USA

Big Wave Goodbye

2007-06-24T16:11:17Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

The last couple of days in New York started with an early, well organised trip to Battery Park to get tickets for the Statue of Liberty. We waited in various queues (mostly security) and got the ferry out to Liberty Island. They were filming an Eddie Murphy comedy on one of the piers, which was drawing as big a crowd as the big green woman with the torch. We queued (again) to get into the statue and, whilst you can't climb all the way up inside the body, we went out on top of the stone pedestal. Cue amazing views over the harbour, and a cracking photo op courtesy of some random strangers and their headgear.

Afterwards we got the ferry over to Ellis Island, just alongside, and looked around the Immigration buildings and displays. Really interesting, and nice to wander around in the sun afterwards taking in the views.
During the evening we travelled North to the Rockefeller Centre, and to the viewing platforms. The lift had a glass ceiling, and the liftshaft was lit up, which gave quite a fun ride up the 70 storey building. The views are cool, too, with Central Park to the North, Empire State and Downtown to the South and Times Square below just a few blocks away.

Our last day was filled with a short wander, a final (big) breakfast in a diner and a slow trudge to the airport with bags that seemed to get heavier with every step. We boarded the plane, waited in the queue for take-off, and climbed out of JFK at about half seven in the evening.
Not much sleep later we squelched to a landing at Heathrow and stumbled, bleary-eyed, back into the UK.
Everything seemed a little different, but everything was just the same. Even the weather was the same as March 26th! The Flightbus looked odd with the driver sat on the wrong side, the motorway lanes looked narrow and the countryside had no Grizzly bears or Skyscrapers. But it was very green!
And that's about it - back to a kind of normality (one where the car needs MoTing, taxing and insuring. Yikes!) and it all seems like a distant dream, unreal, and as though we'd never been away.
But not to worry - as soon as we set up the slideshows, it'll all come flooding back.

Run everybody.
Run and hide!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Big Wave Goodbye remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

New York Take Two

2007-06-18T22:42:12Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello All!
Right, so here we are - so near the end. And it feels like it too, as we have far less energy and need a lot more sleep than we did when we arrived nearly 3 months ago. We flew in from Buffalo yesterday, and it was hot! Today is even hotter, and was perfect weather for a little jaunt on the Staten Island Ferry, a free commuter ferry over to - well, you can guess where it goes.

The ferry goes past Liberty Island, which is the home of - well, you can guess that, too.

This afternoon we went to Central Park Zoo, which is a zoo in Central Park...

See, told you we were tired!

See everybody very soon!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

New York Take Two remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Toronto and Niagara

2007-06-18T22:31:21Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello!
On Wednesday morning - early - we left Seattle and flew back into Canada, to Toronto. We checked in and went for the customary wander, devoured a Subway (sandwich, not a Mass Transit System) and had a poke around The Eaton Centre, a big Shopping Mall. That evening we organised our day trip to Niagara Falls for the following day.
The next morning, Thursday, we found our tour group in a local square and boarded the Chariots of Fire minibus bound for the Falls. The tour guide gave us a quick commentary of the city as we drove out, which was interesting once you got past the fact he sounded like Stephen Hawking (the mic, and the monotonous tone of phrases used every single day, probably didn't help).
We arrived at the Falls (Impressive in the flesh) and made straight for the 'Maid of the Mist', a boat tour along the river downstream of the falls. The Falls themselves are made up of the American Falls and the Horseshoe Falls. Between them is a big island covered in tourbuses, carparks and tourist shops. In fact, most of the banks are covered in the same kind of stuff.
The boat tour advertises itself as a trip into the gentle mist at the base of the falls. In reality the boat enters a deluge of rain, from all directions, easily finding every hole in the skimpy plastic ponchos handed out. But the weather was fine and we were largely dry after a little while. The view is good though, and the roar as the water pounds everything is pretty impressive.

We rung out our socks, got back on the bus and ran down the road to the Skylon Tower, a poor mans Space Needle, to get a look at the falls from above. This too gave crackin' views. Lastly we walked to the edge of the river, watching the water hurl itself down the ravine from up close.

We got back on the bus and drove past the Whirlpool (no real explanation needed apart from to say that currents in the river can keep things underwater for 4 hours - scary!). We also passed the "Floral Clock' - another random tourist stop with no particular point to it, really. It's probably the biggest clock made of begonias, or something. Further on we stopped at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a picturesque little town, very colonial in style, rammed full of tourists who had been offloaded for an hour, like us, to wander the streets and buy an ice-cream (or hunt out a 'real English Pub'!). Our last stop was at a Winery for a free wine tasting (The Niagara region is full of vineyards, due to a favourable micro-climate don't-ya-know.)
We slowly drove back into Toronto, through god-awful traffic, and had another nose 'round the shops, before Dave whined loud enough and we went back to the Hotel.
The following day we got up pretty late and headed for Brekky downtown. Afterwards we went to the CN Tower, apparently the tallest building in the world. It is big. There are two viewing levels, the big disc one at the bottom (only about 1100 feet up) which has a glass floor (strong enough to hold fourteen hippos, even though they'd never fit in the lift) and the little pod nearer the top (about 1500 feet) Good views, obviously, over the city and the Lake.

Next we walked down to the waterfront, enjoying the sun, took a little harbour cruise around the islands just offshore and made a meandering walk back through the city, picking up some more Greyhound tickets on the way, back to the hotel.
This morning we dragged our oh-so-heavy bags back to the bus station and boarded our bus for Buffalo, NY. We arrived mid-afternoon and now relax within sight of the airport, waiting for out flight tomorrow to take us back to New York City, and where it all began!
See everyone very soon

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Toronto and Niagara remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Seattle

2007-06-13T03:34:00Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello!
We're in another new place! Like true ex-students, the deadline is looming and we're cramming. We arrived here in Seattle yesterday after a 4 hour Greyhound trip from Vancouver. The trip was fine, punctuated by the slightly unusual 'everybody off and drag your bags through a shed whilst an immigration official makes you feel like a felon' stop at the border. Perfectly normal I s'pose, just seems odd for us Islander's to not have a more definite boundary. Anyhow, we arrived in sunny Seattle (which is not perfectly normal, I'm led to believe) and had a quick wander. Today we did our sightseeing, starting with breakfast at Pike Street Market, a huge collection of covered stalls and units including the first (or should that be 'the Queen' Starbucks).

We walked along the waterfront toward the Space Needle, Seattles famous landmark built for a 'Future Fair' in the 60's.

