My Last day in California.

I was up bright and early yesterday morning and left La Jolla to make sure I had a chance to explore the San Diego waterfront, home to the US 3rd fleet and the USS Midway one the US Navy’s longest serving aircraft carriers, for a full on aeroplane nerd geekfest that I thoroughly enjoyed but like the nuclear museum un Albuquerque was definitely something I’m glad I did on my own!

The USS Midway entered service in 1945 and remained in service until 1992 where it served in he Gulf war as the US Navy flagship. Over its life span it was repeatedly updated with the latest innovations and operated cutting edge aircraft right up until it was decommissioned. What was really impressive was the size of the ship it truly felt like a city at see, I imagine the latest Nimitz class carries which have an even larger displacement are a real spectacle when you get up close.

I took hundreds of photos but my favourite has to be the F-14, the fighter made famous by Top Gun, I had to have a Maverick style pose in front which I have attached for your viewing pleasure.

Me in front of an F-14 enjoying a Top Gun moment

After doing everything the museum had to offer I took a stroll to Sea Port Village where I had very brilliant cookies and cream ice cream which was divine!

Bendy Dave enjoys the view of the San Diego skyline from Seaport Village

I then hopped on a 1 hour tour of the harbour where I got to see the USS Ronald Reagan (the newest Aircraft Carrier in the US Navy Arsenal) the tour took us under the impressive harbour bridge which apparently floats if destroyed to make sure the 3rd fleet can leave port in times of war.

The USS Ronald Reagan

The 2 mile long Curve of the Bay Bridge

There were lots of ships in Port and it really makes you realise how much money must be spent by the US n defence, there were tens of destroyers anchored and a number of larger ships that support Marine Landings and VTOL operations by aircraft.

In this photo you can see numerous destroyers, a
frigate and an amphibious assault ship

After the tour it was back in the car for one last drive to Los Angeles to see my family in LA, I hadn’t counted on the LA traffic and was in the same Jam from Santa Anna to Universal City north of Hollywood, my 2 hour drive turned into a 4 hour crawl but it did give me a good opportunity to see what an LA commute would be like!

Some pretty exciting LA Traffic

When I eventually arrived at Jenny’s massive apartment I was truly spoilt with a BBQ cooked by Jenny’s Husband Yuri and home made dips for Nachos courtesy of my Auntie Doris and think I may have over indulged, which has been one of the themes of this trip!

We had a really good catch up and enjoyed some beers until way past my bed time.

This morning it was an early-ish start again to drive down to LAX and get my flight back to Chicago, dropping off the Challenger was emotional I’ve not worked out the total mileage yet but we’ve done at least 3500 miles together!

After dropping the car off there was a slight bit of drama, hen I checked in tin that my flight was leaving in at 10 in that my flight was leaving in 40 minutes rather than 11.35 which is what was on my booking confirmation, I made the gate with 2 minutes to spare and was the last person on the plane! It will be interesting to see if my suitcase was as lucky when I land.

The flight to Chicago with Virgin America has been brilliant, and the views of the USA below worth it particularly since its a different perspective on some the landscapes I’ve just spent 2 weeks driving through, and using wifi at 35,000 feet is very cool, although the technology to stream videos of cats in flight doesn’t quite seem to be there yet!

A view of the Mojave which I was driving through on Wednesday

I will be posting one last update on Sunday, but I hope you’ve enjoyed the account of my route 66 adventure 🙂

Leaving death Valley yesterday was as awe inspiring as the drive in as the desert changed once again, from a rocky hot waste land to a sandy hot wasteland and as I entered the Mojave to thoughts entered my mind. First was how much this was like the opening scene of fear and loathing in Las Vegas and secondly how isolated I was on the road, if the car broke down I was at least 50 miles in each direction from any form of civilisation and at 7.30 it was already 25 degrees C.

The sandy desert landscape typical of the drive from Death Valley through the Mojave.

My destination yesterday was San Diego and the drive would be the last big drive of the trip so far, around 5.5 hours through the Mojave Desert and a climb through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. What was really noticeable on this drive was the almost instant change in landscape as a I got on the coastal side of the mountains, from desert wasteland to a Mediterranean paradise in a very short distance. The Architecture changed to with houses looking more and more European with terracotta roofs , I was so stunned by the beauty of the place I didn’t take any good photos!

I arrived at my cousin Erica’s house around 12.30 ahead of schedule and ready to relax and enjoy what I have decided may be the perfect city for me (after Birmingham of course).

