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

American Road Trip Day 4 - Idaho Falls, ID to Salt Lake City, UT

Rather than write, I thought I'd do a video today.

I did indeed make SLC, and looking up the saving, Priceline.co.uk saved me a fortune on my hotel room, and I've ended up in by far the nicest hotel room I've stayed in so far this trip (and since arriving in America over 2 weeks ago)

Food: $17.69

Gas: $33.62

Accomodation: $62.21, ($86.58 off)

Today's Mileage: 291

Total Mileage: 1,069

American Road Trip Day 3.5

I've woken up every thirty minutes by a fan. So I did the logical thing and made a video about it. To follow shortly.



Ought to go back to sleep, but that's the nice thing about being on holiday. What the night robs from me now, I'll take back tomorrow. Today's earlier purchases look like they were pretty fortuitous.

Bit of telly, then some shut eye. My dreams so far tonight have been about car chases, boat chases and some death. And Star Wars. Very peculiar...

-BK

American Road Trip Day 3 - Casper, WY to Idaho Falls, ID

A lazy start to the day, and I still felt half asleep. After 92 miles I pulled off the road for a quick nap in the town of Shoshin. I'm determined to get to Idaho today, and hope that the landscape becomes less flat - it's not helping me stay awake!

Car is struggling a bit today, but gets better as the day progresses. I've got a quote of £820 to ship her back to the UK - nice! Seems like this could be an awesome idea.

A few more hours of driving and snow capped mountains appear in the distance. There's something odd about driving through what is effectively desert, in over 40 degrees heat and being able to see snow in the distance. I decide this is a good thing and hasten forward.

(ok so this is a bit closer and past the desert, but you get my point... ;)

Food wise, I'm doing well today. My stupidly large Pizza from last night with free Cinnamon bread serves as breakfast, first lunch and second lunch.

It's late as I arrive in Idaho falls, gone 9pm. I left at about 12, which means it's taken me 9hrs to do the 340 odd miles I've done today. Oh dear. Subway for dinner, followed by some essential purchases at Walmart:

1. An orange towel (will be useful for Couch Surfing methinks)
2. An orange blanket (in case I get caught out - and if I'm going to do it, then I may as well match)!
3. A pillow and brown pillow case (no orange, but at least it matches the car. Essential for afternoon kips, and no doubt good for the Couch Surfing).

Food: $5.83
Gas: $103.66
Accomodation: $64.79

Today's Mileage: 343
Total Mileage: 778

American Road Trip Day 2 - Hill City, SD to Casper, WY

Waking up this morning after a good night's sleep I have just one thing on my mind: getting some miles under my belt. I'd like to do some more preparation. It would be nice to complete my Couch Surfing profile, and perhaps sort out a bit more work before heading out - but more than anything I just want to drive. So off I head.

I'm heading west, with a rough end point of Casper, Wyoming in mind. After 2 weeks in South Dakota I'm in no mood to hang about, despite the hospitable people and great time I've had. So I blast off early, at about 7:30, saying goodbye to Shayla and Sarah.

Within an hour or so I'm approaching the Wyoming boarder. Car is semi-content. I'm regretting giving her some stick last night. Whoops.

A few miles more and I see the sign: "The Devil's Tower".

For those of you that are unfamiliar, the Devil's Tower is the surreal and quite fake looking mountain that features in Close Encouters of the Third Kind


So I decide this needs to be seen in the flesh. And off I go. It's really rather vast, and completely odd. It juts out of the ground in a surreal and awkward fashion. Deciding it needs closer inspection, and discovering that you can climb up a fair part of it before it's too steep and is off limits, I start scrambling about it a la monkey.

This does not go down well with my American diet (eat everyone you see) and American exercise regime (my remote control clicking finger is strong as an ox). Add to that the 40+ degree heat, and I'm soon drenched in sweat. I get about a third, no, maybe a quarter of the way round and give up and return to the path. Only to find a woman shrieking as a man tries to coax a rattlesnake out of a log. Hmm. I decide it's time to go.

The rest of the day is less eventful, and after a rather gross sandwich I eventually role into Casper about ready for bed.

