Now that the blog is finished and I've catalogued all the photos I thought I'd delete the individual links and post a link to all the photo sets in one place.
Here it is...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltaflux/sets/
Friday 10 August 2007
Saturday 7 July 2007
I almost forgot...
Here's a map of the route we took. It's not quite accurate, we never went to Salem (we chose Hood River instead) and the numbers showing how many nights we were staying in each place aren't always right but you get the idea.
Day 30 - The Journey Home
Even by 8.30am as we stepped out of the elevator and wheeled our cases over to the car it was already hot in Las Vegas. We cleared the car of all the maps, tickets, sweet wrappers, and other detritus we'd collected over the course of a month, hauled Amy's ridiculously heavy suitcase (it was the first time since arriving that we'd actually tried to pack all our purchases into the case) into the car and set off in search of a gas station and the car hire center.
Expecting rush hour traffic but finding none we were soon dropping off the car keys and getting on the shuttle bus to the terminal (feeling sorry for the poor driver who offered to lift Amy's case). All was going well until we weighed in our bags - Amy's was way over the weight limit and we'd have to pay a $50 excess. Luckily the friendly woman behind the desk pointed out that we were allowed two bags each and directed me towards the gift shops. So I shot off and came back a couple of minutes later with a Caeser's Palace hold-all that I'd bought for $25 dollars. Some hasty rearrangment took place and eventually we managed to get Amy's case back under the weight limit. Phew.
Now, in Vegas everywhere has slot machines, and the departure lounge is no exception. We still had a few dollars left so we tried our luck again, this time managing to work our way up to $8... which we promptly spent on a tin of Jelly Beans. Sweet.
Our flight was on time and straightforward, as was the change-over; because we were transferring from an internal flight to an international one this time (rather than the other way round) there was no messing around with customs and bag reclaim, we just had to walk about 2 gates along and find a place to sit. I even had enough time to find a bureau-de-change and convert our remaining Canadian dollars into US ones to buy some drinks and snacks (I was only changing $6 so it was lucky for me that they were running a promotion which waived the usual $5 exchange fee).
So, with little ado we boarded our second flight, settled into our seats and headed home.
And that ladies and gentlemen is the end of my blog. I hope you've enjoyed it. There are a few more photos left to upload though so keep your eyes peeled.
Fin.
Expecting rush hour traffic but finding none we were soon dropping off the car keys and getting on the shuttle bus to the terminal (feeling sorry for the poor driver who offered to lift Amy's case). All was going well until we weighed in our bags - Amy's was way over the weight limit and we'd have to pay a $50 excess. Luckily the friendly woman behind the desk pointed out that we were allowed two bags each and directed me towards the gift shops. So I shot off and came back a couple of minutes later with a Caeser's Palace hold-all that I'd bought for $25 dollars. Some hasty rearrangment took place and eventually we managed to get Amy's case back under the weight limit. Phew.
Now, in Vegas everywhere has slot machines, and the departure lounge is no exception. We still had a few dollars left so we tried our luck again, this time managing to work our way up to $8... which we promptly spent on a tin of Jelly Beans. Sweet.
Our flight was on time and straightforward, as was the change-over; because we were transferring from an internal flight to an international one this time (rather than the other way round) there was no messing around with customs and bag reclaim, we just had to walk about 2 gates along and find a place to sit. I even had enough time to find a bureau-de-change and convert our remaining Canadian dollars into US ones to buy some drinks and snacks (I was only changing $6 so it was lucky for me that they were running a promotion which waived the usual $5 exchange fee).
So, with little ado we boarded our second flight, settled into our seats and headed home.
And that ladies and gentlemen is the end of my blog. I hope you've enjoyed it. There are a few more photos left to upload though so keep your eyes peeled.
Fin.
Friday 6 July 2007
Day 29 - The Last Day
We turned on the TV in the morning just in time to catch a story on the news about a shooting at the New York, New York casino the night before at just after midnight. Apparently it must have happened while we were watching the Zumanity finale or just after we left the casino. Still, nobody was fatally injured and no trip to America would be complete without a gun story!
Finding some breakfast proved remarkably difficult; people in Las Vegas don't seem to do mornings. After meandering around Circus Circus and then the Sahara we finally found a Coca-Cola themed diner in the Stratosphere. We ordered two breakfasts and two of the souvenir milkshakes which come in plastic replica Stratosphere towers, which must be nearly 2ft long, while a bad Elvis impersonator wound his way between the booths singing equally bad renditions of 50s songs.
Breakfast over, it was time for the dizzy heights of the Stratosphere tower (the real one, not the 2ft plastic ones we'd acquired). From the ground it doesn't appear any higher than the other casino buildings but once you reach the 108th floor and look down all them all, it clearly is. Apart from the obligatory panoramic view and restaurant the tower also houses the world's highest Starbucks (our second Starbucks record of the holiday) and a couple of rides which dangle you right over the side of the tower. We were still aching from the rollercoaster ride the night before and the 2ft of milkshake we'd each guzzled had put us off the idea of a Starbucks so we just sat and admired the view for a while then got the elevator back down - which is harder than it sounds actually, I swear we'd done three full laps of the viewing deck and cut through the middle twice before we finally found it.
Back on solid ground we had a look round the rest of the Stratosphere, and the Sahara, which bizarrely has taken on a Nascar theme inside) We even did our first spot of gambling, winning a whopped $2.55 from a $1 stake (I took a photo of the ticket as proof) then, having exhausted this end of the strip we got the monorail right up to the other end, where we'd started our holiday a month before.
The Luxor hotel has an Imax cinema, and Amy had never been to one before so we purchased some tickets for the Dinosaurs and Deep Sea films and then a couple of frozen margaritas while we waited. Little did we know that that Imax is the one place in Las Vegas where you can't take a drink - so we attempted to down the frozen drinks and ended up with a severe case of brain-freeze as a result. Exactly what you don't want before going to watch a 3D movie with an award winningly loud sound system. Whether down to that or the movie itself, I definitely enjoyed the second one more - there are some crazy crazy creatures living down there in the deep.
After all that movie watching it was time for our last dinner of the whole holiday, which we had at House of Blues, coincidentally just across from the red, white and blue diner where we'd had our first breakfast.
Knackered and stuffed, and knowing we had to rise early for the flight tomorrow, we got a taxi back to Circus Circus and did a spot of packing before turning in early.
Finding some breakfast proved remarkably difficult; people in Las Vegas don't seem to do mornings. After meandering around Circus Circus and then the Sahara we finally found a Coca-Cola themed diner in the Stratosphere. We ordered two breakfasts and two of the souvenir milkshakes which come in plastic replica Stratosphere towers, which must be nearly 2ft long, while a bad Elvis impersonator wound his way between the booths singing equally bad renditions of 50s songs.
Breakfast over, it was time for the dizzy heights of the Stratosphere tower (the real one, not the 2ft plastic ones we'd acquired). From the ground it doesn't appear any higher than the other casino buildings but once you reach the 108th floor and look down all them all, it clearly is. Apart from the obligatory panoramic view and restaurant the tower also houses the world's highest Starbucks (our second Starbucks record of the holiday) and a couple of rides which dangle you right over the side of the tower. We were still aching from the rollercoaster ride the night before and the 2ft of milkshake we'd each guzzled had put us off the idea of a Starbucks so we just sat and admired the view for a while then got the elevator back down - which is harder than it sounds actually, I swear we'd done three full laps of the viewing deck and cut through the middle twice before we finally found it.
Back on solid ground we had a look round the rest of the Stratosphere, and the Sahara, which bizarrely has taken on a Nascar theme inside) We even did our first spot of gambling, winning a whopped $2.55 from a $1 stake (I took a photo of the ticket as proof) then, having exhausted this end of the strip we got the monorail right up to the other end, where we'd started our holiday a month before.
The Luxor hotel has an Imax cinema, and Amy had never been to one before so we purchased some tickets for the Dinosaurs and Deep Sea films and then a couple of frozen margaritas while we waited. Little did we know that that Imax is the one place in Las Vegas where you can't take a drink - so we attempted to down the frozen drinks and ended up with a severe case of brain-freeze as a result. Exactly what you don't want before going to watch a 3D movie with an award winningly loud sound system. Whether down to that or the movie itself, I definitely enjoyed the second one more - there are some crazy crazy creatures living down there in the deep.
After all that movie watching it was time for our last dinner of the whole holiday, which we had at House of Blues, coincidentally just across from the red, white and blue diner where we'd had our first breakfast.
Knackered and stuffed, and knowing we had to rise early for the flight tomorrow, we got a taxi back to Circus Circus and did a spot of packing before turning in early.
Thursday 5 July 2007
Day 28 - From Whence We Came
Today would be our last day of driving, taking us back to Las Vegas, where the whole road trip started.
Before setting off we noticed that the restaurant next to the hotel had been voted 'Best Breakfast in Ogden' 4 years running. Slightly suspicious that there was little in the way competition we decided to check it out anyway, it wasn't like we could see anywhere else to it. Before we even reached the front door though we could see that the queue extended out into the car-park. Thinking of the drive ahead (plus it was already 25°C and rising) we decided to abort the plan and get some food on the way instead. Best breakfast or not, we'll never know.
We drove straight on through Salt Lake City, the guidebooks didn't have much to say about it and the skyline looked decidely dull. At the time we didn't realise how close we'd passed to the actual salt lake or we might have stopped to have a look (3 times as salty as the sea apparently).
All the way down throuh Utah the scenery is much the same, on your right (travelling south) are mountains, on the left are plains and low hills, and on both sides there's little vegetation. The temperature slowly increased the further south we got, although once it got into the mid-nineties fahrenheit (that's about 35°C) and midday passed it seemed to level out.
We stopped briefly at the entrance to Zion national park with ideas of taking the 10 mile scenic drive into the park but like all American national parks they only do a 5-day pass, the price of which seemed a little step for a half hour excursion (it was too hot to stay out of the car for long so we couldn't have hung round much longer than that).
It turned out that we'd get to see some pretty spectacular scenery anyway just driving along Interstate 15. A few miles south of Zion the road passes through St George, right on the Utah border and then plunges headlong into the Virgin River Gorge. The transition is almost instant, one minute you're driving across a plain, the next you feel like you're on another planet. The gorge is so steep and narrow that much of the road is up on stilts, simply because it couldn't sit flat on the bottom.
In interesting effect of the mountains is that they seem to form a weather barrier between Nevada on one side and Utah on the other (only about 10 miles or so of the road is in Arizona). While the temperature in Utah had been consistently warm, when we hit the gorge it turned hot, and then scorching. In the space of 15 minutes we went from 35°C to 45°C... Every now and then Amy would open the window to take a photo (otherwise they always came out with a big reflection of the dashboard or us in) but we couldn't keep the window open for more than a few seconds before the car filled with dry hot air and we had to close it again. Thank god for air-conditioning.
Just past the mountains, as the road begins to stretch out across the desert, is a town called Mesquite, which is a crazy looking place. There are huge mansions perched up on the top of rocky ridges, several large casinos and even golf courses (which would explain why the Virgin river looks so dry). Most bizarre of all, we even saw a roundabout - the first one we'd seen in the USA.
From there it was a short drive across another barren patch of desert, along another dead straight road. The radio had improved though, out with the bible readings of Utah and in with the 24-hour party tunes of Nevada. Before long we were getting into the Vegas spirit - and then there it was, the distinctive Las Vegas skyline...
Before setting off we noticed that the restaurant next to the hotel had been voted 'Best Breakfast in Ogden' 4 years running. Slightly suspicious that there was little in the way competition we decided to check it out anyway, it wasn't like we could see anywhere else to it. Before we even reached the front door though we could see that the queue extended out into the car-park. Thinking of the drive ahead (plus it was already 25°C and rising) we decided to abort the plan and get some food on the way instead. Best breakfast or not, we'll never know.
We drove straight on through Salt Lake City, the guidebooks didn't have much to say about it and the skyline looked decidely dull. At the time we didn't realise how close we'd passed to the actual salt lake or we might have stopped to have a look (3 times as salty as the sea apparently).
All the way down throuh Utah the scenery is much the same, on your right (travelling south) are mountains, on the left are plains and low hills, and on both sides there's little vegetation. The temperature slowly increased the further south we got, although once it got into the mid-nineties fahrenheit (that's about 35°C) and midday passed it seemed to level out.
We stopped briefly at the entrance to Zion national park with ideas of taking the 10 mile scenic drive into the park but like all American national parks they only do a 5-day pass, the price of which seemed a little step for a half hour excursion (it was too hot to stay out of the car for long so we couldn't have hung round much longer than that).
It turned out that we'd get to see some pretty spectacular scenery anyway just driving along Interstate 15. A few miles south of Zion the road passes through St George, right on the Utah border and then plunges headlong into the Virgin River Gorge. The transition is almost instant, one minute you're driving across a plain, the next you feel like you're on another planet. The gorge is so steep and narrow that much of the road is up on stilts, simply because it couldn't sit flat on the bottom.
In interesting effect of the mountains is that they seem to form a weather barrier between Nevada on one side and Utah on the other (only about 10 miles or so of the road is in Arizona). While the temperature in Utah had been consistently warm, when we hit the gorge it turned hot, and then scorching. In the space of 15 minutes we went from 35°C to 45°C... Every now and then Amy would open the window to take a photo (otherwise they always came out with a big reflection of the dashboard or us in) but we couldn't keep the window open for more than a few seconds before the car filled with dry hot air and we had to close it again. Thank god for air-conditioning.
Just past the mountains, as the road begins to stretch out across the desert, is a town called Mesquite, which is a crazy looking place. There are huge mansions perched up on the top of rocky ridges, several large casinos and even golf courses (which would explain why the Virgin river looks so dry). Most bizarre of all, we even saw a roundabout - the first one we'd seen in the USA.
From there it was a short drive across another barren patch of desert, along another dead straight road. The radio had improved though, out with the bible readings of Utah and in with the 24-hour party tunes of Nevada. Before long we were getting into the Vegas spirit - and then there it was, the distinctive Las Vegas skyline...
Day 28 1/2 - Vegas Baby Yeah
We were at Circus Circus, which was right at the opposite end of the strip to the Excalibur. It's one of the older casinos and despite the glitz it is starting to look a little tired. The multi-storey car park was so cramped and depressing that it reminded me of Luton Arndale Center (I'm amazed people get their enormous SUVs round the corners). It was also packed - by the time we found a space we were on the roof, back out in the blistering heat.
