Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Saturday June 6th "The Last Time"
My final post. Refreshed after a good nights sleep. As you will have noticed, there were a lot of musical references in the titles of my posts.
So, for those of you who don't know here are the titles and artists:
The Last Time................................... Rolling Stones
Homeward Bound..............................Simon and Garfunkel
All I Wanna Do...................................Sheryl Crow
Hotel California...................................Eagles
Feelin' Hot Hot Hot..............................The Merrymen
Viva Las Vegas.....................................Elvis Presley
On The Road Again..............................Canned Heat
I Can See For Miles..............................The Who
Take It Easy...........................................The Eagles
24 Hours From Tulsa.............................Gene Pitney
Is This The Way To Amarillo.................Tony Christie
Get your kicks on Route 66.....................Nat King Cole
Born To Be Wild......................................Steppenwolf
I hope those of you who have followed this blog from the start have enjoyed reading it, it has been great fun writing it and I thank you all for taking the time to read about our experiences and adventures.
I hope that some of you get the chance to do what we have done at some time in the future, I would strongly urge you to grab the opportunity to do so. The trip will stay with you forever!
Vince.
So, for those of you who don't know here are the titles and artists:
The Last Time................................... Rolling Stones
Homeward Bound..............................Simon and Garfunkel
All I Wanna Do...................................Sheryl Crow
Hotel California...................................Eagles
Feelin' Hot Hot Hot..............................The Merrymen
Viva Las Vegas.....................................Elvis Presley
On The Road Again..............................Canned Heat
I Can See For Miles..............................The Who
Take It Easy...........................................The Eagles
24 Hours From Tulsa.............................Gene Pitney
Is This The Way To Amarillo.................Tony Christie
Get your kicks on Route 66.....................Nat King Cole
Born To Be Wild......................................Steppenwolf
I hope those of you who have followed this blog from the start have enjoyed reading it, it has been great fun writing it and I thank you all for taking the time to read about our experiences and adventures.
I hope that some of you get the chance to do what we have done at some time in the future, I would strongly urge you to grab the opportunity to do so. The trip will stay with you forever!
Vince.
Thursday June 4th " Homeward Bound"
Well, today is the day we finally go home! It seems so long ago that we arrived in Chicago. We have done so much, stayed in some great places, seen some fantastic sights, met some great people and travelled 3200 miles in the process!
Music has played an important part of the journey, mainly thanks to the Route 66 playlist on the iPod. I don't think any of us will be able to listen to Take it Easy by the Eagles without remembering that corner in Wimslow, Arizona. Then there was the time when we were a day away from Tulsa when Gene Pitney came on singing 24 Hours from Tulsa.
Moments like these will really never leave us and always remind us of the 3 great weeks spent driving the "Mother Road".
So it was with a heavy heart that I packed our bags for the final time, they felt a bit heavier than when we arrived! Oh,those outlets!
We checked out of the hotel, put our bags in the car and went for a walk down to Santa Monica Pier.Took our pictures in front of the end of Route 66, had a coffee and a bite to eat. Got chatting to a guy in the mini museum/cubicle on the pier dedicated to R66. It has only been there a few years, was originally in a handcart, but as it got so busy it became a more permanent fixture. Really interesting guy, plenty of facts but more importantly great passion about R66.
It is hard to believe that the road nearly disappeared and it is only recently that it has become so popular. Ironically, it is mainly Europeans that are driving that interest at the moment.
Back to the van for the short drive to the airport. It covers a really great area, the rental office was really easy to find and the shuttle dropped us back at the terminal. The driver was really great, a bit of a character, he loaded all the bags, had a great line in chat and made a slow journey interesting.
The traffic to the various terminals was horrendous, mainly due to the fact that all American terminals are kerbside check in.
Bag drop and security went really well, we even checked our bags in at the First Class desk. Sandra cheekily asked if there was a chance of an upgrade! Of course the wasn't.
