Trip Report: Missouri to Pacific Coast
Jul 30th, 2001, 06:54 PM
#1
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Trip Report: Missouri to Pacific Coast
First of all, I want to thank the forum contributers for giving me such good advice. I even got a lot of help on purchasing a new camera for my trip. So, armed with our new Cannon Rebel 2000 SLR, we set out for California the second week in July.
First Stop: Amarillo, TX
We stayed at an Econo Lodge ($41.00 per night) that was awful. This was the worst experience of the whole trip. The temperature was 110 degrees and the pool was closed for repairs. I did not have reservations for Amarillo and we had difficulty finding a room. They were having a Jehovah's Witness Convention in town and everything was booked. But, it was only for one night, and...yes... they did knock on our door.
Second Stop: Flagstaff, AZ
We had reservations at the Econo Lodge I17/I40 for $80.00 per night. This place was recommended in the forum and it was really very nice. We ate dinner at Buster's (a local steak house). It was excellent. The next day we went to the Grand Canyon. Of course it was awesome. When we reached Hermit's Rest, a thunderstorm blew in. We felt very cozy next to the big fireplace while we watched the rain. We had dinner reservations for El Tovar (another forum recommendation). It was expensive, but I felt it was well worth it. We spent another night in Flagstaff. The weather there was almost fall like.
Third Stop: Sedona
The drive on highway 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona was spectacular. Pictures just don't convey the beauty of this area. We stayed at the Southwest Inn ($119.00 per night). This was another Forum recommendation. Our room was very comfortable. We had an excellent view of the red rocks from our balcony. It was very relaxing to sit out on a cool evening and watch the sunset. Our room had a King bed, fireplace, Jacuzzi tub,soft towels and linens and a refrigerator. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Javalina. It was recommended by the concerige at the Inn. Our table had a beautiful view and the food was great. We also enjoyed the shopping areas near the restaurant. My husband played some golf at the Sedona Golf Club. I'm not a golfer, but he thought it was an excellent course.
Hang on...I'll save my fourth stop for my next installment.
First Stop: Amarillo, TX
We stayed at an Econo Lodge ($41.00 per night) that was awful. This was the worst experience of the whole trip. The temperature was 110 degrees and the pool was closed for repairs. I did not have reservations for Amarillo and we had difficulty finding a room. They were having a Jehovah's Witness Convention in town and everything was booked. But, it was only for one night, and...yes... they did knock on our door.
Second Stop: Flagstaff, AZ
We had reservations at the Econo Lodge I17/I40 for $80.00 per night. This place was recommended in the forum and it was really very nice. We ate dinner at Buster's (a local steak house). It was excellent. The next day we went to the Grand Canyon. Of course it was awesome. When we reached Hermit's Rest, a thunderstorm blew in. We felt very cozy next to the big fireplace while we watched the rain. We had dinner reservations for El Tovar (another forum recommendation). It was expensive, but I felt it was well worth it. We spent another night in Flagstaff. The weather there was almost fall like.
Third Stop: Sedona
The drive on highway 89A from Flagstaff to Sedona was spectacular. Pictures just don't convey the beauty of this area. We stayed at the Southwest Inn ($119.00 per night). This was another Forum recommendation. Our room was very comfortable. We had an excellent view of the red rocks from our balcony. It was very relaxing to sit out on a cool evening and watch the sunset. Our room had a King bed, fireplace, Jacuzzi tub,soft towels and linens and a refrigerator. We had dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Javalina. It was recommended by the concerige at the Inn. Our table had a beautiful view and the food was great. We also enjoyed the shopping areas near the restaurant. My husband played some golf at the Sedona Golf Club. I'm not a golfer, but he thought it was an excellent course.
Hang on...I'll save my fourth stop for my next installment.
Jul 30th, 2001, 07:17 PM
#2
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Posts: n/a
Continued...
Fourth Stop: Hoover Dam
We wanted to travel from Sedonna to Las Vegas through Jerome; however, we didn't think we would have time to see Hoover Dam so we went back to Flagstaff and took I40 to Kingman and then highway 93 to Las Vegas. In hind sight, I would have enjoyed Jerome better than the tour of Hoover Dam, but I'm glad I got to see it. It was dam big, it was dam hot, it was dam crowded, and we took some dam pictures....what more can I say.
Fifth Stop: Las Vegas
My first impression of Las Vegas was,"why would anyone want to live here." It was much more barren than I ever imagined. I guess I expected it to be more glamorous. We had reservations at Mandalay Bay, another forum recommendation. We paid $99.00 per night (this was not a weekend). This place was HUGE!! Our room was big and very nice, but not as nice as the Southwest Inn in Sedona. The buffet at Mandalay was okay. We did not eat at the more expensive restaurants. Somehow, the atmosphere in Vegas didn't make me want to eat in an upscale restaurant. I think the continuous smell of cigarette smoke everywhere made me lose my appetite. I enjoyed seeing the big casinos on the strip, especially the Belliago and Venetian. However, I liked the atmosphere at New York, New York the best. Mandalay Bay was quieter than the other casinos, and it was nice to be able to come back to a quieter place at the end of the evening. The next evening, we had tickets to see "O" at the Belliago. "O" my it was...well...I can't describe it. You just have to see it. You HAVE to see it!!
to be continued....
