USA 1

1 November 2010 AMERICA! Land of the Free... and the most amazingly friendly and helpful people we are ever likely to meet. This was part of the appeal to return to this beautiful country, and we are pleased to see that nothing has changed.

While waiting for the trucks to clear Customs, John has enjoyed some super days with old friends, who are cowboys. The whole family was extremely competitive in shooting competitions, and their son has just won a scholarship to University, through rodeo!

** Tom on Tango

Two of our trucks were offloaded successfully, but Customs decided to retain the other 2 trucks for X-ray, so a further charge of $800 each on top of the $800 we had already paid. A much more expensive exercise shipping into the States, than into Asia. However, we are off to Carlsbad, San Diego, to visit with a delightful 83yr old friend, who is truly inspirational!

** La Vonne and 1 of her 3 cars






The truck has been serviced, and we are $2200 poorer, but confident of a good trip. Our group have chosen to head in different directions, each having their own preferred routes to follow, where the maps are clear, the language is mostly understandable, and this world is our oyster! The weather is gorgeous, but cold at night. Carlsbad is one of several lovely towns hugging the coast, and enjoys spectacular sunsets.
13 Nov and we drive a circuitous country road to stay with delightful Americans, Dan & Nancy Ruops, who drive a similar but much larger vehicle. We are invited to a Book Review dinner evening, which is South African themed and reviewing Bryce Courtney’s “The Power of One”. Reluctantly, we farewell these new, wonderful, friends.



** Boys and Toys





15 Nov and we head to another friend from our 2004 trip. Travelling through amazing cacti deserts to Phoenix.


** Saguaro Cacti

Each November, around 17th, it is possible to view a ‘meteor shower’, as earth passes through the dust of the comet Temple Tuttle, called Leonid shower as appears to come from the constellation of Leo. We all wake at 4am and head out of town. We only see 6 meteors, before the cold drives us home, but is an awesome sight though. Every 33 years it is normal to see around 1000 meteors each HOUR!
Greg takes us to Cave Creek, a fascinating town, full of old relics, and stunning homes.
We leave the highways, and head through Prescott, a very pretty town, up and over a mountain range to Jerome,a trendy village perched on the hillside, then down into the prettiest spot of all - Sedona – with its spectacular backdrop of red cliffs of all shapes and stunning colours, and with the trees turned golden.
** Sedona Red Rock Canyon

In fact, the ‘service’ in this country is wonderful. Everywhere, we are greeted with a smile and welcome; the shop assistants constantly check we find all we want. Australia could learn a lot in customer service!

** Don’t Look down John

We plan to hike another beautiful canyon, (Oak River Canyon), but after a lovely campfire it snows all night, resulting in a cloudy cold day, so we push on to Flagstaff. With a powered site, we buy a heater! It is well below zero at night outside, and not much more inside our ‘glorified tent’!!!


** A cold night
But
** So pretty

23 Nov and east to Meteor Crater - 1 mile across, ½ mile down.(Our new Nikon ‘point & shoot’ camera does an awesome panorama!) The landowner spent 26 years and the family fortune, drilling, hoping to find the iron ore rich meteor.... the vast majority of which had vaporised on impact, leaving only small meteorites scattered afar. And at least one weighing about 650kg about a meter across.


** Meteorite

Then onto The Petrified Forest, which again is an amazing sight. Hundreds of trees, buried under layers of silt. Over time, silica-laden waters filtered through and petrified the wood by encasing the the trees’ organic material with minerals, to produce spectacular colours!
** Petrified Wood x 3

Then on through The Painted Desert, with hues that remind me of cappuccinos I am missing! Soft warm colours of pinks, white, grey, brown.


** Painted Desert


A terrifying drive through snow, mud and ice – yikes, try stopping or controlling over 4tonne when it’s sliding sideways on ice and mud! It takes us about 2 hrs to cover 30 odd miles, driving a back road to Canyon de Chelly. We didn’t expect it to be snow covered! Quite a challenge for John’s excellent driving skills and Teefer’s (the truck) abilities.

** Back road to Canyon de Chelly!

What a stunning country this is, and we have lots more to see yet! Hoping the snow and cold doesn’t drive us south! We drive the rim and hike down, and enjoy stunning vistas! We wake to snow around, after a freezing night. It was -13 outside, and - 8 INSIDE our truck!

** Spires in Canyon de Chelly












** Indian ruins at base






Canyonlands – another stunning landscape of spires, fins, frozen puddles, towering formations, and super weather! We are constantly in awe, as every aspect is different, but mind boggling, whether on the top, or in the canyon.

** Islands in the Sky

An incredible sunset this evening and the whole sky is scarlet and orange! Too many photos to chose from!

** Sunset at Dead Horse campgrounds

We have woken to a brilliantly sunny day again, after snowing last night, so off to The Arches! Another fabulous day, with a rather long hike of 12kms up ravines, through fins, up and over massive sandstone ridges in some freezing blustery winds, but great viewing of Landscape Arch (which dropped a chunk in 1991 of 180 tons!) then we decided to catch the sunset at Delicate Arch, so another hike, and the poor legs are aching, but worth it! We hiked back out in the dark, with a sky of diamonds above.




** Delicate Arch











** Double O Arch