Pt 5. Big Sur

3 campsites in 3 days… now we’re rocking and rolling.

 

The drive from Death Valley to Big Sur is so long that we call it a day 30 miles short of our destination. It’s almost dark when we set up camp on a tiny site where we’re the only punters. 

$10 a night. Bargain!

The next morning we make it to the coast and it starts bloody raining. The forecast is for 10 consecutive days of sunshine. So we’re not happy.

Our mood doesn’t improve when we call in at Hearst Castle to check out the summer residence of California’s most famous billionaire. No reservations = no admittance. Which is very annoying. 

Since when do you have to book a visit to a stately home? 

The woman on the desk tells us there are plenty of tickets left for tomorrow. But we can’t see the whole place on one tour. We need to buy different tickets for different parts of the house: $25 to see the downstairs, $25 to see the bedrooms, $25 for the swimming pool and another $25 to have a look around the kitchen.

So $100 then. Plus tax. We’re starting to see where William Randal Hearst made all his money.

We take the executive decision not to add to his fortune and content ourselves with a quick look around the gift shop, where of course we don’t by anything.

 

What is absolutely free though, is a visit to see the Elephant Seal colony on a nearby beach.

These fabulous gentle beasts lift our spirits hugely. 

They’re a bit smelly, very noisy and absolutely massive. The males can grow to a length of 16ft and weigh up to 5,000lbs.

 

At the other end of the scale these pups are a mere 100lbs. How can blubber be so cute?

 

At dusk the rain stops and we finally see Big Sur in all its majesty. 

Mist rolling in beneath a dramatic sunset sky.

Yes, this is more like it.

*****************************************

Update:

The sun came out on our second day here. Big Sur is terrific, we love it.

Pt 4. Death Valley

We’re back in the van on Sunday for a return to Las Vegas to pick up Steve and Anna. They’ve flown in to spend 3 weeks with us in the van. Magic!

We load up with vegan nibbles and IPA before driving out to the Death Valley National Park. A barren magical place that somehow manages to out-weird the weirdness of Joshua Tree.

Look! we’ve let Steve do some driving.

Officially the hottest place in North America and unofficially the hottest place in the world, temperatures in excess of 110°F are the norm here between May and October. The rental agreement for our van doesn’t allow us to enter the park on these months – too hot and risky – we like this, it makes us feel like a bunch of high stakes pioneers.

The next day we walk to, and through, Golden Canyon. A 5 mile loop that takes in some of the park’s most distinctive gullies, drop-offs and rock formations.

Of course, we don’t do what most folk do and set off early to avoid harshest weather. We wait until lunchtime when it’s absolutely blistering. Apparently this is how high stakes pioneers roll.

Mad dogs, Englishmen and an Italian go out in the midday sun.

We survive. Just. Then drive to the salt flats of the Badwater Basin  for more other-worldly landscapes. We’re 280ft below sea level here, which is a bit odd. And it’s very, VERY hot.

Death Valley is a hot place indeed.

Luxury!

We do Joshua Tree National Parkin style. Our good friends Andy and Erin rent a beautiful house in the desert for 3 days and kindly stick us in a huge room with a huge bed and a huge en suite bathroom. We appreciate the hugeness.

The last time we saw them was in San Francisco 10 years ago. A momentous occasion; not just because we had so much fun – cycling the Golden Gate Bridge, eating great Chinese food and watching Newcastle beat Portsmouth in a grungy Sports Bar – but also because it was the day the American people elected Obama for president. 

Carefree Trump-free days. Can we go back please?

Once they’d recovered from the euphoria of witnessing that famous Newcastle victory they get married, move house and give birth to the endlessly entertaining Luella (actually Erin gave birth, Andy just watched), so despite Donald Trump everything is pretty fantastic in their lives.

It’s Andy’s birthday on the Saturday and a couple of pals come over from San Diego to help us celebrate. Here he is accepting a birthday cake from someone strange.

And here we are around the patio fire (L to R: Jordan, Joelle, me, Luella, Erin and Andy).

It got messy later. Tequila and Mezcal heavily involved.

But it isn’t just 72 hours of hedonism, we do manage a walk through the park. A unique landscape of weird rocks, desert flowers and …er, Joshua Trees (funny that).

There’s also a quick pit-stop at Pappy & Harriet’s, an out of the way saloon which doubles as a quirky music venue where the great and the good take to the stage (Paul McCartney, Lucinda Williams, Josh Homme et al). 

There was no-one playing while we were there but we arrange to meet our friend Molly who was on the Lost City Walk with us in Colombia. Who needs Macca when they’ve got Molly!

Road Runners

11 hours behind the wheel yesterday as we make our way from Zion to Joshua Tree. 

Look on the roadmap and it’s a couple of inches. Hit the road and those inches convert to a lot of miles.

Amazing desert landscapes and skies along the way. Here's our first Joshua.

This train took fully 10 minutes to chug by.  Check out the storm on the horizon.

 

Oh, and we fill up at the world’s biggest petrol station. 

We know we’re in America now.

Pt 3. Zion National Park

Months ago I looked at Zion National Parkon the map and thought it massively convenient that it’s only about 40 miles north of the Grand Canyon. 

That’s an hour in the van, tops. Result!

