Hartman Travels - USA 2017
The flights were booked in August with flights between Perth and Sydney return on Qantas and Sydney to LA return on American Airlines.
On 20th December we found that AA73 our flight between LA and Sydney had been cancelled and we are now on a Qantas flight LA to Sydney.
Departing Perth 3rd April – 23:50 on Qantas QF568.
arrive Sydney 4th April – 06:00.
Departing Sydney 4th April – 10:55 on American AA72.
arriving Los Angeles 4th April – 07:45.
Departing Los Angeles 2nd May – 22:30 on Qantas QF12.
Arriving Sydney 4th May – 06:30
Departing Sydney 4th May – 08:10 on Qantas QF575
Arriving Perth 4th May 11:10
Planning 6th January
We are going to go straight down to Yuma in Arizona after we land. Yuma is on the Mexican border and we will be there 2 nights de-jet lagging. Then driving up to Las Vegas through Lake Havasu before a night in Vegas. Then onto Cedar City, Utah where we will stay with Amy and Steve for a week.
Then back down to Las Vegas and fly to Memphis for a week road trip before we end up in Paducah, Kentucky for a 3 day Quilt Show for Rayls.
Couple of days back in LA before we fly home.
Update 6th March
The luggage came out today, it’s looking a bit worn but should see us through for another trip.
4th April – Perth to LA – The Long Haul
Our flight from Perth to Sydney went smoothly. We were ready to leave on time at 11:55 pm Monday night but were delayed slightly so we wouldn’t land in Sydney before the 6 am curfew lifted. Nothing much to report—no drunken yobbos, just a quiet flight. We took off over Guildford.
Sydney Airport, as usual, was pretty boring. We caught the shuttle bus from domestic to international, cleared immigration and security, and entered the world of duty-free shops and overpriced food outlets. Boarding for AA72 at Gate 9 was on time, and so was departure. No Dallas detour this trip!
Once in the air, we settled into the long haul over the Pacific with very limited internet. By around 4 pm Tuesday afternoon Perth time, the flight felt never-ending. Service and food were both good. Rayls slept for a bit, then turned to her sewing. At 35,000 feet, we were just over five hours from LA, flying south of Hawaii. A few bumps along the way and even a little climb—about 500 feet—just to keep things interesting.
4th April – Arrival in LA – and on to Yuma
The flight into LA landed on time, and the new e-passport immigration process was a breeze. Bags took a while to appear—probably because we cleared the formalities so quickly we got to carousel 9 earlier than usual. Customs was even faster, barely two minutes, and then we were out in the public area.
The Alamo shuttle bus pulled up just as we arrived, and we were on our way to the rental facility in about ten minutes. This part of the trip is always amusing—they’ll try very hard to upsell you “at a fair price,” which somehow works out to triple what you could have upgraded for when booking online. Our agent painted a dire picture of the “economy” car we’d booked: no power windows, no cruise control, no radio connectivity, no space for luggage, and no insurance. She insisted we could only choose from the “economy” section. Out we went—only to find that section didn’t exist. We picked a Nissan (pronounced “Neesan” here), which does, in fact, have power windows, cruise control, Bluetooth for music, space for both bags in the boot (trunk), and full insurance. Methinks someone was chasing a commission.
The plan was to drive straight to Yuma—about 450 km from LA. “Why Yuma?” you ask? Well, we couldn’t check into a hotel before at least 1 pm, so as tired as we were, we pushed on. Heavy traffic on the 405, as always. At one point, we passed the aftermath of a crash on the other side of the freeway—a small car had rear-ended another, then been hit from behind by a third. The last car was badly crumpled and now qualifies as an “economy” model.
Once we escaped LA, we took I-5 south towards San Diego. Traffic had its moments but generally flowed well. On the outskirts of San Diego, we stopped at Maccas for a much-needed drink and leg stretch. From there, it was I-8 for the 250 km run to Yuma, Arizona—right on the California–Mexico border. The drive was light on traffic, with two lanes all the way and interesting scenery. At times, the road runs within a couple of hundred metres of Mexico, and you can see the infamous border wall. It was about here that Rayls “hit the wall” and fell asleep—luckily, I was driving.
