Bryce Canyon

The day requires 450 km car ride, but tomorrow 480 km is on the programme and two national parks in addition. We therefore decide to visit Bryce Canyon today.

And the journey begins uneventfully, but shows us once again just how literally far and sparsely populated this land is. You drive for 50 to 70 kilometers without a place existing. Sometimes you see a small house or a mobile home with a shed and two or three car wrecks, but almost you drive through a pristine and largely barren landscape. Only where the groound can be irrigated it shows characteristics of civilization.

Beautiful then the detour on Highway 12 - a scenic road that leads to almost 3000 meters. Unfortunately, we drive into a heavy thunderstorm (we have still not received any expressions of thanks from the government in Arizona for all the rain in July), but mainly it offers impressive views of the Escalante Stairway.

Fortunately the sun is coming out shortly after arriving at the Ruby's Inn with a kitschy pseudo-Western atmosphere and a rodeo show, and by about 3.00 p.m. we enter Bryce Canyon by the nereby gate. Actually it is not a canyon, but a semi-circular cliff, from which one looks down on formations of sandstone pillars. At best, it is described by the name that the Indians have given this place: the valley of the red men of stone, standing in a bowl. Hugh!

The impressions vary depending on the perspective and position of the sun, but unfortunately the approaching storm clouds do not allow us to look at the men in red during sunset. Where you have to mention politically correct that men in yellow are also seen. But the Chinese were never much known in the Wild West.

Back at the hotel, we realize that the selection for dinner is limited: Hotel restaurant, self-catering with microwave or 30 kilometer drive to the next village. The children vote for Groceries store, and in view of the two disgustingly expensive and moderately good restaurants in the national parks I agree. 3-1 so.

The children choose Corny Dogs - known to them from nights TV advertising. They are monsters of fat sausages in a sweet corn dough, but the cartoon character on TV is always fond of. They are, as expected, only available in a handy 24-piece pack and almost half of the package is eaten by 3.5 family members (I can not even get half a corn dog down), thanks to the help from mustard and ketchup. To be fair, one must note, however, that my frozen chicken dish just tastes a little less disgusting. To accompany this 3.0 family members drink a already popular 0.95 liter bottle of Budweiser. On the label I discover from which the stuff is brewed of: hops, malt and - yes, exactly - rice, of course. At home probably it would not even be allowed to write "Beer" on the label.

The evening is still funny, as the children discover Gideon's Bible and a Mormon book in the nightstand. So we can read quotes from the Bible in Danish or Dutch and Mona quickly retrieves her favorite Bible quote in English, where Lot offers his two daughters to the mob to be raped for the godly house guests to be left alone. When you are in Utah, do as the Utants do.

Finally a look at the Weather Channel: For Las Vegas tomorrow 106 degrees Fahrenheit is predicted. I do not know how much this means in Celsius, but it sounds pretty hot. (This is 41.1 degrees).

Zion National Park, Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

12.7. 17.00 , Las Vegas The Orleans

The farmers in Utah are rewarded for their faith with rain, even if it is in fact from pagan rainmakers from the Old World. For us it means, however, that Zion National Park (http://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm), where the Momons believed to see their heavenly valley, clearly loses its appeal and unearthly impression. For me anyway there is the suspicion that a prettier gorge in the Alps has similar appeal for Americans and it is just so interesting for Americans because in this otherwise barren area not even a decent bush can grow.

We just start the walk at the end of the shuttle-bus route from the Temple of Sinawava back, where the canyon narrows the extent that one would have to wade in the river bed towards the end.

Interesting insights arise not only in the topography, but also in the psyche of Americans. On the way cute squirrels can find many people, but a sign prohibits the feeding and threatens to $ 100 fine. The nice addition is below: "Please report violation". Block leader mentality in the Land of the Free. It is not quite as bad, but since our children starved obvious from the 20-minutes-march want to get back some calories with trail mix and - of course completely unintentional - drop some nuts. We immediately get reprimanded strong and quite a few yards further up I hear "violation" and "Rangers"-word pieces. If they were only half as consistent with feeding of their fat compatriots like with the squirrels.