Grabbed something to eat, boarded the plane, we were on the upper deck. Nice seats near the rear of the cabin, 2 together. Stewardess was much better than the crew coming out.
As we took off and Sandra tried to put her headphones in the socket, they wouldn't go in. So no chance of listening to any of the entertainment channels! We asked for an adaptor so Sandra could share my jack socket but there were none.
With that the stewardess said that she would move Sandra to World Traveller Plus (Premiun Economy) if that was acceptable. So off she went to the front of the cabin.
I watched American Sniper, great film, Wild, very intense, and 2nd Marigold Hotel, funny! Sandra popped back a few times, and before we knew it breakfast was being served. The flight went really quickly and smoothly. Great plane, plenty of legroom, just a pity that Sandra couldn't be next to me for it.
We had to transfer to terminal 3 from terminal 5,where we landed, to get the bus to the car park. Picked up the car, easy drive home, no issues with driving a manual after 3 weeks of an automatic. The only thing is that everything just seems so small over here in comparison to the States. Drivers seem to be more aggressive as well over here!
Got home, unpacked, did the washing and finally grabbed a few hours sleep at 5 pm.
Our holiday well and truly over, it was good to be in our own bed at last!
Music has played an important part of the journey, mainly thanks to the Route 66 playlist on the iPod. I don't think any of us will be able to listen to Take it Easy by the Eagles without remembering that corner in Wimslow, Arizona. Then there was the time when we were a day away from Tulsa when Gene Pitney came on singing 24 Hours from Tulsa.
Moments like these will really never leave us and always remind us of the 3 great weeks spent driving the "Mother Road".
So it was with a heavy heart that I packed our bags for the final time, they felt a bit heavier than when we arrived! Oh,those outlets!
We checked out of the hotel, put our bags in the car and went for a walk down to Santa Monica Pier.Took our pictures in front of the end of Route 66, had a coffee and a bite to eat. Got chatting to a guy in the mini museum/cubicle on the pier dedicated to R66. It has only been there a few years, was originally in a handcart, but as it got so busy it became a more permanent fixture. Really interesting guy, plenty of facts but more importantly great passion about R66.
It is hard to believe that the road nearly disappeared and it is only recently that it has become so popular. Ironically, it is mainly Europeans that are driving that interest at the moment.
Back to the van for the short drive to the airport. It covers a really great area, the rental office was really easy to find and the shuttle dropped us back at the terminal. The driver was really great, a bit of a character, he loaded all the bags, had a great line in chat and made a slow journey interesting.
The traffic to the various terminals was horrendous, mainly due to the fact that all American terminals are kerbside check in.
Bag drop and security went really well, we even checked our bags in at the First Class desk. Sandra cheekily asked if there was a chance of an upgrade! Of course the wasn't.
Grabbed something to eat, boarded the plane, we were on the upper deck. Nice seats near the rear of the cabin, 2 together. Stewardess was much better than the crew coming out.
As we took off and Sandra tried to put her headphones in the socket, they wouldn't go in. So no chance of listening to any of the entertainment channels! We asked for an adaptor so Sandra could share my jack socket but there were none.
With that the stewardess said that she would move Sandra to World Traveller Plus (Premiun Economy) if that was acceptable. So off she went to the front of the cabin.
I watched American Sniper, great film, Wild, very intense, and 2nd Marigold Hotel, funny! Sandra popped back a few times, and before we knew it breakfast was being served. The flight went really quickly and smoothly. Great plane, plenty of legroom, just a pity that Sandra couldn't be next to me for it.
We had to transfer to terminal 3 from terminal 5,where we landed, to get the bus to the car park. Picked up the car, easy drive home, no issues with driving a manual after 3 weeks of an automatic. The only thing is that everything just seems so small over here in comparison to the States. Drivers seem to be more aggressive as well over here!
Got home, unpacked, did the washing and finally grabbed a few hours sleep at 5 pm.
Our holiday well and truly over, it was good to be in our own bed at last!