We arrived in Yuma around 4 pm and checked into the Oak Tree Inn for at least two nights, to de-jetlag and look around. We bombed out pretty quickly—no dinner—and now, at 1:42 am, I’m writing this before trying for another nap. Lovely weather here—high 20s. Not sure if I’ve got a cold or hay fever, but it’s annoying either way.
5th April – Yuma – Quilts, Craft Stores, and Cracker Barrel
Last night we both bombed out around 8 pm, only to be up at 2 am, then again at 6 am, before a third round of sleep until about 9 am. Clearly, jet lag still has us in its grip.
We started the day with breakfast at Penny’s Diner, conveniently attached to our hotel. Afterwards, we went looking for a quilt shop—which turned out not to exist anymore—but luckily there was a Michaels nearby, so Rayls was perfectly content for a while. We tried again for another shop and had better luck.
In the afternoon, we visited a few more places, including a Joann store, so Rayls’ craft-hunting streak remained unbroken. We grabbed a late lunch at Chick-fil-A before heading back to the hotel for a rest.
Dinner was an easy walk across the road to Cracker Barrel, and now we’re back in the room watching TV. We’ll try to be a bit more adventurous tomorrow.
The current plan is to stay in Yuma on Thursday, head to Phoenix on Friday for a Peter Noone concert, then on Saturday drive to Flagstaff. Sunday will be a long haul to Cedar City—long because we have to drive around that pesky Grand Canyon.
6th April – Yuma – From Prison Cells to Frisbee Dogs
Slept a little better last night, though I’m still very sniffy. We grabbed brekkie at Maccas, then headed to Walmart for some medication before our first stop of the day—the Yuma Territorial Prison. This former prison, opened in 1875, is one of the Yuma Crossing and Associated Sites on the National Register of Historic Places in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. It’s a fascinating place, made even better by a great tour guide. The only downside was the heat—it was tough going at times standing in the full sun.
From there, we wandered around downtown Yuma, an historical area straight out of the Old West. After a rest back at the hotel, we headed out at 4 pm to the Yuma County Fair. It’s like a smaller version of the Royal Show—lots of sideshow alley attractions, displays, and plenty of food that was both fattening and expensive. Our highlight was the K-9 Comets Frisbee Dog Show, which was fast, fun, and a bit chaotic. The fair was hot and dusty but still interesting.
Dinner was at Texas Roadhouse, which was excellent. Back at the hotel, we settled in to watch one of our favourite TV shows. Tomorrow, we move on towards Phoenix. Yuma is a nice place to visit—historic and interesting—but I’d never want to live here. Too bloody hot.
7th April – Yuma to Needles – Chasing Bridges and Snoopy’s Relatives
We changed our minds and ended up driving from Yuma via Lake Havasu to Needles, California. The Phoenix section just didn’t work out—it would’ve added a couple of hundred extra kilometres for no good reason.
So, we headed for Lake Havasu, about 250 km away. Back in 2006, we were here very briefly hunting for the famous London Bridge. This time, we actually found it. It’s a lovely, scenic spot—no wonder it’s a favourite for retirees and water lovers. Rayls got her second quilt shop visit of the trip, which made for some slow progress.
We decided to push on and ended up in Needles, a very small town without much to recommend it. I’d wanted to get closer to Vegas, but I hit the wall, and we both spent a pretty ordinary night in Snoopy’s brother’s hometown.
So…. we drove to Lake Havasu, 250 K’s. We were there very briefly in 2006 looking for the London Bridge. This time we found it. Lovely spot this, very scenic and I suspect a favourite with retirees and people who love the water. Rayls got to go to her second quilt shop, slow going there. We decided to push on and ended up in Needles, a very small town with not a lot going for it. I had wanted to push on closer to Vegas but I hit the wall and we both spend a pretty ordinary night in Snoopys brothers home town.
8 April – Needles to Cedar City – with a Bellagio Breather and a 12-Hour Coma
We left Needles fairly early, glad to be on the road, and headed north along Highway 95 into Nevada for the 179 km run to Las Vegas. We weren’t doing more than a quick pit stop here, as we’d be back later in the trip. Of course, we stopped at our favourite spot, the Bellagio, to check out the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens—currently featuring a stunning Chinese New Year display.
