In the Beginning

Whilst this is essentially a California trip, we all have to start somewhere and our jumping off point has been Las Vegas.
It has been almost 20 years since our last visit and there have been changes of course, but a great deal remains the same.
The enormous glamorous hotels that line The Strip have multiplied and the older smaller original versions are no longer there.
This is now a party party town above all else and people flock here to predominantly to soak up the alcohol and the atmosphere.
There is gambling, but it is not I suspect to the fore as in the past. We stayed at one of the newer hotels The Cosmopolitan and had a fabulous view from our 32nd floor balcony looking straight down the strip. There are nightclubs and dayclubs, bars galore and to have a swim you need to book(!) a pool sunbed or cabana and the food and drink package that goes with it. As it was over 100 degrees this was a non starter for Anglo Saxon skins and so we gave it a miss. We observed all this with a degree of scepticism with no serious intention of joining in. Our plan was to chill out for a couple of days and get over the jet lag before moving on. I truth we were not equipped to get involved in the true sense of the word; in my case having failed to bring the sprayed on outfit, vertiginous stilettos and having no enhanced boobs, spray tan, talons and more to the point tattoos everywhere. Peter would have needed a tight short shirt, skinny seven-eight trousers, moccasins and no socks! Some of the sights had to be seen to be believed. It was both educational and horrific. As we walked back to our hotel yesterday, we espied two scantily dressed showgirls coming towards us. These girls are employed by the city to walk the streets and be available for tourists to have their photograph taken with them as part of the scene. We drifted to the edge of the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid being noticed. Sadly, Peter is rather noticeable and he didn’t escape “Come on Handsome don’t be shy!” was the greeting. I’ve never seen Peter move so fast in one hundred degrees of heat. She was never going to catch him in those heels!

Today our touring trip began in earnest as we left the lights of Las Vegas behind and struck out into the wilderness. It was a spectacular drive
and we arrived at the Oasis Ranch in Death Valley late this afternoon, where the thermometer hit 112. I asked for a quiet ground floor room, which was duly granted and we are comfortably settled for a couple of nights. The view is of the Furnace Creek Golf Course (rather aptly named) strangely devoid of life apart from the odd bird. Peter decided that a few holes would probably literally be the death of him. I gather it is very popular in the winter when temperatures are a more moderate 80. It may surprise some of you to know that The Death Valley National Park is the largest National Park in the USA outside of Alaska. It is famous for its stunning geological features which range from mountains of over 11000ft to Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at 282ft below sea level. The whole area sits in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and there is little shade or water, apart from at Furnace Creek, which sits on an aquifer, hence this small settlement and its beautiful oasis. We look forward to exploring tomorrow together with plenty of water, sun cream, hats and not forgetting the essential air conditioned car!Read more