LA to Badlands SD and return.

[Southwest Dave]

Really enjoyed your Tales and excellent photo's Keith, it keeps me going while still dreaming about our next trip !! Loved all the pictures, especially those of Bodie as it's a place still on my 'to do' list. Great work, you deserve an ice cream !!

Dave.

[keithg]

Really enjoyed your Tales and excellent photo's Keith, it keeps me going while still dreaming about our next trip !! Loved all the pictures, especially those of Bodie as it's a place still on my 'to do' list. Great work, you deserve an ice cream !!

Dave.

Hahahahaha Thanks Dave. I bought some cones today. I will have one. Looking forward to hearing about your trip when you do it. I will add to this report when i figure all the costs out. Margaret has done it. Just have to make sure i get it right. Or get into trouble. Maybe i should get her to write it. :-)

When do you head off Dave?

Keith

[Southwest Dave]

When do you head off Dave?

We are heading out mid February into early March Keith.

Dave.

[Lifemagician]

Thanks Keith, really enjopyed visiting all those places again...... with you.

Perhaps I should get to and write up my 2018 trip....... despite it being such a disastrous trip. But I guess I was due for it, after eight wonderful trips, luck is bound to run out sooner or later.

Look forward to reading about your trip Dave - where to this time?

Lifey

[Southwest Dave]

Hi Lifey, it would be nice to hear all about your latest adventures and it's challenges.

We will be exploring new areas (to us) of the Southwest.

Dave.

[keithg]

How much did it all cost? Margaret kept records on everything. Would even ask if i had eaten an ice cream that day when she wasn't watching. I will put it all in US dollars.

Large class rental car. (Camry) $ US 1311. That included every insurance needed including battery, key. Covered under car, windshield.
Everything.
Gas. (Petrol)(Fuel)(Benzine) $ US 492. ( Round figures.)

Accommodation. $ US 3925. More expensive than normal because so many tourists. Could have stayed at more Ma & Pa
motels which are cheaper. We always left $2 on the bed each morning.

Food. $ US 1150 We didn't eat at restaurants much. Lots of the accommodation had free breakfast. We bought
fruit and ate fast food at places like Subway and the $1 & $2 burgers at Macca's. We tipped
20% at any table service restaurant.

Incidentals. $ US 376 GPS (Old one didnt go anymore. ) Margaret's notes say "Waste of money as Keith ignored it
and got lost a few times." Also a few toys for grandson. (Coey insisted.)


Parks. $ US 80 Yearly National Pass. (Bought in first park Grand Canyon. Didn't see anywhere to get one at
Death Valley.)
$ US 20 Cost of parking in town at Zion.
$ US 19 Entry into Mamorth building at Hot Springs.
$ US 5 Entry into Mt Rushmore.
$ US 37 Entry into Buffalo Bill Cody Museum in Cody.
$ US 18 Entry into Bodie Ghost Town.

TOTAL $ US 7434 Think i got it all. The boss not here to ask.

For any one from Australia. Add Air Fare and Travel Insurance. Our travel insurance jumped up a bit this time because i got old. :-(

Air Fares. $ US 1705 Brisbane to Los Angeles return.
Travel Insurance. $ US 565
ESTA Visa. $ US 20

TOTAL Cost for us from Brisbane to Los Angeles return, all costs included.

$ US 9724 Or $ AU 13451.21

Margaret, and i had a fantastic time even though we struggled with the crowds of tourists. Maybe late August wasn't a good time to travel there. Would love to have got further across but not this time. Couldn't be away any longer. We loved returning to some places we had been before but a few of them were just to crowded to enjoy. Two new states this visit and enjoyed both of them. Colorado and South Dakota. Motel prices were up this time due to so many tourists. Highlights were Badlands and Wall Drug Store in South Dakota. Silverton Co. Death Valley. Stayed one night on a ranch in Montana. and have to mention the best steak Margaret and i have ever had at Mark and Megan's. Thanks guys. We found California a fair bit more expensive than the other states apparently due to higher taxes. Gas was up to 1 dollar a gallon dearer than the other states we were in.
I cant not mention Coey. Our grandson Coen who would loved to have come with us couldn't so he sent the little blue monkey. We had fun taking pics of him and sending them back to Coen. Other people thought it was a great idea and borrowed him for there own pics. He did behave himself.

Hope you all enjoyed travelling with us.

That's it folks until next time.

Keithg

[glc]

$376 for a GPS? That's almost 3 times what a usable Garmin costs!

FYI, I use my phone for a GPS, Google Maps are better than any dedicated GPS in my opinion.

[keithg]

$376 for a GPS? That's almost 3 times what a usable Garmin costs!

FYI, I use my phone for a GPS, Google Maps are better than any dedicated GPS in my opinion.

No no. It was $376 for gps and toys and a couple of other things. My bad writing there. GPS was $125. My ph dosn't have anything like all that stuff and i didnt have it anyway. We put some credit in Margaret's ph just for emergencies. I find there good in a city which we try and stay out of other wise the map Margaret had on her lap was the best. She told me a couple of times that the gps was a waste of money because i wasn't taking any notice of it anyway. hehe. Sorry about that. :-)

Keithg

[glc]

I have a smartphone with a data plan for daily use anyway - the maps and GPS are just welcome extras.

$125 is more like it for a basic GPS.

[Southwest Dave]

Would even ask if i had eaten an ice cream that day when she wasn't watching.

I think we can safely add $50 to the total cost then ?!? ;-) Haha !

GPS (Old one didnt go anymore. ) Margaret's notes say "Waste of money as Keith ignored it and got lost a few times."

Haha. (Part of the fun is getting lost)

Hope you all enjoyed travelling with us.

Loved it ! Thanks for taking the time to share.

Dave.