Yosemite National Park

Thursday 31 May

Wi-fi here is very patchy & I'm just squeezing blogs & emails out through holes in the ether.

We are sitting by the pool. Eat your hearts out. My Friend is VERY happy. Chris Isaak, Fleetwood Mac in the background. The Americans like their music - & it all seems to be "our" era... Or blue grass.

Went for a walk to Wapama Falls about 8ish. Not allowed to enter NP until 7 a.m., speed limit 25 mph, so slow start. Once there at Hetchy Hetchy Reservoir & O'Shaughnessy Dam (he sure was a hell of an engineer!) built in 1932, we walked 8.7 kms (return) to the Falls. Just the loveliest walk. Lots of chipmunks/squirrels. Fantastic butterflies. Lovely flowers: orchids, daisies, lupins.

Saw two snakes (the Parks Ranger thinks they might be King Snakes as they are coming out at the moment). One snake slid between the feet of a walker we stopped to chat to - scared the whatevers out of me!

So it is 30 deg C here. We have well & truly left the snow behind, our gloves & beanies & are now in t-shirts & shorts. We will sit out the middle of the day as too hot. Then set off again about 3 p.m. to go to Yosemite Village in the Park proper to get hopefully some good shots.



Later that day - about 4 p.m.



Nice views to Half Dome. Walked to Bridalveil Falls one of the most prominent in the Park. Then through Yosemite Village to Yosemite Falls. Deer grazed in the meadow nearby. We are told the falls will all be dry in a month's time (they are all fed by snow & the Park had 50% less snow this winter).

Finally, nice views of El Capitan as the sun set ("El Cap" is a granite vertical rock formation regarded as the standard for big wall climbing). 

My Friend was happy to see some climbers high up on the cliff face; they will spend the night there suspended in space. I'm glad it's not me! It is now 7.30 p.m. as we leave to return to Hetchy Hetchy.




Total walk distance today 14 kms.

Napa Valley to Yosemite

Had a pleasant stroll around Yountville (where we stayed overnight) early. Very pretty, tidy. Bought nice baguette of bread from Bouchon Bakery for lunch.

The drive to Yosemite today is to take 370 kms.

We stopped at the larger town of Napa. Went to Target: part of the All-American Experience! Amazing the stuff you can buy. Pharmaceuticals straight off the shelf that are behind-the-counter back home. No counselling. Such easy shopping. Bought replacement GPS mount for windscreen (left ours in last rental car...). Also some groceries at Trader Joe's.

Sent My Friend off to the Barber. Well, what is usually a 10-minute job at Just Cuts took 40 minutes! The dome was washed & polished & polished again; the cut-throat razor appeared & he says he wasn't tempted to chat! More soap, polishing, cutting... You'd have thought he was Rapunzel! ("Let down your long hair").

At last we were on our way. Julie did quite a good job feeding us from one freeway to the next. I took a short turn at the wheel - now we have a Toyota RAV 4 ("Oh what a feeling..."). But Julie got the sack today. She was absolutely woeful as we got closer into the National Park. She will be rested for a few days.

Finally we got to Evergreen Lodge at Hetchy Hetchy Valley in the north-west of the NP.It is a super pretty place set amongst grey pine, incense-cedar & manzanita bush; the dogwoods are in flower - huge white flowers - unbelievable! Saw a pretty Steller's Jay when we got in - lovely blue colour.

There is a lovely pool & decked area where we enjoyed a pizza & drink for dinner. Afterwards we walked a nature trail as the sun set then watched a film on Rock Climbing in the NP at the Activities Centre & had some toasted marshmellows on a campfire (the version here is to eat them with Hershey chocolate on a biscuit - hmm...).

We will be here for 3 nights. Wi-fi not the best so will be difficult to get emails & blogs out.

My Friend did a good job at the wheel today. Must be the haircut.

Leaving Canada Today

WE have lost another hour - time difference with Australia is 17 hours now.

We are at the airport in Vancouver. Got here early & negotiated the very efficient check-in & border control (into the USA) - this HAS to be the best way to enter the USA!

We have LOVED Canada.

Plane delayed. Don't travel Air Canada. They changed the original flight booking making it later & now it is delayed another 2 hours. We will not see San Francisco (SFO). Rather, we will try & pick up our car earlier & go direct to Napa Valley.

