Traveler Bill of Country Victoria

Day 23: Leaving Las Vegas

April 21, 2016

Nevada Day 3 – California -Day 01

Today was a longer than it was drive through the Mojave Desert from Las Vegas to Bakersfield, California.
The day started out with getting fresh supplies for the Chief. Montezuma must be pretty angry to take his revenge out so badly on a toddler.

Then it was in the road to see some of the most depressing residential outposts I have ever seen.

Once we got to Bakersfield we checked into our hotel and I ran out to top off the tank. I found the “cheapest” gas nearby at the Arco on Buck Owens Blvd. $2.499/gal regular. Now, having driven close to 5,000 miles in the past month I think it’s safe to say I know my way around a gas pump. For some reason this pump wouldn’t accept my credit card. I went to the attendant who told me the don’t accept credit cards to “keep the gas cheap”. Another strike against the San Joaquin Valley.

A more picturesque part of the Mojave Part of California

And before you knew it... — And before you knew it…

It started getting greener... — It started getting greener…

I couldn't identify all the trees. — I couldn’t identify all the trees.

A view from our window. Lots of contrails of planes presumably filled with people leaving the San Joaquin Valley

Jerks, presumable from the San Joaquin Valley, parking in the Check in Zone of the hotel.

Road Trip Tally

April 21

Distance Today: 290.6 mi/467.7 km
Percentage of Day Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 4,777.4 mi/7,688.5 km
Percentage of Total Driven by Traveler Nell: 1.23%
Driving Time: 6:06 today/93:06 total

Gas Stats

Gas purchased: 12.004 gal/45.440 L
Gas price: $2.499/gal-$0.660/L
Mileage for leg: 33.30 mpg/14.16 km/L
Mileage for trip: 32.09 mpg/13.64 km/L
Cost of fill-up: $30.35 (includes $0.35 Debit Card Fee)
Amount budgeted: $35.92
$5.57 UNDER budget for leg
$218.88 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $25
Today UNDER Budget: $25
Food expenditures to date: $1,217
Grand total OVER budget: $67

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $151.87

Day 22: Viva Lost Wages

April 21, 2016

Nevada – Day 2

Sunset from Traveler Bill on Vimeo.

Today was another rest day. The Chief has been getting over a 24 hour stomach bug, if you catch my drift. Who knew Montezuma made it to the Grand Canyon.

So we kept it quiet today. We walked up to the Tropicana to pick up Traveler Nell’s ticket to Rock Vault. Staying in a non smoking facility I forgot the stink of a Las Vegas casino. By the time we were done I felt like we had back when we visited Naples. The smell of stale cigarettes and fresh desperation.

And the award for least surprising celebrity bar in Las Vegas goes to Pete Rose

Afterward we stopped by the MGM Grand for a greatly overpriced buffet and a swing through the slot machines for me. As mentioned previously I have had a little luck at the “pokies” as they say in Australia. Not so much today.

Then it was back to the hotel for a couple messages offering us the wonderful opportunity to buy a timeshare and some quiet time with The Chief and Daniel Tiger

Tomorrow it is off to Bakersfield on our way to Yosemite.

Road Trip Tally

April 20

No driving today

Gas Stats

No gas today

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $77
Today OVER Budget: $17
Food expenditures to date: $1,190
Grand total OVER budget: $90

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $123.31

Day 21: Viva Las Vegas

April 19, 2016

Arizona Day 4 – Nevada (Pacific Daylight Time)

Today we bid farewell to the Grand Canyon and headed to one of the only places I’d put lower than NYC on my list of places in America I’d want to live.

Las Vegas.

The Last time (the only time) I’ve ever been to either the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas was almost exactly 11 years ago when my oldest friend Tony and I made the journey for a guys weekend. It was a great time. I won over $600 on the slots, had a buffet lunch, had a Grand Canyon day trip, and basically had a great time. We had no idea that two years later cancer would take the healthier by far of the two of us.

Tony preparing to eat an ungodly amount of buffet.

On the road to the Grand Canyon '05 — On the road to the Grand Canyon ’05

Heading out early in the morning we stopped at the Hoover Dam. Back then it wasn’t a side trip as the bridge bypassing the dam was not yet open and the trip was at least an hour longer. We opted for the quicker drive today with the Chief in the back seat.

