Day 4 – No luggage!!
Got up at 7.15am and set the coffee pot away while I went in to shower. At least the hotel had provided shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. I couldn’t blow-dry my hair because I didn’t have my hot brush or straighteners with me, so once the air-con had dried it until it was slightly damp, I scraped it back into a short ponytail again. I was nice and clean and fresh, so it pained me to have to don my rather grubby white Target jeans and Target t-shirt again. At least I could wear my new flip-flops, as I hate having my feet enclosed in hot weather.
Likewise with Trevor; he had to put on his Target t-shirt but the only shoes he had were the ones he’d travelled in, black gents’ shoes and not really suitable for a hot climate or dusty day wear. We had given up the idea of receiving our luggage today as we would be travelling through the desert landscape of Arizona to a town called Williams, and our driver Frank (going on previous experience) said that the airline couriers would not travel “out in the Boonies” as he put it. 🙁
We therefore went onto the British Airways app and asked them to direct the luggage to the Golden Nugget Hotel in Las Vegas, where we would arrive in two days’ time. Let’s see if they turned up then.
After a breakfast of Special K cereal bar washed down with coffee and the fake American coffee creamer (instead of milk) we had about half an hour spare, so I sat down at the desk and caught up on some of this blog. Then we made our way downstairs and into the hotel foyer. When we arrived, one of the ladies from Plymouth came over and kindly lent Trevor a couple of t-shirts that belonged to Mike, and lent me a bottle of Factor 30 suntan lotion – how good of them. We’ve been on trips in the past where people are missing their luggage (a nightmare if you’re on a cruise, because if you’re crossing the ocean there’s no chance they can get your bags to you!) and other passengers have lent the unfortunate couple clothes. The kindness of strangers should never be underestimated. 🙂
Everybody boarded the coach and we set off at 8.20am, Trevor and I in our newly-allocated seats two rows back from where we were yesterday. Frank advised us we had a long drive ahead of us today, but we’d be stopping several times en route; the first comfort stop would be in an hour and a half’s time.
Our guide Tomi told us a little about Palm Springs and how it was the ‘retirement’ place of many famous people, including Frank Sinatra. She said we would be passing his former home en route, and indeed we did. However you couldn’t really see much of it as it was set back from the road and was hidden behind dense trees and bushes. Frank did stop the coach briefly to allow us to photograph the sign marking the house.
We continued on our way, passing through the towns and villages until the inhabited areas thinned out and we found ourselves travelling through a stark desert landscape of arid soil with scrubby bushes and bare mountains. In the distance we could see the swirls of eddies of dust; although it was hot outside, a strong warm wind was blowing.
Soon Frank pulled up at a petrol station that also had restrooms and small shop, and he told us we had 20 minutes here. As I queued for the ladies (there is always a queue for the ladies!) a gentleman heard our accents and said “Are you folks from London?” “No”, I said. “We’re from Britain, but we don’t all live in London!”
While we were in the shop we bought some snacks and we noticed they had big, 24 ounce cans of cold beer, so we each bought one to enjoy on the journey. 🙂
Back on the coach again we continued through the arid landscape. A quick look at Google Maps told us we were in a place called Blythe, California. It looked very remotely populated. At one point we crossed a bridge over a body of water, which Frank told us was part of the Colorado River.
After another couple of hours, during which Tomi was still wittering on about Frank Sinatra, she put on a DVD which featured Frank performing in Palm Spring; we only half-watched it, as we preferred looking out of the window and drinking the cans of beer we had bought. 🙂
After another hour and a half or so, the coach pulled up at another comfort stop – he said we only had 10 minutes this time, because our main ‘free time’ would be later on this afternoon. As we alighted from the coach I spotted a rather disconcerting sign and my feet suddenly felt dreadfully exposed in their flip-flops…
A quick look at Google showed us we were in Ehrenberg, Arizona – a new US state for Trevor and me. 🙂
Back on the bus we continued our journey, periodically photographing the rugged desert landscape out of the window, the bottom sill of which was covered by Frank’s yellow towel to minimise the freezing air-con.
At 1.15pm, we made a stop for lunch at the London Bridge Visitor Centre near Lake Havasu, a place that had a lot of shops and restaurants. Frank pointed out one called “In-N-Out Burger” which he recommended, so we decided to go there to eat. It was popular, because there were not many seats available, apart from some outside with the uninspiring view of the car park. I went outside and bagsied one of the tables while Trevor ordered the cheeseburgers and large, ice-filled cartons of Diet Coke.
We noticed a strange smell in the air. It was a cross between burgers and heat and a faint whiff of rotten eggs; it was not particularly strong, but it wasn’t pleasant. I later found out that it is believed to be caused by the visitor centre and bridge being situated directly along the Bridgewater Channel. Like many waterfront areas, localised sewer smells or stagnant gas releases from the bottom of the lake’s silt can occasionally occur, sometimes tied to nearby wastewater plant upgrades or pipe maintenance.
After our lunch, the coach pulled up in a large parking lot and we all alighted. Frank told us we had to be back by 2.45pm if we wanted to reach our hotel in Williams by six o’clock tonight.
The first thing we saw was an incongruous sight in the desert indeed – the original London Bridge. The bridge here in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, is a remarkable feat of relocation. Originally spanning London’s River Thames, it was built in 1831. By the 1960s, the bridge was slowly sinking into the riverbed and couldn’t support modern, heavy vehicle traffic. The old children’s song London Bridge is Falling Down therefore has a ring of truth about it. 🙂
Looking to put his newly established, remote desert community of Lake Havasu City on the map, American entrepreneur Robert McCulloch purchased the historic bridge at auction in 1968 for $2.46 million. A popular rumour that persists to this day is that he thought he was actually buying the more-recognisable Tower Bridge, but this was vehemently denied by Mr. McCulloch.
