Wild West USA 2022 – Funny and Bizarre Stories from Our Road Trip 

From September 1st to September 23rd, our road trip through the western United States took place. We covered exactly 4,719 kilometers with our Chrysler Equinox. How do I know that?

Well, definitely not because I kept meticulous notes – but because Google pointed it out to me. And I have to admit, the results from the Google Travel app really amazed and surprised me. Google knew every stop, every move, and every shop and restaurant we visited. Just saying. But thanks to that information, I was able to retrace our entire route on the map and now know exactly where we’ve been.

But I don’t want to bore you too much with numbers — I’d much rather share interesting facts, stories, and anecdotes from our journey. And believe me, there was plenty to tell.

HELLO LOS ANGELES – NEVER PRAISE THE FLIGHT BEFORE YOU’VE CLEARED IMMIGRATION!!

For example, when we arrived in Los Angeles after nearly 11 hours of flying — tired, drained, and really just wanting to get out, grab the rental car and crash — the first thing that, as always, awaited us was passport control.

That can take as little as 5 minutes, like it once did for me in Miami, or, as in this case, a painfully long 1.5 hours. This usually happens when several large planes land at the same time. So, you find yourself in this massive room, winding through queue lines like you’re in a theme park, slowly inching your way toward the officer. The air in this area, when at full capacity, is thick enough to cut with a knife.

And when you finally get to the front, you’re usually pretty annoyed and just hoping that the officer doesn’t immediately pick up on your mood — because of course, you want to make a good impression and be let into the country.

For those who don’t know: When entering the U.S., you get your photo taken and have to give your fingerprints — digitally scanned via a kind of touchscreen. Only then do you get your passport stamped and are officially in.

By the time you’re done, the baggage carousel usually isn’t even running anymore, and the unclaimed luggage is either still on the belt or already stacked next to it. And when you finally find your luggage, that’s always a moment of pure joy — because everything’s there and the trip can officially begin. These days, especially post-COVID, it’s not a given anymore that your baggage makes it. So, even more reason to celebrate when it does.

Then we headed outside and took the Alamo shuttle bus to the rental car lot. After dealing with the paperwork, we were allowed to go to the lot and choose a vehicle from our booked category.

Well… “choose” might be a bit of an overstatement — there was exactly one car available: a black Chrysler Equinox. Two spots over was a white Ford SUV that I thought looked nicer, but according to a note on the rear window, it was missing the key. So, decision made — and off we drove in our black Equinox.

Now, for our first little story:

We were finally headed to our first hotel — Studio 6 Suites Lawndale — ready to recover from the travel madness.

OH MAN, WHAT’S WRONG WITH MY CREDIT CARDS?

At check-in, I went to pay using my Barclays Visa card. Just to be clear — I had literally just used that same card 30 minutes earlier at Alamo without any issues. But now, at the Studio 6 card reader? Error. Card declined.

I knew it had just worked, which made the situation extra frustrating. Arguing doesn’t help in such moments, so I tried my VISA debit card. Same result — transaction failed.

And all of this, right after a long-haul flight and at the very first hotel.

In the end, I cancelled the check-in process, told the guy to please cancel the Booking.com reservation, and searched for a new hotel right there in the lobby. Found a Best Western nearby. And what can I say? My Barclays card worked like a charm there.

WHOA, THIS SINK IS CLOSE!

Speaking of hotels: If you book American hotel chains — especially the mid-range ones — you might be in for a surprise the first time you walk into your room. Why? Because the sink isn’t in the bathroom. It’s just there, in the room itself.

The actual bathroom usually only contains the shower/bathtub and the toilet. It’s kind of funny. And it gets even weirder if there’s carpet underneath the sink area. Ick… that’s just nasty. 😅

And just so you know — having the sink out in the open, right by the beds, isn’t rare at all in the U.S. Why they do that? No idea. Still a mystery to me.

After just two nights in the States, it was time for our first national park: Joshua Tree National Park.

One of the most magical times to visit a national park is during sunrise or sunset. We chose the sunrise and entered the park around 5:45 AM — in complete darkness. The best part? No entry fee! Why? Because the entrance stations are unmanned that early in the morning. The parks are open 24/7.

At that point, we hadn’t yet bought an annual pass (called the America the Beautiful Pass) for $80. So yeah, driving in without paying did feel a little bit like sneaking in through the back door.

