UTAH

SPOT THE MAN IN SKIS

THE TEMPLE

SISTER MISSIONARIES AT TEMPLE SQUARE

DELICATE ARCH

We left Jackson at 7.30am to drive south roughly along the Wyoming/Idaho state border to Utah. Our destination was Salt Lake City (SLC), founded by the Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). Fellow traveller Katy teaches History at her school and is a bit of an expert on how the Mormons became established, so she has already given me some background information.

Before we got to SLC, however, we stopped for lunch at Utah Olympic Park, 28 miles east of the City. The Park was built for the 2002 Winter Olympics and continues to be used for training and competition. 

We stayed at the Shilo Inns Hotel in SLC, which was a welcome upgrade from the tent. After depositing my bags in my room, I walked to the famous Temple Square to see the buildings and find out a more about the origins of Utah State and the Mormon faith. Once I had toured the Temple, the Assembly Hall and the Tabernacle, two charming young ladies, Sister Missionaries, sat down with me to explain the differences between the Mormon and the Anglican versions of Christianity. They were very open in answering my many questions and didn't avoid the awkward ones.

I then continued my walk to the fine Capitol Building which overlooks the City from the hill. The lack of any need for security checks on entry surprised me because with every other government building I have entered, security guards have either searched or x-rayed my rucksack, and sometimes even got me to empty my pockets and walk through a metal detector. Here I just walked straight in the building to see a beautifully marbled interior with lots of informative displays.

On my walk back to the hotel I passed through the Creek Centre, which had a fountain that danced to music and also projected gas flames to accompany the water jets. It was brilliant.

SLC is in a beautiful location so I can see why Brigham Young said "This is the right place" (you will have to Google this to find out more). It is clean and seems safe, even late at night, but I was surprised that in a City with a dominant Mormon population there were still many homeless people sleeping on the streets.

I was also surprised to find that the City virtually closed shop after 9.00pm so I couldn't find a place to eat and had to make do with the two oaty bars in my rucksack for supper.

After a compensatory free breakfast in the Hotel next morning we headed off to the City of Moab, still in Utah, our base for visits to Arches National Park 5 miles away and Canyonlands National Park 32 miles away. Not surprisingly, the terrain became more desert-like as we drove south.

We arrived at the campground in Moab late afternoon and had an early supper. This was so we could do an evening hike in Arches NP. We would be staying at this campground for three nights.

There are about 2000 natural sandstone arches in the Park and some are particularly noteworthy. Our evening hike involved an ascent of about 480 ft to 'Delicate Arch'. After photographing it at sunset, we walked down again in the dark. The terrain in Arches NP is just amazing, with weird rock formations and the colours of the sandstone ranging from salmon pink through red to brown. The experience of walking in this terrain around sunset was quite surreal.

INTO COWBOY COUNTRY

THE MOUNT WASHBURN SUMMIT TEAM

TEACHING THE KIDS HOW TO CROSS THE ROAD

GIANT PRISMATIC SPRING

OLD FAITHFULL

GRAND TETONS IN THE BACKGROUND

RODEO

MOTORCYCLES INSTEAD OF HORSES

EASY RIDERS

Our full-day tour of Yellowstone Park commenced early. I got up to get the kettle boiling at 5.00am and we were all away by 6.30am, leaving our tents pitched since we would be returning to the same campground in the evening.

Our first port of call was the Norris Geyser Basin, one of the most active earthquake areas in Yellowstone, and also one of the most acidic hydrothermal areas in the Park. The 'bad egg' smell of hydrogen sulphide hits your senses immediately and the basin pulsates with steam and boiling water from below. There are many geysers, the most famous of which is Steamboat Geyser because it can, on occasion, throw water 300 ft into the air. It didn't produce much more than a splash while I watched though.

We then took a short walk along the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (not to be confused with the other Grand Canyon which is MUCH larger). We were treated to some excellent views of the Higher and Lower Falls, the latter involving 328 steps down into the Canyon.

Our next activity was a 'walk' up Mount Washburn. This was actually a relentless climb of around 1,400 ft up to a final altitude of 10,243 ft, but we were rewarded by great views of the whole of Yellowstone from the top while we ate lunch.

