After a yummy brekkie with decent coffee (finally) we checked out and piled the car high with luggage and set out to see some more of San Francisco. Heading out to the bay we picked up signs for a 49 mile scenic drive. First stop gave us a wonderful view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the marina, and also Alcatraz just off to the right. We followed the signs and wound our way up the hill (to another great bridge vista point) and then around to the beach road. Next we passed through a park and part of the zoo (couldn't see any animals though).

We wanted to get as much time as possible in San Francisco as possible - we only had one night there. So we got up early (again) and went for another rubbery brekkie before packing the car, setting the iPod and heading back up the wiggly mountain roads and out of Yosemite.

Alarm was set for 8am. Bliss. A lie in at last.

The kind person in our room before us was clearly waking at 6am, cos the alarm went off dead on the hour. Excellent. Having worked out how to kill the thing we drifted back to sleep expecting another 120 minutes (or more if the snooze button was deployed).

Nope. 6.30am Mr & Mrs Loud and their sons Decibel and Noise decided to let loose. It was like a zoo had moved in next door complete with stampeding elephants and raucous hyenas. Bless the little darlings.

Okay. Yosemite is gorgeous. You're obviously excited to be here, as are your children, your partner and probably your car too.

Yet another early start for us. Had to drive up to meet the others. Can't wait to get my normal routine back - these early starts are killing me! As it was we were late because 2 elks had wandered into the road and really didn't see much point in moving out of the way.

Another early start - this time to leave Vegas and head north for different kinds of adventures. We met the others and set out along the strip towards the highway. Vegas really is just a giant oversized themepark. Mind you, the planes fly in really low over the road, which is pretty exciting!

.............went well. Mum woke up and we treked over to Caesar's Palace for dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Thanks to mum and her gob my dessert arrived bearing the words "Happy Birthday Claire!" in chocolate sauce and a candle. Various threats were made against anyone thinking of singing.

Stuffed to the gills we had to walk back. We finished the evening with a gentle stroll around the Bellagio lake, and caught 2 wonderful fountain performances. I really could watch them forever.

Even after last night's adventures I was forced to get up early this morning. We were due to meet the others at 11.15am and Grumpy wanted to get breakfast on the way. Having missed out yesterday we joined the queue for the Bellagio Buffet. Took a while to get to the front, but once we were seated we started to relax.

Grumpy had told me to pack a black dress cos we'd be eating somewhere special the night before my birthday.

I spent the afternoon being pampered in the Bellagio spa - their indian head massage and egyptian gold treatment were to die for :D. As soon as I got back I was ordered to get ready for dinner at the Top Of The World restarant at the Stratosphere.

So I glammed myself up and off we went to the Stratosphere. We were a couple of hours early, so we coiffed cocktails as we watched the sky get dark and the lights of Vegas start to sparkle. Gorgeous.

Today we followed the interstate from our hotel on Route 66 towards Vegas. On the way we passed the Hoover Dam, and stopped for a bit of a mooch about.

After a quick snack we took the tour - very well put together, very informative and a good buy at $11 dollars each.

Back in the car we followed the road as it took us over and around hills and mountains until finally, after coming over the crest of a hill, we got our first sighting of Vegas. Pretty amazing to see so much civilisation after several days of remote desert!