Road trip USA,Canada

[Hugh9359]

Hello we recently spent a month in the US & Canada,was the best trip missus & I have been on.We have friends whose son met a Canadian girl & decided to marry in Vancover where her family lives.About 40 of us aussies went over but all with different travel plans,just metting up in Vancover for wedding.We flew to LA & picked up hire car & drove straight to closest electronic store to get Gps.You can get them from carhire but at $7-8 a day its much cheaper to buy[under a $100].Now while its possible to navigate between citys is easy enough using maps,navigating the maze of freeways around majors citys over there would be nearly impossible,just a tip.From there we went to Las Vegas,2 nights at Luxor,i didn't think I would like Vegas but we loved our stay.Then off to Grand canyon for 2 nights,did helicopter over it,saw our first elk.Then we shot back to coast.Staying Bakersfield,then San Simeon.We had only booked Vegas & Vancover the rest we just winged it,even though it was holiday period we had no probs getting accom.We spent the next week traveling up coast just stopping where we felt like & visiting every Cabelas store we could find.Entered Canada a couple of days earlier than planned had abit of a rest before meeting up with everybody else at the motel we were all staying at for a week of partying with some day trips to Whistler,Kamloops,Whalewatching & of course shopping for girls.After wedding had a massive BBQ lunch around the new inlaws,then we all got together for dinner before all going our separate ways.We then did some power driving making it to West Yellowstone in a day & half,the drive there was even more scenic than the coast,& Yellowstone has to be seen to believe it,we saw 3 different sorts of deer,elk,antelope,buffalo,grizzly bear & a wolf.Be warned if you get there you could suffer from altitude[20 % less oxygen]parts of park are above 10000 feet.Our time was running short less than aweek so back to power driving,we went from Montana,Wyoming,Colorado & into Utah in one day.Back to coast as weather was a bit iffy on way up so back thru Big & little Sur to San Simeon.Next day down over Golden Gate bridge past LA to San Diego to spend our last day at Zoo[melb zoo is better],visit calfornia cycleworks before we flew out that night.We did 14000 klms, changed cars once cause it needed servicing,& had to take it to get serviced another time.People were great,they lov aussies over there,poverty was a bit shocking in lower states,more have nots than haves,unemployed over here don't know they are born.Here is a few pics of the 14gig we took.Hugh

 

[Ben54b]

Trip looks like it was great. That California cycle works looks like an absolute cash vacuum. Good thing you went there on the way home or it would have been a very short holiday hahah. Ben

 

[nathand22]

What an awesome trip! thats a hell of allot of km's but sounds like it was well worth it.
Yellowstone is always rated highly from anyone that goes, very Jealous.

Dont be shy to post up more pics, keep them coming.

 

[Hugh9359]

Trip looks like it was great. That California cycle works looks like an absolute cash vacuum. Good thing you went there on the way home or it would have been a very short holiday hahah. Ben

I have bought stuff off them before at about a 1/4 price avalible in au,ordered brake disk thurs, delivered tues,why cant au do that.Here is a couple more pics & one of my sickle.Hugh ps they also make kids guns for girls

 

[Tappet]

Nice one! Done a similar trip last year around this time (a bit later), was well into their fall but got to see all the colours on the trees and tundra as well as wildlife galore.
It's a road trip I can recommend highly. Like yourselves was the best and most easy O/S trip I have done to date. Even managed to get well up past the Arctic circle by car.
Only problem is, it was so good I want to go back. Next time might drive the ice roads for a bit of a hoot.
I'll have to do a write up and post some pics one of these days.

 

[Hugh9359]

Ok here is some more,will try & keep them in order & tag them.Las Vegas
inside & outside Luxor,Bellagio&MGM Grand

 

[Hugh9359]

Nice one! Done a similar trip last year around this time (a bit later), was well into their fall but got to see all the colours on the trees and tundra as well as wildlife galore.
It's a road trip I can recommend highly. Like yourselves was the best and most easy O/S trip I have done to date. Even managed to get well up past the Arctic circle by car.
Only problem is, it was so good I want to go back. Next time might drive the ice roads for a bit of a hoot.
I'll have to do a write up and post some pics one of these days.

Yes the handbrake & I want to go back nearer winter or early spring,want to spend some more time in Montana,Wyoming,sth& nth Dakota.Inside passage is also on wish list.Hugh

 

[Tappet]

Fantastic Hugh. Keep em coming. "Handbrake" yeah I have one them to. She is not to keen on the ice road idea. Wants to do Central and South America or at least parts of it. Oh well, Andes here we come. Just trying to work out if we can rent a car in in either Chile or Argentina and take it across the border (The Andes). Not that easy or not allowed as far as I can work out. Nothing like driving a high mountain pass it a cross between a road trip and flying.

 

[Hugh9359]

Yes we would like to visit in winter.Grand Canyon

 

[Hugh9359]

Just trying to work out if we can rent a car in in either Chile or Argentina and take it across the border (The Andes). Not that easy or not allowed as far as I can work out. Nothing like driving a high mountain pass it a cross between a road trip and flying.

It was hard enough finding a hire mob that would let you take a car into Canada,Go Alamo
Ok Hit coast at Morro bay,headed north,shit weather.Hugh

 

[Hugh9359]

Heading further North towards San Francisco,Big Sur bridge in there.Hugh

 

[Hugh9359]

Forgot about these,im between Grand canyon & Bakersfield we did some of Old Route 66[we got off main highway as much as we could]Oatman with the wild burrows wandering streets wooden board walks & Seligman,home of the roadkill café.Hugh

 

[Hugh9359]

Ok been slack, some more pics,up into Washington ,Cabelas[if your into anything outdoors]bewarned security makes you check your firearms at door.

 

[Hugh9359]

Ok up into Canada,on whale watching trip,had to steam back in to US to find the orcas.

 

[Hugh9359]

More of same.

 

[Hugh9359]

Some more.

 

[Hugh9359]

Still more.

 

[Hugh9359]

Last one,this trip was great value $120 Can$,9 hour trip gave us the scenic tour of islands & an hour chasing whales & lunch.Went midweek lucky to be 10 people on boat made for 50.

 

[Tappet]

Thanks for sharing Hugh.

 

[Hugh9359]

Ok around Vancover.Well worth doing the loop up to Kamloops & back down Frazer river gorge rd.