Arizona Cruisin'

After leaving Joshua Tree we headed east into Arizona to visit with family in the Glendale area. We always enjoy seeing family who we don't see often, meeting new people and, of course, getting a first class tour of the area from the experts. It's a time when we can sit back for a while and really enjoy our stay without having to google our way around. Of course we also appreciate a washer and dryer that doesn't take coins, home cooked meals cooked in an oven and a much bigger bathroom than the one in our RV!

Enjoyed a great hike at White Tank Mountains with Aunt Diane

3000 year old petroglyphs could be seen in the rock faces all along the trail

       

We also enjoyed meeting up with Aunt Diane's friends for a 4 mile group hike. It was a spectacular trek through the desert and a great opportunity to see the various kinds of cacti that live here. 

                                      

And no family visit would be complete without a host of home cooked meals shared with family and friends. 

My father, Gary and Aunt Diane, and of course, Steve! Nothing like roast chicken dinner on our last night with savoury dressing from Newfoundland. 

It was nice to see Uncle Randy and share dinner with friends Gary and John!

After 5 days in Glendale we decided to head south and made a stop in iconic Tombstone. Known as the "Town Too Tough To Die", Tombstone got its start in 1871 as a silver mining claim. It became a bustling boomtown of the Wild West and provided entertainment to the miners in the way of saloons, theatres, brothels and casinos. It was fascinating to see the real places where gunslingers like Wyatt Earp engaged in brutal gun fights at places like the O.K. Corral and where the longest poker game in history took place. It ran for over 8 years, with $10 million dollars exchanging hands during that time. Our stroll along Allen Street took us back to another era where cowboy hats and stagecoaches were the norm and we became one with the heroes and villains of the day. 

It was also fun to take in a gunfight at a local saloon. These guys certainly seemed like the real deal. 

Though Tombstone is now very touristy it was interesting and relaxing and just a great place to visit!

After Tombstone, we continued south to Bisbee, Arizona and then looped back towards Kartchner Caverns and Tucson to visit the Titan Missile Museum. 

This was an awesome 1 hour guided tour of one of the most destructive weapons ever built. Watching a simulated launch was a literally terrifying experience even though the program was based on a peace by deterrence model.

Onwards to the North we go towards Winslow, Flagstaff and Sedona! Perhaps one of the nicer drives we have taken was along Highway 60 after leaving Globe, Arizona. I think you would agree that the Salt River Canyon was spectacular.

As the sun begins to set outside our trailer window at Meteor Crater RV Park, we are excited about the many sights and sounds yet to be explored in Arizona.

Back To the Desert

At a crossroads where the Mohave and Colorado Deserts meet in Southern California is Joshua Tree National Park. Characterized by stretches of desert plains, rugged mountains, boulders and oddly shaped trees known as Joshua Trees visiting this place made me feel as though I were trapped in an episode of The Flintstones or at least a character in a Dr. Seuss book. Camping out in Twentynine Palms, a small city where the park headquarters is located, we explored all that the park had to offer. Here's a look at the weirdly beautiful Joshua Tree Park.

Skull Rock

Massive rocks just seemingly placed wherever, sometimes perfectly balanced atop an enormous pile of boulders.

As we explored the desert landscape we had to watch out for snakes and tarantulas. It was a common occurrence to see lizards scoot by and to hear coyotes howling in the middle of the night. 

Hundreds of people visit the park during this cooler busy season. They love to climb over the boulders and can even be seen rock climbing in places. 

Time to hit the road once again. We really enjoyed the serenity of the desert and the big open land and sky. Heading east now towards Phoenix, Arizona to spend time with family. 

La La Land

Looking out over LA from Hollywood Bowl

“Life is a highway I want to ride it all night long” is the famous line in Tom Cochrane’s 1991 smash hit. However, we suddenly found ourselves on a highway that we quickly wished to exit as we entered Los Angeles County from

the relaxed vibe of the Pacific Coast. A maze of whizzing traffic 8-10 lanes deep, interchanges at every turn, Steve went from tourist to  professional Nascar driver as he snaked all 38 feet of our RV between lanes of traffic. With his head on a swivel and hands white knuckling the steering wheel, we finally crossed the finish line when we arrived at Walnut Grove RV Park. Needless to say, a celebratory cocktail was in order. 

Settled in in the community of Northridge, just 23 miles outside of Hollywood,

we decided to stay for a couple of days and take in the sights and sounds of Tinsel Town. Hollywood certainly caters to the tourist and there were an abundance of tours that we could have taken but when you travel with your own wheels and you’ve got Google who needs to spend money on touristy stuff like that? So off we went on the motorcycle in search of the best place to see the infamous Hollywood sign!  Mulholland Drive, which coincidentally is also where many actors and actresses live, had a great lookout over Hollywood Bowl and the city of Los Angeles. After touring around the area we decided to

head straight for Hollywood Boulevard and take in the Walk of Fame. We walked both sides of the strip admiring all the stars of film and music, stopped into an Irish Pub and then headed on down to the Chinese Theatre. 