Driving to our next destination we were held up by Bison crossing the road. They do look mean and fearsome creatures, and gore a couple of people a year who fail to keep their distance. When we eventually got to the Mud Volcano in Hayden Valley we were greeted by the pungent stench of sulphur.

On the way back to the campground for supper we passed alongside Lake Yellowstone, with beautiful views across the water to the mountains beyond. After an exhausting day, and the prospect of another early start in the morning, I was pleased to get an early(ish) night.

Next morning we started with a visit to further geothermal sites, including Great Fountain Geyser, and the Giant Prismatic Spring with its many colours due to algae and bacteria which are able to survive in temperatures too hot for most forms of life.

Naturally, we had to visit the most famous Geyser of all, Old Faithful, and true to its name it did its stuff almost exactly on the predicted time of 8.42am.

From there it was a moderate drive south out of Yellowstone and into Grand Teton National Park. Although the two parks are adjacent, I felt their characters to be quite distinct. The latter is named after its mountain range, the Grand Tetons, and their presence to the west of us is certainly imposing. The mountains are steep, jagged and dangerous looking, with patches of snow near some of the summits. The mountains overlook several lakes and we chose to take a two hour hike to Hidden Falls on the west side of Jenny Lake. Afterwards we continued our drive down through Jackson Hole (the name of the valley) to the City of Jackson itself.

We pitched our tents on a campground just south of the Snake River and, after supper, headed back to into Jackson to watch a rodeo. This comprised competitive displays of horsemanship, riding bulls and bucking broncos, lassoing steers and speed riding around obstacles. Some of the competitors couldn't have been older than ten!

Finally, we visited a downtown Cowboy Bar. It was just like in the films: men in Stetsons playing pool and swigging back ale and whiskey, pretty bar ladies and a band playing at the far end of the bar. The place was internally decorated with gnarled wooden beams, wall paintings of cowboy scenes and display cabinets containing Winchester rifles, spurs and other western artefacts. Chewing tobacco, a spittoon and a gunfight would have completed the picture.

Next morning, inspired by the rodeo experience, some of us went horse riding ourselves. We followed a trail through meadows and woods, over streams and up hills until we reached a good viewpoint for the Tetons. I was surprised how much I remembered from my riding lessons as a child, thanks to Mum and Dad. The differences between English and American riding are not great - if anything the latter has a more relaxed style.

The rest of the day I spent exploring downtown Jackson. We have seen so many sights over the past week that I felt rather wowed out. It was great not to be 'on a schedule' for a change and just mosey about. I looked in some outdoor shops, wandered around an art gallery and visited Ripley's 'Believe it or Not' collection of incredible facts and items. The most relevant bit of information concerned a lady who used a frying pan to kill a bear that got into her tent. I wonder if she fried it afterwards?

Tomorrow we continue south to Salt Lake City.

THE ROAD TO YELLOWSTONE

CANADA GEESE AT LAKE TAHOE

LAKE TAHOE

OUR CAMP SITE AT ZEPHYR COVE

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS

STEAM FROM HOT SPRINGS

THE CAMP ROTA

After an early start and a 210 mile drive we arrived at Zephyr Cove campground close to the shore of Lake Tahoe. At an altitude of 6,225 ft, Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the world and with a depth of 1,646 ft it is also the deepest.

Lake Tahoe is on the California/Nevada border, and Zephyr Cove is located to the east on the Nevada side, not far from Carson City.

Tents were pitched and half of the group went to purchase food while the rest of us went down to amuse ourselves by the lake. The numerous black-headed Canada Geese 'loafing' around the lake seemed quite comfortable in the presence of people. I walked along the sandy shore for a couple of hours and then went in for a swim. The water was crystal clear, and when I got a mouthful it tasted of spring water. My usual experience of bodies of water this large is at the seaside. Thus, quite illogically, I expected the water to taste salty.

Supper was prepared by Charlotte and Karen and comprised an English breakfast, which was novel but satisfying. After eating and before preparing for sleep, we had to carefully clean all utensils and put rubbish, unused foodstuffs and also our toilet bags into bear-proof containers.

