Western USA by car

Stovepipe Wells

Nevada, Arizona, California... Three states that are best visited by car.

If you can choose a rental car on several websites, if you can get a discount by booking it while booking a flight, I like to compare the prices on sites like Priceline, where you can name your own price, or vroomvroomvroom.com, for any country in the world.

Like for flights, you need to make sure every additionnal fees are included in the price. And don't assume the smallest cars will be the cheapest.

Note you may have a surcharge if you wish to drop the car in a different place than the pick-up place. The fees might be worth it if you don't want to go back to your starting point. It is impossible to name you price on Priceline if don't drop the car where you picked it up.

I for one had a better deal with a bigger car in Las Vegas. But that meant paying more for the fuel. Choosing a company located outside of the airport also helped getting a better price.

For the insurance, make sure your credit card doesn't cover you before accepting to pay a surcharge. Your own car insurance may or may not cover the responsability too. Check that before you leave on your trip.

Idiot tip : in very warm states, think about the A/C... and choose the color wisely. This idiot, had he thought about it, would not have chosen a black Mistubishi.

In Las Vegas

True you don't need to drive in Las Vegas. The main boulevard (the Strip) has shuttles and a monorail. The traffic lights make you go slowly anyway. But being behind the wheel helps getting away from the bling-bling. Like if you want to go to Red Rock Canyon. Most casinos have a free parking... which is technically for clients. But in Vegas, we're always a client in every casino aren't we?

The Grand Canyon

True also it is possible to book a tour to the grand Canyon. Once again, the car means freedom. It will cost 25 $ for each car to get in the park. The permit is valid for seven days. Then you can beat the crowd for sunrise, leave any time you want or drive from the South Rim to Desert View Watch Tower.

If you plan on visiting some other national parks, you could get a discount on a package ticket. With Zion, Antelope Canyon, Glenn Canyon or Death Valley, all very close, you might want to consider it.

Death Valley

Death Valley without a car? Never. Because it's a desert. Because the fun part is going from one point to another on the road. Because you can't get there with public transportation... or hitchiking.

The price to get in the park is 20 $.

If you go in winter, think about renting a higher car and decide if you need winter tires...

The coast

The West Coast is totally worth it. Road 1goes along the Pacific Ocean in California to merge on Highway 101 all the way to Canada. Small cities along the way might be worth a pit stop. But one must consider it takes more time to drive on that road than on the boring but direct highway.

Note the fuel price varies in every state. It is cheaper to get it in Las Vegas than in San Francisco, for example. Knowing that, you can save depending on your strategy.

A lot of gaz stations will ask you to pay before you start fueling. Paying cash, sometimes, might be cheaper. If you plan on using a credit card, they might ask for an american zip code on the pump or an ID if you pay inside.

Dam it!

Hoover Dam, Boulder City

The road between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon takes about four hours.

One stop you can't miss on the way : Hoover Dam, about thirty minutes away from Vegas.

Yes, hydroelectricity is everywhere in Quebec. But this dam is still impressive. They finished it two years earlier than they expected and it did cost less than expected...

Located near Boulder City, this dam brings electricity to Nevada, Arizona and California. More than two millions cube meters of concrete were used to build it.

You can visit the powerplant at the bottom and the dam itself. Since you're there...

To get to the Grand Canyon, you need to drive on highway 93. Impressive at first because of the mountains and the cliffs, it ends up making the driver sleepy, like H-40 you take to go east. The straight parts are very long.

Two things on the road.

1- When a store in the middle of nowhere (literaly) has a sign stating "World Famous Store", but nobody has ever heard of it, it means there is a marketing problem somewhere. It's not nice to lie...

2- American radios don't offer a lot of diversity. Listening to the same song 14 times a day, at some point, it gets annoying. I had brought my iPod to play music in the car, but there is no AUX plug in my Mitsubishi... Damn karma! That said, for The Lumineers, Bruno Mars, Maroon 5, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Bruno Mars, Pink, Bruno Mars, Phillip Phillips and Justin Bieber (and Bruno Mars), it probably brings a lot of money home. Good for them, because after getting tired of their songs on the radio, we don't want to buy their albums anymore. Did I say they like Bruno Mars around here?

