Aug 26
Home again. You know you’ve arrived when you have to queue to enter your own country; it’s cold, overcast and not a smile of greeting anywhere whilst the officials carry on their private conversations with colleagues whilst processing your passport!
How to summarise a trip that has been so long awaited but sooo worth that wait…..
Well, we drove 5530 miles ourselves; add to that the approximate mileage that Laurie drove of 400 miles and we have covered some 6000 miles in a month. Not bad huh?
California is such a contrast of scenes from the big, steep city of San Francisco with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge to the sprawl of LA to the mountains and the Pacific Highway which takes you to Big Sur with its dramatic coastline and wildlife. The noise of the elephant seals will stay with us always. Traffic and smog will be the overwhelming memory of LA for now. Twelve lanes of vehicles going nowhere, fast…. But I know for David his time aboard the Queen Mary will be etched forever in his memory. Her grandeur and history is very special to him.
Crossing a small part of the Mojave Desert; Lake Havasu with the London Bridge in temperatures well in excess of 100 deg F in early evening, David feeling as if his nose and eyes were on fire, another of those moments. Driving through the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas in those temperatures too is not something we’ll experience often either. Many have tried, but how to convey the majesty and splendour of that ‘hole’ that is the Grand Canyon. To see the colours of the rock, the sheer depth and width is almost impossible to describe. Add the flight of a condor and it makes even an old verbose cynic like me struggle for words! Monument Valley and its environs is everything you imagine it to be but different. The distances between the mesas and buttes is much greater than you think and we travelled some 60 miles in a round trip and still we did not see them all. It is a little like the first time you view the New York Skyline, one of those surreal moments experienced when you know the view so well but can’t actually believe you’re there. Make the effort to drive though because, as well as the known sights, further on is the Mexican Hat which we would not have found had we just gone those first few miles into the valley. It is another paradise for a true photographer especially if you wait for sunset! Four Corners Monument, something and nothing but I’m glad I can say we went there. Four states intersecting is pretty unique after all.
The mid west states: Oklahoma with its softly undulating terrain, mowed meridians and its billboards for ‘Adult Superstores’ alongside those for the Church, Kansas for the hometown feel and terrific thunderstorms, Indiana, Idaho, Illinois, Ohio for the fields of corn, Missouri for…………… St Louis. Those of you who have followed our blog will know our thoughts on that city already! Litter fines are another striking memory. All along the I40 signs let you know that the penalty for littering will be financially severe; however, in New England they range from $219 in one part of Connecticut to $10,000 (yep, $10k) in Massachusetts! Focuses the mind somewhat! UK you have a lot to learn!! I’m just sorry we could not spend more time in these beautiful mid west states; there will be other trips though, so watch this space…
The great lakes and New England: Niagara and the Falls are, rightly one of the wonders of the world. Like the Grand Canyon water shows its power. No matter what mankind can do, nothing matches the power of nature! It really is a wonderful sight to behold. Another one of those sensory assaults which have assailed us throughout this whole trip. Finger Lakes region in upstate New York looks magnificent; like the mid west sadly not explored on this occasion. The best states of New England, in my humble opinion are: Connecticut for its contrasts of historic cities and towns and its coastline, Vermont and New Hampshire for their mountains and trees. Stowe in VT is so quintessentially New England with its clapboard houses and white church spires, New Hampshire with its unforgettable Mount Washington Cog Railway and last, but certainly not least, Maine for its coastline. Bar Harbor is like stepping back in time. The people are friendly and courteous, the stores are quaint and it is truly a place to relax. These four states, for me, are wonderful and I can’t wait to go back. Apologies to those friends in the USA who might read this but neither David nor I were particularly taken with Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Perhaps we went to the wrong places but, again, this review is purely my own subjective one!
And then, of course, there is the one and only New York City! We thank Laurie for driving us there (so saying after driving in RI I don’t think I will ever be daunted by NY traffic again!) and, for David, it was wonderful. He loved being in the Empire State Building and taking his beloved photos. He wants to go back to the city and do a lot more of that. The vibrancy and energy truly is something to behold.