Many National Parks in North America are also the habitats of Black and Brown (Grizzly) Bears. Whilst they don't go out of their way to attack humans, they do scavenge for food and have very sensitive senses of smell, so we have to clear our tents of anything that might attract them. It would be a very unpleasant experience to have a Bear tear though the tent fabric to get in during the middle of the night. We have had some instruction on how to tell the difference between Black and Brown Bears, and how best to deal with an encounter, but I'm not sure how this works in the dark!

Anyway, after an undisturbed night, followed by an early rise, breakfast, and a very efficient 'breaking of camp' (we are getting good now) we continued our journey into Nevada. We are heading for Yellowstone Park, but it will take us two days to get there from Tahoe.

Much of our driving was along the I-80 (Interstate no. 80) and was rather boring. The road largely passes through the Nevada desert, although there were high mountains about us in the distance. Shortly after crossing into Idaho and following nearly 11 hours on the road, including breaks, we finally got to our mid-way campsite at a place called Nat-Soo-Pah just south of the city of Twin Falls. The campsite is located next to a hot spring and Nat-Soo-Pah is the Shoshone Indian word for 'magic mineral water'. I didn't have any specific camp duties so I took the opportunity to bathe in the lovely warm health-giving spring water before enjoying a chilli supper prepared by Donna and Doreen.

Next morning we were off early again. Initially the view from the road is much the same as yesterday, but gradually became greener and more cultivated as we continued east. We stopped at Idaho Falls to pick up food and then continued though the southern tip of Montana to enter Yellowstone National Park at the West Yellowstone Entrance. Almost straight away we entered Wyoming where most of the Park is.

We arrived at Madison Campground mid-afternoon, pitched our tents, then immediately set out to see a few Park sights. The Yellowstone Park scenery is breathtaking - a gorgeous mix of mountains, rocky outcrops, water meadows, forests, rivers and lakes laid out before us as if the world's most expensive landscape gardener had been at work.

First we visited the spectacular terraces of the Mammoth Hot Springs where superheated water from below has deposited calcium carbonate and turned the hillside white, although on closer inspection browns, reds and oranges are present also. Trees and grass cannot survive in the toxic environment, but some micro-organisms can and do.

Nearby, at a place called the Boiling River, water from a hot spring flows into the Gardner River. An enclosure of rocks forms a warm pool where the waters mix. I didn't take us long to don swimming costumes and enjoy a group bathe in the luxurious warmth.

Angela and I were responsible for preparing supper when we eventually returned to our tents. We did a spicy chicken stir-fry which, if lack of leftovers is a good indication, seemed to go down well.

Bear precautions are even more onerous at Yellowstone than at Yosemite. We kept almost our entire luggage in the trailer overnight and couldn't even take the clothes we wore for eating into the tent as they would smell of food.

YOSEMITE

ANGELA, ME AND DOREEN IN FROM OF GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE (WITH FOG)

GIANT SEQUOIA

VENAL FALLS ON WAY TO NEVADA FALLS

HALF DOME

When I rose on Sunday 21st it was seriously foggy outside which, I am told, is not uncommon in San Francisco because of the cold air coming in from the Pacific. After dispatching my latest blog entry, I packed my gear and headed down to the Hotel lobby to meet my fellow travellers for my 18-day 'Best of the West' camping trip through the National Parks.

The driver/tour leader is Alex, and whilst checking in with him I met fellow Brits Chris and Katy who come from the Isle of Mann, Charlotte and Karen, also Brits, Donna from Australia, Angela from Sweden and Doreen from Germany. There was meant to a Korean chap coming with us too, but he didn't turn up for some reason. So, it looks like the girls heavily outnumber the boys, but I think I can live with that.

After a short pep talk about the rules of the trip, Alex drove us up to the Golden Gate Bridge so we could walk across, and then collected us on the other side. Because of the fog we couldn't see the top of the Bridge though.

We continued on to Yosemite National Park, stopping for lunch along the way. Once in the Park we initially headed for Tuolumne Grove to walk among the great Sequoias. We took a group photo at a tree with a tunnel through it large enough for a car. Then it was on to our campsite at Yosemite Lakes where we pitched our tents while Alex prepared supper.

An early night was required because at 5.00am next morning we left the camp site, leaving our tents pitched, to walk part of the John Muir Trail to Nevada Falls. The 7 mile walk involved nearly 1,000 ft of climbing, but the terrific views made the effort well worthwhile. Yosemite certainly lives up to its reputation of natural beauty. We were particularly excited to see Half Dome, a famous granite mountain peak which has a vertical rock face on its north side. The best rock climbers in the world come to tackle this incredibly difficult and dangerous climb.

