bin and parked there for the night. I thought at least we have paid and we will be one the road by 6am the next morning it shouldn’t hurt. I spoke to a few of the campers and they were fine with us being there.

With the sunlight fading I grabbed my camera and decided to take a walk to the lake and get a few shots. As I walked past a camp I said hi and asked if it was OK to walk past their camp to the water.
Where are you from I was asked. They must have picked up on my Aussie Accent as that was as far as I got that night.

They were a husband and wife and two friends from Glenwood Springs. We have never met such friendly people. They cooked us a BBQ dinner and spent the rest of the evening chatting about our trip and where we were heading. Plus a million questions about Australia.
A lot of people cannot believe how much we have seen of the USA so far.

We were offered boat rides over the lake the next day but we were leaving early and their day didn’t start until 11 am.
I think it was the most memorable evening of our trip spent with wonderful people. Memories like this are what road trips are made of and the reason we keep coming back.

Day 38– Sunday 16th June 2013 –Paonia State Park, Colorado – Craig – Rawlings Wyoming – Casper – Fort Robinson, Nebraska – 570 Miles


Up and on the road by 6.am we crept quietly out of the camping area. Not sure of how far we would get but hopefully close to Nebraska.

Again the scenery was beautiful and I loved the rolling hills and the wide open spaces of Wyoming. I stopped for a photo every now and then but kept on moving as I knew we would be back in Wyoming in a day or so.

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Late in the afternoon I pulled up on the side of the road to photograph the locals at a Calf roping competition.
We didn’t go in as we had a high vantage point from the side of the road. Im sure they must have been wondering who those people were in that funny looking van.

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We quiet often forget what it looks like until the funny looks we get. With no rental signage on the van, people were always commenting on how cool it looked or great paint job.

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We crossed over into Nebraska (State No 27) and headed to Crawford and found a campground at Fort Robinson. It was $22 for the night but well worth it for the hot showers and somewhere to tidy up a bit.
We put in 570 miles but I still felt quit fresh after such a long drive. The miles just roll by while soaking up the scenery in a new place.

Day 39– Monday 17th June 2013. – Fort Robinson, Nebraska – Mammoth, SD – Rapid City – Bandlands NP, South Dakota. – 242 Miles

Woke at 5.30 am to the sound of thunder. I nearly hit my head on the roof of the van because it was so loud I jumped up.
The sky was turning red and lightening everywhere as the storm approached. We got our cameras our and took a few photos before the rain started.

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We managed to keep ahead of it but it finally caught us as we crossed into South Dakota.

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Our Early start got us to Mammoth and the Mammoth Museum just before opening. Being first in line we had the first tour. It has to be one of the best places we visited and to be an actual dig site made it better. Just seeing how the animals were trapped over the years is amazing and to be able to see the Mammoths where they actually died and still remain today.
We spent a few enjoyable hours before leaving and heading towards Rapid City.

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First stop was Crazy Horse Monument. What a great monument in progress. I would love to go back and see it again when it is finished. A very busy and popular place with all the car parks near full to capacity.
Just wandering around the museum and watching the film of the early das is just amazing. Its good to see the family continuing on with the dream of one day finishing it. Even better is funded by the owners. Another Monument ticked off the to do list.

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The storm clouds from early this morning were again catching up with us and the rain wasn’t far away again.

Next stop Mount Rushmore. Our GPS got us to the entrance without any trouble. Unlike Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore was near impossible to see from anywhere outside the main gates. It wasn’t until we were inside and walking through the main entrance that we could see the monument.
I suppose it a way of getting the people in to see it.

Although a very spectacular monument it didn’t have the same effect on me as Crazy Horse. Maybe I was expecting something a lot bigger. We didn’t get to see the movie on the making of the monument but I imagine it would have been a massive task.
Along with the thousands of other tourists we took our photos before heading into the gift shops.

On our way to the gift shop we could hear the thunder and wasn’t long before the rain and hail hit us. Our storm had caught up again. The gift shop was packed with people getting out of the rain. We purchased a few souvenirs’ before heading back to the car park.

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It was still early in the afternoon so we decided to head out to Badlands National Park and see it we could get a camp for the night. I took us an hour or so to make it to the Park entrance. Paid our $16 for the night and found a spot in the campground. The campground was full of young families on holidays and a hive of activity with children everywhere. It’s easy to see why it is popular for an extended stay.
Just before sunset we took a drive around the Park. Got some nice photos of the sunset, and quite a few shots to join into panoramas. It may be a while before I get to work on them as they are quite time consuming.

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Back at the camp it seemed to take forever to get dark. The colours were still in the clouds and the amazing landscape illuminated by the setting sun. What a spectacular view to end the day.

Day 40 – Tuesday 18th June 2013. Bandlands NP, South Dakota- Wall Drug -Rapid City – Bear Park USA – Sibly State Forest Wyoming. 413 Miles

Up early and breakfast over, and on the road by7.30am. The previous day we had seen sign after sigh for a place called Wall Drug Store. We had never heard of it so decided to call in and have a look.

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Wow. What an impressive place that was. We spent ages looking around and in all the different section of the store. I think we ended up spending $180 before we left. I ended up with a great big cowboy hat and a new wallet and my wife with a lot of souvenirs.
I think it must be the biggest gift shop I have ever seen. Its also a beautiful town as well.