There was no avoiding it now, we had to turn off the air-con and get out of the car. The temperature on the dashboard was now reading 50°C (officially it was 47°C in the shade that day) and as soon as we stepped out into the sunshine we could feel our skin prickling. Luckily it was only a short dash to the elevator but even by then we'd had enough.
We checked in, dropped off our bags and then ventured out in search of food, drink and hopefully some tickets to a show. A bit of shopping around revealed that most of the shows were sold out or not showing that day, so with limited choices we opted for Zumanity, one of the Circue de Soleil shows. The show was at New York, NewYork so after a sushi dinner we got a taxi up there (a 2 mile walk in this heat wasn't going to happen) arriving with plenty of time to spare... time that we filled with a ride on the famous rollercoaster that winds its way round the outside of the casino.
The number of warnings as you queue for the ride is intimidating. Anyone with a heart condition, joint problem or who's even feeling a bit peaky is advised not to ride and there's even a list of advice for action to take if you do get injured on the ride. Luckily both Amy and I lived to tell the tale but it really is the most punishing ride I think I've ever been on, made worse because it's getting a bit old and rickety. By the time I got off I felt stiff and bruised, and vey glad we hadn't bought a multi-ride pass.
So, on to the show which, if I'm honest, was exactly what I expected of a Las Vegas show - no more, no less (although I think Amy enjoyed it more than I did). In my opinion there are only so many ways people can jump, dance and prance around. Asbsolutely worth experiencing once, but like the rollercoaster, not something I'm bothered about doing twice.
There was no avoiding it now, we had to turn off the air-con and get out of the car. The temperature on the dashboard was now reading 50°C (officially it was 47°C in the shade that day) and as soon as we stepped out into the sunshine we could feel our skin prickling. Luckily it was only a short dash to the elevator but even by then we'd had enough.
We checked in, dropped off our bags and then ventured out in search of food, drink and hopefully some tickets to a show. A bit of shopping around revealed that most of the shows were sold out or not showing that day, so with limited choices we opted for Zumanity, one of the Circue de Soleil shows. The show was at New York, NewYork so after a sushi dinner we got a taxi up there (a 2 mile walk in this heat wasn't going to happen) arriving with plenty of time to spare... time that we filled with a ride on the famous rollercoaster that winds its way round the outside of the casino.
The number of warnings as you queue for the ride is intimidating. Anyone with a heart condition, joint problem or who's even feeling a bit peaky is advised not to ride and there's even a list of advice for action to take if you do get injured on the ride. Luckily both Amy and I lived to tell the tale but it really is the most punishing ride I think I've ever been on, made worse because it's getting a bit old and rickety. By the time I got off I felt stiff and bruised, and vey glad we hadn't bought a multi-ride pass.
So, on to the show which, if I'm honest, was exactly what I expected of a Las Vegas show - no more, no less (although I think Amy enjoyed it more than I did). In my opinion there are only so many ways people can jump, dance and prance around. Asbsolutely worth experiencing once, but like the rollercoaster, not something I'm bothered about doing twice.
Wednesday 4 July 2007
Day 27 1/2 - Yellowstone and beyond
The second half of our day was taken up with what Yellowstone is really famous for... Geysers!
That's not strictly true actually, although there are several geyser basins, very few geysers erupt with any degree of regularity, Old Faithful of course being the one that's genuinely reliable. As it was we spent most of our time looking at more hot springs. Although these springs haven't built up large mounds as they have at Mammoth the mineral deposits are more varied, colouring the rock bright shades of red, green and blue. I took so many photos of them I almost ran the battery flat on my camera.
Of course the highlight of the afternoon was Old Faithful itself. Its eruptions occur roughly every ninety minutes, although that can vary by half an hour either way. From the length of each eruption the geyser experts can predict the next eruption to with a 20 minute window, so when we arrived we knew we'd only have to wait half an hour or so. In fact luck was on our side and we only had to wait 15 minutes before the geyser erupted, spouting boiling water 130 feet into the air. It was hard to appreciate the true scale of the eruption from the viewing area which is way back from the geyers - but I guess they can't let you wander right up to it.
So, with the camera battery exhausted and us not far behind we set off towards Idaho Falls, where we planned to find a motel. Of course we had to stop on the way out of the park to admire the scenery one last time and wave goodbye to the American wilderness (for this holiday at least).
The drive to Idaho Falls was a pretty dull one consisting mainly of long straight roads. Watching the villages go by, the signs Christianity get gradually stronger; road signs abound advertising Christian radio, television, church services and even Christian museums. It was 6.30pm when we arrived in Idaho Falls but we couldn't see any chain restaurants that took our fancy and didn't fancy finding our way into the city centre so we decided to carry on for a while. We were making good time (there seem to be state troopers round every corner but the speed limit is still a generous 75mph) and the next few towns didn't look far on the map.
Blackfoot and Fort Hall turned out to be pretty small so it was a while after 7pm when we arrived in Pocatello and pulled off the freeway. The first sight that greeted us was a small independence day celebration taking place on a green right by the freeway exit - interesting choice of venue for what looked a lot like an English country fair.
Anyway, just past there we found an Applebees which looked like a pleasant change from fast food. When we got inside too we found the place full of locals, usually a good sign. In fact our first impressions proved correct - it's basically TGI Fridays but with much bigger portions and friendlier staff.
Now Applebees was right next to a Best Western and on reflection perhaps we should have stayed there, but it was still before 9pm and we faced a long drive the next day so it seemed a good idea to get another hour's driving in before checking into a motel...
The problem with our plan was that once you leave Pocatello there isn't much else for quite a long way. Thirty minutes or so into the journey as the last of the dusk light faded, and civilisation along with it, it dawned on us that perhaps we'd made a mistake. The only motel we passed aws at a truck stop and with it's flickering red neon sign looked more like something from a horror movie. Curiously the only signs of any settlement through southern Idaho were the fireworks people were sending up to celebrate their independence. I guess it's only natural that regilious hillbilly fruit-loops living in the middle of nowhere should be patriotic with it.
Just as we conceded that we'd probably have to drive all the way to Salt Lake City we arrived in Ogden, the one place that's actually bigger than it appears on the map. A couple of junctions in (yes, it's big enough to have multiple freeway junctions) we spotted a Best Western so we pulled in and managed to get a room. No hot-tub this time but it was a lot cheaper than the last one we'd stayed at. That's Ogden for you.
That's not strictly true actually, although there are several geyser basins, very few geysers erupt with any degree of regularity, Old Faithful of course being the one that's genuinely reliable. As it was we spent most of our time looking at more hot springs. Although these springs haven't built up large mounds as they have at Mammoth the mineral deposits are more varied, colouring the rock bright shades of red, green and blue. I took so many photos of them I almost ran the battery flat on my camera.
Of course the highlight of the afternoon was Old Faithful itself. Its eruptions occur roughly every ninety minutes, although that can vary by half an hour either way. From the length of each eruption the geyser experts can predict the next eruption to with a 20 minute window, so when we arrived we knew we'd only have to wait half an hour or so. In fact luck was on our side and we only had to wait 15 minutes before the geyser erupted, spouting boiling water 130 feet into the air. It was hard to appreciate the true scale of the eruption from the viewing area which is way back from the geyers - but I guess they can't let you wander right up to it.
So, with the camera battery exhausted and us not far behind we set off towards Idaho Falls, where we planned to find a motel. Of course we had to stop on the way out of the park to admire the scenery one last time and wave goodbye to the American wilderness (for this holiday at least).
The drive to Idaho Falls was a pretty dull one consisting mainly of long straight roads. Watching the villages go by, the signs Christianity get gradually stronger; road signs abound advertising Christian radio, television, church services and even Christian museums. It was 6.30pm when we arrived in Idaho Falls but we couldn't see any chain restaurants that took our fancy and didn't fancy finding our way into the city centre so we decided to carry on for a while. We were making good time (there seem to be state troopers round every corner but the speed limit is still a generous 75mph) and the next few towns didn't look far on the map.
Blackfoot and Fort Hall turned out to be pretty small so it was a while after 7pm when we arrived in Pocatello and pulled off the freeway. The first sight that greeted us was a small independence day celebration taking place on a green right by the freeway exit - interesting choice of venue for what looked a lot like an English country fair.
Anyway, just past there we found an Applebees which looked like a pleasant change from fast food. When we got inside too we found the place full of locals, usually a good sign. In fact our first impressions proved correct - it's basically TGI Fridays but with much bigger portions and friendlier staff.
Now Applebees was right next to a Best Western and on reflection perhaps we should have stayed there, but it was still before 9pm and we faced a long drive the next day so it seemed a good idea to get another hour's driving in before checking into a motel...
The problem with our plan was that once you leave Pocatello there isn't much else for quite a long way. Thirty minutes or so into the journey as the last of the dusk light faded, and civilisation along with it, it dawned on us that perhaps we'd made a mistake. The only motel we passed aws at a truck stop and with it's flickering red neon sign looked more like something from a horror movie. Curiously the only signs of any settlement through southern Idaho were the fireworks people were sending up to celebrate their independence. I guess it's only natural that regilious hillbilly fruit-loops living in the middle of nowhere should be patriotic with it.
Just as we conceded that we'd probably have to drive all the way to Salt Lake City we arrived in Ogden, the one place that's actually bigger than it appears on the map. A couple of junctions in (yes, it's big enough to have multiple freeway junctions) we spotted a Best Western so we pulled in and managed to get a room. No hot-tub this time but it was a lot cheaper than the last one we'd stayed at. That's Ogden for you.
Day 27 - Yellowstone
We awoke to the sound of the annual 4th July parade... well, perhaps parade is too grand a title. It had all the basic elements: people, flags, horses, brass instruments, singing and even baton twirling, but 8 a.m. just isn't the right time for a parade. Some of the participants looked more asleep than I did.
After a pathetic shower and a huge breakfast (we definitely weren't in Canada any more) we checked out of the hotel and started our tour of Yellowstone in the only way Americans know how; by car.
Yellowstone is conveniently laid out so that all the major attractions lie along a 140 mile loop road. We were leaving the park via a different exit to the one we came in, but even so we'd be covering 100 miles during the course of the day.
First stop of course was Mammoth Hot Springs, just a couple of minutes from the hotel. The springs have formed where water bubbles up slowly from deep underground, leaving behind mineral deposits that gradually build to form mounds and pools. The springs are constantly changing as some dry up and new fissures appear - some large pools that were active 20 or 30 years ago are now completely dried up so that the lower slopes look like a barren alien landscape. Farther up, as you reach the active springs, the first thing that hits you is the smell. The steam rising from the pools is thick with sulphur and the whole area reeks of rotten eggs. Nice.
Our next stop (a lone tree believe it or not), was a few miles further on, through an amazingly varied landscape of lush green fields, barren mountains and everything in between. What makes this tree special is that it's over 5 million years old. Back then, a volcanic eruption buried it and as a result of some sciency stuff it was petrified. Ages later the surrounding ash washed away but the stone tree remained. Oddly enough it doesn't look dissimilar to any other dead tree, if it wasn't for the sign you could easily miss it.
Still, enough about a tree. From there we travelled to Tower Falls, the first waterfall of the day. The falls are an impressive sight, taking their name from the impressive rock formations that tower above. I wish we'd had time to take the trail further down towards the fall but we only had one day so after listening to the thundering roar of the water for a few minutes we moved on again.
After various other short stops we arrived at Lower Canyon Falls. This is what I always imagine a waterfall to look like - the water has carved out a deep canyon through red and yellow rock and the volume of water pouring down far surpassed any of the other falls we'd seen. It's not hard to see why the rocky outcrop overlooking the falls is known as Artist's Point.
We stopped just past Dunraven Pass, the highest point on the loop road at a staggering 8,892 ft. It was also the first time I'd seen the temperature gauge on the car rise from its half way mark (I don't think it liked the steep climb and thin air) so it was a good excuse to give the engine a rest. From our vantage point we could look out over one of Yellowstone's major volcanic basins which although inactive for a long period shows several large bare patches where the soil has become too acidic for vegetation. One day it could all blow up again, eek.
After this mountainous section the road winds across a large grassy plain down towards Yellowstone lake. We'd seen the odd bison by the road but here there were suddenly dozens of them. At one point we saw a whole herd wading across the wide river - an amazing sight, and all the more so because it took us completely by surprise. By early afternoon we'd reached the lake front and stopped at the lakeside lodge for a spot of lunch.
And I'll stop typing now too. More Yellowstone tales in the next post.
After a pathetic shower and a huge breakfast (we definitely weren't in Canada any more) we checked out of the hotel and started our tour of Yellowstone in the only way Americans know how; by car.
Yellowstone is conveniently laid out so that all the major attractions lie along a 140 mile loop road. We were leaving the park via a different exit to the one we came in, but even so we'd be covering 100 miles during the course of the day.
First stop of course was Mammoth Hot Springs, just a couple of minutes from the hotel. The springs have formed where water bubbles up slowly from deep underground, leaving behind mineral deposits that gradually build to form mounds and pools. The springs are constantly changing as some dry up and new fissures appear - some large pools that were active 20 or 30 years ago are now completely dried up so that the lower slopes look like a barren alien landscape. Farther up, as you reach the active springs, the first thing that hits you is the smell. The steam rising from the pools is thick with sulphur and the whole area reeks of rotten eggs. Nice.
Our next stop (a lone tree believe it or not), was a few miles further on, through an amazingly varied landscape of lush green fields, barren mountains and everything in between. What makes this tree special is that it's over 5 million years old. Back then, a volcanic eruption buried it and as a result of some sciency stuff it was petrified. Ages later the surrounding ash washed away but the stone tree remained. Oddly enough it doesn't look dissimilar to any other dead tree, if it wasn't for the sign you could easily miss it.
Still, enough about a tree. From there we travelled to Tower Falls, the first waterfall of the day. The falls are an impressive sight, taking their name from the impressive rock formations that tower above. I wish we'd had time to take the trail further down towards the fall but we only had one day so after listening to the thundering roar of the water for a few minutes we moved on again.
After various other short stops we arrived at Lower Canyon Falls. This is what I always imagine a waterfall to look like - the water has carved out a deep canyon through red and yellow rock and the volume of water pouring down far surpassed any of the other falls we'd seen. It's not hard to see why the rocky outcrop overlooking the falls is known as Artist's Point.