Later that day ... 2 p.m.

At Hertz counter at airport.

Have left windscreen mount for GPS (Julie) in last rental car in Canada ... Julie suffers the ignominy of being racked up to the dashboard by elastic bands!

Would have been pointless what with the delays to go into SFO. instead, we have DRIVEN ACROSS the Golden Gate Bridge (yay!) - after first getting lost in the 'burbs. My Friend couldn't decide on who to take directions from: Pam or Julie (Tom-Tom). Julie won in the end ... Much stress!

Anyway, once over the Bridge, it was a bit more plain-sailing. The weather is glorious. Currently 21 deg C, & still sunny at 7.30 p.m.

We have done the Napa Valley "thing" & at last we have been introduced to some lovely Napa wines - at Page Wine Tasting Room where we were steered through the range of reds by the 76-year old dad. The winery was started by his son Bryan Page in 1997. We tasted a beaut Petite Sirah, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot & a couple of lovely blends. http://www.pagewinecellars.com/scripts/historyPg.cfm

Went to Bouchon for dinner. Over-rated. Pity. In some ways Napa Valley is like Rutherglen on steroids, as My Friend puts it.

Sunwapta Falls to Jasper to Vancouver

Lost my draft blog on the train - no wifi - grumble, grumble ...

Sunday 27th May

Woke early to another crisp, sunny morning (-2 deg C). We had to drop off the car in Jasper at 9.15 a.m. so left Sunwapta Falls early, stopping enroute at the very dramatic Athabasca Falls which, being early, we just about had to ourselves. The first tourist bus bus turned up just as we were leaving. We then drove via the less travelled route 93A in the hope of seeing some wildlife - & we were rewarded with a (black) bear sighting - at last!

I have to say, the Canadian NPs have been fantastic. Great facilities, trails & roads in good condition & washrooms everywhere! (clean, modern - & free!).

On arrival in Jasper, we get our laundry done (yay!), check our luggage in at the station & then set out to pay a visit to the museum. Jasper is a small, isolated, quieter town than it's more hip cousin Banff at the other end of the National Park. The exhibits at the museum provide some insight into why this is the case & help one appreciate the difficulties experienced by the early explorers & settlers; they were certainly a resilient lot. The fur trade, mountaineering & the building of the railway all came before tourism. (Interestingly, there was even a photo of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - of Sherlock Holmes fame - picnicking in Banff NP!)

The VIA train The Canadian (all 20 or so carriages!) arrived an hour late & took a great deal of time to be serviced (having left Toronto 3 days earlier) including a somewhat mystifyingly complicated shunting maneuver which created a further delay. It became clear that the railways involve lots of manual labour, high levels of unionisation & complex layers of ownership all of which seem to compromise efficiency. We spent an hour at least watching the myriad station activities including some staff using bikes to get from one end of the platform to the other.

We have been lucky our service has not been disrupted by the Canadian Pacific (CP) strike which HAS however affected the Rocky Mountaineer (which offers vacation packages by train through the Rockies) such that buses have had to be used for some sections.

Nevertheless, our train bumbles along seemingly unconcerned by trivialities such as timetables. There are numerous delays as freight trains, which are run by Canadian National (i.e. CN, the largest of the rail operators), are given priority. The Canadian uses track owned by both CP & CN, no doubt complicating things.

We have a couple of train buffs onboard who are more than happy to share their knowledge to anyone who cares to listen - & to those who don't! Some of the trivia is interesting. When asked why the train travels so slowly, one drawls: "Well, you know: this is not like a prairie train. This route has bends, & if you think of the train as being like a long piece of string, if the string is pulled too hard, the carriages in the middle can topple off ..."

Fortunately, we are not in a hurry. We sit back with a drink, our picnic dinner & enjoy the views from the specially-designed dome carriage until nightfall. We pass Moose Lake, Mt. Robson (highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3954m) & the pretty Pyramid Falls. The driver even slows down to allow the taking of photos!! (& this is a mere commuter service!) - the small crowd in our domed observation carriage break out into applause.

Bear count: 2 black bears (Pam); 1 black & 3 grizzlies (My Friend)




Monday 28th May

We awake (after fitfull "sleep") to a bleak grey & wet day and the mighty Fraser River roaring alongside the train as it descends the valley which gradually widens out. The landscape changes to one that is more cultivated & there are more towns. Pretty clumps of white, yellow, pink & mauve flowers adorn the edges of the track amongst the grasses.