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Back in Rapid City and the first stop was Macdonald’s for lunch. Mainly just to get the laptops out and use the free wi fi to touch base with our family and friends back home.
Next on the to do list was Bear Park USA. A drive through zoo with lots and lots of bears roaming freely as well as wolves and mountain lions in their enclosures. A lot of other wild animals as well.

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I think the highlight though, was the little bear cubs playing and climbing threes. So much fun to watch and of course photograph, it was hard to leave.

It was after 3.00pm by the time we left Rapid City and had no real plan for the rest of the day.
Our plan over the next few days was to make it to Glacier National Park. We crossed over into Wyoming and again hit with some pretty wild weather as we approached Gillette. We took cover at a Truck Stop and fuelled up while waiting for the rain to ease.
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Once back on the road it was a nice scenic drive up to Sheridan before turning off onto a scenic road that would eventually lead us to Cody, Wyoming.

The road was called alt 14 and a beautiful drive through the mountains. Not sure where to camp we drove until we came across Sibly State Park. It had a nice campground set back off the road and a beautiful lake as well.
By the time we paid our fees and set up camp it was around 9.30 pm and still plenty of daylight left.

We certainly made use of the available light that day as we had travelled over 300 miles since leaving Rapid City. The long days was certainly to our advantage and gave us time to explore the sites without rushing.

Day 41– Wednesday 19th June 2013. – Sibly State Forest Wyoming – Cody – Beartooth Highway – Red Lodge – Great Falls Montana – 507 Miles.

It was 5.30 am when my wife woke me so we could drive down to the lake for sunrise. I went about cooking breakfast and making coffee while Sandy took the photos.

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After breakfast we headed off in the direction of Cody. A lot of road works slowed our progress but really good just to take in the scenery and what was happening around us.
A fuel stop at Cody and on our way again. It wasn’t long before we turned off onto Beartooth and in the direction of Red Lodge.

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Now this is what I call a scenic Highway, no sooner we turned off it was raging waterfalls, breath taking mountain scenery and more. It wasn’t long before we crossed into Montana.
The roads took us higher into the mountains and more snow began to appear. We even came across some half frozen lakes.
Everyone was travelling at a slow pace and with plenty of places to stop; we took every opportunity for one more photo.

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By lunch time we had arrived at Red Lodge and stopped for a while to look at the maps and plan where to go from here.
Up until now it was a beautiful sunny day but it looked like our clouds had caught up to us once again.

From Red Lodge I took a back road that connected with highway 90 at Columbus. Frome here we followed 90 for about an hour before turning off onto 89 to take us through White Sulphur Springs and onto Great Falls.

Not long after getting onto 90 at Columbus, I could see the storm clouds building from the south and getting closer.
It wasn’t long before the rain and hail along with strong winds hit us. I kept driving while my wife slept through it all. I glanced over onto the mountains and watched as a black cloud dropped down a small funnel near a hill side not far from the highway. I stopped and took a few photos, woke my wife who wasn’t very interested and went back to sleep.

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I thought nothing of it and kept driving until the storm passed and we turned off onto 89 towards White Sulphur Springs. The weather seemed to have passed so I just enjoyed the journey through the beautiful country side.

We fuelled up at White Sulphur Springs before moving on and thinking about stopping at another State Park for the night.
No more than half an hour on we were hit with the bad weather again, rain hail and strong wind.
We pulled over and waited for it to pass again before both agreeing to continue on to Great Falls and avoid having to camp out here. We still copped a lot of wind and rain for the rest of the journey.

It was about 7.30 pm when we made it to a Travel Centre at Great Falls and the weather was still pretty bad. We soon changed into some warmer clothes before getting out of the van.

We ended up camping in the car park after having dinner inside the centre. Even though it was freezing outside we were very comfortable inside our van.
With another long exciting day behind us, so it didn’t take long to fall asleep.

Day 42– Thursday 20th June 2013 – Great Falls Montana – Glacier National Park Montana – 325 Miles

Up at 7.00 am to cold, wet and windy morning. First stop was a Dennys Diner for breakfast.
Back on the road it was a slow drive to West Glacier via Browning, the weather didnt seem to get any better.
We arrived at about 12 Noon and went about getting a campsite. We ended up with a campsite in Apgar campground not far from the Park Village.

We made enquiries at the Apgar Visitors Centre as to the Going to the Sun Road. We were told it was due to open the next morning depending on the weather and the road works.
This was pleasing as we wanted to head into Canada for a few days and this was our chosen route. So with fingers crossed we decided to go for a drive around the Park.

After a few hours driving around looking for wildlife we headed back towards the village. Up ahead we spotted a big red bus and a few cars pulled up behind it.

A bear jam. Mamma bear and her two cubs were playing not far from the side of the road. We watched for a while before the ranger came along and scooted us. He used a horn as well to frighten the bears back off into the woods.
We made most of the available light and decided to head out along the Going to the sun road to the road block and take a few photos. We nearly had the place to ourselves and spent a while looking at waterfalls and rapids.

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Back at camp we still had time to cook dinner in daylight and eventually going to bed at 10 pm. Even then it was still light outside. I had read somewhere that late afternoon is the best time for driving around as most people are back at camp by then. Pretty good advice.

Day 43– Friday 21st June 2013 – Glacier National Park Montana – Going to the Sun Road – Fort Macleod. Canada. 148 Miles

Up early again. Cooked breakfast by 8.30 am. We got talking to a Ranger in the campground and about all the trees down around the park and campground. It turned out that the storm we had followed up through Montana also hit the park fairly hard before moving on causing more damage.