We went up it, as is tradition, and got a grand view of the place, which is very pretty with the calm Puget Sound (aforementioned water) and the huge Mt. Rainier seemingly floating above the clouds in the distance.

We got the monorail to the centre of town and walked to Pioneer Square, the old part of town. There we went on the Underground Tour, which sounds dull, but is quite fun. You see, Seattle was originally built on the low floodplains, but city planners slowly raised the pavements and roads up to the first floor level of the buildings to combat flooding. So under the pavements are the old pavements and shopfronts. Sounds odd, and I guess it is.
The original Skid Row is in this area, a steep street (a lot steeper back then) that they skidded the logs down to the sawmills and harbour.

Afterwards we went back to the market and sampled the baked goods, and now sit in yet another internet cafe! Tomorrow morning, early (groan), we fly to Toronto. Sad really, as we've been heading roughly West for 10 weeks, and now we strike East, heading back home. I guess it had to end sometime!
But, just over a week left!
See you all soon!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Seattle remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Vancouver

2007-06-12T02:26:12Z

Hey all!
Yesterday we flew into Vancouver from Calgary. We arrived around half nine in the morning into pouring rain, and the rain still fell as we drew the curtains for the night. Bit of a washout. We had a quick look 'round the local area and organised our onward travel to Seattle (Move over ex-cons, we're travellin' Greyhound!), but all in all in was a bit miserable and we quickly got bored of getting soaked. This morning looked a little brighter and the forecast said the rain would stop so we planned a full day. Firstly we walked up to Gastown, the old part of Vancouver now famous for the small grid of streets and the Steam Clock. It whistles the Westminster Chimes (Pompey Chimes?!) and has a fancy mechanism on show.

Afterwards we got the SeaBus over to North Vancouver and bus to the Capilino Suspension Bridge. Imagine an Indiana Jones rope bridge, except with steel cables and no missing plank in the middle. It stretches across a canyon and leads into a rainforest of centuries old Firs and Pines, with 'Robin Hood' style rope bridges and platforms stretched between them. Very nice.

We got the Bus and Ferry back and then went to Stanley Park, a large park at the end of Vancouver Island. We saw the Totem Poles there, watched a bit of Cricket (a little unexpected), and watched the seaplanes taking off and landing in the harbour. Plus we were blessed with some sunshine!

During the evening we went South to Granville Island, a little collection of shops and boutiques, a large indoor market and a few restaurants and museums. We ate (very well) and waddled back to the hotel. Now we are sleepy and sat in an internet cafe booking our last few hotels.
Tomorrow we cross back into the States.
Hope everyone is Crackin'
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Vancouver remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Jasper and back

2007-06-10T00:46:47Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello!
We set off on our little hike along Patricia Lake and through the woods, looking 'round nervously at times half expecting a bear to leap out at us (the man in the Liquor Store in town got us a little spooked). The path emerged on a ridge looking down at a couple of little ponds. In each pond was what looked like a beaver house (not sure of the terminology here, not had a chance to look in a bookshop). We sat and swatted mossies for a few minutes, and then there was a ripple. And then another. And then we saw it. Tiny, brown, and really far away. But it was a beaver.
The following day (Thursday) was time to head back down the Icefield Parkway. We made fair time, plus we got to see the glaciers with a bit of blue sky, which was nice! We stopped at Bow Lake, which was still icy, and saw a long horned sheep.

As we travelled further south our tired eyes stopped scanning the verges and forests along the road (good job since I was driving). However, before long the brake lights and abandoned vehicles in front signalled a wildlife sighting. There were people all over the road, and a man leaping up over the roadside ditch and among the trees. There was, therefore, no question. It had to be a bear. We looked for a second but it had gone into the trees. We drove on a few yards and there they were. A mother Grizzly bear and two cubs.

This was rare. The guide book said the only place to see Grizzly bears was a stuffed one in the visitor centre. Then just to make it extra special, a black bear emerged just behind us. (And still people jumped out of their cars. Idiots.)
We drove on to Lake Louise and jinked West into Yoho National Park, home of Emerald Lake (a body of water, milky green in colour, unsurprisingly) and the Spiral Tunnel. Maybe it was the engineer in him, but Dave liked the crazy railway tunnel that spiralled up through the mountain in order to make high ground without too steep a climb. (yes, it probably is the engineer in him.)
That night we stayed in Field, a little railway town completely ignored by guidebooks and a real gem. We ate in Truffle Pigs, a restaurant/coffee shop/grocery/bakery. They had Live music, naturally. We drank beer and looked at the groceries while we waited for our table. We stayed in the Bear Den, a little apartment owned by a fantastic lady from the Tourist Office; Field, British Columbia - another place that we must return to.
Today we continued the drive, leaving the Rockies and heading into Calgary for an afternoon mooching around the city and spending an hour saying farewell to Wal-Mart (Sarah). Tonight we are at an airport hotel, ready for our flight in the morning to Vancouver.
See you all soon!
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jasper and back remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Jasper

2007-06-07T00:08:09Z

Hello again!
We're in the same little internet cafe this afternoon after another day of good animal spotting. Yesterday we saw our first bears and the odd fleeting deer. As we drove back after writing the last entry we drove by some Elk and Mule Deer (we looked them up in a bookshop!).

Today we drove out of Jasper towards Maligne Lake. Along the way we saw Medicine Lake, so named because the Natives thought it was ruled by spirits. Unsurprising really, as every October the huge lake drains and disappears, slowly refilling in the Spring. (But it's caused by underground channels and caverns, not ghosts). On the shores of Medicine lake we saw a pair of Bald Eagles perched in a tree off the roadside.

As you drive along these roads you occasionally come across a gaggle of cars at various stages of abandonment and people with cameras all pointing in one direction. You then pull up behind, with no idea what's been spotted. (We're thinking of starting a fake roadblock, or maybe dressing up as a bear). It was this kind of collection of stopped cars that showed us the Eagles. Further on we saw more deers and at the Lake itself was a lone Moose wandering around. The moose is the silliest looking of all the creatures, and I guess has a name to match. But it is big, as big as a horse, and wild - so a bit wierd to have it wandering around picnic tables.

The weather is drier today, still with low cloud and a little chilly if the wind blows. Hard to believe it was 28 degrees on Monday. But much nicer now it's dry, and the clouds do look good swirled around the mountains!

On the way back we came across another mysterious roadblock, stopped again and scanned the bushes. After a few seconds we looked up and saw two bear cubs up in a tree next to the road.