 The train stumbles - finally - into Vancouver station after a dazzling feat of shunting maneuvers & deposits its tired & irritated cargo of passengers who then have to endure a tedious wait for luggage.

We deposit our luggage so we can sight-see. Fortunately we had changed our plans a few days earlier, eschewing the delights of the Butchart Gardens; the train delay would have put paid to this anyway. Instead, we got public transport day passes & put these to good use, exploring the waterfront including a ferry trip across to Lonsdale Quay on the North side of the city, admiring the port from Canada Place & a taking a spin around Stanley Park on rented bikes (unfortunately, My Friend broke his chain - & I suspect stuffed the deraileur - which meant some walking back).

But Stanley Park IS very nice with lovely views over the water. Indeed, Vancouver seems to be a pleasant city (& everyone you speak to says the same). The city is very geared (sic) to cycling with designated bike lanes throughout reflecting the strong bike culture. There was much excitement here amongst the cycling fraternity with their local boy (Ryder - yes! - Hesjedal) taking out the Giro d'Italia at the weekend.

We called it a day & headed out to Richmond where we are booked into a Days Inn (one of the ubiquitous chains) which turns out to be very nice: big room, quiet, helpful staff, good airport shuttele, etc. We had a funny time looking for a supermarket to buy some water & ended up on a local bus because we just happened to be looking at our map at what turned out to be a bus-stop! The driver was very nice & showed us where to go as did the return bus driver who even stopped at a non bus-stop near the restaurant we were looking for. We enjoyed a nice seafood meal. Wedding anniversary today.

No bears 😜

Lake Louise to Sunwapta Falls

We woke to the most beautiful day - bright sun & blue sky. A quick walk up to Lake Louise - we had it nearly to ourselves - just beautiful. We had breakfast, packed & checked out & drove to Moraine Lake just down the road. Hardly anybody here either - frozen lake, beautiful with snow-capped peaks soaring behind.

Drove down to the village to get some petrol, sandwiches for lunch on the road, water - & a sensational coffee. Then we were on our way along the Icefields Parkway. Stopped at Bow Lake (frozen); Peyto Lake (frozen); walked to Mistaya Canyon; passed over Saskatchewan Crossing (where there were some cyclists setting off; sun was out but temperature still only about 12 deg C & there was some mighty climbing to do up to the Columbia Icefields. We took the Glacier Lake trail to the footbridge crossing the North Saskatchewan River - a really nice walk.

At the Columbia Icefields Centre we spent some time looking at the very informative displays & we travelled a little further on to view the Athabasca Glacier. Just after this were the Tangle River Falls & we saw a Bighorn sheep on the road - a huge fellow! We passed over Sunwapta Pass and at about the 176 km mark we arrived at Sunwapta Falls to stay at the Mountain Lodge & had a great walk to the Falls.

7.5 kms walking today. Lots of great scenery, pines, snow, mountains, lakes, waterfalls. No bears.

Sat in the sun having a drink before a very nice dinner (I had elk ragout); then set off about 9 p.m. for a fast-paced walk to Lake Buck where the setting sun made for some fetching shots of the lake & the surrounding peaks.

Total walk for the day = 13 kms. Took a stick for bear protection but used it only to beat off the mosquitoes: big as marsh flies!

Lake Louise

Thursday 24 May

By the way, I got it wrong; we are not 12 hours difference from Australia. We are 16 hours - so, 9.30 a.m. Thursday here = 1.30 a.m. Friday there. My Friend therefore informs me it is my birthday TODAY even though it is only the 24th May here. Hmm - 2 birthdays coming up then???

Very wet overnight. We were lucky with the breaks in the weather we had yesterday!

We got up early & walked the Johnson Lake Trail. As we drove to the start of the trail, I read out what to do if you meet a bear; My Friend was not amused, so I found him a big stick to walk with. Although it was misty & sleeting snow, it was a lovely walk around the lake. And we didn't meet any bears...

There was a mummy grizzly here yesterday with 3 cubs in the town but we didn't see them. Hope to see a bear some time (but from a safe vantage point).

