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UK CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR AND SAD FAREWELLS

We have now arrived back in Australia but need to fill you all in on our last few weeks in England before our very long flight home.

We returned from the USA, back to family in England and after a few days of packing and sorting of our bags ready for returning home to Australia we started tripping around again. First event was to go out Carole Singing in Good Easter again with Graham. Had a lovely time meeting up with the locals for our second Christmas, and really enjoying the fruit mince pies and mulled wine after a hard night of singing, I’m sure they will miss us next year.

We had a wonderful couple of days up in London with Matt and Kelly, popping into the wonderful city to soak up the pre Christmas atmosphere on Oxford and Piccadilly one more time, stopping in on Liberty’s along the way. It is such a lovely time to see and we enjoyed every minute at our London pad ha ha. We even found a gorgeous little market outside a church on Piccadilly where we snapped up a few treasures. We also have a wonderful evening and delicious dinner with Chloe and Rupert in their new flat and just love it. Great to see them both settled in their fabulous new abode.

Back to Chelmsford and out to a Christmas concert in Brentwood organized by Graham’s brother Richard, who also sings with some others from the Randall clan in the choir. It was such a lovely event with a fabulous orchestra performing with the choir and some lovely children’s groups from the local schools performing with dance and singing. The evening would not have been complete without the appearance of Santa, especially delightful for the children.

Christmas is just a couple of days away and we spend it doing our last minute wrapping and also visiting with Aunty Babs who later joins us at The Bells for the Christmas festivities. It is suffice to say that from Christmas Eve to the 28^th we managed to eat our way through the most enormous amount of delicious food, sharing lots of laughs and games with lots of visitors and generally having a fantastic time.

Sadly, we have to say our final farewell to cousin John and Jenny. We have enjoyed our times with you both so very much and all your valuable travel advice. It has been such a pleasure to get to know and enjoy you both so very much. One goodbye down we set off to Devon.

Our first day is at the footy again, watching Argyle play hard but alas not a win this time. I do believe we are accepted as true Argyle fans now and we look forward to hearing how they go for the rest of the season. The next day Paul takes us on a rambling tour down to the coast and we visit Martin at his wonderful foody heaven right on the beach at Bigbury. What a gorgeous part of the world, the girls and I deciding this would be the place to live if ever we do win the lotto and can live the dream of having a place to stay in all our favourite places in the world. Dream on! Martin brings Gabby over to see us one last time and we can not believe how much she has grown again and love to hear her chatting a lot more. Once again we have to say our farewells and move on back to London. It is fantastic that we have had more time with Paul and Jan and we know we are going to miss them so much but also know we are always welcome to return, will be starting to save the minute we return.

Back in to London for New Years Eve where we watch the fireworks over the city from Matt and Kelly’s flat, just gorgeous on a spectacularly clear night. It has been sunshine every day of our last run around, so very lucky. New years day we head into city to see The Lion King on the stage. Words cannot describe how much we enjoy this performance. It is just fabulous and can see why it is such a long running show and why so many people see it again and again.

It is Matt’s birthday so we pop out for Chinese, yum. The next day we make use of the hire car and pop off to Ikea for Matt and Kelly to run riot and get some great things for their new kitchen, we look forward to the pics once it is all installed. Another lovely meal is shared by all the family to celebrate the birthday boy and we have yet another farewell to Chloe and Rupert. These sad farewells are getting harder and harder.

After just a little more Crystal Palace exploring and a ‘last supper’ prepared by the wonderful chef Matt we have to say goodbye to our London pad and the very special people who live there. The tears are flowing now as we say farewell to two of the most special people in our lives. It is a sad ride back to Chelmsford as we know this is going to be the very last stop on a journey and we are nearing the end of our fantastic adventure.

We visit with Aunty Babs and endure another tear filled goodbye, play UNO and Bananagrams one last time for old times sake and all too quickly it is our last night. After a lovely dinner we say our farewells to Maggy and try to sleep before our early morning run to the airport. So much runs through my mind as I wonder how quickly our time has flown by and relive such and amazing journey.

All too soon we are trying to become conscious to make the final leg to Gatwick. Graham is so good to deliver us there, it is no surprise as he and Maggy have been such amazing supporters of our journey and without them all that we have achieved would not have been possible. There not enough words to express how grateful we are to you both and to The Bells for always making us feels so welcome. Our only way to ever thank you is to see you in Australia so we can do the same for you, so looking forward to that visit.

The airport experience is made all the more special by the surprise visit of Matt an Kelly, such cheeky things for not letting us know we were going to see them again. This is it, the end of something out of this world, last hugs and last tears and last waves as we are swallowed up in the airport security. It is surreal as we step away from such special family to cross over the world to sunny Perth. Oh my god what a traumatic but exciting moment in time. We have had a couple of conversations with Nan back in Australia and are so excited to see her and all our friends that await us but to say goodbye to all we have done is so very hard. All part of the experience I guess!

DISNEYLAND – THE ORIGINAL

We’re posting in flashback from England again. This is our last post about the USA. Our last day was spent at Disneyland and what a fantastic way to end the trip this was.

Disneyland was the brainchild of Walt Disney, wanting to create a place where children and adults could have fun together. The other reason for its existence is the fact that the general public wanted to meet Mickey and Minnie and all the other wonderful cartoon characters. After a lot of hard work by many people, the most by Walt himself, and for the cost of $17 million the park opened on July 18, 1954. Although, the first day was an absolute disaster, dubbed Black Friday forever. LA was going through a heat wave and the recently laid tarmac melted as people were walking on it. The plumber couldn’t complete the water fountain installation meaning there was no water for people to drink. Counterfeit tickets were created meaning 30,000 instead of 15,000 guests turned up and the catering was insufficient. To top off all that there was a gas leak causing the shutting of half the park. All in all a disaster but in the days to follow all was sorted and it has been a success story ever since.

It really is a place to have fun with children, even big ones like us. We thoroughly enjoyed a day and night of wonder looking around and riding as much as possible. It is always packed with people so a lot of time is spent in queues but you get there in the end. Half the fun we had in the day was watching little children light up in wonder as a favourite character would pass, especially during the daily parade, at this time of year Christmas themed. We loved Mickey’s Toon Town and Fantasyland, getting lost in these make believe worlds.

We went home to rug up for the evening and to eat dinner and then headed back in for the night. The lights were just gorgeous creating the magical atmosphere that Disney is famous for. We were treated to a spectacular show called Fantastica which is the dream world of Mickey Mouse projected onto a misty water screen and includes appearances of lots of wonderful characters. Between shows we fitted in a our last few rides and in our opinion the best rides in the park. The New Orleans style haunted house was just the right amount of spooky and we loved the Indiana Jones Adventure ride, although our absolutely favourite was the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. The fireworks were just spectacular and a very fitting end to our time in the USA. We all decided that as much as we had really enjoyed our Disney adventure we would not plan a holiday around it, it was just good to do as a part of our LA adventure. Universal Studios we felt was a much better adventure along the theme park line with much better rides for us adults, a win to Florida.

Well, this was the last night for our USA adventures as we settled down to a lovely hotel stay, free from our Wyndham rewards, and woke to do our final pack. We had talked our way into a late check out at 2pm so perfect for our then trouble free trip to the airport to drop off the car. Alamo is a rental car company I would recommend to anyone, they have been a trouble free experience and have gone out of their way to make it so. We have completed 13,100 miles of travels through this amazing country of natural wonders, big cities and very interesting people. Time to return to Blighty to see our family before returning to Australia so do stay tuned for more fun to end our world adventure, or part of it at least.

We had a trouble free flight and were met by Graham right on time, helped by following our flights progress on the good old iPad. It is a bright but cold sunny day and we enjoy the last minute views from flight over England of the green fields and hedges. Back on the ground we spend our time catching up on what has been happening over the last 3 months and reliving some of our adventures. The Bells welcomes back with the Christmas lights shining and fire glowing bright, just gorgeous. It is so good to be back.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album DISNEYLAND.

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES AND BEVERLY HILLS

We’re now back in England getting ready to spend another wonderful Christmas with family. This post is about the rest of our time in Los Angeles, Hollywood and Beverly Hills up until our last day in the USA at Disneyland.

So, what else did we get up to? Next stop was Hollywood where we spent most of an afternoon at the Hollywood Museum that is housed in the Max Factor Building. Yes, you are right, this is the building purchased by Max Factor in 1928 and eventually opened as the place of business and creation by the man himself in 1935. Hollywood’s ‘make up king’ was considered the father of modern “make-up”. Born in Poland, Max Factor became the beautician/make-up artist to Russia’s Czar Nicholas II and his family. After immigrating with his family to the United States in 1908, he fulfilled the American Dream. Through his innovative ideas, and hard work, Factor built a cosmetic empire. From Hollywood royalty to housewives of America, Max Factor’s stylistic genius changed our vision of beauty. He created silver screen gods and goddesses as well as a new look for the everyday woman. I cannot imagine that there would be any woman who has not had a Max Factor item in their make up bag at some point. This is the place where it all began.

Max was a pioneer that recognized that the make up and skin tones must match the hair colour, something especially important once the camera is rolling. He was the person who made Marilyn Monroe blonde and Lucille Ball a red head and proceeded to create the makeup to suit. He is also the creator of lipstick. Where would we be without this amazing man? The most bizarre thing to see is his beauty calibrator. Max invented this scary-looking machine to aid in the perfect application of makeup. The contraption helped identify the areas of a person’s face that needed to be enhanced or disguised. The beauty micrometer became a huge hit in the movie industry. It actually looks more like a sophisticated object of torture and apparently ended up being used in horror movies. Not his greatest success but you have to admit he went to all sorts of lengths to get the perfect ‘look’ for the women, and men, of the world.

It is a fabulous Hollywood Regency Art Deco building that greets you with the gorgeous white and rose marble lobby complete with chandeliers and gold leaf. On this floor one can browse through the original make up rooms designated by hair colour. There are four floors of photos, memorabilia, horror, costumes and so much more from days of old and modern movies. It was a pleasure to be lost amongst all these treasures.

We are lucky enough to be in town for a movie premiere for Inherent Vice, so we spend a couple more hours just wandering around Hollywood Boulevard, soaking in this surreal world and checking out the stars on the pavement, that make this the Hollywood Walk of Fame, before securing our spot outside Hooters opposite the TCL Chinese Theatre, hoping it is the one that will give us the best view of the stars. We are not disappointed as the evening unfolds and we get to see the stars, our favourites being Reece Witherspoon, Jena Malone from Hunger Games fame and Maya Rudolph from Bridesmaids fame. What a fabulous day in down town Hollywood.

Another day is spent touring around and exploring Beverley Hills, Rodeo Drive (just gorgeous but a little out of the adventure budget) and the Hollywood Hills. No more stars spotted on this day. In daylight this is not really that spectacular, it does tend to sparkle a bit more in the night. You can see lots of big gates to big properties but privacy is the issue here, and who would expect anything less. The views over LA are great from up on the hill but it is just a sprawling urban mass with a surprisingly small high-rise district. We pop into the centre of town to the Town Hall and are able to pop up to the 27^th floor that offers a wonderful view of the inner city and surrounds. All in all we soak up as much as we can before we head back in the atrocious traffic to get to our beds. We all decide that unless we were to be stars we would not want to live and commute in this city, it would drive you absolutely crazy tackling the traffic on a daily basis.

Time is running out very quickly now but we have one more adventure planned for out last day and night, a trip to Disney Land. We have done all the packing and are moving into a 4 and ½ star hotel right at the gate so we will have a fantastic day of adventure and childhood fun followed by a lovely evening before we head off to the airport tomorrow. We’ll tell you all about it later.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES AND BEVERLY HILLS.

LAKERS IN LOS ANGELES

We have been making our way to LA for this specific day for a very special reason. We have tickets to a Lakers game tonight. We spend our day sorting out our plan of attack for between now and the end of our journey in the US on the 14th, accommodation, what we want to see and experience, getting in supplies and generally doing the house keeping and taking a little time to rest before the big night.

Off we go into the heart of LA to the Staples centre. The traffic is horrendous causing tense moments as the minutes tick past, even though we know we have left ourselves plenty of time. We are just as excited to see the venue as the game. This is a state of the art venue lit up to thrill and excite and we are excited. We find our seats, way up high, and look down with anticipation wondering why there are so many seats vacant. This does not last for long as people suddenly start to fill nearly all the seats, a great crowd of fans. The game is about to begin and the players hit the court.

On a sombre note, during the warm up the Lakers players are wearing black T shirts printed with ‘I Can’t Breathe’ in support of a young black unarmed man, Eric Garner, tragically chocked to death by a police officer whilst being arrested for suspicion of selling individual untaxed cigarettes, his last words shown on CCTV video being ‘I Can’t Breathe”. Another recent case in the news is the death of another young man, Michael Brown, shot and killed by police while unarmed and holding his hands up. It seems that in both cases there was a felony committed and both seemed to be resisting arrest, although neither deserved death. In both these cases the officers involved have been cleared of any wrongdoing. This has caused hot debate in the news during our travels and there is a growing protest amongst high profile sporting identities, black and brown communities and across all sections of society in general. Some of the reports I have seen highlight the need for change on how the young community and the police view each other and how both need to reflect that the police are there to protect the community and neither is an enemy to the other.

Earlier in our trip I met a woman serving in a remote US Post Office who was a victim of crime, her police officer son having been killed by a young man running from a crime, eventually caught and now serving a jail sentence. These incidents highlight an ongoing issue that, by all reports, is in a very heightened state of conflict at this moment in time. I do not presume to know enough about any of these issues to comment, and we all know how the media inflame these situations, but we hope for a peaceful resolution and better understanding on all sides. Understanding cannot be reached overnight and requires years of education and reconciliation, acceptance and a desire on all sides to live within the law, respect ones self and each other and each other’s property. Is this achievable in any country in the world? I hope so.

Watching the warm up is fun and they seem to not miss a shot as they practice, especially Kobe Bryant. The crowd erupts into what will be a continuing hub of excitement as the Lakers take on the Sacramento Kings. Game on, and the Kings are off to an early lead that the Lakers spend the entire game trying to catch, sometimes levelling but always dropping back again. The crowd is enthusiastic to say the least and they are very vocal when certain players miss their shots. We are impressed by the actual presence of an official Lakers band that play great music fitting to the moment getting all the fans cheering on their favourite team.

During the game we are reminded that Bryant is getting closer and closer to overtaking Michael Jordan to becoming the third highest points scorer of all time behind Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. These four giants of the game are the only players to have scored over 32,000 points. Tonight is not the night but with only 31 points now required the next game is going to be crazy, sadly it is not a home game, tragic for the fans (Note, next game completed and now only requires 9 points but it’s still an away game next). This guy is awesome to watch, poetry in motion, not showy or flash, just brilliant and has an impact on the game as soon as he steps on the court. We are so glad we have had the chance to see him in person. How far will he go up the points ladder in his career and will he catch Kareem on 38,387 or Karl on 36,928. It is a big ask for this 6’6” 36 year old, who has played basketball professionally since he left High School and always for the Lakers. I feel it is more likely that he will retire a champion and give his battered bodied a rest. Good luck Kobe, we will be watching closely to see how far you will go.

Also on offer to all the fans is free Taco’s if the Lakers win the game and the Kings are kept under 100 points. At the last break we decide together that even if they win it would be highly unlikely that the Kings would not score 100. WRONG. Lakers come up with only minutes to go winning the game 98 to 95. Very exciting to say the least, and not only because we get free tacos!

Game over it is time to leave the stadium. Here is where we have to congratulate the efficiency of the staff at this venue. We have been to many sporting events, concerts etc. and crowd control is always an issue. Not at Staples. It was quite magical how a large number of people were ushered effortlessly out into the street and beyond, all receiving their taco vouchers, within seemingly minutes of the end of the game. Congratulations Staples.

We linger on outside to get photos with the bronze statues of some great sporting heroes, boxer Oscar De La Hoya, hockey star Wayne Gretzky, basketball stars Kareem and Magic Johnson and Jerry West, and long time broadcaster for the Lakers, Chic Hearn. There seems to be plenty of room out there for at least one more sporting giant, good luck Kobe. Our evening is coming to an end as we soak up the atmosphere and the lights of LA. Sadly it is quite a long drive home but at least at this time of night it is a steady flow. What a fabulous start to our LA experience.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES AND BEVERLY HILLS.

JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

Our airbed has deflated overnight for the second time, must have a slow leak so lucky this is the last time we intend to camp out. Off to an early start, made even earlier by going back a time zone, we head off to the other side of Lake Havasu to see the Parker Dam. This is an interesting structure that is not that large but has created so much. On crossing over to this side of the Lake we are back in California and we are in for a treat, a wonderful scenic route through the rolling hills and steep volcanic mountains.

We are warned of the presence of burros and sure enough within a short distance we have our first wildlife encounter. A mum and offspring are waiting on the edge of the road and come right up to the window of the car as we slow to pass. Stopping to take photos like any good tourist we are an annoyance to a local driver. The Burros that inhabit this region are literally cast offs. They were brought to the area as hard workers during the mining boom in 1858. This short-lived boom was then accompanied by the arrival of the train leaving nothing for the burros to do so they were set free. They have adapted to this harsh environment quite easily, their ancestors having evolved in the harsh North African deserts. We see mainly grey coloured burros with some leg baring but also spot a white one and some black ones. The babies are just so cute, would love to have seen them when new born. Apparently their numbers are kept in check by monitoring the vegetation, once showing signs of overstocking the burros are offered to the public for adoption. Seems a good working program and it is lovely to see these friendly critters along our way.

We arrive at our destination for today, Joshua Tree National Park, quite early, the bonus of a leaking airbed and that extra hour earned. We like this travel back in time but wonder how it is going to hit us when we make the big journey in the opposite direction back to Perth. I think we should all just keep going anti clockwise making life just that little bit longer.

Back to Joshua Tree National Park. Having already experienced the weird and wonderful shapes of the Joshua Tree, thought to have been named by the Mormons as it symbolized to them the arms of Joshua stretching toward the promise land (we relate more to the Dr Seuss analogy), back in Death Valley we had thought that if we ran out of time we could give this Park a miss. What a mistake that would have been! This is a diverse environment where two different deserts meet, the higher elevation of the Mojave desert, famous for the Joshua Tree, and the lower elevation of the Colorado desert, part of the greater Sonoran desert. These two different eco systems come together to form such a rich and wonderful landscape. It is believed that people have inhabited this area for about 5,000 years, from the time of the Pinto Culture through to the miners, homesteaders and ranchers, all leaving evidence of their occupation, some of which can still be viewed throughout the park. This park is home to a surprisingly large and diverse range of plants, bird life, reptiles and wildlife all surviving in the harsh elements of the desert.

We start our visit entering from the south, the Colorado Desert end, stopping at yet another Visitors Centre to grab our last map and valuable advice on how best to see the wonders of this park. We take a couple of short hikes to see one of the five oasis in the park, home to the towering Desert Palms so wonderful in such a harsh world, and also to see a most extraordinary plant called the Teddybear Cholla Cactus; it looks cuddly but certainly not one to get up close too with its sharp needle like spines. There is an area easily accessible which is a veritable sea of these interesting cacti. In the south of the park we also see the Silver Cholla, both are a quite spectacular and different. The south side is a more low level vegetation and gives the feel of the arid world that early inhabitants endured.

As we move northwest, we move into the Mohave side of town. The Joshua trees here are quite large and it is incredible that they can reach this size with the lack of water. They really are a unique tree and in this park there are so many to greet the eye. This end of the park is also a visual wonder because of the rocks. At one time this must have been a violent world of upheaval as the earth pushed and exploded leaving piles of granite rubble in all sorts of shapes and forms. Time and the erosion of wind and water have rounded off the rocky and craggy landscape to form some of the most spectacular and diverse scenery one is likely to see. This park is famous for its perfect rock climbing and is always full of climbers doing their thing. We take a few hikes out, and sure enough, nearly every straight up wall is inhabited by a climber. These are not like the serious climbs up in the mountains, such as Yosemite but I am sure they are still great fun.

We head to one of the highest vantage points in the park at Keys View atop the crest of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, providing panoramic views of the Coachella Valley and as far away as Mexico, and we are lucky enough for it to be a clear day and can see Signal Mountain. Below us we have spectacular views of the shinning Salton Sea, which is 230 feet below sea level, and around us the mountain ranges of Santa Rosa, Indio, San Jacinto Peak of the Peninsular Ranges and the San Gorgonio Mountain topped with snow at 11,500ft. WOW. We are looking over a section of the San Andreas Fault and all its work over millions of years. It truly is a wonderful view. We then head out to the Barker Dam and see that it is just a puddle now after the years of drought. On the rocks one can see water level marks of days gone by and we try to visualize what this area would look like with all that water. Our long day is coming to an end and it is time to leave this fantastic environment.

We are in luck again and as we traverse through the last part of the park we come across a Desert Kit Fox, a rare creature that calls the park home. He is happy to stare at us as we stare right back at him and take photos of this cute little fellow. We stop to chat with a Ranger and ask about the effects of the drought upon the park and its inhabitants. We are advised that all species are adapting to the dry conditions but that there are some losses. Sadly one of the most effected species is the Joshua Tree, apparently if the lack of water is a permanent situation the tree could become extinct within 200 years. This information is quite shocking really, more evidence that we must see what we can while it is still here, and while we are here, for everything changes eventually. Lets hope for a break in the drought and big falls of rain this winter.

Well, this is the end of our National Park journey within the USA. What a journey it has been. We are working on a list of all that we have seen and how we rank these wonderful treasures, be sure to watch the blog for this post. We pop into Palm Springs for a quick look and discover the most enormous wind farm with more turbines than we have seen through Europe, UK and USA put together. This is the San Gorgonio Wind Farm and it is here because of its unique location in the valley that has fantastic winds funneled by the mountains as they rush toward the desert, though tonight there is hardly a turbine moving. This farm is the oldest in the US, built in the 1980’s, and is a history lesson in itself. You can literally see the development of the turbines as the old and new stand together to form a sea of man made structures. There are actually 2,700 turbines producing enough power to run 300,000 homes, three times more power than Palm Springs requires. It is quite a sight to see. Darkness has descended as we hit the highway to join an extraordinary amount of traffic. Tonight we will sleep in the sprawl of Los Angeles.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK – CALIFORNIA.

ROUTE 66 AND THE LONDON BRIDGE AT LAKE HAVASU

We wake up to a misty morning in Flagstaff, a place described to me by our host as a travelers meeting spot near the top of a mountain. It is a ski town that he believes really has no more to offer than accommodation, good food and supplies as well as a base to head off to the snow capped mountain nearby. It is so strange how you are in the desert landscape one minute and seeing snow the next, what an amazing part of the world, it is all about elevation.

The mist soon rises and a blue sky awaits us as we head off to our next destination. We plan our way to take in a scenic byway, not just any byway, but the famous Historic Route 66, this being the longest stretch of the old road to be preserved. Thank goodness that it’s dedication in 1987 by the Arizona State will assure that this stretch of road will not just fade away into the landscape.

We had spent a short time traveling this famous roadway back near Chicago, but now was the time to get the feel for, Route 66, so famous to the world. It was amazing to travel along and try to imagine what it was like back in the 1920’s when people were traveling west to live the dream, reaching the Californian coast. This stretch makes its way through the frontier towns and it is a long baron road that must be scorching in the summer.

We eventually stop in the town of Seligman. This town is surrounded by some of the largest cattle ranches in Arizona, such amazing rolling country. We wander along the main street taking in the tourist shops, mainly to see the old cars and bikes, and purchase a couple of mementoes from some of the nicest people we have met. We stop at the Roadrunner Café though having just had lunch don’t partake in the “steaks’ on offer, sure they are very good though. Such a fun short break to stretch the legs and on we go toward our destination for the day, our time on this fabulous stretch of road an enriching experience.

What a contrast awaits us in a strange and interesting place that is Lake Havasu City. From out of the desert a city was born largely due to one man, Robert McCulloch. From 1934 to 1938 the Parker dam was built creating a lake with 450 miles of shoreline and a unique eco system within this parched world. In 1963 Mr McCulloch, owner of McCulloch Motors, was flying around the countryside looking for a site to test his outboard engines. Dare I say it, the rest was just history. He must have been a crazy but forthright man in his day, managing to create a city out of sand and rock. He and his friend CV Wood, designer of Disneyland, planned a community centred around the Lake.

McCulloch’s biggest brainchild was the purchase of the old London Bridge in 1968 for the cost of US$2,460,000. London had put the bridge on the market because it was basically sinking under the weight of traffic. I am told by a reliable source, my cousin Graham, that he originally thought he was getting the Tower Bridge, though I am sure he was not disappointed in the end. It took 3 and half years to reconstruct the bridge we see today. Firstly a steel framework was built on dry land and the granite bridge placed around it, creating a solid functioning bridge, stronger than the original, this London Bridge wasn’t going to be falling down. The land around it was then dredged creating “the Channel” of water over which it now spans to a newly formed island. It is just like stepping back to London for a moment, as it is complete with all the things that make it British including the vintage lamps that are made from the melted down cannons of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army. It is the second largest tourist destination in Arizona after Grand Canyon. Locals will tell you that the bridge is seemingly haunted, by a police ‘bobby’ patrolling and by a woman dressed in black. What we do know for sure is that it is a home to many bats living in its hollow structure. Back in Cortez we spoke to an older lady who has lived in the lower southwest her whole life. She described the bridge as very bizarre, saying ‘one minute there was nothing for miles and then there was a city’. She was right by all accounts.

All in all, the coming of the bridge and McCulloch’s enthusiasm gave birth to the thriving community of Lake Havasu, it is a popular retirement town and romantic getaway tourist destination. It has a very pleasant climate all year round. Right now it is home to more RV’s than we have seen anywhere, all the travellers, (in Australia we call them Grey Nomads), roosting for the winter and catching up on their golf game I guess. Though glad we came to see it, this is not somewhere we would choose to come again. We are running out of light so find a camping spot in the outskirts of town, on Bureau of Land Management ground, and settle down to a spectacular sunset and sleep.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album ARIZONA.

A VERY GRAND CANYON

Well, finally the time has arrived to visit this Natural Wonder of the World, The Grand Canyon. When we were back in Australia planning this trip we basically just gave ourselves a brief outline of what we must see along our journey. We kept the plan very basic and have just followed our nose so to speak. For our USA part of the journey we have always said we must see New York, tick, Niagara Falls, another Natural Wonder of the World and another tick, and Grand Canyon. Over these past months we have seen so much incredible beauty it is with trepidation that we have been approaching the Grand Canyon. Will it live up to the hype that surrounds it?

Five million people from around the world visit this geologists’ dreams come true, and one of the few geological features of the world visible from space, every year. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, though averages about 10 miles wide, and attains a depth of over a mile (6,000 feet or 1,800 meters). Recent studies have concluded that approximately 17 million years ago the Colorado river and its tributaries chose their pathways to begin carving through the nearly two billion years of geological layering that make up this part of the uplifted Colorado Plateau. For all these years this mighty river has channelled this spectacular landscape and will continue to do so forever more.

The canyon is contained within and managed by Grand Canyon National Park, The Hualapai Tribal Nation, the Havasupai Tribe and the Navajo Nation. Descendants of these Indian Peoples have inhabited the canyon since as far back as 500AD. They were largely left in peace until the mid 1500’s when the Spanish made some exploration in the area but quickly left them alone until the 1800’s when the West was invaded and new settlers arrived. Once ‘discovered’ the canyon has been a hive of activity ever since, including mining exploration. The first bill to create Grand Canyon National Park was introduced in 1882 by then-Senator Benjamin Harrison, which would have made Grand Canyon National Park the nation’s second, after Yellowstone National Park. Many times the bill was reintroduced to preserve this natural world for future generations but it was not successful until 1919 under the direction of President Theodore Roosevelt, and in 1979 UNESCO dedicated the park as a World Heritage Site.

This has saved the park from disasters such as mining and damming but it is a constant juggling act to save the park from the effects of projects going on outside its boundaries. This diverse eco system has taken some hits along the way and management are constantly working to minimize our impact. A seemingly successful project to date has been the long slow process of saving of the critically endangered Californian Condor. Air quality is another interesting factor facing the park, as is uranium mining outside the park, all things requiring much research and debate. Minimizing the impact of tourism is another issue on the agenda that park officials must handle on a day-to-day basis. All in all this is a Grand Challenge.

Over the years the Canyon has taken its revenge so to speak. About 600 deaths have occurred in the Grand Canyon since the 1870s. Some of these deaths occurred as the result of overly zealous photographic endeavours, some were the result of airplane collisions within the canyon, and some visitors have drowned in the Colorado River. Of the fatalities, 53 have resulted from falls; 65 deaths were attributable to environmental causes, including heat stroke, cardiac arrest, dehydration, and hypothermia; 7 were caught in flash floods; 79 were drowned in the Colorado River; 242 perished in airplane and helicopter crashes (128 of them in the 1956 disaster where two flights collided over the canyon); 25 died in freak errors and accidents, including lightning strikes and rock falls; and 23 were the victims of homicides. Our Park Ranger at the Black Canyon had warned us of the care required to visit this park. This is a harsh environment that must be respected, especially when the weather is hot.

Our visit begins as we approach from the East to take in our first view from Desert View Watchtower. The top of the tower is 7,522 feet (2,293 m) above sea level, the highest point on the South Rim. It offers one of the few full views of the bottom of the Canyon and the Colorado River. WOW, WOW, WOW. What a view to begin our experience. When we arrive our view is obstructed by low cloud, though spectacular to see its disappointing to think we will not get a clear view, but, as always our luck prevails and over the next hour that we spend here the cloud lifts before our eyes to unveil the whole splendid vista from this interesting tower.

It is jaw dropping amazing to look out over the magnitude of this creation. It takes time to soak in the sheer size of this wonder. The river below that looks like a slender ribbon at the base is actually at least 90ft wide and rushes along calm at times and churning rapids at others. That first view will be embedded on our memory forever as well as the feeling of the sheer size of what we are seeing.

Our day is a progression of vistas, each different from each other but still the same, absolutely amazing. Our favourites are decided, the first and the most eye opening, Desert View, closely followed by both Hopi and Pima outlooks. We are unable to walk down into the bottom of the canyon, as this is a two-day overnight experience and time does not permit (also snow is predicted tonight), so spend our day taking various trails along the rim. We are so glad we are here in winter when the tourist numbers are somewhat lower.

We spend time at the visitor’s centre taking in a wonderful movie, learning lots and particularly enjoy the footage of the Californian Condor, what an amazing bird this is. It is almost sunset when we take our last look into this abyss that is the Grand Canyon. It is aptly named, as it is the biggest and grandest of all the holes in the ground that we have visited. But is it our favourite? We all agree that even though it is spectacular and a must see in any ones lifetime that we have preferred other spots, and in direct comparison of vast drops down into this wonderful earth, we would put the Canyonlands and Black Canyon and Bighorn up the top of our list.

Is this unbelievable that we could not rank it Number 1? Don’t hold it against us! I think our preference has a lot to do with the fact that our favourites were experienced, for the most part, totally alone, when we could take in the grandeur in tranquil peace with time to reflect on the magnitude of that moment in time. Considering this we decide we would like to return to visit the North Rim, closed to us due to snow, and get a more lonely experience. We also have to come back to get to the canyon floor and we have decided the way to do this best is to take a ride down the amazing Colorado River, an adventure requiring a much higher temperature. More for the bucket list.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album ARIZONA.

MONUMENT VALLEY

We wake up to more rain than we have seen in quite some time, and it seems more than this part of the country has seen in quite some time also. Can’t complain, it is winter after all. We are planning a driving day anyway so off we go. We are in a place called Cortez, where the desert meets the mountains, heading into the desert. Moving through this part of Colorado it is dead flat boring, but still amazing and different, until we cross into Utah again, guess what, we magically hit the dramatic world of rock buttes, valleys and gorges again.

We are taking a route that snakes its way along beside the San Juan River and is just beautiful. We are actually in the area known as Four Corners, where four states, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado, meet. We are on the south side of the very influential Colorado Plateau now and heading for Monument Valley, not a designated National Park, but a part of the Navajo Reservation, the largest reservation in the US. This is the unique world that got away from Utah, the Navajo Tribal Park being just inside Arizona.

The rain has stopped but when we get to the valley it is completely shrouded in dense wet cloud. Though a sight well worth seeing with its haunting veil, we decide we still need to explore the area on a clear day so elect to stay on the Utah side of the road at Goulding Lodge. Harry Goulding and his wife “Mike” (real name Leone) purchased this property in 1921 and started trading with the Navajo people out of a tent, later building a brick trading post with their living quarters above. This building is still standing and is the Museum within the Lodge grounds for visitors to explore. When the depression hit both the Gouldings and the Navajo hard, Harry came up with the idea of approaching John Ford, the movie director, to get some money to the area. The rest is history as they say, John Ford fell in love with the area and shot the first of many Western Classics, “Stagecoach” starring John Wayne, here. That was the beginning of a long movie making history, the Monument Valley area giving the perfect backdrop to the ‘Western’ genre. The tradition continues with films like ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Thelma and Louise”, ‘Mission Impossible’ and ‘Back to the Future III’ having shot scenes here.

