San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina

Vegas Hangover! Woke up at 12:30pm feeling like crap. Marc had only just crawled into bed after spending the night/morning on the couch! It was a great night but we were paying for it now plus we had to pack up and go to San Diego as Eric had new couch surfers coming in.

Finally after getting everything packed up, said our goodbyes and thanks to Eric we were on the road around 2:30. Marc started the drive but after 40min in we had stopped for food and to discuss if we should continue on. I had drunk a little bit too much coke at McDonald’s (free refills) so said that I would drive.

It was about a 4-hour drive to San Diego through desert and up and down valley’s. The traffic was pretty good but it got really busy in places especially the closer we got to LA. Marc had basically slept the whole way and I was feeling very spaced out due to the caffeine and hang over.

We finally made it into San Diego and we attempted to find a place to park for the night, but did not have much luck. We drove around for about an hour, even attempted to find a hostel but after a lot of frustration decided to head outside of San Diego to find somewhere cheap for the night. After a lot of heated discussions we finally found this budget motel on the outskirts of town. It was really cheap and not the nicest place in the world, the room was clean just a little old and the sheets on the bed where full of holes. So we slept on our sleeping bags and called it a night. Lessoned learned: Always make sure we have somewhere to stay if arriving at night into big cities!

Day 1: The budget motel turned out to be an ok place to crash; at least they didn’t have bed bugs. After a Google search we had decided the cheapest option for us to stay in San Diego would be to camp; the hostels were a bit pricey if you wanted to stay near the beach. We had found a place in mission bay about 10 mins out of downtown San Diego and made our way there.

Campland by the bay was a huge campsite, still a bit pricey for camping but after finding a nice site we decided to take the cheaper option and stay for a week. The facilities were really nice, we had water, electric and wifi. Plus there was a beach, swimming pool, gym and skate park. The rest of the day was very quiet and we had a really early night was we were exhausted.


Day 2: Really cold night last night; it is autumn but I hope the rest of the week is not as cold. Today was an awesome lazy Sunday we just relaxed; went for a swim, watched some movies, Marc read and I laid by the pool. So good not to have to go anywhere or see anything.

Today we also decided that time for the trip was running out; so canceled the last few stops on our list -> San Francisco and Vancouver. We were sad but as we had been to these two places before it was ok. Now after San Diego we would go to Disneyland, Los Angeles, and Yosemite National Park then back to Calgary, which meant we only had 2 weeks left of our 4 month road trip.. how time flies!

Day 3: Another cold night last night, but not as bad as the first night. Day 2 of chilling out went pretty much the same as day 1; relaxed by the pool, watch some movies, played monopoly card game and Marc played the pinnies.

Marc was getting a little stir crazy by the end of the day and was looking forward to doing things the next day now that he was fully recharged.

Day 4: Today we went to the World Famous San Diego Zoo. We arrived just as the zoo was opening and while we were lining up to get in a lady approached us and asked if one of us would like to get in for free as she had a membership that covered entry for 2. We said yes, I followed her in and Marc stayed lined up and paid, pretty awesome the way it turned out and saved us having to buy 2 tickets!

The zoo was huge with loads to see, we started at the ‘Lost Forest’ area and made our way around. The zoo was really mazing, the enclosures were super clean, big in size and the animals super healthy and happy.

We saw so many animals and we could see most of them up close, which was crazy. Our favorites were probably the mama and baby hippo, the pandas, the baby giraffe and all the amazing birds. I really enjoyed the elephant odyssey area as it also stepped back into history 10,000 years ago when giant versions of toady’s animals roamed North America, e.g. horses, camels, elephants and lamas but they all died out.

Also took part in a world record at the zoo for the most number of people doing star jumps in 24 hrs. It’s an initiative by Michelle Obama to get the nation active. we did about 60 star jumps in the 60 sec but we were the only adults doing it. The activity took place next to the polar bear exhibit, there was a guy dresses up as a bear, the actual polar bear saw it and was not too sure about the situation at all.

To end the day we walked around the ‘Outback’ and ‘Urban Jungle’ areas that had a lot of Australian animals, we did not spend too much time there before we ended our massive day and headed back to camp.





