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.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Connecticut USA
Aug 13
This part of New England is so peaceful, just as I (David has been here before) expected it to be. It is strange to find so many place names that we see every day at home. We've been through New London and are staying in Glastonbury.
On Monday we went into Hartford and visited the Mark Twain house. It really should be on your visit list if you come by this way. It was built in 1871 and he moved in with his family in 1874. Cost? $45k. Imagine what that would be today? It's weird to see the actual desk where he wrote some of his most famous works but it's great to hear some of his wit. He had a balcony built outside the billiard room (where he did most of his writing) so that when callers came his butler could truthfully say that Mr Clements had 'stepped out' when in fact he was still in the building! I love that, must have one! From there we went to Bristol to a carousel horse museum. It's not publicised that much in the travel books from home but it you love carousels as much as I do you simply have to visit. There is a guided tour (our guide was Elaine) and they are so informative about the horses and their histories. Did you know that the front (outside) of the horse is the romantic side and the back (inside) is the apprentice? Neither did we. Makes sense really because the front is what draws you to the horse and you never see the back. Fabulous. Some real old ones there too.
Tuesday we went to Mystic Seaport. Great place to see. I have it on good authority from Laurie, our friend, that the pizzas aren't that great so we gave it a miss! Kathy, Laurie's wife, booked a great sunset cruise on a 3 masted schooner that took us down the river into the estuary that leads directly down to New York, wonderful. It is so serene to be sailing with no smelly engines and to be taken by the breeze. You can wander on and off the old ships and there is a museum that tells the history of the sea and whaling in this area, great for kids and adults alike. You can even try your hand at sail folding and knot tying!
Today we went to Gillettes Castle, East Haddam. It was built by William Gillette in the early 20th century and is so eccentric it could have been built by an Englishman. William Gillette was an actor who made Sherlock Holmes in the image we all know and love today. He loved the novels by Arthur Conan Doyle so much that he wrote to Conan Doyle to request permission to turn the novels into plays. The author who was so fed up with people asking for more gratefully gave the permission and the rest, as they say, is history. He became so rich from this undertaking that he built the castle. It's a folly in the greatest British tradition even down to the fact that he kept cats and there were 15 of them at any one time in his home. On one of the tables there are toys inbuilt for the cats to play with! Also, there are 47 individually carved doors. I could go on but you'll have to look it up if you want to know more.
Tomorrow we are off to New York. David has never been to the Empire State Building and I have never been to the city outside of winter. So, watch this space.
This part of New England is so peaceful, just as I (David has been here before) expected it to be. It is strange to find so many place names that we see every day at home. We've been through New London and are staying in Glastonbury.
On Monday we went into Hartford and visited the Mark Twain house. It really should be on your visit list if you come by this way. It was built in 1871 and he moved in with his family in 1874. Cost? $45k. Imagine what that would be today? It's weird to see the actual desk where he wrote some of his most famous works but it's great to hear some of his wit. He had a balcony built outside the billiard room (where he did most of his writing) so that when callers came his butler could truthfully say that Mr Clements had 'stepped out' when in fact he was still in the building! I love that, must have one! From there we went to Bristol to a carousel horse museum. It's not publicised that much in the travel books from home but it you love carousels as much as I do you simply have to visit. There is a guided tour (our guide was Elaine) and they are so informative about the horses and their histories. Did you know that the front (outside) of the horse is the romantic side and the back (inside) is the apprentice? Neither did we. Makes sense really because the front is what draws you to the horse and you never see the back. Fabulous. Some real old ones there too.
Tuesday we went to Mystic Seaport. Great place to see. I have it on good authority from Laurie, our friend, that the pizzas aren't that great so we gave it a miss! Kathy, Laurie's wife, booked a great sunset cruise on a 3 masted schooner that took us down the river into the estuary that leads directly down to New York, wonderful. It is so serene to be sailing with no smelly engines and to be taken by the breeze. You can wander on and off the old ships and there is a museum that tells the history of the sea and whaling in this area, great for kids and adults alike. You can even try your hand at sail folding and knot tying!
Today we went to Gillettes Castle, East Haddam. It was built by William Gillette in the early 20th century and is so eccentric it could have been built by an Englishman. William Gillette was an actor who made Sherlock Holmes in the image we all know and love today. He loved the novels by Arthur Conan Doyle so much that he wrote to Conan Doyle to request permission to turn the novels into plays. The author who was so fed up with people asking for more gratefully gave the permission and the rest, as they say, is history. He became so rich from this undertaking that he built the castle. It's a folly in the greatest British tradition even down to the fact that he kept cats and there were 15 of them at any one time in his home. On one of the tables there are toys inbuilt for the cats to play with! Also, there are 47 individually carved doors. I could go on but you'll have to look it up if you want to know more.
Tomorrow we are off to New York. David has never been to the Empire State Building and I have never been to the city outside of winter. So, watch this space.
Friday, 8 August 2008
Niagara Falls
Aug 7
Wow! This is a must see on anyone's travel list. They are fantastic, everything you ever expected and the roar can be heard half a mile away, awesome!