Reasons San Diego is my kind of city:

Its home to Ron Burgundy
The Weather makes milk a bad choice
You can go snorkelling out in La Jolla cove and swim with seals and sea lions
It has some amazing surfing beaches
Dolphins will often surf with you
There are only small sharks in the sea that probably couldn’t pull off a limb
There are always military aircraft flying around to provide something interesting to look at
There are lots of bars and restaurants
You’re within a drive of a ski resort
Every one seems to own a dog
Its classy

That is all…

Erica showed my the sights of La Jolla and we went for lunch at a beautiful restaurant with some spectacular views over the ocean. I also had some traditional Mexican food in he form of some delicious fish Tacos, no grease or processed cheese to be found! I would definitely recommend.

What made it even better for me was the sight of a Black Hawks on manoeuvres over the bay and a P-51 Mustang flying overhead, just having a good time by the looks of it. The sound of the Merlin Engine in a P-51 is one of my favourite sounds in the world.

The view from where we had lunch

After Lunch we walked around the cove looking at some of the wild life, one of the beaches had been completely taken over by some seals who really know how to relax.

Momments after this photo was taken Erica got splashed by a very large wave, fortunately she protected me from most of the water, taking one for the team.

One of the beaches in La Jolla that has been taken over by Seals

Its tough being a Seal in La Jolla, I assure you despite looking dead they are all alive and well, just very relaxed

After Lunch we picked up Erica’s Husband Stephen from work and headed out for the beach at Del Mar with the dogs Ringo and Giselle along for a very leisurely stroll. People were surfing in the Pacific until sunset, you can finish work here and go to the beach, I am slightly jealous.

Below are some gratuitous shots of a beautiful part of the world.

The gorgeous beach at Del Mar around a 10 minute drive from La Jolla

I’ve been to worse places.

Me, my cousin Erica, Ringo the sheltie (he’s still not my friend but I’m working on it) and Giselle the friendliest dog in the world who is my friend.

The sun sets over the Pacific

After the beach we went out for food and then on to the comfiest cinema ever to watch the Hangover 3, the chairs at Cinepolis recline fully and each armchair has a button to call for food and drinks when ever you want, it was almost as good as the Electric Cinema in Birmingham.

I’ll be exploring San Diego this morning then its up to LA this afternoon for dinner with more of my family.

I love California!

Whilst I was in Texas I saw an old map from the 19th century which described modern day New Mexico Arizona, Nevada and California as the “Great American Desert” the drive from Winslow to Death Valley makes it easy to see why. I really feel like I’ve experienced every type of desert scenery today and loved every minute there is something magical about the dessert landscapes I’ve witnessed today.

After leaving Winslow it was straight back into the now very familiar arid scrubland of Arizona, but I had a pleasant surprise when I got close to Flagstaff where the interstate wound its way through Kaibab National forest, with the railroad running close by I felt like I was driving through a model train set. I tried to get a photo from the car but didn’t really capture the beauty of the place.

Just one of the many spectacular views of Kaibab National Forest on the drive from Winslow to Death Valley.

First stop on todays 400+ mile journey was the Hoover Dam a stunning monument to human ingenuity, and a testament to the availability of cheap labour during the great depression. Made from enough concrete to lay a concrete pavement 4 feet wide around the equator, it holds back the largest man made lake in the USA and generates power for Las Vegas and much of Southern California, the best part for me though is the Art Deco styling of the whole structure, there are little flourishes all over the place which are right out of the 30’s.

This would be my only stop in Nevada, with California signalling the end of my drive West and the destination today.

Bendy Dave striking a pose at the
Hoover Dam

A view of the massive turbine room inside the Dam

After a couple of hours exploring the dam I was back on the road for a short 2.5 hour drive to Death Valley. On the way the temperature was increasing by a couple of degrees for every 1000 feet we dropped, by the time I got to the entrance to the national park it was 3 degrees hotter than at the Dam despite being much later in the afternoon.

Death Valley

5 minutes further down the road was the first of many photo ops, I donned the cowboy hat and did my best to look like John Wayne but don’t think I quite pulled it off, and there is nothing wrong with posing for a tripod although I did get some interesting looks from other tourists!

It was a little windy but still time to strike a pose at the first scenic overlook in the park.

Next stop was the Badwater Basin Salt pan, the 400 meter walk out onto the flats took a full bottle of water, it was hot, and 298 feet below sea level. The basin got its name from an aquifer that keeps a small pool of briney water topped up that’s too saline to drink. In the heat of the day I can’t imagine what it would have been like when early explorers found water only to realise it was unfit to drink.

