The American voyage – Part IV

 Part IV – A change of scenery

What better way to achieve peace and tranquility after busy Vegas than head out into the wild? One of the wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon, is no more than ~3.5 hours away by car. Too good an opportunity to waste, right? Besides, driving there also allowed us to get closer to "the real America", so to say. We also found the time to stop by Hoover dam as it was only a few kilometres off our chosen path. Having the time to stop at interesting places like this makes for a more enjoyable vacation. We never intended to drive to the Grand Canyon and back in one day, anyway. In fact, we spent a night in a small town approximately one hour from the Canyon just to charge our batteries. Well, there was that and the fact that we were not entirely sure how to continue our trip the day after. However, after discussing pros and cons, we decided to go with our original plan and head toward San Francisco after visiting the Grand Canyon. But first things first...

Hoover dam being on the way made it a compulsory stop.

That's some bridge!

The Grand Canyon is grand. Really grand. So grand that it probably deserves more attention than we gave it on our visit. As we were on a bit of a schedule (hotels booked in other cities) and had plenty of driving ahead of us, we couldn't spend a whole day there, but still found enough time to walk around and gaze at the beauty and size of the whole thing. It's easy to spend time just gazing over the canyon and all the animals that have made it their home, mainly squirrels and birds by the looks of it. I saw plenty of birds flying majestically over the canyon and I suspect some of them might have been eagles, but I'm no expert on birds. Standing there watching all of this was a strong contrast to the restlessness of Vegas just the day before. Supposedly, they arrange trips into the valley of the Grand Canyon too, which I can only imagine makes for a more complete experience. Truly a marvellous place to visit, but our trip had to continue.

If you think this looks amazing, imagine being there in person!

The drive from Grand Canyon to San Francisco is a long one, and being smart drivers, we decided it would be better to spend the night somewhere along the route to SF instead of driving there in one go. There's no point driving that long if you don't have to, right? Stressing a lot is never good during a holiday. So after our short visit to Grand Canyon, we set a course for a hotel by the lovely name of Oak Tree Inn, outside Barstow, California. Driving there took several hours too, but we got to see more of the desert and more of America on the way, which was great. That being said, the desert does get boring after a while. Another reason to get to the West Coast is to get a change of scenery. However, much of the charm of a road trip lies in visiting those roadside cafes and restaurants and seeing how ordinary Americans live. That's something we both enjoyed. When we finally arrived at the Oak Tree Inn several hours later, we didn't do much more than eat some snacks and watch TV. The drive to San Francisco continued the following morning and with it, the realization that our trip was coming to its end too.

San Francisco. Cool name for a cool city. And by cool I mean low temperatures. San Francisco even took us vikings by surprise. Having been spoiled by the heat of the desert for several days, coming to San Francisco felt a bit like being tossed from a sauna to a snowbank. To put it another way; It felt like being back in Norway. It was an odd feeling, being cold again and having to wear a jacket! In mid-July nonetheless. Outrageous!  After the initial shock, however, we realized San Fran wasn't a bad place. It just wasn't a very warm place. At least not during our stay there. Fortunately, there were other things to do than just complain about the weather. Like vising Fisherman's Warf and especially Pier 39. (Unfortunately the supposedly entertaining sea lions were a no show). Now, Pier 39 is one of the top sights in the city and not without reason: The place is beautifully situated next to the sea with an open view to both the Golden Gate bridge and the Rock (also known as Alcatraz). In addition to this, there are several cafes, restaurants and shops on the pier itself. In fact, there is even an old-fashioned merry-go-round there if you like those for one reason or another. 

Pier 39. One of the biggest tourist attractions in SF.

Fisherman's Warf quickly became our favorite spot in the city. We didn't fancy downtown SF and found the atmosphere there to be a bit dodgy to be honest. Sure, Fisherman's Warf is a tourist trap, but I suppose it is so for a reason. There are plenty of things to see and do there. I suspect it would have been even better if those darn sea lions would just show up. Despite the lack of said animals, we had plenty of fun. We did the usual sightseeing and also found time to go on a cruise around the Golden Gate Bridge and the Rock, which was fun. A great way to see the major sights of the city. If you want tickets to the ship that actually visits the prison, you should book them ahead of time.

Fisherman's Warf!

