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Week 9 - Sunday 5th March - Saturday 18th March
Written by LCpl Gary Llewellyn
Sunday 5th March
After leaving the Holiday Inn Express with a full stomach, thanks to the complimentary breakfast, the band was well prepared for the five and a half hour journey to San Louis Obispo.
We had the pleasure of travelling through some of California’s beautiful mountainous terrain, which were in stark contrast from the desert the previous day. On route, we passed through Los Angeles giving us the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the world famous ‘Hollywood’ letters located on the sunny hills.
On arrival at San Louis Obispo, we managed to have a dip in the pool before departing for the evening performance at nearby Harman Hall, California Polytecnic State University. At a cost of $30 million in 1995, the theatre had been meticulously engineered for acoustical excellence. The performance was a big hit with the sell-out audience who in turn showed their appreciation with standing ovations and rapturous applause. However, some went home disappointed, being unable to purchase CD’s due to popular demand. According to the merchandise team, we have totalled $12,000 in CD sales alone in the first 8 weeks of our tour and are currently awaiting more to be produced.
Monday 6th March
The Band’s departure this morning was accompanied by heavy rain. However, this did not dampen our spirits with the knowledge that we were heading to sunnier climates and the chance to recharge our batteries in preparation for the final leg of the tour.
We followed the coast, allowing us to view the spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean before travelling back through LA and then passing the largest collection of wind turbines in the world. 80% of the power produced from these turbines provides the electricity for Las Vegas some 200 miles away.
On arrival at the Wyndham Hotel, Palm Springs the band couldn’t wait to make use of the heated outdoor pool, hot tub and sun beds, it was just a pity that we had a show to perform that evening.
The venue for the evening performance was the McCallum Theatre, a 1200 seat auditorium located in Palm Desert Valley. The Theatre brings an astonishing variety of entertainment and cultural experiences to the Valley, including: world-class performances by artists as varied as Tony Bennett, Sheryl Crow, the St. Petersburg State Ice Ballet and the New York City Opera Company; Nationally televised programs starring artists such as Ray Charles and Oprah Winfrey, and performances by artists such as the Flying Karamazov Brothers and the ballet de L'Opera de Bordeaux.
After the show, some band members ventured into the town to partake in unhealthy food, weak drinks and bad live music.
Tuesday 7th March
The Wyndham Hotel, Palm Springs was the ideal place to spend our much needed day off. The hotel pool, hot tub and sun beds proved to be popular haunts as were the local bars and restaurants. Some of the Band decided to hire plush looking cars and take a ride into the hills, some venturing as far as LA. The Director of Music and biking crew couldn’t resist one last chance to cruise the highways on their Harleys again, stopping off for a dip in the Pacific Ocean at the coastal area of Oceanside!
It was great to meet up with groups in the bar that evening to exchange stories and detailed accounts of the days activities. All in all a good time was had by everyone, bring on more sun!
Wednesday 8th March
This was to be our busiest travel day of the whole tour. We departed the hotel at 7.30am for John Wayne airport, Orange County for our first flight to Atlanta, Georgia. The take off was exhilarating due to the noise restrictions in the county. Basically, this means that on take off, the aircraft reaches height as soon as possible instead of a gradual climb to avoid noise complaints from nearby residents. After only a few hours, we arrived at Atlanta airport before checking in for our next flight to Raleigh/Durham airport, North Carolina.
Congratulations were announced onboard both flights to Musician Pete Hamilton who celebrated his 33rd birthday today.
On arrival at R/D, we were met by coaches to transport us a further 2 hours to our hotel for the next 2 days, The Hilton, Greenville. Our coaches have now covered 13,000 miles during this tour.
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