This spectacular area has in fact been used in many genres of movie making, computer games, music videos, TV productions including cartoons and many advertisements. Harry started a lifetime of photography that has helped the area thrive. The Gouldings continued their association with the Navajo all their lives and even today the Lodge is a major contributor to the people. We are loving the atmosphere of this very comfortable and interesting place to spend the night. The complex is built beneath the towering rock cliff that one can look back across to the first buttes of the Valley from your balcony, a view we manage to catch at sunset when it is lit brightly, especially gorgeous with the cloud cover today. We enjoy a movie relating to the area in the theatre building and follow this with dinner served at the restaurant, yum.

Our day begins slowly but eventually we head out into the magnificent Navajo reservation area that is Monument Valley. We take the road down into the valley and start our self-guided tour to view the magnificent mesa,buttes and spires. It is truly beautiful with its colours ranging from sand to orange to deep reds. It is mainly dark red however and it is stunning. The recent rain seems to have made the valley green in only a day, it is somehow different from the day before. It is interesting to read the Navajo explanation of the different formations giving significant meaning to this spectacular landscape. Along the way we stop to meet some Navajo people and chat with a mother and daughter about their way of life living on the reservation without power and water and all the conveniences that come with it. They are selling jewellery that they have made from the local gemstones, predominantly turquoise and buffalo bone and juniper berries. It is interesting to get a small understanding of this life.

We finish our time in the valley all the more rich for the experience. We head back to the hotel and spend some time in the museum that was the original trading post and home of Harry and Mike Goulding. It is an excellent display mainly left in its original condition with the added bonus of movie memorabilia and Indian information. Once again we are richer for the experience. They even have John Wayne’s cabin that was used in his movies. Another day comes to an end. Our time is over in this truly amazing part of the country.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album MONUMENT VALLEY.

MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

Sadly we awake to a not so favorable weather report for the coming days. Precipitation is on the cards. We are embarking on a scenic route, one of America’s oldest and most revered, US 550, that is a mountain trail that comprises 3 passes over 10,500ft, the largest being Red Mountain at over 11,500ft. It is known as the Million Dollar Highway. This classic stretch of two-lane, no barriers road, forms a swirling ribbon through the San Juan Mountains, the wildest and most rugged peaks in the Colorado Rockies.

The origin of the “Million Dollar” name is clouded in myth. Some say it was first used after an early traveller, complaining of the vertigo-inducing steepness of the route, said, “I wouldn’t go that way again if you paid me a million dollars.” Others claim that it derives simply from the actual cost of paving the route in the 1930s. But the favourite explanation is also the most likely: when the highway was first constructed, the builders used gravel discarded by nearby gold and silver mines, only to find out later that this dirt was actually rich in ore and worth an estimated “million dollars.”

The route used primarily follows the one carved by a pioneer Polish Postie named Otto Mears. Suffice to say we are a little worried about the conditions on the road but decide to press on anyway, mad Australians. You know the saying ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’, well that is how the morning went. We were watching for signs of tire chains on the traffic passing us in the other direction but saw none, knowing these are not something we have on board.

As the trail got higher the rain turned into snow and it was evident by the new fall that we were the only ones going in our direction. Going at a ‘glacial pace’ we traversed this winding surface whilst to our side was a certain death drop into air. Negotiating passing a couple of snow ploughs going the other way was heart stopping to say the least. Should we press on or not is the topic of conversation.

We eventually get to the Red Mountain pass and have crossed to the other side of the mountain, putting us away from the edge for the majority of the time, and we decide we are probably over the worst, so we push on. Thank goodness we did. What an amazing road this is, dotted with a couple of pretty little tourist towns, but majority wild mountains covered in snow decorated spruce and pine with snow white ground and magnificent views. Though the view would definitely be more distant without the falling snow and low hanging clouds, what we experience is spectacular, wild and just gorgeous. It’s a good job we are a little crazy!

After two more high passes we are eventually heading down hill for the last time and into a more sedate landscape. Next stop Mesa Verdi. We reach the visitors centre about 2pm and are advised to head straight out to the Museum and the only open ruin available to visit at this time of year, Spruce House, for a 3pm guided tour. So off we go through the winding mesa to the end of the road, approximately 20miles into the park. Just in time we head off with our guide down about 100m along an easy walkway to start our learning experience of this national treasure. Along the way we learn how the cliff dwellings were largely left inaccessible with only a toe hold climb down the cliff.

The Ancestral Pueblo people, and their descendants, inhabited Mesa Verde for more than 700 years (550 A.D. to 1300 A.D.), but for the first six centuries, they primarily lived on the mesa tops. It was not until the final 75 to 100 years that they constructed and lived in the cliff dwellings for which Mesa Verde is known. It is believed that they began living beneath the cliffs to improve their shelter from the ever increasing severity of the harsh conditions in the area, or perhaps for defence though there is hardly any evidence of fighting or threat between these peoples. Basically they were suffering major drought and finding supporting themselves very hard, we are talking of communities in the thousands.

These were primarily a farming people who over these centuries moved from excellent basket weavers to sophisticated pottery craftsmen famous for their black on white designs and from pole and adobe builders into skilled stone masonry craftsmen. The canyons selected for their new abodes were the ones that had natural seep springs that could give them a small water supply, it is believed that this was only equivalent to a litre per day. Their only other water source was the river a few miles away. There is also evidence of trade with objects from other parts of the nation such as shells and turquoise and also cotton, none of which occur naturally in this area.

Spruce House, the third largest cliff dwelling (Cliff Palace and Long House are larger), was constructed between A.D. 1211 and 1278 by the ancestors of the Puebloan peoples of the Southwest. The dwelling contains about 130 rooms and 8 kivas (kee-vahs), or ceremonial chambers, built into a natural alcove measuring 216 feet (66 meters) at greatest width and 89 feet (27 meters) at its greatest depth. It is thought to have been home for about 60 to 80 people. It is an excellent example of the exceptional masonry ability of these people and shows the way they plastered the interiors in mainly yellow and pink, and also some drawn decoration.

Our guide continues to give us interesting information about these very intelligent peoples that toiled against the elements to survive. The mortality rate of the children up to 5 was 50% due, primarily, to infestation of worms caught from their domesticated animals, turkeys and dogs. Otherwise it is thought that they lived to around 35 with some evidence of 50 to 60 year olds. All our knowledge today has been gathered by study of the relics left. The date of building is concluded from the timber that is still preserved within the structures. Fortunately for us, the Puebloans used to just throw their rubbish over the edge of their cliff homes leaving us a garbage heap of knowledge. Because they did not have a written language there is some guesswork involved in concluding their politics and day-to-day community existence.

Contrary to popular belief, the Ancestral Puebloan people of Mesa Verde did not disappear. They migrated south to New Mexico and Arizona, and became today’s modern pueblo people. To conclude our time in this area we move up to the museum enjoying all the relics on display. There are no human remains as about 20 years ago these were returned to the peoples for private burial. Before the sun sets we head out to see the dwellings preserved on the top of the mesa, showing how they developed small villages of houses all in a row and also more traditional kivas. This is an amazing place of such importance in the preservation of an ancient civilization. Well done to Wetherill brothers who made their discoveries in 1888 and didn’t stop campaigning until they convinced the government to dedicate this area as a national park in 1906. In 1978 Mesa Verdi joined a select group of UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites. Lucky for us who get to experience this history.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album COLORADO.

BLACK CANYON OF THE GUNNISON NATIONAL PARK

After a day of magnificent scenery we have twisted and turned our way into the Rocky Mountains. It is well after dark when we pull into the town of Montrose to find a hotel for the night. We read a little information about this area and discover one of the newest designated National Parks in the country, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, listed in 1999, though preserved as a National Monument since 1933.

This is an area of fantastic history and geological wonder being some of the oldest rock of North America exposed by the lifting of the Colorado Plateau, volcanic eruptions and the 2 million years of carving by the unyielding Gunnison River. We are wondering why we have not heard about it before. We decide a detour is necessary and head off to the park.

It is a short distance from Montrose and within 20 minutes we are up close and personal with one of the most magnificent views one could ever have. It is written that one cannot help but be affected and moved by ones first sight of this natural wonder, and they are right. This is a series of canyon and gorges that at their minimum plunge 2,000ft down to the ferocious Gunnison River. It is easy to understand why early explorers declared this an impenetrable area.

At the Visitor Center we meet the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable Park Ranger who begins our learning curve by showing us the best introductory movie yet. It details the history of this deep chasm cut by the raging torrents of the river. Through history, even in the lives of the Ute Indians, man had known of the canyons existence but had always left it in peace, because it was thought impossible to descend into its depths. There had been only 3 previous attempts by intrepid men risking their lives descending into these sheer cliffs from 1853 – The Gunnison Expedition, 1883 – The Bryant Expedition and 1900 – The Pelton Expedition, all only reaching the Narrows, a spot in the canyon only 40ft across and not very far into the region. In 1901 two young men, Abraham Lincoln Fellows and Will Torrence, came up with the daring plan of using inflatable rafts to traverse the waters where all others had failed. They scrambled and swam, fell and literally just through themselves into the rapids hoping to survive and pop out the other side and miraculously managed to traverse the valley floor, going where no man had ever managed to go before. Their efforts eventually lead to the building of a tunnel that transported life giving water to the Uncompahgre Valley, once a barren waste land, to become a flourishing fertile productive area, supporting many lives, in 1905.

Luckily this magnificent, jaw droppingly gorgeous, view was made accessible to the people and today we can take in the vantage points of the park to experience the wonder for ourselves. Before we head out to explore we chat with our park host about all sorts of things, his advice being invaluable for other areas we still have to come and also increasing our knowledge of those places we have been. What an amazing young man who has already experienced life as a serviceman in Afghanistan and is obviously passionate about the Park system that he now works in, having spent time in numerous parks around the country. It was a pleasure to chat with him.

On with our visit, the snow having shut some roads, we can travel the South Rim Road to see some of the most majestic vistas the park has to offer, especially enjoying the Painted Wall. This is the highest cliff in Colorado at 2250ft from river to rim. It is particularly beautiful as it is a showcase of the layers of different rocks and minerals laid down over billions of years to then be carved and eroded by the power of this river. Due to damming of the river up stream it is now only one fifth as powerful today but is still carving away at a rate of 1inch per 100 years. We are impressed by the sound of the water drifting up to us, apparently it is impossible to talk and be heard at the rivers side, something we will not experience this visit as the pathways are too dangerous to make a descent. Each lookout is made all the more beautiful by the snow highlighted north faces, punctuating all the nooks and crannies of the cliffs and gorges. This park was an unexpected jewel in our adventure, one that took the day to explore so returned to our previous nights accommodation. No forward progress made but our lives enriched by this relatively unknown park.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album COLORADO.

CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

A bright and early start is had again, to travel only a few miles into the North end of the contrasting Canyonlands National Park. With only about 25miles between them, Arches and Canyonlands in the Island in the Sky District, are so different to each other, it has to be seen to be believed. Our morning is punctuated by many WOW exclamations as we traverse this mesa of land with its white rim of sandstone below. One boggles at the land of deep canyons within canyons to the rivers 1000ft below. As we look deep into this landscape of changing hues we cannot help but be humbled by its splendor.

It has taken mother earth millions of years to create this masterpiece. After the lifting of the Colorado Plateau two major rivers, the Colorado and the Green, have carved their way through the unsuspecting rocks to create a masterpiece that one just has to see to believe. Described by author Edward Abbey, a frequent visitor and environmental advocate, as “the most weird, wonderful, magical place on earth – there is nothing else like it anywhere”. We read these words and wonder how it will compare to the Grand Canyon, as this area looks like how we imagine it.

As one stands and views the rim from the Grand View point there is evidence of the bygone days of Uranium mining, a pattern of tracks that even in 60 years nature has not managed to erase, stark evidence of the damage we can do. Remember every step we take has an impact. There is, however, one road in the park users are still allowed to take, the Shafer trail, a 4WD track that traverses 100miles around the lower rim. Not being in such a vehicle this visit, we decide this is another job for the bucket list, we shall return to adventure more, also allowing us to enter the less traveled district of the Maze, further south in the park.

We are not finished yet though, our day continuing on to the rim of Upheaval Dome. This extraordinary natural wonder has not been entirely deciphered, but thought to be a huge bowl of salt having pushed skyward. It has formed strange volcanic shaped domes, many petrified, pointy, light grey mounds. Have I confused you yet. Hard to describe but awesome to witness.

We continue on to see all sorts of wonderful shapes carved from this land. At this height above sea level the world is arid and harsh. We are in wonder at the wildlife that survives in such an extreme climate of freezing snow to blistering heat. One such tree of this rocky world, the Pinyon Pine, that has the audacity to thrive, makes a root system often as large as the tree is above the ground, spreading over the rock before it finds a niche to tunnel into to find it’s nutrients, often splitting rocks in two. Whilst we are standing on the edge of the world the wind is blasting through giving us the added bonus of listening to the Pinyon Pine, a song of nature that is haunting. The smaller Utah Juniper, sometimes the only companion to the pine adds its tune to the melody. What a wonderful world.

Behind any photo we have taken toward the East there is the added backdrop of La Sal Mountain. It beckons us to it, so after a quick visit into Moab, the very close gateway town to these parks, we head out on another scenic byway. This road takes us on about a 60mile circuit that starts by winding along the mighty Colorado River. Traversing this road at river level with huge buttes of rock each side is one of the loveliest drives we have experienced. The river is calm but fast moving and in parts rushes and babbles over the rocky base. It is a river of power that is to be respected, knowing how strong it is when the water is high. Just looking at the evidence its might and all it has created has provided us with a day of wonder. This area is easily as beautiful as the nearby national parks. Like with all our travels, what you can see just from your car is outstanding, you can’t beat a road trip.

The road snakes on into the La Sal mountains and the views are amazing. Snow is starting to build and the deer are found in the still clear areas nibbling away, knowing food will become scarcer soon. They stop briefly to watch us watch them, intrigued but not afraid. We are in envy of the few houses that we see in this highland world, their views are amongst the best you can imagine and the peace and tranquility divine. Our drive drops back down and into Moab where we are very glad to be heading to a hotel. Nice big beds and a shower to finish a spectacular day. Also an evening catching up on the washing, there are always some chores to do even on the road. Was that a winge, sorry, must be a little bit tired. Not a day goes by that we do not discuss how incredibly lucky we are to be witnessing such amazing natural beauty, no room for complaint.

The following day we set off to complete our time in the Canyonlands National Park by visiting the lower district of The Needles. This is a road that leads you to the white rim area, still looking down into canyons and gorges but also looking up to where we have been the day before, on the high mesa. There are once again all sorts of formations to delight us but one that is new to our view of huge rocks with the white rim capping looking like a world of overgrown, prehistoric mushrooms. We enjoy our picnic lunch in the car here as we are visited by some very determined ravens who jump on the car to get a closer look at us. Is this what it is like to live in a zoo? Georgia is loving this experience, or not! She just does not like up close and personal moments with birds, a constant source of amusement for Mikayla and I.

Our lunch break over we head back out of the park and have to say the drive out is almost better. At this level of the landscape we are surrounded by buttes of rock so splendid and so many. I can describe this area as natures junkyard as we pass by billions of massive rocks discarded by the sheer cliffs. They create a jumble of rocks of all sizes mounded up to form a sloping base to these towering edifices. Just fascinating and ruggedly beautiful. Our daylight hours are getting less and we have to turn towards the mountains, our time here at an end. Thank you Canyonlands, cannot understand why you have so few visitors each year in comparison to the bigger reputation parks, you are simply stunning and Mr Abbey had you down to a tee.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

ARID AND ORANGE, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

The beauty of camping is a nice early start, most of the time, perfect for our 150 mile journey to our next destination, Arches National Park. This is once again a very unique geological wonder. It differs in its formation in that it was created essentially by salt. Around 300 million years ago a sea covered the area becoming cut off and eventually evaporating to leave a huge salt layer subsequently covered with different sand and minerals over the ages. The incredible weight eventually liquefied the salt that had to find a way to the surface and, having been pushed against a lifted rock fault pushed upward to fracture the essentially Entrada Sandstone surface. This along with the constant barrage of the wind, washing of water and cracking expansion of ice has created the parks unique density of arches, the most famous being Delicate Arch. The park is home to over 2000 arches, impossible to see all in a day.