We were down again by midday, and after some further exploration of the National Park got back to the campsite late afternoon. With some chill-out time remaining, some of us took a swim in the river adjacent to the camp site before getting down to camp duties, the most important of which was cooking supper.

I am pleased to say that we are all getting on with each other really well. We have lots more to do and see on this trip, and I am sure we are going to have a lot of fun.

THE END AND THE BEGINNING

THE END OF THE ROAD

BEVERLY HILLS BUS

HOLLYWOOD SIGN IN DISTANCE

MY FAVOURITE FILM STAR 

We left Las Vegas on Friday 19th for what would be the last day of our Route 66 tour. Soon we were out of Nevada and into California as we headed towards Los Angeles. There wasn't much to see from the road except for more desert, so apart from a lunch stop at Barstow we just kept driving.

The terrain changed from desert to mountainous as we approached San Bernardino. From there it was a relatively short drive past Pasadena and along Santa Monica Boulevard to the Pier, where Route 66 ends. Short in distance, maybe, but not short in duration as we became embroiled in the notoriously dense Los Angeles traffic. Cars were just nose-to-tail all the way in. Traffic this bad usually only occurs in the UK when there has been an accident, but here it's normal. I was just thankful that I wasn't driving. When we finally got to Santa Monica Pier, we just did a drive-by as there was nowhere we could park.

Damien took us to our final hotel and we shared a celebratory bottle of Californian 'Champagne' to celebrate our arrival. Later that evening we said our farewells before going our separate ways.

My 'separate way' was to be picked up by bus at 8.30am next morning for a tour of LA. Serendipitously, the tour started at Santa Monica Pier, so I was able to take a picture of the 'West End of Route 66' sign that we had failed to get the previous day.

To avoid confusion, the tour-bus driver made clear that LA is a county that contains 88 cities, and one of those cities is also called LA. Other cities in LA County include Beverley Hills, West Hollywood, Burbank, Paramount, Claremont and Bel Air, etc. The total population of LA County is 10 million and they have about 7 million cars, less than I would have thought considering the congestion.

Leaving the pier, we drove up Sunset Boulevard to Beverley Hills to look at the outside of homes in which the stars live or have lived. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Shirley Temple and Charlie Chaplin all got a mention. I found this a bit of a yawn, but judging from all the oohs and aahs coming from others on the tour bus, I was probably in the minority here.

Next, we drove to a place where we could get a good view of the famous Hollywood sign. We weren't that close so I wasn't very impressed with that either. Finally, we went to have a look at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I liked the Bugs Bunny 'star' best.

So, I had a spin around LA and had seen the essential sights, but why anyone would want to live here beats me. The bus driver dropped me off at the airport in the afternoon to catch my flight to San Francisco.

The flight took an hour. The security and baggage collection processes each end took about four. I noted that security staff had opened and rummaged through my checked-in luggage from the fact that they hadn't done all the straps up afterwards. Nothing missing though, and they did leave an apologetic note inside.

I got from San Francisco Airport to the city centre using the Airtrain and BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which is what they call their subway system. My first impression when I came out of the station was not good. Lots of down-and-outs, some begging, and a smell of pee.

I walked to my lodgings for the night - the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway. Tomorrow I would be picked up for my second multi-day tour which would involve camping in the National Parks.

SIN CITY

THE 'RESTROOM' IN SELIGMAN

DUST DEVILS

HOOVER DAM

EXCALIBUR HOTEL/CASINO

NEW YORK NEW YORK

PARIS - LAS VEGAS

We departed Tusayan and said farewell to Grand Canyon. Our continued pursuit of Route 66 took us to Williams, a town which sued the government several times in an attempt to prevent its stretch of 66 being by-passed by the interstate, but finally lost. It seems to have made the best of it though, with an economy now based on tourism and Route 66 memorabilia. The same focus on memorabilia also applies to Seligman where we also stopped......a fascinatingly quirky place, though its shabbiness suggested it was struggling somewhat.