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Wednesday June 3rd. Route 66 " It is what it is"
Great night's sleep in our new room, didn't wake up till about 8.30! Just as well really as it was very misty and it was drizzling with rain. It was still very warm, the sea was very rough and the surfer boys were all going to the beach with their boards.
We were originally planning to go on the beach and later hire some push bikes out, but the weather changed that.
We met up about 10 ish and agreed to go for a drive until the weather got better.
Off we went to Venice Beach, we only briefly looked around the other night, so thought it would be good to do during the day.
It is only about 5 mins drive up the coast, we drove down a side road to the beach, parked up and went onto the promenade. Venice is like Camden with a beach. A whole bunch of crazies, new agers, old hippies, artists, drown and outs and tourists all crammed into one long strip along the beach.
The street sellers sell all sorts of wierd stuff, carvings, paintings, tshirts etc etc. You can have tarot readings done, get holistic treatments, even have your chakras sorted!
The place only starts waking up about 10.30, so lots of the street sellers were setting up, lots of buskers play along the promenade, they were all tuning their guitars and as always along this stretch people were out riding bikes, jogging, skate boarding,walking their dogs, or just plain walking along like we were.
We came across The House of Ink tattoo parlour. I'd read about this place online before the trip, so we popped in and asked the price for our Route 66 design. The shop was empty apart from a guy and a girl behind the counter. We showed them the design, they asked a few questions and they quoted between $250- $300. They said it would take about 2 hours. We said we would think about it and off we went.
We carried on walking along the prom, the mountains towards Malibu were covered in mist, it wasn't raining anymore and quite pleasant. We were all having discussions about having the "tatt" done, how long it would take etc, etc. Finally I decided to have mine done, Pat also said he would have his done.
So back to the shop we went.
We walked in, said let's do the tattoos and negotiated a price. We got the 2 for $220 each plus tax, a total of $250. Pat and I signed the forms, showed our ID and Nick started drawing up the designs.
Once they were done , we were prepped and stencils put in place for the tattooing to begin. I don't find tattooing painful, just a little uncomfortable at times. Nick was a really nice guy, it transpired the he and Jennifer were married, had 3 kids and had been tattooing for about 7 years at this shop. We were chatting all the time about all sorts of things, he thought the idea of us travelling R66 then getting a tattoo to commemorate that feat was really cool.
Sandra and Lel went and had some breakfast, popping in and out of the store whilst we were having it done. Both the girls were saying it was really looking good. Pat's was finished first, mine some 10 mins later, they told us how to care for the tattoo, what cream to get for it etc. We had our pics done with them and off we went. Sarnie posted the pics on Facebook later, when we got back to the hotel.
We stopped and had some brunch,we were all starving and the sun had come out by this time. As the weather had changed we decided to revert to plan A and get out some bikes. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at a drugstore, got the cream for our tattoos and off we went.
At the hotel I checked us in online and printed our boarding passes, a really nice Australian guy was in the reception office, he was very chatty, asked about the trip etc.
When it was time to hire the bikes, we went to the office, the manager was back by this time. Bike hire was $8 per hour or $14 for 3-5 hours. Well it was close to 4pm and there was no way that after 3 weeks of eating, drinking and driving America that we would be able to ride bikes for over 3 hours! I asked the manager if he could do a deal for 4 bikes for 2 hours at $40. Without looking up he pointed to the sign on his desk and said "there's the rates". I said that I could see that, said we didn't need the bikes for 3+ hours and could he do a deal for 2 hours. His answer was "book them for 3 hours then!"
All through this brief conversation he never once looked up or made eye contact, what an asshole, as they say out here! After 3 weeks I'm becoming quite American.
We basically told him to"shove it" (another Americanism), and went on down to the beach, hired them there and selected our bikes. After a few trial turns on the pedestrian pathway it was time to hit the cycle lane!
I have not ridden a bike in over 50 years but after a few mins it seemed like only yesterday. That saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike, it is so true!