After about an hour and a half, we pushed on towards Cedar City—another 275 km along I-15. The drive briefly took us back into Arizona, where we got held up in traffic, before crossing into Utah and rolling into Cedar City.
It was great to see Amy and Steve again. I tried to be sociable, but I hit the wall by 5 pm and was in bed, sleeping for a solid 12 hours.
Cedar City – A Week of Quiet Bliss
9 April – Cedar City
This next week is all about taking it easy with Amy and Steve—quiet days in Cedar City ahead.
10 April – Cedar City
What can I say? Another quiet day in paradise: snoozing, eating, relaxing, snoozing, shopping, eating.
11 April – Cedar City
Slept well, then checked out a Home Depot in the morning—like Bunnings, but more interesting. Lunch was followed by a trip to the cinema. It’s $5 Tuesday, so cheap movie tickets all round. We saw Going In Style, which was pretty good. Weather has been clear and in the low teens—very pleasant.
Dinner came from Papa Murphy’s, a place with no oven. They make the pizza, you take it home, and cook it yourself. Novel idea, but it works.
12 April – Cedar City
All four of us headed down to St George today, about a 45-minute drive. Everyone had different chores: Rayls visited two quilt shops, we had lunch at Culver’s, and stopped at Michaels and a few other stores. I played chauffeur, dropping people off and picking them up.
Dinner was leftovers. We also enjoyed our annual lunch at the Market Grill here in CC—Rayls had a toasted cheese sandwich because that’s all she wanted; I had one so I’d have room for their world-famous pie. Sadly, no banana cream pie today, so I settled for coconut cream pie.
Rayls’ cold has probably peaked, so hopefully she’s on the mend. Nice surprise waking up to a West Coast Eagles win, especially since I’d forgotten they were playing Thursday.
Rayls had leftovers again for dinner, I went for Panda Express, and we all watched the movie Lion.
14 April – Cedar City
Rayls and I headed back to St George for an art show and a quilt show. I also squeezed in some SMCA cricket work. Another cool, sunny day—perfect.
15 April – Cedar City
Our last full day in Cedar City. Time always flies when we’re here—hard to believe it’s been a week already. Rayls and Amy visited a quilt shop, and we pottered around a few other stores before grabbing Dairy Queen for lunch.
All remains quiet, and Rayls is mostly over her cold. We wrapped up the week with dinner at Applebee’s—thanks, Scott! Tomorrow, it’s on to Las Vegas.
16 April – Cedar City to Las Vegas
Our last morning in Cedar City—still relaxing, but a bit sad knowing it was time to leave. After lunch, we said our farewells to Steve and Amy and hit the road, heading 285 km south to Las Vegas. The drive took us through Utah, dipped briefly into Arizona, and then into Nevada.
17 April – Exploring the Strip and a Bee Gees Night
Las Vegas is certainly a strange place—excellent for people-watching. Our hotel stay at the Excalibur included free buffet breakfasts, which was a nice bonus.
I had a rough night’s sleep with my knee swollen and very painful—really should get that knee replaced—but after starting out with a walking stick and the meds kicking in, we managed OK.
We left the car parked and strolled along the Strip. We wandered through New York New York to the MGM, then back out onto the Strip. Sauntering down to the Hard Rock Cafe, we discovered the Coca-Cola store next door, full of memorabilia. I even bought a Diet Coke pen.
Next stop: Krispy Kreme for a doughnut each—but poor service and stale treats, sadly. Using an overpass, we crossed back to the other side of the Strip and headed toward the Excalibur, taking in the Aria’s lovely garden display along the way. Back at New York New York, I eyed the roller coaster, but Rayls wasn’t interested.
We stopped at a half-price ticket booth and scored two tickets to see the Australian Bee Gees show at the Thunder Downunder Theatre in the Excalibur. Back in the room around 5 pm, we rested until 6:30 before heading to the theatre.
The show was great. Although I’d seen the real Bee Gees years ago, this tribute still hit the mark. I’ve been a fan since Spicks and Specks in the early sixties, so I particularly enjoyed the sixties songs. The show leaned a bit more on the seventies and Saturday Night Fever era, but it was well done.
After the show, we noticed a long line of women waiting for the next act, Thunder Downunder. Rayls had expressed interest, so I bought her a ticket. She said it was a good show—and even got a kiss and cuddle from one of the Aussie performers. When I asked if many men attended, the lady said there are always eight men on stage.