Our visit to the information center sees us take in a film of the park and also chat with some very helpful Rangers who give us valuable information for further camping and also arm us with maps to take in Scenic Routes in this area and beyond into Colorado. From the visitors center we climb the zigzag road ascending approximately 1000ft upward into the park. It is a day of blue skies that accentuate the spectrum of reds and orange through to sand coloured structures that make this park so unique.

We see arches of all sizes, from a small double arch window to the dizzying heights of Delicate Arch or the football field expanse of Landscape Arch in the Devils Garden region. It is an ever changing world as the elements never stop eroding these structures, destroying some and beginning others, creating balancing acts of rocks atop a spire, huge buttes of orange splendor, cliffs of solid rock faces that can peal away to deliver boulders into the valley below, a field of petrified sand dunes to make your jaw drop. We walk ourselves ragged till sunset, thoroughly enjoying our visit, before heading off to the outskirts of our next destination to find ourselves a spot to camp. We have to be forever mindful of the local inhabitants of this arid scenery, the rattlesnake and the scorpion. Stepping from the car could be dangerous but so far so good. This area truly reminds us of Australia with its red billowing dust, so we keep our steps to a minimum.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

MOVING ON TO CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK

On the road again, we just can’t wait to be on the road again! The morning light treats us to spectacular scenery. We are traveling through some amazing high hills strewn at their base with the rock rubble shredded from the cliffs above. The cliffs are very white sandstone carved by the elements to create some amazing shapes and structures. Some parts are similar to the Badlands with mounds of grey silt looking rivulets streaming down the sides. These are actually petrified sand dunes. On the seemingly flat valley floor the ice capped river snakes its way across the landscape, its colour a lovely turquoise reflected by the white sediment washed down from above. In parts the naked deciduous trees, cottonwoods I believe, giving a ghostly atmosphere, surround the river. There are higher mountains with a tabletop plateau, their cliffs showing the changing colours in layers through the ages. Just spectacular and this is just while we are traveling along the road.

This drive leads us into the Grand Staircase Escalante area, also home to large ranches complete with their cattle and strong hardy looking horses. Although there are sunny blue skies the ice on the water belies the temperatures the stock around here would have to cope with. What more will this day divulge?

The landscape opens wide as we climb and descend a more gentle undulating area, with surprise gorges carved into the ground. We pass over a hill and around a bend and the landscape spreads a magnificent view before us of the Escalante River Basin. It is a huge area of limestone gulches and chasms that we are about to descend into and cross. It is surrounded with some of the mountains of the Henry Range and the Navajo mountains that help to feed this waterway that feeds to the mighty Colorado River. Every turn provides another vista of the most interesting limestone formations. As we take a deep descent we stop to view the gorgeous gorges, turning more red as we go deeper seeing the ribbon of the river snaking along the floor. This river provides a lifeline to all the wildlife that calls this arid landscape home, from mountain lions to otters and many species of birds.

How rugged this world was for the new pioneers to the area, a most inhospitable land that only the bravest must have explored. No snaking bitumen road winding an easy trail across this land back in those days.

We rise up to traverse along the very top of the ridge, a road with no safety rails, and a nasty end if you leave the road. We traverse Buffalo Mountain and as our altitude grows we start to see patches of snow and mighty Aspen and Ponderosa Pine trees dot the slopes. We come across what must be a Thanksgiving tradition for a group of about 8 cars that are choosing and chopping down their Christmas trees, not sure if this is legal or not.

Stopping for lunch atop the mountain is a reward of one of the most jaw dropping views of the plateau, the orange ridges with their tabletops and beyond the grey silted tabletop slopes. The plateau is doted with the odd body of water shinning a steel blue amongst the dark green Aspen. Words do not do this view justice, a body of land that was the last chartered in the USA late 1800’s. It is certainly a treat to see this world.

We finally reach our destination for this day and enter Capitol Reef National Park. This is another environment similar to what we’ve seen in Utah, yet unique to its immediate surrounds. It got its name as a Barrier Reef to the early settlers and became Capitol after a rock formation within the park was likened to the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC. This park is known as a Waterpocket Fold or literally a wrinkle in the earth that stretches for over 100 miles, creating a long narrow park.

The formations are just incredible, in some places looking like coral sponges and others like Swiss cheese and all through with ever-changing colours. There is an ever-present “reef” of a yellow/grey colour that dominates throughout the rock formations, laid down many millions of years ago.

This reef caused much damage in the 1950’s and 1960’s when it was decided this could be rich in Uranium. This began a rush of mining throughout this National Monument, though damage was done it was lucky that there was not enough uranium to make a profit and mining was ceased. This is a spectacular park that has once again been kept very accessible with views of so many highlights that are just a short walk away from the road. We particularly enjoy a long drive through Cohab Canyon showing so much diversity and incredible beauty. Every corner you turn is just fantastic.

This is a park very rich in history, other than the infamous uranium. There are the Petroglyphs, for our Aussie friends – rock art, thought to date back to between 600 and 1300 AD and drawn by the Fremont Indians descendants of the Archaic Indians that have roamed this region for many thousands of years. More recently, in the 1800’s, the Mormons and the ranchers settled this land. Today there is still a flourishing orchard of over 3,000 trees preserved from these pioneering days along with an original homestead, Gifford House.

This park, like many others, has its very own flora and fauna. You can hike for miles should you choose out into the backcountry but for us today a few short hikes are enough. Our day is coming to a close, we head just outside the park to find a free camping spot for the night. We are very lucky to spot a road that takes us to the top of a gorge of sandstone, perfect. It is a chilly night so we expect those frosty windows again, but we are quite cozy under our sleeping bags and doona. This has been a day so jam packed with beauty and it doesn’t end with the setting sun but soon shines bright with the stars and half moon, our parking spot a spectacular sandstone backdrop to the magic of the night skies.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

ZION NATIONAL PARK AND A REST AT BRYCE CANYON

We head northeast out of Nevada and into Arizona, briefly, then into Utah, a semi arid landscape of rolling rugged hills. We are heading for Zion National Park, highly anticipated. The days are closing early and we have stopped at a gallery that we make more purchases at, not sure how these will pack, so are heading into the park as darkness descends. We head to the first come first serve South Campground to grab a spot and meet the very pleasant camp hosts who help us find one of the few sights left. It is perfectly flat and near to a very nicely kept toilet block, lucky. The sun sets over the mouth of a spectacular canyon of craggy mountains towering above us and the colours are amazing, one of the highlights of this park. We are full of anticipation for the next day.

Let me give you a background on Zion. We have spent a lot of time lately in the parks that showcase the mighty power of earth and all her forces. We have seen effects of the rupturing strength pushing the ancient layers skyward creating spectacular landscapes, some once the floor of huge oceans. We have experienced the power of glacial ice carving, cracking the earth apart. Now we are in a landscape that was essentially huge sand dunes deposited and then compressed into rock over the ages, through which a river system has carved a spectacular landscape.

In Zion one is at ground level with the mountain cliffs sheering upward, a vision of rocks, some smooth and rounded by the power of water and others craggy massive blocks that defy gravity. The Virgin River constantly flows through this landscape continuing to sculpt a wonderful world for all visitors to see, over 3 million a year, all craning their necks upward to experience this stupendous landscape.

This is an area largely developed by the Mormons who came west and populated and broke the land into viable fertile farms that provided a harsh but special life out west. The area surrounding the park is still ‘ranching’ land that we have loved driving through to get this far, with livestock roaming the huge expanse of acres. It is an area full of various gems and rocks of beauty which are displayed for sale at numerous outlets along our journey, rocks we would love to be able to return home with but alas this would be impossible.

We awake early but don’t rush to jump up, it is freezing. Eventually we walk down to the visitor’s center to start our explorations. The majority of this park runs off a road that snakes its way for 18 miles up the canyon. Because it is one way in and the same way out the park has devised a shuttle bus system to try to decongest the area. At this time of year the buses only run on the weekends, and it being Sunday we are obliged to take the shuttle. We spend the day jumping on and off and taking the small hikes to see the sights, along with many others.

It has all been gorgeous, but on reflection that evening we feel we have not done this park justice. There is a highly recommended 4/5 hour hike called Angels Landing, a switchback climb that takes you 1500 feet up the mountain at which point a challenging climb begins out to the top of a huge rocky buttress. We decide this is what we need to do and, after a good nights rest and securing our site for yet another night, we set off to greater heights.

We have spent our coldest night yet in Jetson, how do we know that, the ice on the inside of the car is a good guide. We are soon warming up though as the steep climb unfolds. We eventually reach the challenging part. It is time to get over the fact that it is a very long way down and grab onto a seemingly well attached substantial chain that is a small comfort as one edges their way over smooth sandstone sloping cliff edges traversing around the side of the cliff, eventually coming to a large flat area. This is the spot that decisions need to be made. Some say anyone who gets this far has done really well but from here one can see the real challenge. Angels Landing is actually a huge buttress across a narrow saddle that actually heads down from our present position and then ascends seemingly straight up for quite a climb. We take our time to decide along with many other hikers, taking advice from those on their way down on how tough it actually is. It seems it is more than doable, the general advice being just do it at your own pace. It is decided to head on to complete the challenge.

The chains once again aid the short distance downward and I decide if I can get back up this part I can probably do it all. Guess what, I could, so we continue. At first the edges seem very close and we move with trepidation but eventually it is all about the climb and not about the view, which comes later as a reward.

We eventually reach the top, about 3 hours from our starting point at the car. The view is amazing on the rocky outcrop, not the highest point in the canyon, but definitely one of the most scenic. We meet a very lovely local couple, he has been a wild beach bum Californian traveler in his early years and she is a woman apparently scared of heights, though you certainly wouldn’t guess that, who has completed her second climb to this point. They tell us about the pros and cons of other hikes in the park and yet more history of the area and are really interesting to talk to. We grab a bite to eat and take some amazing photos in glorious sunshine. After about an hour we decide it is time to take the challenge of the decent, something that is in the back of your mind all the way up, how the hell am I going to get down?

In 50 minutes we are back at the decision point, I have spent quite a lot of time on my backside feeling much more connected to earth this way. It has actually not been that bad and we are now the ones encouraging others to keep on going. The biggest trouble was the wind that sprung up just as we were starting our decent, a major danger as you can actually be blown off the mountain. Did I mention there is a sign reminding people to do this at their own risk, 6 having died trying. We have been so lucky again with the weather.

We return to the valley floor 5 hours from beginning and are pleased with our efforts and make our way to the general store just outside the park, ravenous. We have discovered their home made treats and their free to use microwave for campers like us, haha. We devour our hot treats back at our campsite as the sun sets again. We reluctantly endure our cold water washes to clean away the days dust before slipping into our comfortable PJ’s. Not going to be any trouble getting to sleep tonight, though we have rented a DVD, Cast Away, and enjoy watching Tom Hanks and Wilson battle the elements before we call it a night.

Not quite as cold, but still ice on the inside of the windscreen, when we wake to start a day moving on to yet another famous National Park, Bryce Canyon. It is with regret that we move on from Zion knowing now about some other lovely hikes we could have done. This is one of our favorite parks so far and think we should make another visit one day.

Sadly the cold I have started is taking it’s toll, picked up in Vegas somewhere, and energy levels are low. It is a beautiful 60 mile drive to Bryce, so close and yet we are in for a quite different landscape. There will be no long hikes today but we are very lucky in our destination. Bryce is a park that takes in the view from the rim of the Colorado Plateau, spectacular vistas laid before you over this dominantly orange world of hoodoos and windows and other wondrous sculptures. Once again this is a world carved by the elements of wind and water into the sandy stone that has been pushed skyward and is the Plateau. We are treated to easy walks to amazing views, just the trick for our failing energy levels. We are back in snow-covered landscape on the high plateau and it is pretty chilly, though sunny.

More motel time needed is the decision made and we leave the park and the touristy villages and find a very small, almost non-existent in fact, town that has a 3-story hotel with a vacancy sign, The Grand Staircase Inn in Cannonville. We book a very reasonable night and settle in and it is so good that we end up staying 3 nights and not even walking further than the front desk for all this time. Our last day is actually Thanksgiving and we are really thankful to have found this gem in the desert. The family run business is just fantastic. I think the thing that made it so good was the room having a very high vaulted ceiling and king size beds. This probably sounds really strange but it created so much space that we have obviously been missing in our subconscious. Thanks to the Grand Staircase Inn, we will recommend a stay to as many as possible.

The other bonus of downtime is that this blog sees us completely caught up to real time, WOW. We are very pleased with our efforts as we venture on, hopefully with renewed energy. We are sadly running very low on time now and still lots to see. This area is full of National Parks and we will try to see as many as possible with some that are a priority.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NATIONAL PARKS OF UTAH.

LAS VEGAS MADNESS

As we have spoken to people along the way we have mentioned Las Vegas as one of our destinations and in general the comment has been “do not hold that against us”, haha. As our day of splendor in Death Valley ends we head out of the hills and before us lies a mass of light, out in the middle of nowhere, that sparkles and twinkles on the horizon. As we sink into its midst we are amazed at the brightness and grandeur of this unique city. We settle into our hotel that is very cheap, just off ‘the strip’, and crash, excited about what is to come over the next few days. Vegas is known as a pit of gambling and sin, bright lights and recreations of world icons, a must see that many will tell you to avoid.

Our first day we decide to go out to Hoover Dam. This is quite a feat of human excellence. It was built between 1931 and 1936 giving employment to 21,000 people during the Great Depression. Sadly it cost the lives of 100 men during this time. It is built in the Black Canyon on the Colorado River on the border, literally, of Arizona and Nevada. During our visit we lost an hour crossing the dam wall into Arizona and gained it back on our return to Nevada. The surrounding ground is made up of rock of volcanic origin making it hard and very durable. The structure of the dam is like a whole lot of concrete Lego blocks varying in size that are reinforced and joined together and grouted to give its smooth appearance. It is said that there is enough concrete within the structure to pave a road from San Francisco to New York, now that’s a lot of concrete.

In creating this dam and the hydroelectric power plant, still one of the largest in the country but once the largest in the world, a massive body of water was created, now known as the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. It provides over 9 million visitors a year with all sorts of water based sports and activities. All in all this is a tourist destination of National pride, being the largest dam of it’s time and still considered to be one of Americas’ Seven Civil Engineering Wonders. Needless to say we enjoyed our visit and also very much enjoyed just heading back to a motel to refresh before we made our first visit to ‘the strip’.

Bright lights and crazy images of grandeur and also some crazy people. This has to be the most interesting city we have been to, not in an architectural way or a learned way but in an out there kind of way. There are many shows you can go to from show girls to Cirque du Soleil to Santana and Rod Stewart, love him but saw him back in Perth only a couple of years ago, and many, many more but we have decided to save our pennies and just take in the show that is Las Vegas. The streets are lined with buskers of varying talents, singers, artists, show girls and musicians, some fantastic and others just bazaar. There are the homeless people down on their luck just begging, but not too many. There are some people just dressed up as movie characters or stars that have their photos taken. Then there are others that seem rather sad as they are dressed to attract attention baring all, their costumes grubby and lurid and their demeanor affected by substances. These people we feel sad for, is this what life intended for them, though they seem happy enough?

There are hundreds of hawkers selling tickets, women and bars. The general atmosphere is party town and the lights and grandeur of the many casinos show a world of fun and excitement. It is a town of stretch limousine’s, never seen so many in one street before. There seems to be loads of tourists just taking it all in like us. Lots of families out and about clutching many bags from the M&M store and other themed outlets, girls in higher than high heals that are more often than not in their hands. Young and old mix together to create a fantastic world for people watching.

We venture into quite a few of the casinos and hotels to just take a look at this colourful world and are amazed that Mikayla is allowed to walk through, at 16. The casinos are huge and all have quite a large clientele. We think about the one casino we have in Perth in comparison to the hundreds here and boggle at the thought of how many people are in this city of lights in the middle of the desert. How do they all make enough to survive?