Day 5: It was a much warmer night last night, which was excellent. In the afternoon we drove down to Pacific beach for a walk around and a swim. It was very windy along the beach so we went for a walk along the pier. The pier was really nice, there were about 10 little cottages on the pier you could rent out. It was a very busy place to rent accommodation but really nice as they looked out over the Pacific Ocean.

There were loads of surfers near the pier catching waves in. We stopped and watched the talent for a little bit, our favourite guy to watch was a body border who had no coordination and kept getting in the way of the other surfers, really funny to watch. We waited to see him catch a wave, but he just wasn't able to!

After the pier we made our way to the beach, stopped for some ice cream and I attempted to swim but did not go past my knees as it was freezing. Marc thought I was a girl but it was just way too cold. I even saw this little girl trembling from the cold, that was enough for me to turn around and go back in dry. Pacific beach was a really nice area with loads of places to eat drink and hang out.

 For dinner we headed to the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego. We didn't actually eat in the quarter but went to a local brewery ‘Karl Strauss’. It was really good actually massive servings of good food and great beer. We shared a spicy hummus dip, a plate of blackened chicken Mac and cheese, and a Beeramisu (like tiramisu just with beer).


After dinner we were extremely full, so a walk to the Gaslamp quarter was exactly what we needed. We were walking towards the gaslamp quarter when we ran into the Irish guys we hung out with in New Orleans!! It was a spin out to run into them randomly in San Diego.

The Gaslamp Quarter was really big; we had a walk around looking at the different shops, purchased a magnet and stopped in at another brewery ‘Rock Bottom’ for some more great beer before heading back to camp.     

Day 6: Today we were off to another great attraction in San Diego ‘Sea World’. We were up relatively early and at the park by 10am. We purchased our tickets and headed in. As we were in so early none of the shows where really on until lunchtime so we had plenty of time to look around. First exhibit we looked at were the penguins, it was really cool they had a large number of penguins in an icy cold enclosure hanging out and doing what penguins do. All the penguins looked very healthy and pretty happy in their enclosure. Next we went to the Wild arctic ride and exhibit. It was a simulator helicopter ride to the arctic it was more for kids then adults. After the ride we got to see beluga whales, another polar bear and my favourite was the walrus, as I had never seen one before, he was huge!

Next it was time to go and see ‘Shamu’ and the ‘One Ocean’ orca whale show. We arrived pretty early and managed to get really good seats. It was a very hot day so the 30 min wait was a bit hot but well worth it. The show started and it was amazing I never new that orca whales were so agile. There were 4 whales in the show and they really looked like they were having loads of fun, Jumping, doing 360’s and splashing the crowed (god did we get wet). We loved every minute of it!


After the whale show we made our way to pets stadium to watch ‘Pets Rule’. It was another awesome show with rescued dogs, cats, pigs and birds running around the stage doing hundreds of tricks. The last show we watched was ‘Blue Horizons’ at dolphin stadium, where people and dolphins performed acrobatics and crazy dives. All three shows were extremely entertaining.

After the shows we looked around the park at the other exhibits (Sharks, turtles, fish, birds) and then went on a couple of rides that were fun but we got absolutely drenched. The only negative we found at sea world was the food, we went to get some lunch but as it was so expensive and the portions were small we decided to give it a miss and wait for dinner.

Another massive day done, we had a quiet night with some fun in the pool to cool down after such a hot day.





Day 7: A very lazy day today, we did not have much planned so did not do much at all. Marc went for a run and I caught up on some emails. We spoke to Marc’s brother Chris on Skype, did some washing and started to pack up as today was our last day and were checking out tomorrow.

It was a really good week break in San Diego that gave us a chance to unwind and enjoy our last bit of warm weather before we head back to Calgary.

Day 8: Woke up pretty early this morning as our next-door neighbour had a really loud alarm go off around 5:30am! We managed to continue sleeping for a little bit but were still up early. I started to pack up our tent while Marc went for a run (I am very particular when packing up the tent so it’s normally better if I am left alone to complete the task!).