We have been so very lucky to have been able to see and do the things we have on this trip. We have met some wonderful people, the lady in Monterey, Daniel who gave us the advice on drinking plenty of water in the desert, the ranger who showed us the condor in the Grand Canyon, our innkeepers, Julie and John in Vermont and the lovely couple from New York who were also staying at the inn, the couple we met in Bar Harbor who had driven there from Fort Myers in Florida. The list is inexhaustible really. Then, of course there is the traffic in the cities….the overwhelming memory though will always be Boston in the rush hour! 2 ½ hours to travel just 30 miles! A billboard, advertising a 5.7ltr engine vehicle ‘to get you there faster’. Faster where? 10 lanes of nose to tail in both directions wheels barely moving.
I wouldn’t have missed this trip for anything and I know for certain that David feels the same. You can find a song or movie quotation for almost anything but I believe that Woody Guthrie wrote the words: ‘this land is our land, from sea to shining sea’ and we have been fortunate enough to actually drive from sea to shining sea!
Ain’t we lucky?
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Sunday, 24 August 2008
Plymouth, MA
Aug 23
Last piece of blog from the USA.
Stayed in the Plymouth area yesterday and did the history bit. So educational, the British should come here and see how interactive history can be! First stop Mayflower II. The master of the ship (actors in both costume and 17 century character) was brilliant. His knowledge of the time I don't think could be surpassed and, to add to the atmosphere the characters will only talk to you as if you are indeed in 1620. A fascinating insight to the journey across the Atlantic and what the Englishmen (as they like to be referred to) encountered on landing. Contrary to popular belief not all passengers were escaping religious persecution, some came purely for economic reasons, not unlike today. Of the 102 who sailed from England only 60 survived the first winter! Life expectancy was not high!
Onto Plimouth Plantation, another marvellous re-enactment of the times. The Wamapoag (think the spelling is correct) is peopled by the tribesmen and women of today who will talk about their ancestors and how they lived with a small village built to demonstrate this beautifully and the English village, like the Mayflower, has characters in costume and time only, including the children who will address you in the speech of 1627. Again, this is how history should be taught.
Today, sadly we make our way to the airport and the UK. More when we get there.
Last piece of blog from the USA.
Stayed in the Plymouth area yesterday and did the history bit. So educational, the British should come here and see how interactive history can be! First stop Mayflower II. The master of the ship (actors in both costume and 17 century character) was brilliant. His knowledge of the time I don't think could be surpassed and, to add to the atmosphere the characters will only talk to you as if you are indeed in 1620. A fascinating insight to the journey across the Atlantic and what the Englishmen (as they like to be referred to) encountered on landing. Contrary to popular belief not all passengers were escaping religious persecution, some came purely for economic reasons, not unlike today. Of the 102 who sailed from England only 60 survived the first winter! Life expectancy was not high!
Onto Plimouth Plantation, another marvellous re-enactment of the times. The Wamapoag (think the spelling is correct) is peopled by the tribesmen and women of today who will talk about their ancestors and how they lived with a small village built to demonstrate this beautifully and the English village, like the Mayflower, has characters in costume and time only, including the children who will address you in the speech of 1627. Again, this is how history should be taught.
Today, sadly we make our way to the airport and the UK. More when we get there.
Friday, 22 August 2008
Driving in Rhode Island!
Aug 22
Arrived in Plymouth on Wednesday evening after a 'lovely' journey through Boston at rush hour! Not to be recommended! Hotel room extremely comfy, even have steps to reach the bed it's so high! David thinks it amusing that about 150yds away there's a massage parlour, but I do try to think of everything for him......
Plymouth MA is very unlike Plymouth, Devon. It is the largest town around the coast but the population is somewhere in the region of 56k wheresas Plymouth in the UK is in excess of 300k. The portico surrounding Plymouth Rock is undergoing renovation so it can only be seen through a window and through the surrounding scaffolding! Heigh ho...
Salem is a beautiful little town. The Witch Museum is well worth the visit and the entrance fee is just $8 each. The show is well done and the guides are very knowledgeable. The trolley tour costs $10 each; the tickets are valid all day, hop on hop off, but the best bit is that it is narrated so you learn about the town as you go, great. We had a fab driver, Kevin. Witty and dry humour which made the tour all the more entertaining.