So - lots of pines, snow, waterfalls, pines, views of the Bow River, birds, pines, squirrels; I think I even saw a marmot (which Wiki tells me is a large ground squirrel. Heck of a lot of squirrels here then).

We drove the Bow Valley Parkway from Banff to Lake Louise which is the quiet, slow alternative to Highway 1. Along the way we stopped at the Johnston Canyon Falls - firstly walking to the Lower Falls out of deference to My Friend's level of enthusiasm, but it wasn't difficult to encourage him to go to the Upper Falls as it was a fantastic walk: so pretty; & despite a forecast of rain & snow, we only got a few passing snow showers - & even some sun!

We passed Castle Camp which was an internment camp established in 1915 to hold immigrant prisoners of Ukrainian, Austrian, Hungarian & German descent; My Friend tells me these were Canadian residents who, because of their origins, were deemed to be "enemy aliens".

At Lake Louise we checked out the ski field which is closed for the season now & then drove onto the lake itself which was covered in ice & snow & only partly thawed - this was a complete surprise to me. It is clear a number of walks I had planned won't be possible. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the 4 km Lakeshore Walk.

About 12 kms walking in all today.

We are staying at Deer Lodge, an old 1920s hunting lodge - we are here for 2 nights. Very rustic & only 5 minutes walk from Lake Louise (much cheaper too than the Fairmont up the road @ $CAD399 starting price!).

Friday 25 May

Day began cold at 1 deg C max but in the afternoon the sun came out & it was glorious.

Had a great day. Walked the Bow River Loop Trail after snapping some shots of Lake Louise in the early morning light. The birdlife was great - especially the very elegant Black-billed Magpie. My Friend was joyous over a large Snowshoe Hare he spotted grazing outside Deer Lodge.

We got advice from the Visitors Centre to go to Yoho NP due to being so snowbound here at Lake Louise. Was a great move as Emerald Lake & Wapta Falls were FANTASTIC. In fact, Yoho is breathtakingly beautiful. Huge snow-capped peaks wherever you look.

Walked 16 kms today. No bears. Nice drink at the Fairmont (they 'shouted' me mine as it is my Birthday). Lovely views over Lake Louise in the late afternoon light.

Saw a pine marten run past our window while we had dinner (very cute). Still light here at 10 p.m.

Banff

Well, what a delightful day. The scenery has been glorious. Douglas fir, white spruce, larch, pine; & snow still on the high peaks. Just what you'd expect of Canada.

So, from 25 deg C in Niagara yesterday, here we are in Banff this evening & it's 7 deg C - bloody cold. We have put the fire on in our room (yesterday we were in t-shirts!).

We left Calgary this morning in a very nice Volvo C30 (sunroof - AND heated seats! Boy, is My Friend in 7th Heaven!).

Absolutely picturesque drive to Banff. A touristy town, but small; & everyone just seems so happy to be here! And talk about outdoor heaven! There is mountain biking galore, hiking, skiing (in winter). Lots of outdoor shops: yes, Ali, we have been shopping!

We took the Sulphur Mountain gondola which ascends 698 m & whilst we were at the top it snowed! There were lots of cute golden-mantled ground squirrels which were very friendly. We had a picnic lunch at Bow Falls then drove up to the Hoodoos at Tunnel Mt. & walked the Marsh Loop Trail where we saw some pretty birds (American Redstarts with beautiful bright orange colours; large robins with brown chests - Merle d'Amerique; red-winged blackbirds) - & chipmunks (which Wiki tells me are "small, striped squirrels).

Near our B&B when we were going out for dinner, elk (which are large deer) were grazing across the road - & were fortunately quite undisturbed when My Friend set off the car alarm (for the 2nd time today)!! This one pictured here is genus Ear-plug Elk.

And we enjoyed a drink (at a price of course!) at the Fairmont Hotel looking over to the snow-capped peaks. Very nice.

It's light here until at least 9.30 p.m. - & it's raining now.

Into Canada Now

Monday 21 May

So, after an early morning walk around Albany, NY looking at some fabulous buildings (as well as some of the seedier areas!), we departed for Rensellaer on the other side of the Hudson River. But, on missing our bus (because me & My Friend were standing on the wrong side of the street!), we opted to walk over the bridge to the other side, dragging our suitcases...

