Friday 14 September 2012

'John Wayne slept here'




48 hours after arriving in the US, we sat down for a tasty tea of moo shi (a random fusion of Chinese and CaliMexican: stir fry in burrito, wrong on so many levels, but surprisingly tasty!) and reflected on an action packed 2 days which included a piano off, flash floods and a brush with stardom.

We flew into Vegas first and stayed at Bill's Gamblin Hall and Saloon, on the strip, for no other reason than it was cheap and came recommended by our trusty Lonely Planet. It's huge 'retro' (read knackered!) rooms were more than adequate. After sleeping off our jetlag whilst the city that never sleeps partied four stories below us, we were up early to fly to the Grand Canyon. Our tour (with Maverick Tours) was by helicopter. Needless today, the Photographer was beside herself with glee, whilst I was terrified and had to self medicate with several different sickness remedies. I needn't have worried, helicopter flying really does feel like real broomstick flying. None of this tearing jerkily down a runway and hoping for the best business, just a slight dip forward as we rose into the air, and then floated over the desert towards the canyon, taking in Hoover Damn, and following the Colorado River until it magically changed red to indicate that we had reached our destination. It was 10am, at one of the most natural beauties in the world, and I spotted at least 12 other helicopters, at times our landing spot was busier than Manchester airport, does Arizona need to think about limiting tours to this area?



The Colorado River snakes through the desert

We were chased back to the airstrip by imposing clouds, and when we landed we could feel the temperature had dropped, but this was the desert right? I know NYC, Croatia, Slovenia, Cornwall and Sydney are all destinations that have succumbed to apocalyptic weather during our holidays, but surely we'd be ok in Las Vegas, a city that sees over 300 days of sun a year? As we explored the strip, large drops started to fall, and in the time that it took to duck into The Venetian and establish that the indoor Vegas gondoliers are a poor substitute for the real thing, the strip began to flood. We held out as long as we could, and then ran across a footbridge, to find that the escalator had shorted in the rain (serves them right for having outdoor escalatorsm surelattracts just lazy!) and the sidewalk had flooded. It took 2 hours to make the three block return to Bill's, and involved wading through water in the sidewalk and road that was over knee deep.


Flooding on the strip

After drying off we took an umbrella and headed south down the strip to New York, New York, which, unlike the gondoliers, is brilliant! Every effort has been made to Vegas-ify all the wonderful things about the Big Apple: huge replica landmarks and a mini broadway, and the Times Square Bar, which boasts the famous 'Dueling Pianos' - 6 solid hours of two pianists enthusiastically playing any requests from the audience. The most impressive whilst we were where was 'money' by Pink Floyd.

Oh, and we also gambled. What is the point in that? It took the Photographer and I 35 minutes to figure out how to use a slot machine and 35 seconds to loose all our night's allotted spends (about 3 dollars!)

The next we left poor flooded Vegas behind and headed to Death Valley, safe in the knowledge that this was one of the hottest and most unforgiving areas in the world, and we would probably not be in any danger of flooding. Death Valley is so hot (well over 40*C whilst we were there) because it is very low (Badwater flats are the lowest point in the US) and is surrounded by mountains, so the hot air rises but never escapes. With all this heat and arid land, the valley can be a very unforgiving landscape, but it is saved by it's incredible array of colours. In one tremendous drive (called Artists Drive, do it, Death Valley is much better viewed for then air conditioned safety of a car) we saw mountains turn vibrant reds and oranges, murky browns, brilliant white, and even a sort of sapphire blue. We also escaped from the heat into a little museum which explains the history of the valley, including its importance as an area which could mine the mineral Borax. Mule teams of 20 horses used to pull the Borax to the nearest railway line. Given that by the end of the day we were driving from the restaurant at one of end of a building to the toilets at another to escape the heat on the 30 second walk, I have full sympathy with the horses. Apparently the horses used to carry bells, and if they encountered difficulties the rescue team took away their bells, this is where they phrase 'I'll be there with bells on' comes from, it means I'll manage by myself. And that folks, is a fact!


Jumping on Badwater, the lowest point in the US


The stunning scenery of Death Valley behind us we drove into Lone Pine, a small settlement near Mount Whitney which has a claim to fame. In the1920s film makers realised that the surrounding mountains were the perfect backdrop for western films,and quite an industry grew in this area. We stayed at Dow Villa Hotel, which was built in 1922 and seems to have accommodated quite a few stars: a hand written sign declared that John Wayne had slept here. The hotel was great, and the nearby restaurant 'the Merry-go-Round', with it's Chinese-Cali fusion is outstanding. The wood clad buildings of Lone Pine, and the panoramic mountains look like something straight from the 1920s, the sort of scene that I'd assume has been photoshopped, or just doesn't exist anymore. I came to California to see the surf, sea and Sequoias, I had no idea hidden gems like this existed.




Lone Pine - hidden gem


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