Hotels range from the average to the spectacular, from a New York City skyline, Paris and the Eiffel Tower to the land of Fantasia to Hooters and Super 8, but there are some special spots you just have to see, one of them being the Bellagio. First we head inside to soak up the gorgeous richly decorated spacious interior, probably just a little more expensive than the motel we stay in just around the corner. This is a fantasy world decorated for fall with talking trees, a waterwheel, unicorns, pumpkins and flowers galore, just gorgeous. But all that spectacular extravagance is nothing compared to the water show that is played to music every half an hour at the front entrance. WOW. This is the best show we have seen anywhere, thousands of gallons of water pumped by the second into the air in time to all sorts of music from Singing in the Rain to Top 40 hits. Our first show is to a song that talks of footprints on the world, what could be more apt for us. We are amazed and liken it to fireworks but agree it is perhaps even better. We take in three full shows over our time on the first night before we decide our feet and minds have had enough for one day and crash back into our beds.

We decide we would like to stay yet another night and pop out to get in supplies for lunch, taking our time to just enjoy our own little space and then we head into the movies, this day being the first release of Mockingjay Part One, third movie in The Hunger Games series. Being huge movie fans we are excited to see this follow on and love it. We have timed our visit to end in darkness so we can begin our next night on the strip, heading for the other end of the strip to explore new territory. We stop in at the famous shopping complex, Fashion Show, and spend some time trying on clothes, each finding something nice at a bargain price to add to the ever stretching suitcase, in Macy’s.

We then set off back into the bright lights and head for the other absolute must see hotel of The Venetian and its gondolas. Outside there is yet another spectacular show to see, this time fire. Out of this world burning red hot orange plumes of fire and sparks dance into the night skies every half-hour, amazing. Fatigue is starting to set in again but we must have another couple of Bellagio water shows before we call it a night, our last night here having had our fill of the wondrous, many faced city that is Las Vegas.

It’s not all fantastic but it is unique. Some will visit over and over and some will just see it once because you just have to see it to believe it. Some will lose a fortune and decline to the streets, sadly, and others will just take in the sights and shows and wonder who on earth came up with the idea of this entertainment mecca. You can do it on a budget or go all out. It is a place for everyone yet is probably one of the most transient places in the country. Our time has been fantastic fun but we are now ready to head back to nature where the only lights are the stars in the sky and the spectacular sunset/sunrise vistas provided in this amazing neck of the woods, oh I forgot, we have left the trees behind, its all rocks now.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album LAS VEGAS AND HOOVER DAM – NEVADA.

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

This post was written a week ago in Death Valley National Park. We’re still posting in flashback but we’re very close to being up to date, we promise!

I have woken early and have decided to give you a moment-by-moment description of the rising sun on this magnificent location. We are in the middle of nowhere with a couple of other cars about half way down into a valley surrounded by rolling mountains. The night sky is a mass of stars, always amusing us to see the large saucepan up the wrong way and the little one up the right way, opposite to in Gidgegannup. The moon is a slither sitting on its back and is a direction point to where the sun will rise, as it is about to do. The sky is slowly developing a few clouds that make for a spectacular pink highlight for the sun to hit and a few moments later, it seems, the sun hits the western peaks and they shine silver, just for minutes before the sky lightens.

By now the clouds are quite a bit heavier and grey, oh dear may be in for some weather today. This region only experiences two inches of rain in a year, and yes we do get a little precipitation, amazing. There are few things that beat the smell of new rain, It is soon over and I am sure will not register as ever having happened but hopefully some small creatures felt the big drops for a few minutes, we have been wondering how they survive out here. The many peaks and undulations surrounding us show us a palate of colours that are a painters dream. As daylight develops we know we are in for some stupendous views today, tell you about it later, on with the experience…

Yes, this was a most fantastic day. Death Valley National Park is preserving the northwest of the Mojave Desert, an ancient world that is now desert but was once a sea. It is home to massive mountains pushed up by the earths forces leaving a basin that is the lowest point of North America, being 282 feet below sea level. It is a hugely diverse environment of sand dunes, canyons, salt flats, badlands and salt flats. Yes, the basin fills a little bit more every day but the earth’s movements keep ahead of it and the basin drops enough to keep it the lowest point. Nothing can prepare you for the magnificence of this experience, it is truly humbling to stand and view this amazing landscape.

We start our day in the Mosaic Canyon, walking along the base of the marble and limestone ravines interspersed with the deposits of rock in sediment laid over millions of years, these small rocks giving a mosaic of colour, hence the name. We meet a ranger who answers our questions. It is interesting to learn that even though this area experiences such a small amount of rain, when it does come it can be very powerful causing flash floods. The narrow canyons funnel water, it runs fast and alluvial rock is pushed along in it’s fury creating an ever-changing environment. There have been unlucky travelers caught in these deluge conditions causing injury and occasionally death. Never underestimate the power of nature.

Our ranger gives us some great tips to explore the area and what to look out for. We continue on to the sand dunes, the largest being 100 feet, seemingly dwarfed by the mountains around but significant none the less, being the creation of the wind forces in the basin. We head to Dante’s peak to take in a fantastic view of this spectacular and diverse land. From this vantage point one can really take in the sheer size and also particularly good for viewing the alluvial fans that explode from the canyons onto the basin floor.

We head on to the badlands outlook, different to anything we have seen before, these limestone heights and hollows topped with lava flow provide an amazing landscape. Next is a loop road called Artists Palate, a journey through, over and around the badlands and mountains with an ever-changing hue. Our day is drawing in again as we stand at the lowest point in North America, 282ft below sea level. This dried salt-crusted area has an ever-present lake that is fed by water from the melted ice age glaciers. Can you believe that, water that is millions of years old traverses through the tundra to come out here and now. Did I mention how humble one feels in this landscape! I’m sure I did.

This has been a night and day of discovery, the over riding theme being colour and light that changes from moment to moment transporting one through a wonderful unique world of raw beauty. Imagine how hot it is in summer, similar to the middle of Australia. What an amazing world we live in. As we drive out of the park we reflect on all we have learnt and wonder how much more knowledge and vision of splendor we can fit in our brains. This adventure is mind blowing, fantastic. Speaking of mind blowing, guess where we are headed now, Las Vegas, a little change of scene and pace.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK – CALIFORNIA.

LEAVING THE TREES – GOING EAST AGAIN TOWARDS DEATH VALLEY

After three nights camping in the big trees and canyons of Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks it was time to move on toward the East again, our next destination being Death Valley and then onto Las Vegas where we were a week ago.

We wake fairly early, as the sun lightens the sky over the mountains, to the shenanigans of deer, doe and buck. It is like she is saying “if you really love me you will follow me anywhere”. She seems to want to skittishly visit every sight, weaving her way around and he following along looking like he thing she has lost her marbles. Really funny to watch.

We have to finish our drive down off the mountain along the very windy switchback road and love seeing the early morning colours down through the valley. The road finally straightens as we hit back into the flats again. After a little highway driving through a very fertile farming/orchard area we stop to shop for food and treat ourselves to another corn dog. They are delicious and this time cost only $1.50, bargain. Onward we travel over dead flat land obviously very good for producing.

We lunched overlooking a very depleted but beautiful Isabella Lake, south of Wofford Heights then heading on we started into a very different climate zone. We have crossed over the High Sierra and down the Eastern side and the land is very arid. We are now in a desert conservation area. These are large hills of rocky outcrops and pasture at first and then the hills begin to look like papier mache as they are like piles of granite doted with a cactus type plant/shrub that we have never seen before. There is also a huge Naval Air Weaponry Base here, sounds a bit scary but guess they have to try things out somewhere.

Soon we are passing through huge basins surrounded by these wild hills into the Trojan area, home of Searles mining. This company uses eco friendly solution mining to produce borax, sodium carbonate and sodium sulfate. These are used to create so many things we use every day such as your windscreen, your flat screen TV, dyes and detergents and many more things. I actually swear by Borax to solve any ant problems at home, mix a teaspoon of honey and borax and put in ants pathway on a flat tray. It will turn black with ants but by morning they will be gone, having delivered the borax back to the nest, very effective.

We are just discussing that the hills remind us a little of the Scottish Highlands although the hills are further apart. This is the most remote we have felt in USA. There are a few cars crossing paths with us but for long lengths of road there is nothing. This feels much more remote than the Prairies or the Plains. We turn a corner up and over the top of a hill and the view is jaw dropping amazing, we all exclaim WOW at once and pull over to see this fantastic sight. We are at the top of a mountain overlooking a massive basin, the Panamint Valley and Range. The valley is huge with mountains surrounding, it actually was a 30 mile drive down and through to the other end, spectacular, and we are not yet in the Death Valley National Park, rather gazing at the outskirts to the West.

By now the sun is nearly down and the colour of the mountains just gorgeous, purples, greys, pinks, orange and white, breathtaking. We arrive in Death Valley and search for a free campsite we have looked up in advance. On finding it we are setting up in the dark, wondering what the morning will bring. We have just climbed up to 5000ft and descended to 4000ft in only a mile along a road like a roller coaster, so think we are in for something special.

KINGS CANYON AND SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARKS

Our next destination is Kings Canyon National Park and we pull in after dark again to set up camp. Tonight is a little different at dinner time though, Mikayla is suddenly making a strange noise of distress when she realizes a raccoon is pulling on our plastic bag right next to her. She was in shock as she had just turned to look straight into two very large bright eyes that just shouldn’t have been there. Our fellow campers must have been having a good laugh as they listened to us as we chased off 3 raccoons and then tried to keep them at bay whilst eating our wraps, very cute persistent little fellows. Good fun and I guess we were lucky it wasn’t the bears.

The morning reveals we are once again in the forest with a pine needle carpet softening our steps but this time we are under some of the largest trees in the world. This is what this area has to offer us. We pop into the Visitors Centre and are helped by a couple of lovely ladies to plan our time here and in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, and also take in a movie about the area. It is describing the wonder of the trees and apparently I exclaim a very loud WOW at one point that sends the girls into a fit of laughter, (a bit like the NO over the potatoes at Christmas lunch last year for those who remember haha). We also discover that the road to the High Sierra had been closed only a week before our arrival, rather sad but lucky to have seen a glimpse of this true wilderness during the movie.

We start off on this road to see as far as we can and near to the end we encounter a young fox who we think has been hit by a car and, on initial inspection, seems to have damage to it’s hind leg. He otherwise seems in good health with a very shiny and healthy coat and clear eyes, no mangy appearance or saliva issues. Dilemma. Can’t leave the poor creature just dragging itself along so decide to wrap it in a towel and pop it into a plastic bag, for obvious fluid loss problems, and take it back to the Visitors Centre, hoping they have some sort of rehabilitation centre in the park. It is a hairy ride holding the small creature, being sure to have a secure hold behind its neck so no biting can occur, though he now seems to be in some shock and mostly quite relaxed though still conscious. On our arrival we are greeted by surprised staff and even more surprised fellow visitors. The poor creature is secured in a box and it is decided to take it to a sanctuary just outside the park for a diagnosis. We try to explain that on the initial look that there did seem to be an injury as the ranger is suspicious that he is just sick with rabies, eek. Our decision was based on the fact that if repair is not possible that at least he could be humanely destroyed. In hindsight, a wonderful thing, we were probably mad to have interfered with nature at all, but is being hit by a car a natural thing? At no point did we actually touch the creature and had him quite securely contained with wrapping and gloves so feel we are all quite safe. What would we do if we encounter another injured creature? Probably the same thing. If he had been snarling and seemingly dangerous we would have had to let him struggle on but all we can say is that it seemed the right action to take at the moment.

We are off again to explore the park and our next stop is to see the General Grant Tree, this being the second largest tree in the world. The Sequoia is not the tallest, that honour being claimed by the Redwoods, but because of their width they do take up the largest area, hence the largest in the world. They start from a seed the size of your porridge oats and spend their first years of life striving to gain height and light. Once they are approximately 250 to 300 feet tall they stop growing up and start putting on some weight, a lot like humans really. They just keep on growing outwards though, no see-sawing diets for them. If the conditions are right they become absolutely massive and the conditions here seem to be perfect.

It has been discovered that fire is the Sequoias’ best friend, cleaning out the undergrowth and providing perfect growing conditions. For this reason these massive trunks are scared by fire adding to their beauty. It is a humbling experience, as it was in the Redwoods, to walk between these majestic giants. We move on to the Sequoia National Park and the Crescent Meadow area to meet the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world. WOW again. As we have said before the East may have the leaves, and they are out of this world, but the West has the trees, also some of the most majestic moments of our journey.

We add in a hike up the 400 odd steps to the top of Moro rock, an extraordinary geological specimen that was formed millions of years ago and continues to shed its layers into the valley below. Pictures show it over some 150 years and it is an ever-changing shape. We are inspired by the stupendous views and the actual size of the rock jutting out from the forest floor. The steps have made it easy for us to experience this splendid area. On to the Crescent Meadow for a late afternoon wander hoping to spot a bear or two, very common in this area, to finish off our wildlife experience but we are only able to spot the deer. Perhaps that is for the best but would love to see another bear. Not to be this time as we end our time here and head for campground number three in this fantastic region. It is a long and winding road to head down and takes us about an hour to get to our destination, once again setting up in the dark.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album YOSEMITE, KINGS CANYON AND SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARKS.

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK

The Sierra Nevada is a huge mountain chain on the Eastern side of California and stretching into Nevada. On its western side sit three very special parks that have been preserved for all to enjoy; Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. These parks were our next stops after San Francisco. Snow has closed the High Sierra in all parks but there is still so much to see, it is truly a special place on earth.

West of this mountain range is a farming area of California that is basically flat. It is a bright blue sunshine day as we set off from Westley toward our next adventure. After a couple of hours the land starts to break into hills of pasture where the road just rolls along between. We stop to lunch at a boat ramp/recreation area on a huge dam. Only problem was that the water is just a thin little stream at this end of the outer reaches from the dam wall, no boat launching going on here for a while, until there is some serious rain.

A little more driving and climbing and we are finally heading into Yosemite. We start our drive down toward the valley floor where we thought we might camp. Along the way we are taking in views of some of the most spectacular granite cliffs you will ever see. Over 3 million people visit this valley every year and you can understand why. Along the valley floor it is a neck breaking view up to the top of the cliffs from the meadows dotted between the dense forest.

On arrival at the campsite we are told reservations were needed and we should have been there in the morning. We had thought it would be OK to just turn up being winter but had not taken into consideration the beautiful weather and it being a Saturday. There are people everywhere and it is muddy and wet and we are not too upset at having to retrace our steps back to near the entrance again to camp. This campsite is just gorgeous, atop the mountain in a treed area with pine needles carpeting the ground. Once again it is a set up in the dark and a picnic dinner in the blackness.

With the dawning of light we are able to fully appreciate the beauty of this area and are so glad we had not stayed down with the masses in the valley. Back on the road again we take in the valley for the third time in yet a different light. This is even more beautiful as the morning sun lights the sheer granite faces on the west side that then seems to reflect over to the east.

We decide to hike the Mirror Lake trail and surprisingly share it with only a few others. It is evident as we travel along that there is no lake at this time so the reflections of Half Dome, a world famous sheer granite rock with a sheer north face, will not be happening. We meet a lovely couple who are actually locals and they explain more of the extent of the drought. They are shocked to see that there is no water at all, something they have not known to happen their entire lives. As we stand in the middle of the sandy lakebed and take in the majesty of the dome we are told that this is its most spectacular lighting in which to view it, once again we just pick the perfect moment to be there. Jon goes on to tell us of the climber, Alex Honnold, the only person to free climb this massive granite face. This is an ascent of 2,000ft without a rope or harness, just a bag of chalk and climbing shoes and a whole lot of nerve. WOW. I truly believe that of all the sportsmen in the world, rock climbers are the most incredible. The fitness and agility required to hang on a rock face by your fingers and toes and traverse hundreds of feet upward is beyond a challenge and absolutely marvelous. What a rush it must be to get to the top, I take my hat off to those who manage this. What a lovely couple we have met again, sharing tales of travels and getting more valuable advice of must see spots to fit into our last weeks here. Thank you Sara and Jon, would love to have spent more time with you both.

We move on to find a picnic spot in the meadow for lunch and take in El Capitan, another famous climbing face and spot a couple of climbers two thirds of the way up just sitting on a ledge taking a break, they are just two little specks of yellow and red, once again you are just amazing guys. We then take another road into the higher lands of Yosemite. This takes us to the Glacier trails and here we are looking out at the Dome from yet another angle, taking in the size of the dome. We have photos from many angles around the park of this dominant natural wonder and they are all amazing. We are standing at 7,000 feet looking straight down and what a view we have of the valley carved by the ancient ice glaciers. This is certainly a view to rival any we saw in Europe, magnificent.

