A road trip in California.
Part 2
We left Yosemite and headed for Mono Lake. The drive took us over the Tiago Pass, a dramatic drive with amazing cliff top views over the meadows. As we started the descent we dropped the RVs into low gear to reduce the risk of the brakes burning out in the heat. We camped at Mono Vista RV Park which had a perfectly placed swing set for us to view the lake and push the kids. As Steve checked in he was warned that a bear was on site the night before. It was a little reminder of where we were in the world.
The next day we headed to Bodie Ghost Town, a genuine gold-mining ghost town! We wandered around the surviving buildings amazed that the interiors remained untouched and some were still stocked with goods. Even though it was the middle of the day, some houses felt eerie.
We had been looking forward to the next part of the drive - Death Valley. we filled up the RVs and found a shop before setting off. We stayed in a lovely campsite called Panamint Springs, just before crossing Death Valley, which definitely had the rustic, western feel. We parked up and went straight to their restaurant. The dust from the sand dunes was crazy, but the food was amazing! The staff were so friendly and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We ventured outside for a look over the sand dunes and the Panamint Mountains, then got back to the vans just before a storm rolled in. It was definitely Sam’s most exciting night!
We woke early the next morning to try and do the majority of the drive before midday. We had been warned of extreme temperatures - not something we wanted to experience when our aircon could not cope with the heat. I ended up sitting side ways on the passenger seat as the heat from the engine was unbearable and the aircon was intermittent.
The drive was incredible. The road seemed to go on forever in the distance and we had it to ourselves.
I have never been to Las Vegas and experiencing it with kids was definitely different to how imagined my first visit to be. You could not escape the crowds and we searched for somewhere the kids would eat. We found a Rainforest Cafe - it was a long wait but we explored a bit and returned later. It was worth it as the waitress was lovely and the kids were amazed at the whole set up. Full up, we headed down to see the sites and took some memorable photos - my favourite being Andy recreating the Hangover with Esme in a sling. The lads wanted to experience a casino so as they went to the Blackjack table, I did laps with the kids in the buggy and ventured into the Hershey’s shop. It was a tiring day but we experienced a bit of Las Vegas.
We had one day left and rather than spending another day in Vegas we drove for a few hours to the Grand Canyon West Skywalk. The Grand Canyon has always been on my bucket list and the skywalk in the west gave us the opportunity to see it on this trip. On route, before crossing the border between Nevada and Arizona, we stopped at the Hoover Dam and walked over. It is truly is an engineering marvel.
When we arrived at Grand Canyon West the place was huge. The general admission gives you access to the hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus between the sites, which included scenic viewpoints and live performances. We paid extra to do the Skywalk. Esme had to be carried, and Sam panicked and would not stand on the glass! It was a great way to see the Grand Canyon and there was a lovely gift shop selling items from Native American artisans. This was our last day before flying down to Florida, and it was a perfect way to end the trip.