We got the news that the Going to the Sun Road had just been opened and there was a steady stream of traffic heading that way. We got going by 9.30 am and joined the traffic. Its a good thing we explored the small section of the road the day before as it was a very popular spot for photos.

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Wow.Another spectacular road to travel on. Waterfall after waterfall, snow on mountains and more snow. Lakes and even a few people extreme skiing on vey little snow. I think this drive would be very hard to top.
It took us five hours to drive the 50 miles and I don’t think there was a scenic stop that we didn’t stop at.

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We also made the point of visiting Many Glaciers before moving on that day.

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Arriving at Saint Mary’s we were given the bad news that Calgary and the surrounding areas were closed due to major flooding. Our storm had left its mark on Canada as well.
We had planned on spending a few days around Calgary and the National Parks. Not wanting to go back the way we came, we decided to head into Canada and stick close to the border and down to Seattle or Port Angeles.

Our Border crossing into Canada was no problem with a friendly officer wanting a chat about our travels and giving us advice on where we could go once in Canada.

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After the crossing we made our way to Fort Macleod we it was a motel for the night. We watched the news on TV and horrified to see what was happening around Calgary.

It wasn’t until we got home in Australia I googled the weather warnings for Wyoming and Montana for this period, that I found out we were travelling during a pretty sever storm warning for the area.
Without regular television or Internet service we were unaware of the weather forecast

This was the weather warning I googled after we got home. Looks like we were very lucky to avoid most of it.This warning was pretty accurate.

As a powerful low pressure system explodes across the northern High Plains on Wednesday, an outbreak of dangerous severe thunderstorms, including tornadoes, will erupt from southern Alberta into southern Saskatchewan and much of Montana.

Some of the cities and towns most at risk include Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, Alberta; Swift Current, Saskatchewan; Great Falls, Mont.; Glasgow, Mont.; Williston, N.D.; Billings, Mont.; Helena, Mont. and Miles City, Mont., to name a few.

The greatest impacts from these thunderstorms will be large and potentially destructive hail up to the size of baseballs, or even softballs.

These storms will also have the ability to produce damaging gusts of winds over 60 mph and a few tornadoes, one or two of which could be long-lived and violent.

Baseball and softball-sized hail can be very destructive to crops, vehicles and even roofs on homes, as shingles are easily damaged. This size hail can also seriously injure or even kill exposed livestock. Any people caught without shelter can also be quite seriously injured.


While some scattered thunderstorms will be around to start off the morning, the main outbreak will not begin until the late afternoon or evening hours.

Initially, the storms will be more spread apart, and have ample opportunity to tap into significant twisting in the lower part of the atmosphere. This means the highest tornado threat will be found in central and northern Montana.

The storms will then congeal into a line that takes on more and more of a bowing, or backward 'C' shape, as it accelerates across the Canadian border.

Once this happens, the storms will still have the ability to produce large hail and tornadoes, but the biggest impacts will come in the form of damaging gusts of wind.

Though severe thunderstorms are not frequent across Montana and the Prairies of southern Canada in June, this is the best time of year for them to occur as jet stream energy shifts north for the summer. Still, this will be a particularly widespread and dangerous situation, the kind that usually happens only once or twice a year.

If you will be out and about across southern Alberta into southern Saskatchewan and much of Montana, you will need to pay special attention to the weather.

Once thunderstorms develop this afternoon, they will strengthen quickly, and dangerous conditions could follow soon after.

One added concern across the region will be very heavy, potentially flooding rain. This storm system will have the ability to produce a large area of 1-3 inches (25-75 mm) from Calgary into Edmonton, Alberta.; and Regina, Saskatchewan.

Current technology has advanced enough over recent years to provide ample alert of the potential for severe weather and the approach of localized severe storms. Be sure to understand the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that an area is being monitored for dangerous weather. A warning means that dangerous weather is imminent. When a warning is issued, there may be too little time to travel across town or across a county to escape the storm. The time to have a plan of action and move to the general vicinity of a storm shelter or safe area is when a watch is issued.

Keep in mind that lightning is one of Mother Nature's most dangerous killers. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning, even if the sun is still shining.

Well thats the trip so far. We are up into Canada by this stage and have under two weeks to go. Hopefully I can get some more photos edited over the weekend and finally get this field trip report finished.
I have been living this trip since booking tickets in January this year. Once the report is finished I have to get stuck into editing and updating my website.
John

Loving the report John and it's bringing back some good memories. I also loved the drive along the Million Dollar Highway, and being in a 30ft RV made it even more fun !

Pleased to hear you got to drive the 'Going to the Sun road', it's quite something isn't it.

Dave.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

Loving the report John and it's bringing back some good memories. I also loved the drive along the Million Dollar Highway, and being in a 30ft RV made it even more fun !

Pleased to hear you got to drive the 'Going to the Sun road', it's quite something isn't it.

Dave.

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Thanks Dave.
Loved everthing about the trip. Going to the Sun Road was awsome. I cant believe it took us five houts to go fifty miles. No wonder I have so many photos to edit.