We stopped just past Dunraven Pass, the highest point on the loop road at a staggering 8,892 ft. It was also the first time I'd seen the temperature gauge on the car rise from its half way mark (I don't think it liked the steep climb and thin air) so it was a good excuse to give the engine a rest. From our vantage point we could look out over one of Yellowstone's major volcanic basins which although inactive for a long period shows several large bare patches where the soil has become too acidic for vegetation. One day it could all blow up again, eek.
After this mountainous section the road winds across a large grassy plain down towards Yellowstone lake. We'd seen the odd bison by the road but here there were suddenly dozens of them. At one point we saw a whole herd wading across the wide river - an amazing sight, and all the more so because it took us completely by surprise. By early afternoon we'd reached the lake front and stopped at the lakeside lodge for a spot of lunch.
And I'll stop typing now too. More Yellowstone tales in the next post.
Tuesday 3 July 2007
Day 26 1/2 - Yellowstone
Unlike our stay in Yosemite we'd opted for a proper hotel room this time. We were staying at the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel, a grand building situated in a shallow valley close to the hot springs after which it is named. Our room was fairly basic and didn't look like it had changed much since the hotel was built in the late nineteenth century. The bathroom was just along the corridor and equally basic, but at least we wouldn't have to risk meeting a bear in the night if we needed the loo.
After a delicious meal at the one and only restaurant in Mammoth the combination of a 10 hour drive, a full stomach and perhaps a little wine proved too much for us and we collapsed into bed, looking forward to a solid day of sightseeing tomorrow.
After a delicious meal at the one and only restaurant in Mammoth the combination of a 10 hour drive, a full stomach and perhaps a little wine proved too much for us and we collapsed into bed, looking forward to a solid day of sightseeing tomorrow.
Day 26 - Montana
Today we would be bringing the Canada leg of our road trip to an end and returning back to the USA. We rose early, loaded up the car, bade Mum and Ros farewell and set off around 8.30am. The route to Yellowstone was 600 miles so we were in for a long day.
Ninety minutes into the drive we were making good distance so we decided there was enough time to stop off at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump near Fort MacLeod. The buffalo jump is a cliff over which the Native Americans herded buffalo to their deaths (they weren't just cruel, it was a convenient was to ensure they had enough meat and provisions for the winter). Built next to the cliff is an 'interpretive center' though which unfortunately have to pass through to reach the jump itself. We didn't really want to spend long, but we paid the entry fee anyway and headed on inside.
We were told that we should first watch the video reconstruction in the auditorium, which was 10 minutes long and played on loop with a 4 minute break between each showing. So we checked our watches, did some quick calculations about when we needed to get back on the road and decided we had time...
15 minutes later we were still sat in the auditorium with half a dozen other people waiting for the video to start. Just as we decided to give the video a miss and stood up a tour party began pouring in - evidently the reason for the hold up. They proceeded to take another 10 minutes to arrange themselves, at which point the tour guide got up on stage and started running through the itinerary for the day. He was followed by one of the museum staff who gave a short introductory speech (or at least it would have been short if she could remember her lines) and then tried to teach the audience how to say a greeting in their local indian dialect. From this we learnt three things about American tour groups; they love audience participation, they won't give up until they've got something right and they're very stupid. By the time the video started I was about ready to write something extremely rude in the museum's guest book and Amy rolled her eyes in a way that I expect meant the same thing.
We breathed a sigh of relief as the video started, shortly followed by a sigh of despair. The video appeared to have been recorded some time in the seventies, on a budget of ten dollars, onto a VHS tape which had then been played on loop ever since.... quite possibly it has.
Eventually we left the auditorium, hoping over the tour group members as we went, and charged up the stairs so we could at least get to see the buffalo jump in peace for a few minutes before the wheezing, overweight tour group showed and started relating anecdotes about how their aunt Sandy had been here twice and just loved it.
So, after over an hour we got back on the road and headed for the border... A border which turned out remarkably easy to cross. There was hardly any queue and since we already had our visa waiver forms we were allowed straight though. Result.
Not long after the border we came across a small town called Sunburst, it looked rather basic but Montana is a bit thin on civilisation and we were running low on gas so we decided to stop. First impressions weren't wrong, Sunburst was indeed basic. There was just one tarmac road through the middle and the gas station was off down a gravel track. When we pulled up outside it looked deserted, just a couple of pumps in the middle of a big dirt yard, but we spotted someone else filling up so we figured it was open. Amazingly despite how 'rustic' the place was it had a credit card machine attached to the pump, lucky really as I couldn't see any signs indicating where the attendant might be - clearly we wouldn't be getting a Starbucks here. After a short but bumpy ride back through Sunburst, past the trailers and shacks (there didn't appear to be any more substantial buildings), we were back on the highway headed south.
Montana as it turns out isn't quite how I'd imagined. Not that there aren't the lush green rolling hills that look like a Windows XP backdrop, but there's so much else besides. For a state larger than the whole of the UK I guess I was naive to think otherwise. Northern Montana seems to be pretty much a desert, then you hill the postcard look fields and hills, then beyond that the scenic Highway 89 cuts through deep forests and gorges before finally spitting you out into Wyoming and Yellowstone park.
We stopped in Livingston, the last major town before Yellowstone, to fill up with gas for the second time in a day. Not so good for the environment but thankfully not too hard on the wallet. As I was strolling back from the restroom two hitch-hikers wandered over and asked 'You are going to Yellowstone perhaps yes?' in an eastern European accent. I quickly lied 'No' and got back in the car, hoping that we wouldn't bump into them later at the hotel.
From Livingston it was another hour to the park entrance. We drove under a big stone arch indicating that we had crossed the park boundary, then a hundred yards later we found a barrier and a park ranger indicating that we had to pay the entry fee. Not long later we were at the hotel... but I'll leave that for the next blog entry.
Ninety minutes into the drive we were making good distance so we decided there was enough time to stop off at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump near Fort MacLeod. The buffalo jump is a cliff over which the Native Americans herded buffalo to their deaths (they weren't just cruel, it was a convenient was to ensure they had enough meat and provisions for the winter). Built next to the cliff is an 'interpretive center' though which unfortunately have to pass through to reach the jump itself. We didn't really want to spend long, but we paid the entry fee anyway and headed on inside.
We were told that we should first watch the video reconstruction in the auditorium, which was 10 minutes long and played on loop with a 4 minute break between each showing. So we checked our watches, did some quick calculations about when we needed to get back on the road and decided we had time...
15 minutes later we were still sat in the auditorium with half a dozen other people waiting for the video to start. Just as we decided to give the video a miss and stood up a tour party began pouring in - evidently the reason for the hold up. They proceeded to take another 10 minutes to arrange themselves, at which point the tour guide got up on stage and started running through the itinerary for the day. He was followed by one of the museum staff who gave a short introductory speech (or at least it would have been short if she could remember her lines) and then tried to teach the audience how to say a greeting in their local indian dialect. From this we learnt three things about American tour groups; they love audience participation, they won't give up until they've got something right and they're very stupid. By the time the video started I was about ready to write something extremely rude in the museum's guest book and Amy rolled her eyes in a way that I expect meant the same thing.
We breathed a sigh of relief as the video started, shortly followed by a sigh of despair. The video appeared to have been recorded some time in the seventies, on a budget of ten dollars, onto a VHS tape which had then been played on loop ever since.... quite possibly it has.
Eventually we left the auditorium, hoping over the tour group members as we went, and charged up the stairs so we could at least get to see the buffalo jump in peace for a few minutes before the wheezing, overweight tour group showed and started relating anecdotes about how their aunt Sandy had been here twice and just loved it.
So, after over an hour we got back on the road and headed for the border... A border which turned out remarkably easy to cross. There was hardly any queue and since we already had our visa waiver forms we were allowed straight though. Result.
Not long after the border we came across a small town called Sunburst, it looked rather basic but Montana is a bit thin on civilisation and we were running low on gas so we decided to stop. First impressions weren't wrong, Sunburst was indeed basic. There was just one tarmac road through the middle and the gas station was off down a gravel track. When we pulled up outside it looked deserted, just a couple of pumps in the middle of a big dirt yard, but we spotted someone else filling up so we figured it was open. Amazingly despite how 'rustic' the place was it had a credit card machine attached to the pump, lucky really as I couldn't see any signs indicating where the attendant might be - clearly we wouldn't be getting a Starbucks here. After a short but bumpy ride back through Sunburst, past the trailers and shacks (there didn't appear to be any more substantial buildings), we were back on the highway headed south.
Montana as it turns out isn't quite how I'd imagined. Not that there aren't the lush green rolling hills that look like a Windows XP backdrop, but there's so much else besides. For a state larger than the whole of the UK I guess I was naive to think otherwise. Northern Montana seems to be pretty much a desert, then you hill the postcard look fields and hills, then beyond that the scenic Highway 89 cuts through deep forests and gorges before finally spitting you out into Wyoming and Yellowstone park.
We stopped in Livingston, the last major town before Yellowstone, to fill up with gas for the second time in a day. Not so good for the environment but thankfully not too hard on the wallet. As I was strolling back from the restroom two hitch-hikers wandered over and asked 'You are going to Yellowstone perhaps yes?' in an eastern European accent. I quickly lied 'No' and got back in the car, hoping that we wouldn't bump into them later at the hotel.
From Livingston it was another hour to the park entrance. We drove under a big stone arch indicating that we had crossed the park boundary, then a hundred yards later we found a barrier and a park ranger indicating that we had to pay the entry fee. Not long later we were at the hotel... but I'll leave that for the next blog entry.
Monday 2 July 2007
Day 25 - It's All Relative
Today was the allocated day for seeing relatives. The day after Canada, it was a bank holiday so all of Ros's relatives (and by extension my own distant relatives) would be coming over in the evening for a meal. Much of the day was spent preparing food and laying out chairs and tables but we did find time to visit the one relative that wouldn't be coming.
Joyce, my Grandma's sister, is now in her nineties (I forget the exact age) and sadly she's pretty much confined to her bed in a local retirement home. It isn't far from Ros's house so she gets visitors regularly but it was still a shame she couldn't be there to see everyone in the evening.
We stayed at the home for half an hour or so before running out of things so say. It's hard to understand much of what Joyce says so the conversation turns into a monologue before long. She smiles and laughs at all the jokes though and you can see in her eyes that she understands you still. It must be frustrating to live like that but I guess it's something you learn to live with.
After visiting Joyce we went to have a look at the church where Ros's family are buried (see, I said it was a day of visiting relatives). The church is in a slightly surreal location - it's a small white wooden structure, built around 100 years ago when the population of Calgary was just a few thousand, and would originally have stood in grassland, surrounded by expansive ranches. Today Calgary's population has exploded to over a million and expanded out for miles beyond the church so the graveyard is fenced in and surrounded by modern developments with a multi-lane freeway running along one side. Not exactly the peaceful setting of yesteryear.
The evening was a bit more upbeat. Around 20 people came along (I won't bore you by listing them) and we spent the evening chatting and trying to figure out who was related who, and how. One great advantage of Ros's dual level house is that the children all disappeared off to the downstairs lounge where they could be neither seen nor heard.
Luckily the party didn't go on too late and we were able to get an early night, ready for the long drive tomorrow.
Joyce, my Grandma's sister, is now in her nineties (I forget the exact age) and sadly she's pretty much confined to her bed in a local retirement home. It isn't far from Ros's house so she gets visitors regularly but it was still a shame she couldn't be there to see everyone in the evening.
We stayed at the home for half an hour or so before running out of things so say. It's hard to understand much of what Joyce says so the conversation turns into a monologue before long. She smiles and laughs at all the jokes though and you can see in her eyes that she understands you still. It must be frustrating to live like that but I guess it's something you learn to live with.
After visiting Joyce we went to have a look at the church where Ros's family are buried (see, I said it was a day of visiting relatives). The church is in a slightly surreal location - it's a small white wooden structure, built around 100 years ago when the population of Calgary was just a few thousand, and would originally have stood in grassland, surrounded by expansive ranches. Today Calgary's population has exploded to over a million and expanded out for miles beyond the church so the graveyard is fenced in and surrounded by modern developments with a multi-lane freeway running along one side. Not exactly the peaceful setting of yesteryear.
The evening was a bit more upbeat. Around 20 people came along (I won't bore you by listing them) and we spent the evening chatting and trying to figure out who was related who, and how. One great advantage of Ros's dual level house is that the children all disappeared off to the downstairs lounge where they could be neither seen nor heard.
Luckily the party didn't go on too late and we were able to get an early night, ready for the long drive tomorrow.
Sunday 1 July 2007
Day 24 - Calgary Zoo
I expect todays blog entry will be a short one. If I wanted to sum it up in one line I'd write 'Went to the Zoo', but that would slightly defeat the point of having a blog I suppose.
Although you can get the C-Train to the zoo we banked on Calgary being as quiet as the previous day and drove instead. Our hunch was right as the roads were almost empty and it wasn't long until we were parked up and heading in to see the animals.
The first section was a dinosaur area. The observant among you will have noticed that dinosaurs are extinct. Clearly the designers of the zoo knew this (at least I hope they did) so instead they've built some dinosaurs out of plaster. It wasn't very convincing or exciting, although it wasn't a complete waste of time as I discovered a new fact - until 120 million years ago there were no flowering plant species on earth, so most dinosaur species would never have seen a flower, how sad for them.
With that out of the way we moved on to real animals. There were too many to remember, let alone try to list, but some of the highlights were the gorillas, elephants and giraffes. One of the giraffes was licking the rear-end of another and even drank some of the other giraffes wee - I'm not sure if that counts as a 'highlight' of the day but it's definitely a sight I won't quickly forget. From the look on the giraffes face he quickly realised his mistake and he won't be forgetting it either.
And that concludes my zoo summary. Fun wasn't it?
On the way back we mistimed our arrival at Ros's, arriving home just as she and my mum had gone out, so we popped to the nearby shops and got a Starbucks. The Starbucks was part of a large bookstore and was right next to the magazines so I had a quick look at the video games magazines. To my surprise nearly all of them were British imports at marked up prices - quite why they don't import US magazines instead is a mystery to me, perhaps Canada just like to distance themselves from America where possible.
