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Another brilliant day with amazing views. When we left Mammoth Lakes it was cold & we needed the heater & coats on. Susie directed us on to US395 South, not the route I had looked at but we trusted her & had a most interesting ride. At one point trucks were warned that there was an 8 mile downgrade! I dont think I've ever experienced going downhill for 8 continuous miles before. What's more, most of it was dead straight, so you could see down the hill for miles. There were altitude markers every 1,000 feet so you could see how high you were & it levelled off at about 4,000 feet. This was a high speed (70 mph limit) dual carriageway road so I could just sit back & let her roll. Like most roads we have seen in California, it was beautifully smooth. Of course, as we descended it got much warmer & we soon needed the air conditioning on instead of the heater.
We did have a diversion (detour in US speak) for a Memorial day parade at Bishop which was very well signed & manned by the Highway Patrol. After about 50 miles, Susie directed us left on to California 168. This was just a two lane road (one in each direction) & even down to one lane where it had been cut through the mountains. Like all mountain roads, it was very twisty. It peaked at over 7,000 feet. Coming down the other side towards Nevada it was dead straight down for miles & miles, through scrub & cacti, with some peculiar trees. They have lots of peculiar (to us) trees here. Susie was giving us directions like "Follow California 168 for 52 miles". Eventually we crossed into Nevada on to their 266 & immediately the road surface changed. Although apparently smooth blacktop, it was rippled as though it was concrete underneath. Similar surroundings to California, scrub & cacti & precious little sign of life. You might see another vehicle every 5 minutes if you were lucky (mostly pick-up trucks & SUVs), but that was it. I am puzzled as to how they could afford to build such good roads through such desolate terrain for such a limited amount of traffic, but grateful that they have.
After about 70 miles on 168 & 266 we turned right on to US95 towards Las Vegas. Susies direction now was follow US95 for 114 miles. Again, 70mph limit, brilliant surface & dead straight for miles & miles. They have notices requiring headlamp use & you can see the value of this as on the odd occasion when you needed to overtake it was difficult to see if the oncoming road was clear, due to the distance you could see & the heat shimmering coming off the surface. Most of this road was two lane but some parts were dualled. The scenery was amazing, absolutely huge landscapes the like of which we had never seen, except in the movies. Mountains all around, some distance away, but road almost dead level, just set the cruise control to 75 & sit there, not forgetting to steer, (very occasionally), & correct from the strong cross-winds. We did stop at a town called Beatty for lunch at a Subway (yummy) & filled up the car. The Gas station was very modern & the smartest we had ever seen, with air & water available alongside every pump. They claim it is the best gas station in the country & we can believe it.
After following this road for the 114 miles we reached the outskirts of Las Vegas, typical urban sprawl, (Ugh). We came straight through to Henderson, about 5 miles South. A typical modern place but it seems nicer than LV. We had difficulty finding somewhere to stay due to the Memorial day holiday here & were lucky to find this, (Hampton Inns & Suites), very plush & two TVs to boot. We liked it so much we have booked another night.
We were going to drive to the Grand Canyon tomorrow but bearing in mind the holiday & possible jams, as well as the time to get there (about 4.5 Hours) we have decided to do a helicopter tour instead. They will collect us from the hotel, take us over the Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, etc. & downtown LV as well so we should get some good pictures. It will give me a break from driving as well, so another bonus.
We have heard on the TV tonight of snowstorms in the area of California we left this morning, so it looks as if we got out just in time. Here's looking forward to tomorrow!
Mileage today 317. Total (this car) 1,024. Total 1,555.
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