Eventually we made it to the station & then endured a 6-hour train trip with Amtrak to the Canadian border. The cabin was FREEZING & customs tedious & the train was over an hour late, but we fortunately were greeted warmly at our B&B in Niagara Falls by a kindly Rob who drove us to the Falls to save time; we had a delightful evening walk with great views & nice light.

For the record, the train north from Albany to Niagara went through towns like Schenectady (where Thomas Edison of light bulb fame started his factory which later became General Electric) & Rochester (where Kodak was established in1880). Apart from that, a generally unremarkable journey - although nice clumps of pink & white flowers growing trackside as the train trundled past (a far cry from its fast European cousins! Amtrak is a grumbling, sleepy beast).

The news today reports that a man survived a suicide jump over the Falls this morning - only the 4th person ever to survive going over the Falls unprotected (e.g. not in a barrel!). He was fished out off the rocks at the bottom of the Falls in front of a huge crowd (it being a public holiday here: Victoria Day).

Facts: Two cataracts pour 2.7 million litres of water a second into the Niagara River. The American Falls reach 51 m & the Canadian (Horseshoe) Falls a bit lower but have a long sweeping crest of 790 m.

Tuesday 22 May

Had a sleep-in. Yay! Till about 7.30 a.m.

Had a nice slow start: no blogs, no walks; just sorted stuff, packed, had a yummy breakfast (eggs benedict - yum!!); then walked to nearby downtown Niagara (away from the touristy area) & got $CAD from the bank; sent postcards; had a "small" coffee (which was HUGE) & used the free wi-fi to do emails.

Then we walked down to the Class 6 rapids (eat your heart out Harry & Smith) at the Whitewater Walk which, despite the deafening roar of the water, was amazingly tranquil. Even though by now it was about 11 a.m. We seemed to come in ahead of the crowds & the boardwalk dwn to the water level was serene.

We read about the daredevils/dills who had 1. Swum across the river; 2. Walked a wire across ("funambulators" they are called! - from the Latin "funis"=rope & "ambulare"=to walk - add that to your list all you Scrabblers!); 3. Gone over the Falls in a barrel; 4. Kayaked the rapids. I particularly liked the story of the chap who had swum the rapids 3 or 4 times successfully, then died when he slipped on an orange peel & broke his leg which got gangrene (I guess you win some & you lose some...).

After lunch, we walked back to the Falls & took the pedestrian path over the bridge to the US, re-entered Canada & here we are now having a cup of tea & maple-leaf biscuits on the front verandah of our B&B with Bill about to bring us a glass of wine (I was going to have an alcohol-free one today, but what the heck!).

12.30 a.m. Calgary time (2.30 a.m. Niagara time)

It's been a long day. Westjet flight from Niagara to Calgary - very good airline service I thought but it got in late due to no fault of theirs - due to lightning. Earlier, Bill from our B&B (Greystone Manor) had driven us all the way to the airport - really, I could not recommend this place high enough!

We are now 12 hours difference (rather than 14).

Back to the State of New York

Sunday morning 20 May

We left Provincetown after breakfast & returned to Boston via Plymouth which is where The Mayflower landed in 1620 and the colony founded by The Pilgrims here was one of the country's first settlements. We arrived about 10.30 a.m. & it was still pretty quiet but by the time we left about midday, after strolling around the historic district, it was very busy & we encountered a big motorcycle procession in the main street so we were very lucky with our timing.

Julie (aka Tom-Tom, our GPS) got us through to Boston Airport for the car drop-off after a couple of navigation stumbles including going through the Boston tunnels TWICE & turning into a section of the freeway on the wrong side of the road (don't you just love those signs that say "wrong way, turn back!" ?? I tell you, my stress levels were way off the scale at that point. I was very pleased to have the car handed back to Hertz & return to public transport! Anyway, we did just over 1000 miles in the little Subaru.

We had enough time to go out to Harvard University. Enjoyed a short amble around the grounds; there was a lot of activity as it seems students are in the process of graduating, and being Sunday, it was very relaxing. We enjoyed a sandwich watching the word go by & listening to some music played by buskers.

We then returned to central Boston and took a short walk to the water where the boat is moored that featured in the uprising by early colonists against the British Govt. & the East India Tea Company when they tipped tea overboard into Boston Harbor in protest at the tax imposed on tea. This incident marked an iconic moment in American history & the beginnings of the Boston Tea Party.