As we drove through the remaining part of Arizona we could see dust-devils dancing in the desert around us. The next stop was to see the Hoover Dam which holds back the waters of Lake Mead which, in turn, is fed by the waters of the Colorado River. Although primarily built for water storage and flood control, this huge engineering project on the Arizona/Nevada border also produces 4.2 billion kWh of electricity per annum, enough to power 400,000 homes.

The main road used to pass over the Dam, but with only two lanes it soon became a bottleneck. Security concerns were also raised following 9/11. As a consequence, a four lane road now passes over the newly constructed Mike O'Callaghan–Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge just downstream from the Dam. It was from here that we were able to view the Dam. Cars are not allowed to stop on this bridge but pedestrians can walk across once they have passed through security checks.

Now firmly in Nevada, it didn't take us long to reach the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas where we would stay for two nights. We were nearing the end of our Route 66 journey, so we had what would probably be our last evening meal as a group in an Italian Restaurant. Afterwards some of us did a reconnaissance of the famous Las Vegas 'Strip'. No, nothing to do with nudity! This is what might be called the Main Street in other cities. It was a Wednesday night and after 11.00pm, but the streets were full of people and brightly illuminated by the light from the huge displays that constantly advertised products. The place just throbbed with activity.

Next morning I set off on my own to walk the length of The Strip on one side of the road, then back on the other, a task that would take me all day. The hotels are much more than just places to sleep. They are also casinos, shopping malls, restaurants and theatres. Each casino/hotel links to the next by monorail or covered walkway, often bridging roads. I visited the Mandalay Bay, the Luxor, Excalibur, New York New York, then on to the Bellagio and Caesars Palace until I eventually reached the Stratosphere. I then crossed to the other side and walked back, visiting the Palazzo, the Venetian, Paris - Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood, to name just a few. The exteriors of these casino/hotels are impressive enough, showing off enormous scale-models of the Sphinx, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, the Empire State Building, etc. Inside they are no less so. I was particularly awe-struck by the interior of the Luxor and Caesars Palace. In the evening I watched the fountain display in front of the Bellagio, the Volcano display at the Mirage and the Sirens of Treasure Island at the Treasure Island Casino and Hotel.

I was left with the impression that however tacky you might consider Las Vegas to be, this City certainly knows how to impress. The hotels are as elaborately and exquisitely decorated as any I have seen, and the free entertainment is better than some I have paid good money for.

As for the 'Sin' in 'Sin City', well there were a lot of scantily-clad girls around, but I didn't look - much. I didn't gamble either - promise - but I am coming back on the 7th of August so there is still time to remedy that.

GRAND CANYON

DESIREABLE RESIDENCE IN SKY CITY - OUTSIDE LOO THOUGH

EL RANCHO HOTEL, GALLUP

WIGWAM MOTEL, HOLBROOK

GRAND CANYON

OOH AAH POINT ON SOUTH KIABAB TRAIL

ON SOUTH KIABAB TRAIL

We left Santa Fe to drive across am increasingly desert-like landscape to Albuquerque, a much larger city than Santa Fe which is bracketed between the Sandia Crest Mountains and the Rio Grande River. After a quick look around the rather touristy Old Town and an ice cream in a classically-styled Route 66 diner, we continued on to Acoma Sky City.

Acoma is a pueblo (town) built on a mesa 367 ft above sea level, hence its other name Sky City. It has no mains water or electricity supplies, yet it has been continuously inhabited by the Pueblo Indians since 1150AD.

We paid for a guided tour of the pueblo, but I found myself disappointed because the Indian residents didn't seem to make much effort to preserve the authenticity of the houses, having modified them using modern materials. Whilst we were being told how unique and historic the place was, cars and portaloos were evident all around us (Acoma has no sewers). A much better impression would have been gained if these things had been moved out of sight. For me, the best things were the views from the town and the steep walk down.

Our final destination for the day was the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup, New Mexico. Other than being on Route 66, there was little of interest in Gallup itself. However, the hotel was quirky, with a large open lobby with two spiral staircases leading to an overlooking balcony. The decor was a little dated, with pictures of yesteryear's film stars adorning the walls, but the place was comfortable enough. Apparently, the Hotel had been used as the base for several film productions, mostly westerns, made between 1940 and 1964. The rooms are named after famous actors who had stayed in them - Winston and I shared the Errol Flynn room.

