thoughtsandcrosses: There's no place like someone else's home...

I woke up Sunday morning unsure as to what I wanted to do next. Other than eat breakfast. Renee, whom I had met in Tempe the previous week invited me for breakfast before I left, so I drove to her place. She cooked a great breakfast and I showed her some stuff about England and Europe before I left as she's hoping to travel next year. I had messaged Scott in Flagstaff to see if I could go back there as I thought it would be nice to stay with him again, and perhaps I could make a decision on what to do next. My drive up the I17 was a breeze compared to my previous trip down it (a massive snow storm, did I mention that?). I returned to Flagstaff and immediately felt at home. Whatever it was about both his home and Scott himself, and his house mate Felicia, it had a very homely feeling and I felt very welcome there. Michelle came round for the evening and we had a great time, Felicia showing me how to roll sushi, Michelle taking some great shots on my camera, a few rounds of Yahtzee, some boggle and eating sushi with (lots of) wasabi. After a few days of solitude, it was great to be back amongst people. I made plans to leave, and possibly go up to Zion National park, or across to Vegas, but I'll be honest, I was really enjoying the company of everyone in Flagstaff, and I ended up staying until Wednesday. I loved the snowy surroundings and refreshing crisp air. Despite the cold, when the sun is shining, snow is beautiful to be around, especially the crunch of it beneath your feet. I hung out loads with Felicia and Michelle, and on Tuesday Scott took me Cross Country Skiing, which was great. It took a few minutes for me to get the hang of gliding across the snow, but I soon figured it out and really enjoyed myself. More films were watched, and by Wednesday morning I was ready to move on. I checked the weather and the west coast was once again basking in sunshine, with the rain and storms of 2 weeks previous seemingly a distant memory, so I decided I would head back west to make the journey up the Highway One I had originally planned on doing. I checked maps, google, miles, timings, and decided it could be done. I could see it all in my head. I'd go to Vegas Wednesday night, Thursday I could drive through Death Valley and stay somewhere, and then drive due west to hit the Highway One on my way up to San Francisco. I made a few couchsurf enquiries, and with a couple of them accepted, my plan came to fruition. I decided to stay in a hotel in Vegas, and both Scott and my dad had coincidentally stayed in the same place, California Hotel, so I booked a night there at just $40. Following that I had set up a place to stay in Bakersfield on Thursday, and Paso Robles on Friday, allowing me all day Saturday to drive up the Highway One and back to San Francisco. I made my farewells, and back into Gonzo One I got. Vegas was in my sights...