The sights along Mulholland Drive 

                   

The Walk of Fame

      

Located on Hollywood Boulevard, just a stones throw from the site of the Academy Awards, is the TCL Chinese Theatre. Known as the most iconic movie palace in the world it is  home to the most prominent red carpet movie premieres and special events and the place where ordinary people became Hollywood celebrities. Located just outside the doors to the theatre are the cement hand and footprints of major movie stars from past to present. It was

fascinating to stroll amongst the cement platforms, reminiscing about the

contributions these people made to the theatrical world and to our enjoyment. Many paid a huge price for Hollywood fame and some have seemingly escaped the cruel world of glitz and glamour. This stark reminder was most notably evident in the streets before us as construction crews and other “important people” were erecting the set of the upcoming Academy Awards and Yes!!! we did get a chance to walk the red carpet (while it was still covered in plastic)!

Home of the Academy Awards - The Dolby Theatre

Exciting times!

Time to head back to the RV. What should normally take a 25 minute drive ended up taking us a little over an hour and half because of the enormous traffic. Our second day in the LA area was a day to relax. We didn’t feel like battling that monster of steel and rubber again. Steve was still thinking about his missed opportunity to buy a factory made Taylor guitar and ironically enough The Guitar Centre was just up the road so we took a walk up “just to have a look” and came home proud owners of a new guitar and a free ukulele just for me! So now we are getting ready for OUR Hollywood debut! 

We were happy to have visited the Los Angeles area but we were just as happy to leave. Hollywood is Hollywood, nothing grandiose or extra special, in fact it really appeared old and dilapidated. In fact the sad reality was that just metres away from Hollywood Boulevard, under an overpass, were rows of tents and shopping carts holding the life possessions of homeless people. The thick smog that hugs the mountainside mansions of their overpaid occupants masks the true reality of the many ordinary people of Southern California. Time to head east!

Back to traffic once again!

Our navigation system as we leave Los Angeles!

Sunny San Diego

San Diego is definitely a place in Southern California to which we would return. With a population of 1.4 million people, we felt comfortable and safe and had no problem in finding things to do and places to see. The delightfully warm temperatures, blue sky and sunshine was also something we really appreciated during our three day stay. 

A fun way to start our visit! Held every weekend!

San Diego has an amazing culture and relaxed vibe. No place was this more evident then during our visit to Seaport Village, a quaint little seaside board walk of local shops, restaurants and brewpubs. Many people milled about

enjoying the warm temperatures and local entertainment while others took advantage of the scenic area to get ina morning run. Not far from the village was the USS Midway Museum,  the United States’ longest serving aircraft carrier of the 20th century, from 1945 to 1992. A self guided audio tour led us through the map and chart room, the wheelhouse, the Brig and engine room as well as along the armoured flight deck. We also had an opportunity to take in a variety of presentations by retired navy personnel that highlighted the capabilities of the ship. It was a very interesting tour.

The USS Midway

The Brig of the ship

San Diego Harbour

During our second day, we decided to visit the Torrey Pines Recreation Area along the northern coastal area of San Diego. The hike was a coastal network of dirt hiking trails along bluffs overlooking the Pacific, through sandstone canyons

and protected wilderness areas of pine trees. The approximately 6 kilometre hike is very popular but one we are glad to have taken in. The end of the hike took us back along the beach, a mix of sand and beautifully coloured beach rocks. A trip to visit Old Town San Diego was certainly in order after this little excursion. Created in 1769 it is California’s first settlement and is considered the historic heart of San Diego. The Old Town has done a wonderful job at retaining its natural character, converting the old buildings into museums and specialty shops. There were also many restaurants, opportunities for wine tasting and local entertainment. A drive into the hills above Old Town displayed beautifully appointed homes reflecting the influence of Spanish and Mexican architecture. It was a great end to our day!

During our time in the area we had discovered that the Taylor Guitar Factory was right in our backyard AND they offered free factory tours Monday to Friday. Being a guitar enthusiast this was not an opportunity Steve could pass up and

 boy I’m glad we didn’t. The 1 hour guide led tour took us through the complete manufacturing process from raw product right through to the guitar being put on the retail shelf. We learned a lot about the manufacturing process and Taylor’s commitment to environmental sustainability, replanting more trees than they use to produce their product. The Ebony Project highlights the work Taylor is doing in Cameroon, Africa in sourcing and processing ebony for the manufacturing of their guitars but also demonstrates their social responsibility in assisting the communities and the people of the area. If you are ever in the San Diego area this is one tour you don’t want to miss. It was hard, but we did manage to escape the factory without Steve buying a brand new Taylor!

In the Milling area

Time to leave now and head North along the Pacific 101 Highway! Our drive through Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach reflected the amazing views synonymous with the California coast as well as the amazing wealth of the people who live there. Every car we passed was a Bentley, Maserati or Ferrari and then everyone else drove BMW’s, Mercedes, and Porches. The houses were sprawling mansions, all occupying coveted hillside space with Pacific views. The cost of overnighting in the parks in these areas also reflected the cost of living!! Moving on towards Santa Monica and Malibu, we gradually made our way to the bustling city of Los Angeles and surrounding areas.

Beautiful Laguna Beach