In the end, I reached Tusayan, about one kilometer south of the Grand Canyon national park entrance (South Rim). Little fake-village for tourists, the place has a few hotels, some restaurants and two convenience stores. But be aware that in January, almost everything is closed after 8 PM. Low season they say. Still, the McDonald's closes around 10 PM for those who are hungry.

Viva Las Vegas

Warning : Gilly is blurred on the picture. It's because of the camera... and the photographer.
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I got in Sin City. After a delay on my flight to Chicago, two change of gates and karma (him again) which put me in the only row of the plane where a passenger went missing (more room for me), the plane landed in Vegas.

And the luggages got here too. Even with just a one hour layover. Take that, TAP! One hour, it's enough to transfer luggages. Even in an airport as big as Chicago's. But how can American Airlines possibly do it?

Enough with being bitter.

Fact : Vegas is freezing. Yes! Even with a winter coat on, it's cold. And for those who shaved their heads before leaving, a hat is a must.

So I got my rental car wishing to find traveling partners in the hostel. No luck! I'll be alone in my Mitsubishi Galant for two weeks.

Hostel wise, mine was under a big "Strippers" sign. And it had that little dirty feeling. But I slept well. With the prices of the hotels, people traveling with a group or those with a little money have an easy choice. It leaves the poors and the adventurers.

Not wanting to loose myself in sin, instead of walking the "strip" or getting married in a chapel with a fake Elvis as a witness, I went to Red Rock Canyon, just outside of the city. Had I planned a little more, I would have hiked all day. It seems like a good place to do so. But spending a few hours in the car there was also nice.

Anyway, I walked on Las Vegas Boulevard, visited a few casinos without really having fun. I tested slot machines and I'm still not sure I fully understand how they work. Playing one cent at a time is not a good way to win big anyway. Still, I saw a couple win 1000 $ in a poker slot machine.

In the end, I went to say hi to Cirque du Soleil for Love first, and Zumanity at the end of the evening. Not without getting lost between the casinos (with the car). Seeing all the empty seats made me wonder if January is the problem in Vegas or if we should be worried for the shows.

Lot more for the larger public, Love is worth seeing and is more impressive.

Tomorrow : sunrise over the Grand anyon (and freezing weather). We've seen worst!

Tips

To get cheap tickets for shows, Tix4Tonight offers better prices than the official websites. You can find a couple of their deals on Las Vegas Boulevard. If January is not an exception, you can find las minute tickets.

For Zumanity, prices at the door are cheaper than the ones online on New York New York website. All the seats available were not on the website either. Getting there 10 minutes before the show, I could choose the place I wanted. Went for the cheapest one. Got upgraded near the stage anyway. Had I wanted that ticket, I would have paid twice the price... Be careful folks.

Leaving again

Gilly is ready to go.

After a five months hiatus, the time to leave again has come.... Already? Not too soon I'm tempted to say.

They say the best way to conquer a fear is to face it. The best way to get over a trip might be to travel again. We'll see.

In a few hours, I'll be flying to Las Vegas. Not exactly an adventure like the one I lived last year. But the concept was a road trip across Nevada, Arizona and California. With an Australian friend I met traveling. That sounds more like an adventure.

But things happen and I'll go solo. Too bad! Same road, same destinations. Can't wait for others to come with you they say.

I still have some fears. Irrational ones, like being afraid of boredom and the discomfort to leave alone (!), and the more rationals, like being afraid of being a grandpa in a Vegas hostel, where other guests will probably be wilder than me. Hostel in Vegas, we'll see what it's like. With a little luck, I'll find some partners to share the road to the Grand Canyon.

Also in the plan : a detour in Death Valley, a stop in Los Angeles, where I should spend some time with a friend I met in Jordan, and a drive on the californian coast to San José, where I should reunite with a friend I met in Greece.

If I was really lucky, the Los Angeles Kings would start their season on the day I get in LA. Everybody, let's ask the Universe! Haha!

Tip

In the category "search for promo codes on Google before booking anything", I found the website broke.travel which, for now, helps me save the booking fees on hostelworld.com