The route to the Grand Canyon as it used to be

On our way back from the Grand Canyon in ’05 Tony and I stopped in Kingman, Arizona to eat dinner. Mind you it was almost 10:00 PM. The people of Dambar & Steakhouse sat us for a steak dinner even though they were closing moments later. This time we stopped at the Dambar for lunch today and I had the same meal I had back in 2005.

I often wonder what Tony would think of how my life has turned out and where he would be. I’m sure he would love Traveler Nell and the Chief and am convinced he would be the first friend to visit us in Australia.

Road Trip Tally

April 19

Distance Today: 285.0 mi/458.7 km
Percentage of Day Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 4,486.6 mi/7,220.5 km
Percentage of Total Driven by Traveler Nell: 1.31%
Driving Time: 5:34 today/87:00 total

Gas Stats

Gas purchased: 15.960 gal/60.42 L
Gas price: $2.459/gal-$0.605/L
Mileage for leg: 33.87 mpg/14.40 km/L
Mileage for trip: 31.98 mpg/13.60 km/L
Cost of fill-up: $39.25
Amount budgeted: $34.45
$10.95 UNDER budget for leg
$185.59 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $70
Today OVER Budget: $20
Food expenditures to date: $1,113
Grand total OVER budget: $63

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $150.31

Day 20: Continental (Holiday) Divide

April 18, 2016

Arizona Day 3

Sunrise from Traveler Bill on Vimeo.

Sunrise at Bright Angel Lodge

It was a down day today. Traveler Nell and I calculated it was our first day of just relaxing since last autumn. We had breakfast, napped, looked out our window listening to the Beach Boys and Bill Withers on our Bluetooth speaker and just relaxed. It was really nice. Also, knowing that we have a bunch of these over the next three weeks is good to know.
But tomorrow we head to Vegas through Kingman. On Historic Route 66.

Road Trip Tally

April 18

No driving today

Gas Stats

No gas bought today

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $94
Today Over Budget: $44
Food expenditures to date: $1,043
Grand total OVER budget: $43

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $142.59

Day 19: Leave it as it is.

April 17, 2016

Arizona Day 2
Today was a full day of driving going from the outer reaches of Tucson to the Grand Canyon. Before we left Tucson Traveler Nell suggested we stop by the Airplane Graveyard as we only 4 minutes away. Unfortunately the GPS led us to the front gate of Davis-Mothan Air Force Base. The heavily armed guard politely allowed us to hightail it out of there.

The scenery from Tucson to the Grand Canyon is amazing. You start in high desert, descend to Phoenix and the all the cacti. Then you climb into the mountains and before you have a chance to take photo of a cactus you’re in the mountains! Hopefully when we go by Joshua Tree I can get that photo I wanted.

Then it is up and down the mountains until you reach Arizona Rt 180 which is essentially flat and straight road for 40 miles or so and you are here.

When we decided to take this trip Traveler Nell set forth trying to get the best room available on at the park. Well we got it. A rim view cabin in Bright Angel Lodge.

Photos of the Day

The locals came out to greet us at the Grand Canyon

Traveler Nell and I arriving at the Bright Angel Lodge

Enjoying the view with our evening beverages, and each other's company — Enjoying the view with our evening beverages, and each other’s company

Today’s title refers to President Theodore Roosevelt’s quote about the Grand Canyon.

“Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it. What you can do is to keep it for your children, and for all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American… should see.”

Road Trip Tally

April 17

Distance Today: 362.9 mi/584.3 km
Percentage of Day Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 4,201.5 mi/6,761.7 km
Percentage of Total Driven by Traveler Nell: 1.39%
Driving Time: 6:28 today/81:26 total

Gas Stats

No gas bought today

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $22
Today UNDER Budget: $28
Food expenditures to date: $949
Grand total UNDER budget: $1

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $185.59

Day 18: But Its A Dry Heat

April 17, 2016

Texas Day 6 – New Mexico – Arizona (Mtn. Std. Time)

El Paso from our hotel

Not as long a day today but another exhausting one for the Travelers Three. We left El Paso relatively late which threw off both The Chief’s nap time and lunch plans. Traveler Nell as always saved the day finding us the El Camino Real restaurant in Deming, NM. It was there I finally got to try a New Mexico hallmark, the green chile cheeseburger.

El Camino Real’s Green Chile Cheeseburger
It was great. And even better was the people who work there. A real treasure we found.
Then it was back to driving. A lot of it. Made bearable by all the sights along the way.