The bridge was carefully dismantled and transported to Lake Havasu, where it was reassembled and remains in use to this day, attracting many visitors.
We really enjoyed walking around in the area. We browsed the over-priced souvenir shops (keeping our eyes out for any suitcases!) walked along the lakeside, looking at the boats and pleasure craft. Soon it was time to start making our way back to the coach which we boarded; it was Trevor’s turn to sit next to the air-con vent now. 🙂
We only had one more stop to make before reaching our hotel for the night, and just before 5.00pm we pulled up for another comfort stop. As we stood in the inevitable queue, one of our fellow travellers who had been on our Newcastle flight said she had some “good news”. Apparently she had been in touch with British Airways who had informed her that 11 suitcases had been delivered to the DoubleTree Hotel in LA, and would be FedExed to us by tomorrow, to our hotel in Williams. It sounded hopeful, but we would not believe it until we actually had our cases.
Back on the coach, Frank informed us we had a drive of about 40 miles before we reached the Ellsworth Hotel in Williams, and part of our journey would be spent travelling the old Route 66. 🙂
It was just before 6.00pm when we pulled up in front of the Ellsworth Hotel and alighted from the coach, stretching our legs and unkinking our backs after our long, long journey. The first thing we saw was a large “Safeway’s” supermarket over the road – would we be able to buy some more t-shirts or even a case there? Or should we wait to see if our luggage did indeed arrive by tomorrow?
We went into the hotel and were allocated our room, where we would be staying for two nights. After dumping our rucksacks and various Target carrier bags, we decided to go over to the Safeway to see what we could find. As we crossed the road, some people coming the other way told us that the supermarket only sold food and groceries, and not clothes.
We went inside where there was a huge selection of ready-to-eat packaged food, from salads to fruit bowls, sandwiches, wraps and cakes. An appetising smell drew us to a fried chicken counter, and a sign said that today was “Cheap Chicken Monday”. We asked the guy behind the counter what that meant, and he said we would get “two wings, two legs and two breasts” for 18 bucks. We decided to go for it, and asked the guy to add a portion of potato wedges and dips as well.
We took the warm bag and paid for it and, as we were walking out of the shop intending to take it back to our hotel room, we spotted some tables and chairs that had obviously been put out to allow customers to enjoy their purchased hot or cold meals. We therefore sat at a table and opened the bag. At least chicken and potato wedges is easy food to eat with your hands, but I was pleased I had a packet of tissues in my pocket with which to wipe them afterwards.
We really enjoyed the chicken, but we effectively had half a chicken each, so we couldn’t eat it all. After disposing of the remains of our meal and the brown bag, we set off back to the hotel and decided to have a power nap; it had been a long, tiring day.
We set the timer to go off in an hour’s time, but when it went off we still had the remains of the jet lag, so we had an extra half-hour. Then we got up, got ourselves freshened up, and looked on Google Maps to see if there were any pubs or bars nearby. Indeed there was – a traditional bar with dartboards and pool tables was just up the road, about half a mile away. The place had the unusual name of the Sultana Bar and had lots of great reviews on Google.
We decided to walk along. However, I had noticed on my phone that the temperature had dropped to a chilly 5°C outside (it is the desert, after all) so I changed into the cheapy ‘Los Angeles’ blue hoodie I had bought on Saturday. The sleeves were way too long so I had to fold the cuffs back a bit. At least the sweatshirt would be warmer, and would give me a respite from the bloody Target t-shirt! 🙂
Outside, we walked quickly in the chilly air, passing the darkened, closed shops and dwellings around us. We saw a railroad level crossing nearby, along with a train parked in a siding. Soon we spotted the Sultana Bar across the road and went over, opening the door into beery warmth and the bar banter from the locals – apparently a pool tournament was in progress.
As we approached the bar, we spotted the two guys from Southampton, who were brothers-in-law. We already knew that they liked their beer! We sat next to them on bar stools and ordered a pint of local beer each. Then we swivelled around to watch the action around us.
Several guys were taking the pool tournament very seriously indeed, while others were further down the room playing darts. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, so of course our accents made us stick out as visitors from across the Pond. One guy, who had clearly had a few drinks, asked us where we were from (we don’t all live in London!!) and we told him “Durham, in the north-east of England” and stressing that we were closer to Scotland’s capital city than we were to England’s.
I then showed him some of the photos of Durham Castle and Cathedral and the various ancient bridges over the River Wear, and told him it was all walking distance from our home. He was duly impressed, especially when I told him that the Cathedral was built in 1093, nigh on 400 years before Columbus ‘discovered’ America. 🙂
We stayed in the pub for another drink each, and it gave me a good chance to examine our surroundings. Once again, there were stag’s heads and stuffed animals and various other ‘trophies’ and I had to quell my distaste.
It was about 10.30pm when we left the Sultana Bar and started out on the 10 minute walk through the silent streets back to the hotel. I was surprised to be able to see my breath in the air as we walked; the temperature must have really plummeted.
Back in the Ellsworth Hotel, we asked at the front desk if any suitcases had been delivered today and the answer, of course, was no. Never mind, there was always tomorrow.
Once we were in our room, I got washed and applied my Target moisturiser and cleaned my teeth with Target toothpaste before turning into bed. We weren’t ready for sleep, however, so we turned on the TV and tuned into the American version of Family Fortunes (which was called Family Feud over here) and watched it in a half-hearted sort of way. Then I read for a while before setting the alarm on my phone for 7.15am again.
Tomorrow we were due to visit the Grand Canyon, and we absolutely couldn’t wait.