LA: Saturday, road trip prep

After the drama of getting to the airport, everything else runs pretty smoothly.

The flight was good, but a little bit late. Once we land in LA and get phone working the camper van rental place is open.

Initially we were going to get our van in the afternoon, so we head over to drop our bags and look about, but when we arrive it’s ready for us. So let’s get this trip on the road

First stop is super close, only a 5 minute drive to Pann’s Restaurant for our first American diner experience: fried chicken and waffles for me, grilled cheese and ham for Anna. Really hits the spot!

Then we start proper: an easy hour-long drive to an RV park outside LA (a place called Astor).

After checking in it’s out first Walmart experience to stock up before Death Valley tomorrow. More on big Walmart things another time

Mexican beans and a beer for dinner

Below: Anna at the RV park, dinner, and view from bed in the morning

Sunday: Death Valley

Excitement on the way to the airport

We just had the most stressful trip here.

 

We were in an uber from Anna’s place and come to a bunch of slow traffic on South Dowling. At first we think it’s just some traffic in the right turn lane. But after a little while the live traffic app says there is a minor accident that happened 2 minutes before we got there. For 5-10 mins we are stopped in gridlock, so I get out and see chaos up ahead.

We bail from the uber and get our stuff out. A guy in the car behind yells “are you going to the airport?” We say yeh and so he joins us in running along the road between the cars.

As we’re running, other people with their bags and luggage start getting out of the cars and running too.

Eventually we get past the accident and see that the road is totally blocked with fire engines and a truck with a snatch strap pulling cars out of the way. It was more than a minor accident!

I put down a sketchy pick up point for another uber and some hero accepts within 10 seconds. He stops in a turning lane (sorry other cars!). He races the three of us in the best ‘we need to get to the airport’ kinda way. While we chat to our new friend who’s a beef farmer from Armidale.

We only just got through check in and bag drop in time. Good bit of excitement to start the holiday! Hopefully the whole trip isn’t all that exciting