Big update coming soon

Well, the last few days have been manic. Car is currently broken down, but am hoping to get back on the road today/tomorrow. More news soon!

American Road Trip Day 10 - Las Vegas, NV to Death Valley, CA

Waking up fairly bright and early this morning, I decided today is my day to head out and get to California. The sun is shining, the sky is blue, the car is Brown. What more could a guy on the road want?

Looking at my map I see this big national park between Vegas and my next major destination, San Francisco. This park is called Death Valley.

Sounds good to me, and so I plot a course through it taking me out the other end in the town of Ridgecrest. Using hotwire, I book my hotel for the night, spend another $35 on taxi fare to get my car, fill her up with gas, and head on out.

Nevada is just one big desert. There is nothing but sand and scrubland as far as the eye can see. It's warm. Very warm - but then when you're driving through the Mojave Desert, what do you expect? Before long I'm approaching the park.

It is truly breathtaking. You come over the brow of a mountainline and are confronted with this calm and tranquil looking Valley inbetween you and the next ridge in the distance. To say it's vast is an understatement (3000 square miles).

Having socked up on another 6 bottles of water at the last gas station/brothel (yes, it was a gas station and brothel in one), I venture towards the park entrance. It's a telling sign when it's so hot that rather than collect the entry fee, there is a car-park style machine where you have to pay for and print out your ticket. As an honest sort of chap, I pay my $10 and continue on into the valley.

Down there, it is hot. So hot in fact, it holds the record for the second hottest temperature recorded in the world, and the highest in the Americas. As you go further into the valley life stops existing. Shurbs become further separated, insects stop splatting across the windscreen. It is too barren, too devoid of water for life to survive.

I continue in.

The lowest point of Death Valley is the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Walking here across the salt flats, I struggle to remember a hotter place I have been. The pyramids? No? Valley of the Kings? Not a patch on how hot it is here. It's so hot, that I step out of my car to make the 50 metre walk out onto the salt flats, walk 10 metres, then double back to the car to take water with me.

By the time I'm done here, it's now approaching 5pm. I decide to continue onwards and towards my hotel in Ridgecrest. My GPS tells me there's a way out of Death Valley heading south. I can't help but notice that no-one else is going South when they leave Badwater, but assume that they're also staying closer by and not travelling quite as far as me.

10 miles south and my road turns off onto a gravel track. This doesn't worry me - there are gravel tracks as roads all over America, and I've driven then in every state so far, ever since picking the car up in South Dakota. Nothing new here. I press on.

The road's texture turns to thicker gravel, with the occasional bit of rock. Hmm. Well I've got 50 miles to go to get to Ridgecrest, 75 miles to go to the nearest Petrol station if I go back, and a third of a tank of fuel. I press on.

The road start disintegrating further. After 20 miles of loose gravel it suddenly becomes a dried up river bed. And not a flat one either. I'm thankful that the Crown Victoria has good ground clearance as parts of the semi-washed away bed are holes half a foot deep. The car is taking it in her stride, and other than having to dodge the odd rock, my progress isn't terribly slow. I press on.

After a few more miles, I hit a rock. Not a big rock, but enough to make a bang under the car. I slow down and decide to see if I've done any damage. As I slow to a stop, the electrics die. Completely. No dash lights, nothing. I get out and check for damage - the car is fine. I try and restart her. Nothing. Completely dead.

It dawns on me that I'm in Death Valley, on what is really a 4x4 track, it's 7pm, I have no mobile phone signal and no-one knows I am here. My hands start shaking a little as I tried and coax the car back to life. I open the bonnet and look inside, everything seems fine. No obviously loose wires. I check the fuse box - all are fine. I start rocking the car backwards and forwards. This does something, whilst the car rocks, the electrics are clicking on and off. By this time it's gone half past 8 and the light is starting to fade. I stand on the drivers door sill, and whilst rocking the car up and down manage to get the windows closed (they are all electric). I try rolling the car back down the track, and very quickly get it stuck on a rock.