As far as the Million Dollar Highway - Im glad we done it in a little van. Your trip would have been more interesting ina 3o foot van.
John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by john.waters

Well thats the trip so far. We are up into Canada by this stage and have under two weeks to go. Hopefully I can get some more photos edited over the weekend and finally get this field trip report finished.
I have been living this trip since booking tickets in January this year. Once the report is finished I have to get stuck into editing and updating my website.
John

---

Think up some more stuff to tell us John. Im really enjoying reading your reports and im not ready to do mine just yet lol
Keith

Quote:

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Originally Posted by keithg

Think up some more stuff to tell us John. Im really enjoying reading your reports and im not ready to do mine just yet lol
Keith

---

Thanks Keith. Hopefully the boss will be away ay work again and I can write some more up on Microsoft word and upload later. Still plenty to tell just not the time to do it. I thnk shorter trips are needed.

Looking forward to yours too Keith.

John

Day 44– Saturday 22nd June 2013 – Fort Macleod, Canada- Spokane – Seattle, Washington - 642 Miles

It was 9.30 am before we hit the road. As usual we find it hard to leave early from a motel. After watching the weather on the news we decided to continue along the border to avoid the flooded areas.

We drove some stunning and beautiful country. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see more. But it only increased our desire to come back again and explore it properly.

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We found the price of fuel rose dramatically in Canada and very close to the prices we pay in Australia. Going from about $50 US to $75 Canadian to fill up the van.

We enjoyed stopping off and taking photos wherever we could and managed to get a few photos of a giant Dump truck at Sparwood BC. It once held the title of the worlds biggest Dump Truck before retiring in 1990.
It weighs 260 tonne and able to carry 70,000 lbs of ore. IT certainly made me look small as I stood beside it.

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Continuing on the more we drove the more I noticed the river levels rising and more and more debris in the river from the flooded areas.

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We pulled into a small shop for lunch and after speaking to the owners we decided it would be better to get out of Canada and back into the USA. The shop owner waited until we fuelled up before telling us the border crossing was only about 20 miles away.

We crossed back into the USA at Westgate, Washington. A very quick and pleasant crossing and a friendly Customs lady.

The scenery again was beautiful and a few old barns caught my attention so I had to stop for a photo.

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Our little van was pretty dirty by now and in need of a wash. As we entered Newport a group of people were waving signs,”free carwash”. So we done a U turn and headed back.
They were from Christian Centre and working for donations. We had afternoon tea while the van was washed before giving them some money and leaving in our clean van.

We passed through Spokane in the afternoon and continued on our way in the direction of Seattle. It was a beautiful afternoon and a great day for driving and the scenery was forever changing.

With still plenty of daylight left I set a plan to find a rest area or truck stop before going over the pass into Seattle.

It was about 9pm and the sun was setting and the sky lit up with beautiful colors. I couldn’t even stop in the traffic for a photo. We had put a truck stop in the GPS and I was watching the signs for the turn off.

It wasn’t long before road works commenced and our truck stop was closed off. I kept driving but soon found us going into the pass and nowhere to stop.
Our only option was to continue on to Seattle.

It had been a long day and something I wasn’t too keen on. One of my driving rules is to stop before dark but on this occasion I had no other choice.

We set a Flying J travel centre in the GPS and continued on. It was about 11.00 pm by the time we pulled up after a long tiring day on the road. We had a quick bit to eat and into bed.

Day 45– Sunday 23rd June 2013 - Seattle, Washington – Port Angeles - Ho Rain Forest – Olympic National Park Washington. – 271 Miles

Up at 7am to drizzly rain. We got some fuel and a subway each for breakfast before heading off to find a Quicklube as our van was due for a service. We found one a few minutes away and waited for it to open at 8am. It wasn’t long and we were back on the road.
I wish it was this easy to get something done in Australia, let alone on a Sunday morning. We had the job done and cost about $60.00.We couldn’t buy the oil and filters in Australia for that amount.

Again I failed with my map reading judgement. I looked at the map and thought the drive around the peninsula would take only an hour or two. It doesn’t look far on the map but a lot slower getting there.

Next stop was Olympic National Park Visitors centre. We got a few maps and directions before heading off. Someone said its always raining in Washington State. It was confirmed when I saw a vinyl roof Suzuki 4wd with moss growing on the roof. Proof enough for me.

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The drizzly rain continued as we drove towards Ho Rain Forest. With the roads winding and wet roads we took it easy but I cant say that for other road users.

As we were driving through the bends a sports car racing through the curves lost control while coming in our direction. I didn’t have enough time to brake as he was heading towards us, sideways and out of control.
I certainly though we were about to get wiped out and have no idea how he missed us, and the traffic behind us.

He didn’t take to long to get going after he had control of the car back. It shook us up pretty well and was a while before how close we came to having a major accident. I just hope he learnt from his stupidity.

We finally found our way to Ho Rain Forest and a great camp spot right beside the river. Such a beautiful place with waterfalls and forest walks. We had plenty of time to set up our camp and get out and take a few more photos.

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We missed Olympic NP last trip and made it a priority to visit this trip. It was a very good decision. I could quite easily spend a lot more time in the area.

Day 46 – Monday 24th June 2013 - Ho Rain Forest – Olympic National Park Washington. – Portland Oregon- 277 Miles

Up at 7am and cooked breakfast before taking a fantastic 2 hour stroll along the trails in Ho Rain Forest with its breathtaking scenery, and lots of moss etc hanging from the trees. There was misty rain and the sunlight filtering through the canopy above us, and no else around us.
So peaceful and quiet, an amazing and wonderful experience while standing amongst the huge old growth tree, and the crystal clear streams. Im sure we must have been dreaming.

