Geo: 36.0846, -115.172It was an exciting moment as we packed up our tents for the last time, although we knew it was going to be a long day with a five to six hour drive back to Las Vegas. We needed to be up and in the van by 5.20 in order to get to the viewpoint to watch the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. However, due to us forgetting to set our alarm clocks back an hour, we woke up at 4.05. It was fruitless going back to sleep for an hour and so we passed the time by reading, ready to get up at the proper time! At 5.20 we were all belted in and our way wrapped in sleeping bags, ready to sit on the rim of the canyon and watch the sunrise. ... read more

Geo: 37.1394, -110.207We got up for another early start this morning but after last night's ingenuity in bedding terms, I was feeling fabulous! It had felt like lying on a pillow-top mattress and I had the best night's sleep of the trip so far! On waking, we were treated to an incredibly early morning performance. The campground backed onto a high school playing field and at 7.30am the marching band were out on the field practising! The rhythmic drumming and brass gave us a good beat to pull the tents down to and kept us motivated. We had our briefing that today was going to be a long one but with interesting sights all the way round. However, it was also going to be a day of difficulties, we just didn't know it yet!We hit our ... read more

Geo: 38.7199, -109.589It was a difficult slumber last night; with so many people in one confined space, there was lots of movement in the night. At around 2am, it really started to pour, and the rain did get past our weatherproof shelter but fortunately it only rained into sleeping bags and rucksacks and most of our heads remained dry. One girl did get a mini deluge, but a quick shuffle around and she was able to go back to sleep. The early morning noises from camp woke us, ready for our 5-hour drive to Moab. It was a dull, grey day, but there was thankfully no rain. Hot showers were a real blessing and there was no limit on the amount of time we could stand under the steaming jets for - bliss! I enjoyed seeing ... read more

Geo: 37.3, -113.051After waving goodbye to the debauchery of Vegas, we checked in with our new family for the next 7 days. Our tour leader was another bright and chipper American, with a thick drawling accent that evoked the charm of the Deep South. We drove. North out of the city and headed for the hills and canyons of Utah. Our travelling companions were a Venezuelan mother and daughter who now resided in Miami, two Milanese Italians, two Germans who had been au pairing in Vermont and a former New-Yorker who now lived in Washington DC. It was a real eclectic mix of languages, and ages, and it looked set to be an interesting trip. We wound our way along snaking roads, with huge drop offs on either side. It was a five hour journey to ... read more

Geo: 36.0846, -115.172We had the air conditioning on all night, at a refreshing 50 degrees. By the time we woke up, the room was merely comfortable. Not cold in the way that hotels rooms usually are after a night with air con at full blast, but bearable. This did not bode well for another epic drive across the heat soaked-desert. Stepping out onto the balcony, the temperature had already climbed to be reminiscent of midday in the Mediterranean in August, but without the cooling sea breeze. It was certainly going to be another scorching day and so we decided to take our leave of Death Valley early in the morning to beat the heat and arrive earlier at our next destination - Las Vegas.Today was my turn to drive, a daunting task on the snaking roads ... read more