This area offers glacier carved valleys, huge waterfalls, caves and groves of massive trees. We can see the falls that are still running and they are a just a trickle to what we have seen in photos. The extent of the drought is scary. Lets hope it is a very wet winter for California. One can certainly understand why this is one of the most popular parks in the entire world but the day is closing and it is time to move on to Kings Canyon National Park.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album YOSEMITE, KINGS CANYON AND SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARKS.

STUNNING DAY IN SAN FRANCISCO

Still posting in flashback, this time to our visit to San Francisco about two weeks ago. What a great time we had in this city that reminds us of Perth.

Off to an early start we head into the famous San Francisco, approaching from the North East. We have a plan of attack that takes us over the Oakland Bay Bridge that gives us our first view of the famous Golden Gate Bridge across the bay. The weather is kind and visibility is good in the city today, blue skies shinning bright. Our route takes us through the centre of the city with its high-rise buildings some shining gold and all sorts of interesting designs. The traffic is heavy but this gives us lots of photo opportunities hanging out the window to take in the sights.

We head to Fisherman’s Harbour first where we spend time just soaking in the atmosphere and have our very first Corn Dog. It is a sweet tasting cake coated frankfurt that is really bad for you but just yummy, surprisingly. At $5.50 each we are sure we are being ‘ripped off’ but just have to have the experience. This area is designed for tourists but is a lot of fun to wander through with lots of interesting eateries and shops ending down on the wharf. It reminds us of the time we were walking around Universal Studios Orlando when Georgia said, “imagine if there were places in the real world like this!” Turns we have come across many places all over America that remind us of this. From here there is a wonderful view of the harbour and also the famous Sea Lions put on their show. There are many sea worn platforms for the sea lions to choose from but they all like to stick close together and only choose a couple to gather on. This makes for funny sights as some just can’t fit so slither back into the water. It is delightful to watch the ones that just say ‘here I come’ and launch themselves forward, crowd surfing to a resting spot. All the while there is a constant honking and chattering going on, such fun. These gorgeous sea creatures arrived at Pier 39 in the January of 1990, a couple of months after the Loma Prieta earthquake hit San Francisco in October 1989. Since then the number have ranged from between 300 and 1700 depending on the seasons, but there are always some sea lions there to entertain the visitors.

Our time on the wharf over we decide to move on to the most famous icon in the city, you guessed it, the bridge. We stop at a near by marina to take more shots of the harbour, Alcatraz (sadly all tours are booked up for a week so we have to be content with the view of this famous island) and the bridge. Next we take a drive over the Golden Gate to the north side where one can drive to the hilltops of the Golden Gate Recreation Area to take her in from all angles. It really is a special structure and we loved that the weather was kind giving us stupendous views. Whilst up here we took a walk through a tunnel built during World War I to house huge guns to defend from attack. Nearing completion it was decided that the guns were ineffective as a defence and never installed. It makes for an interesting short cut through the hill and up to a magnificent view of the bridge. We have a snack to lengthen our stay overlooking this icon and eventually have to drag ourselves back down for the return journey, more photos taken from every angle to remember we were here.

Now we decide to take to the streets heading for the infamous most crooked street in the world, Lombard St. Traversing the hilly streets is fun and we have a great laugh thinking about how Vincent might have coped living in this town, not very well. We end up at the bottom of the street and take in the view down to the harbour and up at the people traversing the windy switchback road. Then it is time to traverse from the top and it is surprisingly easy but we still have photos to prove we did it. The gorgeous houses and gardens complete the experience and we wonder how annoyed the people must get with the constant stream of traffic that just has to drive down their road, guilty as charged.

We then head deeper into the streets and go to the mosaic staircase, 16^th Avenue Tiled Steps project, just a gorgeous piece of artwork that snakes up the steep hillside steps. This project begun by neighbours in January 2003, took until September 2005 to complete. What an effort by all those concerned. What was once 163 steps straight up to a road above is now a piece of art that takes you from the ocean depths to the night skies. It is an ongoing effort to maintain the landscaping on either side of the staircase and is just a lovely spot in the middle of a very desirable neighbourhood. The views are just awesome too when you remember to look away from the stairs.

We have loved our day here and decide it is an area that has a feel of Perth and all its surrounds in one spot. The wharf is like Fremantle and Mindarie, the city a little like Perth set on a gorgeous waterway. The surrounds are flat until you hit the hills, just like Perth suburbs and the colour is very similar, big blue sky with a parched landscape, due to the drought no doubt, but giving a similar feel. The people are friendly, but there are a lot of them. This is the second most densely populated city in the US after New York City with approx. 17,500 people per square mile. The biggest difference is the sheer size, like McDonalds, it is upsized hugely. There is much more to do here than we have managed, many art galleries and museums, architecture to delight in, nightlife and supposedly awesome shopping but it is nature we are still here to see. We realize we have only seen a tiny snippet of all there is on offer but have really enjoyed our time none the less. Maybe we will get back another time with more time to explore.

Day is coming to an end and we decide to head out of town and on toward our next destination, the mighty Sierra Nevada. This path takes us through an amazing road system that Georgia navigates perfectly and eventually into the outer suburbs and beyond. We pass areas made famous by the Sons of Anarchy and, although we love Jax we don’t want to run into any of his buddies, push on until we are well out of town. The last part of the journey is through an area called Patterson’s Pass Road, a scenic short cut through some amazing hills, the narrow road running like a roller coaster until it pops out the other end into a flat area as far as the eye can see. We drop into a hotel bed absolutely exhausted, another amazing day under our belts.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album SAN FRANCISCO.

FUN WITH FRIENDS IN BOSTON

A flashback to our time with Joan and Jerry in Boston. For some reason our first post about our time here has gone missing so we’ve written another one.

We have managed to contact a couple that we met back in the mountains in Spain, who have kindly invited us to stay. We have an address just outside Boston and head into a most gorgeous area. We finally arrive at a lovely home nestled in the tall trees, completely surrounded by the wonderful Fall colours. Joan and Jerry are very welcoming and we all madly talk trying to catch up on what we have all been up to. Julia, Joan and Jerry’s daughter, has had her posting to Edith Cowen University in Perth approved and will be living there for six months in 2015. This gives us so much to talk about as we are discussing Australia as well, as they plan to visit, how exciting. Joan is a typical mum and is excited to know that there will be a friendly place for her daughter to go should she need when she has moved half way around the world. We chat on until nearly midnight but must get some sleep as we are off to an early start tomorrow, another daughter, Leah, is running the Boston Half Marathon.

It is a crisp, clear and bright morning as we head into town to experience the race. We are avid sports fans and really enjoy watching the lead runners and wheelchair participants flashing past toward the end of their mammoth effort. We have chosen a spot about a mile from the end that allows us see Leah running through and then we dash to the finish line to see her there. She is excited to see her family cheering her on and greeting her at the end. It is actually her birthday so they all go off to celebrate and we have the day to explore Boston.

What a lovely city this is. We start in a park right in the middle and start to follow the Freedom Trail, a red brick line that traverses through the city taking in the sights. We particularly enjoy the parks and also the cemetery that is home to the remains of Paul Revere. We loved the architecture of the city with old and new blended together. The harbour was gorgeous under the sunny skies and a wander through the Faneuil Hall Marketplace was excellent fun. Our rendezvous with Joan and Jerry runs smoothly and we are off on another adventure over to Cambridge, a University town full of alternative people, colourful and vibrant. We enjoy another wander through Harvard and the markets taking in live music and colourful stalls. We certainly fitted in a lot in on our first day. Our evening was spent watching Jerry’s favourite movie, Contact, a sci-fi flick. Really enjoyed it until had to stop proceedings due to a certain person falling asleep, me.

The following day we got off to a slower start. The afternoon saw us heading off on a lovely walk through the nearby forest. The tall trees full of spectacular fall colours giving us a wonderful show of the leaves we have come to see. At one point we managed to get separated but ended up in the same place in the end. We arrived back home just before sunset and after dinner tried again to finish the movie, with a lot of poking me in the ribs to keep me awake. I stressed to Jerry that it wasn’t the movies fault, I just had a habit of falling to sleep sitting up haha.

The next day saw Joan and I going out to buy some paint that I then helped put on the walls of the spare room. It was fun to know that I can still do something everyday and really enjoyed the results. Joan and Jerry had kindly let us stay on longer because of the need to contact Australia. I think we all enjoyed the extra time together too.

Our next adventure was to drive out to Cape Cod, no not for a glamorous party, but for a fabulous day enjoying local seafood, beaches, marshes, galleries and even a Boulangerie serving Parisian delights and yummy hot chocolate. What a wonderful day yet again. The evening was a lot of fun as we found YouTube footage of places back in Australia to show Joan and Jerry what they might like to put on their list for their visit early 2015. We just can’t wait to welcome some of the lovely people we have met on our travels into our neck of the woods. It will be fantastic to show them around.

Well, our time together has to come to an end as we start our journey over to the West. It is a little bit easier to say goodbye knowing it will not be that long until we see them again. We are so grateful to have been welcomed into such a lovely home and to have had time to get to know such lovely people.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album BOSTON

THE MIGHTY REDWOODS AND ROUTE 1 COAST TIME

The East has the leaves but the West has the trees. This is a flashback to about two weeks ago, making our way through the Redwoods and along the coast of Northern California.

Our day starts early, as all camping days do and we set off to explore the mighty Redwood Trees. We have met a very helpful fellow camper who gives us some tips on walks we should do today and also of other camp spots we could head for over the next few days.

Our first stop is Stout Grove, a trail that takes us along the river and into a particularly lovely grove of these giants. The Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world. It is a similar area to the South West of Western Australia, where we have some very tall trees, called Pemberton. We meet a very helpful gentleman in this grove who gives us some more helpful advice and information.

These trees are majestic giants stretching high into the sky. It is a struggle to see to the top they are so tall. The fallen trees show their length even better as you can walk right along side these lost treasures. We are told that the roots of the trees are surprisingly shallow, only about 12ft down and that they intertwine to help hold each other up, actually joining roots and taking nutrients from each other.

We move along to another grove called Boy Scout and here we hike through a hilly section of forest that delivers gorgeous valley views of the giants. We come across two fallen trees that show us their root system exactly as our ranger had described. The two trees had fallen apart and their root system was still attached in parts. Even though they are helping each other it is remarkable that so few shallow roots can hold up these amazing trees. This trail has some of the largest trees in the area and the silence of the forest walk is just magical. We see lots of different undergrowth as well, such gorgeous habitat for forest creatures; perhaps there really are fairies under the mushrooms?

We move on to another trail, Nickerson Ranch, and enjoy another wander through beautiful forest. Each walk has something different to offer and all have been lovely. Our day is ended with a scenic drive through the trees, Redwood National Park and small villages of log cabins and Redwood carvings, all sorts of lovely things that we can’t fit in the suitcase. We end up reaching a town called Arcata and find a Howard Johnson that is so good that we wake up and decide to stay another day/night to catch up on everything and just take a rest.

All recharged we head off to a much anticipated famous road, Route 1, which traverses the coast of Northern California all the way to San Francisco. We finish off our tree time with a scenic drive through The Valley of the Giants, taking in a few more galleries and shops before finally heading on to the coast again. This road is quite spectacular, as all the travel guides will tell you. The Northern end is a very curving road making its way through the mountains, up down and around some spectacular forest scenery until you hit the water.

This is a wild coastline that the road hugs giving the most spectacular views. We spend the day stopping at many pull offs just soaking in the ocean views of sea stacks and river mouths and cliff faces of this wild land. We end the day in a very touristy surf area that seems to charge a fortune even to camp but we find a campground right near the beach where I beg a better deal. We wake to a morning of heavy rain, can’t be perfect all the time.

Continuing on the coast road we pass through some very average scenery before coming to a famous stretch of more magnificent winding coast and seem to outrun the rain in time to stop for lunch high on the hill. We are joined by a lovely couple from Sasquatch in Canada and spend an hour chatting with these lovely people before moving on to enjoy such a fantastic piece of coast. We visit Goats Beach famous for a couple of Toyota ads.

We stop numerous times to take in a view that is ever changing with its crashing sea and fresh fragrance that only the ocean can give. It has astounded us how much land along the coast and lakes in the USA are private property and along route 1 we came across some houses that were built way too close to the edge. These houses are gradually falling over the cliffs and into the ocean, only the front doors and surrounds hanging on, very interesting, we hope they had a good insurance policy!

All too soon another day is coming to a close, these early sunsets cutting the days shorter. We have booked a motel in Vacoville, an outer suburb of San Francisco to ready ourselves for yet another much anticipated visit to another city we’ve only seen in the movies.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

CRATER LAKE OREGON

Flashback to the stunning blue Crater Lake, Oregon, where we visited about two weeks ago. Hope the weather is still as perfect for those visiting now as it was for us! You can check it here.

From Vancouver, Washington, we set ourselves a driving day to finish at Crater Lake. This is a spectacular lake formed after the collapse of an ancient volcano, known as Mountt Mazama, which erupted about 7,700 years ago. The top 5,000ft collapsed and was sealed by lava creating a lake that is the deepest in USA at 1,932ft. The water in the lake is provided only by snow and precipitation and delivers the clearest water you can imagine, in fact its proven to be some of the purest on earth. The lake is 6 miles across and even has its own island, Wizard Island, a volcano within a volcano. The park experiences an average yearly snowfall of 44ft, keeping the lake topped up. The lake is a centrepiece to a magnificent park of mountain peaks and alpine forest, waterfalls, gorges and ravines, cascading rapids and volcanic potholes.

Our driving day sees us reach the lake rim just after sunset, our first glimpses by glowing light of the moon over this stunning water, an eerie stillness as blackness descends. We find what we think is a campground and begin to set up, later to be asked very politely by two police officers to move along with directions given to a campsite back down the hill.

Back to the rim in the early morning we watch the changing colours as the sun rises in the sky. Words cannot describe the steel blueness of this pure water and the light changes of the volcanic lava sides of the crater. There is not a cloud in this perfect blue sky, luck being on our side yet again as at this time of the year the visibility is usually extremely poor, in fact this day it would descend into cloud by 10am.

The rim road is closed due to snow, though it seems that has melted away again. Wizard Island takes on many different hues in the changing light. We take a hike up to one of the highest vantage points of the rim and enjoy a view so majestic and tranquil. On our return to the base we visit the Rim gift shop and find a few additions to the suitcase, whoops.

As we start to leave the weather is turning and we have had the best of the day at the lake. We spend a couple more hours stopping at the waterfalls and rushing cascades of the river carving its way through the volcanic rock. It is interesting to see the natural bridge where the water disappears underground for about 60m through a volcanic tunnel. Whilst walking these vantage points we meet two local ladies and a gentleman also taking advantage of this wonderful day. We enjoy a chat for a while and then set off and choose a seemingly very popular restaurant for lunch, Beckie’s. It is always good to eat where the locals go and this is one that proves this point. Amazingly our new friends decide to stop at the same place, famous for it’s pies. We chat whilst waiting for a table and decide to lunch together. We proceed to spend a couple of lovely hours talking and laughing with Valerie, Trudy and Howard who are all just lovely people. We are told Valerie is 85, and find that hard to believe, as she is so full of energy, reminding us a lot of Nan at that age. We are given valuable advice for our next part of the journey whilst enjoying that amazing pie! Sadly we all must go our separate ways, though they have all invited us to stay with them. Though very tempted by their generous offers we have to make a hard choice to continue on knowing our time is quickly slipping away. We will keep in contact with these gorgeous friends and would love to welcome them to Perth one day.

Pushing on we head for the famous Redwood Trees, slipping quietly into Oregon and find a camping spot at Panther Flats, a gorgeous spot to end a very special day.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album OREGON

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK AND THE TWILIGHT SAGA

We’re still posting in flashback and it seems we will be for a while! This post is from Olympic National Park and Our journey through the sights of The Twilight Saga, don’t let that put you off though! We are now just leaving Las Vegas having traveled down through California stopping at San Francisco, Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoia and Death Valley National Parks along the way. Stay turned for more!

We drive from Seattle to Port Angeles and first stop is a hotel, we are shattered and need to sleep. The next day sees some sunshine but quickly it turns very grey and grim. A very helpful stop at the Olympic National Park Visitor Centre sees us setting off with a plan of attack. This is a highly anticipated stop on our journey.

The park is the highest in the Pacific North West and it is home to such a diverse range of nature, from glacial carved mountain peeks to the temperate Rain Forests, the coastal beaches, 11 major rivers, waterfalls, lakes and a variety of flora and fauna found no where else in the world. It is also home to the Quileute Tribe who have lived here for thousands of years. As with every national park it is unique but few are this diverse. Sadly we have been warned that bad weather is coming tonight so we want to try to see as much as possible before it sets in.