So cute! But big as well! Despite there being no sign of Mummy bear (she must have been nearby) all the cars emptied and people walked up and down the road, just waiting to be mauled. But they all got away again (now there's a picture I'd like to get!).
This evening we're planning on a little hike, and hopefully to spot some Beaver. (Insert own joke here)
Two weeks left til we fly back!
See you all soon
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jasper remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Canada

2007-06-06T02:32:57Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hey everyone!
We arrived into Calgary and settled at the airport hotel on Friday. The following day we collected the car and set off towards the Rocky Mountains. We stayed in Banff on Saturday and Sunday nights, enjoying the hot tub during the warm, light evenings and the picture postcard scenery during the days.

On Monday we drove up to Lake Louise, stopping to see lakes and waterfalls. The whole place is bursting with spectacular views and scenery. The camera has been working overtime!
Today the (very) warm weather broke to low cloud and rain, which has been a bit of a pain but adds some drama to the photos (lucky you, eh!). On the way up to Jasper we drove along the Icefield Parkway, seeing Peyto Lake. And it really is that blue!

Along the road we spotted some black bears (easy to spot with the tour buses and camera wielding tourists leaping out of moving cars to get a picture - we got ours from the safety of the car)

Further North the road climbs to the Columbia Icefield, a sprawling set of Glaciers. A huge Snocoach drives you out onto the ice, 1000 feet at it's thickest. Amazing.

Now we are in Jasper, a little town nestled in the mountainous valleys. It's even further in the mountains, a little less touristy and a little more wild. Hopefully the rain will ease a bit and we can get to see some of it!

Take care all
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Canada remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

More Vegas

2007-06-06T02:19:55Z

Hey All!
Quick catch up time. We'd just booked the two sightseeing flights last time we were online. The first one was a hour and a half flight over the West rim of the Grand Canyon, and was great. We flew out of Boulder City (About a 20 minute bus ride from the Strip), up and over the Hoover Dam, along Lake Mead (all 100 plus miles of it!) and over the Canyon.

The whole set-up is huge, and not just a single canyon but loads of cracks and fissures along the river, flowing into it and around it. Very impressive (obviously). And we only saw a tiny bit!

The second flight was on our last night and is highly recommended! We were taken to the airport just as it got dark, and waited for a bit, before we did our helicopter flight along the strip. It was brilliant! The whole place is incredibly bright, everything's lit up, and at 300 feet it looks amazing! Plus we were lucky and got the two seats at the front next to the pilot.

After the helicopter flight we cashed in our (free) gambling money and headed for the roulette table. 75 dollars lasted around 20 minutes (and if there's not a lesson there then you just ain't gonna learn!) Seriously, it was fun, but even though the money was free, losing still gave that bitter feeling inside.
The following day we checked out, had lunch with our last voucher, and set off for the airport. Now, travelling along the Strip in Vegas (at least 3 miles) is done by double decker buses, which drive up and down all to infrequently. Getting anywhere else (the airport, a timeshare, a helicopter flight) is by a little minibus shuttle. After we waited for the airport shuttle to take us to the airport, and then the inter terminal shuttle to take us to T2, we were pleasantly surprised to see not a bus but a plane pull up onto the stand to take us to Canada. Phew. We set off on the Air Canada jet and said goodbye to the USA, for a while at least.

More Vegas remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Las Vegas

2007-06-06T02:18:12Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello Everyone!
Today we're sheltering from the sun in a souvenir shop on the Strip, (just next to the personalised ashtrays, in front of the shot glasses) as it's the only place we've found internet in Vegas. We arrived on Sunday evening after a pretty painless flight from San Francisco (painless except the excess baggage charges we picked up - it's amazing how heavy your bag gets after two months!) That evening we wandered around our casino (The Excalibur) and the neighbouring Luxor and Mandaley Bay.

Blame it on the travelling, but we quickly found ourselves invited on a tour of a local timeshare resort. But, eager for new experiences, we went along merrily (the free gambling and dining cash had something to do with it) and the following morning found ourselves on a bus with twenty other bemused looking couples driving to the Grand View Las Vegas resort! We got some breakfast and a nice little look around the place. The tour was followed seamlessly by the vicious, number scribbling hard-sell, followed eventually by the 'thanks for coming/last gasp offer' interview. Then our free gifts were thrown at us and we scrambled back on the bus, full of twenty or so shell-shocked couples.
We quickly found our dining coupons were quite limited, as they seemed to only be redeemable at 'restaurants' that charge in old Italian Lira (awfully big numbers next to awfully small dishes). We opted for the buffet, and can still just about smile about it!
The rest of Monday we spent by the pool, having the sun paint us in varying colours of pink (I think Dave may have crossed into crimson). In the evening we walked down the Strip, watching the dancing fountains of the Bellagio, seeing the Lions inside the MGM Grand and the aquarium in Ceasars Palace. We dragged ourselves back to the hotel around Midnight.

Today (Tuesday) we have organised our two flights - the first for tomorrow morning over the Grand Canyon, the second on Thursday night in a chopper along the strip. Between now and Friday we plan on a bit of table gambling (roulette seems the least frightening), maybe a film and a night out, plus some other Vegas sightseeing.

Las Vegas remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

San Francisco

2007-05-26T19:25:33Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hey All!
San Francisco is famous for its Cable Cars. There are also vintage trams running along the hilly streets, lots of electric and regular buses and an underground train system. There is no reason to drive in the centre of San Francisco. Unless you have to drop off a rental car. In fifteen minutes.

There's always an added burst of excitement when driving in a city with tramlines - an extra incentive to check every mirror. Coupled with the fact that the traffic lights in SF seem to be embarassed at holding everyone up and tend to hide behind trees or lurk in corners, and that turning left seems to be some unspeakable crime in the bay area. Driving straight along one street and turning left down another involves three right turns (giving way to pedestrians at each one) before being told that, no, I'm afraid you may not enter this road at this junction. You must circle like a drunken vulture desperately trying to find your way
Welcome to San Fran!
Or something like that. Maybe a little dramatic but the place really is better without the car. Except the fact that your cases are so heavy, and the hills so steep. But, once settled in the hotel, the city is cool.
We're about a block from Union Square, the main shopping district in SF (Yes, Sarah did book the hotel). Plus there is a Cablecar turnaround and a streetcar line within a couple of blocks. During our first full day (Wednesday) we got a streetcar to Fishermans Wharf, which is on the top of the San Fran Peninsula, with views over to Alcatraz and round to the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a Marina, shopping district and ferry terminal and really nice to wander around. Plus it's home to a load of noisy sealions.
The Streetcars in SF are all classics, and from all over the world (we'd call them trams I guess.) They have over 80, of which around 25 run a day, from the US, Italy and Australia - but the 'star' is an open-top one from Blackpool!
In the afternoon we poked around the shops.
On Thursday we got a ferry out to Alcatraz Island. It was originally a military fort, then a military prison, before becoming a State Penitentiary.