We are now on a Greyhound bus to Albany which is in the State of New York (as is New York City). We should arrive by 9.15 p.m. we hope.

Later on Sunday (10.30 p.m.)

Well, all the horror stories regarding Greyhound bus services did not come to pass. Bus duly arrived on time, staff were very pleasant &, even though the service was full, it didn't seem to be over-booked; nor did we get mugged or robbed at the bus station.

We are now installed in our lodging for the night in Albany having had some tasted fruit bagels & fruit for tea kindly provided by the night manager.

We had walked from the bus station to our accommodation & as we did so, one could not but be impressed by the magnificent buildings. Albany is the capital of the State of New York & is located on the Hudson River. European settlement here dates back to 1614. The city of Rensselaer on the other side of the river is linked by bridge & it is from there that we will catch our Amtrak train in the morning to Niagara.

South to Massachusetts

Today we leave to go back south via Boston to Provincetown, Massachusetts. It'll be a long drive.

It is now 6 a.m. We have been up since 4.30 a.m. to drive back up Cadillac Mountain, this time to see the sunrise at 5 a.m. We then took the 50 km drive around the island (we are on Desert Island, connected to the mainland by a bridge) & the scenery was just lovely - we saw a deer, the early (!) morning light was beautiful & the trees very pretty with their blossom or new Spring leaf growth.

Saturday

Am continuing this today due to lack of Internet access yesterday so I wan't able to post then. Well, the drive south went reasonably well despite Tom-Tom (the GPS) being very naughty. We have taken to calling Tom-Tom by the name "Julie" (after the Amtrak agent in Don Watson's book American Journeys). Julie - generally speaking - has been very helpful, but yesterday she kept taking us in the wrong direction. Very frustrating.

The journey south was further frustrated by 2 long delays: one through the tunnel in Boston where we sat for what seemed like hours in a queue of traffic (fortunately Julie is a woman of few words so at least we didn't have the GPS going crazy trying to give us instructions to move forward while we were stuck in the tunnel!); and then later as we were getting closer to Cape Cod when roadwork on the Sagamore Bridge onto the Cape Cod peninsula held up traffic in a delay I don't think I've experienced since childhood. The traffic was unbelievable. We were exhausted by the time we arrived in Provincetown.

Unwittingly we seem to have arrived in the Gay Capital of the world. Apparently this has been the case since 1949, so My Friend tells me - such a fountain of information!

Provincetown is very pretty. Lots of lovely water scenery. Very touristy. It was the initial anchoring place of the pilgrims travelling on The Mayflower in 1620 before they proceeded onto Plymouth, MA.

This morning we drove to Dennis, hired some great road bikes & did the Cape Cod Rail Trail (about 50 miles). Feeling a bit used but energy stocks just now replenished with a burger (& fries - of course!) for dinner at The Squealing Pig restaurant where the crowd was really INTO watching the Kentucky Derby on the Big Screen.

On the way back from our ride, we stopped off at the Cape Cod Highland Lighthouse. And we happened upon the North Truro radar station - an Airforce facility, now closed (in 1994) - but which has been a strategic US East Coast base, particularly during the Cold War.

Sunday

Leaving Cape Cod area this morning after breakfast. We were planning to spend half the day here but the traffic is so appalling we have no choice but to get going back to Boston. Will do stuff there to make up for the short time we had there when we arrived there the other day from New York. We will drop the car at the airport first, then take the metro into town before catching a bus to Albany. We pick the train up there tomorrow morning to head up to Niagara Falls.

North to the State of Maine

Wednesday

We left NYC yesterday from Penn Station on an Amtrak train (we are aiming for all the iconic American experiences). It was a pleasant journey up the east coast - green leafy forests, beaches, rivers, bridges, pretty, wooden houses with slate/shingle roofs.

The Amtrak guard is a Yankees (baseball) fan. He told of how when the Patriots lost a game, someone dumped a ton of butter-finger biscuits in the town square. Now, whenever he sees a Patriot fan, he says "Did you get your butter-fingers?". (Took me a while to get it ...).

So here we are in Starbucks at 7 a.m. (we are waking very early still as we adjust to the 14-hour time difference). After walking the streets of Portland since 6 a.m. It was good to get in out of the fog. Coffee & free wi-fi! Looks like a plan for the rest of the trip?!