Then, there's Providence RI..... lunatic drivers would be the understatement of both this and the last century! They make New York look like a walk in the park! The road system is completely indecipherable and we have GPS!! Horns honking, weaving in and out without any signals... the list goes on and on. We came, we saw, we LEFT in a hurry. Can't say we'll be going back any time soon.
Decided that we've simply run out of time on this trip so, looks like Boston itself will have to wait for another visit. We still have venues to explore here and we'd like a day to really chill before (yes, that dreaded time has come) we fly back to the grind of everyday living. Plimouth Plantation looks good and they re-enact the times that the Pilgrim Fathers arrived and the Mayflower II also has to be visited, so that's our last day planned out... so far....
Arrived in Plymouth on Wednesday evening after a 'lovely' journey through Boston at rush hour! Not to be recommended! Hotel room extremely comfy, even have steps to reach the bed it's so high! David thinks it amusing that about 150yds away there's a massage parlour, but I do try to think of everything for him......
Plymouth MA is very unlike Plymouth, Devon. It is the largest town around the coast but the population is somewhere in the region of 56k wheresas Plymouth in the UK is in excess of 300k. The portico surrounding Plymouth Rock is undergoing renovation so it can only be seen through a window and through the surrounding scaffolding! Heigh ho...
Salem is a beautiful little town. The Witch Museum is well worth the visit and the entrance fee is just $8 each. The show is well done and the guides are very knowledgeable. The trolley tour costs $10 each; the tickets are valid all day, hop on hop off, but the best bit is that it is narrated so you learn about the town as you go, great. We had a fab driver, Kevin. Witty and dry humour which made the tour all the more entertaining.
Then, there's Providence RI..... lunatic drivers would be the understatement of both this and the last century! They make New York look like a walk in the park! The road system is completely indecipherable and we have GPS!! Horns honking, weaving in and out without any signals... the list goes on and on. We came, we saw, we LEFT in a hurry. Can't say we'll be going back any time soon.
Decided that we've simply run out of time on this trip so, looks like Boston itself will have to wait for another visit. We still have venues to explore here and we'd like a day to really chill before (yes, that dreaded time has come) we fly back to the grind of everyday living. Plimouth Plantation looks good and they re-enact the times that the Pilgrim Fathers arrived and the Mayflower II also has to be visited, so that's our last day planned out... so far....
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Rain, rain go away......
Aug 19
Had a really lazy day today. Drove to Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Park and could see precisely...... nothing! The fog came down and there was absolutely no visibility! However, it is now 5:15pm the sun is shining, the sea is blue and we're beginning to think about going down into town again for our dinner. So many places to choose from...... and the gin went down so well yesterday. Surprising to most but the first I've had since San Francisco!!!!!! Must be work that drives me to drink so think I'll stay on holiday permanently! We were woken this morning by the very loud blast of a foghorn - the ferry runs from here to Nova Scotia (Canada for those whose geography may be a little lapsing!!)
Tomorrow we arrive in Plymouth, MA for our last 4 nights so we've booked a lovely hotel with pool, spa etc to really spoil ourselves (and David's pet moose...... a beany moose really but he wanted one because we have not seen the real thing and he's a wee bit disappointed). Having said that we have seen lots of deer and other wildlife which has been pretty awesome.
Had a really lazy day today. Drove to Cadillac Mountain in the Acadia National Park and could see precisely...... nothing! The fog came down and there was absolutely no visibility! However, it is now 5:15pm the sun is shining, the sea is blue and we're beginning to think about going down into town again for our dinner. So many places to choose from...... and the gin went down so well yesterday. Surprising to most but the first I've had since San Francisco!!!!!! Must be work that drives me to drink so think I'll stay on holiday permanently! We were woken this morning by the very loud blast of a foghorn - the ferry runs from here to Nova Scotia (Canada for those whose geography may be a little lapsing!!)
Tomorrow we arrive in Plymouth, MA for our last 4 nights so we've booked a lovely hotel with pool, spa etc to really spoil ourselves (and David's pet moose...... a beany moose really but he wanted one because we have not seen the real thing and he's a wee bit disappointed). Having said that we have seen lots of deer and other wildlife which has been pretty awesome.
