Las but not least Vegas

Forget 'anything'...EVERYTHING goes in Las Vegas.  At total sensory assault - heat,  perfumed air, indoor/outdoor rainbow neon, food, wine...actually burgers, beer and cocktails... and song.  Never ending, ubiquitous and loud!

Groom -to-be proving he still has the bronco touch

Day (Night) #1

Rental car successfully left in the Hertz carpark, headed for beer and pool but instead raced through shower then route- marched to the Aria for Cirque de Soleil - Zurkana. Deceived by the optical illusion of the bright city lights - looked a 5 minute walk from our hotel, turned out to be about 5 kilometres and 30 minutes of near jogging -  so much for the shower and change! However, well worth the effort.   Very cool, very slick, very funny, very beautiful, very everything. 

Day #2 Morning constitutional then outlet mall shopping with the girls.  Ella's converse there and waiting.  Dinner at first TV celebrity chef restaurant.  Can't remember the name but best little burger ever.  Hen night and The Diva's show.  From Liza Minelli to Lady Gaga - loads of laughs and great music.  A Vegas institution worthy of the title.  The guys missed a treat.  Fat Tuesdays next for jelly shots - complete with whipped cream.  My girls soooo can't come to Vegas until they at least 50!  

Day #3 Morning constitutional then the closest thing to peaceful in the city - an espresso cafe by New York New York - for a much needed caffeine fix. 

Ready to explore the rest of the strip and all the cool casinos we hadn't yet seen. 

The Bellagio backdrop

Quiet tea for two at Emeril's Fish House - though we'd died and gone to seafood heaven - then early night and big sleep..

Taking the long way on the longest day....

First stop Bishop

Left Mammoth 8.15 am - after a compulsory stop for coffee. (see previous post!!). Couldn't bypass Bishop without a photo opp - just like home complete with service clubs, golf courses and Shell garage.  Next stop Lone Pine - yes that's its name. Subway there does a great 6" turkey ranch sandwich; fuel for my first stint behind the wheel on the wrong side of the road.  Even Chris needed a break on this 8 hour journey.  Really feels like we are in the West and have been enjoying the ongoing and ever changing  vistas of the magnificent Sierra mountains.  Friends on the horizon since Tahoe.

Time to head east into Death Valley from just south of LP.  First oops - missed the corner (thought briefly about sacking navigator) but a quick u-turn had us heading through an increasingly dry and giant landscape.  Saw out first cacti in the wild.  Got the whole right hand side of road thing sussed - plenty of cars to follow!! Lots of Mustangs :(

Over mountain range into first valley of death. Kind of like the Crown range road but hotter and longer and BIGGER. #1 driver returned to wheel after compulsory tourist photo stop.  "ticked" Drive Death Valley off Chris's bucket list.

First glimpse of the heart of Death Valley.

Next stop: Stovepipe Creek for a beer in the saloon then onto Furnace Creek through the sand dunes and land too dry for even the cacti.  Temperature at 105' Fahrenheit, elevation -190' (that is 190 feet BELOW sea level).  Mammoth was over 8000' (above).  Ears and sinuses got a good workout.

 Aptly named.

Driver #2 returned to wheel for last leg thtough Pahrump then on to the outskirts of Las Vegas. Traversed the 2 longest, straightest stretches of highway in the whole of the world.  

Driver # 1 took over in outskirts of city.  Hell on wheels doesn't begin to cover it.  Driving down Las Vegas boulevard at 5 pm on Sunday evening - 6 lanes each way and who knew the Hertz return depot was in the bottom of the Caesar's Palace carpark building?!  Certainly not google maps! Fortunately a helpful valet got us heading in the right direction.  
Road code notes:  orange lights used to foreshadow upcoming red lights are NOT places to stop, you MUST turn right on red lights (if nothing coming) and first car into intersections with 4 stop signs gets to go first....    Mmmmm, lots of room for tooting and confusion.  Much adrenalin and perseverence later, car dropped off to right place, taxi found to take us and luggage to hotel and in shower before  joining wedding group at Cirque de Soleil.  The first beer didn't touch the sides and another bucket list tick hard-earned by Chris.