A good day overall. Tomorrow is a travel day—flying from Las Vegas via Houston to Memphis.
18 April – Las Vegas to Memphis
Today was a dreaded travel day: Las Vegas to Houston, then Houston to Memphis. Memphis marks the start of a road trip that will culminate in the Paducah Quilt Festival—something I’m sure Rayls will enjoy.
We got up a bit after 7 am and headed to the buffet for breakfast. Back in the room, we finalised packing, then at 10:45 am checked out and drove to the Vegas Airport Car Rental Facility. Our little Nissan had clocked just over 1,300 miles in the two weeks we had it.
The shuttle to the airport was quick. Check-in is much faster these days with computer monitors everywhere—took maybe 15 minutes. Security was about the same, which is a relief compared to the 2012 “quilt bash” when it took three hours to reach the front of the line. We were at gate C16 with almost two hours to spare.
The flight to Houston left on time and arrived a few minutes early. A 1,861 km flight, we flew north of Phoenix, almost directly over El Paso and San Antonio, and had a great view of downtown Houston on approach.
Our next flight to Memphis left about 25 minutes late—the plane had started its day in New York La Guardia and had made stops in multiple cities before Houston. Bonus: the gates were almost next to each other, just a short 50-metre walk.
Halfway between Houston and Memphis, I reflected that the day had been OK so far—but we still had to rent a car and check in to the hotel.
Car rental in Memphis was quick and easy—no choice, we ended up with a Hyundai Accent. Losing two hours along the way meant we didn’t arrive at our hotel until 9:30 pm. Hungry, we drove a kilometre to Burger King and tried the drive-through. That was… interesting. I couldn’t understand her accent, she couldn’t understand mine—very broad Southern accents!
19th April – Memphis to Little Rock
Started the day in Memphis and ended it 220Ks away in Little Rock, Arkansas.
We had brekkie at a Maccas in Memphis and then arrived at Sun Studios a little after 10am. Sun is the birthplace of Rock and Roll and we did a very interesting tour. Inside the studio I stood in the spot where Elvis sang “That’s Alright Mama”.
Then onto Beale Street which is a significant location in the history of Memphis, as well as in the history of the blues. pleasant walk, past the shops, restaurants and statue of Elvis. We also cheked out the shop at the Gibson guitar factory.
Just after 1pm we headed over the Mississippi River and into Arkansas. It is 220 K’s to Little Rock where we visited the Bill Clinton Presidential Library, I enjoyed that and had my photo taken in the “Oval Office”.
Off to a Cracker Barrel for dinner (no lunch today) and then to a Walmart for supplies before finishing the day at a Quality Inn in North Little Rock. Tired after a long day, a very painful sore throat and looking forwards to some sleep. Rayls is OK, seems over her cold and enjoying the holiday.
20th April – Little Rock to Joplin
Here I sit at 1:45am in Joplin, Missouri. We were here many years ago and there was a tornado warning, since then much of the place has been wiped out by a tornado. Tonight there is just a major thunderstorm out there with heavy rain.
The 2011 Joplin tornado was a catastrophic EF5-rated multiple-vortex tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri, late in the afternoon of Sunday, May 22, 2011. It was part of a larger late-May tornadoout break and reached a maximum width of nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) during its path through the southern part of the city. 158 people died.
Today we started out by going to an Old Mill near out hotel which is an authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill, this striking structure appears in the opening scene of the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind and is believed to be the only building remaining from the film. Built in 1933; designed to look old so it would appear as if it was built the 1800s. We were told to watch out for a water moccasin seen in the water just before we arrived. I had no idea what a water moccasin was but I kept a wary eye out for something nasty. A later google showed that a water moccasin is a venomous water snake, good to know!
The mill was a very beautiful spot. Well worth the visit.
Then 240 K’s to Mountainburg where I hoped to surprise Rayls with a quilt shop. Boy did this detour take us off the beaten track. We were in the Ozark Forest, beautiful scenery but the roads (if you could call them that) were not so good. We may, or may not, have found the shop. There was no sign and it didn’t seem all that welcoming so we drove off onto some more challenging roads and magnificent scenery. 117 K’s later we arrived at Bentonville which is the home town of Walmart. We checked out the Walmart Museum which was interesting before doing an extra 97 K’s to Joplin, Missouri.
