Featured Touring In The Land Of Stars And Stripes

Day 1/16:
Yesterday we started our big journey to the USA. At 0630 we got a lift from my father in law to the train station. Afterwards we took the train to the airport near the city of Vienna in Schwechat. At 0950 our nearly 12 hours flight to LA started. I never watched so many films in one session before!
After our arrival in LA we waited more than one hour with hundreds of other people at the inspection zone to get "officially welcomed" in the USA. We were well prepared with the needed visas and after collecting all our finger prints, taking a photo and a bunch of questions about our stay we were allowed to enter the USA. After picking up our luggage we took an airport service bus to our car rental station. In March this year I rented in advance a Ford Mustang Convertible but two days before we started our journey I received an e-mail of our rental organisation that all Ford Mustangs have to be checked by Ford due to a technical issue. What a pitty! So we had to skip our Mustang dreams and were really curious about the provided alternative offer of the rental company. At the rental station we had some fun with the "desk officers" and were allowed to choose between a "sports" or a "luxury" model.
"Sports":
Two Dodge Charger in a very low equipment status in ugly grey.
"Luxury":
A Genesis Van or an Audi Quattro A5 Coupe S-Line.
We took the Audi. It is equipped in the highest level and has some nice additions like an electric extendable sunroof, more than 360 HP, Quattro, etc.
After the paperwork we left the station directly to Santa Monica and the famous Santa Monica Pier. There we had our first US coffee in a big paper mug.
Due to the weather we left after about two hours of walking along the seaside the area and headed to our first accomodation in the south of LA to get some rest for the upcoming days.
In the following some impressions of today.

At the airport waiting for the boarding. Our plane was a Boeing 777-200


USA we are coming across the sea!!!


Only 1:12 more to "go".


Some interesting "farming" situations in the area of Salt Lake City.


Here we are!!!


Our "mobilizer" for the next days.


First view of the Santa Monica Pier.


A typical seagull on the beach.


An interesting option to live for seniors with enough money!


A mobile surfboard rental store.

 

Day 2/16:
After some sleep in the night we started our day with a cup of fresh coffee in our hotel room. Afterwards.we had some more and left LA in the direction of North. Our final destination of today was Las Vegas. At 0700 we left our hotel in LA and drove all across LA to the highway numbered 15. On this highway we crossed beautiful and impressive parts of the Mojave dessert. Some of you may ask why we left LA after only some hours. We will come back for two days after our round trip to get even more in touch with LA.
In Las Vegas we conquered some shopping centers and filled the trunk of our car. We arrived yesterday with some additional space in our suitcases, which is now filled with "some" clothes and other useful things. At 1500 we had an appointment with "Elvis" at the big sign of Las Vegas for our marriage renewal. We had lots of fun and it was a great happening there for about 45 minutes. After the ceremony we had to flee back into our apartment hotel according to the upcoming thunder storm. For about two hours the weather got really crazy and dangerous! In the early evening we shopped again to get some food for the next days.
In the following some impressions of the 270 miles and some other highlights of today.

After more than two hours we reached the highway number 15. I wouldn't have ever expected the bad road conditions which we faced in LA and the surroundings.of LA!


Up into the hills and mountains!


In Primm we saw this interesting "team".⁰


"The" local casino.


Beside the big"Tesla energy park" you can see some additional offers for though people.


A first look into the Mojave dessert.


A big sun energy park.
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A group of screaming pride maids on tour in Las Vegas.


The world famous "Las Vegas" sign.


A view from our accommodation after the first part of the thunderstorm.

 

Day 3/16:
Today we started our long day at 0700 and drove to the Red Rock Canyon. We were in luck because today there was a free entrance according to a national celebration day. In the visitors center we were informed about the specials of the national park and had the possibility to watch the feeding of the dessert turtles. Afterwards we did the 13 miles roundtrip through the park and enjoyed the great views there.
At lunchtime I prepared some tortellini with a spinach-curry-coconutsauce in our apartment.
Afterwards we visited the "Shelby" facility. A big exhibition with lots of historic Shelby's, a garage where the Shelby's are built and a big merchandise option for fans. We found some nice presents for ourselves there.
After a short stop for a coffee we went by our car to the "Treasure Island Hotel". We used the parking possibility there and did a real long walk along the "Strip". For dinner we tested the "Wahlburgers", a fast food restaurant of Marc Wahlberg the US actor. The offered burgers there were great. On the "Strip" we stepped nearly into all famous hotels. Treasure Island, The Venetian, Flamingo, Palazzo, Bellagio and the Caesars Palace. In the Treasure Island we also played for some minutes in the Casino. We had some fun but our played money disappeared in seconds.
Back in our appartement at about 2000 we had some glasses of a delicious "Zinfandel" wine.

Our "breakfast view" of Las Vegas in the early morning.


At the Red Rock Canyon National Park.


Some of the famous "Red Rocks".


A humming bird during its breakfast next to the Visitors Center.


One of the dessert turtles.


The entrance of the Shelby Center.


Some rememberings and one of the famous Shelby's.


On the crowded "Strip". After our dinner the pedestrian walks were even more crowded!


One of the famous facilities of the actual US president.


A small view into the Casino.

 

@Sandi T:
Many thanks to you!
The Red Rock Park was great!!! The "Strip" in Las Vegas in the early evening was really crazy!
The Audi is nice to drive, but nearly all additional electronic gadgets aren't activated on this rental car! No navigation function, the Apple Car Play or Android Auto does not work, because of a software error in the Audi-MMI. This means we navigate directly from or smartphones, because the connection via USB and or the WLAN and Bluetooth does not work properly and so we are not able to use the existing big screens of the car. This is a mess with an high-end car which costs +$90.000.-!!!
We had two times rain till now in Las Vegas.

 

Day 4,/16:
Today we started with a session in the gym of our hotel and trained about 1 hour there. After a relaxing shower and a big mug of coffee we left and drove to an other one called "South Point". There we had an appointment for a breakfast and a business presentation which we had agreed on our arrival day in Las Vegas. In the South Point Hotel is also the 4th biggest Casino of Las Vegas situated. During our way from one of the restaurants to the presentation we passed several huge different parts of the Casino. It was unbelievable. After the business we spent some little money on a slot machine. My wife was able to keep her "invested" money for 3 rounds. In about 10 seconds it was away. At my turn I was a bit luckier and won three times but also lost my "invest" soon. In the Casino hundreds of people were playing and watching football since the early morning. I was told that many guest save the whole year their money for a journey to Las Vegas for a few days and spend their complete savings in this time.
After this impressive activities we did some shopping in a huge Walmart again and reached our hotel afterwards.
There we enjoyed the pool options and packed some of our belongings for our upcoming continuation of our road trip tomorrow.

In the early morning I "found" this Tesla Cyber Truck on our parking facilities nearby the hotel. It is hudge. I was surprised about the steering rear axle.


This Corvette Z8 was parking next to our rental car at the other hotel.


A view of the "South Point" Hotel.


The bad slot machine!


I never saw and bought a bigger package of bottled water (40 bottles!) before in my lifetime!


Halloween is coming. Lots of unbelievable decorations were available in the shop.


The pool of our hotel.


A kind of jacuzzi to "boil" the guests of the hotel. Temperature was about 40 degrees celsius or 104 F!!! I felt like a lobster!


Some wonderful cloud views from our appartement.


Those clouds look like in "Westerns".