Even some people from "God's own Country" try to hurt their little rodent siblings with walking stick blows and kicks - but fortunately they are responsive. Even if the big clumsy creatures may not believe in evolution, nature has done well in this attempt.

Two hours later we head towards Las Vegas, but spontaneously we take the exit to Lake Mead - which is the dammed lake in the Colorado River. The path leads over the Red Rock Park - for a change, red sandstone in the afternoon sun. When getting out of the car the heat almost kills us. I can not remember ever having seen such temperatures, and think myself in the middle of a giant hair dryer.

Lake Mead is disappointing then, as hard to see. We drive almost two hours over bad roads, until we reach the Hoover Dam, the second highest dam in the United States. Well, if that is an American landmark, hydropower in the U.S. obviously plays no central role in energy supply. Therefore in Austria people would hardly turn their head. Even the unusual is obviously relative, because many mostly unnoticed along the road here would be a place of interest at home.

Las Vegas - Part 1

The road to Las Vegas is then at least briefly. Our hotel - the Orleans - is not on Las Vegas Boulevard - the so-called Strip - but about 2 miles away , but also a huge casino-hotel. Already on the way to the hard to find reception, we must pass dozens, perhaps hundreds of slot machines.

In all other hotels later the same ambience: No daylight, but ensuring 24 hours permanent artificial dim light, loud sound mix of music and gaming machines, cigarette and cigar smoke (yes, here you are allowed to smoke, when it comes to Big Biz), lightly dressed women whon serve cheap drinks. Given the offer for $ 25 for 24 hours to eat all hotel buffets empty. Everything done so that the player does not leave the hotel and loses his sense of time. And obviously many do. The facial expression is fixed on the machine, only on the roulette or blackjack tables you can also recognize emotions in facial expressions. For me it remains a mystery, what can motivate tens of thousands of people a day to put up for the plane.

We soon set off to explore the hotels on the strip. The shuttle bus takes us to Caesar's Palace and Bellagio. The former shows us no parading Roman soldiers, much less a car race or Colosseum games, but the same dismal image as the Orleans. The Bellagio with its Mediterranean aesthetics looks more stylish and offers a beautiful fountain choreography outside.

In the desert the giant decorative water surfaces act is nevertheless also out of place and Las Vegas is the ultimate indicator of the average attitude of Americans towards the environment. Probably nowhere in the world they deal more wasteful with resources. Everything is lit, and the water is flowing and spraying with the thermometer high in the 40s and the humidity around 10%.

Nearly exhausted, we fight for a place on the bus back to the hotel and fall to bed. The 200,000 slot machines in this city are not resting.

Las Vegas - Part 2

The next morning brings us a huge breakfast buffet at the hotel with lots of meat, sausages, eggs, fried potatoes and rich pastries. Only one thing I seek in vain: Freshly baked bread is not available, apart from the so-called croissants. The waiter is highly irritated from the question and points to the muffins. Logically that there is no ham or cheese offering too.

Somehow I get full, my wife forgets the sweater (is against $ 5 found later), Mia's glasses are ready for pick up at 5 $ post adoption fee and we solve our promises to the children like (for $ 5 handling fee) and program the navigation system for shopping.

The Las Vegas Outlet Center offers really low prices and the kids buy - in a furious mix of disbelief and excitement - Converse $ 20 per pair. The bill is $ 120 because then you save more and band logos are on the sneakers too. My wife buys Jeans from the Bavarian emigrant Levi Strauss, which, thanks to the huge selection fits very well (the battery of questions similar to Starbucks: straight or bootcut, at the hips or waist, length 29 or 30, size 6 or 8 - " Honey, you are not a Ten" says the 20year old shop assistant to my slightly elder wife). With 55 $ this Jeans is despite the expert advice still well below our prices. A supermarket nearby provides us with the usual 24-can pack of mineral water bottles, which is almost necessary here.

After a short rest at the hotel we go back to the Strip and enter the Venetian, which has an painted artificial sky just like the Paris on the night before. A canal runs past the hotel shops, with gondolas and of course with singing gondoliers. Bizarre is probably the right word for this city.

