Hampton Inn Barstow

Yee haa!! lets go to the wild west like it used to be. It was a relatively short drive from Vegas to just outside Barstow especially since it was all on the Interstate. They are definitely quicker than the state roads but you certainly don't see as much as we did on the small roads.<br><br>We had plenty of time to see Calico ghost town and were ...

We headed out about 630 in the morning. Jono, Michael, Steve and I met a the Chevron down the street from my house. We decided to go north through Pearblossom and the Mohave Deseret. <br><br>Headed north on the 15 toward Las Vegas and stopped here in Barstow for breakfest.<br>

We'll see how exciting the freeway is and how far I get. Not my favorite kind of road but I am kinda looking forward to reaching AZ sooner rather than later. Not a California person I guess.<br>The freeway was the usual semis, motor homes and lots of gusty wind. Rte 99 is not a well-groomed highway but gutted it thru until Bakersfield to stop for rest and gas. Then it was out into the Mojave, love those joshua trees. A little further out into the desert ...

Believe it or not, we actually went back to Yermo. Although, not for the town itself, but for its neighboring ghost town, Calico, which is a California Historical Landmark (#782).<br><br>It was hotter than hades, but I talked the family into stopping anyway (and I probably have more issues with the heat than any of them). They grumbled, but complied.<br><br>You pay as you go through the little drive-by ...

... the Dam was built. It actually was really good especially as there are 29 Dams across the Colorado Basin managing water supply and energy needs. Then it was yes, you guessed it another Casino Special Buffet meal at a Casino!! !Meal was fab. All you could eat and drink for £20. Ribs were excellent. Tonight in Barstow, tomorrow LA.<br><br>The Kinseys

... was bad enough that we lost a hubcap on the way (we were able to retrieve it the next morning). It was a pretty creepy looking Ranch, so much so Brook had to film it on his camera because it resembled the Texas Chain Saw Massacres property.  Arriving at the gate we meet the caretaker who fit in pretty well to his surroundings. He noted, "You guys are really loud" and we had just woke him up... it was 4 in the afternoon. He turned out to ...

... a long drive (+ 300m) we were pleased that it was only another 130 miles further.After more expansive vistas hills and ridges across the remote Mojave desert past beatiful mountains dry riverbeds and dried up lakes we crossed the stateline at Primm into Nevada and onto Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas and Viva a hotel room with lovely air con beds and lots of space for all of us here we come ......

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... Greek restaurant for gyros and souvlakis. Full as googs, we said goodbye to our Vegas drivers, Joe and Wenlee, before heading further west through the dessert to Barstow..... Route 66, the most famous highway in the States (?) passes through this city of around 22,000 peopole (a small "town" in US terms!!). We visited the Desert centre, where some of us handled snakes and even touched a South American iguana and a desert tortoise. Narelle, still stuffering from her stuffy nose ...

... jamming to some tunes and chatting about, what else, boys, I suddenly had a craving for Swedish Crepe Style Pancakes from IHOP (the ones with lingonberry jelly-yum!) As we passed fascinating strip mall after fascinating strip mall, and saw a literal flurry of chain restaurants to choose from, I became more insistent on finding an IHOP. Yes, fattening and kind of gross in retrospect, but you can't help what you crave, and for Banana, it was Pancakes! While ...