Eventually we managed to rendevous successfully back at Ros's for a third consecutive home cooked meal; quite a welcome break after the barrage of restaurants we've been subjected to previously. We spent the evening sat on the balcony waiting for the Canada Day fireworks which didn't start until almost 11pm (having fireworks that for north in the middle of summer there's isn't really much choice) and in the event were too far away to see clearly anyway. Oh well, it's not like we've never seen fireworks before.
Although you can get the C-Train to the zoo we banked on Calgary being as quiet as the previous day and drove instead. Our hunch was right as the roads were almost empty and it wasn't long until we were parked up and heading in to see the animals.
The first section was a dinosaur area. The observant among you will have noticed that dinosaurs are extinct. Clearly the designers of the zoo knew this (at least I hope they did) so instead they've built some dinosaurs out of plaster. It wasn't very convincing or exciting, although it wasn't a complete waste of time as I discovered a new fact - until 120 million years ago there were no flowering plant species on earth, so most dinosaur species would never have seen a flower, how sad for them.
With that out of the way we moved on to real animals. There were too many to remember, let alone try to list, but some of the highlights were the gorillas, elephants and giraffes. One of the giraffes was licking the rear-end of another and even drank some of the other giraffes wee - I'm not sure if that counts as a 'highlight' of the day but it's definitely a sight I won't quickly forget. From the look on the giraffes face he quickly realised his mistake and he won't be forgetting it either.
And that concludes my zoo summary. Fun wasn't it?
On the way back we mistimed our arrival at Ros's, arriving home just as she and my mum had gone out, so we popped to the nearby shops and got a Starbucks. The Starbucks was part of a large bookstore and was right next to the magazines so I had a quick look at the video games magazines. To my surprise nearly all of them were British imports at marked up prices - quite why they don't import US magazines instead is a mystery to me, perhaps Canada just like to distance themselves from America where possible.
Eventually we managed to rendevous successfully back at Ros's for a third consecutive home cooked meal; quite a welcome break after the barrage of restaurants we've been subjected to previously. We spent the evening sat on the balcony waiting for the Canada Day fireworks which didn't start until almost 11pm (having fireworks that for north in the middle of summer there's isn't really much choice) and in the event were too far away to see clearly anyway. Oh well, it's not like we've never seen fireworks before.
Saturday 30 June 2007
Day 23 - Downtown Calgary
Calgary doesn't have a huge number of tourist attractions. Due to commitments back home we hadn't managed to time our visit to coincide with the Calgary Stampede, so we were left with the Calgary Tower, the Glenbow museum, the zoo and a few other minor attractions.
The plan for today was to visit everything except the zoo. My mum tagged along while Ros stayed home and did some chores. We used the local 'C-Train' transit system to get to the downtown area (after driving to the station of course - no day would be complete without getting in the car at least once), arriving at a stop just a block from the Glenbow Museum so we elected to start our day there. The museum was spread over three main floors, one dedicated to local history (all 100 years of it), one of odds and ends and another with some interesting exhibits such as african history and a large collection of Buddha statues through the ages.
All in all, it ended up taking quite a while so before we'd even finished the museum we broke for lunch. What immediately struck us was how quiet Calgary was, for a saturday lunchtime in a city of a million people we expected it to be heaving yet the streets were almost deserted. We could only surmise that since July 1st is 'Canada Day' that everyone had used the long weekend to get out of town.
Anyway, after a fairly standard lunch we went back to the Glenbow, checked out the last few exhibits, and then moved onto Calgary tower. It claims to be the 'highest tourist attraction above sea level' or words to that effect but to be honest it's more of a linguistic achievement than a technical one, it's no higher than the Seattle Space Needle and it's only because Calgary itself is over 3000 feet above see level that it can make the claim. Since you can't actually see the sea from the tower (there's the small issue of the Rockies getting in the way) it seems like a rather pointless claim to me.
Nonetheless, the view from the tower is interesting, if somewhat spoiled by the more recent skyscrapers - 3 of which are actually taller than the tower itself. The best bit was the glass floor on which you can stand and look straight down at the city. The glass has allegedly been strengthened to withstand the weight of two hippos but it was still enough to make my knees feel a bit wobbly. Especially when some of the American tourists stood on it, at a glance you could easily have mistaken them for hippos.
Back down at ground level we strolled over to the modern art museum. It's a fairly small building which had just two installations - a collection of cityscapes and a looping video that I won't even attempt to explain. The cityscapes were very interesting, I don't know enough arty words to describe them though - abstract is the word that springs to mind but it doesn't really do them justice. You'll just have to take my word for it that they were good.
Last stop on the tour was the Devonian gardens. These tropical gardens are part of Calgary's main shopping centre, situated on the top floor under a series of glass domes. As shopping centre gardens go they were pretty good, but overall they weren't anything more than a quick distraction. I can imagine in the middle of winter when it's 10 below outside and there's snow everywhere the gardens would be a welcome break from the cold though.
Oh, and while in the shopping centre we stumbled across (ok, sought out) a games shop so we popped in and picked up another DS game. This time Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
By the time we'd got the crowded C-Train and driven back to Ros's we were all quite tired so we had another quiet evening in and I practiced my attorney skills on the DS.
The plan for today was to visit everything except the zoo. My mum tagged along while Ros stayed home and did some chores. We used the local 'C-Train' transit system to get to the downtown area (after driving to the station of course - no day would be complete without getting in the car at least once), arriving at a stop just a block from the Glenbow Museum so we elected to start our day there. The museum was spread over three main floors, one dedicated to local history (all 100 years of it), one of odds and ends and another with some interesting exhibits such as african history and a large collection of Buddha statues through the ages.
All in all, it ended up taking quite a while so before we'd even finished the museum we broke for lunch. What immediately struck us was how quiet Calgary was, for a saturday lunchtime in a city of a million people we expected it to be heaving yet the streets were almost deserted. We could only surmise that since July 1st is 'Canada Day' that everyone had used the long weekend to get out of town.
Anyway, after a fairly standard lunch we went back to the Glenbow, checked out the last few exhibits, and then moved onto Calgary tower. It claims to be the 'highest tourist attraction above sea level' or words to that effect but to be honest it's more of a linguistic achievement than a technical one, it's no higher than the Seattle Space Needle and it's only because Calgary itself is over 3000 feet above see level that it can make the claim. Since you can't actually see the sea from the tower (there's the small issue of the Rockies getting in the way) it seems like a rather pointless claim to me.
Nonetheless, the view from the tower is interesting, if somewhat spoiled by the more recent skyscrapers - 3 of which are actually taller than the tower itself. The best bit was the glass floor on which you can stand and look straight down at the city. The glass has allegedly been strengthened to withstand the weight of two hippos but it was still enough to make my knees feel a bit wobbly. Especially when some of the American tourists stood on it, at a glance you could easily have mistaken them for hippos.
Back down at ground level we strolled over to the modern art museum. It's a fairly small building which had just two installations - a collection of cityscapes and a looping video that I won't even attempt to explain. The cityscapes were very interesting, I don't know enough arty words to describe them though - abstract is the word that springs to mind but it doesn't really do them justice. You'll just have to take my word for it that they were good.
Last stop on the tour was the Devonian gardens. These tropical gardens are part of Calgary's main shopping centre, situated on the top floor under a series of glass domes. As shopping centre gardens go they were pretty good, but overall they weren't anything more than a quick distraction. I can imagine in the middle of winter when it's 10 below outside and there's snow everywhere the gardens would be a welcome break from the cold though.
Oh, and while in the shopping centre we stumbled across (ok, sought out) a games shop so we popped in and picked up another DS game. This time Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.
By the time we'd got the crowded C-Train and driven back to Ros's we were all quite tired so we had another quiet evening in and I practiced my attorney skills on the DS.
Friday 29 June 2007
Day 22 - Banff and Beyond
We were just staying the one night in Banff so we packed up after breakfast and headed out of the motel ready for another day of sightseeing. Just around the corner from the hotel the traffic ground to halt - it turned out a couple of deer had picked this morning to take a stroll around town and, like true tourists, hadn't figured out how to operate the pedestrian crossing. Luckily they were soon out of the way (a split second before Amy managed to line the camera up as it happened) and the traffic started moving again.
Our first intentional stop was the gondola that goes up to the top of Sulphur Mountain, around 2500m above sea level. The gondola ride takes you high over the trees where you can see plenty of hikers making their way up the trail which zig-zags back and forth below. Rather them than us, particular since it looked like it might rain.
At the top of the mountain is a short boardwalk taking you from the gondola building right to the very peak, where there is a precariously positioned weather station. In years gone by a guy called Norman Sanson used to take readings at the weather station every week, he managed to do it for 30 years without missing a single week. That's a lot of hiking.
We took the gondola back down and drove a short way to Bow Falls, another of Banff's tourist attractions, which were impressive in it's ferocity if not height. And for the fact that like the local lakes the water is almost emerald in colour.
So, after chalking up another waterfall visit and of course some more waterfall photos we got back on the road and drove to a town called Canmore, not far along the highway, where we thought we might get some lunch. Canmore as it turns out isn't very exciting. There's a small art gallery in the library building, although you have to contact the librarian to get it unlocked so we skipped that. We'd just finished walking the length of the high street (spotting very little of interest) when simultaneously the wind picked up and the rain came down, natures way of telling us there are more interesting things to be done.
We still hadn't managed to locate any lunch so we gave up and went to the local McDonalds and ordered a Double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder (between us, not each). I wasn't even that hungry really, I just thought like I might never get the chance to have a Double Big Mac again so I felt obliged. Only later did I realise I could just order two normal Big Mac's back home and make my own, but by then the calorific damage was done.
After Canmore the mountains quickly ran out and in a surprisingly short time we were driving across a wide flat plain on the way to Calgary. The journey only took an hour, so mid-afternoon we rolled up to Ros's house on the outskirts of Calgary. It's a fairly generous abode, although the policy on the Heritage Lake development where she lives is that each house must have three garages minimum, so in comparison to the other mansions Ros's house actually looks quite petite.
Inside, the house is split into two floors with very similar layouts. Ros lives pretty much on the upstairs floor while downstairs is reserved for visitors like us. There's not much to do around there after some dinner and a short walk around the estate (to eye up the houses and pick which one we'd have if we won the lottery) we just read and played on the DS.
Incidentally Amy's lost in her virtual puppy already so I'm now stuck with feeding and walking two puppies every day. It's a hard life.
Our first intentional stop was the gondola that goes up to the top of Sulphur Mountain, around 2500m above sea level. The gondola ride takes you high over the trees where you can see plenty of hikers making their way up the trail which zig-zags back and forth below. Rather them than us, particular since it looked like it might rain.
At the top of the mountain is a short boardwalk taking you from the gondola building right to the very peak, where there is a precariously positioned weather station. In years gone by a guy called Norman Sanson used to take readings at the weather station every week, he managed to do it for 30 years without missing a single week. That's a lot of hiking.
We took the gondola back down and drove a short way to Bow Falls, another of Banff's tourist attractions, which were impressive in it's ferocity if not height. And for the fact that like the local lakes the water is almost emerald in colour.
So, after chalking up another waterfall visit and of course some more waterfall photos we got back on the road and drove to a town called Canmore, not far along the highway, where we thought we might get some lunch. Canmore as it turns out isn't very exciting. There's a small art gallery in the library building, although you have to contact the librarian to get it unlocked so we skipped that. We'd just finished walking the length of the high street (spotting very little of interest) when simultaneously the wind picked up and the rain came down, natures way of telling us there are more interesting things to be done.
We still hadn't managed to locate any lunch so we gave up and went to the local McDonalds and ordered a Double Big Mac and Double Quarter Pounder (between us, not each). I wasn't even that hungry really, I just thought like I might never get the chance to have a Double Big Mac again so I felt obliged. Only later did I realise I could just order two normal Big Mac's back home and make my own, but by then the calorific damage was done.
After Canmore the mountains quickly ran out and in a surprisingly short time we were driving across a wide flat plain on the way to Calgary. The journey only took an hour, so mid-afternoon we rolled up to Ros's house on the outskirts of Calgary. It's a fairly generous abode, although the policy on the Heritage Lake development where she lives is that each house must have three garages minimum, so in comparison to the other mansions Ros's house actually looks quite petite.
Inside, the house is split into two floors with very similar layouts. Ros lives pretty much on the upstairs floor while downstairs is reserved for visitors like us. There's not much to do around there after some dinner and a short walk around the estate (to eye up the houses and pick which one we'd have if we won the lottery) we just read and played on the DS.
Incidentally Amy's lost in her virtual puppy already so I'm now stuck with feeding and walking two puppies every day. It's a hard life.
Thursday 28 June 2007
Day 21 - Lake Louise and Banff
Day 21, three weeks into the holiday. Leamington Spa seems so far away now and things like driving on the right side of the road and asking for eggs 'sunny side up' have become second nature. We were back on the road just after 9am with the intention of stopping at either Lake Louise or Banff for the night (from there it would just be a short hop to Calgary the following day).
Ros and my mum were heading straight to Calgary so Amy and I headed off alone, stopping at a place called Eagle Pass Landing for breakfast. A 3 egg omelette stuffed with all manner of meat and veg, with a side of toast - 4 slices each. Needless to say, neither of us managed to eat it all.
We were so stuffed that we completely skipped lunch, just stopping at a few places along the highway to admire the scenery. The Trans-Canada Highway takes you right through the middle of the rockies, peaking at 1382m above sea level in a place called Rogers Pass. One of the more interesting sights are the spiral tunnels blasted out of the mountains for the railway to reduce the incline of the track (there isn't any slope gentle enough that a train can safely climb or descend otherwise). Apparently you can often see the front of a train coming out of the tunnel directly above the rear end going in, but after waiting 5 minutes and no trains appearing we got bored and carried on.
The highway also takes you through Glacier National Park but as far as we could tell it requires a fair bit of hiking to actually see any glaciers so by 3pm (after crossing a time zone boundary and losing an hour) we were at Lake Louse Village. From there we went up to both Lake Louise and the nearby Lake Morraine. Both were a brilliant blue-green colour and look stunning nestled in the mountains (Lake Louise used to be at the end of a glacier but over the years the glacier has receded, which is a shame as it must have made the view all the more impressive).
We had thought we might stay in Lake Louise overnight but to be honest, it doesn't take that long to look at a lake, say 'ooh pretty', take the photos and move on. Plus the mosquitos were out in force again. As the saying goes - once (or in Amy's case 11 times) bitten, twice shy.