The sun dips behind the horizon.

To say I was scared is an understatement. I have never felt such wretched helplessness and terror. It was everything I could do to stop myself from panicking. As darkness closed around me I decided I would not let this overcome me. I would find a way out.

Windows and doors shut, I sat there, baking hot, and tried to sleep.

American Road Trip Day 9 - Las Vegas, NV

So woke up this morning feeling rather groggy and decided to spend a day of recuperation and relaxation. My first port of call is to book myself in somewhere new. As much as I enjoyed staying at the Venetian - it's not somewhere I plan on staying twice!

So I go back to my trusty Priceline.com and then realise that the thing I want more than anything today, is to make sure I get a good WiFi connection. On my first night here, I didn't have it (which was fine as really I was just after a place to sleep). So I got to hotwire.com as this shows you what amenities you get when you book.

$55 for a 4 star hotel/casino. That sounds alright, and it's South Strip, so it can't be far from here. I book. I pay.

Wrong. It's 7.7 miles south of here. Still not sober enough to drive, this results in a $35 taxi ride. Each way. Ouch. I spend the rest of the day chilling out, eating burgers and hot-dogs and catching up with Jon for a Minecraft session. Good times.

Food: $30.00
Gas: $35 (taxi)
Accommodation: $55.00

Today's Mileage: 0
Total Mileage: 2,023

American Road Trip Day 8 - Las Vegas, NV

Quick update, as I'm about to head out the door and explore the city that never sleeps! I'm now checked into my suite at the Venetian! And it's awesome. 3 televisons. Three. Tried the $20 tip for an upgrade, and it worked!

What a night.

So I start drinking and mingling and basically ended up spending the evening with a bunch of Europeans! And as we all know, Brits abroad love a good drink!

The highlight was probably deciding, whilst somewhat inebriated at 5am, that now was the time to play poker. I decided I would be prepared to lose $100, got my chips and turned up at a table with 10 other players. It was quite funny, as despite having to keep clarifying the rules, I left the table with $135 after an hour! The others were not quite as amused by this as I was!

Food: $30.00
Gas: $0
Accommodation: $149.00

Today's Mileage: 3
Total Mileage: 2,023

American Road Trip Day 7 - Moab, UT to Las Vegas, NV

Right, quick update whilst I'm in the office (McDonalds), saw Monument Valley today which is amazing, and was able to drive around it. It's pretty much an off road course, but the Old Vic took it in her stride.

Now trying to find a place to stay in the Navajo town of Kayenta. Have one suggestion from Trip Adviser, but not holding breath just yet. Could it be another night in the car? Night drive on to Bryce Canyon? We'll see..

Update - now in Vegas! No Internet access yet, will add more when I can!.

Food: $31.24
Gas: $144.06
Accomodation: $56.60

Today's Mileage: 670 !
Total Mileage: 2,020

American Road Trip Day 6 - Salt Lake City, UT to Moab, UT

This is just a really quick update. I've recorded a video and have some stunning videos/photos - but running out of battery to edit them together and upload here in McDonalds. Will try and get a motel with WiFi tonight and upload then!

Food: $33

Gas: $(54ish - will confirm)

Accomodation: $0

Today's Mileage: 280

Total Mileage: 1,350

American Road Trip Day 5 - Salt Lake City, UT

Well today was a bit non-eventful, in that journey wise I proceeded to leave the Holiday Inn Suites at 1:55pm, and check in to the Hilton next door at 2pm. I had wanted to stay, I phoned front desk and asked if they could do me another night at the same rate, and they said the best they could do was $150. So I went back to priceline.co.uk, which decided I would be much better off in a Hilton. And I am. It's even better. This one includes a Fridge.

My Route:

I've been meaning to add this in for a while. Here is my original route. Once I figure out how to export the sat nav trail, I'll show the route travelled too.

View Larger Map

Food: $20

Gas: $0

Accomodation: $62.21, ($74.11 off)

Today's Mileage: 1

Total Mileage: 1,070