The trip to Niagara - literal meaning 'thundering water' is really easy from Amherst, so if you ever stay here it's no problem being that little bit farther out. Beware tourist information people trying to sell their tours because they are a complete rip off. They charge $59 when the ticket to all the attractions and the trolley bus (hop on, hop off) is just $30 dollars in the state park itself. This is one of the best value tickets we have had to date. To see the Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side, it's an easy walk over the Rainbow Bridge into Canada; the Skylon Tower is also on the Canadian side. And, you get to have an immigration stamp in your passport too!
The Maid of the Mist is excellent but do go there first because the queues later in the day are much longer; and the blue plastic poncho is so very 'flattering'... Next go onto the observation bridge because the views of the falls are spectacular. The Cave of the Winds is a completely different experience altogether. Another 'flattering' poncho, this time bright yellow, together with a pair of sandals..... why sandals? Because your feet get absolutely soaking, as do your jeans/trousers if you don't roll the legs up! An elevator takes you down 175ft to the bottom of the falls and a series of wooden decks/steps allow you to walk along the side of the river and experience the falls from a completely different angle. The noise is not as loud as you would expect but it is again, great fun. It's also the best place for seeing the rainbows in the water. Ladies, cropped trousers or shorts are the best mode of dress for this excursion - especially if you do the Hurricane Deck as I did. You literally stand under a small waterfall and get truly soaked. Fantastic, for those daring or daft enough like me to do it. However, the jeans did suffer and they were drenched all the way up to my knees!
They have a great idea for the sandals afterwards though, they can be donated to third world countries where shoes are not readily available and help to stop ground parasites getting into the feet of the people who live there.
The only disappointment for me was the film they show of the history of Niagara Falls. I expected a lot more information on how they were formed but it gives a potted tale of the myths and human history of them instead. One of the myths is of 'the Maid of the Mist' - a young Indian girl was married to a wise elder of the village but could not love him. She left the village because she could not shame them or the elder and was called by the gods to the falls and over she went. The gods put out their arms and took her to them. Some say she can still be seen in the waters.......
At 9:00 pm there is a light show on the falls. We learned from this trip today that to experience the excitement and noise of the falls you need to be in the USA but to see them at night you need to be in Canada. From the Canadian side you are looking at them directly, not from the side, so the lights will be much more effective.
Should you decide to walk across the bridge into Canada, there are superb views of both the falls and the river because you are at least 300ft above the river, it's quite unnerving looking through the railings to the swirling water below. (No good if you suffer from vertigo!) Quite bizarre to see a London double decker bus doing the tourist trips on this side. Don't worry about currency if you stay in the US though because US dollars are quite acceptable, as we found when we stopped at a cafe.
Another surprising fact is that only half the water that comes from the lakes now goes over the falls because it has been diverted into a power station to provide electricity. Imagine what they would be like if this was not done!
Wow! This is a must see on anyone's travel list. They are fantastic, everything you ever expected and the roar can be heard half a mile away, awesome!
The trip to Niagara - literal meaning 'thundering water' is really easy from Amherst, so if you ever stay here it's no problem being that little bit farther out. Beware tourist information people trying to sell their tours because they are a complete rip off. They charge $59 when the ticket to all the attractions and the trolley bus (hop on, hop off) is just $30 dollars in the state park itself. This is one of the best value tickets we have had to date. To see the Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side, it's an easy walk over the Rainbow Bridge into Canada; the Skylon Tower is also on the Canadian side. And, you get to have an immigration stamp in your passport too!
The Maid of the Mist is excellent but do go there first because the queues later in the day are much longer; and the blue plastic poncho is so very 'flattering'... Next go onto the observation bridge because the views of the falls are spectacular. The Cave of the Winds is a completely different experience altogether. Another 'flattering' poncho, this time bright yellow, together with a pair of sandals..... why sandals? Because your feet get absolutely soaking, as do your jeans/trousers if you don't roll the legs up! An elevator takes you down 175ft to the bottom of the falls and a series of wooden decks/steps allow you to walk along the side of the river and experience the falls from a completely different angle. The noise is not as loud as you would expect but it is again, great fun. It's also the best place for seeing the rainbows in the water. Ladies, cropped trousers or shorts are the best mode of dress for this excursion - especially if you do the Hurricane Deck as I did. You literally stand under a small waterfall and get truly soaked. Fantastic, for those daring or daft enough like me to do it. However, the jeans did suffer and they were drenched all the way up to my knees!
They have a great idea for the sandals afterwards though, they can be donated to third world countries where shoes are not readily available and help to stop ground parasites getting into the feet of the people who live there.
The only disappointment for me was the film they show of the history of Niagara Falls. I expected a lot more information on how they were formed but it gives a potted tale of the myths and human history of them instead. One of the myths is of 'the Maid of the Mist' - a young Indian girl was married to a wise elder of the village but could not love him. She left the village because she could not shame them or the elder and was called by the gods to the falls and over she went. The gods put out their arms and took her to them. Some say she can still be seen in the waters.......
