The Blog of Pre-apocalyptic America

Blog of our 2017 America Journey! | Pictures mainly taken on Google Pixel or Nikon D3400 | Run by Dante Paterson

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America Trip Day #68 Our final day in America!! We packed up our bags into the car and decided to go to Santa Monica for our last destination. We walked along to beach to the pier, and then got some lunch there. After hanging out there a bit, we went to Santa Monica Boulevard, and had a walk around to pass time, eventually we decided it was time to go. We drove the car down to the Thrifty, and grabbed our bags and went to the same Taco Bell that we went to at the start of the holiday. After forcing down one last cheap mexican meal, we got on the bus to the airport. It took a long time to get through the airport, and I ended up having a nap on the floor. We got on the plane and had our long trip, in which Anya had a bad cough and I felt nauseous. Like most flights, it wasn't pleasant, but we got through it. We then arrived in Melbourne, and then caught the plane to Adelaide.

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America Trip Day #67

Today we went to Knotts Berry Farm! After deciding we’d seen everything at Disney, we chose to go to a different park. Knotts Berry Farm focused more on rollercoasters instead of theming, but it still had some and it was good. Before the park opened, they played the American national anthem and everyone stayed quiet with they hand on their chest, so we stayed quiet too. The rides were very exciting. Anya pointed out that over the loud speakers it sounded like they called the place ‘not very fun’, as it kind of sounds like 'knotts berry farm’. After finishing at the park we went back to the hotel and packed our bags to leave the next day.

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America Trip Day #66 Today we went to the Disney Adventure Park! We walked to the park, which was just across from Disneyworld, and lined up to enter. The rides in this one were more exciting than the ones in Disneyland, and the theming was just as good. At lunch time we went to the Disney replica of San Francisco, and went to a fake Boudins for bread bowls. It was the second time in all of our trip that they had good bread. Towards the end of the day we went on the Guardians of the Galaxy tower ride, which quickly went up and dropped over and over. At the very top they opened up a hatch and we for to see out over the park. We also got some great rollercoaster pictures. Because we had a fast pass, we were able to go on rides multiple times and figure out where the cameras are. After we were done at Disney Adventure Park, we went back to the hotel and then went to a Bubba Gump for dinner. They even have us a Forrest Gump pop quiz! After eating there we went to the Cheesecake Factory to get some cheesecakes for dessert. After eating that we packed up our stuff and went to bed.

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America Trip Day #65 Today we went to Disneyland California! After walking to the park, we waited at the gates for opening time and then walked in. The decorations in the park where huge and detailed, and really emersed us in the theme of the area. There were some really cool rides. It was also a nice cloudy day, so we didn't get too hot walking around and waiting in lines. The Halloween decorations were out, so there were lots of pumpkins and spooky skeletons around the place. The food in the park was also pretty good. Some of the rides were a bit slower and more aimed towards children, but still good fun. After finishing up in Disneyland we went back home.

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America Trip Day #64 Today we drove to Anaheim. The drive was quite uneventful, and the traffic wasn't the best, but we got to the hotel eventually. Because of a booking error, we got two rooms, each with two double beds, so it was pretty awesome. We hung out around the hotel until dinner time, where we went to a Cheesecake Factory. The food was pretty good there, and the building had an impressive interior. We didn't take any pictures on that day, except for this one Andrew took in the restaurant. After eating we headed home and went to bed.

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America Trip Day #63

Today we mostly hung out around the hotel. After all sleeping in, we went to check out the pools at the hotel but decided against using them. We then payed to go to the top of the hotel, where we could look out over the city and go on some rides on the roof. The rides wern’t as exciting as some of the other ones we’d done over the holiday, but they were still good. We ended up going to Denny’s for lunch, but Wendy stayed at the hotel. In the evening we went out to watch a Penn and Teller show at the Rio. The show was the best part of Vegas, as it was quite funny and the magic was very impressive. We got seats fairly close to the front so we got a great view of the show. Once the show had finished we got in the car to drive down the Vegas Strip, which had some cool buildings. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

