Yucca Yucca

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For a hotel in close to LA international airport..not a bad nights sleep had by all. We had a fairly leisurely start to the day but headed back to Alamo car rentals for our first stop as the guy who filled out the paper work showed us as returning the car on the 24th of April not 13 May. After I kindly pointed out the error of his ways and he kindly turned over the contract to the second page and showed me how there is typing on both sides of the paper I left rather red faced and in a hurry...and off to our first shop of the day. Today was to be mostly taken up with equipping ourselves with camping gear that we didn't want to bring because of weight etc and groceries so had a good time at REI outdoor specialists before heading off to Fresh n easy food for stock up. Then off to another couple of camping type stores to pickup the last of the supplies. Finally headed out of LA at 3pm. If I ever complain about Auckland traffic again please just say three little words to me..LA on Saturday!! This countries fixation with sporting events take on a whole new meaning when you are trying to negotiate the freeway for the first time as it seemed that every off ramp had a sporting event at the end of it that everyone in the greater LA wanted to attend today. Steph grasped the map book tighter with every screech of tyres behind us as people suddenly decided that maybe they should be in the other lane to get off the freeway and NOW!! Steph very paiently read directions to me while we flicked from one freeway to another heading East by going South then North East then South West followed by a quick East West switch just for good measure finally making it without any wrong turns onto the freeway towards Josuha tree national park. Mind you the time passes quick while trying to remember and then sing lines from old songs which involved the words LA..there's are quite a few you know. Got to Joshua tree NP about half an hour before sunset to be rewarded with a great sunset of Joshua tree cacti silouhetted by pink and blue skies..unbelievably beautiful and well worth the trip..If this is the promise of things to come then roll on. Unfortunately we hit the NP on the last days of spring break and all the camp sites were full so head back a couple of miles to the nearest town and to a super8 motel for the night. We will set the alarm and head back not the NP for sunrise at 5.30 tomorrow morning. Another big day but now that we are into the real stuff it was great.

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