Our first stop is up to Hurricane Ridge. We know we can’t get right to the top but we climb to as high elevation as possible to take in a view that is obscured by low clouds but still awesome. Our trip back down sees us take a back road through the rain forest taking in the amazing variety of trees covered in their rich green mosses. This has taken a good part of the day but we push on to the next trail promising grand waterfalls. It is becoming clear that if we are to reach our camping destination we are going to have to miss some things and also the weather is setting in, decision time, and we head back to the previous nights accommodation in Port Angeles.

The next day we awake to a wild wind but push on to see more of the park. It is no time at all before we are in a full on storm. We are taking it easy on the road, as there is a lot of debris scattered about when a very tall tree falls in front of us blocking the road. Some locals traveling in the opposite direction jump out of their car to start clearing the road and we join them, throwing and dragging branches to the side of the road and getting pretty dirty in the process. We’re almost done clearing when, CRACK, another tree falls behind us, what an adventure and a little scary. We wind our way a few more kilometres and stop to ask for some local advice, carry on or head back. We are told this is normal for this time of year, this being the first of many storms to come and the man is angry he has forgotten his chain saw. That said he felt we were better to push on through and head to the coast, probably being best to avoid the forest.

Well that kind of changed the day’s plans but all things happen for a reason. We are not getting the experience we expected in Olympic but we are certainly experiencing something different. We head to the coast to La Push, the northernmost point of Washington’s Pacific Coast beaches. First beach lies to the south of the Quileute River outlet and is normally a sandy crescent beach with sea stacks enhancing your view to nothing. Well, today is so wild that even the locals are down on the shore to watch nature at it’s best. They say the power is out in town and there is nothing else to do. The ocean is a churning, charging grey that has totally covered the beach to crash into the tree logs that form a break in the channel to smash against the sea walls. Spectacular. The sea birds are even taking refuge in sheltered spots.

We continue our adventures moving around to the north side of the river outlet to Rialto beach and brave a stroll along this amazing wild coast. We are to discover that whole tree logs are constantly moved by the sea and washed into the shore, adding to the beauty of this wild coast. Swimming on a hot day is not advised though; imagine a thirty-metre tree in the surf, more dangerous than a shark I think.

We have come to this part of the world not just for the nature, but also for the Twilight Saga experience. Now I know some of you will not be fans of the trials and tribulations of Bella, Edward, Jacob and their fellow Vampires and Werewolves but we are, so bare with us. La Push is a famous scene in the first movie and we are experiencing it in a similar state, wild and crazy. Though most of the movie was filmed in Canada, this is the area that they all live in the books, because it rains a lot of the time, perfect. We now head into Forks, you guessed it, Twilight guide in hand. The area has totally embraced the movie, must drive the locals mad but also brings in the tourists. Not many around today though. The power is also out here so everything is closed. We make our way around the highlights and finally find Bella’s house and guess what, there is an apple tree fallen in the storm right outside delivering beautiful red apples to the road, this is a sign don’t you think Twilight fans, haha. Look for the famous photo.

Having ‘done’ our Twilight thing, we turn back into travellers and head on down a spectacular coastal drive with views over the wild ocean and the many sea stacks dotted along this shore. Our daylight time is coming to an end so we push on to Kalaloch campground. This is an experience in itself being situated right on the coast with only tree logs by the tonne between us and the Pacific. There is enough daylight left to explore the beach and we marvel at the size of these trees that have travelled by sea to their final resting places. I wonder if they do harm to the shoreline or if they are a natural buffer from the sea. We find a most extraordinary coastal tree that is hanging on to the cliff by it’s roots each side of a small ravine, complete with a small waterfall making its way to the ocean. How can this tree be alive with the majority of it’s root system just hanging in mid air. Nature always delivers something amazing. It is a spectacular sunset over a grey ocean that brings our day to an end and delivers a wonderful night sky full of stars. Love this camping life.

The morning weather is a lot more gentle and we are visited by some lovely birds, 3 very inquisitive Stellar’s Jays and a very large gull. The Jays pop around the car and give us lots of photo opportunities as they are very human friendly and then a large gull decides to come and perch on a fence post not to be outdone for photo poses by the Jays’. We take another stroll on the beach finding interesting flotsam from the nights high tide. Something we had not seen before was the seaweed pulled from the ocean floor root attached. The root is a hard rubber like bulb and tentacle that is about 10 ft long, very interesting. Time to move along. We head to our last destination in Olympic, another rain forest part of the park and traverse a loop road around large Quinault lake and explore some gorgeous old forest growth and some of the parks lovely waterfalls feeding into the river. Time to make some ground till we end our day in Vancouver, WA.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album WASHINGTON.

A link to all our photos, here.

A STOP IN BAVARIAN LEAVENWORTH BEFORE SEATTLE

When we arise the next day we discover it really has been raining and our car is sitting in a new lake. Lucky we were all high and dry. We are in for a driving day through more gorgeous scenery as we move West out of Montana and in to Idaho. This is just a gorgeous area of forest with the Alpine conifers scaling the steep slopes showing off their gorgeous autumn colours. The Alpine Lurch has its glorious golden shedding coat on in all its glory.

Nature just turns on one spectacular vista after another. We pass some lovely little towns along the way. We stop to rummage a little through an antique shop and meet a most delightful man to swap stories with. He and his family are the proud owners of this ever-changing wonderful collection of furniture, memorabilia and bits and bobs. I am particularly drawn to an old restored child’s highchair/ rocking chair and also a very old gramophone. It is the type with the metal records with punched out holes. We hear it play and are so surprised by the quality of the sound, just lovely. We have to be practical and realize this is impossible to achieve, shipping to Australia is just so expensive it is not viable. It has still been a pleasure to chat with such an interesting man and we come out of the shop realizing it was a very long chat as darkness is descending. We drive on to the town of Couer d’Alene and find a place to stay.

Our next day begins with a slightly boring part of the country, very flat and uninteresting, through Lincoln County and Douglas County. We say boring but that is because we have been treated to so much amazing scenery lately that we are almost dismissive of anything that is not out of this world. We have moved into Washington State, and this is really an area of farming with small communities doted along the way.  We are soon heading into Chelan County from Wenatchee on the banks of the Columbus River.  We start to wind our way through some amazing hills.  This time they are not covered with the Alpine Pines, just grasses, but we are treated to some wonderful gorges as the road snakes its way around, up and down the hills.  We come through some small towns until we hit Leavenworth.

We had read a little about this town recently. Before we left Australia I had thought of Leavenworth only as a detention centre, but this is something a bit different.  The entire town is Bavarian styled, and I mean the entire town.  Every building is designed or modified to look like your typical chalet with all the bells and whistles, down to fairy lights and murals and so much more.  It is like America can even do Europe better than Europe.  Even Starbucks is in a chalet.  We stopped for a quick look at this picturesque town and ended up staying over.  It really is pretty and all the Christmas lights are in the trees, very enticing. Those who know us know how much we just love Christmas and all the decorations. Needless to say we have managed to add a couple of little treasures to the suitcase. We have also gained another hour with a time change, so that is 2 hours in a couple of days with the day light saving end, meaning it is getting dark really early too so did not want to be driving in the dark and missing anything.  It was lovely to stop early and enjoy a little rest time with a couple of rented movies and some popcorn.

Our next day we start late as the clouds are so low that we don’t want to miss the views, that’s our excuse anyway, didn’t help much that there was the opportunity to have a late breakfast and in a really nice hotel.  We did the right thing as literally from our front door we started to wind our way through some spectacular mountains, the Okanogan Wenatchee National Forrest along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range. It is just gorgeous steep sided mountains with many waterfalls carving their way through the rocks heading into the rivers below to add to the cascades tumbling their way to the Pacific.  The white low cloud adds to the mystical appearance of the byway and once again the road winds its way up, down, around and over, every turn a wonderful view over an edge or up from the floor to the towering walls above.  We are lucky again to have made it to the Stevens pass and just about out of the natural area before the rain settles in for a while.

We are lucky again to see it stop for us to make a stop in Seattle.  This is a lovely city built on the steep sloping banks of the water.  We are imagining that the steep roads down toward the bay are a little like San Francisco, we shall see. It reminds us a little of Perth except that we only have two levels instead of about 8.

We decide that the Pike Place Market will be our best spot to stop and soak up a little of what Seattle is like. These markets were established in 1907 and are a busy hub of activity. We enjoy strolling through the markets taking in some original works of art from wood to pottery to leather to jewellery to wool to just about anything and then come to the veggie shops, fish stands and all sorts of culinary treats.  And don’t forget the gorgeous flower stands and the restaurants and eateries all there for the taking. It is not that busy and we chat to some of the vendors as we meander along. We also take in the harbour views from this area too.

One thing we are surprised to see is a lot of homeless disadvantaged people.  They are not actually begging but are obviously struggling and they are more than we have encountered anywhere in our travels.  We do a drive through of the city and love the buildings, especially the Space Needle, a structure built for the 1962 Worlds Fair that towers 605 feet into the air. The outside lift takes you up 520 feet to an observation deck that also has a revolving restaurant.  If you are a Grey’s Anatomy fan you will be very familiar with the UFO design.  Tick another thing off the list.  We push on to get to our destination, Port Angeles, to start our Twilight time and Olympic NP.

Photos are on our Facebook page in the album WASHINGTON.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – CROWN OF THE CONTINENT

So we are now in Montana and finally on the home stretch to our most talked about park. We have been asking lots of locals if they thought we would make it to Glacier before the snow cuts it off and have been so lucky with a mild Autumn. We know that the Going to the Sun road is mostly closed for the higher reaches and the complete East side, though this is due mainly to road works. The park is never completely closed but many roads become impossible to pass with the snowfalls.

We traverse through wonderful lands taking a route through the Flatheads lake area and this is just beautiful. Lakes and forest hug the West side of Glacier reaching down through the Flathead Indian Reservation. It is getting really cold but we still manage to find a camping spot right on a lake in a State Forest to end a day of traveling. We wake to the retreating mists over the water chased away by a rising sun. It is the beginning of a day full of the promise of Glacier and its treasures.

This area is often called the ‘Shining Mountains’ or the ‘Backbone of the World’, Native Indian names for this spectacular region. This is the Northern end of the mighty Rocky Mountains. As the range crosses into Canada it becomes the Waterton National Peace Park. In 1995 the Waterton-Glacier National Peace Park was designated a World Heritage Site, this meaning it is considered of significant importance to the whole world. Another interesting fact is that it is home to a very rare spot where the Continental Divide meets from three different directions, the reality being that if you poured a bucket of water in this spot it would divide and be delivered in part to the West and the Pacific, the East and the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi and to the North to Hudson Bay. Sadly this hike is well under snow at this time of year.

This is a land that was carved by the massive glaciers of the ice age and today much smaller glaciers work on the landscape, shifting and lifting the massive slabs of rock. Like Yellowstone there are many scientific researchers working on programs within Glacier and it is another feast of opportunity to discover so many things. Sadly it is predicted that the glaciers will cease to exist by 2020 due to the climate warming. It is really a short time in which to capture a memory of the glaciers.

We head into the visitors centre for maps and, after the advice of the ranger, head around to the East side of the park first, to take in the Many Glacier trails and Two Medicine trails, before the snow comes in the afternoon. This is about a 100 mile journey to our farthest destination and it is sad that by the time we get there the snow is already falling. One particularly gorgeous part of the journey has been closed, obviously the West side ranger was not informed of this as it was one of the highlights she advised us to see and do. We have to make the decision to retrace our steps without hiking into Many Glaciers trails. Sadly it is not going to be our chance to see the glaciers here. The snow is really falling and it is not safe to venture too far. We do call in to Two Medicine, once the main entrance to the park, and enjoy the views and a picnic here before heading back around to the more mild West side.

We head into Avalanche along the Going to the Sun road and begin a series of small trails in to the sights along this valley that is Lake McDonald. This is the largest lake in the park being 10 miles long and 500 ft deep, and is the direct result of glacier carving. We are treated to spectacular vistas of waterfalls and massive carved rocks, testament to the power of the ice.

The other amazing sight here is the evidence of the 2003 wildfire that scorched through the park. Glacier experiences on average 14 fires a year burning about 5,000 acres. The 2003 fire was more devastating taking out 145,000 acres, approximately 10% of the park. Along the North side of Lake McDonald one can see the devastation of the wonderful Alpine forest, luckily the Western Red Cedar old growth in this area was spared. Fire is essential to the park as it cleans the forests and germinates new growth but this was just a little too much all at once. Still it has provided yet another area to study as regeneration takes place.

It is evident that we were probably a little too ambitious and should have stayed this side and done more walking and less driving, a lesson for the future. Still we gave it a go and really enjoyed our day of adventure, not quite what we expected and hoped for but still amazing. It is at this point that we have had to make some other tough decisions. It was in the plan to head from the East side up into Canada to take in Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper and Rogers Pass before heading back down into the States. The forecast is for a lot more snow to fall over the coming days so we have opted to stay State side and head on toward the West coast. Our time is flying by and there is a lot more to see. Having read the posts that relate to the North of America you will have noted lots of bucket list entries. Will just have to come back again to experience so much more that this whole diverse area has to offer.

Our day is coming to an end, though it is an hour longer due to the end of daylight saving, handy. The rain has really set in and it is decided that we will head for a hotel, sadly missing a camping in the car opportunity as we try to camp a much as possible. Dry and cold is fun but everything soaked would be a little hard to sort out in Jetson. What a wonderful time we have had in this remarkable world.

This will be a changed environment in just a short time as the glaciers shrink. These incredible mountains will no longer be carved and shaped by the power of ice. Once again it will be a whole new world to study as it adapts to change. Whether you are a believer in us being the cause of Climate Change or if it is just Natures way the surest thing is that the world is changing. My thoughts are that it has always been changing and that we must adapt and embrace whatever there is to come. Because we are aware and we are intelligent beings we should be able to study and preserve and work with whatever comes. If we all just try to keep our impact to a minimum whilst still enjoying this wonderful planet, future generations will flourish. We must minimize our waste in all avenues of our life, from the packaging of our food to the resources used to power our world. Every little bit helps but it is the big industrial powers of the world that must take the responsibility. Just a little message toward the cause.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album MONTANA.

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – A WONDERLAND OF WILDLIFE AND THERMAL GEYSERS

Yellowstone was the first ever National Park established in the United States, and in fact the whole world, in the year 1872. One can understand why it was decided to preserve this area for future generations. It is a geothermal playground of about half the world’s hydrothermal features, over 10,000, in one spot and is truly unique and beautiful.

The park is home to some wonderful wildlife including bison, bear, elk and wolf. It is a subalpine forest dotted with all sorts of eco systems created by the bubbling earth. Couple all this with over 300 geysers and many waterfalls it is a feast of wonder to explore. It is also home to many strange and wonderful microscopic organisms called thermophiles (heat lovers) that live in the acidic boiling waters, a scientific wonderland.

Apart from the obvious hydrothermal wonders this park is also very important to the restoration and conservation of wildlife. This is particularly true of the wolves, extinct in these parts until a restoration program began in 1995, seeing a previous population of about 40 double, not very many is it? There are many research efforts protecting the wonderful creatures living here and it is comforting to know that they and their environment will be here for future generations.

There are some roads closed due to road works so it is a little difficult to decide a plan of attack but our first day we spend working our way around the Yellowstone Lake toward the south of the park and take in our first look at the steaming geysers. We cross over into Grand Teton National Park. This is a smaller park but amazing with large snow capped mountains towering over the magnificent Jackson Lake. We arrive late in the day when the light is spectacular and perfect to view gorgeous reflections in the glass like water of the huge lake. As the sun sinks behind the mountains we are treated to the colour changes of the clouds reflected beneath the mountain. Hope these photos come out well.

This is as far as our journey today can go as we have run out of light so we head back into Yellowstone and set up in the southern camp ground for the night. There is snow on the ground and there are light falls wafting in the air as we set up Jetson. Needless to say it is quite a chilly night to camp but we are quite cosy under our newly purchased sleeping bags. In the morning we wake to explore our surroundings to find evidence of animal tracks of birds, elk and some other small creatures, unfortunately (luckily) no bear prints.

In the morning we have to back track around the lake but this is not a difficult task as it is just beautiful. The colour is a deep slate blue and around the edges in patches the ground shoots steam into the atmosphere and then there are spots where the snow reaches the water edges.