Henceforth in the early evening we arrived in Banff to locate a room for the night. The Best Western seemed like an obvious bet so that's where we tried first. Luck was on our side - they only had suites left but agreed to give us one at the same price as a normal room. Each suite has a jacuzzi in the room, sweet.
For dinner we tracking down a fondue restaurant that Amy had read about in a guidebook - the Grizzly House. Here we were in for a treat (normally I'd leave the food for Amy to describe but this was something special), the starter was a cheese and wine fondue, into which you dip hunks of bread. Then came the main course, meat. We were given a mix of beef, buffalo, elk and venison (with a selection of 5 sauces) to cook in hot oil, which meant with a bit of practice we could cook it just as rare or well done as we liked. Finally, the dessert was a chocolate fondue with a selection of fruit and wafers - again it was delicious, although melon in chocolate doesn't quite work somehow.
Completely stuffed, but somehow still able to walk, we waddled back to the hotel and watched Ugly Betty while lazing in the Jacuzzi. I could definitely get used to this decadent lifestyle.
Ros and my mum were heading straight to Calgary so Amy and I headed off alone, stopping at a place called Eagle Pass Landing for breakfast. A 3 egg omelette stuffed with all manner of meat and veg, with a side of toast - 4 slices each. Needless to say, neither of us managed to eat it all.
We were so stuffed that we completely skipped lunch, just stopping at a few places along the highway to admire the scenery. The Trans-Canada Highway takes you right through the middle of the rockies, peaking at 1382m above sea level in a place called Rogers Pass. One of the more interesting sights are the spiral tunnels blasted out of the mountains for the railway to reduce the incline of the track (there isn't any slope gentle enough that a train can safely climb or descend otherwise). Apparently you can often see the front of a train coming out of the tunnel directly above the rear end going in, but after waiting 5 minutes and no trains appearing we got bored and carried on.
The highway also takes you through Glacier National Park but as far as we could tell it requires a fair bit of hiking to actually see any glaciers so by 3pm (after crossing a time zone boundary and losing an hour) we were at Lake Louse Village. From there we went up to both Lake Louise and the nearby Lake Morraine. Both were a brilliant blue-green colour and look stunning nestled in the mountains (Lake Louise used to be at the end of a glacier but over the years the glacier has receded, which is a shame as it must have made the view all the more impressive).
We had thought we might stay in Lake Louise overnight but to be honest, it doesn't take that long to look at a lake, say 'ooh pretty', take the photos and move on. Plus the mosquitos were out in force again. As the saying goes - once (or in Amy's case 11 times) bitten, twice shy.
Henceforth in the early evening we arrived in Banff to locate a room for the night. The Best Western seemed like an obvious bet so that's where we tried first. Luck was on our side - they only had suites left but agreed to give us one at the same price as a normal room. Each suite has a jacuzzi in the room, sweet.
For dinner we tracking down a fondue restaurant that Amy had read about in a guidebook - the Grizzly House. Here we were in for a treat (normally I'd leave the food for Amy to describe but this was something special), the starter was a cheese and wine fondue, into which you dip hunks of bread. Then came the main course, meat. We were given a mix of beef, buffalo, elk and venison (with a selection of 5 sauces) to cook in hot oil, which meant with a bit of practice we could cook it just as rare or well done as we liked. Finally, the dessert was a chocolate fondue with a selection of fruit and wafers - again it was delicious, although melon in chocolate doesn't quite work somehow.
Completely stuffed, but somehow still able to walk, we waddled back to the hotel and watched Ugly Betty while lazing in the Jacuzzi. I could definitely get used to this decadent lifestyle.
Wednesday 27 June 2007
Day 20 - Shuswap Part 2
Today was quite a lazy day. The only real activity came in the form of a walk through the forest to see some old flumes; wooden structure built by loggers to float the logs down to the river, and on to the lumber yard (I guess that's where the idea of theme park log flumes arrived from). It was probably quite impressive in its day, the flumes ran for up to 11 miles and the logs ran down them at over 40mph (you wouldn't want to get in the way of one of those), but now there's not much left to see except some rotting wood. The walk was pleasant though, and we got to see yet another waterfall, or series of small waterfalls as it should probably be described.
There was however one small problem... Mosquitos. Every time you looked down there would be another 'mozzie' attempting to attach itself to you so stopping, particularly near water, became rather perilous. Inevitable a few succeeded and somehow Amy came off worst. By the evening she had at least 10 clearly visible bites while I got away with just three.
The rest of the day was spent lazing around and we had a quiet dinner at the house before retiring early in preparation for getting back on the road tomorrow.
There was however one small problem... Mosquitos. Every time you looked down there would be another 'mozzie' attempting to attach itself to you so stopping, particularly near water, became rather perilous. Inevitable a few succeeded and somehow Amy came off worst. By the evening she had at least 10 clearly visible bites while I got away with just three.
The rest of the day was spent lazing around and we had a quiet dinner at the house before retiring early in preparation for getting back on the road tomorrow.
Tuesday 26 June 2007
Day 19 - Shuswap
Staying by a lake in the mountains was good excuse to take it easy for a few days, so take it easy we did. We went for a drive and stroll to a nearby waterfall (which for once wasn't called Horse's Tail or Bridal Veil, unlike most of the other waterfalls we've seen) then to the town of Salmon Arm, one of the few 'towns' which would pass for a town in England, rather than a village or hamlet. Even so there's not much to see in Salmon Arm except the marina, nature reserve (where they have a few Osprey nests) and of course Tim Horton's.
After lunch we went back to the house and I went for a swim in the lake, which was really quite cold. I possibly wouldn't have bothered except that it was a hot day and, more importantly, everyone told me it was too cold to swim in the lake. I couldn't let that stand.
After about 30 seconds (just long enough to pose for photos) I figured I'd proved my point so shivering I got back out and Amy and I went for a ride in the row-boat instead. At first Amy took the role of oarsman but I think maybe it was just her turn to prove herself as after a couple of minutes she mysteriously lost all co-ordination and I had to take over.
For dinner we decided to go out, a decision that quickly highlighted one of the big problems in this part of Canada at the moment - namely a labour shortage. Every shop and eatery has vacancies advertised and even chains such as McDonalds are having to close some stores early or not open at all due to a lack of staff (apparently they even pay over the minimum wage, how generous).
Anyway, the first restaurant Ros phoned informed her they wouldn't be opening until they could find a chef, luckily the second (at a hotel on a local Indian reserve) had a table available. When we arrived though it didn't take long to realise they had staff problems too. For the entire restaurant there was just one waitress and one waiter, and he was clearly about 15 and hadn't had a day's training in his life. Dynamic he was not. As an example, after we ordered a bottle of wine he disappeared for fifteen minutes or so (honestly, that's not an exaggeration) then came back and told us "We don't have that one."... then he just stood there. Clearly the thought to bring us another wine list or even ask if we wanted an alternative never entered his head.
After much waiting we did manage to get some wine, and food too - it seems they'd managed to hire a decent chef since the meals turned out to be quite good. For reference Buffalo is nicer than Musk Ox. So with the meal concluded and bill paid (I didn't ask how much Ros opted to tip, not much I hope) we headed home and to bed. Amy's leg is much better today by the way.
After lunch we went back to the house and I went for a swim in the lake, which was really quite cold. I possibly wouldn't have bothered except that it was a hot day and, more importantly, everyone told me it was too cold to swim in the lake. I couldn't let that stand.
After about 30 seconds (just long enough to pose for photos) I figured I'd proved my point so shivering I got back out and Amy and I went for a ride in the row-boat instead. At first Amy took the role of oarsman but I think maybe it was just her turn to prove herself as after a couple of minutes she mysteriously lost all co-ordination and I had to take over.
For dinner we decided to go out, a decision that quickly highlighted one of the big problems in this part of Canada at the moment - namely a labour shortage. Every shop and eatery has vacancies advertised and even chains such as McDonalds are having to close some stores early or not open at all due to a lack of staff (apparently they even pay over the minimum wage, how generous).
Anyway, the first restaurant Ros phoned informed her they wouldn't be opening until they could find a chef, luckily the second (at a hotel on a local Indian reserve) had a table available. When we arrived though it didn't take long to realise they had staff problems too. For the entire restaurant there was just one waitress and one waiter, and he was clearly about 15 and hadn't had a day's training in his life. Dynamic he was not. As an example, after we ordered a bottle of wine he disappeared for fifteen minutes or so (honestly, that's not an exaggeration) then came back and told us "We don't have that one."... then he just stood there. Clearly the thought to bring us another wine list or even ask if we wanted an alternative never entered his head.
After much waiting we did manage to get some wine, and food too - it seems they'd managed to hire a decent chef since the meals turned out to be quite good. For reference Buffalo is nicer than Musk Ox. So with the meal concluded and bill paid (I didn't ask how much Ros opted to tip, not much I hope) we headed home and to bed. Amy's leg is much better today by the way.
Monday 25 June 2007
Day 18 - Transcanada Highway
We left Vancouver early and got onto Highway 1 - otherwise known as the Transcanada Highway for the first leg of our journey east. Although we cheated slightly and took the toll road that skips part of the old highway and saves an hour or so.
We stopped for lunch in a place called Kamloops, one of the few decent sized towns along the highway. We thought we'd give Arby's a try, not really knowing what it would be like but hoping it wouldn't be just another burger joint. We were satisfied on that front, but slightly disappointed that it was basically an American version of a Little Chef. Still, we ordered a couple of jacket potatoes which were edible - and at least they didn't come with fries.
After lunch it was just a short drive to the small town of Sorrento, on the banks of Lake Shuswap. We arrived at the house mid-afternoon and were greeted by Ros, who I think it my second cousin once removed, or possibly first cousin twice removed. It might even be a more tenuous link than that but we're definitely related somehow. Inside the house were a couple of surprises - the first was the size of the place. I'd imagined a small holiday home and from the road it looks quite compact but because it's on a slope there's another floor below - in all there are two lounges, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a 'penthouse' suite with another couple of rooms, the kitchen, utility room, wash room, tool shed and then hidden away is another self contained cottage and a boat shed. Pretty big by anyone's standards.
The second surprise was rather different. As Amy and I walked into the lounge who should be there but my mum. I thought she was several thousand miles away in England but secretly she'd arranged a last minute trip out to Canada. The look on Amy's face was priceless, I can't comment on the look on my own face as there wasn't a mirror to hand.
We spent the evening catching up and drinking wine before Amy and I decided to take a quick stroll down to the jetty, which is just down from the house. It seemed like a good idea until Amy tried to jump from the beach onto the jetty, missed and fell, grazing all up her shin. That caught the walk rather short and the rest of the evening was taken up with first aid, and Amy telling everyone that I'd pushed her off the jetty. Still, there doesn't seem to be any major damage done.
We stopped for lunch in a place called Kamloops, one of the few decent sized towns along the highway. We thought we'd give Arby's a try, not really knowing what it would be like but hoping it wouldn't be just another burger joint. We were satisfied on that front, but slightly disappointed that it was basically an American version of a Little Chef. Still, we ordered a couple of jacket potatoes which were edible - and at least they didn't come with fries.
After lunch it was just a short drive to the small town of Sorrento, on the banks of Lake Shuswap. We arrived at the house mid-afternoon and were greeted by Ros, who I think it my second cousin once removed, or possibly first cousin twice removed. It might even be a more tenuous link than that but we're definitely related somehow. Inside the house were a couple of surprises - the first was the size of the place. I'd imagined a small holiday home and from the road it looks quite compact but because it's on a slope there's another floor below - in all there are two lounges, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a 'penthouse' suite with another couple of rooms, the kitchen, utility room, wash room, tool shed and then hidden away is another self contained cottage and a boat shed. Pretty big by anyone's standards.
The second surprise was rather different. As Amy and I walked into the lounge who should be there but my mum. I thought she was several thousand miles away in England but secretly she'd arranged a last minute trip out to Canada. The look on Amy's face was priceless, I can't comment on the look on my own face as there wasn't a mirror to hand.
We spent the evening catching up and drinking wine before Amy and I decided to take a quick stroll down to the jetty, which is just down from the house. It seemed like a good idea until Amy tried to jump from the beach onto the jetty, missed and fell, grazing all up her shin. That caught the walk rather short and the rest of the evening was taken up with first aid, and Amy telling everyone that I'd pushed her off the jetty. Still, there doesn't seem to be any major damage done.
Sunday 24 June 2007
Day 17 - Barbeque
Today we'd been invited to a house warming barbeque at Lauren and Woody's new place in Kitsilano. Since we had the morning to fill we went to downtown Vancouver to check out the shops. Amy's still hunting for a particular perfume which is curiously hard to find (even though it's freely available in England - albeit more expensive) and I was checking out the price of the Nintendo DS - which you'll know from a previous, but chronologically misplaced, blog post I did eventually buy, although not on this occasion.
On the way to the barbeque we stopped into a supermarket called Urban Fayre, which is surely what Marks and Spencers food hall aspires to. You can buy just about any kind of meat or vegetable (including musk ox, rattle snake and huge crab claws, I didn't pay as much attention to the veg) and it has so many giveaways you could eat in there for free. Due to stupid licensing laws though you can't buy alcohol so we had to pop into a state-owned liquor store afterwards to buy some overpriced win. I can't remember if I mentioned this before but wine is always more expensive than in England, both in shops and in restaurants - this seems particularly silly in the case of the Californian wines.
We arrived at Lauren and Woody's house in the early afternoon. It's a lovely house, clad in wooden slats and painted pale blue but the balcony was rather small for a barbeque. Nevertheless we squeezed out there and stuffed our faces with all the sausages, kebabs (spelt kabobs here) and burgers we'd purchased in Urban Fayre. At one point the barbeque got slightly out of hand but luckily the wooden house remained uncharred.
As the afternoon wore on the Canadian guests gradually left until by 10pm only the 9 Brits were left - the 8 from the curry last night and another guy, John I think, who previously worked at Codemasters. After a quick trip to the local off-license (which frustratingly doesn't sell crisps or chocolate) Woody got out the whiskey, stuck Orbital's Snivilization in the CD player and we all argued the finer points of music until 1am before someone finally pointed out the time.
Getting back to the flat was uneventful except for the discovery of a wheelie chair in the elevator and the ensuing hijinx.