The prison buildings are just as you'd expect. Miserable. They're not huge, and there was only ever around 250 inmates at one time on Alcatraz, but it's so weird walking along the bleak corridors and glimpsing a view of the city through a barred window - it's only 1 and a quarter miles off shore. The weather was lovely and warm, and clear, which is unusual for SF. We went on a tour of some escape attempts (none of which are supposed to have worked) and toured the prison and grounds. In the afternoon we did a bit more shopping.
Yesterday we hired a couple of bikes and rode over to Sausalito, across the bay over the Golden Gate Bridge.

The weather was a bit more San Fran (low cloud and fog, and a bit chillier). The ride was good fun (depite Dave nearly flinging himself over the handlebars on the Golden Gate Bridge) and Sausalito is a lovely coastal town.

We got to the bike hire shop (and back from) on a cablecar. On the way we hung off the side, missing parked cars and pedestrians by inches. Good fun, but a bit like a roller coaster up and down the hills. The driver (called a gripman) kinda pulls at a couple of big levers to make it go and stop. I guess a brake and a 'grip' (under the track is a moving cable). It all looks a bit haphazard, and involves lots of bell ringing and frantic movement. Slightly disconcerting.
Today (Saturday) we plan on seeing Lombard Street (the Crookedest (least gramatically correct?) Street in the World) and Golden Gate Park. Tomorrow we jet to Vegas. Yeh Baby!
Hope everyone's well, and Summer gets there soon - or at least before we get back!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

San Francisco remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Highway 1

2007-05-25T02:06:21Z

Hey everyone!
We finally clawed our way out of the never-ending city yesterday and drove along the coast. We stopped for a little while on a beach in Malibu and then continued for a longer stop in Santa Barbara. The road is very scenic, with the sea on the left and huge cliffs or gentle hills on the right. Santa Barbara itself is lovely - palm trees, beach, the works.

The weather is still a little 'May Gray' - low cloudy stuff which burns off around midday. The mountains often disappear into the haze, and it all adds to the look of the place. We spent Sunday night in a place called Lompoc, and continued on Monday to 'Big Sur' country. The road climbs and narrows and noses inland along heavily wooded mountainsides, then clings on to the rocky face next to the sea. The sea is huge and a deep blue, the sky is huge and blue and the horizon is blended with a bluey fog! Very impressive, and absolutely impossible to get on camera!

Further on towards Monterey you begin to notice the land levelling slightly and realise there are less palm trees than before.

We spent a few hours in Carmel, a lovely little grid of shops and a soft sandy beach at the bottom of the hill, and then drove to spend the night in Monterey. In the morning we went into Monterey, and to Cannery Row, a one time sardine canning industrial site which is now a boardwalk and restaurant row. We continued North and entered the outskirts of San Francisco, and were soon in the grip of motoring madness that is central SF!
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Highway 1 remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Los Angeles

2007-05-25T01:55:45Z

Hiya!
So we'd finally reached the sea and the road trip was over. Felt a bit weird not looking at which town we should head for and where we should stop for lunch - a bit like our focus had gone. But after we arrived in Santa Monica we went for a walk on the beach and started to plan a few days here. Our first full day (Wednesday) we went to Universal Studios, did the backlot tour (a load of TV and film sets, old and new, including the Bates' Motel and Wisteria Lane) and a few rides. Quite enjoyed the House of Horrors, which is basically walking along a path through classic horror scenes (pushing past hanging body parts, anyone?) while real-life actors hid in the shadows and leapt out at you. A bit jumpy, though very funny when the group in front collapse in fear as a werewolf lunges at their feet. The human butcher wasn't too pleasant though.
After such fun we spent the evening watching a film (Blades of Glory, quite funny).
Thursday we did a bit of laundry and walking around the local area. Is nice, lots of little boutiques and stuff, all low level buildings and a mixture of residential and business.
On Friday morning we got a bus tour of LA, seeing the 'homes of the stars' in Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Hollywood. We also saw Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd and the Walk of Fame - pretty much covering the tourist basics! In the afternoon we made immensely painful progress across town to Disneyland - Immensely painful because it was Friday afternoon and LA is a city the size of a County. The urban sprawl really is unbelievable. You can literally drive at motorway speeds along four lane freeways for over an hour and still be in the same cityscape. In this way LA is kinda clostrauphobic, 'cause you just can't get out!
Anyway, Disneyland was magical - obviously. We arrived early evening and stayed till midnight, going on rides and watching the fireworks (lots of 'oohs'). For our Florida gang -the castle here is tiny (the whole park is really). And our scores on Buzz Lightyear were still rubbish!
Today (Saturday) we checked out of the Sea Shore Motel and drove south, firstly to Venice Beach for a quick wander, then further to Newport Beach, in Orange County (OC).

We spent the afternoon her having lunch and a little boat trip around the harbour. The place is very rich! Afterwards we set off North again to start our trip to San Francisco, but made it only as far as downtown LA (told you the place is huge!) So we spend our Saturday night in 'Historic Philipinotown'. Livin' the dream.
Tomorrow we hit Highway 1, following the coastline up to the City by the Bay.
Bye for now!
Love to all
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Los Angeles remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Rte 66 - The Final Push

2007-05-21T16:43:10Z

Hello!
We left Flagstaff on Sunday and followed the Route away from the newer Interstate, driving through canyons with just the railway alongside to keep us company. The trains over here are all freight, all slow and drawn by at least four engines, and all enormous. We clocked a random one at around a mile and a half long. And this thing was moving at 30mph!
Anyway, we drove through the canyons and across desert plains. The whole country here is elevated (The Colorado Plateau, y'know) and you're never much below 3000 feet. We stopped for a cold drink at Hackberry (not so much a town, more a collection of shacks, a slight turn in a railroad and an interestingly shaped bush) but home to a Rte 66 stop, the Hackberry Store.
A little further on and the canyons widen and the road curves to approach a line of mountains.
Route 66 is generally associated with 50's diners, 50's cars and the like, but it was also really important in the 30's when it provided an escape from a drought in Middle America. Kansas and Oklahoma turned into a 'Dustbowl' as the topsoil was literally blown away and the land became useless. So thousands of farmers and their families, called 'Okies', piled themselves and the contents of their homes onto the back of ancient cars and drove West, to California and the citrus groves. (English students should see 'The Grapes of Wrath'.)
Now, at points all along the route it's easy to imagine lines of these cars drifting along the narrow roads across flat plains or over iron bridges, but when we crossed the mountains we thought of them again. It must've been incredible. Many did it in reverse (gravity fed fuel systems, apparently), although the hairpin bends were tricky enough going forward.