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We finally managed to drag ourselves away from here and headed off in the direction of Portland, Oregon. We took our time and drove through a lot of small towns before picking up a main highway and joining the real world again and the continuous stream of cars and trucks.

We arrived at Portland and decided we deserved a motel; for the night. I think the many nights in the van were starting to take toll on our bodies. (not complaining though).
We ordered Pizza for dinner and settled down to catching up with family and friends on the internet before planning the next stage of our adventure.

Oregon has always been my favourite state and couldn’t wait to visit some new and old places we visited two years ago. Just something about Oregon that seems to warm my soul.

Day 47 – Tuesday 25th June 2013, Washington. – Portland Oregon- Columbia River Gorge – The Dalles – Bend – Crater Lake National Park, Oregon – 324 Miles


Up at 8am and off to breakfast at the motel.(coffee and waffles) before hitting the road. The lady at reception drew a mud map for us with a short cut to the Columbia River Gorge area.
The rain was still with us but very light and misty. Not a good day for tourists but great for waterfall photography. I seemed to have most places to myself.

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I wondered off to photograph the falls while my wife stayed close to the van and out of the rain. Armed with my camera bag and tripod and my blue poncho from Niagara Falls I spent an hour or two in my element and the rain just taking photos.

I thought all m dreams had come true when I first saw Multnomah Falls. Im sure I wasn’t alone with that feeling as there were a lot of people doing the same thing.

Once the rain got heavier the people moved on and I managed to get the photographs, and panoramic shots I wanted. Again moving and leaving these falls was hard but I was still looking forward to seeing more of Oregon.

We followed the highway and eventually crossed back over into Washington at Cascade locks and back into Oregon at The Dalles. I couldn’t resist a few panoramic shots of the bride as well.

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The rain had cleared by now and we continued the journey to Bend before making out way to Chelmut and onto Crater Lake National Park.
Last time we were in Chelmut in 2011 our little van broke down. We called into the garage to see the mechanic and say hi, but he had just closed for the day.

Also in 2011 most of the roads around Crater Lake were close and access was only available through Annie Springs. This time being late June we entered through the North Entrance.
It was late in the afternoon as we entered the Park and it had started raining again. The closer we got to the lake the heavier the fog got and visibility was very bad.

We made our way to the campground and found ourselves a spot before going back tot the village to catch up on some washing. We decided not to go driving around the park and headed back to our camp for the night.

Im still here and committed to finishing this Field Trip Report. Had another set back with my computer crashing amd spending a few days in the shop.
I just seem to get distracted easily and get side tracked. I just need to upload a few more photos and start typing again.

John

Day 48 – Wednesday26th June 2013, - Crater Lake National Park, Oregon – Union Creek – Prospect - Crescent City, California - 222 Miles

Up at 8am to rain and foggy weather and visibility of Crater Lake was non existent. With plenty of snow on the ground it was still a very pretty sight. We drove to a few of the lookouts but it was still fogged in.

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We decided to take a drive around the rim to the eastern side and rewarded with clear sky and magnificent views of the lake. It was certainly worth the drive around.

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Returning to the visitors centre it was still bleak and raining and no different from when we left.
On our earlier visit in May 2011 the whole area was covered with fresh snow and looked like something off a Christmas card. I’m sure we were spoilt then as it didn’t seem the same without all the snow.

We had an early lunch before departing Crater Lake National Park and stopping off at Union Creek for pie and coffee at Becky’s Café. We stayed at Union Creek two years earlier and couldn’t leave Oregon without trying another of Becky’s deserts.

Next stop was Prospect, only a short drive from Union Creek and to some waterfalls that we found last trip. We spent half an hour or so with the place to ourselves before heading off on the walk back up to the van.
Just as we got back to the car park we were greeted by a bus load of tourists starting their walk down to the falls. Good timing I think.

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Back to the van and it was time to leave Oregon and head over to the California Coast to Crescent City. The drive down over Grants Pass was just as stunning as it was last time and driving through the giant Redwoods is an awesome feeling.

Arriving in Crescent City we found a Super 8 Motel and settle in for the night.
We had heard earlier in our trip that Super 8 Motels were not the best, but the ones we stayed at seemed OK for the price. But after sleeping in the van for a few days any bed was pretty good.

Day 49 – Thursday 27th June 2013– Crescent City, California – Fort Braggs – Novato CA, just north of San Francisco- 368 Miles

Up at 8am and on the road nearly strait away. Another beautiful sunny day as we cruised along while enjoying the coastal views and the drive through the giant Redwoods.

A brief stop off at Klamath to the Information Centre and a few photos of the Giant Paul Bunyan and his Blue ox Babe.

The museum is also home to the most fascinating collection of Indian artefacts. The collection was donated by a private collector. There is also a great gift shop as well and helped us add weight to our ever growing luggage.

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Continuing on down the coast I found another place that I had over shot and missed last trip. Avenue of the Giants.
What fantastic drive through the giant Redwoods. By this time my wife had fallen ill to a migraine and found her way into the back of the van where she stayed for the rest of the day.

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I still managed to get out and take a few photos and let her rest in peace.

Back on the highway I continued on until Leggett where I took what I thought would be a nice drive down to the Coast and Fort Braggs. It turned out to be a couple of hours of very windy road down to the ocean.