At 9:00 pm there is a light show on the falls. We learned from this trip today that to experience the excitement and noise of the falls you need to be in the USA but to see them at night you need to be in Canada. From the Canadian side you are looking at them directly, not from the side, so the lights will be much more effective.
Should you decide to walk across the bridge into Canada, there are superb views of both the falls and the river because you are at least 300ft above the river, it's quite unnerving looking through the railings to the swirling water below. (No good if you suffer from vertigo!) Quite bizarre to see a London double decker bus doing the tourist trips on this side. Don't worry about currency if you stay in the US though because US dollars are quite acceptable, as we found when we stopped at a cafe.
Another surprising fact is that only half the water that comes from the lakes now goes over the falls because it has been diverted into a power station to provide electricity. Imagine what they would be like if this was not done!
Thursday, 7 August 2008
On our way to Niagara Falls...
Aug 7
Today we only drove around 330 miles! A doddle really and, shock of shocks, David drove most of it. A bit mean that last comment but we are both more comfortable when I drive and he takes photos.
We arrived in Amherst just outside Niagara about 4:30 pm and I'm so glad we did because we have experienced another torrential downpour with hail, thunder and lightning! The hotel pool looks good so we'll have a swim before we leave, but tomorrow is Niagara Falls - picked up all the leaflets and packed the passports in case we decide to walk across the bridge into Canada. We'll see what time we have.
We met a lovely young lady in our restaurant tonight. I was very bad and omitted to get her name but if [you] are reading this, it was a pleasure to meet you and we wish you well with your studies and your dancing - you'll be great, either in front or behind the camera. Hope you do get to Ireland for the world finals.
For those of you at home who are reading our ramblings, more exciting things are on the horizon again because, obviously, the big push of driving is now over and we can take time to stop and see things properly..... in our defence we have now travelled over 3500 miles!!
Today we only drove around 330 miles! A doddle really and, shock of shocks, David drove most of it. A bit mean that last comment but we are both more comfortable when I drive and he takes photos.
We arrived in Amherst just outside Niagara about 4:30 pm and I'm so glad we did because we have experienced another torrential downpour with hail, thunder and lightning! The hotel pool looks good so we'll have a swim before we leave, but tomorrow is Niagara Falls - picked up all the leaflets and packed the passports in case we decide to walk across the bridge into Canada. We'll see what time we have.
We met a lovely young lady in our restaurant tonight. I was very bad and omitted to get her name but if [you] are reading this, it was a pleasure to meet you and we wish you well with your studies and your dancing - you'll be great, either in front or behind the camera. Hope you do get to Ireland for the world finals.
For those of you at home who are reading our ramblings, more exciting things are on the horizon again because, obviously, the big push of driving is now over and we can take time to stop and see things properly..... in our defence we have now travelled over 3500 miles!!
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Journey Continues
Aug 6
Well, we are now 3218 miles from where we started in San Francisco. We left Amarillo yesterday morning at 10:30 am and checked into our hotel just outside St Louis at 02:00 am! What a journey!! About 600 miles were really simple, pleasant and easy; top down, sun shining, wonderful. Good for the soul with the wind in our hair, mine anyway. Sadly missed the Cadillac Ranch because it was about 20 miles west of where we stayed and we weren't going backwards. The upside was we took a short detour through part of Kansas and it was wonderful. So peaceful and beautiful, how you always imagine rural America to be. Our biggest surprise, I think, was Oklahoma. We should have done our homework more thoroughly because we both expected rolling plains of grain and we found the country to be gently rolling hills, lush grass and lots of trees. Stunning. So different from the desert lands further west. Beautifully kept homes and, so unlike the UK, the verges of the highways so well maintained. Tractors out mowing the grass, the smell was incredible. Mmmm, I love that smell....
Anyway around 7:30 pm the sky started to darken, the clouds began to turn orange - looking somewhat like a fantastic sunset. We decided to stop and put the top up and it was the best decision of the day........
Directly in front of us the clouds began to flash with the odd streak of very bright forked lightning. Lit the whole sky, then the odd drop of rain splashing on the windscreen. What's the problem I hear you all ask. At that point none. 20 minutes later however it was a completely different story. The heavens opened and rain like I have seldom experienced came down in torrents. The wipers could not cope and we pulled off the road and thoughts of the Bates Motel come to mind. The road turned into a dirt track, trees everywhere and no lights from the houses. We stopped briefly but then pulled back onto the slip road and waited there for the rain to ease with 3 other cars. Rain duly eases, thunder still crashing and lightning flashing so frequently it looked like a light show for some video or stage show. A mile further down the road the rain became so hard we were doing just 10 miles an hour on the freeway. Fortunately, a rest stop was indicated and along with about 30 trucks and cars we pulled in whilst the biggest storm we have ever witnessed took place and lasted for about an hour!! David took some great time delayed shots of the lightning, but we couldn't video it because the camera shutter has broken.
Once the rain stopped we pressed on for St Louis.