Sarnie was really good, she went off like a steam train, pedalling away like a good'un!
We eventually caught up with her, cycled past Venice and along the beach for a couple of miles. Saw some great beachfront properties, how all the locals used the facilities all along the beach. There are areas for skateboards, body building, volleyball, children's play areas and snack bars and toilets as well. It puts places like Sothend into the shade!
After nearly an hour we were back near the hire shop, so thoroughly knackered and with legs like jelly we gave our bikes back, paid our rental and staggered to the nearest bar for a beer!
The sun was out, the place was buzzing and we all agreed how nice it would be to live in a place like this.
For our last night in America we thought we would go to The King's Head pub for a traditional English meal. After showering, removing the covering from my tattoo, putting the cream on it and getting ready, we jumped in the van, headed downtown and went to the pub.
This pub is so English, it is like an old style pub, not many of those left in England now. We had pies, mash and vegetables, we have all been craving veg after 3 weeks of dining American style! They were dlicious, even though we were all stuffed, " afters" were ordered. Apple pies, trifle and rhubarb crumble, the pies and crumble with Bird's Eye custard! Handsome!
Back to the hotel to finish off the remaining beers and voddie then off to bed for our last night in America.
We have all had a great trip, so many memories, so it is with a heavy heart that we retired for the night knowing that most of tomorrow will be spent packing our cases for the journey home.
We were originally planning to go on the beach and later hire some push bikes out, but the weather changed that.
We met up about 10 ish and agreed to go for a drive until the weather got better.
Off we went to Venice Beach, we only briefly looked around the other night, so thought it would be good to do during the day.
It is only about 5 mins drive up the coast, we drove down a side road to the beach, parked up and went onto the promenade. Venice is like Camden with a beach. A whole bunch of crazies, new agers, old hippies, artists, drown and outs and tourists all crammed into one long strip along the beach.
The street sellers sell all sorts of wierd stuff, carvings, paintings, tshirts etc etc. You can have tarot readings done, get holistic treatments, even have your chakras sorted!
The place only starts waking up about 10.30, so lots of the street sellers were setting up, lots of buskers play along the promenade, they were all tuning their guitars and as always along this stretch people were out riding bikes, jogging, skate boarding,walking their dogs, or just plain walking along like we were.
We came across The House of Ink tattoo parlour. I'd read about this place online before the trip, so we popped in and asked the price for our Route 66 design. The shop was empty apart from a guy and a girl behind the counter. We showed them the design, they asked a few questions and they quoted between $250- $300. They said it would take about 2 hours. We said we would think about it and off we went.
We carried on walking along the prom, the mountains towards Malibu were covered in mist, it wasn't raining anymore and quite pleasant. We were all having discussions about having the "tatt" done, how long it would take etc, etc. Finally I decided to have mine done, Pat also said he would have his done.
So back to the shop we went.
We walked in, said let's do the tattoos and negotiated a price. We got the 2 for $220 each plus tax, a total of $250. Pat and I signed the forms, showed our ID and Nick started drawing up the designs.
Once they were done , we were prepped and stencils put in place for the tattooing to begin. I don't find tattooing painful, just a little uncomfortable at times. Nick was a really nice guy, it transpired the he and Jennifer were married, had 3 kids and had been tattooing for about 7 years at this shop. We were chatting all the time about all sorts of things, he thought the idea of us travelling R66 then getting a tattoo to commemorate that feat was really cool.
Sandra and Lel went and had some breakfast, popping in and out of the store whilst we were having it done. Both the girls were saying it was really looking good. Pat's was finished first, mine some 10 mins later, they told us how to care for the tattoo, what cream to get for it etc. We had our pics done with them and off we went. Sarnie posted the pics on Facebook later, when we got back to the hotel.
We stopped and had some brunch,we were all starving and the sun had come out by this time. As the weather had changed we decided to revert to plan A and get out some bikes. On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at a drugstore, got the cream for our tattoos and off we went.