Fourth Stop: Hoover Dam
We wanted to travel from Sedonna to Las Vegas through Jerome; however, we didn't think we would have time to see Hoover Dam so we went back to Flagstaff and took I40 to Kingman and then highway 93 to Las Vegas. In hind sight, I would have enjoyed Jerome better than the tour of Hoover Dam, but I'm glad I got to see it. It was dam big, it was dam hot, it was dam crowded, and we took some dam pictures....what more can I say.
Fifth Stop: Las Vegas
My first impression of Las Vegas was,"why would anyone want to live here." It was much more barren than I ever imagined. I guess I expected it to be more glamorous. We had reservations at Mandalay Bay, another forum recommendation. We paid $99.00 per night (this was not a weekend). This place was HUGE!! Our room was big and very nice, but not as nice as the Southwest Inn in Sedona. The buffet at Mandalay was okay. We did not eat at the more expensive restaurants. Somehow, the atmosphere in Vegas didn't make me want to eat in an upscale restaurant. I think the continuous smell of cigarette smoke everywhere made me lose my appetite. I enjoyed seeing the big casinos on the strip, especially the Belliago and Venetian. However, I liked the atmosphere at New York, New York the best. Mandalay Bay was quieter than the other casinos, and it was nice to be able to come back to a quieter place at the end of the evening. The next evening, we had tickets to see "O" at the Belliago. "O" my it was...well...I can't describe it. You just have to see it. You HAVE to see it!!
to be continued....
Jul 31st, 2001, 09:58 AM
#4
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Posts: n/a
Continued:
Fifth Stop: Bakersfield, CA
We left Las Vegas and drove down I15 to Barstow and then 58 to Bakersfield to visit my daughter and her husband for 5 days. This was my favorite part of the trip but it probably wouldn't be interesting to forum readers. However, I thought the Mohave desert was pretty in its own way. But the thing that I found most interesting was the number of people I saw living in the desert. What are they doing there?? We ate at a wonderful Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield called Akira's.
Sixth stop: Hearst Castle
After goodbyes and tears we left Bakersfield and headed for the Pacific Coast. We took highway 48 through Paso Robles to Cambria and on to Hearst Castle. The drive was lovely. It reminded me of the wine country in Missouri, except fewer trees. Our tour guide at the castle was very knowledgeable. He is writing a book about the castle and he has been there for many years. He told our group some interesting tales about famous people who have visited and their escapades. He also said that anything in the castle that is gold colored really is gold...and there was a lot. I especially enjoyed seeing the pools. However, the tour really moves fast. I would have liked to see it at a slower pace. There wasn't time for many questions. I bought a gold Christmas ornament in the gift shop to go with the one I bought at the Grand Canyon.
I'm not finished yet.
To be continued.....
Fifth Stop: Bakersfield, CA
We left Las Vegas and drove down I15 to Barstow and then 58 to Bakersfield to visit my daughter and her husband for 5 days. This was my favorite part of the trip but it probably wouldn't be interesting to forum readers. However, I thought the Mohave desert was pretty in its own way. But the thing that I found most interesting was the number of people I saw living in the desert. What are they doing there?? We ate at a wonderful Japanese restaurant in Bakersfield called Akira's.
Sixth stop: Hearst Castle
After goodbyes and tears we left Bakersfield and headed for the Pacific Coast. We took highway 48 through Paso Robles to Cambria and on to Hearst Castle. The drive was lovely. It reminded me of the wine country in Missouri, except fewer trees. Our tour guide at the castle was very knowledgeable. He is writing a book about the castle and he has been there for many years. He told our group some interesting tales about famous people who have visited and their escapades. He also said that anything in the castle that is gold colored really is gold...and there was a lot. I especially enjoyed seeing the pools. However, the tour really moves fast. I would have liked to see it at a slower pace. There wasn't time for many questions. I bought a gold Christmas ornament in the gift shop to go with the one I bought at the Grand Canyon.
I'm not finished yet.
To be continued.....