With apologies to all our American friends we did not stop in St Louis. It is the scariest place I have ever been. We pulled off the freeway following the signs for a hotel and they completely disappeared. The whole area was derelict and whilst it was by now 01:00 am there was not a single normal car or person around. There were lots of police cars and, something I have never before seen over here, a police van! We eventually found the hotels after driving round in circles, the poor sat nav was going berserk. If she had been a real woman she would have been screaming like a banshee by now! We decided to programme it for Glastonbury and head out of the city. We did find a hotel in Highland, Illinois and fell into bed at 03:00 am. Dinner was a sandwich and coffee courtesy of your local, friendly garage. We did see the Gateway Arch lit up as some sort of compensation though.
Today has been much better. We stopped at an enormous Wal-Mart and bought a new video camera, so I'm off for a swim in the pool of the nice hotel we found whilst David plays with his new toy. B&Q in our Glastonbury would fit into it about 10 times! Tomorrow the journey continues and we are having great fun here. This experience is worth the odd fright or two, oops David I really didn't mean you.
Well, we are now 3218 miles from where we started in San Francisco. We left Amarillo yesterday morning at 10:30 am and checked into our hotel just outside St Louis at 02:00 am! What a journey!! About 600 miles were really simple, pleasant and easy; top down, sun shining, wonderful. Good for the soul with the wind in our hair, mine anyway. Sadly missed the Cadillac Ranch because it was about 20 miles west of where we stayed and we weren't going backwards. The upside was we took a short detour through part of Kansas and it was wonderful. So peaceful and beautiful, how you always imagine rural America to be. Our biggest surprise, I think, was Oklahoma. We should have done our homework more thoroughly because we both expected rolling plains of grain and we found the country to be gently rolling hills, lush grass and lots of trees. Stunning. So different from the desert lands further west. Beautifully kept homes and, so unlike the UK, the verges of the highways so well maintained. Tractors out mowing the grass, the smell was incredible. Mmmm, I love that smell....
Anyway around 7:30 pm the sky started to darken, the clouds began to turn orange - looking somewhat like a fantastic sunset. We decided to stop and put the top up and it was the best decision of the day........
Directly in front of us the clouds began to flash with the odd streak of very bright forked lightning. Lit the whole sky, then the odd drop of rain splashing on the windscreen. What's the problem I hear you all ask. At that point none. 20 minutes later however it was a completely different story. The heavens opened and rain like I have seldom experienced came down in torrents. The wipers could not cope and we pulled off the road and thoughts of the Bates Motel come to mind. The road turned into a dirt track, trees everywhere and no lights from the houses. We stopped briefly but then pulled back onto the slip road and waited there for the rain to ease with 3 other cars. Rain duly eases, thunder still crashing and lightning flashing so frequently it looked like a light show for some video or stage show. A mile further down the road the rain became so hard we were doing just 10 miles an hour on the freeway. Fortunately, a rest stop was indicated and along with about 30 trucks and cars we pulled in whilst the biggest storm we have ever witnessed took place and lasted for about an hour!! David took some great time delayed shots of the lightning, but we couldn't video it because the camera shutter has broken.
Once the rain stopped we pressed on for St Louis.
With apologies to all our American friends we did not stop in St Louis. It is the scariest place I have ever been. We pulled off the freeway following the signs for a hotel and they completely disappeared. The whole area was derelict and whilst it was by now 01:00 am there was not a single normal car or person around. There were lots of police cars and, something I have never before seen over here, a police van! We eventually found the hotels after driving round in circles, the poor sat nav was going berserk. If she had been a real woman she would have been screaming like a banshee by now! We decided to programme it for Glastonbury and head out of the city. We did find a hotel in Highland, Illinois and fell into bed at 03:00 am. Dinner was a sandwich and coffee courtesy of your local, friendly garage. We did see the Gateway Arch lit up as some sort of compensation though.
Today has been much better. We stopped at an enormous Wal-Mart and bought a new video camera, so I'm off for a swim in the pool of the nice hotel we found whilst David plays with his new toy. B&Q in our Glastonbury would fit into it about 10 times! Tomorrow the journey continues and we are having great fun here. This experience is worth the odd fright or two, oops David I really didn't mean you.
Monday, 4 August 2008
Just Drivin'
Aug 04
Nothing much to report today except to say that we've seen some amazing lightning and been through a torrential rainstorm! Good job the top was up is all I can say! We've covered about 400 miles since yesterday and arrived in Amarillo around 8:00pm local time. Weird because we've been through two time zones since we left the Grand Canyon yesterday morning. Hopefully we'll get to the Cadillac Ranch in the morning before we start on the next leg.... One thing of note on Route 66, literally in the middle of nowhere, we found a 50s style diner with a huge casino next door. Only in America........
Nothing much to report today except to say that we've seen some amazing lightning and been through a torrential rainstorm! Good job the top was up is all I can say! We've covered about 400 miles since yesterday and arrived in Amarillo around 8:00pm local time. Weird because we've been through two time zones since we left the Grand Canyon yesterday morning. Hopefully we'll get to the Cadillac Ranch in the morning before we start on the next leg.... One thing of note on Route 66, literally in the middle of nowhere, we found a 50s style diner with a huge casino next door. Only in America........