We left ‘Camp land by the bay’ around 10:30am and headed into San Diego to check out a couple more sites before heading to Anaheim. First we drove down along the seaport and stopped to take photos of the giant statue of a Navy guy kissing a lady and the battleship. We then went back to the Gaslamp quarter and walked around the Westfield mall and stopped for some lunch at the ‘Rock Bottom’ brewery again for some lunch. It was a lovely way to finish up in San Diego.

Viva Las Vegas

After leaving the Grand Canyon we kept moving. Next stop Boulder City, Nevada to see the Hover Dam. The 4hr drive took up most of the afternoon. The drive was pretty easy, my favourite part was the mountains as we headed into Boulder city, I had no idea of how mountainous the area was. 

For some reason it was really hard for us to find an RV park for the night in Boulder City. After a bit of a search we finally found a place down by Lake Mead, however when we arrived we were told that because we were not an actual RV (just a mini van) we could not stay for the night and to try the camp ground next door. A bit annoyed we tried the campgrounds next door, but they were horrible, they didn’t even have any showers! So our search continued. Finally we came across another RV park who was happy to take us for the night for only $10! Super stoked we setup for the night, had some showers and caught up with the family on Skype.

 Day 1: To start the day we made our way to the famous Hover Dam. The dam was huge, however the water level was currently at it’s lowest which was sad to see. After looking around the dam we went inside to take the tour. The tour was sweet; we went inside and got to see the turbines and the inner workings of the dam. All very amazing for the time in which they were built.

In the afternoon we made our way into Las Vegas. Our second time to Las Vegas, and just like New York City it was really different to drive into vs. fly. We had organized to couch surf with a guy called Eric for the few days we were in town. Eric (originally from New York) was a bartender in Vegas; we arrived at Eric’s place and were welcomed at the door by other couch surfer’s Rob and Abi who were just finishing up at Eric's. We actually all hung out and exchanged stories for a few hours before Abi and Rob left when Eric went to work. As Marc and I were pretty tiered we actually just kicked back on the couch, relaxed and watched TV for the first time in a week… a bit sad for our first night back in Vegas but it was all we wanted to do!

Day 2: After a really good night sleep we woke up late and caught up with Eric who suggested some places for us to visit while we were in town. For lunch we made our way to a place called 'Firefly' for some lunch tapas. The food was reasonably priced and very tasty too. 

 After lunch we wandered around the Vegas strip, great to be back to such an incredible place. We purchased some discount tickets for the Cirque du Soleil show KA, then for the rest of the afternoon we went out to the outlet malls to check out the bargains. We were watching our money so did not do much shopping but I did pick up some really nice birthday sunnies (thanks mum and dad).

That night we had a quiet dinner at home before we made our way back to the strip. We had time before the show started so visited Eric at work at the newest hotel on the strip the ‘Cosmopolitan’. The Cosmopolitan was a beautiful new hotel, very modern and had a really different feel to it (compared to the older hotels). Eric was a little busy but we had a quick visit and a beer before taking off.

We made our way back to the MGM grand for KA that started at 10pm. The stage was pretty sweet it took up most of the room with railings and walk ways all over the walls and ceiling. The show was pretty amazing lots of acrobatics, marshal arts and crazy moving sets. The show was more story based then just acrobatics which was not exactly what we were expecting but we still both really enjoyed it. After the show we were both pretty tiered so made our way back to the house.

 Day 3: For some reason the weather in Vegas was pretty cold with scattered showers. In the morning we went for a run around Eric’s neighbourhood, the roads were huge but not very pedestrian friendly.

After our run we went back into Vegas first stopping off at Town Square mall for a look around. Next we made our way to the ‘Miracle mile’ another shopping destination on the strip. It took us a while to walk around because it was so big. We stopped off at Sin City brewery to sample the beer then bought some of my favorite jeans before heading back to Eric’s.

In the evening we splashed out for dinner at an all you can eat Sushi restaurant. The servings were huge and some of the dishes were really good. Our favorite was the lasagna sushi that had melted cheese mmm. After dinner we were stuffed so ended up having a nap on the couch before heading out to catch up with Eric, Abi and Rob.