Jul 31st, 2001, 10:17 AM
#5
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Next stop: Cambria
I had never seen the Pacific Ocean and that was a thrilling experience for me. It is so different from the Gulf of Mexico...very rugged and rocky. We stayed at The Blue Whale Inn on Moonstone Beach ($190 per night and worth every penny). It was about a ten minute drive from the Hearst Castle. The Inn keepers, Jay and Karen, were very hospitable. There was fresh homemade cookies awaiting us on our arrival. Our room was beautifully decorated. We had a king size bed with canopy, a small sitting area, fireplace, desk, amoire, large bathroom, dressing area, fresh flowers, thick terry cloth robes, and a refrigerator stocked with drinks (complementary). The floors were hardwood with area rugs. The bed was very comfortable with soft linens and a down comforter. We made ourselves at home and went for a long walk on the beach and board walk. When we got back, we had wine and cheese in the dining room and Jay made dinner reservations for us at the Sow's Ear. Dinner was excellent and the atmosphere was also very nice. Afterwards, we walked around the downtown area and visited the antique shops and art gallerys. By the time we got back to our room the sun was setting over the Pacific. It was very cool outside, so we turned on the fireplace and got cozy.
To be continued....
I had never seen the Pacific Ocean and that was a thrilling experience for me. It is so different from the Gulf of Mexico...very rugged and rocky. We stayed at The Blue Whale Inn on Moonstone Beach ($190 per night and worth every penny). It was about a ten minute drive from the Hearst Castle. The Inn keepers, Jay and Karen, were very hospitable. There was fresh homemade cookies awaiting us on our arrival. Our room was beautifully decorated. We had a king size bed with canopy, a small sitting area, fireplace, desk, amoire, large bathroom, dressing area, fresh flowers, thick terry cloth robes, and a refrigerator stocked with drinks (complementary). The floors were hardwood with area rugs. The bed was very comfortable with soft linens and a down comforter. We made ourselves at home and went for a long walk on the beach and board walk. When we got back, we had wine and cheese in the dining room and Jay made dinner reservations for us at the Sow's Ear. Dinner was excellent and the atmosphere was also very nice. Afterwards, we walked around the downtown area and visited the antique shops and art gallerys. By the time we got back to our room the sun was setting over the Pacific. It was very cool outside, so we turned on the fireplace and got cozy.
To be continued....
Jul 31st, 2001, 05:42 PM
#8
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Caroline, I have not tried any Basque restaurants in Bakersfield. My daughter told me that they have many people in Bakersfield who go to Basque restaurants but she has not. I have read some posts in the Forum about them but I am not familiar with that cuisine. What is it?
Well...on with the trip report.
Still in Cambria at the Blue Whale.
We got up the next morning and had breakfast with the rest of the guests in the dining room. There are only 6 rooms at the Blue Whale and there were 12 people seated at the breakfast table. The dining room has a wall of windows that overlook the ocean. Our meal was so good. We had a fruit/yogert/granola mixture served in a sherbert glass, homemade muffins, quicke, and sausage. The meal was presented very nicely and we enjoyed visiting with the other guests. Everyone had a story to tell. There were people there from Ohio, Florida, California, Arizona, and of course Missouri. Jay and Karen took pictures of us before we left and we took a last stroll on the beach. I really didn't want to leave this place. We had planned to drive up the coast line to Carmel; but we were beginning to yearn for home so we decided to head back a different route through Colorado.
Next Stop: Mesquite, NV
On our way back on highway 46 we stopped at a little place called Blackwell's Corner. They sold fresh Pistashios and Almonds from the surrounding fields. We bought several pounds to take to the folks back home. The owner happened to be working that day and she told us how the trees were harvested and the difference between the Pistashio tree and the Almond tree.
(Side note)She also told us an interesting story about the James Dean memorial in Cholame. She said a group from Japan wanted to put a memorial at Blackwell's Corner but the owner at that time would not allow it so they went down the road to Cholame, bought some land, and put up a sign. But the real site of the accident was at the intersection of highways 48 and 41 to Fresno. The original road was dirt.
Now, back to the trip. We did not have reservations anywhere for the return trip since we didn't have an exact plan. We retraced our route back through the Mohave to Las Vegas. We continued passed Las Vegas on I15 and believe you me there is nothing there. At least in the Mohave there were signs of life. We finally came to Mesquite, NV, the last city in Nevada. We weren't too thrilled to spend another night in a casino, but we were tired and the price was right. There were two large casinos in this tiny town, and one was fairly new. We stayed at The Casa Blanca for $25.00. It was nice and clean, but it was a far cry from the Blue Whale. We ordered a Domino's Pizza and hit the sack.
To be Continued...
Well...on with the trip report.
Still in Cambria at the Blue Whale.
We got up the next morning and had breakfast with the rest of the guests in the dining room. There are only 6 rooms at the Blue Whale and there were 12 people seated at the breakfast table. The dining room has a wall of windows that overlook the ocean. Our meal was so good. We had a fruit/yogert/granola mixture served in a sherbert glass, homemade muffins, quicke, and sausage. The meal was presented very nicely and we enjoyed visiting with the other guests. Everyone had a story to tell. There were people there from Ohio, Florida, California, Arizona, and of course Missouri. Jay and Karen took pictures of us before we left and we took a last stroll on the beach. I really didn't want to leave this place. We had planned to drive up the coast line to Carmel; but we were beginning to yearn for home so we decided to head back a different route through Colorado.