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Canyons Galore
Aug 3
Well for everyone who's sat in an office today (oh it'll be Aug 4 back home) just thought I'd tell you where we've been and what we've seen. And to say the weather is truly wonderful; hot and sunny and just, fabulous.
We left the baking hot Mojave Desert and Lake Havasu and headed for the Grand Canyon yesterday. Journey no problem at all, some spectacular scenery (as you'd expect) and arrived at our hotel with our room a mere 50ft from the South Rim. Room immaculate but a contradiction in terms of 'environmentally friendly'. Yes, everything in the room helps with 'global warming' but, to have toiletries in packaging asking you to ensure you recycle - in order to protect and save the planet - then say 'made in China' makes it somewhat of a joke. (Oxymoron, I believe, is the correct word). Anyway, a fabulous experience nonetheless, so much time to stroll and take it all in. Just over from our room, a ranger had set up a telescope looking into the canyon because a Californian Condor has set up its nest in the rocks about 75ft down. There it was sat on a ledge. Obviously you could not see its 9ft wing span from there but, today we saw it flying around on our way back from breakfast. We didn't have the video camera with us at the time however, on our way out of the Canyon we stopped at a lookout point and there was another one hovering on the updrafts like a glider, truly magnificent! David managed to get about a minute of film, just magical. The guidebooks are absolutely correct when the say the drive to Flagstaff and then into the Canyon is worth the effort because there are numerous lookout points and the views of the eastern side of the South Rim are spectacular, much more so than at Bright Angel Point. We even got to see the Colorado River flowing through the Canyon, something not possible further along.
From there we drove through miles of awesome vistas. Around every bend was something that made us both exclaim 'oh my word' but there are no words to describe adequately what you see. From desert scrub to granite rocks to lush green ranchland to the red rocks of Monument Valley itself nothing, but nothing, stayed the same for long. Mountains in the distance with immense valley floors that stretched as far as the eye could see. Visibility was superb, it must have been at least 60 miles without a cloud in the sky at times. We even drove with the roof down for about an hour but then the heat became too intense and sadly, it had to be raised again. Now on to Tuba City. City? Blink and you've missed it. We had to turn the car around so that David could have his photo taken by the sign, poser that he is....
Monument Valley again, defies description. There was a moment that was truly surreal, you all know the one, where Forrest Gump is running and the buttes and mesas are in the distance of the long straight road into the valley; brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. It was made even better for us when we stopped the car to film and the thunder was rolling behind us where the dark clouds had gathered. Very atmospheric. There is one butte, near to where you turn off to enter the valley in Kayenta, which looks almost like the Devil's Tower from Close Encounters..... for other film buffs, especially sad ones like me, further on, on Route 93, you will find the enchanted mountain from Krull. Honestly, no doubt about it, there it was right in the middle of nowhere! And, the sunset was amazing. All pinks and purples reflected in the dark thunder clouds that were rolling in from the west; at one point as we looked westward the rain had turned pink, an unbelievable sight. Further along the road the flashes of lightning were so bright, almost made the landscape look as if it were daylight again. Almost forgot, did Four Corners Monument as well. How to describe it? Shabby. Well, the monument itself isn't but the surroundings, hmm, Glastonbury Festival site when it's flooded is better!! Still, it's only $3 each and you do get to have a limb in four states at the same time. For those who don't know them, they are: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
And, for those aficionados who want to know, we're staying on the Mother Road herself tonight, Route 66! We had lunch yesterday at a restaurant along this historic route too.
Well, enough for today, we've crossed one time zone so we're only 7 hours behind you now, but it's 00:50am and time for me to go to bed. Write to you all later..... did I say this country is GREAT? Well it is and we're both loving every second we spend here!!
Well for everyone who's sat in an office today (oh it'll be Aug 4 back home) just thought I'd tell you where we've been and what we've seen. And to say the weather is truly wonderful; hot and sunny and just, fabulous.
We left the baking hot Mojave Desert and Lake Havasu and headed for the Grand Canyon yesterday. Journey no problem at all, some spectacular scenery (as you'd expect) and arrived at our hotel with our room a mere 50ft from the South Rim. Room immaculate but a contradiction in terms of 'environmentally friendly'. Yes, everything in the room helps with 'global warming' but, to have toiletries in packaging asking you to ensure you recycle - in order to protect and save the planet - then say 'made in China' makes it somewhat of a joke. (Oxymoron, I believe, is the correct word). Anyway, a fabulous experience nonetheless, so much time to stroll and take it all in. Just over from our room, a ranger had set up a telescope looking into the canyon because a Californian Condor has set up its nest in the rocks about 75ft down. There it was sat on a ledge. Obviously you could not see its 9ft wing span from there but, today we saw it flying around on our way back from breakfast. We didn't have the video camera with us at the time however, on our way out of the Canyon we stopped at a lookout point and there was another one hovering on the updrafts like a glider, truly magnificent! David managed to get about a minute of film, just magical. The guidebooks are absolutely correct when the say the drive to Flagstaff and then into the Canyon is worth the effort because there are numerous lookout points and the views of the eastern side of the South Rim are spectacular, much more so than at Bright Angel Point. We even got to see the Colorado River flowing through the Canyon, something not possible further along.