So in short, nice Mill, no quilt shop but nice scenery and an interesting enough museum.
22 April – Hamilton, Independence, and Beyond
Rayls spent the day at the Missouri Star Quilt Company, which is actually a group of 13 stores. It took her around five hours to explore them all, and she seemed very happy with her “stash.”
Meanwhile, I drove 95 km to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence. Truman, of course, was the 33rd President of the United States, assuming office after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt during the final months of World War II. Fascinating place—my fifth Presidential Library visit. I also made it to the front of the George H.W. Bush Library in Texas back in 2001 but didn’t go inside, and I still regret missing the JFK Library, thinking back then it was just a library and not a museum.
Rayls reports that the Missouri Star shops are fantastic—friendly, knowledgeable staff and plenty of goodies. While browsing, she even bumped into Rob Appell of Man Sewing fame. He was gracious, chatted for a while, and even posed for a photo.
Afterwards, we drove 100 km toward Paducah and spent the night in Higginsville, a pleasant little town to stop for the evening.
23rd April – Higginsville to Fairview Heights
Today was another travel day as we get closer to Paducah which is now just two and a half hours away.
Brekkie was at a Maccas, which was interesting with people coming in wearing camouflage gear and their faces darkened. They had been hunting turkey which are apparently plentiful. I have no idea about where Missouri stands politically but I suspect they are very pro guns and probably Trump too.
We drove 133 Ks to Columbia on I70 and had lunch there and Rayls managed a quilt shop and we checked out a mall.
We had intended to go down to Jefferson City for the night but decided to push on down I70 to make for less driving over the next two days.
Interstate 70 runs from I15 just a 100 K’s or so north of Amy and Steve’s house in Utah to Baltimore, near Washington DC on the east coast. It is 3400 Ks long and runs through 10 states with at least 2 lanes in both directions and no traffic lights. Today the speed limit was usually 115 Kph and driving is very easy. I70 runs through St Louis in sight of the famous arch. We didn’t stop as we have been to St Louis before. St L sits on the Mississippi River and once you cross it you are in Illinois. We stopped just a few Ks past St Louis in Fairview Heights, 222 Ks since we left Columbia.
24 April – Marion
A short drive today—just 150 km—as we close in on Paducah, now less than an hour away.
Along the way, we managed to fit in a quilt shop, a Hobby Lobby, and a Joann Fabrics before arriving in Marion. Not much else to report… the suitcases are getting heavier, and surprisingly little of that weight is anything I bought! Rayls seems to be having fun, so all good.
The roadhouse scenery was very green and lush, with some magnificent lakes between Mount Vernon and Marion—definitely a nice drive.
25 April – Marion to Paducah
Finally made it to Paducah! Just 80 km today, with a stop in Metropolis, only a few kilometres short of Paducah.
Metropolis is pretty cool. In various portrayals, Superman resides in a fictional American city named Metropolis, and on 21 January 1972, DC Comics officially declared it the “Hometown of Superman.” There’s a 30-foot painted bronze statue of Superman in front of the county courthouse, and a statue of Noel Neill’s Lois Lane from The Adventures of Superman just a few blocks away. Metropolis sits in Illinois on one side of the Ohio River, with Paducah in Kentucky on the opposite bank.
We went straight to Hancock’s of Paducah—I’ve never seen so many middle-aged women in one place! The quilt show starts tomorrow, but like us, many people were arriving a day early. Judging by the size of her stash, I think Rayls enjoyed Hancock’s very much.
Next stop was the National Quilt Museum, which Rayls found a little disappointing. By 3 pm, we were both completely worn out, so we headed to our hotel in Calvert City, just outside Paducah. Dinner was at Cracker Barrel, followed by an early night to be ready for the big day tomorrow.
26 April – Paducah Quilt Festival
I dropped Rayls off at the Quilt Show a little before 9 am and then headed off to do a couple of loads of washing. I pottered around town for a bit before returning to the hotel. Picked Rayls up at 3:50 pm and we headed back to the hotel to rest.