Next Stop: Mesquite, NV
On our way back on highway 46 we stopped at a little place called Blackwell's Corner. They sold fresh Pistashios and Almonds from the surrounding fields. We bought several pounds to take to the folks back home. The owner happened to be working that day and she told us how the trees were harvested and the difference between the Pistashio tree and the Almond tree.
(Side note)She also told us an interesting story about the James Dean memorial in Cholame. She said a group from Japan wanted to put a memorial at Blackwell's Corner but the owner at that time would not allow it so they went down the road to Cholame, bought some land, and put up a sign. But the real site of the accident was at the intersection of highways 48 and 41 to Fresno. The original road was dirt.
Now, back to the trip. We did not have reservations anywhere for the return trip since we didn't have an exact plan. We retraced our route back through the Mohave to Las Vegas. We continued passed Las Vegas on I15 and believe you me there is nothing there. At least in the Mohave there were signs of life. We finally came to Mesquite, NV, the last city in Nevada. We weren't too thrilled to spend another night in a casino, but we were tired and the price was right. There were two large casinos in this tiny town, and one was fairly new. We stayed at The Casa Blanca for $25.00. It was nice and clean, but it was a far cry from the Blue Whale. We ordered a Domino's Pizza and hit the sack.
To be Continued...
Aug 1st, 2001, 06:17 PM
#9
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Next Stop: Grand Junction, Colorado
We left Mesquite, NV behind and drove through the Virgin Mountians on our way to St. George, Utah. It was gorgeous. The towns in Utah were very "tidy" and picturesque; but once we got on I70 things became very barren quickly. It was a long drive to Grand Junction. This was a pretty uneventful day of driving. We stayed at an Adams Mark in Grand Junction for $55.00 a night (what a bargain).
Next stop: Hays, Kansas
We had never driven through the Rocky Mountains and the drive from Grand Junction to Denver was filled with "oohs and aahs". The Colorado River flows along side the highway and Glenwood Canyon was especially pretty. We missed seeing the peaks because it was cloudy and rainy when we reached the higher elevations. We also experienced our lowest temperature of the trip (41 degrees) at the summit. We stopped in Hay, Kansas for the night at a Comfort Inn ($67.00). It was new and very nice; but a little noisey.
Next Stop: Home
By the time we got to good ol Missouri things were really looking green to us. We had forgotten how good home looked. Actually, Missouri has some of the best scenery of the whole trip...rolling hills, thick forests, clear, rocky streams, vineyards, farmlands. We also have the Muny Opera on summer nights, the Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, forest park, good restaurants. It was good to be home. Now you folks in California will have to come visit Missouri some time and drink some of our wine. Oh yes, my new Cannon Rebel 2000 SLR took great pictures.
The end.
We left Mesquite, NV behind and drove through the Virgin Mountians on our way to St. George, Utah. It was gorgeous. The towns in Utah were very "tidy" and picturesque; but once we got on I70 things became very barren quickly. It was a long drive to Grand Junction. This was a pretty uneventful day of driving. We stayed at an Adams Mark in Grand Junction for $55.00 a night (what a bargain).
Next stop: Hays, Kansas
We had never driven through the Rocky Mountains and the drive from Grand Junction to Denver was filled with "oohs and aahs". The Colorado River flows along side the highway and Glenwood Canyon was especially pretty. We missed seeing the peaks because it was cloudy and rainy when we reached the higher elevations. We also experienced our lowest temperature of the trip (41 degrees) at the summit. We stopped in Hay, Kansas for the night at a Comfort Inn ($67.00). It was new and very nice; but a little noisey.
Next Stop: Home
By the time we got to good ol Missouri things were really looking green to us. We had forgotten how good home looked. Actually, Missouri has some of the best scenery of the whole trip...rolling hills, thick forests, clear, rocky streams, vineyards, farmlands. We also have the Muny Opera on summer nights, the Arch, the St. Louis Zoo, forest park, good restaurants. It was good to be home. Now you folks in California will have to come visit Missouri some time and drink some of our wine. Oh yes, my new Cannon Rebel 2000 SLR took great pictures.
The end.
Aug 1st, 2001, 06:26 PM
#10
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Thanks for a most entertaining report, Kim. I too am a current Missourian, and while I miss certain greener parts of the country where I've lived in the past, there's a nice balance here. At least we're not forced to pay $35,000 a year for a parking space (as someone reported in Chicago), and life seems a lot less stressful somehow than CA and the northeast.
Glad you all had a great time.
Glad you all had a great time.