I enjoyed the drive but my sick passenger in the back was rolling from one side of the van to the other as I negotiated all the bends. On a few occasions I was reminded that it was uncomfortable in the back. Words to that effect anyway.

Once the mountains opened up to the ocean I was greeted with some beautiful ocean views and the fog which seemed to have a firm hold on the California Coastline. All along the coast were little villages of campers on the beach. I thought of stopping but was more interested in finding a motel for the night for my wife.

Arrived in Fort Braggs late afternoon and the fog was getting heavier and made going down to the beach less inviting. A quick check on my wife to see if she was still OK I looked for a road back to the highway.

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I found a road through the hills and forests again but a lot less winding but still a very pleasant and interesting drive. Of course a few stops for a photo.

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Back on the highway I just kept driving until I found a motel for the night. We ended up staying at a place called Novato and only 20 miles from San Francisco.

No sooner I had picked up the keys my sick wife was strait into bed. I spent the evening on the laptop catching up with the family at home.

Day 50 – Friday 28th June 2013– Novato CA - San Francisco- 22 Miles

With only a short drive to San Francisco we slept in until 9am and had breakfast at the motel before leaving. We were also advised to wait until after 9am to avoid the peak hour traffic.

With Sandy feeling better I had company along side me in the van.
Without her sitting in the passenger seat I have previously sat in the wrong side of the van after getting fuel or after a stop. Quite often a few strange looks from people as I realise there isn’t a steering wheel on that side. Also she is a great navigator and keeps check on my speed too.

I set the GPS to The Chelsea Motor Inn, Lombard St, San Francisco. I looked at the map and had a fair idea of where to go, so I just motored along.

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Our GPS kept saying Recalculate and wouldn’t come up with a route for us to follow. It wasn’t long before I realised my mistake. I had the GPS set to avoid Toll Roads and as we were coming in along the coast there was no other way except over the Bridge.

Once we crossed over the GPS worked fine and took us to our motel. Now we had better remember to let the Van Hire Company know so the toll could be paid.

This was our first time in San Francisco and looked to be everything I thought it would be. I think it would be easy to spend a week or two here. That will be another time though as we only had two days and two nights here this visit.

Last trip to the USA I overshot San Francisco. We were staying in Yosemite NP and heading to Oregon. Someone suggested we go through Sacramento and across to the coast. Not only did we miss San Francisco but overshot Avenue of the Giants. But all is good as we had a reason to come back, and we did.

We were too early to book into our motel so the reception gave us some directions and we headed off on foot towards the piers.

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It was a leisurely 15 minute walk and we were greeted with views of the Bay and the yachts practicing for the America Cup. It was still quite foggy over the water but could still get a view of Alcatraz Island.

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Getting a bit hungry, so it was off to Tarintinos waterfront restaurant for lunch. Clam Chowder and Sourdough for the wife and fish and chips for me. A good introduction to San Francisco. A nice place just to sit and watch the world go by.

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After lunch we found our way to a tourist information centre and ended up booking a trip to Alcatraz and a Night City Bus tour for the next day, as well as a hop on hop off bus pass.

We managed a few hours on the double decker bus before getting off at our motel and finally checking in.

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With sunset approaching we decided to do a bit of a tourist drive ourselves and headed off in the van. First on the list was Lombard St to drive the crooked street. It took a bit of finding but worth the effort.

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It was also the first time on the trip that I took a long right hand turn instead of a short right and was heading directly towards a police car waiting at the lights. A quick turn of the wheel had me back on my side of the road.
Next it was across the Bay Bridge and back before finding a spot to get a few sunset shots.
After dark we were lucky enough to find a car park near the Pier and spent the rest of the evening walking around and taking in the atmosphere.

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More Clam Chowder for dinner before heading back to the motel. Another big day over in the USA.
It’s amazing how much you can cram into a day when you’re having fun.


More Clam Chowder for dinner before heading back to the motel. Another big day over in the USA.
It’s amazing how much you can cram into a day when you’re having fun.

Day 51 – Saturday 29th June 2013– San Francisco – A few miles on Foot

As much as we would have liked to sleep in, we had to be at the tourist information centre by 8.30 am to see if we could get an early ticket to Alcatraz.

We were up by 7am for breakfast and after a brisk walk we made it to the office by 8.30am.We managed to get a 1.30 pm tour to Alcatraz so that gave us time to explore in the morning and a sunset bus tour afterwards.

First stop was the Wax Museum where we mingled with all the Hollywood Celebrities and other stars from around the world. I think some of the models are in better shape than the currently living ones.

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A short walk after leaving the Museum has us lined up for a Cable Car ride up and down all those steep streets. We stayed on the car for as long as we could. We wanted to get a return ticked but were told we had to get off and get another car back.

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Running out of time and not wanting to miss the trip to Alcatraz, we finally caught a cab to Pier 33. It got us there a lot quicker as well as cheaper and the cabbie gave us a good rundown on life in San Francisco. Like most big cities it’s a bit different once you remove a bit of the glitter.

After a wait in the line up to the Alcatraz cruise and the security photo that every attraction must take and just so happens you can buy a copy on your return, we boarded the boat for a pleasant 20 minute cruise over to the Island.

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Like most people we took the audio guided tour of the prison. It gave a good idea on what life as a prisoner would have been like.

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With plenty of photos to remember the place by and after another hour or so wandering around the island it was time to join the line of waiting tourists ready to leave the island.