Quick note: A single park entry for one vehicle usually costs about $35. But since we ended up visiting six national parks during the trip, that would’ve added up to $210. Which is outrageous. So getting the annual pass for $80 was definitely the smarter move — and we saved $130 in the process.

Back to that sunrise: It was absolutely beautiful. Joshua Tree might not be the most dramatic park, but it has a special vibe — thanks to its iconic trees and surreal rock formations. The park has this calming energy. Or maybe that was just because it was early morning and we were pretty much alone. Either way, it was gorgeous.

Just before 8 AM, we exited the park from a more eastern gate — and then came something that you’d never experience in Europe… or Germany.

THE HILLS HAVE EYES… OR: DON’T PANIC!!!

Our route now took us further east along a road that, over a stretch of roughly 148 kilometers, gave us a grand total of five cars and one truck.

The rest? Pure, glorious isolation.

Our tank was half full when we passed the sign at the beginning of the road: “No Service for the next 92 Miles” – meaning no gas station for the next 148 kilometers! I have to admit, I had never experienced anything like that before. We’re not talking about 2 kilometers or so – this was a seriously long stretch of road that took us through barren rocky and desert landscapes. The road itself was in great condition, but I really wouldn’t have wanted to run into car trouble here – let alone spend the night.

Just watch the horror movie “The Hills Have Eyes” and you’ll know exactly what was running through my mind during this drive.
And believe me, I was beyond relieved when we finally saw a gas station appear on the horizon. Okay… that relief didn’t last long. Because the moment we saw the price, our jaws dropped. The location of that gas station was shamelessly exploited.

Yes, inflation is real in the US too, and gas prices are generally higher than usual – but this? This was outrageous: about $7.69 per gallon! Just to be clear: that’s not the price per liter, but per gallon – and a gallon equals 3.78 liters.

The cheapest gas we found on our entire trip was in Page at Lake Powell, for about $3.29 per gallon – which would be around €1.14 per liter back home. But back to our tank after that eerie stretch through nowhere: it was running on fumes.

Still, we refused to pay that ridiculous price. So we opened Google Maps and searched for nearby gas stations… and boom – just 28 kilometers further down the road, in a small town called Parker, gas was only $4.29 per gallon. Almost half the price!

P.S. There are plenty more lonely stretches like this across the States. Luckily, this was the only really creepy and isolated one we encountered on our road trip.

HORSESHOE BEND – TIME TRAVEL, BUT DIFFERENT

After visiting the Grand Canyon, our next destination was the desert town of Page at Lake Powell. Funny enough, Page isn’t actually that old. It was only founded in 1957, when the Glen Canyon Dam was set to be built nearby. Back then, it was mainly a housing site for the dam workers.

Today, Page has grown into the tourist hub of the entire region. The southern part of Lake Powell is now a huge recreational area, offering endless water activities for both Americans and international visitors.

If you’re driving from the Grand Canyon to Page via Highway 89, you’ll find a must-see spot just about 2 km before reaching the town. It doesn’t look like much at first – just a turn-off with a big parking lot and ticket booths that charge you $10 per car.

Back when I first visited in 2015, none of that existed. There was just a makeshift dirt lot, and no entrance fee at all. How times have changed.

From the parking lot, there’s just one small hill standing between you and the famous Horseshoe Bend – a hill we simply walked up and down seven years ago. (see photo)

But not this year. Now there’s a well-maintained hiking trail that leads around the hill, making it accessible even for older, disabled, or otherwise frail individuals.
But what exactly is this highlight called “Horseshoe Bend”?

At this exact spot, you can marvel at the Colorado River winding its way 300 meters below, curving around a rock formation shaped like a horseshoe – which, unsurprisingly, gave the attraction its name. Just like in many places across the U.S., safety here is left up to the individual.

There are hardly any safety measures in place to prevent people from tempting fate to snap the perfect selfie right at the edge. After all, it’s “only” a 300-meter drop that awaits just beyond that ledge. In 2022 alone, two tourists tragically fell to their deaths at this very location. But the desire for the most thrilling and Instagram-worthy photo often outweighs caution.