Befuddled by all this artificial Italy my ladies decide to consume a gelato. $ 5.50 per ball, but it does not taste particularly good. We go to the Mirage to see what kind of artificial wonders are offered. The Dolphinarium would cost $ 15 per person, and so we move forward to the free showon the road. The simulated volcanic eruption at the Mirage is dull and every average rock band has to offer more impressive pyrotechnics. Also, the short musical "Sirens of the Treasure Island" in front of Treasure Island does not even impress our children.

We continue to Fremont Street, where the gambling started in Vegas. It appears that everything is small and cheap there - besides the dome gallery, which was converted into a giant video screen. Suddenly there is , specially created for this format, a queen video spot. Since full length by about 100 meters for a coherent picture is used and the rest in the gallery is darkened, we are deeply impressed by this short spectacle. We will rock you!

Death Valley

The trip to Death Valley (http://www.nps.gov/deva/) runs without major highlights, as parched desert landscape we now know already. Once supplied with 24 bottles of mineral water and some food we arrive at 14.00 clock in the Furnace Creek Ranch. The rooms are not ready, we could either wait or call every half hour - within the next two hours they might be ready. We have already experienced better service here.

Never mind, it is so cozy with 48 degrees Celsius in the shade - who would want to have a shower. So we make a short trip, because in the interior of the car the air conditioning creates temperatures around 35 degrees. We drive to the Artist's Drive with different colored rocks (or should I say more delicate shades of color?) And then the more impressive Devil's Golf Course with rugged rock flakes that are still stained with the salt of the former lake. Mordor must be just around the corner and Mia is looking out for Frodo and Sam to be able to donate some refreshment.

But insted of that we go back to the hotel, check in and find out that there is a pool. If the water is already scarce, it must be used at least for something useful. We use the luxury and refresh with cool 30-32 degrees water temperature. The charge of the waste water is relative, because a sign pointing me out with the spent pool water the golf course is irrigated. Well then.

We start early to look at the sunset from Dante's View. The family is snapped, I will start already at 17.30 clock, but the topography seems to me something to help and in the 1600 meter altitude of Dante's View, temperature is only 32 degrees. The view of almost the entire valley is worthwhile in any case and gives a completely different picture with giant glittering salt flats.

Despite a comfortable temperature we do not wait until 19.45 clock, but try to catch Sunset at Zabriskie Point. Even severe speeding by some 100 percent does not help and we come about a minute too late, but the warm light on the higher rocks is still impressive.

Back in the room, given the usual National Park prices we eat from what we brought from the supermarket, but thanks to a bottle of Mondavi and fresh vegetables it tastes quite well (apart from the typical American sweet spiced dried meat) and the evening sounds of cute and funny. The children say goodbye to see Star Trek on TV. I wonder why: Here it all looks like on another planet.

The Sequoia Trees

The next day we leave northward out of the Death Valley and the goal promises change: Instead of the valley of death, the largest living creatures on the planet, the Sequoia trees, wait for us. Unfortunately, the navigation device in the Sequoia National Park (http://www.nps.gov/seki/) did not have clear goals and so we decide to retract the park from the south. From there, we want to go to the General Sherman Tree, the largest of all the Sequoia.

For this decision we are rewarded with a beautiful landscape, but punished with a very curvy road and later with the realization that there is no continuous connection within the park. We need to get out of the park for the great sequoias again. This costs much time and so we spend almost all day in the car.

It is also found that the planned arrival time, which gives us the Navi is on twisty roads waste. It calculates general speed limit, but the number of individual panels 25 or 35 mph has not been programmed. And I would like to see an US car that bangs through 55 mph on mountain roads. I heave the Dodge by force through the corners and ignore any possible speed limit, but the race against the Navi I lose almost by hours.

Late, we arrive at almost 2000 meters height at the giant trees and are a little disappointed. Great you know, but sooo big again maybe not. The spruce in the garden of my parents' neighbor is not much smaller. And the General Sherman is neither the highest nor the widest tree in the world as we know, but the one with the largest volume. In addition, his health gradually approaches that of his namesake, a Civil War General. But after about 2200 years of life you have the right to die. In Marketing the Americans were always the most clever ones.