Monday, 18 August 2008
More of this beautiful area
Aug 18
No access yesterday but the day was incredibly memorable. We travelled a mere 69 miles to Mount Washington in New Hampshire where you will find the unique cog railway that will take you from 2700ft above sea level (base station as it is called) up to 6288ft above sea level at the speed of 3 mph!! Swift huh? It is an almost vertical assent which burns 1 ton of coal and uses 1000 gallons of water to make it to the summit. There is a stop at approx 4800ft to refill the water tank as it holds only 700 gallons! Traversing 'Jacobs Ladder' a man made wooden structure that has a 30 deg turn, a 30ft drop and a 37.4 deg gradient is something else. The front of the passenger carriage is some 14 - 16ft above the rear! Taking the photos of the ladder is somewhat tricky but hey, it has to be done! Good job there are holds on the backs of the seats or you'd be out the rear door of the carriage straight into the engine which, unusually, pushes and not pulls the carriage! The only engine too that is on a slope so the the boiler is horizontal when climbing the mountain. Worth the $59 each fare. No views from the top of the mountain, unless you count the people who are only 10ft away...... 74 deg fahrenheit at the botton 47 deg at the top but only 36 deg when the wind chill is factored in... quite chilly in fact. Could have been worse, in 1934 the strongest wind on earth was recorded here at 231mph! Gale, what gale? It is part of the Appalachian Trail and the hikers have a special way to greet the train.... they moon! Didn't see any, but it was cold!!
Onto Maine and Bar Harbor. Another of the places we've all read about and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Yeah, it's a tourist trap but, what a tourist trap. We have found the most beautiful hotel, just pulled in and, I'm sitting here at 11:35pm local time with the patio door open, breeze in the trees and the sea lapping at the shore, heavenly. The town is very pretty with lots of restaurants mostly selling lobster, can't understand why.. and whilst it does have all the usual rubbish it has some beautifully crafted keepsakes too. The other outstanding quality of the area is the friendliness of the local people and their genuine wish to make your stay here as pleasant and memorable as they can make it. Do come if you can.
No access yesterday but the day was incredibly memorable. We travelled a mere 69 miles to Mount Washington in New Hampshire where you will find the unique cog railway that will take you from 2700ft above sea level (base station as it is called) up to 6288ft above sea level at the speed of 3 mph!! Swift huh? It is an almost vertical assent which burns 1 ton of coal and uses 1000 gallons of water to make it to the summit. There is a stop at approx 4800ft to refill the water tank as it holds only 700 gallons! Traversing 'Jacobs Ladder' a man made wooden structure that has a 30 deg turn, a 30ft drop and a 37.4 deg gradient is something else. The front of the passenger carriage is some 14 - 16ft above the rear! Taking the photos of the ladder is somewhat tricky but hey, it has to be done! Good job there are holds on the backs of the seats or you'd be out the rear door of the carriage straight into the engine which, unusually, pushes and not pulls the carriage! The only engine too that is on a slope so the the boiler is horizontal when climbing the mountain. Worth the $59 each fare. No views from the top of the mountain, unless you count the people who are only 10ft away...... 74 deg fahrenheit at the botton 47 deg at the top but only 36 deg when the wind chill is factored in... quite chilly in fact. Could have been worse, in 1934 the strongest wind on earth was recorded here at 231mph! Gale, what gale? It is part of the Appalachian Trail and the hikers have a special way to greet the train.... they moon! Didn't see any, but it was cold!!
Onto Maine and Bar Harbor. Another of the places we've all read about and it certainly doesn't disappoint. Yeah, it's a tourist trap but, what a tourist trap. We have found the most beautiful hotel, just pulled in and, I'm sitting here at 11:35pm local time with the patio door open, breeze in the trees and the sea lapping at the shore, heavenly. The town is very pretty with lots of restaurants mostly selling lobster, can't understand why.. and whilst it does have all the usual rubbish it has some beautifully crafted keepsakes too. The other outstanding quality of the area is the friendliness of the local people and their genuine wish to make your stay here as pleasant and memorable as they can make it. Do come if you can.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
Sauntering in Stowe and surrounds
Aug 16
Decided to stay around this area today because it is so quintesentially New England; clapboard homes, white picket fences and tall church spires against the green mountain backdrop. We took a drive up some of the mountain roads with lots of switchbacks (hairpins to those back home) and we will never look at Cheddar Gorge in the same light again! On our tour we found some lovely covered bridges - a la Bridges of Madison County mode - and they are quite unique, worth the extra driving. Saying that it is so relaxing to wander around on 'narrow' roads and not interstates! Some of the views are breathtakingly beautiful, another of those must see destinations!