On the way to the barbeque we stopped into a supermarket called Urban Fayre, which is surely what Marks and Spencers food hall aspires to. You can buy just about any kind of meat or vegetable (including musk ox, rattle snake and huge crab claws, I didn't pay as much attention to the veg) and it has so many giveaways you could eat in there for free. Due to stupid licensing laws though you can't buy alcohol so we had to pop into a state-owned liquor store afterwards to buy some overpriced win. I can't remember if I mentioned this before but wine is always more expensive than in England, both in shops and in restaurants - this seems particularly silly in the case of the Californian wines.
We arrived at Lauren and Woody's house in the early afternoon. It's a lovely house, clad in wooden slats and painted pale blue but the balcony was rather small for a barbeque. Nevertheless we squeezed out there and stuffed our faces with all the sausages, kebabs (spelt kabobs here) and burgers we'd purchased in Urban Fayre. At one point the barbeque got slightly out of hand but luckily the wooden house remained uncharred.
As the afternoon wore on the Canadian guests gradually left until by 10pm only the 9 Brits were left - the 8 from the curry last night and another guy, John I think, who previously worked at Codemasters. After a quick trip to the local off-license (which frustratingly doesn't sell crisps or chocolate) Woody got out the whiskey, stuck Orbital's Snivilization in the CD player and we all argued the finer points of music until 1am before someone finally pointed out the time.
Getting back to the flat was uneventful except for the discovery of a wheelie chair in the elevator and the ensuing hijinx.
Nintendo DS
I finally caved in today and took advantage of the cheap prices over here to purchase a Nintendo DS. After playing Nintendogs for half an hour we now have a virtual puppy which Amy has named Squish.
Saturday 23 June 2007
Day 16 - Vancouver Again
I think we set a new record for the latest start today, so by the time we'd walked to Kitsilano (an area in the south of Vancouver) it was time for lunch. We went into a nice mexican called Las Margaritas where we another holiday record, this time for the earliest drink at just after midday.
Once we'd stuffed ourselves with Burritos, Quesadillas and Chimichangas we strolled down one of Kitsilano's shopping streets, picking up a few items along the way. One of the best finds was a shop that sold sweets from around the world. The British section sold lots of things that are a rarity now even in England like Nerds aand Sour Skittles although we failed to locate any Chewits (fizzy or regular).
The touristy market of Granville Island was the next destination, after a short walk that wouldn't be worth mentioning except that we passed an animal hospital. Why is that worth mentioning? Because the outside of the building had been decorated to look exactly like a British Pub, complete with swinging sign. We didn't check out the inside but I hope it had a bar with dog beer on tap and bags off doggie snacks behind the counter.
Granville Island was about what you except from a market, it's probably a fantastic place to go if you actually want to buy food but there's only some many photos you can take of fresh fruit. I'll have to check my camera to tell you how many that is.
From Granville Island we caught the aqua-bus across to Yaletown, where Matt and Jayne's apartment is. Then after a quick rest stop we booked a taxi back to Kitsilano where we were meeting some people for a curry (as a quick segue, the taxi had the most advanced fuel management display I've ever seen - it was practically a video-game in its complexity and reminded me a lot of the french film Taxi, I wish I'd thought to take a photo).
In the Indian restaurant we met up with Lauren and Woody, who both used to work at Blitz another couple called Steph and James who are also British. All of them now work at EA or Radical in Vancouver.
The curry itself was nice if a bit lacking in spice (oh, and they didn't bring out any dips with the poppadoms, what the ...?) . There was clearly something in the curry though as we all descended into a giggling fit afterwards. I've not seen Matt that helpless since the time he laughed so much at work that he fell of his chair. I won't tell you what started the giggling, it doesn't sound very funny out of context.
We rounded off the night in The Frog and Firkin, an English style bar just down the road from the Indian before getting another taxi (without a fancy on-board computer this time) home.
Once we'd stuffed ourselves with Burritos, Quesadillas and Chimichangas we strolled down one of Kitsilano's shopping streets, picking up a few items along the way. One of the best finds was a shop that sold sweets from around the world. The British section sold lots of things that are a rarity now even in England like Nerds aand Sour Skittles although we failed to locate any Chewits (fizzy or regular).
The touristy market of Granville Island was the next destination, after a short walk that wouldn't be worth mentioning except that we passed an animal hospital. Why is that worth mentioning? Because the outside of the building had been decorated to look exactly like a British Pub, complete with swinging sign. We didn't check out the inside but I hope it had a bar with dog beer on tap and bags off doggie snacks behind the counter.
Granville Island was about what you except from a market, it's probably a fantastic place to go if you actually want to buy food but there's only some many photos you can take of fresh fruit. I'll have to check my camera to tell you how many that is.
From Granville Island we caught the aqua-bus across to Yaletown, where Matt and Jayne's apartment is. Then after a quick rest stop we booked a taxi back to Kitsilano where we were meeting some people for a curry (as a quick segue, the taxi had the most advanced fuel management display I've ever seen - it was practically a video-game in its complexity and reminded me a lot of the french film Taxi, I wish I'd thought to take a photo).
In the Indian restaurant we met up with Lauren and Woody, who both used to work at Blitz another couple called Steph and James who are also British. All of them now work at EA or Radical in Vancouver.
The curry itself was nice if a bit lacking in spice (oh, and they didn't bring out any dips with the poppadoms, what the ...?) . There was clearly something in the curry though as we all descended into a giggling fit afterwards. I've not seen Matt that helpless since the time he laughed so much at work that he fell of his chair. I won't tell you what started the giggling, it doesn't sound very funny out of context.
We rounded off the night in The Frog and Firkin, an English style bar just down the road from the Indian before getting another taxi (without a fancy on-board computer this time) home.
Friday 22 June 2007
Day 15 - Vancouver
The longer we're away the later we seem to be getting up. Today we didn't manage to leave Matt and Jayne's apartment until well after 11am. First stop of the day was Capilano bridge, a 136 metre long suspension bridge that crosses a river 70 metres below. When you get to the middle of the bridge it swings heavily from side to side, quite exciting as long as you don't get motion sickness. There were also some smaller bridges strung between the large redwood trees in the park so you can wander round and see the forest. It felt like being in an Ewok village - if I'd been there as a child I'd almost definitely have taken my Star Wars toys along. And lost them.
For a spot of lunch we drove down to Horseshoe Bay, a picturesque spot spoilt slightly by the ferry terminal. There's an interesting anecdote attached though - last year one of the ferrys went out of control when approaching the terminal. Rather than crash into the concrete wall the captain took the decision to ground the ferry on the beach. Unfortunately that meant driving it through the marina, smashing up many millions of dollars worth of yaghts in the process. I wish I'd been there to see that.
Anyway, we went to a restaurant called The Boathouse which served up some fantastic seafood. The portion sizes were quite reasonable (not at all like American meals) so we were tempted into ordering puddings, which were huge. Amy and I shared a slice of cheesecake and still couldn't finish it.
Getting back to central Vancouver was fun. There's only one bridge in from the north (the Lions Gate) and we had to queue for over 20 minutes to get into it - this at 4pm on a weekday. I hate to think what it'll be like during the Olympics. Still, eventually we got to Stanley park, the largest city-owned park in Canada and took a stroll along the seafront - complete with obligatory paddle in the sea. Part of the sea wall is still closed from the storms last winter - I thought only the British took that long to fix things.
By the time we'd finished there it was almost time for dinner. On the way we stopped of for drinks at a bar called Section(3), it used to be called De Niro's until Robert of the same name threatened to sue. They've re-used some of the old sign though, so above the bar it now reads Nerd. Apparently Section 3 is some legal reference too.
Section(3) is a nice if somewhat trendy bar (it wouldn't look out of place in Leamington), Amy went for a Pink Lady cocktail while the rest of us opted for Mojitos. But as it turns out that Mojito sounds a lot like 'me too' so we all ended up with girly pink drinks. Doh.
After a second round of drinks (actually Mojitos this time) we went to a Thai restaurant which served up some tasty and genuinely spicy food - something of a rarity in these parts.
The night ended back at the apartment with a couple of episodes of The Mighty Boosh. "I am the moon..."
For a spot of lunch we drove down to Horseshoe Bay, a picturesque spot spoilt slightly by the ferry terminal. There's an interesting anecdote attached though - last year one of the ferrys went out of control when approaching the terminal. Rather than crash into the concrete wall the captain took the decision to ground the ferry on the beach. Unfortunately that meant driving it through the marina, smashing up many millions of dollars worth of yaghts in the process. I wish I'd been there to see that.
Anyway, we went to a restaurant called The Boathouse which served up some fantastic seafood. The portion sizes were quite reasonable (not at all like American meals) so we were tempted into ordering puddings, which were huge. Amy and I shared a slice of cheesecake and still couldn't finish it.
Getting back to central Vancouver was fun. There's only one bridge in from the north (the Lions Gate) and we had to queue for over 20 minutes to get into it - this at 4pm on a weekday. I hate to think what it'll be like during the Olympics. Still, eventually we got to Stanley park, the largest city-owned park in Canada and took a stroll along the seafront - complete with obligatory paddle in the sea. Part of the sea wall is still closed from the storms last winter - I thought only the British took that long to fix things.
By the time we'd finished there it was almost time for dinner. On the way we stopped of for drinks at a bar called Section(3), it used to be called De Niro's until Robert of the same name threatened to sue. They've re-used some of the old sign though, so above the bar it now reads Nerd. Apparently Section 3 is some legal reference too.
Section(3) is a nice if somewhat trendy bar (it wouldn't look out of place in Leamington), Amy went for a Pink Lady cocktail while the rest of us opted for Mojitos. But as it turns out that Mojito sounds a lot like 'me too' so we all ended up with girly pink drinks. Doh.
After a second round of drinks (actually Mojitos this time) we went to a Thai restaurant which served up some tasty and genuinely spicy food - something of a rarity in these parts.
The night ended back at the apartment with a couple of episodes of The Mighty Boosh. "I am the moon..."
Thursday 21 June 2007
Day 14 - Canada
Today would be our first border crossing. The border is about 30 miles before Vancouver and we arrived there around 1pm, the queue wasn't too bad so after 10 minutes of waiting we reached the border guard. The friendly guard asked us the usual questions (why are you here, where are you going, is there a bomb in your car) then sent us into the immigration office to get our passports stamped. At this point we had to answer exactly the same questions all over again but to a stern guard who looked like she'd happily lock us up given half the chance. Luckily she seemed content with our answers and so we entered Canada.
Road markings and signs are noticeably different, but the most obvious change is that speeds and distances are all in kilometres. This proved a slight problem as the speedometer in the car only shows miles per hour. It looks like you can probably switch it into kph but we haven't figured out how (annoyingly the hire company didn't give us a manual with the car).
Getting into Vancouver was straightforward (although whether we were breaking the speed limit is anyone's guess) but getting to Matt and Jayne's apartment was rather more tricky. Normally it wouldn't have been, but Vancouver is hosting the next Winter Olympics and as a result they've decided to build a new subway line - as we arrived at where the entrance to the apartments should be the road turned into a very large hole. After circling round the block for a while we gave up and phoned Matt and Jayne, who helped us eventually find the subterranean
car park.
By this time it was getting on for evening so we headed out for drinks and food. Meal sizes seem rather more sensible here than in America, which might be down to Vancouver's obsession with fitness. Walking through a crowd of people in Vancouver is a bit like walking through a field of tall grass.
After eating we wandered down to the sea front. Vancouver has beautiful beaches, populated largely by the aforementioned fitness freaks. And again, being on the west coast it has some pretty spectacular sunsets.
On first impressions Vancouver seems like a lovely place. The only downside (for me at least) is that smoking weed, while still illegal, is commonplace here and wherever you go you keep encountering the nasty stench. Maybe it's something you get used to.
Road markings and signs are noticeably different, but the most obvious change is that speeds and distances are all in kilometres. This proved a slight problem as the speedometer in the car only shows miles per hour. It looks like you can probably switch it into kph but we haven't figured out how (annoyingly the hire company didn't give us a manual with the car).
Getting into Vancouver was straightforward (although whether we were breaking the speed limit is anyone's guess) but getting to Matt and Jayne's apartment was rather more tricky. Normally it wouldn't have been, but Vancouver is hosting the next Winter Olympics and as a result they've decided to build a new subway line - as we arrived at where the entrance to the apartments should be the road turned into a very large hole. After circling round the block for a while we gave up and phoned Matt and Jayne, who helped us eventually find the subterranean
car park.
By this time it was getting on for evening so we headed out for drinks and food. Meal sizes seem rather more sensible here than in America, which might be down to Vancouver's obsession with fitness. Walking through a crowd of people in Vancouver is a bit like walking through a field of tall grass.
After eating we wandered down to the sea front. Vancouver has beautiful beaches, populated largely by the aforementioned fitness freaks. And again, being on the west coast it has some pretty spectacular sunsets.
On first impressions Vancouver seems like a lovely place. The only downside (for me at least) is that smoking weed, while still illegal, is commonplace here and wherever you go you keep encountering the nasty stench. Maybe it's something you get used to.
Wednesday 20 June 2007
Day 13 - Seattle
Dan and Katie (with whom we were staying) had the day off work so the four of us went into downtown Seattle for a spot of sightseeing. First stop, was the famous Space Needle. The tickets were a bit on the pricey side but it's not like you have much choice if you want to see Seattle from above. The 360 panorama was impressive, with a good view of the downtown skyscrapers and Mount Rainer in the distance. Despite being 85 miles or so away the mountain still looms over the rest of the skyline.
We had lunch at a sandwich bar called The Three Sisters, founded in 1912 it is the oldest business in the Pike Place Market and as you'd expect from a 95 year old business the sandwiches and chowder were pretty damn good. Just around the corner was the first ever Starbucks, where Amy obviously had to get a coffee. It tasted just like every other Starbucks.
The main part of the afternoon was taken up with a tour of the Seattle Underground. An explanation of which requires some back story... Back in 19th century Seattle had been built on a tide plain - this caused obvious problems when the tide came in, namely water sloshing through the streets and sewage pipes backing up, as well as some less obvious ones such as sinking horses. Knocking down all the buildings wasn't an option so instead the solution was to raise the street level in between. For several years the authorities proceeded to raise the streets by as much as 32 feet, but left all the 'sidewalks' at the same level. The result of this being that to cross the road involved climbing up and descending ladders - hardly convenient. Once the streets had been completed, struts were placed between the street and buildings and the sidewalks were covered over, with various stairways down into the now covered lower level - or as it's commonly known, the Seattle underground.