At the hotel I checked us in online and printed our boarding passes, a really nice Australian guy was in the reception office, he was very chatty, asked about the trip etc.
When it was time to hire the bikes, we went to the office, the manager was back by this time. Bike hire was $8 per hour or $14 for 3-5 hours. Well it was close to 4pm and there was no way that after 3 weeks of eating, drinking and driving America that we would be able to ride bikes for over 3 hours! I asked the manager if he could do a deal for 4 bikes for 2 hours at $40. Without looking up he pointed to the sign on his desk and said "there's the rates". I said that I could see that, said we didn't need the bikes for 3+ hours and could he do a deal for 2 hours. His answer was "book them for 3 hours then!"
All through this brief conversation he never once looked up or made eye contact, what an asshole, as they say out here! After 3 weeks I'm becoming quite American.
We basically told him to"shove it" (another Americanism), and went on down to the beach, hired them there and selected our bikes. After a few trial turns on the pedestrian pathway it was time to hit the cycle lane!
I have not ridden a bike in over 50 years but after a few mins it seemed like only yesterday. That saying about never forgetting how to ride a bike, it is so true!
Sarnie was really good, she went off like a steam train, pedalling away like a good'un!
We eventually caught up with her, cycled past Venice and along the beach for a couple of miles. Saw some great beachfront properties, how all the locals used the facilities all along the beach. There are areas for skateboards, body building, volleyball, children's play areas and snack bars and toilets as well. It puts places like Sothend into the shade!
After nearly an hour we were back near the hire shop, so thoroughly knackered and with legs like jelly we gave our bikes back, paid our rental and staggered to the nearest bar for a beer!
The sun was out, the place was buzzing and we all agreed how nice it would be to live in a place like this.
For our last night in America we thought we would go to The King's Head pub for a traditional English meal. After showering, removing the covering from my tattoo, putting the cream on it and getting ready, we jumped in the van, headed downtown and went to the pub.
This pub is so English, it is like an old style pub, not many of those left in England now. We had pies, mash and vegetables, we have all been craving veg after 3 weeks of dining American style! They were dlicious, even though we were all stuffed, " afters" were ordered. Apple pies, trifle and rhubarb crumble, the pies and crumble with Bird's Eye custard! Handsome!
Back to the hotel to finish off the remaining beers and voddie then off to bed for our last night in America.
We have all had a great trip, so many memories, so it is with a heavy heart that we retired for the night knowing that most of tomorrow will be spent packing our cases for the journey home.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Tuesday 2nd June. "Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard"
Not a good night's sleep. Too much noise and too hot in our cupboard! Manager wouldn't reduce our rate, his argument is we have an upgrade at no extra cost. Our argument is by upgrading us we have a worse room. He says we have a sea view, we say there is a tree in the way!
Eventually we ask to move rooms and he eventually finds us a room on the 2nd floor, much bigger and still with a sea view!
Hastily put the bags in there and off we go.
A nice stroll along the promenade to the shopping district, we decided to do the bus tour of Hollywood today. I managed to grab some things from Abercrombie and Fitch, one of my favourite stores over here, had a look at the Kings Head pub, a little bit of England in America, and went to join the tour.
Our bus only had about 8 people on it, the guide was really entertaining, even if he repeated himself a bit.
We visited Universal Studios, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, The Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are presented, and Rodeo Drive.
A different tour to the one we did a few years back, much more walking. Still very enjoyable and informative.
Met a few crazies out and about, saw a hideous yellow Roller convertible with yellow leather seats, so crass, as well as Bentleys and a host of posh cars!
We were dropped back at our hotel and we enjoyed sitting on the terrace looking at our view.
The girls went to pick up the washing and have their nails and feet manicured.
Pat and I had dropped them off and when we got back to the hotel we sat on the terrace and had a few beers.
The girls got back, had a couple of drinks as well and off we went out to the hotel we had a drink in last night for something to eat.