Back on the strip we started with some drinks at Holistiens (delicious milkshakes!) then met up with the others for drinks at Hooters. It was not too big of a night but still fun. The boys played some blackjack and we just hung out before heading back to the house.

Day 4: We decided to stay an extra day in Vegas. Eric had the night off and had some friends coming into town… who were we to turn down one final night in Vegas.

During the day we met up with Abi and Rob to go and show them some of the sights that they had not seen. First we visited the Vegas sign for some photos. Next Old Vegas where we grabbed some lunch and looked around some of the old casinos. It was still cold so not as much fun to walk around. In the afternoon we visited Harley Davidson to pick up another pin and poker chip.

In the evening we had some dinner at Eric’s while we watched the Yankees and Rangers playoff game, unfortunately NY lost to Eric’s dismay. Abi and Rob’s last night so after dinner I dropped them off at the airport and said our good byes.

That night we headed out with Eric to the Palms where he used to work. We had a blast went to three different clubs Playboy, Ghost Bar and Moon and danced the night away. 

Had a really good time in Vegas the second time around, it was great seeing outside the strip and enjoying the sights. 

4 Parks, 4 States in 4 incredible days!!

We continued to follow Interstate 40, which was also part of historic route 66. A 6hr drive to our next stop (Gallup) we left Texas and drove across New Mexico, passing through some of the route 66 towns along the way. The drive was really different as we passed many small towns and sandy rocky landscape.

 That night we arrived in Gallup and stopped at an RV park. It was a nice place to stop, but unfortunately we discovered that a large container of water in the back had sprung a small leak and we had water all trough the back seats. I was really annoyed at the whole situation and spent most of the evening rearranging our stuff to let everything dry out… not fun, I even missed the sunset Marc was trying to get me to watch.

Day 1: A little bit of a smelly sleep last night with the wet seats but with the heat during the day it should not take to long for it to dry out. We left the RV park and started to drive North towards Moab that was 5hrs away. The drive up through New Mexico was really cool, about 30 min into the drive we entered Navajo Indian reservation. The landscape was really different to anything that we had seen before with no trees only grasses and big rock mountains. The reservation was scattered with little houses and the occasional cow or horse. 

Just before we reached the border between New Mexico and Colorado we decided to stop at a trading post to look at some Indian artwork. We didn't find anything to buy but the owner asked us if we were on our way to Mesa Verde; we had not heard about it before and the owner suggested that we should check it out. We had a bit of time before we needed to be at Moab for the night so decided to stop off at the Mesa Verde National Park on the way.

The drive to Mesa Verde was a little longer then we were expecting as the road into the park curved up and around the mountains. We stopped in at the visitor centre and organised to go on 2 tours of the cliff dwellings of the Pueblo people. It ended up being a really nice place to stop especially by chance.

The first tour was of the Cliff Palace; a large mud brick village built into the cliffs edge. There were multiple buildings with small windows and doors, also large kivas in the ground. It was really interesting to learn about the Pueblo people and what little was known about their culture and architecture. The tour guide was disappointing as he mainly spoke about the same topic over and over again, conservation about the dwellings as they are cracking and moving slowly. The National Parks were trying different methods to keep the historic site in one piece but this was proving more difficult then expected (and on and on and on the guide would go).

 The next tour was of the ‘Balcony house’; this tour was a lot more enjoyable and educational then the first. We had to climb down into the dwellings and then make our way through the little village and then back up through the other side. It was rad as you could see remnants of people in the village with black smoke marks on the ceiling and even a hand print on one of the walls. The reason it was called Balcony house was because one of the little houses had a small balcony, pretty cool for 2000 years ago. We also learnt that the Pueblo people would climb up and down the cliff walls with baskets on their heads and children on their backs, a pretty amazing feat. 

 








After the tour had ended we did not have any more time to see anything else so we continued on our way back to Moab. The rest of the drive was in the dark, we ended up stopping for some dinner at a place called ‘Dove Creek’ not the greatest place to eat, but we had some wedges and wings for dinner which filled a hole. We continued to drive just over an hour before stopping at a rest stop just outside of Moab for the night.