But what does any of this have to do with time travel? Don’t be so impatient. 😊 The best time to take the most beautiful photos here is either early in the morning at sunrise or in the evening at sunset. Everything in between? Just regular photos. Boring. *yawn

Since we had already watched the sunset at the Grand Canyon the night before – which had been absolutely breathtaking – it was clear that we wanted to experience that same magical moment here too. So, back at the hotel, after a relaxing dip in Lake Powell, we checked the time and saw it was just after 5:30 p.m. And just yesterday, the sun had set at around 6:30 p.m. at the Grand Canyon.

We hit the road and didn’t think much of the fact that the sun still seemed fairly high in the sky. We paid the $10 entrance fee, parked, walked the trail right up to the edge of Horseshoe Bend, snapped a few warm-up photos, and waited.

6:30 p.m. came and went — and the sun still refused to set. Rude, honestly. Yesterday at this time, it was already halfway gone. What was going on??

By the way, there we were, standing in the blazing sun with no shade, roasting away and scratching our heads, trying to figure out the problem… completely missing the simplest explanation that, in hindsight, should have been obvious.

At first, I thought it had something to do with time travel — and in a way, I wasn’t wrong.
Only, we didn’t need Michael J. Fox or a DeLorean — just our car and a drive into another time zone.
We were such idiots!!! From the West Coast to the East Coast of the U.S., there are four different time zones… and we had been in the Pacific Standard Time Zone the entire time — even at the Grand Canyon. But not in Page. There, it was the Mountain Standard Time Zone.
So while my watch still showed 5:30 PM, it was actually just 4:30 PM.
Which meant we were way too early for the sunset.
Shit happens!!

Wouldn’t have been a big deal — if the sun and heat hadn’t completely worn us out…
It was brutal!
But hey — at least we still got some great pictures.
Yep. Time travel, the American way. hahaha

DEATH VALLEY OR: OH COME, ALL YE FAITHFUL…

The day we left Las Vegas to drive through Death Valley didn’t quite go as we had imagined.
The plan was to enter the National Park from the east and leave it again on the west side. That’s what most tourists do — they cross the park heading either towards San Francisco or back to Las Vegas.
In total, this stretch was already supposed to be the longest leg of our tour under my original plan: 473 km.
But fate had other plans for us that day.

So we drove from Las Vegas into Death Valley as scheduled.
Our first stop was the famous Dante’s View, offering a breathtaking panoramic view over the entire valley. Then we continued deeper into the heart of Death Valley.

On the way to the visitor center, we passed by Zabriskie Point.
Fun fact: This viewpoint was named in the early 20th century after Christian Brevoort Zabriskie from Wyoming — vice president and general manager of the Pacific Coast Borax Company, which was responsible for borax mining in the area.

We then reached the entrance to the Badwater Basin — the lowest point in the U.S. — but unfortunately, it was closed. Or rather, probably still is.
In early August, the area was hit by a natural disaster — a flash flood triggered by heavy rainfall. It’s said to have happened only twice in the last 100 years.

And all of that — in a place that boasts three American superlatives:
The hottest, the driest, and the lowest region in the entire USA.

Due to this incident in early August, some roads were unfortunately still closed. However, since we saw no signs indicating that the main road was still affected, we continued driving deeper into the park in high spirits. But in the middle of the valley, things took an unexpected turn. Suddenly, a roadblock appeared in front of us, reinforced by a patrol car.

I suddenly wondered if I had missed a warning sign. Nothing came to mind. I got out of the car and spoke with the officer, who kindly explained to me that the road had been made impassable by heavy rain last night.

I couldn’t hide my disappointment from him — I just hadn’t expected that at all. I immediately asked him what alternatives I had, and he instantly pulled out a map of the region from his pocket. When I told him our destination for the evening, he started sketching out an alternative route with his pen.

And it didn’t make me any happier either.
It turned into a massive detour because we first had to drive the entire 80 kilometers back out of the park before we could go around it to the north. In total, we ended up with a daily stage of almost 650 kilometers. You can get as upset as you want about the fact that there was no sign at the entrance of the park—but in the end, we had to learn the hard way and only found out about it in the center of the park. That we were completely exhausted by the end of the day goes without saying.