After getting back to the pier another hour or so was spent walking along and checking out all the shops on the piers.
Back over to the Tourist Information Centre it was onto the Double Decker bus and off on our sunset tour.

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The tour took us all through the city and under and over the Bay Bridge before finally dropping us back at the bus stop. I think it was great value for money and certainly learnt a lot about San Francisco in a couple of hours.

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Dinner was a Subway followed by a long tiring walk back to our Motel in Lombard Street. By the time we got back it was after 10.30 pm and totally exhausted.

I think by this stage of or our road trip I started feeling the need to slow down a bit. It was getting harder and harder to get moving of a morning and I was looking forward to a motel rather than a truck stop or RV Park at the end of the day.
Starting to show my age I think.

Day 52 – Sunday 30th June 2013– San Francisco – Crane Flat Campground – Yosemite National Park – Yosemite Village – Crane Flat Campground. 233 Miles

Up at 7am and on the road by 8.30am. After spending two days in San Francisco it was time to leave and head to Yosemite National Park and our last two nights sleeping in the van.

If we ever get back to the USA for our Canada and Alaska Road Trip we will start from San Francisco. I would love to explore some more of the city and spend some more time photographing the city at night. We could then see a bit more of Oregon on the way up.
Well that’s another dream I have anyway. I have the trip all planned out so just a matter of time and money I suppose.

The drive across to Yosemite National Park was an easy drive and the scenery beautiful as always. We found our way to Crane Flat and picked put a nice shady Camp Spot.

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Even though it was summer vacation there were still a few vacant campsites. We had noticed over the past few weeks that quite a few rest areas and amenities in the National Parks were still closed. I’m not sure of the reason why, but maybe a funding shortage.

We left Crane Flat and took a nice slow drive down into Yosemite Village. We stocked up on a few groceries and souvenirs while we were there.
A favourite meal while camping was pulled pork and we just happened to come across Jack Daniels pulled pork. So we looked for it all the time.

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On our previous trip I missed out on going to the Ansell Adams Gallery so we made a point of taking a walk to find it just outside the village centre... A truly inspiring photographer and one I have admired for some time.

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With evening approaching we took the 30 minute or so drive back to Crane Flat and cooked up out pulled pork before hitting the bed.

Day 53 – Monday 1st July 2013–Crane Flat Campground – Tuolumne Meadows – Tioga Road– Yosemite Village – Glacier Point – Tunnel View - Crane Flat Campground. 191 Miles


We were up by 8am and cooked breakfast before heading down into Yosemite Village. We were to meet some friends there, but with no phone reception at Crane Flat then decided not to come as we had not made contact with them. So we made plans to meet in Los Angeles in a couple of day’s time.

We went for a drive around Yosemite NP instead. We went back and took a drive along Tioga Road for an hour or so before turning around and heading back to the Village and onto Tunnel View before heading out to Glacier Point.
I really thing these two places are the most jaw drop views I have ever seen.
You need to give yourself a slap to the head to see if you are dreaming. A place I will never forget.

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In my element.

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By late afternoon we arrived back at our camp at Crane Flat and somehow had covered 191 miles in the park. And well and truly ready for bed. I still managed to get the laptop out and have a look at the day’s photos.

Yosemite National Park is also on my long stay list and would love to spend a week or so early in the snow season... Everything looks so muck prettier with a sprinkle of snow. To me anyway.
It was somewhat a sad day as it was our last night camping in the van as tomorrow we would be heading to Los Angeles

Day 54 – Tuesday 2nd July 2013–Crane Flat Campground - Yosemite National Park – Bakersfield – Tehachapi Rail Loop – Los Angeles – 413 Miles

We woke up to a very hot day. A quick breakfast and sort out what food was left before starting on the huge task of sorting out all of our belongings as well as what we purchased over the last seven and a half weeks.

I could see by the amount in the back that we would need extra luggage. I had earlier o in the trip booked an extra bag for us but somehow it just didn’t look enough.

We left Yosemite NP and our first stop was Wal-Mart in Bakersfield. We only purchased a couple of things and the main one being another suitcase.

We stayed in Tehachapi in 2011 and went out and watched the trains going around the Tehachapi Loop. When the trains reach the top of the mountain they go through the tunnel, and then do a full 360 loop before heading in the other direction.

It’s an amazing sight to see. I spent 17 years with the Railway in Australia so I’m always looking for places like this.
On our last visit we didn’t get to the right place to actually see the train coming out of the tunnel as well as on the full loop. The walk to get there in 100 degree plus temperature was a challenge though, especially up the hills. But well worth the effort, wasn’t it my dear.

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By this time in the trip we had managed to get our US currency down so we wouldn’t have too much to exchange before leaving.
When we picked the van up the fuel was on empty so we were told to bring it back the same. I miscalculated and needed more fuel in Tehachapi. I had $12 in quarters left over from the washing machine change so used that to hopefully get enough back to LA.
I set the motel in LA as a destination and let the GPS guide us faultlessly to the front entrance of the Motel. We arrived just on sunset and a fitting end to our road trip.

We managed all the traffic without giving it a second thought. My driving skills had improved and now it was time to go home.

We pulled up at the entrance and greeted by the staff and began unloading all out possessions onto a trolley along with my steel capped boots and new cowboy hat sitting on top. I can only imagine what they were thinking as we pulled more and more bags from the van.