From there we drove through miles of awesome vistas. Around every bend was something that made us both exclaim 'oh my word' but there are no words to describe adequately what you see. From desert scrub to granite rocks to lush green ranchland to the red rocks of Monument Valley itself nothing, but nothing, stayed the same for long. Mountains in the distance with immense valley floors that stretched as far as the eye could see. Visibility was superb, it must have been at least 60 miles without a cloud in the sky at times. We even drove with the roof down for about an hour but then the heat became too intense and sadly, it had to be raised again. Now on to Tuba City. City? Blink and you've missed it. We had to turn the car around so that David could have his photo taken by the sign, poser that he is....
Monument Valley again, defies description. There was a moment that was truly surreal, you all know the one, where Forrest Gump is running and the buttes and mesas are in the distance of the long straight road into the valley; brings a tear to the eye and a lump to the throat. It was made even better for us when we stopped the car to film and the thunder was rolling behind us where the dark clouds had gathered. Very atmospheric. There is one butte, near to where you turn off to enter the valley in Kayenta, which looks almost like the Devil's Tower from Close Encounters..... for other film buffs, especially sad ones like me, further on, on Route 93, you will find the enchanted mountain from Krull. Honestly, no doubt about it, there it was right in the middle of nowhere! And, the sunset was amazing. All pinks and purples reflected in the dark thunder clouds that were rolling in from the west; at one point as we looked westward the rain had turned pink, an unbelievable sight. Further along the road the flashes of lightning were so bright, almost made the landscape look as if it were daylight again. Almost forgot, did Four Corners Monument as well. How to describe it? Shabby. Well, the monument itself isn't but the surroundings, hmm, Glastonbury Festival site when it's flooded is better!! Still, it's only $3 each and you do get to have a limb in four states at the same time. For those who don't know them, they are: Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
And, for those aficionados who want to know, we're staying on the Mother Road herself tonight, Route 66! We had lunch yesterday at a restaurant along this historic route too.
Well, enough for today, we've crossed one time zone so we're only 7 hours behind you now, but it's 00:50am and time for me to go to bed. Write to you all later..... did I say this country is GREAT? Well it is and we're both loving every second we spend here!!
Friday, 1 August 2008
The first desert drive!
Aug 1
Ladies and gentlemen, normal blog service is resumed now we have access again to the internet!
Left Long Beach this morning and began the long drive east. Cloudy in Long Beach and the smog as we travelled toward LA was unbelievable. Wouldn't want to live there permanently. The queues on the freeway make our rush hour look positively leisurely! The number of trucks is amazing, can't quite make out where they all come from or where they're going to...
We finished the day in Lake Havasu City and, at time of writing 8:50pm it is still 112 deg fahrenheit so, when we arrived about 6:30pm and walked across London Bridge it was obviously hotter still. The bridge has been preserved beautifully including the original lamposts. The overnight low is expected to be a 'cool' 94 deg!! All I can say is - 'thank you' to whoever invented air conditioning!!!!
We have travelled through some stark countryside today, but saying that it is also quite moving. The land is obviously very brown scrubland (desert don't ya know) but the flatlands are surrounded by mountains and at one point we had climbed to an elevation of 4000ft! Had quite a bizarre experience because in the middle of all this desert, near Barstow, we encountered a huge discount outlet - just had to stop, no question. June could not miss the chance to shop, now there's a surprise!!! However, I made not a single purchase, that's not to say that no purchases were made, just not by me! All the big names are there, paradise really.....
Sad to say we have been travelling with the top up because of the extreme heat, think we'd be in a dreadful state if it was down. Still as we head further east the heat is not quite so intense so there's time, there's time...
Ladies and gentlemen, normal blog service is resumed now we have access again to the internet!
Left Long Beach this morning and began the long drive east. Cloudy in Long Beach and the smog as we travelled toward LA was unbelievable. Wouldn't want to live there permanently. The queues on the freeway make our rush hour look positively leisurely! The number of trucks is amazing, can't quite make out where they all come from or where they're going to...
We finished the day in Lake Havasu City and, at time of writing 8:50pm it is still 112 deg fahrenheit so, when we arrived about 6:30pm and walked across London Bridge it was obviously hotter still. The bridge has been preserved beautifully including the original lamposts. The overnight low is expected to be a 'cool' 94 deg!! All I can say is - 'thank you' to whoever invented air conditioning!!!!
We have travelled through some stark countryside today, but saying that it is also quite moving. The land is obviously very brown scrubland (desert don't ya know) but the flatlands are surrounded by mountains and at one point we had climbed to an elevation of 4000ft! Had quite a bizarre experience because in the middle of all this desert, near Barstow, we encountered a huge discount outlet - just had to stop, no question. June could not miss the chance to shop, now there's a surprise!!! However, I made not a single purchase, that's not to say that no purchases were made, just not by me! All the big names are there, paradise really.....
Sad to say we have been travelling with the top up because of the extreme heat, think we'd be in a dreadful state if it was down. Still as we head further east the heat is not quite so intense so there's time, there's time...
