The Defender goes back to the USA.

I'm lazy. There's no other thing that excuses it really. I write this blog, not because I want people to follow my life; if that was the reason, I wouldn't leave so much out of it that I do. Mainly, I write because I want a record for Adrian, and me, of big trips. I travel a lot - far more than I write about here, but rallies are something else. Here we are, on a plane somewhere over Australia, on our way to New Zealand to take part in the Haka rally in the Bristol 401. Sexiest car ever made, in my opinion. I've been in Cambodia, no surprises there, and before that I was at home for a month having spent 8 weeks prior to that on a mammoth trip across the US in our Land Rover Defender camper.

What a trip it was. Why didn't I blog? Indolence, pure and simple. What amazing experiences we had though and I didn't write about them! I will regret that in years to come, when my memory fades.

I did actually write an account of one day. I'm ashamed that it was the only one but here it is.

It happened at the Ormond Plantation, Louisiana.

Sometimes, things are just so weird it might take a while to process them. Yesterday, because of the relentless pissing rain,we decided not to camp. I rang a plantation house B and B to book a room. The guy on the phone was laid back, to say the least. No credit card number, nothing, he didn't even get my name beyond 'Barbara'. He said he would leave a set of keys under the statue of St.Joseph for us. One, for the front door and one for our room. When we got here, we discovered that we were the only people in the house all night. Not so much as a single staff member and no other guests. We had the complete run of the house. They knew nothing about us, didn't know that we are honest people. We could have stolen a ton of antiques, drank endless wine, had a mad party, anything. Also, we could have left without paying, had we so desired.

The coffee station for our room was in the doorway of a deeply creepy room full of China dolls, some life size with mad staring eyes. Also, there were 'Miss Haversham' like yellowing bridal dresses draped around.
I read the torrid history of the house. One owner was taken out by the Klu Klux Klan, shot, and hung from the large oak tree in the front. It was like a Hammer Horror movie setting. But, despite the Gothic horror of it all, we slept like logs. However, had I been on my own, I'd have run away and booked into the nearest Holiday Inn.

We chose a more southerly route this time, starting in California and ending in New York.

States covered: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Misisippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and, finally, New York. Have I left any out? Probably.

Larks aplenty; sobering moments; fun with friends; a real Texan family hoedown with almost family; meeting a lovely cousin I had only just found out about; spending time with darling George in New Orleans and his current home, NYC; the privilege of spending time with a heroine of the civil rights movement; more beauty than you can shake a stick at and so much more. I started out meaning to blog, but somehow it didn't come. Then it got that there was too much to say. All excuses really. It was just laziness pure and simple.

Some pics will have to do. A visual reminder of yet another fabulous road trip and who doesn't love one of those?

California: a lovely early morning bike ride on Venice beach. The ominous cloud is actually smoke from a massive forest fire.

Nevada: alas, it was closed, not Nevada, obviously, just this place so we were unable to get a 'fake wedding photo for $35'!

Utah: oh Utah, how mch did we love you?

I know, it's meant to be one state one photo, but Utah was just too damn gorgeous for only one.

Colorado: a brief visit, but we've travelled there extensively before. Home of the fully automated, coin operated dog wash.

Arizona: monument Valley - one of the trip highlights.

New Mexico: who wouldn't want to go to a town named after a game showfor lunch? Mexican, delicious.

Texas! Dear friends, I get to use a six shooter and a reunion with a long lost cousin. Fabulous.

Louisiana: where the coastal houses are built on such high stilts I couldn't help thinking how scary it would be to live in one with the sea surging beneath you.