Mammoth time

On of the many lakes of Mammoth - just like you imagine

Mammoth Lakes - ski resort in winter and camping haven in summer.  Found the first real dedicated coffee outlet since arriving in the US - a specialist espresso cafe; roasted own beans and  each coffee  a work of art. Turns out barista lived in Methven,  worked at Mt Hutt and heliskied in Wanaka - about 12 years ago.  Skiers across the world unite! 

Chris's new holiday home.

 Despite fire, bear and snake risks, a tent, winnebago or cabin in the woods seems to be a popular weekend retreat. Chris made sure to check out the bbq's.  All varmint proofed.  Seen at least 5 squirrels already and maybe a few snake holes.  Locals tell us you hear them first and, contrary to movie mythology, rattlers usually don't kill humans (unless very young or very old!).

Peace and quiet and amazing landscape

Another Mammoth lake.

Not sure whether mammoth refers to earliest inhabitants or geological attributes, but this is a big and beautiful place.  Wishing we had another day or two to spend here.  Chris discovering a passion for baseball over an IPA or 2 at resort bar then the best Chinese food ever.

Mammoth?

On the road again...

Left South Tahoe over Spooner Pass, down Carson Valley heading south on 395.  All good to go with no snow yet.  

Look out point for Mono Lake- a lesson in
water exploitation.

You know when you're in Nevada!

Picnic lunch by Mono Lake then on to Mammoth Lakes.  Altitude rising steadily to over 8000 ft above sea level. 

Utah behind those hills.

 
It's a very big country and we are a long way from Vegas!   Soooo glad we doing the roadie - seeing the land and meeting the people. It's a grand adventure.

Freeways, fires and fairways.

Passing Sacramento

Took a lot of concentrating on interstate - 6 lanes each way. Navigator gets to keep job. No turn-arounds this trip.  The highrises are downtown Sacramento.  Gotta love these highways that just blow you right past towns and cities - no stops unless you want to.  Mind you, hard to tell when one urban area ends and the next begins.  Two-year drought evident everywhere.  Saw big fire scars through mountains and could still smell ash.  Tahoe didn't see sun for 3 weeks while it burnt.  Arsonist with a can of petrol!

Ticking off Chris's bucket list - 18 holes at one of the most beautiful golf courses in the world - Wanaka style lake views all the way around.  Golf cart driver also part-time caddy. Considering career as coach.  

                                                                                                                             

On the 14th tee at Edgewood, South Tahoe

Wine, Pasta and Paella

Found foodie heaven. More Michelin ** restaurants per head popn than anywhere in world. Allegria for Italian. Platypus Tours for fantastic boutique wineries -Ballentine and St Claire Brown get BIG ticks. To hell with excess baggage! ZUZU for Spanish. Lincoln Boulevard for a good laundrette! Heat wave starting to bite. Looking forward to autumn in the Sierra Nevadas.

Rutherford Winery for wine and chocolate matching. Don't dis it til you've tried it!

Moving on

Shades of Hitchcock

Last day in San Francisco.  Hit Walgreens (kind of the corner superette + pharmacy) for water - there;s a heatwave on the way.  Remembered  tip for housekeeper - just. Taxied to the wrong Hertz depot - got lucky - had a car we could have.  Chris got his upgrade - from Toyota tiny to Nissan normal - the Altima has luggage room!  No Mustangs available. 