From a Rest Stop in New Mexico

Sign Warning of Dust Storms on the Highway in New Mexico

What You See When You Cross Into Arizona

Almost My Vantage.

Signs For “The Thing” Appear 180 Mile East on I-10

The Chief (El Jefe) Has No Time to Model Sombreros

I’ll Reveal That “The Thing” houses “Hitler’s Rolls”

About 20 miles from our exit we were caught up in a traffic jam for nearly 40 minutes. The crash that caused it looked devastating so we prayed for the passengers.

Tomorrow we’re off to the Grand Canyon. Service may be spotty. I’ll be drafting as a normal but it maybe until we arrive in Las Vegas next Tuesday before they will post.

Road Trip Tally
April 16

Distance Today: 330.0 mi/531.1 km
Percentage of Day Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 3,838.5 mi/6,177.5 km
Percentage of Total Driven by Traveler Nell: 1.53%
Driving Time: 6:22 today (40 stopped on I-10 due to a pretty nasty wreck)/74:58 total

Gas Stats

Gas purchased: 11.874 gal/44.95 L
Gas price: $1.979/gal-$0.522/L
Mileage for leg: 29.89 mpg/12.71 km/L
Mileage for trip: 31.73 mpg/13.49 km/L
Cost of fill-up: $23.50
Amount budgeted: $34.45
$10.95 UNDER budget for leg
$185.59 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $64
Today OVER Budget: $14
Food expenditures to date: $927
Grand total OVER budget: $27

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)
UNDER Budget: $158.59

Day 17: Up From San Antone

April 15, 2016

Texas Day 5: Into Mountain Time

Today is my brother John’s 55th birthday. Or it would have been had he not passed away after a brief courageous battle with cancer in early 1990. I’ve been thinking of him a lot on this trip. We only drove any distance together once, to our cousin’s wedding in Boston. But before we left each way he bought a bottle of Pepsi for us both.

THIS IS FOR YOU JB.

So, for the last week or so I’ve have a joke stat in the Road Tip Tally. “Percentage Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%”. Well that changes today when Traveler Nell drove a good portion of the morning drive on the longest leg of our trip. New percentages in today’s tally.

TRAVELER NELL DRIVING

MY REACTION TO TRAVELER NELL’s DRIVING
It’s been another long day so I’ll post some photos and end by saying I have really enjoyed Texas. I expected it would be nice but seriously, I had no idea. So good on the Lone Star State.

EVEN THE ROADS IN TEXAS FEEL LIKE A JOHN FORD FILM

WHY THE MPG’s ARE DOWN TODAY

A GENUINE AIR STREAM TRAILER

FAMILY PORTRAIT

When we were planning the Great American Road Trip™ we thought it would be a hoot to hop over the border to Mexico. Luckily we came to our senses. Didn’t mean we wouldn’t come close-but not TOO close.

RUNFOR THE BORDER-THEN HIGHTAIL IT OUT OF THERE

I KNOW ONE HOTEL GETTING MARKED DOWN ON THEIR TRIPADVISOR REVIEW.

Road Trip Tally

April 15

Distance Today: 563.1 mi/906.2 km
Percentage of Day Driven by Traveler Nell: 10.41%
Total Distance: 3,508.4 mi/5,646.2 km
Percentage of Total Driven by Traveler Nell: 1.67%
Driving Time: 9.25 today/68.36 total

Gas Stats

Part 1
Gas purchased: 11.435 gal/43.286 L
Gas price: $1.899/gal-$0.501/L
Mileage for leg: 27.33 mpg/11.80 km/L
Part 2
Gas purchased: 7.220 gal/27.330 L
Gas price: $1.959/gal-$0.517/L
Mileage for leg: 30.709 mpg/13.09km/L
Mileage for trip: 31.93 mpg/13.09 km/L
Cost of fill-up: #1-$21.72 #2-$14.14 Total-$35.86
Amount budgeted: $70.06
$34.20 UNDER budget for leg
$174.64 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $88
Today OVER Budget: $33
Food expenditures to date: $863
Grand total OVER budget: $13

Daily Expenditures (Food/Fuel)

UNDER Budget: $161.64

Day 16: Deep in the Heart of Texas

April 14, 2016

Texas Day 4

Short post with regard to text tonight. We had a long day exploring San Antonio and an even longer day tomorrow. So just a couple photos of our day with the updates Road Trip Tally below.