The food was great, we ended up being the last ones in the restaurant. We left and had a wander down
to the pier, as it was late everything was closed. We walked back to the hotel, decided to get some bikes out tomorrow to explore a bit more of the beach area.
Eventually we ask to move rooms and he eventually finds us a room on the 2nd floor, much bigger and still with a sea view!
Hastily put the bags in there and off we go.
A nice stroll along the promenade to the shopping district, we decided to do the bus tour of Hollywood today. I managed to grab some things from Abercrombie and Fitch, one of my favourite stores over here, had a look at the Kings Head pub, a little bit of England in America, and went to join the tour.
Our bus only had about 8 people on it, the guide was really entertaining, even if he repeated himself a bit.
We visited Universal Studios, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, The Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are presented, and Rodeo Drive.
A different tour to the one we did a few years back, much more walking. Still very enjoyable and informative.
Met a few crazies out and about, saw a hideous yellow Roller convertible with yellow leather seats, so crass, as well as Bentleys and a host of posh cars!
We were dropped back at our hotel and we enjoyed sitting on the terrace looking at our view.
The girls went to pick up the washing and have their nails and feet manicured.
Pat and I had dropped them off and when we got back to the hotel we sat on the terrace and had a few beers.
The girls got back, had a couple of drinks as well and off we went out to the hotel we had a drink in last night for something to eat.
The food was great, we ended up being the last ones in the restaurant. We left and had a wander down
to the pier, as it was late everything was closed. We walked back to the hotel, decided to get some bikes out tomorrow to explore a bit more of the beach area.
Monday 1st June " Welcome to the Hotel California..........."
Got all our stuff packed up ready for the final leg of the road trip, off to the beach at Santa Monica and the end of Route 66.
Whilst I packed Sandra went downstairs to get a coffee, some 40 mins later she returned! She had 2 coffees, a muffin and a breakfast sandwich. She did want an omelette, but after waiting 30 mins to be served she was told it would be a 40 min wait for it to be ready!
This 5 star hotel is totally unable to provide sufficient facilities for the guests in it's 4000 rooms! It really does flatter to decieve. The decor, surroundings and rooms are great. Where it lets itself down is how long it takes to get food, drinks etc.
I have come to the conclusion that they are not hotels in Vegas as we would expect, they might boast 5 stars but they are casinos with rooms. I cannot imagine a 5 star hotel in London operating the way the Bellagio does. It would shut down in less than 6 months!
Of course, the trials and tribulations didn't stop there. As we went to check out we were told we had to join the same line as new arrivals checking in, there must have been some 50-60 people in the queue.
When we complained we were told to check out on TV in our room. On seeing Lel and Pat we found out that the system was down, so we couldn't do that either. Eventually I grabbed a house phone and checked out that way!
Since our last visit to Vegas it has changed quite dramatically, hotels have got much, much bigger, queues have got longer, the"Strip" has got much, much busier. It has always been a party town but is now a magnet for hen and stag do's and is more like an upmarket Albufeira, Magaluf or Malia!
I for one wasn't sorry that we were leaving, it certainly isn't reflective of America and I can't see myself coming back here again.
One thing that got to us all was the fact that smoking is still allowed in the casinos, I can understand why they allow it but having been in a non smoking culture in the UK for some years it is amazing how abhorrent a smoking environment is to us now. How times change!
So off onto I15 most of the way to Vegas, flat desert scenery as far as the eye can see, bordered by mountains in either side. Scenery changes to mountainous area but we start to see the effects of the LA smog. Visibility gets worse and there is a haze in the distance hanging over the mountains.
As we near LA traffic gets busier, the freeways get wider and driving gets more manic. We hit a few traffic jams on the way but nothing like the traffic on the opposite side. It must have been crawling along for some 15-20 miles. Don't think I'll ever moan about the M25 ever again, well at least not until the next time I'm stuck in traffic!
