| Highlights of Southwest USA (July 2006) | ||||||||||||
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In the dry and hot Southwest, we cross deserts, bet it all on black in Vegas, roam incredible forests and see family one more time before leaving the U.S..
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Vegas, Baby! Vegas...putt, putt, kerplonk! NO-O-O-O-O-O-O!
Desperate for a shower after 9 days on the Canyon, we raced west....only for the van part we repaired in Canada to break again, just outside Vegas. How we chuckled at our misfortune... So it was back on the tow truck and a world of pain to get the money-pit fixed again. |
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Viva Las Vegas!
Putting our wagon-woes behind us, we hit Vegas like a hurricane. Cruising the Strip we found out that The King really is alive - BOTH of him! |
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Who's the Big Winner?
Not us. Having carefully cased the casinos, we selected the Venetian as a suitably classy place to win back our van-based losses. Blackjack tables would be the scene of our triumph - a game that perfectly suits our combination of analytical thinking and computer-like card-counting ability. However, in a record-breakingly poor run of cards, within 5 minutes our cash was gone and we were relegated to finishing our free drinks working the 5 cent slots (where we won back $1.35 - YEAH!) |
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Utter Lunacy in Death Valley
The lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere - temperatures in Death Valley have topped 138F (almost 59C!). Pity, then, participants (like this guy) of the Badwater Ultra-Marathon, running 128 miles through the baking desert. Possibly the toughest race in the world, runner's toenails fall off (some have them pulled out beforehand to avoid infection), and they have to run on the white painted lines to avoid their shoes melting. Hats-off for the astonishingly punishing stupidity of it all! |
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The Oldest Living Thing...Anywhere!
Emerging from Death Valley into an isolated Nowheresville, we chanced upon the ancient bristlecones. This forest hosts the oldest living thing on the planet: the gnarled 5000 year old Methuselah tree. With the bewitchingly ancient air seeming to age Magnus before our very eyes, we beat a hasty retreat! |
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It's America, so it's Gonna be Big!
The General Sherman Sequoia - the largest living thing on the planet - and getting bigger all the time. The sequoia are shorter than the coastal redwoods we saw earlier but much stockier - amazing to walk around - or to cuddle, tree-huggers! |
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Meeting The Parents
In a scene reminiscent of Meet the Parents, Magnus rises like a salmon in a friendly game of water polo, only to smash the ball into the face of Cheryl's sister, Leah. Unrepentant, Magnus pointed out - "she's got to learn to get that block up..." |
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You Talkin' To Me?
Nephew Daniel delights all with his spot-on De Niro impersonation. |
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Final Family Fling
Before heading, swallow-like, southwards we caught up with Aunt Margaret & Uncle Tony in Victorville and headed to San Diego for fun with Mum Tourney, Leah, Ryan and Auntie Marg (not shown here for legal reasons). |
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SoCal
Towering palm trees and drive-in movie theaters - classic Southern California at its best. Next stop - tequila-drenched Mexico! |
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- See more pictures from this section - Go to next section : Mexico - Go to previous section : Grand Canyon |
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