Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico (Grand Canyon)

We arrived in at Tulsa, Oklahoma late at night and had to pitch up illegally again!!!! Next day we leave to check out the city, this could be done in a few minutes, but trying to get out the place was a bit of a nightmare, the signs just send you round in circles!! After about an hour of driving in Tulsa we get out and on the route 66 which is sign posted all the way to Oklahoma City, thankfully!! We arrive and go to the cinema then worry about somewhere to pitch up at midnight, not the greatest idea we've ever had. So we end up dumping it at a Uni then getting up at 6 am to move it to the Route 66 park. Checked out the city, and went to the museum of memorial of the Oklahoma City terrorist bomb in Apr 95, this was very sad and interesting!! We wnet bowling in the Route 66 bowling alley that night and was very cheap!!!! Amarillo was the next stop, and there was lots to do en rote. First we checked out the Route 66 park just by the lake we camped at, this took two seconds as it was all pretty shut and couldn't go up the observation tower. Next was a Route 66 automotive museum, we found it only to find it was closed due yo a robbery!! Further up the road was another museum on the history of the route that was quite cool, then across the road was the motel where Elvis stayed once but the people in there were very unfriendly so took a photo and left!! Next stop was the famous Graffitti Cafe which was no longer a cafe but a nut shop so couldn't get the famous soda we were hoping for, but got some tasty honey roasted nuts instead!! Our next town was called Elk City, this was home to the best pie in the world and the cafe was called Country Dove, a very religious place and the staff were so friendly they sat chatting for ages, long after they were meant to close!! We ploughed through more miles and not much to see on the road and then we hit Texas. We visited the Plo Druro Canyon in a place called Canyon, you can drive round it and was pretty cool, then we went to the uni for a swim. On our way out of Amarillo we went to the Don Harrington Discover Centre that was ace, then out in one of the fields are 10 random Cadillacs buried halway down, its called the cadillac ranch. On the road again and we hit the Midway Point Cafe, Adrian, which is exactly half way so we had a piece of pie and coffee there to celebrate!!!! Next stop was Santa Rosa, we went to a barn dance that night and got evil looks from the locals!! We stayed at the Santa Rosa State Park and Lake for free the next night. We checked out the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa just before we got on the road for Santa Fe. Journey to Santa Fe was boring, we stopped off at the mini Las Vegas and pretty much drove through Santa Fe then headed on to Alberquerque in hope that the big balloon festival was still on. We arrived late and kipped at a service station and in the morning we were woken to really heavy rain and the disappoinment of the balloon festival had finished just a couple of days before!! Typical!! We went to a place with the Petroglyph National Monument and was pretty much lost on me, it looked like someone had graffittied loads of rocks!! Then I ate my first Taco Bell, and possibly my last!! Back on the road to Gallup. We visited the painted desert and the petrified forest. It was scorchio but a very big State Park, its 28 miles long and amazing scenery and yet more petroglyphs!!!! After there was a place called Holbrook who had the Wig Wam Motel, we nearly stayed here but there wasn't anything to do so carried on up the road to Meteor City, the site of a meteor crash, this was pretty awesome. The crater itself is 1 mile deep and 2.4 miles across. We didn't have much time here at all as we made it by the skin of our teeth as usual!! Then onto Flagstaff where the noisiest trains in the world are. We just had a look round the town, not much to it here so got back on the raod to the Grand Canyon via a place called Williams where we had more cake and there was lots of Route 66 photo opportunities!! We arrived at Grand Canyon and pitched up at an RV site actually in the park and luckily for us they had just had a cancellation so we parked up and went to the canyon in time to see the sun set which was amazing. We went to some rangers brief that evening about wildlife that was intersting

Illinois, Missouri and Kansas

So after we left Chicago we head for Springfield. We've got this book that tells you all the worthwhile stop off en route, so our first stop is a place called Joviet. Not much here but a museum and lots of info about the route (apart from a map)!! Left there and had lunch further along in a weird little Elvis/Monroe tribute roadside cafe. Then we get incredibly lost as the signs just stop, the Route 66 road isn't used anymore and is only a historic route now so its not on any maps!! We eventually get to Springfield and we decide that we need a beer or two after the epic journey, so Leanne pulls up outside this shop to ask for directions, pulling away we hear a big crash, couldn't see anything on the ground. A guy came rushing out of his shop and looks up, so did we to see the awning of the shop hanging off, whoops!!!!! No getting away with that one!! So we went and got drunk then in our campervan at a campsite we didn't pay for cause it was so late by the time we got there!!!! Next day was ropey, we tried to look round Springfield but not much to see apart from Abraham Lincolns memorial. We found the police station to report the accident etc. Then it was a short drive to St Louis. Not much here either, they have an Arch thats massive near the river, we left quite early cause we were heading for Springfield, Missouri. This was the journey from hell!!!! There are very few sign posts on the route so got very lost, ended up doing about 100 miles more than we needed to and arriving at some truckers fuel stop late on. Had tea in a real greasy spoon cause we had no water, propane gas for the oven so a bit of a nightmare!!

Next morning we both had cheeky showers in the truckers bit and Leanne got told off, but used our British charm and ignorance!!! Next stop was Kansas, we thought this wouldn't be too tricky as its only 13 miles across!! Lots to see on the way to Kansas and we started at a place called Red Oak II. There is a museum there with a village thats been moved 20 miles and this artist called Lowell Davis created all these sculptures, it was awesome you could walk around this pretend village. The artist was there and was chatting to us, quite cool!! We then stopped off at a place with a big praying hands monument before we headed for a cafe called the Red Onion. After lunch we hit Kansas, saw the last standing Arch bridge, the famous Eisler Bros general store and finished in Foylin at the totem pole park that was amazing!!

Next stop Oklahoma..................................

New York, Chicago and the start of Route 66

So we flew out of Alaska and had to change planes 3 times and got into NY at half 5 in the morning, found our hostel eventually and went down to the basement and slept while Leanne went and shopped!! Went out in the afternoon and walked a bit of Central Park, then went into the city mooched about and had dinner in the Olive Garden. We got talked into doing one of these hop on - hop off bus tours so we did that at night. Next day was tourism on speed!!!! We had a lot to do in not a lot of time, so we got on one of these buses again and went to the Statue of Liberty on a ferry, then luckily for us the Empire State Building had people outside saying zero visibility. We took a chance and went up anyway, we could see for miles and didn't have to queue for hours yippee!!!!!! Then we found Macys which was a mistake, I bought 3 pairs of jeans and a coat, God knows where I'm gonna put them!!!! We had tea in the Hard Rock Cafe and got followed home by some weirdo!! Next day was our last in NYC so went for a run at Central Park, then managed to squeeze in Ground Zero before we headed for the Airport to Chicago.

We arrived in Chicago in the evening, got to out hotel and had a bath and a pamper that was needed. Then we made the mistake of going to the bar cause they had Coors light on offer $2 a pint, 4am I'm in the laundry room of the hotel playing drinking games!!!! Next day was Leannes court thing for the RAF so she was up and out early, luckily she sorted me a wake up call cause I'd still be there now in that comfy bed!!!! The taxi got me to take me to pick up the campervan of destiny!! The first thin I did when I got in it was sleep. Eventually met up with Leanne who had gone to the old premises that was 25 miles away!! We pitched up at some truckers parking place for the next 3 nights before we thought that we really ought to crack on with the 2500 miles at some point!! Chicago was cool, found another Macys damm it, and went up the Sears tower. Very good for shopping here and we also checked out the millenium park that was quite cool.

So next day we start Route 66!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!