Ma y 22th to 27th. (By Gill)
After a very cold evening in the shady San Francisco hostel, we headed out to the airport and dropped off Marija and Tessa. We then spent the rest of the day driving down the 101 to Santa Barbara and stayed in Los Padres national forest, app. 9 miles outside of the city.
We woke up Sunday morning to a ‘Manhunt” or more specifically a “Teenagerhunt”. Apparently 3 kids escaped from the youth detention centre somewhere in the area, so we woke up to helicopters, cop cars and bloodhounds. After breakfasts excitement, we headed into Santa Barbara proper and checked out the courthouse, and El Presido historic house. We then hit up Starbucks for the free internet and a Kmart for some Tupperware. On the way back up to the campsite we detoured deep into Los Padres forest on a road that literally went through a river 7 times to go see Red Rock; we didn’t actually find it.
Compared to Sunday morning, Monday seemed much quieter and after breakfast, we again headed into Santa Barbara. We went to La Supra Rica for lunch, a Mexican restaurant voted America’s best by the New York Times and was reported to be Julia Child’s favourite Mexican restaurant. We were told to find the resturant by the line-up out the door, as there was no sign. It was everything it was made out to be, and cheap!! Tom and I had lunch with drinks for 20$, after talking with 2 local women over lunch, we hit up Ablitt house, a very weird and cool 4 story house built in the middle of a parking lot. We then went to butterfly beach and watched pelicans diving into the ocean for fish as we tried to tan.
We left the beach and started driving into L.A., thinking that there was a state park in Malibu with camping. When we finally pulled in to the park, there was no camping available and just a bunch of teenagers making out. We then headed back down the windy road and pulled over, grabbed the tent and sleeping bags and headed up a nearby hill to camp for the evening. At 1:40 am we awoke to the sound of a Malibu police officers radio static and saying he was entering the premises. Turns out on the other side of the hill we had chosen to camp on was the future site of some extremely rich persons house. The cop never walked up the hill however (it took about 10 min to get to the top) so we were safe. We then high tailed it out of Malibu and drove into Venice Beach at 4 am in the morning. We waited at Wendy’s doughnuts with a very unusual cast of characters until all the shops opened at 5:30 am.
By Tom:
May 27 Thursday
-Went to In-And-Out Burger with Kevin
-almost died on Freeway; guy slammed on brakes in front of us after falling asleep at wheel. Trusty Jetta saved the day with sweet ABS
-Camped in Julian (desert outside of San Diego)
May 28 Friday
-Went to San Diego Zoo – awesome
-Took the Skyfari and saw whole Zoo by air
- Watched swamp monkeys play
-Saw tiger and jaguar pace around large cage/enclosure
-Stayed at Shirley’s house in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (Joel’s girlfriend)
-Went out for dinner at
May 29 Saturday
-Strawberry pancakes for breakfast!
-Relaxed
-Slept at Cardif-by-the-sea beach
-Ate swordfish for dinner- delicious
May 30 Sunday
-Drove to Joshua Tree National Park
-Found a campsite at Ryan campground
-Burritos for dinner
May 31 Monday
-Went to 29 palms oasis
tons of lizards
red neck family at the oasis kept saying the whole time “this rock is big, this water is cold”
-Climbed Hemmingway crack at Hemmingway Buttress (5.8) 40m and walked off the back of the route. Told about route by guy who liked the Jetta
-Had ginger beer at the local cafe
June 1 Tuesday
-Saw a scorpion (under the tent)
-Marines in next campsite pointed out a rattlesnake in their campsite
-Walked around Hidden Valley
-Walked around Hemmingway and saw burned ginger solo climber
-drove to Vegas on route 66
-Saw salt flats and military ordinates live firing range
-ate at Stieners – pub just off strip
-Walked 12km to the actual strip and went to Luxor
-had a “flight” Jagermeister
-Gill Tripled her money at black jack (30$)
-Checked into the South Point
June 2 Wednesday
-Gill went to the pool
-Went to VW dealership to have the oil changed
-ate dinner at Whole Foods
-Bought dress shoes
June 3 Thursday
-Ate breakfast buffet in South point; Gill ate too much
-Left car at dealership (new tires) and picked up a rental
-Climbed Fold-Out (5.8)
-Left because we only had one rope
-bought new rope
-Went to Timbers for dinner while brakes were being done
-We were going to go out for dinner but ended up just going to bed at 10pm lame
June 4 Friday
-We checked out of the South Point
-I got Gill dinner and a show
-Went for dinner at the Tropicana Steakhouse
-Saw Chris Angel “Believe”, best line of the show “ I call this Enigma!”
-Saw the Bellagio water show
-Gill played blackjack at the Bellagio and won until I sat down then lost all her money ($20) came out even after a win at the Luxor
-Walked back to Mandelay Bay and talked to drunk people
-Drove to Lovell Road to Camp (free, 3am, at a gun range)
June 5 Saturday
-Woke up 6:30 by gunfire.
-Went back to sleep
-Climbed Chips and Salsa (5.3) at Red Rocks
-Gill’s first Mock Lead climb
-Got burritos and Gill got a hat at Desert Rock sports – went to that store 3 times because of most useful salesman who told us about the free camp site.
-Went back to campsite
June 6 Sunday
-Walked around aimlessly in Red Rocks all day
-Went to “The World Famous Blue Diamond Saloon” for $2 beers
-Met a bunch of ‘mountain people’ at bar and played impromptu game of volleyball
-Gill tripled her money at VLT poker
-Camped at Spring Mountain again
June 7 Monday
-Woke up sticky and smelly and sweaty
-Climbed Tunnel Vision (5.7 800’) complete with a 100’ cave and 7pitches
-began hike off mountain at sunset after park closed
-Reached car 2 hours later at 10:30 after seeing two Arizona bark Scorpions (the only poisonous scorpions in the area)
-Went for cheap happy hour dinner at Chicago brew pub ($20 for 2 beers and three appetizers)
-Spent the night at the Sahara Casino and Resort for 36$
June 8 Tuesday
-Left The Sahara at noon
-Breakfast at a Henderson coffee
-Drove to Tusayan, just outside the Grand Canyon
-Saw Hoover Dam on way (45°C)
-Dinner at Rosie’s Den, small diner which deep fried everything on menu (including Gill’s French toast)- Terrible