Bendy Dave at 298 feet below sea level taking in the views of the Badwater salt pan

Next stop was the Devils Golf Course which was accessed by a 2 mile dirt track, to put it bluntly this was very fun to drive on and the combination of desolation, a muscle car and loose gravel brought out my inner child. I think this photo is the cheesiest self portrait so far, comment if you think I’ve taken a dodgier one already.

I think this is what you call perfect isolation, I definitely didn’t do any donuts in the desert…

Next stop was the artists drive which is best described as a self driving rollercoaster winding on a one way road through the mountains the views we’re brilliant but the drive was an experience all of its own so much so I forgot to stop and take some photos.

As the sun began to get lower in the sky I parked up on the drive back to my hotel for the night and spent 45 minutes watching it slowly set, the picture covers the experience pretty well, I think I have about 30 shots of this mountain range with a sun behind it, those lucky enough to see me any time in the next month will likely see them all.

Bendy Dave and I watch the Sun go down.

Just after the sun set I was back on the road only to be stopped by a Coyote casually crossing without a care in the world, he even stopped to pose for the camera.

I think I just missed roadrunner…

After getting to the hotel I had a very overpriced buffet and faced my first tipping dilemma on the trip, why would I tip a waitress when I’ve served myself?

AFter dinner it was time for a bit of star gazing and the night sky didn’t disappoint, I even managed to get a photo after playing around with my ISO settings and shutter speed randomly until it worked, I will never read the instructions!

There is so little light pollution you can see every star in the sky.

That’s it for death valley, I’ll be leaving in the morning and heading for sunny San Diego where I’m sure I’ll stay classy.

Stop press the La Posada hotel is the most relaxing place on earth.

I’m writing this post whilst sat in he garden of the famous La Posda hotel whilst listening to some acoustic guitar being played by a very talented musician, the sound of gently flowing water and a coyote howling at the moon, I think its safe to say this is a pretty magical place, so much so its warranted break from the chronological order of my blog!

Back on the road towards Winslow the drive was nothing short of spectacular, with roads carving their way through red rock Canyons and winding towards Arizona this has been the most scenic drive of the trip so far, with the possible exception of the drive through the Ozarks. The scenery was reminiscent of many westerns and as I corssed the continental divide I definitely feel like I’m truly in the West, even if its not that wild any more!

The drive to Arizona had some gorgeous views

My first sightseeing destination was the Petrified Forrest and Painted Desert National Park which was a recommended as a must see stop by one of my fellow chasers. The Painted Desert looks like no where else on earth and its easy to see where it gets its name, the colours of the rock are amazing and if it weren’t for the scale you would think they had be hand painted. The colours are a product of the composition of the stratified layers of various sedimentary rocks that are easily eroded allowing the minerals within to escape and lend their pigment to the landscape. Geology most definitely rocks!

Bendy Dave enjoys views of the Painted Desert

The 2nd element of the Park consists of swathes of Triassic trees that have been fossilised and preserved, you can still see the rings and the texture of the bark Bendy Dave was insistent on a photo and assured me that readers of my blog would not be at all bored by the geology lesson!

Bendy Dave on a fossilized log

Leaving the Petrified Forrest it was back on to I40 tracking the course of route 66 towards Meteor Crater one of the parts of my trip I’ve been most excited about seeing, I remember looking at a picture of the crater in my Collins Children’s Encyclopaedia when I was 8 (Yes I must have had a genetic predisposition for nerdyness and geekyness!) and wondering if I’d ever get a chance to see it in person.

When I arrived the views did not disappoint and the scale of the place was awe inspiring and really makes you realise the tremendous power of Nature to destroy. Formed 50,000 years ago by a Nickel Iron meteorite 50 meters across impacting the ground at 28,000 miles an hour the crater took less than 10 second to form. Vaporising on impact there are only fragments of the meteor left (which of course you can purchase in the gift shop, an of course I purchased!).

A Panorama of the crater.

Its a pretty big hole

After spending 3 hours taking in the views and exploring the museum it was back on the road to the Hotel which is by far the nicest place I have stayed on the whole trip. Its no wonder Einstein, Truman, Lindbergh, Sinatra and Howard Hughes among other famous celebrities of yore. There’s a handy wall of fame with pictures of the hotels notable guests, maybe one day Sean Sales will be added to the list!