Sorry to go a bit 'History Channel', but it's quite a good story which makes the route a bit different from every other road.
Right, after the windy mountain pass the land turned miraculously green as we crossed the Colorado river into California! We stayed the night in Needles and set off in the morning for a quick jaunt across the Mojave desert. Again, we thought of the Okies, or any other poor bugger who didn't have air con!

We stopped for food in the amazingly popular Bagdad Cafe (star of an 80's film neither of us know) and carried on into San Benardino, and the start of an urban sprawl which carried on to the sea - about 50 miles away! We stopped for the night in Rialto, near San Bernardino, in a Teepee (yes, really). A few motels made up of a couple of rows of concrete teepees were built along the route in the 40's and 50's, and one of 3 that survive is here in California. And the teepee is surprisingly big inside!
This morning (Tuesday) we drove through the 40 odd miles of motoring madness that is L.A, and finally arrived at the foot of the Santa Monica Pier, and the Sea Shore Motel a few blocks down, at around 3. And that was the end of Route 66!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rte 66 - The Final Push remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Rte 66 - Deserts and Badlands

2007-05-13T04:43:03Z

Hey everyone!
On Thursday morning we headed out of New Mexico, into Arizona, 'The Grand Canyon State'. The plan was to get to Flagstaff, seeing numerous bits of Rte 66 stuff on the way. But after a bit of a lie-in, and a trip to Walmart, we were a bit behind schedule, so we only made it to Holbrook (about halfway to Flagstaff). Our afternoon was been spent exploring the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park, which was really good. The Painted Desert is an amazing landscape of layered coloured sands, forming huge hills and cliffs.

The Petrified Forest is just to the South, where the hillsides are littered with 'logs', made of stone and quartz crystals. It is a bit weird and alien looking really, but quite impressive. The area was a forest long ago (pre-dinosaur), got buried in silt and the trees became crystallized, turning into colourful rock - Basically it's a desert covered in rocks that look like logs.

Friday morning we went to Winslow, AZ, to stand on the corner (as in the Eagles song).

Just before Winslow is a trading post famous along the route for it's giant rabbits. Cue another photo op!

Later in the morning we went to the Meteor Crater. Self explanatory, really, except it's very big and impressive and very hot in the North Arizona desert.

We ate lunch in an old Rte 66 diner in Flagstaff, and then veered completely off the route to head south to Tucson. It took all afternoon to get there, and the temperature was still in the 90's at 10 in the evening!

This morning (Saturday) we went to the Pima Air and Space Museum (Sarah insisted!) This was enjoyable, particularly to Dave, although 102 degrees was a little uncomfortable at times. (Again, for those that are interested, the museum has half a B-36, a B-47, a B-58 and pretty much everything else besides.)

Right, sorry for boring everyone with the geeky numbers. Tomorrow we're back on the Rte, after driving back to Flagstaff this afternoon. We plan to hit California tomorrow evening, and be cruising down Santa Monica Boulevard (and the end of Rte 66) on Tuesday!

Hope everyone is well,

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rte 66 - Deserts and Badlands remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Rte 66 - Cowboy Country

2007-05-11T05:46:06Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello!
You know it's going to be a good day when your morning breakfast waffle is in the shape of Texas! We left Shamrock (settled by Irish immigrants, very popular at Paddy's day, apparently) and drove, the landscape slowly changing again to desert-like scrub. Another restored gas station, and onto McClean and the Devils Rope Musuem, all about barbed wire. Unfortunately it was closed (!) Further along was the 'Bug Ranch' - four VW Beetles buried nose down in the dirt. The sign said sign a bug so, with some spraycans that were lying around, we obliged.

Next we entered Amarillo, passing the airport for those that are interested (just as a C5 Galaxy landed, plus a Starlifter, then a Galaxy doing circuits.) We found a hotel, grabbed some food, then drove South to Palo Duro Canyon (yeh, us neither.) It is, however, big; only beaten by the Grand Canyon, and really impressive. Plus it had paved roads right down to the floor so it was a fun drive.

In the evening we arranged for the free pick-up from the hotel to the Big Texan restaurant. It was amazing. We were taken by a big texan, wearing an even bigger hat, to a huge white Cadillac limo with enormous bullhorns on the bonnet and driven across Amarillo to the restaurant. The place is famous for it's free 72oz steak (free only if you manage to eat it, and all the trimmings, within an hour.) Now I like to eat, but this is a whole different league! We were serenaded by three good'ol boys with a guitar, violin and double bass playing Country/Bluegrass stuff as we ate huge slabs of meat (sorry Eve.) Then we bought some tacky souvenirs in a gift shop with a rattlesnake in the corner and got the Texas Cadillac back to the hotel. Then we just about managed to stop smiling!

The following morning (Tuesday) we drove just out of town to the Cadillac Ranch (ten Cadillacs buried nose down from 1960 - 1969) No spray paint this time. Boo.

Then we drove on to the halfway point of the route, in Adrian, TX. We had a really nice lunch at the Midpoint Diner, talked a bit to fellow travellers and the owners of the Diner. Fate would have it that we ate our midday meal at the Midpoint Diner on the middle day of our trip down Rte 66, and also our middle day of our USA trip!
We drove on towards New Mexico, crossing the border and soon after plunged off of the high Texan Plains down into a rocky and mountainous landscape. We drove on, sometimes on the Interstate, for around 15 miles on a gravel dirt track (saw tumbleweed!) and reached Tucumcari.

This little town has quite a few Rte 66 sights, including our motel, the Blue Swallow. Was really nice, restored to it's heyday in the 40's and 50's, and owned by chatty and enthusiastic road trippers. We looked around the local dinosaur museum (surprisingly good fun) and cruised the neon lit strip.

