In true vegas style, our room was really dark and we had no idea what the time was. So after an extended lay-in, we decided to risk going to the downtown part of vegas to find food that we could actually afford. Luckily we had a very nice meal at a little mexican restaurant and got out alive. Fearing for our lives slightly, we headed back to the comfort of the main strip. The afternoon was spent wandering around the 'posh' casinos (belaggio, mirage, etc) and finding some entertainment for the evening. It was decided that we would go and see 'cirque du soleil', Mystere; when in rome... After a beer or two, we headed back to the room for a shower and change of clothes, before taking full advantage of the promotional drink offers which ... read more

We got up early for a change and made the most of our complimentary breakfast. (a few extra items were also smuggled out for snacks later on!). It was 80 miles to the south rim of the Grand Canyon and we arrived bright and early (well before midday anyway!). The next 2 hours were then spent driving along the accessible parts of the south rim and visiting the numerous view points. By the early afternoon we felt we had exhausted the scenic sights and drove back towards Flagstaff. Lunch was Subway once again and the remaider of the day was spent in and around the hotel room. The hotel had a nice swimming pool and spa but since we had been in them the previous night and nearly lost our eyes due to excess chlorine, we ... read more

As usual, the day began late! We decided the zoo was an expensive excursion and plus we had already seen plenty of animals on our journey (and lived with them)! As a result, we headed towards the coast for a day on the beach. We drove the short distance to Mission Beach to find that the weather was surprisingly foggy. This did not deter us and we set up camp. After half an hour we became restless and headed towards Burger King. We refuelled and decided that the beach was not for us. Instead we headed back to our hotel to make the most of the pool, spa and ping-pong table. In the latter part of the afternoon we headed for downtown San Diego and more specifically the Gas Lamp Quarter. We returned to the Mexican ... read more

In the morning we checked out the room and headed for 'the OC' baby! First stop was Newport. We tried to drive around the houses but they were mainly gated communities and so it was hard to see the likes of Julie Cooper walking around. Although, some of the views from the top of Newport were amazing. We headed on to Laguna beach which was much of the same and stopped at 'Ruby's diner' for a lunch of various burgers and fries. The food was surprisingly good! With our hotel for the next few nights already booked, we battled on toward San Diego and the 'Seven Seas Best Western'. Ollie and Dale went to do a bit more shopping at yet another shopping mall, while Mark played in the pool. We took a quick drive into ... read more

It took a lot of courage, willpower and spirit; but we were determined to make it out of bed for the complimentary breakfast at the hotel. It was a battle of epic proportions, but all 3 of us were downstairs stuffing our faces with bagels before the 10am deadline. Equipped with the USA lonely planet, we decided to 'do' all that LA downtown had to offer in a single tourist orientated day. And boy did we manage it! We even had time to spend all our well earned cash in a out-of-town outlet mall later in the evening. We started with a whistle stop driving tour of 'downtown' LA. We had intented to stop for a little while, but there really didn't seem to be too much there for us. And so, Dale drove a few ... read more