DISNEYLAND – WHEN A THEME PARK TURNS INTO A SCIENCE

At the end of our trip, when we arrived back in Los Angeles, we had not only experienced the city’s sightseeing highlights but also another one-of-a-kind adventure: a visit to Disneyland in Anaheim.
To be more specific, Disney operates two parks there: Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
Unfairly, you really have to visit both parks to enjoy all the major attractions—like Star Wars and Avengers Campus—and as you can imagine, it doesn’t come cheap. One park is of course a bit less expensive, but still pricier than any theme park back home.

Since we were interested in a Hopper Ticket, which allows you to visit both parks in one day, the price—on a Wednesday, not even a weekend—was a whopping $179 per person. For a one-day ticket!
On top of that, we needed parking—and Disney charges a royal $30 for that alone.

If you split that between two people, it comes to a final total of 194 dollars!! Now we had to decide which park we wanted to visit first. Why? Because we wouldn’t be allowed to enter the other park—the one we didn’t choose first—until after 1 p.m.

And now comes the science part—something Disney has truly turned into an art form! I’ll tell you in a moment which park we decided to visit first.

To Have a Successful Visit, the Disney Genie App is a Must

To make the most of your visit, the Disney Genie app is absolutely essential. Once you’ve created an account, you’ll have access to your tickets – including your park admission – all directly in the app. You’ll also find a digital map of both parks, which is super easy to use. But the best part? This map doesn’t just help with orientation, it also shows you real-time wait times for all the attractions. Plus, it comes with countless other features you may not need – but some of them might be interesting depending on your preferences.

But here’s the thing we really need to talk about: there’s one feature in the app you can only activate after entering the park – and that’s Genie+. It currently costs an additional $20 per person, on top of your regular ticket. With Genie+, you get access to things like the Lightning Lane – basically the VIP fast-track line for rides.

But – and it’s a big BUT – you can only book one ride at a time. Once you’ve used that reservation, then you can book the next one. Also, you can only book each attraction once per day with Genie+.

And now for the grand finale: for three top-tier attractions, you can purchase a separate Lightning Lane pass – one per attraction. For example, access to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will set you back another $20 per person. Now you understand why visiting this park is practically a science and needs to be well planned.

So, we made a strategic choice and started our Disney adventure with Disneyland Park, heading straight to Rise of the Resistance as soon as the gates opened – to avoid long queues and extra costs. Mission accomplished. After that, we relied heavily on the app’s live wait time data and headed straight to the rides with the shortest lines.

We skipped Genie+, saving that money along with the added cost for the top three attractions – and still managed to experience them all!

But here comes a little insider tip we got from a local: use the Single Rider line. It’s a clever way to fill in empty seats on rides when there’s only space for one more person. Sure, they can’t accommodate couples or groups in these lines, but you save a ton of time and may get on even more rides! Just be warned: these entrances aren’t always clearly marked – you have to keep your eyes peeled.

After 13 hours in the parks, we had an amazing day – but our legs were definitely done. Our scientific Disneyland experiment was officially complete.

P.S.
At $200 (two parks + parking), this definitely wasn’t a budget outing. Compared to a German amusement park, it’s quite expensive. But we had a spectacular day and loads of fun. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether it’s worth the money. But seriously – how often do you get the chance to do something like this? And be honest… when’s the next time you’ll be in Los Angeles?

QUIRKY MOMENTS MAKE A TRIP TRULY UNFORGETTABLE

We all hope for the perfect vacation, with zero surprises or mishaps – but in reality, it’s those odd, unexpected moments that end up sticking with us the most. Maybe you’re frustrated in the moment because things didn’t go to plan… or maybe the situation was just so unexpectedly funny that you ended up making a total fool of yourself.

But that’s what makes a trip memorable. Not the flawless itinerary, but the weird, unplanned, bizarre moments that sneak up on you. Those are the stories you’ll tell first when you get home.

Trust me – I’ve been there. And if you’re honest with yourself, you know I’m right. Think back to your last trip… 😉

P.S.
You’re probably wondering about that pickup truck in the cover photo. Honestly, I can’t tell you exactly what it was doing there or what kind of transport setup it was supposed to be. But I saw it parked next to our motel in L.A., right by the Burger King. A short guy just wanted to grab a quick bite – nothing more. But the scene was so bizarre, it fit perfectly into the theme of the day. Totally unexpected, totally real – and exactly the kind of story you’ll remember.