 Day 2: We woke up at the rest stop in the morning to find huge red rock mountains surrounded us; a bit of a surprise especially when we arrived in the dark and could not see anything. Had some breakfast then made our way into Moab, filled up the car with gas, and drove 10 min down the road to ‘Arches National Park’.

The park was unlike anything we had ever seen before, massive red rock mountains that had been eroded away into amazing shapes and arches. During the day we saw; Balanced Rock, Devils garden, and hiked up to the famous delicate arch (amazing)










 We had one final hike for the day (before it got too hot) out to Landscape arch and Double O arch. It was a really long and hard hike, but totally worth it as it was one of the most amazing places we had been. During the hike we met a guy called Courtney who hung out with us while we exchanged stories. Courtney had been ridding around the USA on his dad’s bike sleeping in a hammock on the side of the road… this made sleeping in Hank sound like a luxury RV. On the way back it was getting pretty hot, we even passed a guy who was suffering from heat exposure who was being helped by the park rangers.

After our last big hike Marc and I were pretty tired so we made our way back into Moab for a late lunch, stopping in at the Moab brewery. A nice place to stop, we enjoyed some great food and even better beer.
We left Moab mid afternoon and made our way to Monument Valley for the night (a 3hr drive). Another amazing drive especially as the sun was setting the colour of the red ground, mountains and valleys just glowed.

That evening we made it to the RV Park across the road from Monument Valley, it was a great place to stop, just a bit pricey. Marc cooked us up some dinner, made friends with a local dog and then we crashed out for the night.

Day 3: BIRTHDAY!!! Woke up this morning really early and watched the sun rise on Monument Valley, a great way to start the day.  After breakfast in bed we made our way to see the famous valley.

You had to pay to enter the park, which was not too bad; the best part was being able to drive Hank around to all the sites along the crappy gravel roads, a very bouncy, bumpy experience. The valley was sweet to see, my favourite was the mittens and the three sisters. We were able to take some great photos and I even picked up some local Indian Jewellery. Such a cool place you could see why so many cowboy movies used the location as a set.

 We had finished seeing all of the sights before lunch, so stopped off at an Indian market for a look around before continuing on to the Grand Canyon (another 3.5hrs down the road). Marc found a sweet decorative tomahawk and was stoked with his purchase. We were going to wait around the market for some lunch but we were a little early so decided to stop for lunch in another town on the way. Most of the drive was through the Indian reservation, we ended up stopping in Tuba City for lunch. After visiting another trading post we were told that a small market down the road would be a good place to get some authentic cuisine. At the market and found a couple of food tents, so we bought a couple of different dishes, they were horrible; A dirty water dumpling soup and a burger taco thing… never again.

The rest of the drive was very scenic, it did not take too long before we had arrived at the East entrance of the Grand Canyon. We stopped in for our first look of the canyon, both very excited we got our first look. Boy was it amazing, there was a little bit of cloud around but you could still see into the canyon and just make out the Colorado River down the bottom.

Late afternoon so we kept moving to the other side of the park; we had decided to stay just out side the park in a place called Tusayan for the night in an RV park. For my birthday we picked up some expensive (everything was really pricey as we were so close to the national park) pizza for dinner then took it back to the car to eat. Marc had also surprised me with some champagne and a birthday Danish complete with 28 candles. It was an awesome birthday dinner.

As we were finishing up dinner we started talking to a guy staying at the park. The guy ended up being a famous entrepreneur who helped start ‘Trek America’ and travel writer, Mark Sheehan. We ended up talking for hours, which was awesome; he gave us lots of tips for traveling and inspired us with his life stories. All in all a pretty amazing birthday!

 Day 4: After a little bit of a sleep in we were up and back at the Grand Canyon. We went for another drive stopping at the different viewpoints, taking in the view and snapping some photos. Before leaving the park we contemplated hiking down into the canyon but most of the hikes took the whole day and as it was lunchtime we did not have enough time.

New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona were 4 amazing states that we got to see and will definitely be back again one day to see even more then just the small parts we got to see.