Leaving the El Rancho Hotel next morning, we continued our westerly heading and crossed the state border into Arizona. We stopped briefly at Holbrook to see the Wigwam Motel with its accommodation comprising individual concrete wigwams each with a classic car parked outside. After further refreshment stops at Jackrabbit and Flagstaff, we turned north off Route 66 to visit Grand Canyon.

This 277 mile long, one mile deep geological feature with its origins dating back nearly two billion years ago was a 'must  see' on the trip. We parked near to the Desert View observation point. Damien decided that the best way to illicit a group 'wow' response from us was to put paper bags over our heads, lead us blind to the edge, then get us all to remove the bags simultaneously. What trust we must have in him! Anyway, it worked as we were all immediately struck by the sheer scale of the landscape, the vivid yellows, reds and greens of the rock strata, and the sight of the Colorado River winding its way far below.

We would be staying for two nights at the Red Feather Lodge in Tusayan, about 10 minutes drive from the National Park, so we had a full day to explore the Canyon further.

Next morning Damien dropped us off at the Park visitor center, the starting point for hikes in and around the Canyon. I opted to walk a section of the South Kiabab Trail which involved hiking down into the Canyon. I descended about 2,000 feet to a place just beyond Skeleton Point where I could see the Colorado River below. It was very hot, but not as hot as I am told it can be in the Canyon in summer. I had taken plenty of fluid and salty snacks as I didn't want to give new meaning to Skeleton Point.

Unlike a mountain where you ascend before descending, here the hard work is on the way out. It takes twice as long to climb out of the Canyon as it does to climb in. During my upward slog I met some other walkers who had underestimated their fluid requirements, so I gave them some of my water.

The round-trip hike took about 5 hours, which was enough in the heat, although it did rain on the way back to the Lodge.

IS THIS THE WAY TO SANTA FE

CADILLAC RANCH

I LEFT MY MARK

MIRACLE STAIRCASE?

NICE CAR - OR IS IT A ROCKETSHIP?

PUEBLO POW-WOW

NICE TOGS

We continued our journey through Texas by first paying a visit to Cadillac Ranch just west of Amarillo. This shrine to America's open road was produced by San Francisco artists in 1974 and comprises 10 upended Chevrolets spray-painted with graffiti. Anyone is allowed to spray more graffiti on the cars, so I did.

We saw large herds of cattle, the source of the famous beefsteaks we enjoyed the previous night, and the biggest array of windmills for generating power that I have ever seen. This part of Texas is referred to as the panhandle because of the thin strip of Oklahoma State above which makes the latter look like a cooking pan.

As we continued our way west towards Santa Fe, the cornfields and the plains populated with nodding donkeys (oil pumps) gave way to hills and rocky outcrops of golden sandstone. The road ran parallel to the Amtrak line for a considerable part of its length and we saw goods trains comprising a string of 3 locomotives pulling over 100 carriages. Just before leaving Texas for New Mexico we stopped at Adrian, regarded as the half-way point in Route 66. The place looked very run down.

We had a picnic lunch by the Blue Hole artesian well near Santa Rosa, New Mexico. It is 81 ft deep and 60 ft wide - big enough to swim in, as many people were. Indeed, it is a popular place to come scuba diving.

Santa Fe is not a city that you can see from a distance as the buildings are low, of adobe construction and painted brown to blend in with the environment. Our arrival here was like landing in another country. The Pueblo Indian residents are distinctive with their short stocky statures and black hair and dark skins. The city had a clean, comfortable, safe feel about it, perhaps helped by having a population of only 69,000. We were left to our own devices for a few hours and I visited the Loretto Chapel to see the 'miracle' spiral staircase which apparently remains in place even though there are no nails holding it up.

There also happened to be a car show in the City so I was able to watch the entrants drive around the central plaza in classic Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Oldsmobiles as well as more modern Audis, Maseratis and Ferraris.

We were staying in Santa Fe for a second night, so our tour leader, Damien, drove us to Taos for the day to see a Pueblo Indian pow-wow being held on reservation land. The Indian costumes were wonderfully elaborate and colourful, and I really enjoyed watching their tribal dances to the accompaniment of warbling and screeching and the loud beating of drums. They made a big thing of honouring their warriors, most of them these days having served with the US military. When I wanted to take photographs of them I was advised that my camera might steal their spirits, but if I gave them $10 it would be OK.

