California Road Trip - Part 4 - Death Valley and The Road To LA...

Another sleepless night - but I still felt really good when I got up. The air was cold and dry and I felt really alive as I dragged myself to Burger King at just after 6am for a nasty breakfast. Sadly nothing else was open...but at least it got me on the road - and they had good coffee...

Just one of the stores in Baker:



...I'm not sure what Alien Fresh is - but I'm sure it must be good...

Pulling out of Baker, the landscape changes again - as the road heads north towards Death Valley. It was cold, but clear, and I drove with the window open and the music on loud:



I love to drive - and today was one of the those crazy drive all day type of days - perfect:





And then - a few hours later - I was in Death Valley - which is an amazing place. I'd love to go back (on two wheels next time :-)

Just inside the park:







The Salt Lake in the bottom of Death Valley:





After a quick coffee at a small town, it was back on the road - LA was calling:





The roads are amazing here - smooth tarmac with long straight sections interspersed with interesting twisties - and incredible views...just really fun driving:





After a while the scenery changed again, and I was out of the park. And then it was the long drive back to LA. I stopped for lunch at a 50's style diner, and then hit the road, feeling totally bloated and cursing the American diet:



Pulling into LA:



What a trip...a real highlight...and all places I'd love to go back to...

California Road Trip - Part 3 - Joshua Tree and The Mojave Desert

I hardly slept - nothing unusual about that - and I was on the road at just after 8am. I stopped for a traditional american breakfast of eggs and pancakes and left the diner feeling bloated...

Thankfully - I'd parked right outside Starbucks, and so with coffee in hand, I pulled out of Palm Springs on my way to Joshua Tree National Park.

Monster Wind Farm just outside of Palm Springs:



There was hardly any traffic, and the temperature started to soar as I headed along what I could only describe as the quintessential American highway. It was exactly like being in a movie - and I was half expecting to be pulled over and shot by a rogue sheriff, or a truck to run me off the road just for entertainment.

Luckily - none of those things happened, so I drove with the window down and enjoyed the view:



A quick turn left off the highway, and I was soon in Joshua Tree National Park:



Everyone had told me that I was in for a treat. What is normally a dry desert was in full bloom, and the snow on the mountains just added to the amazing views:



The car - waiting for me - at an unofficial comfort break:



And the amazing scenery at the southern end of the park:



After a quick stop at the ranger station, where I got some excellent information about the park (but no stamp - I forgot to ask), I set off to hit the highlights, and enjoy driving through what is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the world:





It's not long before the rock formations appear - made famous by a thousand climbing videos:





But always calling - the highway:











While my time was limited - I really wanted to see the best that the park had to offer, and one of the highlights was the climb up Ryan Mountain.

It took me an hour to make it the three miles to the top and back and 1000 feet of accent - with amazing views the whole way. Here's the sign at the top:



...and the view:





The landscape really begins to change as the road winds north, and the famous Joshua trees suddenly appear:



It's really breathtaking:



The light was perfect for photo's, and I managed to get this one near the top of the park:



It was almost 4pm by the time I got out of the park...and I decided to just keep driving, rather than stop as I'd originally planned. So I drove, and drove, and drove...here's some pics:

The highway at the north of the park:



A lake in the middle of the Mojave desert on the Kelbaker Road - part of what used to be Route 66:



It's amazing how the scenery changes as you head into the Mojave - it becomes more rugged some how - it's amazing to think that not so long ago people lived off the land here:







Dusk in the Mojave desert:





It was dark when I pulled into Baker - and I got a room at a total dump in town - it wasn't even that cheap - but still - it was a place to stay.

I had to put on a few extra layers because it was really incredibly cold - and I headed along the single road that makes up what is really just a truck and gas stop on the road to Vegas.

Baker has little to recommend it - except for an exceptional Mexican restaurant where I had an amazing burrito...and then it was back to the room to try and get some sleep.

California Road Trip - Part 2 - Palm Springs

I'd gotten to know LA pretty well - and so I already knew my way out of town. It's really not that hard once you know where the main freeways go. So I headed to the 134 and then onto the 210, which would eventually become the 10 for an over night stop in Palm Springs.

LA Friday afternoon traffic:



Although it soon cleared:



On the road:



And the view:



Thankfully, Diane had told me about a Starbucks on the way, and so after an hour or so I pulled off at Campus Drive and stopped for coffee and a slice of Z Pizza. And then it was back on the road heading for Palm Springs with an amazing sunset :



I pulled into Palm Springs around 8pm having made pretty good time, only to find that everywhere was busy and rooms were in short supply. Luckily for me, I managed to get the last room at Motel 8 and dumped my stuff off and headed to downtown Palm Springs for some food.