You can read about the history and see some photos of this fantastic hotel here http://www.laposada.org/

I ate some very traditional Hopi Indian food for starter and a traditional Mexican dish for main which was delicious.

A genuine Hopi Indian Recipe, the bread is made from blue corn and rolled by hand until its paper thin, and tasty.

A traditional Mexican pork dish with beans and chipotle

After dinner it was pampering with a couple of ice cold beers and spa bath whilst watching episodes of Futurama on US Netflix, happy place doesn’t quite cut it!

You can’t beet a few cold beers and a Jacuzzi!

Its going to be an early night for me as I have a long drive to Death Valley tomorrow and If I leave early enough I’ll be able to fit in a trip to the Hoover Dam on the way before I go exploring the Salt flats.

A 2nd coyote has joined in the evenings conversation, until next time.

On the Road Again Day 2

Leaving Amarillo was my first taste of the unknown, off into the desert, and to be perfectly honest I didn’t have many expectations for the drive into Albuquerque, I spent the morning leaving the Texas Steak Ranch uploading what images I could for my stay in Amarillo, but I missed out on a few very cool videos of the Drive In Movie, so please do enjoy the spectacle and slightly redneck voice from the manager at Saturdays drive in!

The Drive through New Mexico was interesting, in the way that the complete lack of features is in no way like the UK is interesting, the video below shows just how featureless it is, I made the time pass by listening to some very good Supertramp as you can see from the video.

As I got closer to Albuquerque though the scenery developed into a roller coaster of Asphalt into the city, ascending the mountains only to free fall the equivalent distance along the free way, the video below shows the amazing drive into the city especially when compared to the featureless desert of the rest of the journey.

Upon arrival in the city I made a beeline for the National Nuclear Museum which pays homage to the American Nuclear industry and he associated technology that dominated the politics of the 20th Century.

I spent a good few hours here observing the weapons that could have sparked World War 3. If you have your Geek hats onB prepare to witness the enormous geekery that is the New Mexico National Nuclear Museum in Picture form.

Bendy Dave insisted on recreating the famous Dr Strangelove scene on top of a Little Boy replica

I’ve always wanted to see a B 29 and now I have, spot the tourist!

The multiple warheads in a trident nuclear missile. The power inside one of these warheads is more than 8 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb, and there are 12.

It was at the museum that I realised my whole trip is basically a tour of the destructive forces of nature, whether man made or natural, I should probably take a long hard look at myself!

Albuquerque was a great stop on route 66 and I spent the evening at the hotel relaxing, I met a lovely couple from Denver who kindly indulged my incessant questions on American culture and shared the pictures of their Breaking Bad sight seeing tour! I feel stupid for not doing that on this trip.

This was a very nice way to spend an evening.

The view from my hotel this morning was a perfect image of Albuquerque and New Mexico with balloons floating across the sky almost to the Horizon.

The view from my hotel this morning, also spot the Cockney Hilton.

Albuquerque has been a slice of relaxation heaven and I can’t wait to come back and explore properly, but Meteor Crater and the Petrified forest await.

Thank you Albequerque for a brilliant time…

On the road again

With the storm chasing over its time to get back on the trail of Route 66, driving down the now very familiar route from Oklahoma City to Amarillo Texas. After an inspiring trip to cowboys before leaving Oklahoma I stopped off at Sheplers Western wear superstore and stocked up on Boots “n” Jeans and am now fully disguised as a local, until I open my mouth at least.

Upon entering Texas I sampled some local radio and in what must be the Texas equivalent to Question Time the debate was raging, if you could only attend one event which would it be, a rodeo or Nascar. So far the vote is 19-10 in favour of a rodeo, I’ll provide an update if I can on the final outcome of this important issue.

Along the way I stopped in Shamrock a route 66 landmark with a genuine Gas station direct from the 1950’s, the Challenger looked so good parked outside Bendy Dave insisted on a photo.

Bendy Dave enjoys the retro gas station in Shamrock along route 66

My accommodation for the night last night was the suitably Texas themed Big Texas Steak Ranch, everything is leather or suede even down to the shower curtain, its safe to say I’m in cow country!

This is the Motel at the Big Texan, there is nothing wrong with being a tourist once in a while!

When in Rome…

I passed on the 72 oz steak challenge, and dinner at the Big Texan in favour of a drive in movie given that whilst chasing we have already sampled the beef delights, although I am tempted by the mountain oysters…

The Amarillo Drive in, the sky looking slightly ominous.

