The Grand Canyon (Arizona)

You really need to see this in person to get a sense of the vastness, the grandeur and the intense vertigo.

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Bouchon (Las Vegas, NV)

Strawberry Croissant. . . Oeuf Au Gratin du Jour. . . The Bakery. . . The Selection. . .

It was almost on a whim that I said “to hell with the budget, let’s go to Bouchon”. That would be true, if the breakfast prices weren’t so reasonable. Unless you’re taking in the casino sponsored $1 shrimp cocktails or one of the fast food giants then you’re going to be paying a lot of money to eat anywhere near the strip. For breakfast/brunch the prices at Bouchon are cheaper than some of the run-of-the-mill hotel restaurants. With that in mind, there’s no reason not to eat at the french bistro helmed by the most revered chef in America. But budget is no reason to eat at a Thomas Keller restaurant. The real reason to eat there is because the food is amazing. It was a tough decision but I passed on my dream dish, the Croque Madame, and ate the Baked Eggs – a dish I had never tried before. Kate had the Breakfast Jardinière. Both meals were more wonderful than I had imagined, and the pastries were even better than that. Add to the fact that the experience and ambiance are highly finished and you’ve got something worth going to Las Vegas for. My one regret is that I didn’t eat there every day during my stay there. I’ll try and catch up on the Croque Madame in Beverly Hills on my way out of the states. It’ll be my treat for sticking to my budget for the next 7 weeks.

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Salvation Mountain (3 Miles East of Niland, CA)

Leonard Knight has spent the last 24 years living and working at this sculpture in the California Desert. I’ve always felt the pictures of Salvation Mountain seemed unreal, and that extends to the photos I’ve taken. It takes on a certain depth when exploring it yourself or when Leonard gives you a personal tour. He is overwhelmingly positive and dedicated to his work. I’m sure he couldn’t be happier than for you to visit and for congress to one day declare Salvation Mountain a national monument. More photos on Kate’s blog.

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Salton Sea (California)

More or less a natural disaster, we were able to see a little of the Salton Sea on our way to Salvation Mountain. We would have liked to explore the area a little more but the heat was so intense that I’m not sure we could have spent very long even if we did have the time. We saw a few fishermen in the area and quite a few water birds and the sinister looking bird beneath the tree. Though we saw a great many date palms we didn’t find anywhere to try a date shake.

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The Museum of Jurassic Technology (Los Angeles, CA)

The Microscopy Section. . . Welcome to the Garden. . . Napoleon in the Eye of a Needle. . . Laika. . .

There is a rather discrete museum tucked away opposite opposite The Actors Gang on Venice Boulevard. It’s unlike any museum I’ve ever been to. Had I not been instructed to visit The Museum of Jurassic Technology I wouldn’t have known to go in there.  After exploring the museum for a couple hours I’d happily recommend this museum to anyone who has the chance to visit. If I lived in LA I’m sure I’d be back again to see the exhibits I missed. There are a variety of exhibits on a wide range of subjects, my particular favourites were the memorial to space dogs and the mobile home/trailer park collection.

9341 Venice Boulevard, Culver City / entry on donation

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