Next stop, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury. A really fun tour with an enthusiastic, whacky guide! Dreadful jokes - why has a milking stool got three legs? Because the cow has got the udder! A nice guy nevertheless! Informative and fun with the added bonus of free Ben and Jerry's ice cream to finish, can't be bad. Back to Stowe to a malt shop for yet more ice cream but the added bonus that it is a 50s style cafe with rock and roll memorabelia inset into the tables. Our table was full of Elvis Presley things so, yes, I have taken the obligatory photos for those who may be interested....
Fitch Hill Inn, Hyde Park, Vermont is one of those incredibly lucky finds you happen across occasionally. Julie and John, our hosts, are so warm and friendly you really don't want to leave. Sadly we must tomorrow, but if anyone is in this neck of the woods looking for accommodation that is warm, comfortable with magnificent breakfasts, then this is the place for you!
Decided to stay around this area today because it is so quintesentially New England; clapboard homes, white picket fences and tall church spires against the green mountain backdrop. We took a drive up some of the mountain roads with lots of switchbacks (hairpins to those back home) and we will never look at Cheddar Gorge in the same light again! On our tour we found some lovely covered bridges - a la Bridges of Madison County mode - and they are quite unique, worth the extra driving. Saying that it is so relaxing to wander around on 'narrow' roads and not interstates! Some of the views are breathtakingly beautiful, another of those must see destinations!
Next stop, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory in Waterbury. A really fun tour with an enthusiastic, whacky guide! Dreadful jokes - why has a milking stool got three legs? Because the cow has got the udder! A nice guy nevertheless! Informative and fun with the added bonus of free Ben and Jerry's ice cream to finish, can't be bad. Back to Stowe to a malt shop for yet more ice cream but the added bonus that it is a 50s style cafe with rock and roll memorabelia inset into the tables. Our table was full of Elvis Presley things so, yes, I have taken the obligatory photos for those who may be interested....
Fitch Hill Inn, Hyde Park, Vermont is one of those incredibly lucky finds you happen across occasionally. Julie and John, our hosts, are so warm and friendly you really don't want to leave. Sadly we must tomorrow, but if anyone is in this neck of the woods looking for accommodation that is warm, comfortable with magnificent breakfasts, then this is the place for you!
Friday, 15 August 2008
New York, New York
Aug 15
What a few days we've had. We have been so lucky to stay with friends who have been kind and chauffered us everywhere in Connecticut and even took us down to the 'Big Apple'! I've never been to the city in the summer months, only when you freeze to death, so it was great to see it in the heat! Driving in from uptown was an experience, so glad we had someone who knew where they were going in the driving seat. The parkway down from Connecticut was a surprise too, it was so green and, no commercial vehicles allowed on it, wonderful. Travelled in along the East River partway and then cut across to the Hudson and down the westside. Parked where the lift takes the car up and you stay down on the ground floor, weird for us from the east side of the Atlantic! The streets as busy as ever, dodging people and traffic with the three stooges doing their act! Laurie in front, looking for me in the middle, looking for David bringing up the rear busy taking all the photos and video! Then the queue for the Empire State Building.... 45 minutes to get through security, 45 minutes to wait to buy tickets and then 30 minutes to get into the lift to the 80th floor! Then, 30 minutes to get the lift to the 86th floor. The security decided to open the door to the staircase to walk up the last 6 floors..... Laurie asks 'June, can you do this?' 'Ok' Nearly dead at the top, but I made it with help from Laurie holding my backpack for me... (It's now 11:25pm the following evening and I think the legs have stopped shaking).. It was a shame it was so hazy; Laurie grew up in New York but couldn't show us everything he would have liked to because he simply couldn't see all his local landmarks! Another time maybe. David loved it and I have to say to everyone, this is something you have to do once in your lifetime, it is so breathtakingly beautiful up there (yes, even in the haze). The other great thing is that for an extra $15 you can go up to the 102nd floor. Had the visibility been better we would have taken advantage of that, but on this occasion we didn't. It's still great value at only $19 each. Don't bother with the video show they're offering, you don't save much time and the show is rubbish anyway. Into Macy's for a small spot of retail therapy, some lunch and back to the car to miss some of the rush-hour traffic AND the rain, thunder and lightning! Rain? Mmm, you could say so. It blocked out the view of the Hudson River and we were right alongside it!