The following day we had a coffee in the motel office and set off towards Gallup at the owners recommendation. Gallup is a centre for the Navajo Nation, a huge Indian Reservation, and also the site of lots of 50's and 60's Western movies. We stayed at the home of all those filmstars, the El Ranch Hotel. Cool ranch-house interior with a self-playing piano and the two level lobby covered in signed photos of the stars. Every room was named after a film star - anyone know room number 322, Carl Kempton?
We ate a nice Mexican dinner and drank a couple of bottles of Corona in the bar (brewed in Mexico, imported via Chicago. Made me smile, anyway).
This morning we left and drove West, towards Arizona.

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rte 66 - Cowboy Country remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Rte 66 - Ozarks and Prairies

2007-05-11T02:19:53Z

We checked out of the nasty motel early and got back on the road, driving through Joplin and striking West out of Missouri and into Kansas. Only 13 miles (1%) of the route is in Kansas, but we passed through a couple of little towns. Almost every few miles there is a building, or sign, or even a lampost or shelter to show that you are on the 'Main Street' of America. During the 30's and 40's the Route wound along these Main Streets, clogged up with traffic bumper to bumper all the way. Kansas has the Rainbow bridge as a reminder, as well as a few tumbledown garage forecourts and motels. Before long we crossed into Oklahoma and the landscape slowly changed from hilly mining country to open fields. A great bit of the old route is in Oklahoma, when during construction a certain county could only muster around half of the funds needed to pave it's section of the route. So, as the small print didn't specify a required width, they paved a single track roadway the entire length. And it's still there, with gravel either side to help passing cars!

We motored through Tulsa, full of 30's deco towers and buildings (Oil was discovered and the Route passed through during the 30's).
On the way to Oklahoma City the Rte passes through Warwick. Unfortunately, Warwick was so small it didn't have a sign (no cheesy photo op - unheard of!) or any cluster of buildings. All we saw was a junkshop, and motorcycle accident and a funeral procession. Hmm. We moved on...

We stopped for the night in Oklahoma City, and watched the local weather stations report on the outbreak of tornadoes in the West of the state. Yikes! Dave watched constantly for around three hours as the storms moved slowly along the Texas/Oklahoma border, flattened a Kansas town with a 1 mile wide twister, and generally scared ourselves. But the States is a big place, so this was happening 150 miles away. Or where we were going to stay the following evening, in other words...
The following morning, Sunday 6th, we drove West (as normal!) and called into a Route 66 Museum in Clinton, OK. Was really good, with different rooms filled with the history and memorabilia of each decade of the route. We carried on and got into Elk City as the skies began to darken. The local radio told us that there was a storm to the South moving slowly toward us, we had been in tornado watch all day, and then it belted down with rain and lightning. We sat out the storm in the car in a carpark of another Rte 66 museum, then looked at the maps, plotted the tornado warnings, jumped on the Interstate and legged it out of Oklahoma and into Texas!
There was no real danger, as the storm was pretty weak, but we felt a bit more at ease in another State. The skies went from grey to blue as we crossed the State line (literally) and we stopped for the night in Shamrock, TX. We the settled down to watch 'Twister' on telly. The irony.

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rte 66 - Ozarks and Prairies remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Rte 66 - The Great Plains

2007-05-11T02:19:10Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello again!
Ok, another attempt to catch up! After leaving Chicago we drove South East, Sarah buried in maps, tracing Route 66. It doesn't exist anymore, at least not a signposted route, but the roads themselves are still there, and most of them are driveable! It was never a long unbroken road, either, but loads of existing tracks and Main streets joined together. So it jinks about, heading basically South or West, so can be a bit tricky to navigate. Plus, the Interstate that replaced it cut into some of the old roadways, so dead ends are quite common!
Anyway, enough with the history! The first day of driving took us through Romeoville and Joliet (named for Shakespeare characters, altered later in their history) and a couple of restored gas stations in little towns.

We stopped for the night at a place called Chenoa in Illinois. Back on the road on Wednesday morning we passed through Springfield, IL, where we ate at the Cozy Dog Drive-In (a Rte 66 favourite where the corndog was invented). We also went to Lincoln's tomb and monument in the town where he lived. We carried on south, on a variety of roads (some narrow two lanes, some wide dual carriages). Some stretches also popular with tortoises with a death wish! We've seen many a squished tortoise en-route!

That evening we crossed the Mississippi, leaving Illinois and entering St. Louis, Missouri.
The next morning we spent exploring the city, and went up the St.Louis arch, which gives great views over the river and the city's downtown. Was an interesting experience going up the arch; squashed into a little pod which looks like a washing machine with 3 Germans (that's not regulation, that's just who we ended up with!). Luckily it doesn't take long to reach the top!
That afternoon we went to the Budweiser brewery and did the free tour there, where you get free beer at the end! Was very interesting. We followed that up with a visit to the famous (well, in St.Louis) Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, which is basically like icecream. Full and contented we carried on with the drive, reaching the little town of St. James and Finns Motel. Not the ritz by any means, but better than future accomodations. But we'll come to that later... !
We started Thursday morning with a brilliant breakfast in a classic diner, then carried on on our merry way. More retro hotel/motel signs, restored gas stations, and great landscapes.

We stopped in the town of Webb City for the night, and as all the motels suggested in our route 66 books seemed to have been demolished and replaced with shops, we opted for a 'local' motel, which last saw the decorators, and the cleaner, in the 1950's. All part of the Route 66 experience! That evening we had the treat of going to a drive-in theatre, which was amazing. It had a brilliant atmosphere as it was full of local families and it was a lovely warm evening. We had hotdogs and popcorn, and it felt like a great USA experience!
Love to all, back on again soon!
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rte 66 - The Great Plains remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Chicago

2007-05-13T04:44:17Z

Hello!
It's been a while, we know, but the Great Plains isn't Great for internet access, OK?
Right, let's catch up. We arrived in Chicago last week, on Saturday morning (28th April). We spent a really nice few days there. The city has a good atmosphere, and the waterfront is really clean and modern looking.

On the first day we wandered into 'the loop', Chicago's downtown named after the loop of elevated train tracks that circle it. On the shores of Lake Michigan (amazing turquoise blue) is a long park, including sculpture gardens and 'the bean', a huge reflective thing that draws the crowds. Is pretty cool. We checked into the hotel and ate in the city centre, a recommended place that does 'proper' Chicago pizzas (They are REALLY deep dish, like a pie. Two slices and you're done).

