From the very start of this drive across America we have used the digital data maps supplied by Gis Data and GDC Ltd and, I must say the maps are brilliant and can you believe it, we have not yet got lost one time yet and, thanks also to Magellan for there Magellan Colour track GPS which works heard every day keeping a log on the miles covered and pointing us in the right direction.
   
    Since my last entry just over a week ago we have covered some 2,479.1 miles and have seen some fantastic sights en-route.
   
    From Iowa we drove west heading for Nebraska and stopped for the night just on the boarder at Onawa right next to a river which was infested with gnats. Poor old James I think has a sign hanging over his head that only the gnats can see, which reads "dinner". He got bitten all over that night and several more times since then.
   
    Next day we headed south to Omaha which is in Nebraska and right along the Prairie lands which were very hot indeed, about 34°c. We managed to drive 331 miles this day and ended up in Colorado just north of Denver city and were suffering from heat exhaustion. Each camp site we stay at seems to have a main road next to it and a rail road line which has trains as long as a mile coming through nearly every hour and, they just love to sound there horns as they arrive. Not good if all you want to do is sleep.
   
    Colorado is such a beautiful state with its rolling mountains which are snow capped. We decided to make our way up into the mountains and therefore alter the route just a tad and, cross Colorado west rather than to head south. This was a far better choice as we got to see the top of two mountains at 11,200 feet and even got to stop for the night at a so called summer camp at 9,000 feet where the snow had not gone. It was a little heard on the chest as we were so high and very cold by 11 0,clock in the evening but we did manage to get a good nights sleep.
   
    Continuing to head west the next day we drove over yet another pass at around 10,500 feet and down hill for over eight miles to Vale where we had to change both the front wheels as the tracking had been bashed out and the tyres were wearing almost down to the wire on the inside of the tyres. Then we continued our journey to Utah right into a dessert which seemed at the time another world. The landscape was just as I would imagine Mars to be. After a heard days drive we ended up at a small town called Green River and had a well deserved rest we also managed to find time to do our washing and play a game of pool. Guess who won and it wasnt me.
   
    Thank goodness we have a mini M satellite telephone which is mounted into the car, and was supplied by Thrane & Thrane and airtime with Inmarsat through Marine Technical limited, or else I think I would have gone out of my mind with worry just in case we had a serious problem. I am also using a dual band GSM telephone supplied by Bosch which works very well in some of the states across America through Vodafone, I guess I just like to keep in touch with my wife and family and of course my sponsors.