We also visited places like Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury later on. The park's enormous size surprised us, but we still got to see plenty of it. It was obvious that many of the inhabitants of the city enjoyed having this green oasis nearby and being able to escape the noise of the big city. I assume most people have heard of Golden Gate, Alcatraz and maybe Fisherman's Warf, but what about Haight-Ashbury? We had never heard of it previously, so it was a novel experience for us, albeit a very enjoyable one. Haight-Ashbury is a part of SF famous for its hippie culture, which becomes very obvious if you visit the place. There are plenty of shops there that sell marihuana equipment (and I suspect maybe the product itself too, if you know who to ask), hippie clothes and articles. The streets and nearby parks are also populated by, how should I formulate it, "colorful" people. Idiosyncratic is in fact the perfect word to describe Haight-Ashbury. Visit it if you have the chance. It's a place that you won't easily forget. 

Haight-Ashbury in all its glory.

Some of that unique SF architecture.

That should pretty much sum up our SF trip. We stayed at a hotel in Castro Valley, which is a 30-40 min trip if you use the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). Basically, a train connection. Not bad considering how much money you can save by living on the outskirts. We only stayed there for a couple of days before we set a course for Los Angeles again. Driving from SF to LA was something we were looking forward to very much as we were going to take the longer, scenic route known as Highway 1. Rumor has it that it's one of the most beautiful routes in the world and this turned out to be no understatement. 

Do you like scenery that makes you want to pinch yourself just in order to confirm that you are in fact awake? Yes? Do yourself a favor and drive along Highway 1 before you move into an old folk's home.  After spending days driving in the desert, driving along Highway 1 was like coming to another world. Gone were the straight roads, the hundreds of trailers and the tumbleweed! Hello ocean, curvy roads and vegetation! The scenery is so stunning we felt guilty for not stopping every five minutes just to take it all in. Luckily, we have proof of being there thanks to cameras. And mind, we did stop occasionally. We both agreed that it would have been more than nice to have a couple of extra days to fully enjoy everything along the route to LA. At this point, however, we only had a couple of days left of our vacation, which means we had to be selective and do some prioritizing.  

Writing this in late December, I don't recall where along Highway 1 we spent the night, but it must have been some four-five hours from LA. As we were driving there, we couldn't help but marvel at all the beautiful locations along the route. There were plenty of places where we could imagine spending more time, but as I pointed out, our trip was coming to and end and we were bound for LA. Luckily, we had time to drop by places such as Monterey Bay Aquarium and check out some of the sealife. Aquariums are always fun and this was no exception. The fact that it was located in such beautiful surroundings didn't hurt either. 

Somewhere along Highway 1 toward LA. Stunning.

The day after, we eventually made it to LA after having passed countless picturesque places along the route. Arriving in LA during rush hour traffic was a rough change of pace after this. After finally making it to the airport and delivering our rental car at the airport, we had to spend like an hour in a taxi to get to our hotel in Hollywood. We made it there eventually, both of us tired at this point. Being able to check into our hotel and order some food was wonderful after such a busy day. The food wasn't particulary good this evening, but that's besides the point. Afterward, we tried to decide what to do with our remaining days in LA. One thing was for sure: We were going to visit Craig Ferguson's talk show the following day as we had tickets to his show. In addition to this, we figured we should at least visit Universal Studios since we hadn't visited any other amusement parks. The rest of the time could easily be spent doing random sightseeing in Hollywood and nearby. This worked out well. Heck, we even found time to visit the Griffith Observatory, which offers a stunning overview of LA. Completely for free. 

Our holiday eventually came to an end and we attemped to prepare for all the hours of sitting aboard airplanes and at airports that were ahead of us. Going back to Norway wasn't easy after all the fun we'd had in the States. The trip had been well worth the wait and the money. I rarely think and reminisce about trips several times a week, but for some reason I just can't help myself. The US and everything we saw, experienced, tasted and felt has left me feeling overwhelmed. Being able to relive the trip by describing it to others is giving, but at the same time it makes me wish we were back in our Cadillac, driving along the coast without a worry in our mind. Just living in the moment, savoring it to the fullest. There's no doubt I'll be visiting again in the future. 

The American voyage – Part III

The American voyage – Part III, Amidst sinners and gamblers

Sin city. Slot machines. Neon signs. Dancing fountains. Dodgy nightclubs. Luxurious hotels. What city comes to mind? Could it be...Las Vegas? If so, that's a bingo! When you do a trip to the US, you have to make it a proper one and what better way to accomplish that than by going to Vegas? Just rolling into Vegas in our Cadillac felt unreal. There's so much to process: all the stunning hotels, all the people, all the signs, all the noise and all the action. After a while, you simply come to view Vegas as nothing but an amusement park for adults in the middle of the desert. It's crazy, stressful and spectacular all at the same time. I still find it hard to believe that I've actually been there. And I want to go there again!