The strip is pretty good fun - although it seemed really quiet to say that all the hotel rooms were full. I ended up eating at a great Mexican place, and as usual in America - there was enough food to feed three people. All I can say is - I did my best and ended up leaving feeling way too full.

On the way back to the motel, I stopped in to buy a beer and some snacks and they were playing Yes on the radio...I ended up browsing a little longer than usual to hear the end of the track...

California Road Trip - Part 1 - Introduction

For those who don't know - I've just spent seven weeks in California - and while I was there I got the chance to do a weekend road trip.

While there are loads of places I could have gone - and thanks to everyone who suggested options - in the end - I decided to do a trip I'd read on Neil Peart's excellent blog...which you can find here for anyone whose interested.

It was one of those journey's that stuck in my mind - and the chance to do it for myself - rather than just read about it - was one I wasn't going to pass up.

So on Friday afternoon I jumped in the car and set off on a journey of a lifetime...

Earthquake

The closest I've never been to an earthquake was on my second work trip to New Zealand. Irish and I decided to head out to the glaciers on the west coast and drive the awesome Arthur's Pass road between Christchurch and Greymouth - having done a week's hard grafting I hasten to add...

On the first night we stopped at Hokitika where they have an earthquake roughly every 100 hundred years. The night we stayed there was exactly 100 years since the last quake had hit. We both joked about being hit by one while we were in town.

A few days later, we got back to Christchurch only to discover that there'd been an earthquake in the UK on the night we'd been in Hokitika.

I was (sorry to admit this) slightly disappointed that I'd missed out...

That was - until I got to LA.

I was up late chatting one night - when suddenly everything starts to shake. It's the strangest feeling in the world hearing everything rattling and feeling the building moving about.

It was 2.2 on the Richter scale - so not that big - but I finally got to feel one...thankfully it wasn't the "big one" everyone is expecting. This was more like to a girl's guitar...

Morocco - Day 8 - Back Home

It was time to go home.

But as my flight didn't leave until late in the evening I spent most of the day wandering around. A final tagine for lunch, and mint tea in the afternoon were the perfect conclusion to another adventure.

It was a lot cooler than the other days - and in the afternoon it started to rain. The streets were soon running with water. Undeterred by the weather - everyone started to mop and clean the streets.

And then it was time to collect my bag and head to the airport for my flight home.

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Thanks to the awesome CCA team for helping me pick such an amazing location, and also to Richard for the detailed info on where to eat and get a beer in Essouria.

Morocco - Day 7 - Marrakesh

It was my last full day, and I decided to fit in as much as I could. After another ridiculously large – but very enjoyable breakfast – I set off to see some more of the sites.

I decided to visit the Saadian Tombs – and on my way walked to the Mosque where I'd been dropped several days before by the rental car man. Just as I stopped to look at the map, two girls ask me if I knew where we were.

We get chatting, and it turns out that they are both from Sweden – here to get some winter sun. I started complaining about the weather at home and how I wasn't looking forward to going back. They both laughed politely and told me it was -13 in Sweden!

As they walked away, I wondered if they dreamed of silver screen quotations.

A typical residential street:



Having wandered around the tombs (not that exciting – but OK), I decided to make my way to the ruins of Palais El-Badi. The book says that it was once the best of the palaces – although it's now in ruins. Which is pretty much what it was – ruins.

...and here they are:



And the old palace:



Er...me:



Carving at the tombs:



If you like piles of old rocks and the odd underground tunnel – make sure you visit. Everyone else – give it a miss.

Public notices showing events and festivals:



I'd gotten bored of visiting stuff - so decided to wander for the rest of the day - and it was definitely the right decision.

Having walked miles – I finally found myself back in the big square, and the food stalls.

Ancient Mosque:



Carpet stalls in one of the squares:



Tonight was different. A sand storm had blown in from the desert and there was sand in the air - the air even tasted of sand. Everything was much more subdued and there were hardly any people out.



I couldn't resist the egg and potato sandwich (this time with the fiercest chili sauce of all time), and washed it down with a glass of freshly squeezed orange, followed by coffee and cake at this stall:



And then I managed to find a bar - but it was full of westerners and all felt a bit European - so after a quick beer I decided to call it a night.