Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Going on holiday? Just returned with pictures or news? Found an interesting website? Post everything international in here.

Moderator: Site Management Team

Post Reply
mikehindsonevans
Member
Posts: 1359
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:44
Location: Cheshire, but working week time in Cambridge

Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by mikehindsonevans »

Over the next three weeks, we are covering around 3k miles from and to LAX, as the denouement of Her Ladyship's "thank **** I've made it through breast cancer" tour. Looking forward to the Canyon. Hoover Dam and the Titan Missile silo, preserved South of Tucson.
Mike Hindson-Evans.
Never argue with a conspiracy theorist.
They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
User avatar
c2R
SABRE Wiki admin
Posts: 11162
Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2002 11:01

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by c2R »

mikehindsonevans wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 13:24 Over the next three weeks, we are covering around 3k miles from and to LAX, as the denouement of Her Ladyship's "thank **** I've made it through breast cancer" tour. Looking forward to the Canyon. Hoover Dam and the Titan Missile silo, preserved South of Tucson.
The Dam is excellent - take the walk up onto the footway by the motorway bridge to get the best view down onto it...
Is there a road improvement project going on near you? Help us to document it on the SABRE Wiki - help is available in the Digest forum.
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Get involved! - see our guide to scanning and stitching maps
User avatar
Bryn666
Elected Committee Member
Posts: 35755
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2002 20:54
Contact:

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by Bryn666 »

mikehindsonevans wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 13:24 Over the next three weeks, we are covering around 3k miles from and to LAX, as the denouement of Her Ladyship's "thank **** I've made it through breast cancer" tour. Looking forward to the Canyon. Hoover Dam and the Titan Missile silo, preserved South of Tucson.
Glad you've been able to get to that stage - if HL is bothered about such geekery as the road to the Dam being part of the new Interstate 11 you can impress her with that fact too :wink:
Bryn
Terminally cynical, unimpressed, and nearly Middle Age already.
She said life was like a motorway; dull, grey, and long.

Blog - https://showmeasign.online/
X - https://twitter.com/ShowMeASignBryn
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@BrynBuck
User avatar
roadtester
Member
Posts: 31476
Joined: Mon Mar 26, 2007 18:05
Location: Cambridgeshire

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by roadtester »

mikehindsonevans wrote: Fri Nov 22, 2019 13:24 Over the next three weeks, we are covering around 3k miles from and to LAX, as the denouement of Her Ladyship's "thank **** I've made it through breast cancer" tour. Looking forward to the Canyon. Hoover Dam and the Titan Missile silo, preserved South of Tucson.
Hope you have a fantastic trip after what must have been a worrying time.

Went that way years ago on a shoestring by Greyhound bus when I was still a student - hope you're planning to do it in greater comfort than that (actually it wasn't too bad)! The Canyon and the Dam are really impressive.
Electrophorus Electricus

Check out #davidsdailycar on Mastodon
mikehindsonevans
Member
Posts: 1359
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:44
Location: Cheshire, but working week time in Cambridge

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by mikehindsonevans »

So far, so good. Turns out that the hotel which we booked for last night is just a 15-minute walk from the Avis depot.

It was still weird, checking in at what our bodies thought was after midnight on Tuesday morning, when the local clocks told us it was 4:25pm on Monday afternoon.

One third of the way around the planet in 11 hours. Thanks British Airways, our vacation has begun!

Now, the I-10 to Phoenix beckons!
Mike Hindson-Evans.
Never argue with a conspiracy theorist.
They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
WHBM
Member
Posts: 9708
Joined: Thu Nov 30, 2006 18:01
Location: London

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by WHBM »

I think we ALL wish you both well on such a celebratory trip. If you haven't been there before it's a fascination, and I'm sure you have your own lists of what to do. I lived in LA for a couple of years.

Have you considered upgrading the car to a convertible ? They really do make it a trip to remember. If it's too hot midday they all have AC as well. I-10 is not the most scenic way across California, but passing Palm Springs take the old highway, CA-111, through the town to Indio rather than the freeway. It's just a fascinating strip of upmarket Americana.

If you're still by LAX airport when you read this, drive just a mile or two west to the coast highway, there's parking all along, and stick your toes in the Pacific. There are plenty of cafes etc along the way. This is right at the end of the runways :

https://www.google.com/maps/@33.9167411 ... 384!8i8192
mikehindsonevans
Member
Posts: 1359
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:44
Location: Cheshire, but working week time in Cambridge

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by mikehindsonevans »

Thanks for the suggestion. With the weather forecast (plus heading up to Farmington NM and then back west via Four Corners and Monument Valley to Page for Lake Powell enroute to Vegas via the Grand Canyon), we've gone for a Nissan Armada with all-terrain tyres.

Think of a Tonka toy from childhood! The V8 engine gave a magic-carpet ride down the heavily-congested I-10, but bodes well for the next 19 days and the rough bits ahead.

Getting out of California, two days before Thanksgiving and with what our transatlantic cousins are calling a "snow-bomb" on the way from the west (should miss Arizona, famous last words! ) showed America's continued dependence on the car along with huge wind farms around Twenty-nine Pines.

We finally found out why most yank hire cars do not have GPS/sat-nav installed. The rental companies have to pay the manufacturers to switch it on. "Every expense spared" - rather like the low cost airlines and their approach to the Boeing 737Max dashboard displays. Standard on the Pathfinder and quite intuitive.

G'night.
Last edited by mikehindsonevans on Sat Mar 14, 2020 21:45, edited 1 time in total.
Mike Hindson-Evans.
Never argue with a conspiracy theorist.
They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
mikehindsonevans
Member
Posts: 1359
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 11:44
Location: Cheshire, but working week time in Cambridge

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by mikehindsonevans »

Safely back, after snow and rain in the desert. We did everything on the plan.

We did drive into Vegas on the new I-11 in a cloudburst of biblical proportions. The next day, gin-clear skies gave us a lovely tour across the Hoover Dam.

We even drove down the "metric interstate" south of Tucson (including coming back northbound through the US Border Patrol Checkpoint.

A fascinating country.
Mike
Mike Hindson-Evans.
Never argue with a conspiracy theorist.
They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
User avatar
KeithW
Member
Posts: 19205
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2014 13:25
Location: Marton-In-Cleveland North Yorks

Re: Off to California, then Arizona and Nevada

Post by KeithW »

mikehindsonevans wrote: Wed Nov 27, 2019 09:49

We finally found out why most yank hire cars do not have GPS/sat-nav installed. The rental companies have to pay the manufacturers to switch it on. "Every expense spared" - rather like the low cost airlines and their approach to the Boeing 737Max dashboard displays. Standard on the Pathfinder and quite intuitive.

G'night.
Last time I went I took my TomTom Satnav with a set of USA/Canada maps installed but on the route you are using you really shouldnt need it. That is a stunning trip that I did in the 90's. If you have time in Tucson try the the Desert Museum its actually more of a Zoo/Art Gallery than a museum.
https://www.desertmuseum.org/
Post Reply