We did the historic Freedom Walk in Boston yesterday (think Boston Tea Party, the American War of Independence). Then out to the BIGGEST Hertz rental place we have EVER seen.

Fortunately Tom-Tom loaded up our pre-purchased maps of the US (there was some panic for a while when it seemed like it wasn"t going to work). It was raining and My Friend was about to start the drive to Portland on the opposite side of the road from what we are used to back home. I had some notes using Google maps from home plus some directions from Hertz as to how to exit out of Boston so we travelled 'blind' for a bit. Do you get the picture? Believe me, lots of tension... One good things is we'd been given a Subaru so at least the car was familiar. Suddenly a very loud voice boomed out of Tom-Tom (which of course had by now fallen off the windscreen onto the floor under My Friend's feet! Scared the whatevers out of us, but Tom-Tom had obviously located itself finally in the Northern Hemisphere & now we had some guidance - which, I can tell you, we would have been TOTALLY LOST without!

So, 2 hours later: with My Friend nearly running off the road due to jet-lag (still! - & I have to say I am no better!); definitely not a great journey what with me grilling him constantly like "OK, 59 miles to go, what's that in kms?" to keep him awake. Got in about 9 p.m. & despite promising an alcohol-free day, bought a bottle of Napa Valley pinot from the deli next door to our B&B and fell asleep with a glass of red in my hand!

So we are now in lobster country & I am definitely planning on a meal of it today.

I have to say, the coffee here at Starbucks isn't bad. At least it's civilised! Not like the coffee My Friend bought from a pizza joint last night on the drive here (in an attempt to stay awake); he asked for 'small' & got a milkshake container of black coffee. I kid you not!

After breakfast, we drove to Cape Elizabeth to the Portland lighthouse (they call them "light heads" here). Very foggy today so we didn't get the classic views but I suppose it had the right atmosphere for a lighthouse!







We continued driving north along the coast road & stopped in Bath, a pretty village which is renown for its ship-building. Further on, we crossed over several pretty waterways enroute to Boothbay Harbor where we are staying the night.


My Friend is sleeping so I have just gone for a walk around town which is pretty even though it is foggy. Everyone says the next few days will be better. It is very pretty here.

The traditional Cape Cod houses (originating from the New England in the 17th Century) are so pretty, you could photograph every second one!

Thursday

We went for a walk early (again). The weather - as promised - has cleared after a storm overnight. It is an exquisite morning & the views of the harbour are sensational. Where we are staying at Topside Inn is so pretty.

Dinner last night at the Boathouse Bistro down at the wharf area was sensational too. Tapas with lobster & a blueberry sangria - yum!!

We leave today for Bar Harbor - still in Maine - further north. First of all we visited the Botanic Gardens at Boothbay which have been set up by the community as a volunteer effort - some citizens even mortgaging their home to help with the financial setup. We enjoyed the lovely walks through birch forests, along the Black River & through the formal gardens which are brightly coloured with rhododendrons & tulips.

The drive north included a visit to Pemaquid Lighthouse and a very pretty coastal drive around the peninsula up through Camden. Along the way, evidence of Spring is everywhere: bluebells, cherry blossoms, maples, rhododendrons, dogwoods & lilacs.

Lunch at Camden: very nice clam chowder! Then drove up to Mt Battie in the Camden Hills State Park. Tremendous views out over the state of Maine, the bay & the city of Camden. Tom-Tom unaccountably took us right instead of left at the exit wasting much time.

We reached Bar Harbor/Acadia NP about 5 p.m. with me at the wheel - a first at left-hand driving for me (I was quite chuffed); it is a necessity that I step up because My Friend can't stop yawning from about 11 a.m. til ... well, for the rest of the day really!

As it doesn't get dark until about 8.30 p.m., we still had lots of daylight to expire so we enjoyed a walk along the shoreline walk & through town before driving to Acadia NP & up to the top of Cardillac mountain with the setting sun throwing lovely colours on the rocky outcrops.

Dinner was lobster, of course - but I think we are over lobster now. We shared a yummy flourless chocolate cake with rasperry coulis & a glass of delicious fortified moscato for dessert.

Last day in NYC

Left early to rent bikes near Columbus Circle. Took a detour for yummy muffins & coffee in The Bouchon Bakery at the Times Warner building overlooking the statue of Mr Columbus.

