Day 30 - Los Angeles to home

Ready to head off!

On the plane and on our way home

With our sweet Yogi who traveled all the way with us!

Going over Alaska



Approaching Tokyo

Tokyo from the air

Finally over Aussie soil

Well, it's actually now Wednesday 26th October and we're home after an amazing journey. The trip home was basically planes, planes, planes. Nothing eventful other than about 1/2 before we arrived in Sydney the plane just dropped and left my tummy there! Tokyo was a blur - hadn't slept at that stage. Slept about 5 hours on the Tokyo-Sydney leg. Other than that I just read, watch video's and ate. When we stopped at Tokyo we made use of the showers that are available at the airport and we're so glad we did. It was lovely and felt like a luxury. What a great idea!

Tan picked us up - we were an hour late landing. I drove home because I was still queezy. Dropped Tan off and Heritage and then did some shopping and headed home. Bern, Bec and Liz came over, which was fun and then they left and I began the unpacking and sorting and washing. Went to bed about 8.30pm exhausted.

So - how do I summarize a trip like that? A blessing - an awesome, unforgettable, fun, exhausting blessing. A memory creating trip of a lifetime. Something to be forever grateful to God for.

Day 29 - Kingman to Los Angeles

We both woke early so we got up and at 'em and went to breakfast. It was another beautiful day in Kingman. We did some final emailing and then headed of the Las Vegas. We stopped briefly at Hoover Dam .....









and marveled a lot of the way over the changing scenery.

We then headed into Las Vegas. We couldn't believe the atmosphere. Music everywhere! Statue of liberty - Eiffel Tower - busy - noisy - fun!


the streets of Las Vegas

a cafeteria where we had lunch ...note the 'cutlery' hanging from the ceiling!


Gra in front of The Mirage













We parked the car and walked for a few hours. We walked to the beautiful dancing waters at the Bellagio where we whiled away a bit of time ....





and then had to rush back to the car and off to the airport where the plane was an hour late anyway! We basically arrived in Los Angeles, booked in at the Raddison at the Airport and then had dinner and went to bed. We did meet a lovely aussie couple at the airport and spent some time waiting and chatting with them.

Our very last dinner on American soil. We are and look exhausted but very, very happy!

Day 28 - Maswick Lodge - Grand Canyon, - Kingman, Arizona

Well - how do I describe a day like today! Gra's 52nd birthday. We woke to a 5.30am alarm to make our way to see the sun rise over the Grand Canyon - the colours were spectacular and we took lots and lots of photo's and film.










looking back to the main 'people' area


yes! you can walk (or Donkey it) down into the Canyon



Unfortunately we didn't actually see the sun on the horizon because of cloud but it was still amazing - from Hopi Point we then came back and had some breakfast in our room




and then did a final bit of shopping - booked out and caught a shuttle the opposite way along the canyon rim.


Taken out front of Maswick Lodge


Views of the Canyon again - they all look similar no matter where you are...and spectacular.




couldn't resist!




This is the trail down to the bottom of the canyon - you can take a Donkey ride down there

Bright Angel lodge above and below


We then walked back - jumped in our car and headed toward what was to be the highlight of the day - if not the trip.

I had said to Gra in the morning - what would you really like to do today for your birthday? He said 'what more could I want than to wake up in the Grand Canyon?!' - I said, but is there anything else...what about a helicopter/plane ride over the Canyon. He looked shocked, but only for a moment before he reached for brochures etc! We boarded the helicopter to look into the canyon and it was worth every cent! Words simply cannot describe it - hopefully the photo's/video can. WOW!


This is taken from the Helicopter approaching the Canyon

...getting closer!

My guy on his 52nd birthday enjoying the experience of a lifetime

Canyon views above and below...





The helicopter we rode in

We then had lunch at Tusayan ....





and then headed back to Kingman where we stayed in the same Motel. Had a pancake at Ihop and then wandered around....yep you guessed it....Walmart for an hour or so.








...finally a spectacular sunset for Birthday boy!