Rayls said the lineup was a bit disorganised but only took about ten minutes. She met up with Bronya, a friend from the quilting retreats she attends back home, and they spent the day checking out the quilts on display. They also explored lots of vendor stalls and may go back again tomorrow.
Rayls spotted a couple of quilting celebrities—Marti Mitchell and Ricky Timms—and spent most of the day in the Schroeder Exhibition Centre, where the quilts are displayed and competition winners are showcased.
Tomorrow, she plans to head to the Dome Pavilion, where more vendors have stalls—another day of fun and frivolity for her, while I find ways to kill time. Maybe a movie is on the agenda for me.
27 April – Paducah Quilt Festival and a Superman Detour
We had a major thunderstorm last night—heavy rain and strong winds. Day Two of the Quilt Show started overcast, but at least there was no rain. Rayls must have had a fantastic day because when we got back to the hotel, she completely flaked out—no dinner, just sleep. Hard work, this quilting thing!
After dropping Rayls off this morning, I crossed the Ohio River back into Illinois to visit the Superman Museum in Metropolis. We had been to the shop the other day, but I wanted to see the museum, which was quite extensive. My main interest is the George Reeves 1950s TV series, so I spent most of my time there and breezed through the rest.
Back over the river, I caught a movie—The Fate of the Furious. I didn’t expect much, and it didn’t disappoint.
Rayls had just woken up and said she’d finished exploring all the vendor stalls. Lots of quilts on display, and she met some lovely ladies at the A1 Longarm Quilting Stall. Happy with her two days, she promptly went back to sleep.
After the movie, I had a look around downtown Paducah—what a pretty place. Picked up Rayls later, and you know the rest!
28th April – Paducah
Our last day in Paducah, tomorrow we drive the 300 Ks back to Memphis and an afternoon flight which gets us back to LA.
We started by going to Reds Donuts, famous in these parts for the best donuts They were very good but not as good as Shipleys! We ate the donuts down by the river before Rayls finished up with the Quilt Show at an area for local quilt shops. She enjoyed her time here but thinks Houston was better.
We did two more Quilt Shops before we headed to a mall. A late lunch/early dinner at Outback Restaurant which is about as Aussie as Donald Trump.
Back to the hotel by around 5pm for done TV, packing and sleep.
29 April – Paducah to Phoenix (and a Travel Adventure!)
What a day! We left Paducah at 8 am and drove 345 km to Memphis, stopping for breakfast in Union City. We arrived in Memphis around 12:30 pm, refuelled the car, and returned it to the rental facility.
Our plane arrived 15 minutes early from Chicago, but that’s when the problems started. The only flights I could get to LA were via Dallas (no plane change) or via Phoenix. Bad weather at Dallas meant that even though we boarded on time, we didn’t back up until an hour late, then waited on the runway for other planes. Memphis Airport itself didn’t seem busy—except for the FedEx planes arriving and departing every few minutes.
To avoid the thunderstorms at Dallas, we took a scenic detour via Houston and Austin—like flying from Melbourne to Sydney by going over Brisbane. We landed in Dallas almost two hours late and then had to change planes, which we originally weren’t supposed to do. The same crew handled both flights and did their best, but things were clearly chaotic with connecting flights.
As I was writing, we were just south of Lubbock, Texas, scheduled to land in Phoenix about 30 minutes after our LA flight departed.
Much later… our connecting flight to LA took off without us. We ended up spending the night in Phoenix, with a new flight to LA scheduled for 7:15 am tomorrow. Southwest provided travel vouchers but left hotel arrangements to us, as the delay was weather-related—not their fault. Considering the tornados near Dallas yesterday, I think they handled things responsibly. Having watched enough Air Crash Investigations, I know Dallas thunderstorms, wind shear, and tornados must be taken seriously.
We found a hotel near the airport with a shuttle bus and crashed for the night. I did venture out on foot to a nearby shop for food. Not the best part of Phoenix, but I survived. Our luggage stayed at the airport, so no change of clothes for the night!
30 April – Phoenix to LA
Like yesterday—wow, what a day!
Instead of spending the night in LA, we were stranded in Phoenix with just our carry-on bags—no change of clothes. Southwest assured us our checked bags would be on the 7:15 am flight. A relief, as schlepping them to a hotel for a few hours and back again would have been a pain. Not being able to put on fresh clothes was a small (smelly) price to pay!