The Queen Mary and Long Beach
July 30
What a couple of days! Let’s begin with yesterday; started out in Santa Maria (off highway 1) and drove the final leg to Long Beach and the Queen Mary. Drove through the mountains and the car shuddered around noon. Now was this the ABS or were we feeling the earthquake that registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. The jury is still out, I favour the earthquake David, the ABS….
Anyway, the Queen Mary. Grand old ship, David was quite emotional as we entered our room. The refurbishment has kept all the walnut panelling, old push button light switches, push buttons on the wardrobe doors, but for me, the best thing they’ve kept are the brass door keys, wonderful. They say she’s haunted; now whether or not that’s true, when you walk her promenade decks after dark you could well be on the decks of a ghost ship. Actually, the decks are very evocative of the film ‘Ghost Ship’. You almost wait for the story to unfold. The rooms are spacious and it is easy to imagine how it must have felt to sail across the ocean when she was in her prime, even the portholes open! The bathroom has the original bath and loo flush, very cool for someone like David who adores ocean liners. I’m so glad we were lucky enough to stay on her, if nothing else for the immense pleasure it has given David. We are going to do the tours to learn more about her, and her ghosts! Dinner in the Promenade Restaurant is an experience, the food is beautifully cooked and presented and the prices are reasonable too. The views across to Long Beach and the marina make for a very relaxed atmosphere, helped by the lovely music. It’s good to see the photographs of some of her famous passengers too. Most of the ‘great and good’ have sailed on her at one time or another.
On to the fun part of our stay…………. Universal Studios is an absolute must if a visit to LA is on your agenda. Day tickets are a bit pricey, but if you can afford to upgrade to the ’front of line’ pass it is well worth the expense. Absolutely no queuing, just through Gate A and past all the crowds, excellent. The back-lot tour is spectacular, entertaining, informative but most of all great fun! The Simpsons is another excellent adventure…….. The simulator ride is again, well worth the wait. The old favourites - Terminator, the Blues Brothers, Jaws, Earthquake lose nothing with age, still a must see and the ultra 4D Shrek is hilarious! Watch out for Donkey sneezing…….
The only downside to staying in Long Beach is the traffic to get into LA itself. 50 minutes to travel the 26 miles to Universal in the traffic so we think we’ll give the Hollywood stars and sign a miss and take the time to chill out here in Long Beach. We’ll do the LA tourist bit another time and actually stay in the city rather than outside.
July 31
Another glorious day, once the early morning mist cleared, wall to wall sunshine - ah this is the life! Took the audio tour of the Queen Mary $5 if a guest of the ship and worth every penny. Narrated by a lovely Irishman who was the ship captain’s ‘tiger’ a remnant of the Empire when the steward to the captain was dressed in Chinese attire to distinguish him from other stewards. It takes you from stem to stern and covers her entire history from conception to today. 10 million rivets hold her together and the British Government gave a loan in 1934 of $80 million in order to rescue the Cunard line and to ensure the ship herself was built. Two provisos 1) Cunard merged with the White Star Line as they were also in financial difficulty and 2) she was to be available to be requisitioned in time of war, as indeed she was. Known as the ‘grey ghost’ there was a reward of $250k for any German or Japanese commander who could sink her but, not once, during her service in WW2 was she ever torpedoed, amazing! Enough of the history lesson, if you want to know more you’ll just have to visit yourself!! As mentioned previously she is reputed to be haunted and David, a sceptic as you know, had a weird experience on our first night, he awoke around 4:30 am to the sound of waves lapping against the hull and a strong wind. Not at all possible on a breeze free night and a breakwater surrounding her keeping her calm at all times……knew we should have taken the ghost tour… only trouble with that though is that we probably would have frightened ourselves to death (no puns intended!)
Would I recommend staying onboard? Yes, for the history lesson no, for value especially when you can visit the ship on a tour pass anyway and forego the expense of actually staying aboard; only worth it for the sentimentality if, like David, you already have fond memories of her. Whilst understanding she is an old vessel and the need for ambience we live in the 21st century and we expect certain things to be easily accessible, internet for one. No in room safe, which can be easily hidden in a wardrobe as most other hotels in this price range. Restaurant service is not that brilliant either; it certainly does not match the quality of the food! Those of you who know me well will not be surprised when I quietly asked if I should set the table myself when we had been sat there for at least 15 minutes, no cutlery, napkins, side plates and the waiter gave cutlery etc to David and left mine in a heap to the side of me! Am I invisible? Don’t think so!! Dinner duly arrived, placed in front of me and nothing with which to eat it! ‘Is this my cutlery?’ ‘Yes’ the reply. ‘Ok I’ll set my own place shall I?’ Slam goes the cutlery on the table. ‘Sorry’ from the waiter. Next couple of minutes along comes the manager asking what she can do to make our dining experience better!! ‘No thanks’ my reply. Just quietly informed her that the shoddy service received was not was expected from a hotel with this reputation. She agreed that it was not what was expected from her staff either. Needless to say, waiter received no tip! Fiery blond off again!