Food: $35
Gas: $71.77
Motel: $57.13

Todays Mileage: 319
Total Mileage: 459

American Road Trip Day 1 - Rapid City, SD to Hill City, SD

Today is the day it all beings. I wake up with a fierce hangover. Drinking that many beers last night with the film crew I just met was not a good idea. Especially when I have to spend the next few hours sorting out insurance.

Insurance you ask? Yes. Car insurance. I've decided, against all well intentioned and practical advice, to buy a car. It's marginally more expensive than renting one for the 18 days of the trip, but I can sell it at the end. And even if I get a few hundred bucks for her, it's then cheaper than a rental.

3hrs of solid phone calls later and I've done it. I start jumping around like a moron. I'm delerious. Not only have I got insurance but:

• They've taken into account my 7 years no claims
• They asked if I had any motoring convictions, I said not in the US and therefore I have a clean licence
• They accepted my motel room as my address without a qualm

It's costing me $26 for one month. Full third party liability insurance, valid in all the states. The only stipulation is that I need to get an American driver's licence within 30 days. Fine! I'll be out of the country by then.

11:00 and we set off to buy my beast. Here she is:



A 1984 Ford LTD Crown Victoria, with a 5 litre V8 engine. This thing is huge. Take the biggest Jaguar on sale in the UK today and add another foot and you get the length. It seats three across in the front - with seat belts! And the massive V8 throws out a massive 210 bhp (I later discover this was actually 140 bhp). Oh. Still, she looks awesome and drove fantastic in the test yesterday. Apart from breaking down. Once or twice.

An hour or so of paperwork later, and the car is mine! As I drive the vendor and I round to their other office which has the card machine, she conks out. Twice. Hmm. He assures me it's because it's a hot day and that his '71 Mustang does exactly the same thing. The word "no warranty" flash through my mind as I throw caution to the wind and pay for it anyway.

Driving off, a sense of dread creeps in. She stalls. She stalls again. I drive to Walmart and I reckon she's conked out over a dozen times. I'm now fearing that the battery isn't going to take this kind of hammering and wonder how many more starts I can do before I'm out of juice. She seems to be OK when the revs are up, but when idling or low revving she definately isn't a happy bunny.

In full survival mode, my Walmart purchases consist of:

• Spanners
• Adjustable Wrench
• Screw Drivers
• Hammer
  
• Tow Rope
• Jump Leads
• Emergency Rations

I am not feeling optimistic. So I decide to go for a coffee and look up a good local mechanic. As I drive off I discover I can keep her from stalling as long as I keep the revs up. This would be easy in a manual car, but she's an automatic. But for now, I've worked out that:

1. When idling and turning, the power steering pump is causing her to stall. Rev, turn, drive.
2. Air con is probably not helping either. Windows down.
3. Left foot on brake, right foot on accelerator, blip every now and then and all is well.

I make it to Starbucks without stalling once, and then see a mechanic next door. A quarter of an hour the verdict is returned: she just needs a tune up. Apparently the plugs/leads/cap haven't been changed since new, and otherwise she is mechanically perfect. Not fine mind, perfect. A "cream puff" according to the mechanic who then said I should detail her and put her in competitions. "You just don't find these old ones in this condition any more".

Holy cow. My earlier fear is reversed. I've not bought a junker. I've bought a well looked after mint classic! I ask him how much. $379. Ouch. I tell him I'll think about it and decide to get a few days under my belt as she is before deciding on whether or not to spend that much cash.

And so I start driving. I drive the beast around mountain passes, through valleys and gorges and am having the time of my life. But the day isn't over yet.

Shayla and Sarah who work for Black Hills Aerial Adventures, had earlier in the week promised to take me shooting, having been shocked to discover I'd never fired a gun. And holy cow, what an experience! I cannot tell you how loud those things are, and it was quite an adrenaline rush. The funniest thing of course is that both these girls learnt to shoot at 7, and it's completely normal for them, and there I am swearing every time the damn thing goes off and wincing in fear!

Car: $2599
Gas: $37
Food: $35
Accomodation: Free

Mileage:

Total Cost: $2671