Nowadays the underground is only open for sightseeing (although for a long time it became home to opium dens, brothels and all manner of dubious activities - not to mention all the homeless folk looking for shelter), making for an interesting 90 minute tour. As ever the tour guides appeared to have consumed a large amount of sugar immediately beforehand, surely nobody can be that enthusiastic on a daily basis?
We spent the evening back in Kirkland, the suburb where Dan and Katie live, ending up quite by chance in a slightly snobby looking Peruvian restaurant. Amy, Katie and I went for a variety of tapas dishes while Dan, who seemed slightly dubious of the whole situation, played safe and went for a stew-like dish. This turned out to be a mistake - a couple of minutes after the food arrived Dan's face fell, I think his exact words were "There's a bird in here.... it's got a beak". The 'safe' option wasn't so safe after all.
Aside from that the food was excellent, I think Dan still enjoyed his stew once he'd got over the shock and every bit of tapas was enormously tasty. We even ended up ordering seconds of several dishes.
From the restaurant we wandered down to the marina, flukily arriving just in time to see the beautiful sunset. That's definitely one advantage of being on the west coast.
Tuesday 19 June 2007
Day 12 (pt 2) - Seattle
Our first stop in Seattle was to be the flight museum, however unlike the rest of America, road signs and junctions in Seattle are confusing beyond belief. Roads in Seattle frequently split and merge, have both names and numbers (sometimes each road has more than one name or number) and just to top things off, include compass directions.
For example, East Marginal Way (where the museum was located) was sometimes the same as highway 99, but at one point the two roads split and then converge again - so although we never appeared to leave E. Marginal we missed the museum entirely. We doubled back but got confused by the fact that West Marginal Way is not further along East Marginal Way but is in fact a completely different road.
Still, eventually we arrived and donned our purple wrist bands (far too tightly, I always fall for that) so we could access the various parts of the museum. First stop, going on-board Concorde and Air Force One where I regaled Amy with geeky flight facts - although I admit most of my knowledge of Air Force One comes from watching The West Wing so it might not be entirely accurate. The rest of the museum was interesting but doesn't translate well into text (unless you really want to read a long list of the planes we saw) so I won't bore you with details.
After the museum we headed for Dan and Katie's (where we would be staying), foolishly driving through Seattle in rush hour traffic which turned a 15 minute journey into an hour, and almost making another Seattle navigation error (116th St. NE and 116th St. SE are several miles apart).
Once there we had a lovely dinner that Katie had cooked (it makes a refreshing change to have some home cooked food) then went to the local bar for a couple of drinks. It was your typical American bar with pool tables, and an electronic darts machine, which Dan was spectacularly skilled at. Despite claiming he was rubbish at darts he won every game, seemingly able to hit the bulls-eye and any other number on demand. He's a hustler I tell you, beware.
A spot of Wii Sports back at their apartment (I thrashed Dan at Wii Boxing as revenge for the darts) rounded off our first night in Seattle.
Day 12 - Onward to Seattle
Our second attempt to reach the rose gardens (by car this time) was more successful, although when we arrived we felt a bit out of place, there were as many buses from retirement homes in the car park as there were cars. Nice roses though, Portland is apparently famous as a testing ground for new varieties so there were loads to see.
After dodging zimmerframes for a while we got back on the road and headed up I-5 towards Seattle. It's a pretty uneventful drive so I was bemused that Amy was paying so much attention to the scenery, normally she's either singing along to the radio or 'resting her eyes'. 30 miles of Seattle however Amy suddenly exclaimed 'Krispy Kreme!' and the mystery was solved. She hadn't been looking at the scenery at all, she was on the lookout for a donut shop.
The Krispy Kreme in question was in a mall by the freeway, however we'd passed the junction so it took a 10 minute detour down to the next junction and back up before we pulled into the car-park. Considerably longer than it took to go inside and purchase a dozen assorted donuts.
Then onward to Seattle...
Monday 18 June 2007
Day 11 - Columbia River Gorge
Today we set out along the Columbia river towards Portland, turning off the monotonous Interstate 5 onto the historic highway which winds around tight corners and past some beautiful waterfalls. None of the scenery was on quite the same scale as Yosemite but you can easily get right up to some of the waterfalls to take a closer look.
We arrived in Portland around lunchtime. Being a Sunday there was very little traffic so within half an hour we were checking in at the Days Inn motel. The room was nice but fairly basic - I was surprised to find they had a selection of N64 games available on the entertainment system (at $7 an hour though).
Anyway, we grabbed a Starbucks (there didn't seem to be much choice of cafes) and went for a wander around the city. Down by the waterfront was a small gay pride festival going on, it looked quite interesting from a distance but up close it was the typical collection of stalls selling hippie chic clothes and jewelery, people riding unicycles and juggling and eateries selling tofu and other organic, veggie junk - like the Leamington Peace Festival only bigger then.
Downtown Portland seems devoid of anything interesting to look at so we went into Chinatown and visited some picturesque Chinese gardens. That was the highlight though, the rest of Chinatown pretty run-down and we didn't see a single Chinese person, just a selection of shady folk exchanging wads of cash in the street.
One thing Portland does have is America's largest bookstore. It really is big, there were at least six aisles dedicated to science fiction novels, so obviously I had to buy one. Amy's a big fan of books so she was in heaven and probably would have bought dozens of novels if we didn't have to get them home in our suitcase. In the end she only bought a restrained two.
So, that was Portland. It seems like a nice place but not a hugely exciting one. Definitely not the sort of place you'd want to spend more than a couple of days sightseeing in. Luckily we're off to Seattle tomorrow.
Sunday 17 June 2007
Day 10 - High Desert
We spent the morning driving round the rim of Crater Lake, stopping frequently to make sure we didn't miss any views. Along the side of the road are snow drifts several feet thick that have been ploughed to allow cars through. At one point we saw some children sledging, unusual for June.
From the north end of crater lake it was a 250 mile drive through what's known as the High Desert, a huge plateau 2-3000ft above sea level that stretches all the way up to the Columbia river gorge. We stopped off at the High Desert Museum, a strange hybrid of a museum and a zoo (although half the animal enclosures are currently empty) that wouldn't be worth a visit unless you happened to be driving past.
Approaching the Columbia Gorge the scenery starts to get more interesting, and the towns become more picturesque (in the high desert the towns are strewn with rusting cars and other junk). Our first view of the gorge however was rather disappointing, we met the river in a town called The Dalles which is essentially an industrial centre, with a big dam and not much else of note. We had originally intended to stay in The Dalles but it was only 5pm and the prospect of settling into a motel that early with no other entertainment was less than attractive so we headed a bit further downstream to a place called Hood River.
Hood River is a small, quiet town that looks exactly like you'd hope a small American town would. There's a small park, the police station, a couple of hotels and one row of shops. Due to a geographical-cum-meteorological oddity there's almost always a strong wind blowing along the Columbia Gorge so the town is popular with wind-surfers, hence almost all the shops are surfing related.
Anyway, we were lucky enough to get the last room at the historic Hood River Hotel. Historic by local standards anyway, it dates back to the early 20th century and looks like it hasn't been redecorated since it was new. Once we'd checked in we wandered back through reception (where I half expected to hear the check-in girl telling some other guests being told how lucky they were to get the last room too) and out into the town to find some dinner.
It was still a little early (when you eat an American sized lunch it takes a while to work up an appetite for dinner) so we popped into a wine tasting room first to sample some of the local grape varieties. The standard was high so inevitably we ended up purchasing a bottle.
Having worked up an appetite, we went for dinner at a bar overlooking the town and river. It was lucky that the bar was at the top of the hill really, we've eaten so much recently we could practically roll back down to the hotel.
Saturday 16 June 2007
Day 9 - Travelling to Crater Lake
Today's plan was to make the 420 mile journey to Crater Lake in southern Oregon - the third state in our road trip. We left San Francisco slightly later than originally planned to avoid rush hour (there's definitely something to be said for a TV channel dedicated entirely to local traffic news and weather) but made good time except for some minor roadworks along the way.
For lunch we sampled the delights of a Taco Bell (aka. McDonalds Does Mexican) which includes free soda refills. 2 large cups of Mountain Dew contains way to much sugar for the average person, take my word for it.
About 4pm we turned of Interstate 5 started the ascent into the mountains. Unlike Yosemite the terrain remains pretty accessible. The whole area around Crater Lake and Klamath Falls (the nearest city) is a vast plateau, pushed upward by continental plates coming together. Even by the time you reach 5000ft the scenery comprises a mix of beautiful meadows, forests and shimmering lakes. Only in the last 2000ft (Crater Lake Lodge is at an altitude of 7100ft, approximately twice the height you can reach anywhere in the UK) does it start to get at all mountainous.
The lack of sharp inclines and bends in the road misleads you into thinking you're not very high. The illusion is broken, however, a few miles before the peak when you start to see patches of snow in amongst the trees... snow, in June! Initially we thought that would be the extent of it, after all the ambient temperature was still close to 20C, but by the time we reached the lodge there was 1-2ft of packed snow covering much of the ground. Some of the roads round here don't open until mid-July. When we last stopped for petrol, only 100 miles or so away, the temperature had just topped 40C in the shade so when you see snow you have to touch it to believe it's real. It is by the way.
Anyway, enough being amazed at the snow, upon arrival it was time to be amazed by the lodge and by the view. Crater Lake Lodge looks and feels just like something from Twin Peaks. It's built from a mix of stone and pine, has a log fire burning away in the drinks lounge and collection of quirky staff that could have come straight from the imagination of David Lynch, I'm sure you get the idea.
The view too is stunning - I didn't think any view could top Yosemite valley but this comes very close. From our hotel window we look straight out over the 6 mile wide, 600m deep pristine blue lake (the deepest in the USA and 7th deepest in the world don't you know). It sits in the caldera of an extinct volcano, surrounding by cliffs as high as the lake is deep, many of them still with pockets of snow.
Once we'd checked in we went for a short stroll then sipped a couple of cocktails while we sat on the veranda overlooking the lake then sampled some of the local wine (a Crater Lake Pinot Noir) and enjoyed the fine cuisine (venison, my favourite).
There's no wi-fi up here so I'm typing this all in notepad - and I'm out of things to say I think. I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story.
Friday 15 June 2007
Day 8 - Alcatraz
For our last day in San Francisco we'd booked a trip to Alcatraz. It's a short ten minute ferry ride across to the island (only about 1 minute longer than it took to get through the safety announcements which renders them rather redundant) then into a small theatre to watch a short, and very cheesy, film about the island. For much of its life it was used to store gold, and then as a military prison - only for 30 years was it a state prison.
The following tour of the island is fascinating. You get a real sense of how bleak prison life would have been, and how frustrating it was for the prisoners to see (and even hear) city life going on across the bay.
After Alcatraz we went down to Fisherman's Wharf for lunch, braving some raw oysters (I must say, I don't understand why people bother with oysters) and then stumbled upon a museum of classic arcade machines, from hundred year old dancing statues through to Pole Position, a table-top pacman machine and some classic pinball machines - all of which worked and only cost a quarter (that's about 13p), nice.
Once Amy tired of watching me play games (she lasted quite a while) we walked a bit further to a small beach and paddled in the Pacific, then walked up to the top of Lombard street. We attempted to catch one of San Francisco's famous cable-cars but apparently waiting at one of the stops and waving isn't good enough - the passengers waved back but cable car went straight past without so much as slowing down. Still, it was an interesting walk through Russian Hill, where every other building is a pet grooming parlour or pet clothing shop. Posh people find the most bizarre ways to fill their days.
Our last night in the city demanded a special dinner, so we followed the guidebook to a small restaurant called Grub Stake, located in a converted cable car (I knew we'd get inside a cable car eventually). It's a cheap and cheerful affair but hard to fault for atmosphere. A great way to end our stay in San Francisco.
Thursday 14 June 2007
Weather
I've heard it said that the English are obsessed with the weather. By that measure Americans are positively psychotic about it. There's an entire weather channel, and it's the main topic of conversation on all the breakfast TV shows we've seen. Whether or not the temperature hits 100 degrees on any given day appears to be a matter of extreme importance although it's not clear why.
In between talking about the weather there's just time to discuss the fate of Paris Hilton and warn the public about the Nigerian Puppy Scam currently sweeping the nation. It all makes GMTV looks pretty highbrow.
Day 7 - San Francisco Cont.
Today's plan was Golden Gate Park and the beach. We stopped off at a place called Mel's Drive-In (which somewhat of a misnomer since you couldn't drive in - at least not without smashing the place up a bit in the process) for breakfast where I ordered Las Vegas Silver Dollar pancakes. It turns out they're called silver dollar for their small size, but what they lacked in diameter they made up in number - I don't think I've ever seen so much pancake on one plate.
After we'd stuffed our faces once again we headed up one of San Francisco's many hills to a row of houses known as the Painted Ladies, on account of their being painted a variety of different colours - it's hard tell though if the neighbours agreed to paint them those colours or they just couldn't agree one what colour to use.
Between there and Golden Gate Park lies Haight Ashbury, an area with a mix of uber-trendy shops and hippie shops selling tie-dye clothing and drug paraphernalia (a bit like Camden really). The shop we were interested in though was Amoeba Records, a huge music store that sells new and second hand CDs for as little as a dollar (even albums, nice). After an hour or so we left the shop $40 poorer and 10 albums richer. That should keep us going in the car for a while.
Eventually we made it to Golden Gate Park, and the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden, a shady break from the California sunshine. By this point it was getting pretty warm so we abandonded the beach plan and caught a crowded bus up to the Golden Gate bridge to take in the view and feel the cool sea breeze.
In the afternoon we indulged in a spot of retail therapy, trying to work out which shops are cheaper than in England (Gap turns out to be just as expensive in America as at home), and how much we can realistically carry back in our suitcases.
We rounded the day off with a couple of drinks (where we finally got our ID checked for the first time) and dinner at The Stinking Rose, an Italian restaurant specialising in garlic. Almost everything on the menu has at least a few cloves in - stinky indeed.
After we'd stuffed our faces once again we headed up one of San Francisco's many hills to a row of houses known as the Painted Ladies, on account of their being painted a variety of different colours - it's hard tell though if the neighbours agreed to paint them those colours or they just couldn't agree one what colour to use.
