Down over the mountains and into San Diego. I'm right on the Mexican border now, my phone even welcomes me to the country. Lots of checkpoints on the road , with statistics saying how many illegal immigrants have been stopped on their route into the land of the free.
San Diego is on a beautiful bay by the Pacific Ocean. Drove up to the point for a view over the whole city. It's a very naval city with two aircraft carriers moored in the busy harbour.
My final drive took me up the coast past the mission San Juan Capistrano. A beautiful old settlement up in the hills, founded by Spain in the 18th century. Certainly a relaxing place to finish my coast to coast trip.
Final leg of the journey takes me back over the Colorado River, this time into California. The river used to be miles wide here, expanding over the flood planes around the border. Now it is a far more modest size, with much of the water Bing held in the dams upstream and supplied to irrigate crops throughout two states.
Yama was the main crossing for those attempting to reach the gold fields of south California. Many impoverished settlers were denied entry to the sunshine state and so settled in the area, something the local museums make much off.
Over the bridge you head across the sand dunes towards the mountains. The original road was single track, made of wooden planks and involved an horrendous trip of at least a day to traverse the ten miles, leaving the travellers rather shaken.
The route now passes the history of the world in Granite. All the motors lie events in the history of the universe, etched onto long tablets of stone. It's a remarkable achievement and very informative. I can help but think Donald Trump could do with a visit.
In the heart of Arizona there are really cacti with arms, and road runners scurrying about, although they don't go beep beep.
The drive to Phoenix takes you through some desolate lands, with small communities providing an oasis to the vast desert. It even has dust storms to transverse, adding that frisson of excitement to the desert drive.
Phoenix itself is situated on an expansive plateau, bordered by small mountains. It almost never rains here, and gets unbelievably hot in the summer, but in spring it was gorgeous.
One of the highlights is the Desert Botanical Gardens. Every time of cactus is displayed, Rita a special section reserved for the Saguaro cactus, which only grows in Arizona, and us the classic cactus from the westerns. They are protected in Phoenix, and everyone removed has to be replanted elsewhere.
It's certainly one of the wonders of the natural world. As you stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon, the great gouge out of the earth spanning the state of Arizona, you really feel the power of nature.
The canyon itself is relatively new in geological terms. Formed over the past 30 million years, the force of the Colorado river, driving its way from the Rocky Mountains towards the gulf of California, has carved an immense scar in the surface of the earth.
The river now flows a mile below the rim of the canyon, and the views from the top are spectacular. It's fascinating looking at the layers of the rock in the Canyon, some dating back to the early days of the earth, some 4 billion years old.
The walk along the rim is not for those who suffer from vertigo. Some of the drops ore severe and deadly, but the panorama is immense and the view breathtaking.
Flew into Las Vegas, the city of dreams plonked firmly in the middle of the Nevada desert. It's a city where you can get any thing you want, for a price. And it certainly brings in the crowds.
You can see why Americans never need to go abroad, every thing is replicated in the hotels lining the Las Vegas strip. From the canals of Venice, to the pyramids of Egypt. From the Eiffel Tower, to the colosseum of Rome. It's all represented here, in true Disney style fakery.
It's a city with a checkered history. The Mob museum does a great job detailing the rise of the gangsters which used to rule the city, although some of the exhibits are rather graphic. The start feature is the wall, up against where the St Valentine's day massacre took place, transplanted brick by brick from Chicago.
The Atomic testing Museum does an equally good job of detailing the hundreds of bombs that were detonated in the Nevada desert, lighting up the Vegas sky's in the fifties and sixties.
All in all It's a city best dealt with in small doses. And with plenty of time outside to escape the bubble. Lucky just over the mountains the stunning Grand Canyon awaits.
From one Dallas icon, to another, this one also made internationally famous by another shooting, this time fictional.
Southfork Ranch stands just outside Plano in the suburbs of Dallas. Only the outside was used in the filming of the eponymous series, although the inside had been laid out to resemble the original sets in California.
But it's seeing the outside that is so exciting.
To stand by the balcony from where Kristen plunged to her death. To stand by the French Windows where So many breakfasts were held. To walk the drive where Lucy played truant. All so very exciting.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
In Dallas to see what they say is America's most famous crime location. It is said that everyone knows what they were doing when the events of 22 November 1963 unfolded in Dealey plaza.
It's an odd sensation to be standing in a place so familiar, so ingrained in history. You feel sure you've been there before, such is the imprint of the location in our minds. The museum on the sixth floor details the events of that day, from the breakfast in Fort Worth, to the short flight to Dallas, and onto the motorcade through the streets of the city.
What amazes me is how much material there is from that day. The first couple exciting air force one, mingling with the crowd, and waving to their supporters. The actual assassination was captured on one piece of cine film. Just 28 seconds of silent movie pictures, that detailed of the end of a life, and for many the end of a dream.
Staying in one of the newer states, Oklahoma, which only attained statehood in 1907, within the life of my grandparents.
50 years previous to that it was an undeveloped land, populated by ancient Indian tribes. It was a land of plenty, filled with life. All that changed with the great land grab of 1889. Settlers with given land grants based on first come first served, prompting a mad dash to the territory in a 19th century version of the new year sales. Overnight the population of Oklahoma City jumped from a handful to over 10,000, pushing the Indians into new reservations.
Today it is a modern, vibrant city, spread out over the plains, with several very interesting museums, including the National Museum of the Cowboy.
The most moving museum relates to the 1995 bombing of the federal building. 168 people died in the attack including 17 children, and the museum takes you through their lives and the terrible events of that April day. The front of the building was ripped off by the massive truck bomb, and the devastation was incredible. What is inspirational is how the city responded to the attack, not with hate and fear, but with love and support and remembrance. Proof positive that terrorism, in all its forms, can never succeed.
Took a trip through frontier Texas. It must've been difficult living out here, hundreds of miles from civilisation, with only hostile Indian tribes the company. You wonder why they did it? There is no gold out here, just miles and miles of endless plains.
Some were draw by the fertile lands covered in abundant grass. What they didn't realise is the grass took several years to grow and once the cattle had devoured it they were just left with scrub.
The plains were filled with Buffalo, at least at the beginning. Within a few short years hurts with decimated killed for their pelts. Humans can be so destructive in pursuit of progress.
Indian raids were common and women and children often taken into captivity. Some were eventually rescued after years of living with the tribes, but rescued too late. By that time they were more Indian than Western, with families and children, and many died of a broken heart.
The area still has that frontier feeling, of living on the edge, miles from the city. The difference is now good motorway will get you to the city in a couple of hours rather than a 15 day horse ride.
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Couple of days in the state capital Austin. Took in the Lyndon Baines Johnson presidential library. Fascinating place. Lots to see regarding the 36th President, Who is always overshadowed by his predecessors sudden demise, but who did so much, especially for the civil rights movement. On the 10th floor is a replica of the oval office.
Also visited the Texas State Capitol. It always amazes me how you can just walk into the nations state capitals and just wonder around. All part of open government. The place is full historical paintings and statues including the two heroes of the state Stephen Austin and Sam Houston.
By coincidence my visit coincided with a big music festival and also a visit from the current president of the United States., which explains why the hotel prices are so high. There are plenty of areas to escape to including down by the Colorado river, which has many picturesque walks to enjoy.