Our van was taken and parked for the night at a cost of $25.00. I would have taken it back to the rental company had it not been closed.
Finally we made it with all our belongings up to the room and sat them on them on the bed. I knew straight away we would need more luggage.
I was soon on the phone to book another 23 kilo of luggage through. Hopefully that would be enough.
The rest of the evening was fairly quit as neither of us wanted to acknowledge the trip was nearly over.

Day 55 –Wednesday 3rd July 2013 - Los Angeles – 2 Miles.

Up early again as we had to have the van back at Escape Campers by 8.30 am and get back to the motel before our friends arrived.
The trip to the depot only took a few minutes in the early morning traffic. On the way I asked my wife a question.
If we were to keep the van for another month, where would we go from here?
Her reply was, I don’t know.
Mission accomplished.

I don’t think I could have spent anymore time on the road as what we had done. I was not enjoying the driving on the last few days as I normally do. It would have been a different story if we were still out on the road exploring.

But being in Los Angeles I think we felt ready to head home to our family and see the three grandsons again.
The beauty of the internet was we were able to talk to them on Skype and tell them what we were up to.

We dropped the van off and completed the paper work before catching a taxi back to the motel.
We were really pleased with the van and if we were to do it again I would not hesitate using them. It served our purpose and we couldn’t fault the van or the service from Escape Campers.

Back at the motel we met up with some friends who had come down from Fresno for the day.
We did a bit of touring around Los Angeles before finding a nice Italian Café near Venice Beach.
I had been to Venice beach on our last trip but didn’t get to for a walk along the beachfront and markets. I did this time and it was certainly an eye opener.

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Before heading back to the motel we found a factory seconds outlet and purchased another suitcase for the trip home.
We spent the next few hours sorting and packing until we had it what we thought was OK. But it still looked like we had too much. There was no way I getting any more luggage.

Day 56 –Thursday 4ndJuly 2013 - Los Angeles – Flying home.

We had all sorts of plans for our last day in the USA and the 4th of July Celebrations. But by the time it came around we were quite happy to just chill all day.

We slept in until just before checkout time as our flight wasn’t until 9.20pm. Our plan was to leave our luggage at the motel and catch a bus and explore some more of LA.
After dragging our luggage into the foyer and checking out, but instead of a tour bus we decided to take the shuttle bus over to the Airport instead.

It was mid day by the time we arrived at the check in and joined the line waiting for the desk to open. I spotted a set of scales outside the terminal and decided to weigh our entire luggage.
Bag at a time it was weigh and reorganise until I had them all within the desired maximum weight. Even my camera bag and my wife’s carry on were even OK.

Arrival
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Departure
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Getting through security and customs took a while and we eventually found ourselves in the airport departure lounge where we spent the next eight or so hours just sitting and relaxing while waiting for the flight home.

Most of the time was spent on our laptops either chatting on facebook or sorting through the thousands of photos waiting to sorted and edited once home.
I also purchased a new USA Road Atlas and had a glance at a few places we never made it to.

Our Fourth of July celebrations was watching the fireworks through the big glass window of the airport departure lounge.

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We boarded our plane and waved goodbye to the USA as we headed down the runway.

Road Trip America 2013. Done and Dusted.


John & Sandy Waters

To be continued......................................... ...........................................

Loving the latest updates John.

I'm a country boy at heart and not a lover of the City, but I really enjoyed San Francisco and Alcatraz. Glacier point in Yosemite remains my favourite view of them all. I thought perhaps it was because it was the first of this magnitude on our first ever trip, but maybe not !

Dave.

[Yikes ! That's a lot of luggage. ]

I enjoyed your trip report thoroughly! Thank you for taking the time and effort to put up a beautiful report with gorgeous photos! Like you, we always seem to have another trip in the back of our head while we're taking the current one. It will be interesting to see what you choose for your next one.


Donna

Fabulous trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

So thrilled you managed to get a clear day at the Tehachapi Loop. And you captured a full-length train! If you haven't already seen this photo -- Here's one of the LOOP by RTA Contributor Bruce Jones....

Mark

I havent quite finished the report and have abit of a summary to add just to finish it off.

Im sorry it took nearly four months to complete. As aways I have another plan on the burner.
Alaska and Canada and a four week motel and car trip on the east coast. Maybe around november one year.
As for luggage it was a lot.My camera gear added a fair bit to it, but I think we visisted too many places and had to buy momentos. Less gear next time.

Thanks
John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

Loving the latest updates John.

I'm a country boy at heart and not a lover of the City, but I really enjoyed San Francisco and Alcatraz. Glacier point in Yosemite remains my favourite view of them all. I thought perhaps it was because it was the first of this magnitude on our first ever trip, but maybe not !

Dave.

[Yikes ! That's a lot of luggage. ]

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Yosemite was a favorite of mine too. I like it more with just a bit more snow.Coming from a dry area of Australia I enjoy the snow in the scenerey.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist

Fabulous trip report. Thanks for taking the time to share it with us.

So thrilled you managed to get a clear day at the Tehachapi Loop. And you captured a full-length train! If you haven't already seen this photo -- Here's one of the LOOP by RTA Contributor Bruce Jones....

Mark

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Thats a great shot of the loop Mark, a favorite place of mine too. I got a bit lazy toward the end of the report and didnt do much editing.
I would love to have got a few panos but very hard with a moving train. It was very hot so we didnt hang around for another train.

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John