What a day - yosemite national park breathtaking views and steep mountain passes all the way We left mammoth lakes and drove through Yosemite park and it took our breath away - its like another world raising to 11000 feet the landscape was awesome with passes and views a plenty ~. Saw some deer with its young and squirrels , other wildlife but didn't see any wild bear - as you will see from the photos they are everywhere - black bears but it was to warm during t...

Wow what a surprise - a hot air balloon over Vegas for my birthday !!! A bit apprehensive at first and given the pick up time from the hotel at 5.20 am not surprising - the pilot picked us up and then 4 other pick ups - mixture of company - a couple from Melbourne another from Scotland and a father and daughter from Connecticut but originally Italian new Yorkers !! - what a schmuck !!! - all of them great company all the same After our safety briefing and signi...

A good drive again today through various terrain starting in the Nevada desert from Vegas this morning and heading north through death valley which is nothing but heat sand and cactus !! Then heading through the mountains for some 70 miles upto about 9000 feet at one point weaving up and down (and don't look down) through near switchbacks and eventually stopping at a little town and a roadside diner for lunch and then on another 60 miles to mammoth creek - a ski ...

Brilliant day today saw the grand canyon and words cannot describe how amazing it is - the sheer size and beauty is unbelievable then we drove for 5 hours to Hoover Dam and again how they built this I will never know . Tonight we have been down the strip in Vegas and I can't believe the neon and size of the hotels but more on that tomorrow as I am going on a hot air balloon in the morning - will let you know what that was like later .

Another 250 miles done today mostly on the original route 66 apart from the last 30 miles or so as it has been broken up between Williams and flagstaff. Visited Oatman a gold rush town from the 1930's great place but sadly more for the tourists passing through but authentic still, then on the road and passing some modern working gold mines and driving some switchback roads to Holman - a one road town . We then followed the railroad to Sligman on route 66 waving...