The following day we went to an aquarium - saw fish - then wanderered along 'Magnificent Mile', the shopping district. That evening we went up the John Hancock building, the most recognisable building in the world allegedly(?), and saw the city at sunset and night. Very impressive.

On Monday we explored the Magnificent Mile a bit more and took in a bit more of the city. Tuesday we had a lazy morning and picked up the car around 3. We headed towards the start point of Rte 66, right in the centre of town, and got stuck in the biggest traffic jam ever. Nationwide Immigration rallies had brought the city, in rush hour, to a standstill. 1 mile, and an hour and a half later, we wriggled out of the worst of the traffic, and our journey down Route 66 had begun!

Hope everyone's well
Love
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Chicago remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Memphis

2007-05-06T00:08:15Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello again!
We got into Memphis late on Wednesday, and a cab to the hotel (I'm sure it was driven by Elvis). Thursday morning we wandered across to the visitor centre and overloaded ourselves with leaflets (the usual drill). We ate some classic southern fare in a 'blue plate' cafe (buttermilk pancakes, egg and grits and biscuits and gravy) Grits is an aquired taste, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was excellent at sticking up wallpaper. All part of the experience though! We got a local bus down the Elvis Presley Blvd to Graceland, and immersed ourselves in the Presley theme park. The actual house isn't huge, and Elvis didn't even build it. But he did extend it and he sure did some redecorating!

We spent the day looking at endless jumpsuits and his collection of gold discs, cars and even planes (Convair 880 with gold plated seatbelts, sofas and bedrooms!) During the evening we walked down to Beale St, the party street lit up by neon and lined with bars blaring Blues and Rock & Roll. We ate in a local BBQ place (it's the local thing) and watched a fake Elvis in a bar along the street. Hilarious. Reminded me of the Carvern Quarter on speed.
The following day, Friday, we walked to the Peabody Hotel in the centre of town and witnessed one of the strangest traditions. Since the 1930's, the lobby and large fountain in the centre, has been home to the Peabody ducks. At 11am the Keeper of the Ducks leads 5 ducks from their penthouse suite on the roof, out of the elevator along a strip of red carpet and into the fountain. It is bizarre, and quite a crowd puller. Not sure even the photos do it justice!

After the Peabody ducks we went to Mud Island, a park on an island in the Mississippi. We wandered in the sun (hot, again) and rented a two-man kayak for a pleasant paddle around the paddle steamers on the river. Fun, if not a bit unusual!

We walked around the centre of the city a bit more, jumping on the trams and eating in a classic Memphis cafe (frequented by Elvis, so we had to try the cheeseburger!). A bit more music, a sip more beer, and then we boarded the train at around half 10. Another unusual nights sleep and we woke up in Illinois, arriving in Chicago at about half nine this morning.

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Memphis remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

New Orleans

2007-05-06T00:06:39Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hello!
Last time we we're in the middle of lazing in C-Ville. We did a little more relaxing on Sunday, sitting on the lawns of the University and then having a meal along the pedestrianised section of Main Street. The place is really nice with a good, bohemian vibe.

We wandered to the station around 8pm, and caught the train around 9. We had a little cabin for the 24 hour train journey (thought it was only 23, but we crossed a time zone!). The cabin had two chairs (that folded into the lower of two bunks), a table, a toilet and sink - and was all pretty compact! We grabbed a drink from the lounge car and our attendant made up the beds, then had an unusual nights sleep in the rockin' cabin (with the train horn blaring all night!). We had a really nice breakfast in the dining car (beats a coffee and bagal off the street!) and settled in the cabin watching the countryside roll by. We had lunch and dinner in the dining car (all included) and arrived into New Orleans around half seven in the evening. Riding into New Orleans the railroad crosses the huge lake on a narrow causeway and then through neighbourhoods still obviously showing signs of the hurricane. Lots of spraypainted crosses on doors and walls, loads of mobile homes and caravans, missing roofs and tarpaulins. Is quite sobering. But we've no idea how the place looked before, so it's easy to blame every derelict house on Katrina, even if it's nothing to do with it. We got a cab to the hotel after arriving in the station and had an easy evening in front of the telly.
Our first full day in the Big Easy was warm and balmy, and the place is really pretty. Wide streets with trams running down the centre and huge palm trees along the pavements. We walked into the French Quarter, a section of town built by the Spanish (obviously) and remains full of smaller, three storey buildings with cast iron balconies.

It is a large area, a mix of residential and shops and restaurants and has a really relaxed, friendly feel. It's full of flowers and greenery, and has Jackson Square in the centre.
During the afternoon we went for a cruise on the 'Natchez' a Paddle Steamer along the Mississippi. The weather was scorching! Really nice to see the river, still lively with huge container ships, and the banks behind the levees. New Orleans is so low that only three or four storey buildings peek over the river banks.

During the evening we went out along Bourbon Street, running through the middle of the French Quarter. It is very lively, everyday! Music blares out of every building (all bars and clubs). We ate some local food (grilled alligator and cajun po'boys) and then settled in a place with some live jazz and tried the local alcoholic delicacies. Needless to say, we felt delicate ourselves the next morning. We slowly readied ourselves (without sudden movements or bright light) for the next train journey, an 8 hour trek to Memphis.

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

New Orleans remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

The Outer Banks

2007-04-22T00:01:50Z

See the itinerary of this trip, and details about each destination.

Hi y'all!
It's been a while since we last saw a computer, so this is another quick catch up. We were in Greenville, North Carolina, last time we wrote. From there, on Tuesay, we drove out towards the coast, along small, scenic roads through swamps and creeks. We passed an aerial bombing range, with 2 jets swooping overhead (F15s!). Then into long, low bridges across the water onto the islands of the Outer Banks. We stayed in Kill Devil Hills, and had a wander along the beach on the first afternoon, seeing a big SUV stuck in the sand with the tide coming in.

Young kid who was driving it was desperately trying to dig it out as the water started creeping up the wheels! It looked like it was doomed (they took out all their stuff and taped up the door seams) but then a big tow truck came flying up the beach and pulled it out. Drew quite a crowd!
On Wednesday we drove south down to Cape Hattaras, to a big lighthouse and beach (actually, the whole place is one big beach.)

Dave's hangliding wasn't to be, as it needed to have been pre-booked (good job we didn't, tho, cos the original plan had us here on Sunday/Monday, during a thunderstorm and tornado outbreak!). We also went to Roanoke where the first English settlement, the 'Lost Colony' started and then disappeared. During the afternoon we went to Jockeys Ridge park, a huge (biggest on East coast) sand dune. Yeh, it's just a big sand dune.
On Thursday we went to the Wright Brothers monument, looked 'round the exhibit and watched a talk by an Park Ranger on the first powered flight here in 1903. There are marker stones showing where (and how short) the first flights were.