Finally found our hotel, right opposite the beach. Sandra asked for a room with a view, we got upgraded and we ended up with the worst room in the hotel!
We had loads of washing to do, so found the laundry nearby, had something to eat in a really trendy place. California is so different to the rest of the USA, so health conscious. Every other person has a yoga mat under their arm, they are either biking or jogging everywhere!
Food was good, we opted for burgers, yet again, and Sandra's one looked like a mini Devastator challenge from the Red Dog Saloon in Hoxton!
Got back to our cupboard of a room, changed and walked along the front to nearby Venice Beach. As it was getting darker we turned around and came home. A wierd place in daylight, not somewhere you want to be of a nighttime.
Found a nice hotel on the beach with a terrace bar, so had a couple of drinks there before going back to the hotel and our cupboard.
When we got back we asked if the rate could be reduced as it was a really terrible room, far too small, even though it was classed as a sea view room.
Guy said he would leave a note for the manager, not hopeful.
Whilst I packed Sandra went downstairs to get a coffee, some 40 mins later she returned! She had 2 coffees, a muffin and a breakfast sandwich. She did want an omelette, but after waiting 30 mins to be served she was told it would be a 40 min wait for it to be ready!
This 5 star hotel is totally unable to provide sufficient facilities for the guests in it's 4000 rooms! It really does flatter to decieve. The decor, surroundings and rooms are great. Where it lets itself down is how long it takes to get food, drinks etc.
I have come to the conclusion that they are not hotels in Vegas as we would expect, they might boast 5 stars but they are casinos with rooms. I cannot imagine a 5 star hotel in London operating the way the Bellagio does. It would shut down in less than 6 months!
Of course, the trials and tribulations didn't stop there. As we went to check out we were told we had to join the same line as new arrivals checking in, there must have been some 50-60 people in the queue.
When we complained we were told to check out on TV in our room. On seeing Lel and Pat we found out that the system was down, so we couldn't do that either. Eventually I grabbed a house phone and checked out that way!
Since our last visit to Vegas it has changed quite dramatically, hotels have got much, much bigger, queues have got longer, the"Strip" has got much, much busier. It has always been a party town but is now a magnet for hen and stag do's and is more like an upmarket Albufeira, Magaluf or Malia!
I for one wasn't sorry that we were leaving, it certainly isn't reflective of America and I can't see myself coming back here again.
One thing that got to us all was the fact that smoking is still allowed in the casinos, I can understand why they allow it but having been in a non smoking culture in the UK for some years it is amazing how abhorrent a smoking environment is to us now. How times change!
So off onto I15 most of the way to Vegas, flat desert scenery as far as the eye can see, bordered by mountains in either side. Scenery changes to mountainous area but we start to see the effects of the LA smog. Visibility gets worse and there is a haze in the distance hanging over the mountains.
As we near LA traffic gets busier, the freeways get wider and driving gets more manic. We hit a few traffic jams on the way but nothing like the traffic on the opposite side. It must have been crawling along for some 15-20 miles. Don't think I'll ever moan about the M25 ever again, well at least not until the next time I'm stuck in traffic!
Finally found our hotel, right opposite the beach. Sandra asked for a room with a view, we got upgraded and we ended up with the worst room in the hotel!
We had loads of washing to do, so found the laundry nearby, had something to eat in a really trendy place. California is so different to the rest of the USA, so health conscious. Every other person has a yoga mat under their arm, they are either biking or jogging everywhere!
Food was good, we opted for burgers, yet again, and Sandra's one looked like a mini Devastator challenge from the Red Dog Saloon in Hoxton!
Got back to our cupboard of a room, changed and walked along the front to nearby Venice Beach. As it was getting darker we turned around and came home. A wierd place in daylight, not somewhere you want to be of a nighttime.
Found a nice hotel on the beach with a terrace bar, so had a couple of drinks there before going back to the hotel and our cupboard.
When we got back we asked if the rate could be reduced as it was a really terrible room, far too small, even though it was classed as a sea view room.