Yosemite National Park and Mono Lake

Quickly get out of the Sequoia Park and back to Visalia, where our Holiday Inn is close to the Highway. The next day we get up early as we expect a long road trip. A breakfast at Starbucks and we head towards Yosemite National Park (http://www.yosemitepark.com). And the journey goes fast, our National Park annual pass for $ 80 (per car, of course, because we are in the U.S.) will save us the entry fee once again, but then we again see Roadwork ahead.

The entire 29-mile access road is construction site, the most without paved roads and sprinkling twice changing the reference curves for lack of second carriageway as Mesa Verde and Bryce Canyon with waiting times of up to 30 minutes. The navigation system calculates that we go along here with 45 mph, but you get the 45 km only in one and a half hours and swallow a lot of dust from the cars in front of us.

The mood at the entrance to Yosemite Valley is subdued and so we are. Therefore we say: It's beautiful, but high mountains with two waterfalls we have at home too. After an hour hike to the Lower Fall, we still dare to undertake the trip to Mono Lake, which lies just behind the other end of the park and the photo in the guide was very impressive to me.

It is a battle against the clock and against the centrifugal force. I chase the Dodge on the mountain roads and scare U.S. drivers off the road, transgress all speed limits by up to 100 percent, overtaking motorbikes and cars on double barrier line and yet I cannot meet the time of the Navigation device. Positive should be noted that the Americans stop at the right when they register a faster man behind - especially when you closely inspect the content of their trunk for some time from top left.

The trip goes through the almost 3000 meters high Tioga Pass and provides us with beautiful landscape, in which we rush by. What looks relatively close on the map, runs along the twisting road to hours. Finally we arrive at Mono Lake - presumably with a historical record time - and to find the tufa rock, which was allowed to ascend because of the thirst of Los Angeles water by removing the proceeds from the lake.

After a sunny day now the first raindrops fall and the expected reward for the long effort on the road literally falls into the water. In the sunshine this bizarre tufa formations the salty lake should be very attractive, they under storm clouds they do not unfold the desired effect.

The planned trip to Western ghost town of Bodie half an houraway is cancelled, so we just quickly fill up our gas tank, which creates the next unpleasant surprise. We paid $ 2.75 per gallon in Las Vegas and 3.00 to 3.10 $ average, but here $ 3.75 are charged. Either in the past two days the Israeli bombed the Iranian nuclear facilities undetected by us or pricing functions in the freest market in the world are a little strange. An empty tank determines clearly the consumer behavior and I hunt the Dodge now 15 gallons heavier back up the pass.

This time we take at least time for photo stops and the sun already very low rewards us with warm colors. However, it also brings out swarms of mosquitos already and once we actually escape into the car. We note, however, that the landscape here at Tioga Pass (probably) counts as one of the most attractive on this trip.

Cornering at the limits of our Dodge is again tested extensively, some frightened shooed US-Thursday at the driver's side of the road and we manage to clock 21.15 in the Oakhurst Shilo Inn. The rooms are still there and the children are crying for fast food. Waiting times in a restaurant they would now classify as a human rights violation.

Next to the McDonalds is a small market, so my wife with all that effort during the day requires a beer, which is not avaiable at McDonald's. Equipped with a plastic bag we shake the entrance door of the still well-staffed McDobalds in vain. It closes at 21.30 clock and now it is 21.32 clock! Curiously, the Drive-Thru is open an hour longer and I feel like to take the expression "Drive-Thru" literally and put the 2-ton Dodge in front of the counter, then leaving the restaurant by the other front glass. But we order well-Mannered over the loudspeaker and at least the beer does not have to be drunk after the meal.

Shortly afterwards, we fall into bed, and here it should be noted that the quality of the beds counts as one of the positive surprises in the United States. Wide was indeed expected, but the mattresses are so good that my back never once protested. Now, after a - apart from the nearby traffic - good night, it's time for breakfast.

This is but one of the worst of this trip - and that means something - out. The orange juice undrinkable, no toaster and no jam exists and the dining room is so full that we eat together with some other guests in the hotel lobby with direct views into the small gym. So we get the half a cubic meter waste dumped in the central lobby and check out quickly.