Off to bed now, Zebedee…………
What a couple of days! Let’s begin with yesterday; started out in Santa Maria (off highway 1) and drove the final leg to Long Beach and the Queen Mary. Drove through the mountains and the car shuddered around noon. Now was this the ABS or were we feeling the earthquake that registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. The jury is still out, I favour the earthquake David, the ABS….
Anyway, the Queen Mary. Grand old ship, David was quite emotional as we entered our room. The refurbishment has kept all the walnut panelling, old push button light switches, push buttons on the wardrobe doors, but for me, the best thing they’ve kept are the brass door keys, wonderful. They say she’s haunted; now whether or not that’s true, when you walk her promenade decks after dark you could well be on the decks of a ghost ship. Actually, the decks are very evocative of the film ‘Ghost Ship’. You almost wait for the story to unfold. The rooms are spacious and it is easy to imagine how it must have felt to sail across the ocean when she was in her prime, even the portholes open! The bathroom has the original bath and loo flush, very cool for someone like David who adores ocean liners. I’m so glad we were lucky enough to stay on her, if nothing else for the immense pleasure it has given David. We are going to do the tours to learn more about her, and her ghosts! Dinner in the Promenade Restaurant is an experience, the food is beautifully cooked and presented and the prices are reasonable too. The views across to Long Beach and the marina make for a very relaxed atmosphere, helped by the lovely music. It’s good to see the photographs of some of her famous passengers too. Most of the ‘great and good’ have sailed on her at one time or another.
On to the fun part of our stay…………. Universal Studios is an absolute must if a visit to LA is on your agenda. Day tickets are a bit pricey, but if you can afford to upgrade to the ’front of line’ pass it is well worth the expense. Absolutely no queuing, just through Gate A and past all the crowds, excellent. The back-lot tour is spectacular, entertaining, informative but most of all great fun! The Simpsons is another excellent adventure…….. The simulator ride is again, well worth the wait. The old favourites - Terminator, the Blues Brothers, Jaws, Earthquake lose nothing with age, still a must see and the ultra 4D Shrek is hilarious! Watch out for Donkey sneezing…….
The only downside to staying in Long Beach is the traffic to get into LA itself. 50 minutes to travel the 26 miles to Universal in the traffic so we think we’ll give the Hollywood stars and sign a miss and take the time to chill out here in Long Beach. We’ll do the LA tourist bit another time and actually stay in the city rather than outside.
July 31
Another glorious day, once the early morning mist cleared, wall to wall sunshine - ah this is the life! Took the audio tour of the Queen Mary $5 if a guest of the ship and worth every penny. Narrated by a lovely Irishman who was the ship captain’s ‘tiger’ a remnant of the Empire when the steward to the captain was dressed in Chinese attire to distinguish him from other stewards. It takes you from stem to stern and covers her entire history from conception to today. 10 million rivets hold her together and the British Government gave a loan in 1934 of $80 million in order to rescue the Cunard line and to ensure the ship herself was built. Two provisos 1) Cunard merged with the White Star Line as they were also in financial difficulty and 2) she was to be available to be requisitioned in time of war, as indeed she was. Known as the ‘grey ghost’ there was a reward of $250k for any German or Japanese commander who could sink her but, not once, during her service in WW2 was she ever torpedoed, amazing! Enough of the history lesson, if you want to know more you’ll just have to visit yourself!! As mentioned previously she is reputed to be haunted and David, a sceptic as you know, had a weird experience on our first night, he awoke around 4:30 am to the sound of waves lapping against the hull and a strong wind. Not at all possible on a breeze free night and a breakwater surrounding her keeping her calm at all times……knew we should have taken the ghost tour… only trouble with that though is that we probably would have frightened ourselves to death (no puns intended!)
Would I recommend staying onboard? Yes, for the history lesson no, for value especially when you can visit the ship on a tour pass anyway and forego the expense of actually staying aboard; only worth it for the sentimentality if, like David, you already have fond memories of her. Whilst understanding she is an old vessel and the need for ambience we live in the 21st century and we expect certain things to be easily accessible, internet for one. No in room safe, which can be easily hidden in a wardrobe as most other hotels in this price range. Restaurant service is not that brilliant either; it certainly does not match the quality of the food! Those of you who know me well will not be surprised when I quietly asked if I should set the table myself when we had been sat there for at least 15 minutes, no cutlery, napkins, side plates and the waiter gave cutlery etc to David and left mine in a heap to the side of me! Am I invisible? Don’t think so!! Dinner duly arrived, placed in front of me and nothing with which to eat it! ‘Is this my cutlery?’ ‘Yes’ the reply. ‘Ok I’ll set my own place shall I?’ Slam goes the cutlery on the table. ‘Sorry’ from the waiter. Next couple of minutes along comes the manager asking what she can do to make our dining experience better!! ‘No thanks’ my reply. Just quietly informed her that the shoddy service received was not was expected from a hotel with this reputation. She agreed that it was not what was expected from her staff either. Needless to say, waiter received no tip! Fiery blond off again!
Off to bed now, Zebedee…………
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