Usa Road Trip

[Guest red7]

Hoodies,

I'm writing this in a motel in Burbank Los Angeles as I approach the end of a three week road trip around the USA. I picked up a Jeep Patriot in downtown San Francisco after spending a few days looking around that wonderful city.

 

We then drove across the Golden Gate Bridge into Napa Valley wine country and after picking up a few bottles at a Winery drove on to Yosemite National Park in glorius sunshine.

Spent a few days hiking, climbing and driving around the park before climbing into "good ol Frank" as the Jeep had become and driving over Tioga Pass. This pass is about 10,000 ft and closed by snow in the winter. We got over the pass just in time as the first snow had already arrived. Then it was across the desert to Death Valley and Las Vegas. A huge drive but absolutely nowhere to stop on route. Drove the length of The Strip just as the sun was setting and the lights were coming on from the seedy Stratosphere to the up market Bellagio and our humble accommodation in the Monte Carlo next door. What can I say about Vegas?

 

Best to move on to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon via Route 66 (yes I bought a t-shirt) in Seligman (where they probably eat their young). The canyon was as they say over here AWESOME. Hiked into the canyon but I'm not too keen on rattlesnakes so quickly hiked out again.

 

I have an old pal who moved to Palm Springs twenty years ago so we then drove over to see him and drink a beer or two by his pool and talk about the old days when we were indestructable. There just happened to be a Bike and Hot Rod show on whilst we were in town too. I wish i'd been in the Hood, I'd have been a show stopper. Unfortunately I had to say goodbye to my pal all too soon but with an offer to return anytime. The road was calling and off we went over the Palms to Pines pass and into San Diego. By now we had not seen a drop of rain in two weeks but now the heavens opened just when we choose to walk around the Zoo. Next day was better so I visited USS Midway and spent the day enthralled by old flyers telling their adventures on that floating airport. We ended the day in The Gas Light district of town in a dualling Piano bar where beer was two dollars a bottle! That brings me up to today, hungover and paddling in the Pacific Ocean in Laguna Beach before facing the L.A. Freeway nightmare. Tomorrow it's the Studio tour before enjoying a couple of days making our way back to San Francisco via the Pacific Coast Highway and calling into Malibu,Big Sur & Monteray. It's been an amazing trip. I've not added up the miles driven yet but when gas costs half the price at home and you have roads like this who cares? Probably Frank, he needs a rest, I hope the next guy that hires him has a lighter right foot.

 

Signing off and saying "Goodbye for now from America"

 

Steve (Red7)

[Redspec]

Steve all you had to say is sorry I can't make it to the church mouse on Wednesday, we all know you are sitting at home with the curtains drawn and not answering the door. :D

 

Enjoy and we will speak soon

 

Steve

[Guest mastarforth]

Seen the photos on facebook mate

 

you look like you are having a ball!!!

[Andi]

Watch out for wild cats up the Big Sur

The coastal road in a hood would be amazing..... one day maybe , one day

[Guest red7]

Wild Cats! What next, the bears in Yosemite, snakes and scorpions in the desert and crackheads in every park.

[Guest Eric]

so glad you're enjoying it steve, vacationing and driving in the states is such an experience even in a hired suv try a v8 one

and most think the yanks drive at 55mph

3 weeks and we'll be enjoying south west florida again, can't wait

it's freezing at home by the way

 

cheers

ek

[trextr7monkey]

Hi Steve, long time no see- was over to the NE yesterday on kit car business, sounds like the trip of a lifetime, nice reading as we look at the autumn trees the waterlogged garden and the unfinished patio!

Brother in law - guy at Peterlee with the Midget did something similar but had the good fortune to get stuck for another 10 days due to Icelandic ash problem, real bummer , he had to hire another car and visit the vineyards again!!

 

atb

Mike

[Guest red7]

Well I'm back. We had a fantastic trip and I can't wait to go back again.

 

Highway 1 was INTERESTING. There had been a lot of rock fall onto the road and since I was driving north it was all on my side of the road. If we had not been in an SUV I don't think we could have made it. The cars we met along the way were either turning back or letting me through to follow in my tracks. Imagine driving from Alston to Melmeby over Heartside Pass with a skip load of bricks on the road every half mile then multiply the distance by five or so. Because of the road problems it was dark by the time we got to Big Sur, interesting animals come out at night in America, we saw a Wild Cat cross the road ahead but there were lots of eyes of unidentified beasts reflected in the headlights by the side of the road. Anyway we made it to Monterey and next morning drove back to Big Sur in sunshine stopping at every viewpoint to see the amazing views of the Pacific crashing against the shoreline 500ft below. The kids said they were glad it had been dark cos the drop off the road terrified them in the back.

 

I'd love to go back next spring and hire an American muscle car for the trip from San Francisco to Malibu and hope there are no rock falls this time.

 

I found the road over the 10,000ft Tioga Pass from Yosemite to Las Vegas would be more fun in a Hood but you would not want to breakdown, as you would probably die (it really IS Death Valley):-)

[Guest Ian Marr]

Sounds like a wonderful trip of a lifetime and looking forward to hearing more.