A pal looked over my shoulder and pointed out that there’s quite a sizable void between the 2 campsites and to his knowledge there wasn’t a bridge spanning the bugger. So instead of one hour in the van yesterday we spend seven.

It was a lovely drive though, with several stops to admire the view including this amazing ‘horseshoe’ bend of the Colorado River. Check out how small the boat looks from our perch 400ft up.

We’re in Utah now where there’s another subtle shift in the scenery. More Fir and Cottonwood trees, less Junipers, and if anything the rock formations are even more dramatic.

Our frustration at missing out on Yosemite later in the trip is tempered by what we find in Zion. The set-up is broadly similar; a long and winding valley floor dominated by epic mountain peaks and waterfallos on either side.

It’s ridiculously beautiful.

On our first full day we hike as high as the snowline.

Then, hopelessly unprepared turn right back.

It’s slowly warming up too. So I can finally scare Wend with some of my best ghost stories around the campfire. 

We could get used to van life. Work is so overrated.

Pt 2. The Grand Canyon

Yesterday we drove a few hours north to the Grand Canyon – or the ‘ditch’ as Arizonians affectionaly call it. 

Luckily the unseasonably cold weather has kept the crowds away so there’s no jostling for space at the sunset viewpoint.

Incredible. Just incredible.

Although similar in size to the huge canyon we saw at San Gilin Colombia it’s a lot more dramatic. This is thanks mainly to the varied hues of the rock and the fact that instead of being a straight east to west job it’s far more twisty turny – meandering is the technical term I think. The sunlight and shadows constantly changing on the valley walls to spectacular effect.

But enough about the world’s most wondrous spectacle, let’s get back to the weather. Last night I slept in me undies, pyjamas, tracksuit bottoms, 2 pairs of socks, a vest, t-shirt, long-sleeved sweatshirt, fleece, neck-warmer and beanie hat. Wend had on the same but also wore a scarf. We had 2 duvets and the big alpaca blanket we bought in Ecuador. And we were just about warm enough.

It was -10°C! 

Considerably colder than anything either of us have ever experienced.

Our campsite is massive with more than 330 pitches and it’s officially fully booked, but look at it this morning – there can’t be more than 20 hardy souls here. Everyone else has doubtless taken one look at the forecast and said “Sod, that”.

At least we’re in the van. There are some nutters who have pitched their tents. I mean you just wouldn’t would you?

Once we’ve thawed out and had a cuppa we head out for our first proper hike in the canyon.

The Kaibab Trailstarts at the top of the south rim and drops all the way to the river some 1480 metres below. Our plan is to walk as much of it as we can before our legs give out.

Ice makes it very treacherous underfoot to begin with, this soon turns to mud though and after a while the only hazard is a passing mule train.

Such is the size of the canyon that after 3 hours we barely make it to the halfway point.

Conscious that it’ll be harder going up than down we turn back, exhausted but totally exhilarated.

Reaching the bottom will have to wait for the next time.

Campervan Capers Pt 1. Sedona AZ

Warning: this post contains an extended weather rant.

After a tedious couple of days in Phoenix we finally pick up our campervan. The hire company customises each van with a unique paint job and fittingly ours is adorned with an Arizona desert landscape.

We love it and are chuffed that this will be our home on wheels for the next 10 weeks.

The first campsite we’ve booked is 130 miles north just outside the small town of Sedona. It’s a gorgeous little site with only 19 pitches sandwiched between a redstone cliff on one side and a bubbling creek on the other.

This would be perfect if it wasn’t for one inescapable fact… it’s absolutely freezing! Oh, and another… it’s pissing down.

At this time of the year it averages 23°C in this region and if you’re really unlucky there’s half an inch of rain for the entire month.

On our first night it hovers between 1 and 2°C and rains for 13 straight hours. 

It relents for a few hours in the morning and we manage to squeeze in a brisk hike but then becomes even colder and the rain turns to sleet. The poor buggers in tents on the campsite abandon ship and we dig into our bags to add yet more layers to what we are already wearing.

Everyone we meet says the same two things; “it shouldn’t be this cold” and “It never
rains like this here”. Which cheers us up no end.

Still, things can only get better eh? Well, seemingly not because this afternoon there’s an email from the park ranger at Yosemite informing us that due to the most severe snowstorm in years all campsite bookings for the next 2 months are cancelled.

This is a national park that’s geared up for mental winter weather. Storms and avalanches are the norm but come springtime everything comes up roses. But not this bloody year.

It’s such a bummer, especially for our friends Steve and Anna who will be joining us in a couple of weeks as they’ve set their hearts on visiting the famous Yosemite Valley.

Eventually, on day 3 at the campsite it stops raining. It’s still very chilly but we see some blue sky and head out for some proper hiking.

And it’s beautiful. 

In the 1950’s and 60’s scores of cowboy films were shot in and around Sedona and it’s not hard to see why. 

The immense redstone Mesas and desert landscapes providing the perfect backdrop for John Wayne and Ronald Reagan to strut their stuff.

Now this is better. 

Dullsville Arizona

Phoenix Arizona. Sounds pretty cool doesn't it? 

Well trust me, it isn't. 

It's probably the most humdrum city we've visited on the entire trip.

Apart from its botanical gardens, which we enjoy, there is absolutely nothing of note to say or write about Phoenix.

So I won't bother.