Yes, sarcasm. Duh.
Since I last posted I've been on another trip. Now before you all go assuming I'm such rich, jet setting drifter, I'd like to point out that I am most certainly not. It just panned out that way. Two trips in two months, how decadent. It'll be a hell of a long time till the next one though, I'm thinking.
My latest trip was a road trip because I think by now, you all know how much I adore those. If it moves, takes me new places, is hot and sunny, and doesn't involve going anywhere NEAR a plane, I'm in.
How many states were we in this trip? TEN. One zero. In seventeen days. I'll let you go on thinking how impressive that is, then admit that actually some of them were just short pass throughs. Still ten. Yeah!
I took a ton of pictures I'm not going to bore you with, and a few I am. Sorry. But not that sorry. I mean you have a back button right? And think how even more boring this post would be without pictures. Right?
Firstly it was mid June. Our first stop was Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. Most of it was still closed due to huge snow drifts everywhere, but we got to see the crater from the one part that was open, and tremble at its awe inspiring beauty. And the fact it was 40 degrees F. In June.
See? Snow. That should be illegal, I'm just saying. I was wearing boots and a winter coat for crying out loud. Still I enjoyed eating leftover pizza and staring at it before heading down the mountain to our hotel a half hour away. Where it was 90 degrees. Hello flip flops!
From there we headed to Nevada - Virginia City to be exact, so I could see some old mining town stuff and that hundred mile view they have. And eat some decent Mexican food. They weren't kidding about the view. I have no photo that can do it justice however. Sorry. I sort of built that up for no reason. Our trip was officially starting in Lake Havasu City, so all this stuff was just passing through en route.
Our drive south to Nevada, through California, was just stunning. I'd never been that part of California before and was amazed how pretty it was. Just vista after vista, lakes and mountains. This is Mono Lake:
From there we headed south as we were staying the night in Beatty, NV at the super awesome, quirky little Atomic Inn. We were the only guests so it was like having an entire motel to ourselves. Quiet, comfortable, cool, and the air conditioning was spot on, which, since it was 100 plus degrees, was mandatory. Thinking about it, that's probably why we were the only guests. Most normal people are nowhere NEAR Death Valley in the summer.
Remember I said quirky? It's because the Atomic Inn is all vaguely themed around Nevada's atomic past and the rooms and decor reflect that. Ours was full of sixties' Russian space related art and era furniture. Loved the place. Here's the exterior. Tell me this doesn't have my name all over it.
That little, green guy was totally friendly too.
Since we were on the edge of my favourite place on Earth, Death Valley, and we had most of a day left, we did a quick tour of some of our favourite spots there. I've been to DV so many times now, it's like going home. You know...if home was a pizza oven.
That happened.
You have to love Death Valley. Every time I go there it tries even harder to kill me. I forgive it though, it's so pretty. Here's the Mesquite Dunes.
In the evening, we hung around our other favourite spot, Rhyolite, NV and watched the sun set.
My desert ghosts. I've only ever seen them in daytime before.
Also, I always photograph this old truck. There's been a fire since I last was here, so it's even more messed up.
Anyway, the next day we were headed to our next stop which was Parker Dam in Arizona, near Lake Havasu City. However, we like to take detours, so we went via Amboy, California, where I've been before and enjoyed. So remote and set firmly in the past, on the remains of the old Route 66. Here are a couple of photos I took of the famous Roy's sign and the motel.
We did get to see wild burros though!
How yoo doin'?
After a couple days trying not to dehydrate in Havasu, we headed for a few days in Tucson. I've always wanted to go to Tucson, and it didn't disappoint me at all, despite the fact we didn't actually do much city stuff at all. I'd never seen a Saguaro in real life before. I was beyond excited, as I'm a bit odd like that.
Look at them all. Oh my God...
We hit both parts of the Saguaro National Park because there are literally not enough cacti for me. I bought a t-shirt because of course I did.
We also went to the Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson, which was fabulous and I got to go touch an actual NASA Superguppy. Look! It's all shrinked up for protection from the hot, desert sun. There's nothing in the picture that shows scale, but it was HUGE.
I didn't even mind the ten minute hike in 115 degree heat to get to it either. I did sort of regret it when I ran out of iced tea and realized I still had a ten minute walk back.
We also took the tour out to the airplane boneyard at Monthan Davis Airforce Base which I loved. You can't get off the bus though, so I don't have many pics from there. It was fascinating however. I've been checking it out on Google Earth for years.
I think that's about enough for now before you all nod off. Part two later, when I can be assed.
Hope your summer's going as well!