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America Trip Day #62

Today we went back to Zion to explore it a little further, because it was on the way to Las Vegas. In Zion, we walked along the Riverside Walk, and then got some lunch at a Zion Subway. We then got in the car and started the long drive to Vegas. On the way we stopped off at the Valley of Fire, which was cool, but small compared to the canyons we had visited over the past few days. We didn’t get out of the car and just drove through, and eventually we were approaching Las Vegas. After getting through some traffic, we got to the hotel and parked. We walked into the casino where we were staying, and instantly noticed the stench of tobbaco, and the bright neon casion lights. We were taken to what we thought was the front desk, but was really a stall for selling timeshares, so we moved on to the real check-in which had a very long and slow line. After much waiting and lung damage, we finally got our keys and moved up to our room. The room was alright quality, but the view gave a good view of the city. There were lots of interesting colours and shapes of buildings, and also a surprising amount of empty space with concrete flooring. We settled into our room, and spent a bit of time looking at what the hotel had to offer. We ended up checking out the shopping area. It was quite confusing as it was set out like a mall, but had no natural lighting and only bright neon signs. We got some dinner, and went to bed. The beds were quite uncomfortable. Vegas is not fun.

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America Trip Day #61 Today we went to Bryce Canyon! After the drive there, we parked near Sunset Point, and then walked along the Navajo Loop Trail. We walked down into the canyon and then winded through it, seeing all the rock formations. The tall pillars of rock are called hoodoos. Because it had hailed the day before, parts of the track had piles of ice, and even for slippery at parts. There was one section later on that had a massive patch of mud we had to cross, and on the side of the mud was a drop into a pit. We also did the peekaboo loop trail, and then used the Queen's Garden Trail to get back to the top. We came up at Sunrise Point, and then walked across the top back to Sunset Point. Then we drove home and made some ravioli for dinner.

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America Trip Day #60

During the night, there was a huge thunderstorm in the distance. Because I slept in the lounge, I could see it through the windows. When we woke up, the raining had stopped. We had pancakes for breakfast, and then got in the car to go to Zion. On the way there, it started raining heavily, and we were worried it would be like that for our walk. Luckily the rain calmed down for our walks. We first went on the short Archaeological Hike, which gave some nice views. After that walk we went on the Emerald Pool Hike, in which we went under a waterfall and then climbed above it. We eventually got to another waterfall where the track ended, so we hung out there for a bit to get pictures. Throughout the hike the weather stayed cloudy, with the very occasional light rain. After finishing up at the waterfall we walked back down and took the path to The Grotto, where we stopped for lunch. After that we walked back down to the car, and then took a shuttle tour around the park, getting out at the end to take pictures and then catching the shuttle back. We then drove home, and made ravioli and chicken to use some of the leftovers from dinner the previous night. After eating we all went to sleep.

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America Trip Day #59 In the morning, we got up and grabbed some breakfast, and then got into the car to go to Kanab. We stopped off at a lookout for one last look at the Grand Canyon. We then kept driving and took a stop over at Horseshoe Bend. After a very hot 1km walk to the view, and then and even hotter walk back, we drove a little bit to a Denny's for lunch. While we were there, it suddenly started raining heavily, which would have been useful to have on the hot walk. We then rushed back to the car and continued our journey to Kanab. Once we got to Kanab, we met the owner of the house and got settled in. We made some green chicken curry for dinner, and then went to bed.

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America Trip Day #57

Today we descended into the Grand Canyon! We first parked at Grand Canyon Village to get information and a snack. After eating and checking out the gift shops, we got back in the car and drove to the start of the Kaibab trail. Because Anya had a bad cough, we decided that we would just walk down as far as she could go. We ended up getting all the way to Ooh Ahh Point, where we stopped for some lunch and rested. After chilling out for a bit and taking pictures of squirrels, we started to walk back up. It was quite a wavy steep path, but it gave a great view of the canyon. Fun fact, only 1% of Grand Canyon visitors go into the canyon, most just viewing from above. After getting back to the top, we drove back to GCV and then caught a bus to a rim trail from Bright Angel to Hopi Point. Once getting to Hopi Point we waited around for sunset, which was quite spectacular. Once we finished with that we took the bus back to GCV and then drove home. We ate at the reasturant in the hotel again, and then drove out to the middle of nowhere to look at the stars. In the distance over the canyon I saw a storm cloud and lot’s of lightning coming from it, but it was far enough that we couldn’t hear it. We then went back home and went to sleep.