5 lanes heading towards Berkeley on the new Bay Bridge

Supposed to be able to drive straight down street and onto  freeway - unfortunately we did a great job of getting onto it -  heading south instead of north.   Pulled off in a carpark in  Daly city, got  advice from a very helpful guy translating his wife's advice in Spanish later,  one more bungled attempt then finally on right road,  northbound, with google maps up on phone. To hell with getting carsick and on with getting to destination.  Hertz all out of GPS units. (Note for future adventures - book the GPS)

A different ambience in Napa

 Safely in Napa - took the back route - good practice for Chris driving through urban areas. Temperature risen about 10 degrees.  Time to crank out the sunblock.  Felt right at home - scaffolding, broken windows, fallen facades and colourful notices stuck on front doors.  Did see one building being held up by 2 front end loader buckets and still in use by shops and cafes.

Architecture, Art and Alcatraz

Sunday: Took concierge's advice, "It's a good walk to Fisherman's Wharf."  Good - yes, easy -no.  Uphill for about 3k until the steep drop down to waterfront.  Earned lunch today. Big bonus was stopping off for a look round Grace Cathedral..

Inside Grace Cathedral

Fisherman's Wharf is all that tourists could hope for -   whole shops devoted to fridge magnets and every food outlet specialising in Bay crab.  Found fantastic fruit market  - strawberries like Grandad grew -  time for a vitamin fix.  Walked the Embarcadero dodging Sunday joggers - only flatland in SF. Think our walk via Taylor Street/ Nob hill - yes that's it's name - more than enough of a challenge.  

Ai Weiwei - political prisoners in lego

Alactraz every bit as desolate and more disturbing than expected.  Bonus special art installation by Ai Weiwei - just opened. so opened some extra areas not usually part of tour. 

Alcatraz up close

 "If you break the rules of society you end up in prison. If you break the rules of prison you end up in Alcatraz"

The Guardhouse

 

Don't think he wants to stay.The Industries block was viewed as a Model of good practice for other prisons.

Maybe the Birdman's bedroom - or one of them.

First Days

Great flight from Auckland to San Francisco.  Small world we live in - Jane Rosevear head steward on flight.  Great chance to stretch legs and while having cuppa and chat  in the back of the plane kitchen.  Snuck us a croissant each from business class for brekkie.  Chris not allowed to sneak up to their wee sleeping space.  

Chris felt a "long way from home" but too late to turn back after crossing the equator. Guy beside me had fantastic sleep lolling all over me instead of gilrfriend.  She got him back - ate all his m'n'ms while he snoozing.  I gotta get an eyemask for flight home.  Chris channel surfing ALL night; got to see season 4 of Game of Thrones.  

Day one:  Downtown San Francisco - just like Chch!












Nearly bought a Chloe dress for $3989 
in Saks - then remembered kids at uni. 
 Maybe next year!




Rode the lift, saw the Cheesecake Factory  but life's too short to queue to eat there too!! 

2 Sleeps to go

Chris is packed, has weighed his bags and bad news kids - no room for pressies!!  You better hope I can keep my bags light.

7 Days and Counting

Drinks at Sugar Horse last night - (Chch, Moorehouse Ave) to meet fellow Vegas wedding goers.   Great idea.  Looking forward to some laughs in the US.


Rehearsal run packing today - dress still fits! Picked the togs to take, selected the tidier shorts and t shirts.  Bit tricky balancing 2 climates - cool autumn in SF and desert hot in LV.  Hooray for merino :)  Used  Chris's sticker idea to personalise the suitcase - he sourced the stickers last holidays - and set the locking code. 

7 sleeps to go.  Will clear the bed for sleep tonight.

The pre-do..

Fri at Sugar Horse in Chch - chance to meet the other Vegas bound travellers.  Two weeks and counting....

Where to .....

The destination

Thanks Christopher and Kate for the invite. Getting very excited - 3 weeks to go!

Before...

So, Chris and I have bought tickets, booked accommodation and rented a car.  All set  for a fortnight in the US.  Still to hear from Napa re earthquake impact but as Christopher has so obviously pointed out - there's always wine!  Hoping there's still our motel too.