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".

 

@Sandi T :
Thanks.for this info! Now I can understand why I had the impression yesterday, that I was familiar with the South Point Hotel.
I will continue my posting.

 

Day 5/16:
Today we started at 0730 our way to Tusayan next to the Grand Canyon. We drove most of the time on different highways and then on the Route 64. After driving about 900 miles in big US cities, on US highways and US A-/B-routes I will never complain about bad road conditions in Europe. In some areas the US roads were really bad!
The whole day we tested stores/diners and their offers of local cuisine. We really enjoyed it! For example: Blueberry muffins, blueberry bagels with cream cheese, burritos and always with the offered coffee options.
After our arrival in Tusayan we stopped at the Visitors Center and bought the "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass four $80 to be allowed to enter all National Parks without any further fees the upcoming days. In my opinion this pass is a bargain! Because a one-time entry to Grand Canyon is $35.-
Equipped with this pass we started our first tour into the Grand Canyon National Park. After the queuing at the entrance we parked at of the huge parking options next to the Visitors Center of the Park and informed us there about possible routes by car, the shuttle busses and the hiking trails. From there we walked to the first view points and afterwards to the museum. I can not describe my impression when I saw parts of the Grand Canyon for my first time "live". I got goose bumps. A nearly unbelievable scenery! In the museum we got the opportunity to get some information from a retired National Park Ranger in his uniform at a 3-D model of the Grand Canyon. This was very interesting and I think the ranger himself was in his eighties.
Afterwards we walked back to our car and drove to our booked hotel. Tomorrow we will be the whole day at/in the Grand Canyon National Park and will combine the usage of our car, the shuttles and also do a hiking tour on a trail.

On our way on the highways. Along our way we saw many signs to the famous Route 66.


On the Route 64.
Here we had an unbelievable event with an old and completely overloaded truck. The truck loaded with rocks entered from another street from the left side the Route 64 in a very short distance to our car. Due to his heavy load he was very slow accelerating but the truck exhausts darkened the complete area in both directions. I have never seen such sooty exhaust fumes of a running vehicle before.


This is the great overall pass!


A little view into the wood next to the road after entering the Grand Canyon National Park.


My personal "first view" of Grand Canyon!


Wow!


I love it!


This little friend suddenly crossed my way and was very curious.


A last view from our first visit today.

 

Day 6/16:
Today we started at 0700 with our car to our "Grand Canyon Experience Tour". At the so called "Village" we parked the car and started a hiking tour on "The Bright Angel Trail". This means you start at a sea level of 6840 ft and hike down the trail into the canyon. BUT: You have to keep in mind that the way you hike down has to be done again in the other direction too! We enjoyed the great views and arrived after our "canyoning" at 0945 again the trailhead. It was fantastic, but exhausting too!
After a short recreation we took the "Red Bus Shuttle" to the end of the public reachable part of the Grand Canyon, the stop called "Hermits Rest". There we bought a delicious coffee and had different view possibilities of the canyon. With a following bus we went to a stop called "Powell". There you can find a big monument for Major John Wesley Powell who explored the Grand Canyon in row-boats with his crews in 1869 and 1872. On the way to this stop our female bus driver informed us about her personally favourite photo position a few minutes walk away from this stop. Of course we aimed to reach exactly this point too and we did. You will find a photo afterwards.
After this "special" we hiked the rest of the way back to our car along the edge of the canyon and enjoyed the great views and wonderful nature.
We reached our starting point at 1400 after in sum 15 kilometres distance and 1.000 metres of hight difference hiking in this marvellous area.
By our car we drove back to our hotel and recreated ourselves with a warm shower and some delicious food. Tomorrow we will be on the road again to reach the vicinity of the "Bryce Canyon" and our next accomodation for the following days.

A view into the canyon in the early morning.


The trail down and up the canyon.


Another great view.


One of the few flower species in the Grand Canyon at this time of year.


A group of Park Rangers on mules equipped with lots of tools passed us on the trail.


A great view next to the wall of the canyon on the trail.


This little guy rushed down in the middle of the trail and nearly crashed into my wife because of his "speeding". After this "near miss" it stopped next to the trail and gave me the chance to take this photo.


Back on the trailhead at 6840 ft.


While we were waiting for the shuttle suddenly this great looking oldtimer passed by.


The view of the Grand Canyon from the bus driver's tip.