Sadly we left Kathy and Laurie today and headed northeast into Vermont. We have stayed overnight in a superb b&b, built in 1797, in Hyde Park, just outside Stowe. It is beautiful here and our hostess thinks the fall will be early this year as some of the trees are beginning to turn already. There is one just outside which is already partly red and is showing us a glimmer of the glory to come. Several trees along the highway were doing the same. It really is beautiful with the trees and the mountains (no phone signals) so it is very peaceful too. Stowe is a very quaint New England town and we shall be exploring it further tomorrow but I'm not sure if that will be before or after we visit Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. We passed it on the way here but it was too close to closing time to go in, but tomorrow, ice cream here we come.
What a few days we've had. We have been so lucky to stay with friends who have been kind and chauffered us everywhere in Connecticut and even took us down to the 'Big Apple'! I've never been to the city in the summer months, only when you freeze to death, so it was great to see it in the heat! Driving in from uptown was an experience, so glad we had someone who knew where they were going in the driving seat. The parkway down from Connecticut was a surprise too, it was so green and, no commercial vehicles allowed on it, wonderful. Travelled in along the East River partway and then cut across to the Hudson and down the westside. Parked where the lift takes the car up and you stay down on the ground floor, weird for us from the east side of the Atlantic! The streets as busy as ever, dodging people and traffic with the three stooges doing their act! Laurie in front, looking for me in the middle, looking for David bringing up the rear busy taking all the photos and video! Then the queue for the Empire State Building.... 45 minutes to get through security, 45 minutes to wait to buy tickets and then 30 minutes to get into the lift to the 80th floor! Then, 30 minutes to get the lift to the 86th floor. The security decided to open the door to the staircase to walk up the last 6 floors..... Laurie asks 'June, can you do this?' 'Ok' Nearly dead at the top, but I made it with help from Laurie holding my backpack for me... (It's now 11:25pm the following evening and I think the legs have stopped shaking).. It was a shame it was so hazy; Laurie grew up in New York but couldn't show us everything he would have liked to because he simply couldn't see all his local landmarks! Another time maybe. David loved it and I have to say to everyone, this is something you have to do once in your lifetime, it is so breathtakingly beautiful up there (yes, even in the haze). The other great thing is that for an extra $15 you can go up to the 102nd floor. Had the visibility been better we would have taken advantage of that, but on this occasion we didn't. It's still great value at only $19 each. Don't bother with the video show they're offering, you don't save much time and the show is rubbish anyway. Into Macy's for a small spot of retail therapy, some lunch and back to the car to miss some of the rush-hour traffic AND the rain, thunder and lightning! Rain? Mmm, you could say so. It blocked out the view of the Hudson River and we were right alongside it!
Sadly we left Kathy and Laurie today and headed northeast into Vermont. We have stayed overnight in a superb b&b, built in 1797, in Hyde Park, just outside Stowe. It is beautiful here and our hostess thinks the fall will be early this year as some of the trees are beginning to turn already. There is one just outside which is already partly red and is showing us a glimmer of the glory to come. Several trees along the highway were doing the same. It really is beautiful with the trees and the mountains (no phone signals) so it is very peaceful too. Stowe is a very quaint New England town and we shall be exploring it further tomorrow but I'm not sure if that will be before or after we visit Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. We passed it on the way here but it was too close to closing time to go in, but tomorrow, ice cream here we come.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)