“Alright, alright, alright!” Traveler Nell’s a movie buff

At the San Jose Mission in San Antonio

Remembering the Alamo

A cactus flower for Tom Doniphon

Road Trip Tally

April 14

Distance Today: 106.1 mi/170.8 km
Percentage Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 2,945.3 mi/4,740.0 km
Driving Time: 2:43 today/59:11 total

Gas Stats

Gas purchased: 4.318 gal/16.345 L
Gas price: $1.759/gal-$0.464/L
Mileage for leg: 33.40 mpg/14.20 km/L
Mileage for trip: 32.55 mpg/13.82 km/L
Cost of fill-up: $7.60
Amount budgeted: $13.82
$5.76 UNDER budget for leg
$140.44 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

Today’s expenditures: $51
Today OVER Budget: $1
Food expenditures to date: $775
Grand total UNDER budget: $25

Day 15: The Stars at Night Are Big and Bright

April 13, 2016

Texas Day 3

I’ve been to over 10 Fairfield Inns. I can’t even count the number of times we’ve stayed at the East Greenbush location. Every one of them has a waffle maker. In all those times I’ve never made a waffle. Until today that is.

I had to make these waffles
A quiet day in Austin today. We relaxed in the morning and drove around a bit in the afternoon. We stopped at Via 313 for lunch.

Via 313

It is a Detroit style pizza joint. It’s been 38 years since I’ve had this style pizza and it was as good as I remembered.

They even had the right kind of pop

Delicious, Greasy

Before heading back to the hotel I called Traveler Nell’s bluff about getting a pair of cowboy boots. We stopped at the local Cavendar’s.

Since I’m going to be working on a farm it just made sense that I would have a pair of boots. I didn’t want to go nuts and asked my clerk Kayce to recommend a pair of reasonably priced boots that would be appropriate for working.

Road Trip Tally
April 13

Distance Today: 40.8 mi/65.7 km
Percentage Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 2,839.0 mi/4,568.9km
Driving Time: 2:10 today/56:28 total

Gas Stats

No Gas Today

Food Budget $50/day

4/13 expenditures: $30
Today UNDER Budget: $20
Food expenditures to date: $724
Grand total UNDER budget: $26

Day 14: Austin City Limits

April 13, 2016

Texas Day 2

Texas night one was eventful with an unexpected storm that caused billions in damage. Luckily Tyler was at the southernmost edge of the storm.

After a wonderful night we were heading out of the Tyler Fairfield Inn. In my opinion the best FFI we’ve stayed at and in the top 10 of hotels I’ve visited.

The Authors Opinion of the Tyler Fairfield Inn
A rare sight on this trip. Traveler Nell in the drivers seat. (She was setting up the GPS.)

It was a relatively short drive today, only a little over 200 miles. We decided to risk the rain today and forge ahead with our picnic plans. Traveler Nell ran into the Waco Piggley Wiggley and bought a delicious rotisserie chicken. The local park we stopped at had under cover tables that were the perfect size for The Chief’s travel chair.

Traveler Nell can put out a spread.

The Chief enjoying his lunch.

When we were planning the Great American Road Trip™ we envisioned stopping at all sort of crazy roadside attractions. Carhenges, Bonnie and Clyde’s death spot, Jell-o Museums, et cetera. The reality of traveling with an 18 month old hit us early and many if not most of these stops have been tossed.

One we determined to keep was a stop in Blevins Texas. A dot on the map Traveler Nell and I didn’t think we’d find a marker. But we decided to go anyway as it was 15 minutes from park where we ate lunch.

Then we saw this…

Needless to say our hopes were buoyed. And much to our delight, we found this.

And this…

A worthwhile detour.

Road Trip Tally

April 12

Distance Today: 237.4 mi/382.0km
Percentage Driven by Traveler Nell: 0.0%
Total Distance: 2,798.1 mi/4,503.1 qkm
Driving Time: 5:00 today/54:18 total

Gas Stats

Gas purchased: 6.787 gal/25.691 L
Gas price: $1.769/gal-$0.467/L
Mileage for leg: 35.17 mpg/14.95 km/L
Mileage for trip: 32.50 mpg/13.82 km/L
Cost of fill-up: $12.01
Amount budgeted: $36.20
$24.19 UNDER budget for leg
$134.68 UNDER budget for trip

Food Budget $50/day

4/12 expenditures: $60
Today OVER Budget: $10
Food expenditures to date: $694
Grand total UNDER budget: $6

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