If we thought it looked like the western movies we used to see then we spoke too soon, because even though that was the case as we travelled through Utah, it is even more so in Wyoming. After leaving Moab, we drove north to the small town of Manila, next to Flaming Gorge, an impressive red canyon with a river running through it. It is a popular fishing spot, with the camp store selling all manner of fishing gear and many photos up of the biggest catch of the day. Manila is right on the border between Utah and Wyoming so 5 minutes down the road, after fueling up we were in the state of Wyoming. We were headed towards a town called Thermopolis. Very grand sounding name but in reality it is a small town ... read more

After enduring the hottest night EVER in the van we spent three days in the cheap but cheerful and air-conditioned comfort of the Circus Circus Hotel. The air-conditioner was so old and loud that we had to turn the TV up every time it kicked into action, which was roughly every five minutes, but at least we were cool. Seems like everywhere we go, hotter than normal temperatures are occuring and Vegas was no exception, getting hotter by a few degrees every day we were there. 102, 106 and when we left this morning, 111 degrees at 10.21am! It was too hot to walk the streets during the day so we saved that for night, when Vegas looks better anyway, and slept in and lazed the days away, venturing out for food when necessary. Vegas is ... read more

We arrived in New York to the hottest June temperatures since 1933, but after the cooler temperatures in Ireland and the Uk for the last two weeks, we loved it! New York is larger than life, full of people and it's true, the city never sleeps. We were fortunate enough to be staying right on Times Square, which just goes off all the time. There is always something to see and the lights are amazing. We had booked a New York Pass before we left New Zealand and these proved invaluable in getting into places without having to queue for ages and saved us heaps of money. Our first full day there we visited Liberty Island, Ellis Island and the World Trade Centre memorial.the ferries were crowded but the views were great. The Statue of Liberty ... read more

Wandering in Wales Well, can you believe that we are into our last week in the spaceship van and our European leg of the journey? I have asked the universe to give us good weather and it appears to be obliging, well today anyway! After another calm crossing of the Irish sea, (well there was only a medium listing from side to side) in which we entertained and were entertained by some youngsters on board, we arrived back in Liverpool for another night at the Ibis hotel, and headed off the next day for Wales. We stopped in at Chester on the way through, where the first double-storied shopping centre was built in medieval times about 700 years ago. Then it was out to north Wales and we spent the night just out of Conwy, on ... read more

Liverpool...the focus of this city appears to revolve around three core things. 1. Football. 2. It's musical heritage. 3. It's Maritime history. Let's deal with the football first; football players are gods and shops devoted to the selling of sports gear are aplenty, however, the Official Liverpool Football Shop was the busiest place in town. These players and such provide the role models for the guys, and for the girls it's their WAGS, (wives and girlfriends). If you have ever watched the TV programme 'footballers wife's then you will have some idea of the 'look' they are trying to attain. As I don't know any of e real footballers or their wags, I could not be sure if I was seeing the real thing on the street or just the wannabes, but they certainly make an ... read more