The Drive in movie was a great experience, Iron Man 3 was epic, Fast and the furious 6 wasn’t. The highlight though was probably the amazing thunder storm that passed over, when the emergency broadcast system kicked in it felt just a bit like the Drive in movie scene in Twister!

I’m on the way to Albequerque and the national Nuclear Museum today where I will provide an update with some hardcore Geekery!

Storm Chasing day 6

We started the day in Amarillo once again and unfortunately the Weather wasn’t with us for chasing so a day of sight seeing was on the cards with some historic route 66 landmarks on the cards, Bendy Dave was particularly impressed.

Bendy Dave at the Cadillac Ranch

Next stop was Palo Duro Canyon, the 2nd largest Canyon in the United States and home to lots of lizards, Rattlers and some beautiful vistas, the landscape was right out of a Western and walking a trail down into the Canyon made you appreciate just how difficult it was for those travelling West in the 19th Century, it was very hot and very dry.

Bendy Dave taking in the view at Palo Duro Canyon

Heading back to Oklahoma we were treated to one final super cell that was producing plenty of thunder and lightning, standing in the updraft provided one final storm chasing thrill, the power of the storm is something that has to be experienced to truly understand the forces of nature involved.

The Last Supercell

Once we arrived back in Oklahoma city there was a short stop before driving into Moore where the power of the Tuesdays Tornado was evident in the total devastation that was dotted around the entire town, the path of the Tornado was clearly defined bby flattened houses and a torn up trees. The Moore Tornado is one I’m definitely glad we didn’t chase and my thoughts are definitely with those who were in the path o the storm. Storm chasing through the Midwest has been a real adventure but witnessing the destruction in Moore first hand really brings home the power of Nature.

House caught in the path of the Moore Tornado

This was a suburb on Monday

If you look closely you can see some National Guard Humvees in the rubble of a suburban street.

After the sombre end to storm chasing, we went on to Cowboys a local bar where Country and Western and Bull riding were served in equal measures, and the dress code was definitely Dukes of Hazzard. Below is a video of a valiant attempt to sty on the bull for 8 seconds,not as easy as it sounds.

I leave Oklahoma tomorrow and head back to Amarillo for the 3rd time on this journey where the rest of route 66 awaits.

I’ve met some great people storm chasing and hope to keep in touch.

Storm Chasing day 5

Today started in Amarillo with storms predicted late afternoon across the Panhandle, and conditions looked pretty god for some serious storm action, there were two possible storm systems to chase one North of Amarillo and one South both likely to fire up in the afternoon. We left Amarillo at 9 heading
south for the town of Clarendon, located between the possible storm systems, the plan was to wait and see how the models developed before we committed to a storm.

A cheery message to start any day!

After a couple of hours in Clarendon we decided to head North of Amarillo for the storm system developing out there which had the potential to develop without interference from surrounding weather systems providing the best possibility of a Tornadic storm. On the way North of Amarillo we made a short stop to check the radar and observe the clouds building over the panhandle, Bendy Dave took the opportunity for a Texas take on Zorbing.

Bendy Dave enjoys a tumble down a Texas highway.

The next stop was a small gas station just outside of Amarillo where we waited again to decide on which storm to set our sights on, whilst waiting there were some text book examples of tower clouds building into the classic Anvil shape that’s the precursor to all supercells.

Tower clouds over Texas

After around 30 minutes the weather changed dramatically with cloud cover increasing quickly and the wind picking up to around 20-30 mph almost instantly, the result was a pretty dramatic dust storm which signalled that it was time for us to leave and chase down our storm.

A large dust storm roles across the plains

Back on the road we closed in on the storm we’d committed to and had some great views across Texas of the developing storm, unfortunately it just didn’t organise into a full supercell and after a few lightning strikes and thunder it had all but dissipated.

Supercells building over Texas

We finished the day at a slightly classier restaurant than last night, where I ate yet more fantastic steak, I think I’ve almost eaten an entire cow on this trip so far.

Saltgrass steakhouse, a very good steak indeed

Its the last day of chasing tomorrow before I’m back on the road to the West Coast, and hopefully they’ll be one last storm before its over. Although I’m looking forward to getting back on the road I’ll be sad to say goodbye to the great people I’ve met on the trip and hope to keep in touch.

Storm Chasing Day 4

Today was a sightseeing day the conditions necessary for severe storms had all shifted to the East out of chasing country and to far away for us to chase, instead we took a drive through Texas and New Mexico to the Capulin Volcano National monument. On the way to Capulin we saw a real glimpse of Texas off the Tourist trail.

