Las Vegas by night

Paris, Las Vegas. Venice, Las Vegas. NYNY, Las Vegas. They seem to feel the need to recreate other places in the world for the delectation of the tourists. Quite a spectacle and obviously a huge money spinner.

Then we packed up and set off for home. A tremendous trip all in all, very varied and hugely enjoyable. US service and standards of accomodation all great wherever we went. Will have to start saving for the next one!

Las Vegas in daylight

Its a very strange place - really glad we went, but two days was enough. We saw a fabulous Cirque du Soleil show, Ka, at the MGM Grand Hotel, really spectacular, but I was competely freaked out when we were walking through the casino there to suddenly be confronted by a glass wall behind which was a pride of lions. I don't think the powers that be would allow that anywhere else in the world.

Back to Las Vegas

On the way back to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas, the helicopter pilot flew over the Strip - here you can see some of the massive Vegas hotels, including the one we were staying in, NewYorkNewYork.

Grand Canyon West Ranch

The helicopter stopped off at Grand Canyon West ranch, where we had a western style lunch whilst being serenaded by a singing cowboy (less corny thn it sounds). Keith and Jim did a short horse ride (I thought I'd better not with the bad back and all), there was bit of a mock shoot out staged for us and then I managed to round up a couple of dangerous outlaws!

Views from the helicopter

In the course of the 80 mile or so helicopter trip, we flew over Lake Las Vegas (where the rich people inc Celine Dion live according to our pilot), the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, and then the western edge of the Grand Canyon itself. Keith took loads of photos, only a small sample here.

Setting off for the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas

From San Francisco we flew to Las Vegas, which was to be the last port of call of our US visit. The high spot of the Las Vegas visit was the helicopter trip to the Grand Canyon - here we are setting off.

The Golden Gate Bridge

On the day we travelled on the cable car, we then walked over the headland just to the north of Fisherman's Wharf then hopped on a local bus to the Golden Gate Bridge -its actually more impressive from the distance than close up! We then caught a bus which went through the Presidio, a wooded area which is actually a military base, to Golden Gate Park. We then walked across the park and picked up a bus on Haight, which took us through the renowned 60s hippy Haight-Ashbury district back to Union Square. Very interesting stuff, and the public transport system was very impressive. San Francisco is certainly not a city where a car is vital to get around, like Los Angeles is.

San Francisco Waterfront

San Francisco is at the end of a peninsula so there is water on three sides of it. These pictures are of the Fisherman's Wharf area with views over to Alcatraz island. There is an area where a load of sealions have taken residence, and the authorities make sure they are not bothered by boats etc.

San Francisco Cable Car

We arrived in San Francisco Saturday 21st July - nice drive up PCH through agricultural areas rather than the coast, turned off at San Jose (yes we did know the way - at least the sat nav did!) along lovely tree lined if slightly scary Highway 17, then hit the interstate and entered SF through Oakland via the Bay Bridge. Wow - what a spectacular way to enter a city! A very three dimensional place, San Francisco - hills and water and tall buildings. We managed to find our hotel, the Chancellor, right on Union Square, then returned the car to the Alamo office just round the corner - not somewhere I would want to do much driving.

San Francisco had a great feel to it, vibrant and more bohemian / hippy in nature than any other US city I've visited. The public transport system is great as well - at various times we travelled on the cable car, the street car (trams) and various buses - there is a metro system as well but we didn't venture underground.

Carmel Valley ranch - me on the balcony

I could get used to this!

Carmel Valley Ranch - my favourite hotel of the trip - views of and from our balcony

We reached Carmel where we were staying at the Carmel Valley Ranch, by far the most expensive hotel we stayed in during our US trip. It was a bit like "The Prisoner", people came and drove you around in mini-vans if you wanted to go anywhere, and the accomodation was just amazing. Luxurious bathroom (I spent about 2 hours of our time there in the bath), log fire (not that we needed it), and the most tremendous balcony and view you can imagine. When I win the lottery I think I'll go and live there.