Guy said he would leave a note for the manager, not hopeful.
Sunday 31st May "Shop till we drop........."
Lel had a bad night last night, being sick, not sleeping. Not good really. Not sure if it was something she ate or too much sun. I would suspect the latter.
We had planned for all of us to visit the outlets today, but Lel and Pat decided against that obviously, so Sandra and I jumped in the van and eventually found the outlets.
It was soooooooooo hot! The temp was forecast at 109 degrees, it felt it as well. It was a relief to go into shops for a cool down as they all have aircon!
Sarnie stocked up on some gym gear, flip flops etc, me?, I carried the bags!
We grabbed some lunch, Chinese, it is really tasty in these food courts and very reasonable.
We carried on shopping, one guy asked if we were either Australian (usual) or Canadian (never had that one before). When we said English he said " give my regards to the Queen". Only problem was that each time we walked past him he kept saying it. Eventually to shut him up as we walked past him for about the 4th time I said " the Queen sends her love!" He looked at me opened mouthed and on we went.
Got back to the hotel about 4ish, checked in on Lel, she still wasn't great but said she would be out later even if she didn't eat.
We met about 7.30' attempted to go to the buffet in the hotel, mobbed, and you can't book! Other restaurants weren't suitable, so we decided to go and get the van and eat out. AsI was going back to the room I looked into a restaurant in the corner and the line was really short, so that's where we went.
After a 15 min wait to be seated, in we went. It was really nice, food looked good, service was good, so we ordered. Sarnie had lamb chops, I had steak and eggs, Pat had meatloaf and Lel tried the omelette.
It was delicious! Whilst we were eating Elvis and a showgirl came in to eat. It was a couple that had just got married, he was in full Elvis jump suit, complete with wig, she was wearing a feathered headdress and costume a la Moulin Rouge! Great fun.
As it was still really hot, temp in the high 90's at 10.30 pm we decided to stay and have a little flutter on the slots.
Some 3 hours later and some $20 lighter off we went to bed. Lel had gone up earlier, hope she'll be ok for the trip tomorrow.
We had planned for all of us to visit the outlets today, but Lel and Pat decided against that obviously, so Sandra and I jumped in the van and eventually found the outlets.
It was soooooooooo hot! The temp was forecast at 109 degrees, it felt it as well. It was a relief to go into shops for a cool down as they all have aircon!
Sarnie stocked up on some gym gear, flip flops etc, me?, I carried the bags!
We grabbed some lunch, Chinese, it is really tasty in these food courts and very reasonable.
We carried on shopping, one guy asked if we were either Australian (usual) or Canadian (never had that one before). When we said English he said " give my regards to the Queen". Only problem was that each time we walked past him he kept saying it. Eventually to shut him up as we walked past him for about the 4th time I said " the Queen sends her love!" He looked at me opened mouthed and on we went.
Got back to the hotel about 4ish, checked in on Lel, she still wasn't great but said she would be out later even if she didn't eat.
We met about 7.30' attempted to go to the buffet in the hotel, mobbed, and you can't book! Other restaurants weren't suitable, so we decided to go and get the van and eat out. AsI was going back to the room I looked into a restaurant in the corner and the line was really short, so that's where we went.
After a 15 min wait to be seated, in we went. It was really nice, food looked good, service was good, so we ordered. Sarnie had lamb chops, I had steak and eggs, Pat had meatloaf and Lel tried the omelette.
It was delicious! Whilst we were eating Elvis and a showgirl came in to eat. It was a couple that had just got married, he was in full Elvis jump suit, complete with wig, she was wearing a feathered headdress and costume a la Moulin Rouge! Great fun.
As it was still really hot, temp in the high 90's at 10.30 pm we decided to stay and have a little flutter on the slots.
Some 3 hours later and some $20 lighter off we went to bed. Lel had gone up earlier, hope she'll be ok for the trip tomorrow.
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