Santa Monica LA

SItting at Santa Monica Pier - 23 deg - gorgeous day.
Just donated to the Obama campaign, and am now the proud owner of several Obama badges :)
Low key day in preparation for Disneyland tomorrow.

Hurricane Sandy

Seems we have been very, very lucky.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9639244/Hurricane-Sandy-live.html

Last day in the RV

Spent the day washing, cleaning and re-packing in readiness to return the RV tomorrow, pick up our hire car, and head to our final home in Los Angeles.
The kids were very good and tolerant of our day today, that we took them to see 'Hotel Transylvania' this afternoon. What a great little film that was. We all really enjoyed it.
So what have we learnt about living in an RV for 5 months?

• We don't need a 6 bedroom house to treat each other charitably - though, I do miss the space! 
• The kids all talk in their sleep - Ben and Oliver are best of 'frienemies' even when unconscious.  At least Tori and Phi stop fighting when they are asleep. 
• Sophia and Oliver grind their teeth - unfortunately they get that from me. 
• Give the girls a light source and a book and they are happy well into the wee hours of the night.
• We can live without tv. I knew this. This confirmed it.
• An RV is easier to keep clean than a house.
• Driving on the wrong side, and driving a heavy vehicle, both take about 1 week to get used to, then they feel as natural as breathing.
• We don't need stuff. (Let me clarify that shoes are NOT stuff ... I really missed my shoe collection and cannot wait to get home and reorganise so my many new pairs fit in the closet.)
• There are some dire campgrounds out there, but more often than not, there are some beauties. TripAdvisor and RV reviews are your best friend.
• Living in an RV teaches the kids to put things back where they belong. I hope this lesson is not forgotten too quickly upon our return.
• Make sure you remember your highschool physics - you can get a rather large rock out from between two tyres if you use leverage!
• Schooling on the road is taxing yet greatly rewarding. I know the children have seen and experienced things that conventional schooling just could not offer, and I hope those new learnings can be drawn upon, and contextualised, for the rest of their lives.
• Discretion is the better part of valour ...
• I love my kids.
• I love my husband.

Now, we just have to survive Disneyland on Wednesday, and all will be well!

Los Angeles

Just arrived at Ventura Ranch, our RV park until Monday am, when we return the RV to pick up a hire car and drive to our final homestay. A beautiful 30 degrees here. Blessedly there is a jumping pillow at this park, so we have sent the kids off to jump whilst we clean and pack up.

Joshua Tree CA

We have spent the day at Joshua Tree National Preserve. We began the day with a tour of Keys Ranch, where Mr Keys and his family spent their life in the early 1900s. What a dry, difficult life they lead. Afterwards we drove around the park to various points of interest such as Jumbo Rocks and Chollo gardens. We had a picnic lunch at Hidden Valley in the park and took a short hike there through the rock formations.

Tomorrow we head to Los Angeles. The holiday is, sadly, almost over, and we have about 10 days left until we fly home.

Ranger talk at Keys Ranch

The mountains around here are all boulders - seemingly stacked in impossible formations

On the ranch

Ranch house

Mr Keys collected anything and everything he could find

Joshua Tree

Sophia working on her Ranger Workbook

Chollo Cactus

Mojave Desert CA

Spent most of today driving through the Mojave desert on our way to the Joshua Tree National Park for two nights. Dry, dry, dry .... boring scenery ... and a little more dry to look at. We did break our trip at the Mojave National Preserve Visitor Centre (also dry) for a look around, Junior Ranger workbooks, and a bite to eat.

In the Mojave visitor centre

Diner in the visitor centre

Mojave desert

Mojave desert

Las Vegas day 2

We headed for the 'Mob Museum' this morning and spent some time there. This museum is curated by the same people who did the 'Spy Museum' in DC, and I definitely preferred the DC museum to this one. However, it was well done, with interesting and fun ways to present information. The 'Spy Museum' had more things for the kids to do in it.

Afterwards we went walking to the 'Burlesque Museum' only to find it closed today, as was the 'Shoezeum'. Pity.

We did however come across an interesting restaurant with fun signage out the front.

"Heart Attack Grub" Cafe - Over 350 pounds eats free! That's 159kg!!!! Far out brussel sprout!!!!

The Heart Attack Menu

More signage outside the restuarant

And this too!

Neon shoe :)

The Shoezeum - closed :(

(Ken: What Julie didn't realise at the time was that "Chumley" from "Pawn Stars" was in the ShoeZeum.  His back is to us in this photo, just behind the Guinness World Records sign.)

What was the most exciting thing about Las Vegas ... riding the banana bus in the bendy bit of course!