When it began to rain in the afternoon, I began to wonder what sort of dance they were doing!

GETTIN' MA KICKS

CRYSTAL BRIDGE AT MYRIAD GARDENS, OKLAHOMA CITY

MEMORIAL TO OKLAHOMA LAND RUSH

HERE PUSSY, PUSSY

COUNT DOWN TO CROSSING THE ROAD

TORNADO DEVASTATED AREA OF MOORE

DIARAMA AT THE ROUTE 66 MUSEUM

It's Tuesday 9th and we left Branson promptly at 9.00am for our 328 mile drive to Oklahoma City. Our group are getting on well, which is just as well given that we have a total of 14 days together.

The terrain becomes flatter as we drive through what remains of Missouri, cross a tiny corner of Kansas and finally enter into Oklahoma State. Our stops along the way include lunch at the Totem Pole Park near Foyil where they boast of having the tallest totem pole in the world, another at Catoosa to see the giant whale model and finally  'Pops' in Arcadia where they sell over 650 different varieties of soda. With an enormous pop bottle outside it's hard to miss. Everything in America seems to be characterised by huge size.

Corn and wheat production appear to give way cattle as we travel west, and the grass seems surprisingly green given that temperatures have now risen to a sweltering 105 degrees F.

We arrive at the Sheraton Hotel in Oklahoma City then go out for supper at the nearby Tapwerks restaurant in Bricktown with its 100 varieties of beer on tap.

Next morning is a free day, so I head off alone to explore the city. I soon arrive at the beautiful Myriad Botanical Gardens, with its impressive Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory over a large pond. I noted that the carp in the pond seemed to follow the ducks around.

Later I visited the Oklahoma National Memorial on the site of the Alfred P Murrah Federal Building which was destroyed in the 1995 bombing. This remains the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil perpetrated by an American citizen. The area where the building stood is now populated by 168 empty chairs, each inscribed with the name of a victim.

After the above, I found it slightly unnerving when crossing roads. Most US cities seem to have pedestrian crossing signs with computerised voices which count down the remaining time to cross ...6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... I kept imagining that 'BOOM' would come next.

After that I wondered around the Bricktown Canal, with the substantial monument to the 1889 'land rush' which led to the foundation of Oklahoma City and State. I also stopped by the Bass Pro Drive sports shop where I could make faces at the large catfish in the aquarium and review the range of guns for sale.

I was able to survey where I had walked later that evening from the 49th floor of the Devon Tower, tallest building in the City.

After our second night in Oklahoma City we took a detour south from Route 66 to visit Moore, the district of Oklahoma City that was hit by a tornado on May 20 this year. The Moore community are right in tornado alley and this is the 5th tornado to have hit them in 15 years, and not the worst. We saw homes that had lost roofs and many were completely destroyed. The track taken by the tornado was evident, with houses just a few hundred yards either side apparently untouched.

Our intended destination for the day was Amarillo, Texas, but along the way we visited the 'official' Route 66 Museum in Clinton (not named after the former US President), and also Texola, a town which once thrived when Route 66 was the main highway through it, but became a ghost town when the interstate roads were built and Route 66 was finally decommissioned in 1985.

Route 66 was realigned (i.e. re-routed) many times, but from the mid-1950's it went into decline as it was gradually replaced the new interstate highways. Many parts of the original Route 66 are now impassable so we frequently had to use these interstate roads instead.

Shortly after entering Texas we visited the Devil's Rope Museum in McLean, which explained the history of barbed wire. It also had an excellent display about the ecological disaster that occurred in this central region of America in the 1930's known as the dust bowl. The ploughing of fields removed the grass that held the soil together. This, combined with drought conditions led to choking dust storms and the complete collapse in farming. The huge migration of people to the West Coast along Route 66 is described in Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath'.

After checking into our Amarillo hotel for the evening, we were all chauffeured to The Big Texan Steak Ranch to enjoy what was, in my view, one of the best steak meals I have ever eaten.

For those with a huge appetite, they offer a massive 72 oz steak meal which, if you can eat it all in 1 hour, you get it for free. We watched 3 people try and fail.