The first stop after leaving Childress was Amarillo for a quick pit stop we then went on to the town of
Hartley via the interestingly named town of Dumas, home to many amusingly named shops and businesses. Upon arrival in Hartley we got a real glimpse of the industrial scale of the agricultural industry in Texas, the picture below shows a grain elevator which happens to be one of the safest places in the even of a Tornado.

The Safest place if you’re caught in a Tornado they are always left intact.

Next stop was the town of Dalhart for some lunch, a few of us gambled on a local Taco vendor and were treated to some truly authentic Mexican food.

Some Authentic Tacos New Mexico style, possibly a gamble…

Back on the road we drove none stop towards the Capulin Volcano national monument taking in the sights of the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico.

A little farm on the prairie

The view of Capulin Volcano, a perfect example of a Cinder Cone Volcano

Upon arrival at the volcano we ventured inside the crater where my inner geek enjoyed looking at the igneous rocks and the unique geology that was crated when the Capulin volcano burst into life 60,000 years ago forming the cinder cone almost instantly.

Me at the bottom of my first crater of the trip, Geology Rocks!

The dark volcanic rocks provide a perfect habitat for snakes and lizards, I didn’t see any rattlers but there were plenty of lizards about the place.

A lizard and some volcanic rock

Heading back out of the crater to walk the rim there were some spectacular views as far away as the snow caped rocky mountains as well as the rest of the 8,000 square mile Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field, Bendy Dave was a particular fan.

Bendy Dave enjoying the view and taking in some sun

The highest point on the rim was home to a lot of insects which provide a great food source for some swallows which were flying around at high speed snatching insects from the air and whizzing over our heads close enough for us to hear the rush of air as they went by. The picture below is one of the swallows flying, no coconut to be found though.

I’m not sure what the airspeed velocity of a swallow is

After exploring the park it was back to Amarillo where I enjoyed my first of 2 visits this trip to the Big Texan Steak Ranch which has featured on Man vs Food and is also one of the stops used by the Storms Chasers on TV, season 1 episode 2 if you’re interested.

At least 4 other storm chasing groups were there, which bodes well for tomorrows chase.

Severe weather is forecast for the Panhandle tomorrow so a good chance of tornados and a very good chance of electrical storms so hopefully some more weather pics on the way.

Storm Chasing Day 3

The day started in an overcast and rainy Wichita Falls which was bad news for trying to find some severe weather to chase, for Supercells to develop you need an uninterrupted flow of warm moist air and the dreary weather was like a brick wall for that uninterrupted airflow.

After a very healthy Denny’s omelette for breakfast we hit the road south towards Dallas to try and get out of the cool damp weather. The drive took us to the aptly named town of Weatherford just outside Fort Worth where we pulled into town to analyse the weather radars and storm reports, unfortunately it was bad news, a cold North Easterly wind dominated the weather system putting a stop to any chance of a storm, the chase for today was over.

We took the chance to explore the quaint town of Weatherford which had antiques stores as far as the eye could see, I managed to find a tobacco shop run by Larry a pip smoking ex Navy serviceman who spent a good 15 minutes telling me about the storms he’d seen whilst serving in the navy, as well as a crash course in why Cuban cigars are bad, mainly because they are communist!

Weatherford City Hall

After a pause in Weatherford the radar maps showed we wouldn’t be seeing any severe weather activity near us today so the new plan was to get up towards the Texas Pan Handle where it looked promising for tomorrows chase.

Before Leaving Weatherford we topped for a spot of lunch, I went for the healthy option.

Copper Creek- I tried to order a lighter lunch so went with a sandwich…

Despite not chasing any storms the drive up toward Amarillo was great tour of the teas landscape and feels just about as alien as a landscape can get when compared with home. Bendy Dave insisted that we stop to take some photos of the beautiful vistas and archetypal Texas landscape.

Bendy Dave on the Road to Childress trying to hitch a lift

The Town of Childcress is our home for the night and I’m staying in a very typical motel for the night, its a sharp contrast to the Allerton in Chicago!

It definitely feels like a road trip now, this motel is home for the night.

Fingers crossed for some more interesting weather tomorrow, if not you’ll be treated to more pictures of food and Bendy Dave on my next post!

My fellow chaser and talented photographer Jeremy Wilkins is also blogging, you can follow him here:

http://wilkinscommunity.com/