We went for a 4 hour ride around the island of Manhatten, starting first along the Hudson River, heading down to the South Ferry terminal. We came across the Financial precinct by chance & walked up to the Stock Exchange at Wall Street past the Trump Tower & Tiffany's; then past Pier 31 & up along the East side where the traffic was amazingly bad; brief stop at the UN building, & a nice ride along The East River & under the Brooklyn Bridge back up to Central Park. We then fanged it through Central Park to get back to the bike shop on time - to our very grumpy bike shop operator.

We had a long rest back at the hotel with a yummy heirloom tomato, salami, Delice cheese & a breadstick for lunch.

Left it a bit late - & the bus was interminably slow! - and only had an hour at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). And an hour having an expensive cocktail in the bar!

Back to the hotel (this time by Metro) - of course! - to pack (as we leave for Boston in the morning).

And then back out for dinner at The Modern (restaurant at MOMA) - thanks for the heads-up Nick & Sue!

A great modern eating experience. Fortunately it was still just light when we arrived so we had a nice view overlooking the sculpture garden.

Mother's Day in the US of A

We were awake early - again... but put the early start to good use. We took the train to Staten Island ferry terminal & by 7.30 a.m. we were on the water: views of the Statue of Liberty.

Back on land in Manhatten, we took the Metro to 14th Street & walked to Chelsea Market & the High Line Walkway which is a great walk above the city on a now disused railway track very nicely re-designed with nice gardens (thanks Gra Gra & Judy for the notes & pikkies from Bron).

 

After a rest (& some very trying/tiring blogging as I continue to wrangle with the technicalities!) we set off on foot across Central Park to attack the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). We tackled it by doing two self-guided tours of highlights I had downloaded from the museum website which gave us a great variety from African sculpture through Medieval & Renaissance art to Modern classics like Jackson Pollack with some interesting diversions like the armour room and a musical instrument exhibition along the way.

Needless to say, we were stuffed by the end of it and still had the walk back across Central Park to the hotel.

This time, even I had a sleep (no blogging) & then we set off on the wonderful Metro again: this time to Soho to look at some interesting cast-iron architecture (thanks Paul & Mel) before continuing on by the (you guessed it!) Metro to Brooklyn and a lovely walk back to Manhatten over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Some extra walking to find the Metro did not add to my good humour & I was very pleased to call it a day. Phew!

We have arrived!

Hi all

Well, despite all my misgivings, we DID manage to make our connection in Los Angeles (LA) successfully - despite an hour at passport control & only just under 3 hours to disembark from Qantas, do customs, collect bags & get to Terminal 4 for our transfer to American Airlines for our onward flight from LA to New York City (NYC).

 So! Here we are in the Big Apple.

We had a BIG night last night. Did the Top of the Rock - observation deck at the top of the Rockefeller Centre with views over NYC.

And had a late supper (around midnight) at Katz - as recommended by the Rebbechis. And made several muddles on the Metro including the last trip back to the hotel when we managed to overshoot our stop at 72nd Street and watched in awe as the train whooshed past several stations to finally deposit us at 125th St (must have been an Express! Doh!)? My Friend was not very happy...

This morning, despite only a few hours sleep, we walked to Central Park which is only a few blocks away.

It was lovely & quiet with just a few other walkers, some joggers & cyclists. Very pretty. Lovely in the early morning light. And the squirrels were cute!

For the rest of the morning, I walked my feet off around The iconic NYC store Macy's (which is really like our Myers) & 5th Avenue. My Friend stayed in bed unwell due to (guess from the photo below ...):

He fortunately rallied sufficiently to stagger out to the Yankee Stadium to watch the baseball: New York Yankees Vs Seattle Mariners. We had great seats & it was fun!











After a short pit-stop back at the hotel for My Friend to recover, we set off for Broadway. Boy, what a night!

Fantastic: we had tickets to Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. This production won 7 Logies & you could see why. Not a dry eye in the house. And the Ethel Barrymore Theatre is an old-style theatre complete with chandeliers. The whole thing was an amazing experience: to be there with a packed house of theatre-loving New Yorkers. Wow!

We finished up at Sardi's Bar: martini for me, water for My Friend. Another late night, well after midnight. But flawless navigation on The Metro tonight!