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America Trip Day #56

Today we drove to the Grand Canyon, which is our longest drive in the whole holiday. The trip took about 13 hours, 9 of which was driving. We started by driving to 4 corners, where we stopped to check it out. There were a few stalls around the place selling souvenirs. Mum said she was going to run around the site so she could say she ran through 4 states, but I quickly ran through all 4 states right in the middle. After that we then continued our journey to Grand Canyon via Monument Valley. The rock formations were spectacular, and it was shocking how red everything was. We then eventually stopped off at a Taco Bell, and noticed it was getting a little cloudy. As we kept driving, it ended up raining pretty heavily, which Anya and I thought was awesome but Wendy and Andrew weren't a big fan of. Unfortunately, the rain caused a road flood which blocked off a road we had to take, and so there was a massive line of traffic. Anya and I managed to make some fun, and I used the camera to try and see what was going on. Once the traffic finally cleared up, we continued on and finally got to a viewpoint for the Grand Canyon. We then chilled there a bit and took lots of nice pictures of the area. Once we finished there, we did the final bit of the trip to our hotel. We then relaxed in the hotel for a bit, before Andrew and I went downstairs to the restaurant and got dinner (Wendy and Anya were sick). After finishing that we went back to the room and went to bed.

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America Trip Day #55

Today we checked out Albuquerque. First we drove up to Sandia Peak, where we caught some cable cars up to the mountain. We then explored around the place for a while, and went on a short hike. The cable car ride took us so far up that our ears popped. The view at the top was really good, and the area is usually a ski area but was closed down for the summer. We then went back down after spending a while up there, and got some nice lunch at a restaurant at the base. We then drove to Old Town Albuquerque where we hung out for a bit. There was a bit of a market to check out which had some cool shops, including a candy store where I got some ‘lenninade’, which was apparently communist lemonade. We then drove home and got some dinner in the area.

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America Trip Day #54

Today we went to Santa Fe! As Santa Fe is right next to Albuquerque, we decided to drive there for a day trip instead of staying there separately. First we went to the Santa Fe market where we checked out the produce and got some breakfast. There were lot’s of stalls to check out and plenty of samples to eat. After that we walked into town. It was interesting to see the styles of all the buildings and how they were different from the buildings in other parts of America. There was some sort of festival at Santa Fe Plaza, which had lots of stalls selling food. We then entered the Palace of the Governors, which is the longest continuously occupied building in the US. It also acts as a museum on the history of Santa Fe. Once we finished looking at the museum, we went back outside to the festival and got some lunch. I ended up getting a variety of soft tacos. After finishing lunch and checking out the area some more, we walked back to the car and drove to El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a historic ranch. Once we got there we stared walking on the path to see all the buildings. It was really interesting seeing the old styles of buildings, and being able to go inside of them and see what it would have been like to live there. The area was very beautiful, albeit hot and dry. Once we finished the walk we finally headed back to Albuquerque, where we had some dinner and then went to sleep.

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America Trip Day #53

Today we got ready to leave Roswell and go to Albuquerque. The day was pretty uneventful. Only pictures I got were of Anya looking mad at some ice tea. Once we got to Albuquerque we went to our hotel, and we ended up getting Mexican for dinner. 

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America Trip Day #52

Today we drove to Roswell, New Mexico. The drive was fairly uneventful, but we did stop in this small town that was quite open and empty, and had an old west aesthetic to it. Once we got to Roswell, we went to a Mexican food place to get lunch. The burrito was quite tasty, and I got a coke with it that would have been a good liter in one cup. We then went to the Roswell UFO museum. It was fairly small but had lot’s of information on UFOs and Roswell, as well as some old writing about theories on how UFOs work. It was funny reading it and seeing how limited knowledge was back then, for example them talking about a mystery ‘Element 113′ (which we now know as Nihonium) being the source of the ship’s power. After finishing up at the museum we went to a couple gift stores, and then eventually back to the hotel to relax.

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America Trip Day #51 Today we were going to be going to Huston, but because of the hurricane we had to go to Longview instead. It was pretty uneventful, until we went to outback steakhouse for dinner. I tried to sound not Australian but the waiter caught onto us and found out we are Aussies. We got a Blooming onion, which was very tasty, as well as our own mains. The steak I ate was absolutely delicious and was seasoned very well, it blew me away. We then started heading home and I felt quite sick from eating too much, and we went to a Walmart to get snacks for our long drive the next day.