Now, some people seem to hate Vegas, but my friend and I found it to be one of the highlights of our trip. In fact, there were only two minor problems with the place: 1)The heat was....unusual, to say the least. At 43c, it felt like what I imagine it feels like to live in close proximity to the sun. However, that being said, it was also strangely enjoyable at the same time. As long as a bottle of sweet H2O was nearby. Having access to a pool doesn't hurt either. 2) There are plenty of people handing out flyers along certain parts of the strip. These people don't always take "no" for an answer and continually try to force you to accept their flyers. "What magnificent products do they advertise?", you may ask and rightfully so. Oh, what else but hot and steamy action with wild college girls. These girls are even willing to come to your hotel room and party with you! Only a phone call away! I suppose this kind of thing is part of of the whole Sin City package, but I still found it odd that they had no issue handing these flyers out to families either. 

So what about all those shiny hotels, you ask? If you've seen any movies filmed in Vegas, you'll have an idea of what they look like. But even then, you won't really be able to experience the sensation that comes with being in Vegas in person. Now, these hotels, especially the ones along the strip, are so extravagant and over the top, I doubt I will ever see or visit such ludicrous places ever again. Unless I visit Vegas again, of course. It seems all the hotels are trying to outperform each other, with the newest ones often being the most glamorous of them all. Just stopping by these hotels is an experience in itself as it gives you a chance to marvel at the madness inside. Truly, Las Vegas is like visiting another planet. The Vegas atmosphere is best experienced by simply walking up and down the strip in the evening, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells. It's a place hard to describe properly in words. You just have to be there. Vegas is so unique, it's worth the trip in itself. And if you don't fancy it, you can always just fuck off.

That shiny hotel was our home in Las Vegas.

You get to see and experience a lot of things just by walking along the strip, but if you are willing to depart with some money, you can take it to the next level. We decided to do just that. One day, we drove to the outskirts of Vegas to see and try some of the fastest cars on the planet. There's a great place called Exotics Racing where they let car enthusiasts realize their wet dreams. Of course, sitting behind the wheel of cars like Ferrari and Lamborghini don't come for free. My friend, however, having the money and being a huge car maniac, decided to spend some cheddar on this particular activity. And he did seem to have a lot of fun burning rubber on the track. While I didn't drive any cars myself, I had fun filming the event and participating in a drive along with one of the professional drivers working at Exotics Racing, which was an adrenaline inducing experience in itself. Fun, fun, fun! A place well worth visiting if you're a car man (or woman). 

What is a Vegas trip without a show? No Vegas trip at all. There being so many shows made it hard to pick one, but we eventually decided on going to see Rock of Ages at the Venetian. It had received plenty of good reviews and we both like rock music. The price wasn't too bad either as we bought them from a ticket office with discounted prices. Don't worry, they are easy to find. Like most humans, we enjoy food, so we decided we might as well try Gordon Ramsay's BurGR restaurant prior to the show. Queing took us about 20 minutes, but we waited even longer than that for the food itself. A shame and an obvious screw-up from the staff whose worried looks were a tell-tale sign. And the fact that our ever so pleasant waitress said we need not tip. The wait was indeed horrific, so we left no tip (I think this was the only time we didn't leave a restaurant tip on the whole trip). The burger in itself was magnificent, though. Unfortunately, after waiting so long for the meal, we were forced to sprint to the Venetian to make it to Rock of Ages in time. Needless to say, it's not an easy task when you've just digested a burger, some filthy fries and a huge milkshake. We did, however, make it there in time. 

A filthy burger at Ramsay's BurGR restaurant.

The show itself was even better than I anticipated. It contained plenty of humour, unique characters and loads of catchy rock songs. The audience seemed very much into the whole thing (especially the drunk ones), which made it all better. Plot-wise, it's not a mindblowing story, but my guess is that most people watch it for the music anyway. It was a fun two hours or so and definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Afterward, we decided to check out the strip again and ended up visiting the Bellagio fountains. A great way to end our last night in Vegas.  

One of Vegas' landmarks, the Bellagio fountains.