Between there and Golden Gate Park lies Haight Ashbury, an area with a mix of uber-trendy shops and hippie shops selling tie-dye clothing and drug paraphernalia (a bit like Camden really). The shop we were interested in though was Amoeba Records, a huge music store that sells new and second hand CDs for as little as a dollar (even albums, nice). After an hour or so we left the shop $40 poorer and 10 albums richer. That should keep us going in the car for a while.
Eventually we made it to Golden Gate Park, and the tranquil Japanese Tea Garden, a shady break from the California sunshine. By this point it was getting pretty warm so we abandonded the beach plan and caught a crowded bus up to the Golden Gate bridge to take in the view and feel the cool sea breeze.
In the afternoon we indulged in a spot of retail therapy, trying to work out which shops are cheaper than in England (Gap turns out to be just as expensive in America as at home), and how much we can realistically carry back in our suitcases.
We rounded the day off with a couple of drinks (where we finally got our ID checked for the first time) and dinner at The Stinking Rose, an Italian restaurant specialising in garlic. Almost everything on the menu has at least a few cloves in - stinky indeed.
Wednesday 13 June 2007
Day 6 - San Francisco
The objective for today was to get most of the down-town sightseeing out of the way. We started with breakfast in the hotel (pancakes) then wandered down to the recently renovated Union Square where people in Armani clothes hang out drinking coffee and talking loudly on their mobile phones.
From there the plan was to visit the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (or sfmoma as they call it) but we got a little sidetracked by Virgin Megastore's $10 (£5) CD sale. When you're on a road trip you need CDs.
We did get to sfmoma in the end. As you'd expect the architecture was unusual, but it's not as unconventional as, say, the Pompidou in Paris or the Guggenheim in Bilbao and not as bold as the Tate Modern in London. Inside there are currently three floors of exhibits, one of slightly uninspiring Matisse sculptures, one of photography and one of conceptual art - but by that time we were more interested in coffee and sunshine.
For lunch we stopped at the Ferry Building, which houses a selection of cafes and delis, and had a farmers market going on outside. Spoilt for choice, we ended up at the one with the shortest queue and available seating. We had the dubious honour of listening to some people on the next table excitedly discuss their plans for a new themed ice cream store too; 'just like Disney' was one phrase used.
In the afternoon we set a course for Fisherman's Wharf, passing little Italy, the ridiculous zig-zagging Lombard Street and the City Bookstore, a shop made famous by patrons such as Jack Kerouac. Pier 39 itself was as full of tourists as ever, although the resident sea lion population was a little thin on the ground - it was a weekday so perhaps they were at work catching fish and whatever it is sea lions do. We happened upon a sweet store though - pick'n'mix American style is a wonder to behold.
Last stop of the afternoon was the aquarium. It starts with a few little fish tanks before you go down in a lift, supposedly 'under the bay' but I doubt even the the kids were fooled for long. Still, we got to walk through a glass tunnel with sharks and flatfish swimming all around, which isn't something you do everyday.
Predictably in the evening we went out for dinner to a nice seafood place. I can't think of anything to say about dinner except that it was most tasty. I'm sure Amy's written a full account of it in her food diary (I'm not joking, she does have a food diary) if you care to ask.
Tuesday 12 June 2007
Day 5 - Back on the road
After Yosemite it was time to get back on the road and head over to San Francisco. The journey was pretty straightforward, we just had to stop for gas (which costs the equivalent of about 40p a litre here, nice) and some cherries - all around this area are stalls selling local fruit at crazily low prices (by English standards) and it tastes pretty good too.
We got into San Francisco around 1pm, coming in over the Bay Bridge which gives a great view of the downtown skyline. Getting to the hotel was easier than expected and the car park is just next to the hotel.
The Hotel Carlton itself is superb. The lobby has a marbled floor and lots of old books, globes and other memorabilia lying around giving it a colonial feel. The rooms continue that theme, eschewing the usual noisy aircon for a proper ceiling fan, and with tasteful decor, a a far cry from the glitz of Las Vegas.
Once we'd checked in we wandered over to China town (via Lori's - a typical American diner, complete with a Cadillac and some old pinball machines in the corner). China town is the home of cheap junk but there are also some genuine bargains tucked away. The best bit of the afternoon was a free tea tasting involving at least 10 different cups of teas, although inevitably we didn't escape without buying some tea.
5.30pm is free wine tasting in the hotel so we popped back for that, then headed up to Japantown for a sashimi and udon noodle dinner. We also walked past the hotel I stayed in last time I visited San Francisco which has been renamed from Miyako Inn to Hoteltomo! (the exclamation mark is their addition, not mine).
Oh, and we get free wireless internet here. Result.
We got into San Francisco around 1pm, coming in over the Bay Bridge which gives a great view of the downtown skyline. Getting to the hotel was easier than expected and the car park is just next to the hotel.
The Hotel Carlton itself is superb. The lobby has a marbled floor and lots of old books, globes and other memorabilia lying around giving it a colonial feel. The rooms continue that theme, eschewing the usual noisy aircon for a proper ceiling fan, and with tasteful decor, a a far cry from the glitz of Las Vegas.
Once we'd checked in we wandered over to China town (via Lori's - a typical American diner, complete with a Cadillac and some old pinball machines in the corner). China town is the home of cheap junk but there are also some genuine bargains tucked away. The best bit of the afternoon was a free tea tasting involving at least 10 different cups of teas, although inevitably we didn't escape without buying some tea.
5.30pm is free wine tasting in the hotel so we popped back for that, then headed up to Japantown for a sashimi and udon noodle dinner. We also walked past the hotel I stayed in last time I visited San Francisco which has been renamed from Miyako Inn to Hoteltomo! (the exclamation mark is their addition, not mine).
Oh, and we get free wireless internet here. Result.
Monday 11 June 2007
Day 4 - Yosemite
In the wilderness the schedule is dictated by daylight, so even though plenty of drinking goes on everyone staggers off to bed at 10pm and rises again before 7am. I suspect the early morning are also in part due to the cold nights, which make staying in cold bed a less attractive prospect than a hot shower.*
To kick off our day in Yosemite we did the tourist thing and went on a 2 hour coach tour around the valley taking in sights, such as North America's tallest waterfall (over 1400 feet), and interesting facts - e.g. rocks peel off the cliffs in layers, with single chunks weighing as much as 80,000 tonnes. You wouldn't want to get caught under one of those.
Later in the day we paddling in the river below the waterfall (the water comes direct from snow melt further up in the mountain range so it's bloody cold), went for a swim in the pool then trekked a mile or so up to another waterfall. The route was a bit steeper than expected and nearly turned into a repeat of our Snowdon visit (think Amy, think swearing).
In the evening we drove up to Glacier Point (7200 ft above sea level) which looks out over the valley and into the mountains beyond before heading back to the bar. Out of curiosity and since I'd never get another change I tried a Yosemite Falls Pale Ale. I wouldn't recommend it.
Apparently the park rangers (who really do look like something from Yogi Bear) spent half the night chasing bears out of the tent area. I slept through it though, one possible upside to the Pale Ale.
* The Curry Village showers were surprisingly good, so much so that I've decided to cancel Bathroom Watch.
Sunday 10 June 2007
Day 3 1/2 - Curry Village
Quick geology lesson. Yosemite valley was carved from granite by glacial erosion. The result is a valley a mile or so wide and, more impressively, hundreds of metres deep. The valley has gradually filled with earth so that the valley floor is now flat, covered with interspersed meadows and towering redwood forests, and flanked by sheer granite cliffs.
Curry Village (named after some explorer type bloke) is a collection of tents and huts nestled at the foot of Glacier peak. The setting is truly awesome - it's hard to describe the feeling of wandering out of your tent, glancing up and seeing a 1000m high cliff in front of you. It really does take take your breath away.
After dropping our bags in our tent (and stashing all food in a special box down the path so we don't wake up to find a bear trying to climb into bed) we headed over to the bar for some pizza and a beer. Being Saturday night the place was heaving with week-enders from San Francisco, so after failing to find a table to sit at we did a very un-English thing and asked some complete strangers if we could sit with them.
This turned out to be one of the best decisions of the holiday so far. They were a group of, as Amy put it, 'proper Americans' who insisted on giving us free drinks. The conversation went something like "Hi, how are ya? I'm John. Have a beer. Ah heck, have a shot. Have a shot and a beer. Where are you from?.. Oh, England. That's great, I love Europe. Have another beer."
Needless to say we had a great evening. Lets just hope the bears aren't attracted to the smell of alcohol.
Day 3 - On the Road
After a day of flying and a day in Las Vegas it was time to hit the road for the first leg of our road trip, Jet Lag is still working in our favour so we were up and on the road by 9am. The desert scenery as you head out of Vegas is stunning but the roads are hopelessly dull with barely a corner in sight. Luckily Americans take driving at a very leisurely pace and the lanes are wide so once I'd figure the cruise control out I could sit back and enjoy the view.
After an hour we stopped in a little town called Baker for breakfast. It's one of many little towns in the desert that from a distance looks like a ghost town and that appears to serve no other purpose than to service passing travellers like ourselves, so while the service was friendly and prompt (when is it not in America?) the waitress had a forlorn look, a bit like that of a zoo animal. It must be galling to live in such a derelict dust bowl just 60 miles from Vegas.
American sized portions struck again, Amy's breakfast was in essence three deep friend cinnamon swirls with a side of sausages and bacon (4 slices of course).
Back on the road, we motored on through Barstow and Bakersfield, at which point the desert gives way to vineyards and orchards, and then on to Fresno, then up highway 41 toward Yosemite park. The scale of the park is hard to comprehend - after an hour on a winding road cut through a dense pine forest you reach the park entrance (manned by a genuine park ranger, dressed exactly as you'd hope a ranger would be) and from there it's another hour into the famous Yosemite valley.
So, after 490 miles and 9 hours on the road we cruised into Camp Curry at around 6pm...
Edit: I completely forgot to mention we stopped at an ace place for lunch called Bravo Farms Cheese. If you've ever been to Hilltop Farm near Leamington, imagine that but mexican. Great food, great shop.
Friday 8 June 2007
Day 2 - Viva Las Vegas
I counted yesterday (the flight) as Day 1 of our holiday, which I guess makes this Day 2....We went for a walk along the strip today, the weather was a seasonally below average 33C but is expected to hit 40C in a few days. We'll be on the Pacific coast by then, phew.
Some of the new hotels are stunning, both inside and out. The Venetian with it's gondola rides, paved streets and indoor skies feels a million miles away from the baking desert outside. Still nothing like the real Venice though.
Wifi
Wifi access is irritating. Most sites charge either $10 a day or around $20-30 a month option. The monthly option seems like a good deal except that we've yet to find two hotspots that use the same provider. Today I bit the bullet and went for the hotels in room internet. Tomorrow we're heading to Yosemite park for a spot of camping so I doubt I'll be online for a few days.
By the way, Blogger lets me type in dates for the blog entries so the times are roughly when I wrote the entry, not when I put it online.
By the way, Blogger lets me type in dates for the blog entries so the times are roughly when I wrote the entry, not when I put it online.
Thursday 7 June 2007
American Sized Portions
We made the mistake of ordering a starter and a main at the Excalibur Italian restaraunt. To be honest I was full after the free bread rolls. Won't be making that mistake again.
Right Hand Drive
The car rental process wasn't as bad as Top Gear would have you believe. We had the pick of a few mid-size cars and ended up with a Chevrolet something or other. Driving an automatic really is as easy as everyone says. Driving on the right takes a bit of getting used to though, sitting in the left seat while driving makes it quite tricky to judge your lane position at first - particularly in Vegas where all the roads are at least 4 lanes wide and the road markings are pretty worn out, and when you've been awake for over 20 hours. Yawn.
In-flight Entertainment
Predictably Gatwick airport was very dull, the only amusement was watching people cram into the 'smoking zone', which was basically a large plastic box.
So, on to the flight. It's years since I've flown long haul so the movies on demand were an exciting new feature. We picked Zodiac - a thriller, not very thrilling though, The Live of Others - a fantastic drama about the Stasi (secret police) in East Germany and Bandidas - Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz as Mexican Bandits.. hmmm.
Food wasn't bad either. I even took a photo...
So, on to the flight. It's years since I've flown long haul so the movies on demand were an exciting new feature. We picked Zodiac - a thriller, not very thrilling though, The Live of Others - a fantastic drama about the Stasi (secret police) in East Germany and Bandidas - Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz as Mexican Bandits.. hmmm.
Food wasn't bad either. I even took a photo...
Wednesday 6 June 2007
Gatwick
Gateway to the world. Lucky that, there doesn't seem to be much other reason to be here. If you get really bored in Gatwick (and you will) you can play spot the difference with the hotels. It's hard game because there is no difference, they're all rubbish.
We're staying here overnight so we can get to the airport on time tomorrow.
We're staying here overnight so we can get to the airport on time tomorrow.
Packing Part 2
Amy's suitcase is massive, and pink. You can tell it's huge because she's packed everything she needs for a month and it's only half full. If we get lost in America we can probably use it as temporary accommodation.
Tuesday 5 June 2007
Packing
Every time I cross something off my 'to do' list I end up adding another one. Time is running short. Yet here I sit writing a blog.
I should be checking that I know where my passport is but instead I'm worrying about the relative merits of Georgia vs Verdana font... I've decided to stick with Georgia since it's the default - that way people won't think I'm the sort of person who worries about fonts.
By the way, I set up this blog to record the travels of myself (Tom) and my fiance (Amy) on our American roadtrip. We don't actually fly for another 36 hours but due to a final day in the office and an overnight stay in historic Gatwick this might be the last chance I get to post anything.
I could tell you exactly where we'll be going, but that would be like revealing who the murderer is before you've even seen the opening credits. So I won't.
All I will say is that my accompanying photos will be going up on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltaflux
I should be checking that I know where my passport is but instead I'm worrying about the relative merits of Georgia vs Verdana font... I've decided to stick with Georgia since it's the default - that way people won't think I'm the sort of person who worries about fonts.
By the way, I set up this blog to record the travels of myself (Tom) and my fiance (Amy) on our American roadtrip. We don't actually fly for another 36 hours but due to a final day in the office and an overnight stay in historic Gatwick this might be the last chance I get to post anything.
I could tell you exactly where we'll be going, but that would be like revealing who the murderer is before you've even seen the opening credits. So I won't.
All I will say is that my accompanying photos will be going up on
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deltaflux
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