We were up before the 4:20 am alarm and downstairs waiting for the shuttle a few minutes before 5 am. Five-minute drive to the airport, no check-in needed since we already had boarding passes, through security, and at the gate well over an hour early.
The flight left on time—a quick 55-minute hop to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, just a few kilometres from Disneyland. I chose Orange County because it’s much quieter than LAX. At baggage claim, it quickly became clear our checked bags weren’t coming. The airline staff were… less than helpful, so I left it to Rayls to sort out while I grumpily searched for the car rental.
Things turned around when we met Omar at Alamo. After giving him the full story, he upgraded us from a Kia Rio to a black Dodge Charger! After four weeks of puny Nissans and a Hyundai Accent, I was now in a muscle car—I could actually see the bonnet, and the boot space was immense for our single carry-on bag.
We stopped at Walmart for some clothes and then to Denny’s for a late breakfast/lunch. Poor choice—slow service and so-so food—but we ate. Then it was onto the I5, letting the Charger stretch its legs on the drive to Maria and Charlie’s place in Carson. Just before we arrived, Maria messaged: Southwest had located our bags and would deliver them between 2 and 6 pm. Rayls was relieved—her fabric stash and my underwear were safe!
Always nice to catch up with Maria and Charlie, Scott’s fiancée Shannon’s parents. They’re great hosts, very interesting, and like Amy and Steve in Cedar City, I felt instantly comfortable.
I’m typing this at 3:20 am, with the full LA experience outside—helicopter overhead, police sirens nearby. We spent the afternoon chatting, and at 5 pm the bags finally arrived. Much relief!
Dinner was at a lovely nearby restaurant—Squires, I think. Conversations ranged from cricket to the Royal Family and even Obamacare.
A bonus of the day: I checked our seat allocation for Tuesday’s flight to Melbourne and managed to snag better seats on the upper level of the A380. Also got a message asking if I could return to work a day early—sigh!
By 9 pm, Rayls and I were done for the day. Off to our comfortable room for six hours of sleep before my usual early wake-up and the chance to write this.
1 May – Los Angeles: Tombstone Tourist Day
Today was a day for us “Tombstone Tourists.” I’ve long wanted to visit the resting places of some of my favourite comedians—the Three Stooges.
We started at the Home of Peace Cemetery, visiting Jerome Holowitz, better known as Curly, who died in 1952. Next, we went to Silver Lake for a walk we used to do with our friend Scott McKenzie before he passed in 2014.
Then it was onto Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale to visit stooge Larry Fine. While there, we also sought out the graves of Spencer Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor. Finding them all took some effort, and Jimmy Stewart’s resting place is on a hill that definitely took a bit out of us.
Our final stop was Hillside Memorial Park to visit Moses Horowitz, better known as Moe, who passed away in 1975 like Larry. While at Hillside, we also paid respects to Michael Landon (Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie), David Janssen (The Fugitive), Al Jolson (singer, actor, comedian), and Vic Morrow (Combat!).
The whole adventure took about six hours, after which we returned to Carson for a lovely dinner made by Maria. After dinner, Rayls began repacking as tomorrow night we fly home.
2 May – Los Angeles: Last Day in the USA
Our last day in the USA! We’ve had a wonderful time, renewing friendships with Amy and Steve, and Maria and Charlie.
The day started slowly, with some chatting and TV. Charlie, a retired LAPD officer, shared some war stories that definitely outshone mine.
We were taken to Lucille’s for lunch—a fantastic spot—then Rayls made her final visit to JoAnn, using up the remainder of a voucher she’d been given. Back at Maria and Charlie’s, we had some last chats and finished packing before leaving for the airport just before 7 pm.
I dropped Rayls off at the terminal with all the luggage, returned the car, and took the shuttle back to the airport. Check-in was straightforward, security took about 20 minutes, and we were at Gate 156 with plenty of time to spare.
The flight to Melbourne took off almost on time and was uneventful. Immigration in Melbourne was much easier than last year—e-passport lanes, more space, and no rush to make the domestic connection. The onward flight to Perth was a breeze.
We’re home!
That’s it for another trip. Thanks for following along.
— Gary