At the monument Dave's camera made it's first flight, lens first into the granite. Whoops. It kinda whirred a bit, then went dark. Afterwards we drove up to Yorktown, to where the last battle of the Revolution was fought. Was good, short tour with a Park Ranger (where we saw a golden eagle!) then a self drive tour around the battlefield. After that we drove into Williamsburg and feasted on junk food from Walgreens.
Yesterday (Friday) we drove to Jamestown island and the remains of (yet another) English settlement.

This is where Pocahontas was from. During the afternoon we drove back West to Charlottesville and recovered after a week, and nearly 1300 miles, of driving!

Today we dropped the car at the airport and got the shuttle back to the hotel. We caught the bus into the centre of C-Ville and had a lovely lazy day of shopping and the odd drink in the baking sun. Very civilised. Plan on doing much the same tomorrow, then catch our train at about 7:30pm.

Lastly, thanks for all the comments - nice to see everyone's paying attention (or reading it at all really!)
Hope everyone's enjoying your sun, now that we've got some too!

Oh by the way. Assumed the camera was a gonna, so kinda tugged and pushed it a bit and it started working again. Result! Battle-scarred but still alive!

Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Outer Banks remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Golden Virginia

2007-04-16T23:15:23Z

Hey everyone,
We've spent most of the last few days travelling around south Washington through Virginia. On the last few days in Washington we finally braved the queue for the National archives, where they keep the Declaration of Independance and Constitution. There was also (obviously) time for more cheesy holiday snaps.

On Friday we got the train out of Union Station and clattered down to Charlottesville, around 100 miles away. When we got off it was really warm and sunny, which was a welcome change!

We (rather crazily) walked to the hotel which was miles (the map was...misleading). Still, we arrived and recovered, had a wander 'round the local supermarket (emphasis on local) and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Next morning (Saturday) we picked the car up from the local airport. There were some nice looking cars in the lot - and then there was ours. The only (in the State of Virginia) bright yellow Chevrolet Cobalt. We looked at the weather forecast and decided somewhere inside would be best for the day, so headed to a huge Mall just outside Washington. All shopped out, we drove West to the top of the Blue Ridge mountains ready for a scenic drive down the following morning.
Sunday morning looked bright and sunny from our room, but we quickly realised that it was just the Chevy in the car park and it was infact cloudy. Our scenic drive climbed up along the ridge of the mountains, as high as 2500 feet at times, and we literally drove through the clouds.

And the visibility changed so quickly, so that you could see 20 miles one minute, and barely 20 feet the next. However, the drive was really nice, we pulled over lots and saw some deer, and enjoyed looking down to the valley in the gaps between the clouds.

We drove back south along the interstate and stayed in a place called Waynesboro in a pass along the mountain range.
This morning we prepared for a long drive with a visit to Wal-Mart, stocking up on nibbles and drinks. We also planned our lunch stop at a Ponderosa buffet north of Richmond (so organised!) We headed East to Richmond, filled up on the buffet then turned South, leaving Virginia and entering North Carolina (where it is illegal for an under 18 to use a cell phone whilst driving except if talking to a parent. Honestly)

We're now in a motel in Greenville under lovely sunny skies, though is quite windy! Weather a bit crazy still, Snowing and really heavy rain between Boston and Washington, but with luck our couple of days on the beach should be fine. We'll find out starting tomorrow!

Hope everyone's well,
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PS: Mel - good luck with the Marathon this weekend. The runners in Boston today had a 50mph headwind all the with way heavy rain! Hope the skies are kinder in London!

Golden Virginia remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Washington, DC

2007-04-11T01:28:28Z

Hello all!
Were back on, and about up to date at last! The photo backlog is pretty much cleared, and now we're in Washington, home of the cheesy photo opportunity (brace yourself for some classics!)
OK, so we arrived on Good Friday afternoon by train, jumped on the Metro and got to our hotel. Brilliant location (2 or 3 blocks from Smithsonian Institute buildings, the Mall, the White House) The hotel is a bit touristy, but it'll do us! The first afternoon we wandered down to the White House, cos you just kinda gotta!

The following morning we went to the Museum of Natural History (one of the Smithsonian buildings) and saw loads of stuffed animals, Dinosaur bones, that kind of thing. Also a 3D IMAX show. During the afternoon we popped into the Air and Space museum and looked at some space stuff, and had a quick look at some sites as we moved around.

Today was the best day of weather so far (We've had sun since a little flutter of snow in Philly on Thursday, but there's a load of cold air from Canada cooling the whole of the coutry down at the minute). We went back into the Air & Space (small doses is good!), saw a 3D IMAX show about the moon (same one as in Florida, gang, and we stayed awake this time!).
Then we spent the afternoon walking around seeing the sights.

Washington is built to walk around idly, looking at big statues and buildings, with huge open avenues and green spaces. Is very nice! There's still more to see in the museums and more memorials and stuff to wander 'round. We're here til Friday, and is nice to be a bit settled in one place (and get some washing done!)

We'll be back on before we leave DC, so speak again soon. Hope everyone had a good Easter.

Bye for now,
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Washington, DC remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs

Philadelphia

2007-04-09T00:32:06Z

Hello again!
We got into Philly during Friday afternoon after a fairly long train ride from Boston. We found our hotel after a 15 minute walk through the unknown (Philadelphia has a certain reputation!).
We had a drink and a really nice meal in a funky bar down the road - first cocktails of the holiday! On Saturday we headed to the historical tourist part of town (for a change!) and took in some more buildings, but made time for a lunchtime visit to a huge indoor market, called Reading Terminal Market, where we sampled a Philly Cheesesteak (very nice, like a fancy kebab!). The old buildings were used when Philly was the Capital of the US (1790-1800) and include the place where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed.

On the way back to the hotel we had a poke around another attraction - H&M, and finished the day with a lovely burger and chips!
This morning went back to the old town and saw the Liberty Bell (the queues were huge yesterday, and it is just an old, broken bell after all!)
We got our train to Washington DC this afternoon.

Love
Dave and Sarah XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

PS: Check out the last week or so of entries - they have photos!!!!

Philadelphia remains copyright of the author davidarow, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

Comment on this entry | Tweet this | Your own free travel blog | More Travellerspoint blogs