Ventana on Big Sur

There was nowhere to stop for a drink along the PCH for miles and miles. When we reached civilisation again, we turned off the road into a restaurant and hotel called Ventana which was up in the hills above the coast. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven - it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to in my life. We had coffee and deserts from the menu (it was quite an expensive restaurant) and looked down on the trees and the birds flying by.

Elephant seals

We saw a sign for an Elephant Seal viewing point just off the PCH - and there they were, seemingly hundreds of them, lying on the beach moulting and mooing. Tremendous!

Big Sur Coastline

Thursday 19th we set off driving up the coast and stayed Thursday night in Santa Barbara, a lovely relaxed sort of place with none of the brashness of Los Angeles. Beautiful weather so spent most of the afternoon around the hotel pool. I also managed to fit in a trip to the local ER as it was only a few doors from our hotel, and got some great painkillers (Vicodin) from the charming young female doctor that I saw for the princely sum of $130 - good nights sleep with no back pain should be assured! Although the downside was you're not meant to mix the pills with alcohol. Never mind, they were good pills. Jim tells me there the ones that you hear about celebrities getting addicted to - I can understand why, they certainly kill the pain and make you feel pleasantly at one with the world. Narcotics Anonymous beckons.

Friday we spent driving up to Carmel from SB, quite a long drive of about 220 miles up the famous Highway 1, Pacific Coast Highway. What a road, what scenery - it was just wow moment after wow moment.

Hollywood Hollywood - so good I managed to post my pictures twice

On Tuesday 17th July we did a road trip, north from Santa Monica along the ocean, picking up Sunset Boulevard and following it all the way to Hollywood. Saw Graumann's Chinese Theatre, the Walk of Fame with all the stars on the pavement and also got to see the Hollywood sign from the Hollywood and Highland Mall. Fairly tacky but enjoyable - there were lots of folks walking around dressed as movie characters - Yoda, Shrek, Batman, etc etc. Saw Shrek with his head off down an alley having a quick ciggy. Keith also bought a bargain Creative Zen MP3 player ($50 i.e. about £25 for something that would cost him c £130 in the UK) at the Virgin Megastore.

We headed off into the Hollywood Hills and the canyons via Mulholland Drive on our way back - you could be miles from anywhere up there. Los Angeles is certainly a place of contrasts. Met up with Mike for a drink again at the hotel bar Tuesday evening - he's a star!

Gardens at the Getty Centre in Los Angeles

We set off for Los Angeles from Heathrow on Friday 13th July at 11.30 am and arrived as you do at 2.30pm after an 11 hour flight. We picked up a rental car (a Pontiac something or the other, full size model so about the dimensions of a Mondeo) and set off for Santa Monica, straight onto those humongous multilane freeways much loved by our Californian friends. We found the hotel but unfortunately I managed to do my back in trying to get the parking ticket out of the machine going into the hotel parking lot. Hurt a bit but nothing too awful. We checked in and then explored Santa Monica, including a walk along the pier, a couple of beers then burgers on 3rd Street Promenade.

Back to the hotel to sleep as our bodies thought it was about 5 am - then at about midnight US time I woke up screaming in agony, the back had gone ballistic. My packing hadn't run to painkillers so Keith and Jim set off in a taxi to the back of beyond to a 24 hour pharmacy as instructed by the concierge and came back with some super Advil which was meant to take away the pain and help you sleep. Anyway, 20 minutes later I was looking st that burger again as the pills just seemed to upset my stomach and make me vomit.

Next day and the one after spent very quietly by me - lying in bed or by the hotel pool while Keith and Jim explored Santa Monica and Venice Beach on foot - although we did get out Saturday night and met up with Mike and Hannah Randle at the Kings Head English Pub in Santa Monica. Great to see them again and catch up on the last two years since Mike was last in the UK touring with Love.

By Monday I was ready to get out and about again as I was doing the driving. So we went to the Getty Centre, which is in a great position on top of a hill, and has wonderful gardens as well as a world class art collection. Back held out OK with the help of some slightly less corrosive painkillers.