So it seems that Isabel still talks in her sleep. I actually think she makes more sense than when she's awake. Ella thinks Isabel must have picked up some Icelandic from a school trip a few years back. She's always been good with languages you see.

We arrived at Houston airport nice and early. However the queues through security were deep and so we tried to go down Fast Track. As a BA silver card holder, I can use Fast Track and take one family member with me...not three. We made it past the first line of defence but the second proved impregnable. Jo and Isabel bid a retreat and joined the proletariat.

We arrived in Phoenix early and then had to wait for a space which seemed to displease the pilot who had crowed about getting us there forty minutes ahead of schedule. We have hired a mid sized SUV to get is to San Francisco. Bizarrely we were given around ten SUV cars to choose from. Literally we were testing every aspect of each of them before deciding upon a white Nissan with plenty of boot space and comfortable seating in the back for two teenagers.

We stopped off at Montezuma castle (see photo) before travelling to Sedona for a lovely pizza. No-one is quite sure why the castle was built around seven hundred years ago. This may explain the lack of information on site and certainly explains why we were in and out in less than five minutes. Actually 'below and out, as you couldn't get up to the castle which was probably the point in the first place!

There was then a long drive to the Grand Canyon where we arrived just in time for the sunset. Very nice hotel - the room however already looks trashed - why is it so difficult for women to keep stuff in a suitcase?

Top tip - nearly 20% for a fine pizza (and because Jo provided 'guidance').