Our morning is off to a wonderful start when we are stopped in our tracks by a passing heard of bison plodding along the road. The early morning snow is sticking to their gorgeous woolly coats. It is a large group with quite a few young, so cute. We are speechless as they almost rub against the car and we whisper quietly to them and tell them how beautiful they are.

We are just coming to terms with our amazing luck and have gone for about an hour when Mikayla realizes she has probably left her retainers (orthodontic) sitting on the bonnet of the car from when we have brushed our teeth. We do a thorough search of the car and sure enough they are not there. The decision is made to return to the spot we had chosen on the lake to have our breakfast. We drive back wondering if we will even be able to see them and if we can could they possibly be in one piece? Not far back along the road we are treated to an elk wandering across the road right in front of us to join it’s companions on the other side, just so elegant and graceful. Our return journey is about complete when we spot the purple case about 50m before our spot. It is in the middle of the road. We park and walk back to it and sure enough the retainer is not inside. Mikayla is on a mission and within another 10m she spots it in the middle of the lane. She picks it up and dusts it off and to our complete amazement it is seemingly in perfect shape. How lucky are we. Not sure how many cars have passed over it without disaster striking!

Off we go again for another look at the lake, not a problem as the sun is higher in the sky and the colours are that little bit different. Oh, and did I mention we encounter the bison crew again so can get another chance to OOH and AAH. Our path then takes us into some of the most amazing sights of geysers and mud pots. Each pond is a different colour due to the minerals that are pumping up from within the earth, how they react with the atmosphere, and also those little thermophiles. Some are just bubbling mud that burps and splutters and others are bubbling clear ponds of varying colours on the spectrum.

It is such an assault on the senses; the colours are vibrant (though the cold weather is making it difficult to experience because of the steam created by the boiling hot water hitting the cool air), the smell of the sulphur is strong and the sounds of the gushing water can be a loud roar or a burp. Touch is one sense that can’t be filled as to get into these acidic pools can cause serious burns and in some cases death, it is said that the acid will burn through boots. We enter into a part of the park that is a gorge with a couple of gorgeous waterfalls. The snow is heavy on the ground everywhere we go but here we decide to have a snowball fight, such fun.

Eventually we get to Old Faithful after being assured that we will be able to fill up with petrol. This geyser is so named because without fail it erupts every 90 odd mins, give or take 5, sending a huge plume of water skyward. It is not the largest geyser in the park, that would be Steamboat that we had seen earlier in the day, but it is very regular. Our visit to Steamboat had only seen about a 10-15m eruption, it’s last large spurt being in September. We are glad to have experienced Old Faithful but it is the tourist side of town and not actually the most pretty part of the park. The trails left more on the wild side are more rewarding. We are heading out of the North of the park so start the journey up again.

More wonderful colours delight us and as the sun is sinking we spot a wolf fleeting cross our path. We are yet to see a bear, Yellowstone is home to both the Grizzly and the Black bears, and so we keep our eyes peeled. It is a conundrum; we would love to see them but not too close and not too far. There are many warnings and education on how to react to a bear encounter, getting too close is not a desired pastime and can end badly. Still it would be lovely to see another, we did manage to see a cub in The Great Smokey Mountains, but today is not our day.

We sadly run out of light to enjoy the most Northern reaches but have had a wonderful time here at Yellowstone. As we descend out to Gardiner we are treated to herds of Elk on the grassy roadside, what magnificent creatures they are with their enormous antlers. This ends our foray into the worlds first ever National Park and it has been truly amazing. We have timed our visit just right as the park will be closed completely in just 3 days. We have learned much but for all the scientists and researches in the world this is a treasure land with so much more to offer. Dare I say it, we have put a revisit on that bucket list. We finally settle for the night in a hotel overlooking the river to relax before our drive towards Glacier National Park.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album WYOMING.

MOUNT RUSHMORE, CRAZY HORSE, BLACK HILLS AND BIGHORN NATIONAL FORESTS

Another day and yet another amazing National Park.  We enter into the spectacular Black Hills National Forest, home to a National Monument that has been seen by billions of visitors from USA and around the world, Mt Rushmore. The heads of the Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson are carved into the granite mountain.  Gutzon Borglum, a sculptor who had studied with Rodin, started the project. These heads were actually mostly dynamited out of the rock, about 90%. In fact after 18 months of work on Thomas Jefferson it was decided to dynamite him away and move his position.  The whole work was completed in 14 years for the cost of just under $1,000,000.  Borglum’s son, Lincoln, often supervised the work as Borglum himself was often away. It is quite inspiring to stand below these powerful faces of history.  We opted to not pay the high parking price to get right to the base, as do many that visit this site, they are quite big enough to admire from the roadside.

Having taken it all in we move on to a new work in progress, that of a carving of Crazy Horse just a few miles further into the Black Hills near Custer. This memorial, to honour the North American Indian, was the brainchild of Sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski and Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear. On June 3, 1948 work began on this most impressive granite sculpture of Crazy Horse, an Oglala Dakota warrior, riding his horse and pointing in to the distance.  This complex is not just the worlds largest rock sculpture, all be it a work in progress of now 66 years, but a complex with a museum, and an education and cultural centre dedicated to the North American Indian, an Indian University and when possible a Medical Training Centre for Native Indians is planned. This is a life long project that shows the power of devotion and dedication. Korczak lived and breathed this project until his death in 1982.  During his life, together with his wife Ruth, he had educated and inspired his 10 children, 7 of whom, together with the grandchildren, are still working to achieve this most amazing dream.  This is a success story of mammoth proportions.  Hopefully one day we will come back to see the finished project, but perhaps the magic of Crazy Horse is the journey.

The surrounding mountains are just spectacular to view with their massive granite spires and deep, tree filled gorges and ravines. It’s worth visiting regardless of seeing Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse.  We love our time in this area and soak up the rugged beauty before moving on through Wyoming.  These North Highland Plains are just awesome, so beautiful with rich colours and rolling hills.

We move on to an area in the north of Wyoming, stretching up into Montana, the Bighorn National Forest. It is truly the wild, wild west and one of the most gorgeous areas we have come to so far, a range of spectacular mountains. The route we take traverses along the west side of the mountains and then a winding road that takes us up and over the range. We find out later that this road is usually closed in the winter and our day there shows us why.

We have an interesting journey over the higher reaches with steady snowfall. The snow on the ground has been ploughed earlier but the fresh fall sees us making a slow and careful crossing of this beautiful land. The road to the Medicine Wheel, an ancient Indian sacred place likened to Stone Henge, is beyond our reach as the snow is thick on the ground so this is one spot to come back to another time.

As we make our descent into the valley and we snake our way down through magnificent cliff faces, sunshine comes out and the temperature goes up. We pass a logging truck and marvel at how they drive these vehicles on such winding roads with certain death if ever they plunge over the edge. We stop to take in the view and watch two of these vehicles meet and cross paths and negotiate on a bend below us, careful boys. We descend into a wildlife reserve area around a massive lake and the Bighorn River.

We see many signs for opportunity to watch the wildlife at night and realize what a rich variety there must be. We stop at the visitor centre nearby and meet a very helpful young woman who shows us that we have not finished our adventure in this area. She sets up a movie for us to show us the Bighorn Canyon and all the wildlife that abounds in this area and we are very lucky to see what time does not permit us to stop and experience ourselves. We have mentioned that our ultimate aim is to reach Glacier National Park and while we are watching our movie she does some extensive research for us and gives us very valuable advice that we will be very grateful for in the coming week. Thank you so much to this lovely girl, I think she was just pleased to have something to do as we were her only visitors.

Our lunch break is over and we head off to the Bighorn Canyon. We thought we had already experienced the magnificent sights this area has to give but we were wrong. The canyon is a series of jaw dropping views over the gorges carved by the mighty Bighorn River. Below is the water that is dammed further on through the gorges It is a clear green colour and is so far down below us, with towering rugged cliffs of rocks of many colours bordering its sides. We try to throw stones to reach the water but I think so many have done this that a beach of rock is formed and the water can’t be reached. In some spots one can see the animal trails snaking there way down to the waters edge, a dangerous journey. Our only wish was to be able to jump in a boat and take a tour along the snaking waterway to experience the view back up. No boat available right now so something else to come back for.

Our heads are absolutely overloaded with sights of beauty and nature at its very best that we are quite exhausted. We drive on to Cody, a wild west town devoted to Buffalo Bill. We are lucky to find very nice accommodation with a very helpful host as we have to stop still for an extra day for Georgia to do some very important work for her return to Perth and also to get a computer glitch fixed. We are relieved to be all sorted and rested as we head for our next adventure into Yellowstone National Park, a highly anticipated event.

THE BADLANDS AND WALL DRUG

Our journey continues to Badlands National Park and we enter into the park on the West side and are immediately awestruck at every turn.  This is a much anticipated place on our journey and it is a million times better than we ever imagined.  Words can not describe the rugged beauty and incredible diversity of this land.  It is jaw dropping, amazing.

The orange/pink rock formations tower upward in a sea of pinnacles that you just have to see to appreciate.  We set off on a couple of short trails to take in the view, especially enjoying a magnificent sunset over these extraordinary edifices, absolutely gorgeous.  As darkness sets in we find the camp ground and set up in a rather chilly wind.  We are sharing the sight with a small group of boy scouts and also a father and daughter whom we begin to chat with.  They are up from Kansas City to explore the Badlands, pretty much on a revenge trip as the previous journey they were literal blown away and had to leave short of their plans. Tonight is a little windy but nothing in comparison, though they warn us what could happen overnight.  We again love exchanging tales of our adventures but the wind wins in the end and we settle into Jetson to sleep.  Luckily the wind does die down and on a trip to the loo we all enjoy the night sky, reminding us of those wonderful star filled nights back in Gidgegannup.

In the morning  we are treated to a spectacular sunrise as we pack up and head off to do some more trekking over this fantastic landscape, our new Kansas friends doing the same. Our hike takes us through, up and over some spectacular rock formations and the from their tops are stunning, once again we are lucky to get a perfect blue sky day.  Some hours later we have stopped for a drink and who should pop up but the Kansas guys.  We are surprised to realize that we have literally crossed paths by only minutes but still not heard or known of the others presence.  These structures are incredible and would be very easy to lose your way amongst them.  Within seconds you can be lost to sight and hearing of the rest of your party.  You can understand how this area got its name, especially when you read the history of the difficulty to cross this jagged plateau in days gone by.

The other phenomenon we had all noticed was that the rocks sounded hollow, like honeycomb.  The rock is actually similar to a whole lot of Lego blocks and it seems to be loose between the lines, in fact if you try you can actually remove pieces.  It is an ever changing face and eventually the whole thing will wash away to the rivers below.  Lucky we are here right now to enjoy it.

I think it is fantastic that people can still get up close and personal with it all and that it’s not roped off, I guess because the elements are more destructive than anything. I would rename them the Magnificent lands.  We continue through the park in a hunt to see more wildlife and spot a family of Big Horn Sheep, rabbits, and hundreds of cheeky and cute little Prairie dogs in “Prairie Dog Town”.  Still we hunt on for the majestic Bison and, as our luck continues, we come across a small group right on the road.  What a creature this is, their huge heads with those gorgeous eyes and wooly coats, we just want to hug them though that would not be wise. What an end to an extraordinary experience that is the Badlands, it truly is out of this world.

Next stop is a complete contrast as we reach the very much advertised place of Wall Drug, Wall.  This is a town where, in 1931, a young married couple, he a pharmacist and she a high school teacher, decided to purchase the drug store in Wall.  They were a small community of 326 people that called this spot in the wilderness home.  Though many people passed by on the highway very few stopped and business was really bad.  They had set their limit to a five year stay to make a go of it.  Not long before the deadline Dorothy had the idea of offering free iced water. What started with few signs offering free cold water  has grown into a tourist mecca of the wild west.  Look it up and read more of the beginnings of this empire that is Wall. It is fun to see and we end the day with a burger at Wall Drug, where else, then drop into bed at a nearby hotel exhausted.

MITCHELL CORN PALACE AND THE INDIAN STORY FROM CHAMBERLAIN

On we go and our next stop is the famous Corn Palace in Mitchell.  This is a multi use stadium built back in 1921.  It is of a Moorish Revival design and makes an interesting canvas for mural art of, you guessed it, CORN.  It is surprisingly detailed work of different scenes of the wild west; its culture, flora and fauna, all topped by the light up, golden domes that are also decorated in corn. Though it is a little corny (haha) it really is quite a magnificent work of art.

When we are there it is a work in progress as the murals are renewed, and the inside is to being revamped to be quite a spectacular venue.  The courts have been recently resealed ready for the upcoming Basketball season.  There is much activity redoing the entrance with photos of the predicted finished project adorning the walls and it looks like it will be fantastic.  The corn murals also surround the inside of the arena, I imagine they have been here for quite a few years as they’re protected from the elements and are just fantastic.  We enjoy our time here and the ladies from inside the box office help us with information for the next leg of our journey.

Next stop, Chamberlain, an oasis in the planes.  This is a relatively small but vibrant town situated on the banks of another mighty river, the Missouri, and connected by the Highway 16 bridge to its sister town of Oacoma on the other side.  Our destination here is the Akta Dakota Museum and Cultural Centre.  This is a part of the St Joseph’s Indian School and is such a wonderful detailed look at the history of the Lakota Sioux native to South Dakota.  We are here for some hours enjoying the exhibits and learning of the history of the indigenous tribes.  The connection of the people to the land, the way of life and the culture are just so connected to all that is natural.  Why in the world did a race of people decide that it was OK to invade and destroy this way of life?  We have learned along our travels that when white man invaded they decided to eliminate the Bison and it turn the Indians would be destroyed too.  They were right and almost succeeded in wiping out a most magnificent beast and an ancient culture, all in the one stroke. It is the same the world over, greed brings war and bloodshed and we state again, when will we ever learn?

We spend a long time talking with an Indian man who is obviously an active leader within the community.  He is very knowledgeable and passionate about his people and is all about reconciliation.  He rightly believes that without education this can’t be achieved.  The young must understand the happenings of the past to move on to the future.  By reconciliation he means primarily that his people learn and forgive what has happened in the past to their ancestors, reconciliation with themselves to give healing. He was so wonderful to talk to and we learned so much from him in just a short time. He is a great achiever of his time.

His next adventure on the calender is a growing annual event, the Dakota 38+2 ride.  This event has been held since 2005 and is growing in its supporters from all over the world, joining together to try to heal and honor the 38 Dakota men who were ordered to be hung by Abraham Lincoln back on December 26, 1862, the largest ever mass execution in the USA, with many others sent to prison and two more men hung days later..  This ride is the fruition of a dream had by Jim Miller, a powerful spiritual messenger who envisioned this ride of healing and prayer for the Lakota people.  It starts on the banks of the Missouri and travels a 330 mile path to Mankato, the scene of the hangings.  From the first ride to today there has been no advertising but the word of mouth or “moccasin telegraph’ sees many riders and runners, men and women from different tribes join together with their wonderful horses to make this difficult journey, made more so by extreme weather conditions in December.

The horse is so spiritually significant to the Lakota people.  I have always had a connection to the horse as many people do around the world but to this culture they are so important. In talking about this and other ways to make a peaceful future of united peoples, no matter what colour or creed, I was inspired to research more and would suggest that our readers do the same.  Just look up Dakota 38 +2 and you will also find the Big Foot Memorial ride, a similar ride of healing for the massacre of 1890 at Wounded Knee of Chief Big Foot, Chief Sitting Bull and his horse and many men.  There is a simply made movie that can be viewed for free, Dakota 38 that is well worth the viewing. Both rides are working on the healing for all the descendants of these dark days.  Please read and learn. In time I will research more myself. I would like to think that one day I could join this ride but I am probably too soft to handle the conditions but I will add it to the bucket list and put it out there and see what happens in the future.  One thing for sure I will follow the progress of these rides in years to follow and hope that the healing process of these wonderful people will be the result. They have been suffering for years and have many social issues today and hopefully events such as these will see a change, a change that must come from within each individual soul.

We have found the whole visit very inspiring and finish with lunch on the banks of the grand Missouri River soaking up the bright sunshine and thinking of how it may have been back in the times when the Indian races were undisturbed and living in harmony with the land and the river. We can’t go back however, today is the day so make it count.

FURTHER WEST TO DES MOINES AND MADISON COUNTY

Des Moines was incorporated in 1851 and is now the State of Iowa’s Capitol. It is home to the largest State Fair in the country that happens in August, sadly missed that one, that attracts over a million visitors.  We are only here for a short visit and take in the Capitol Building.  This is a spectacular building full of gorgeous detail from the tip of its golden dome, down it’s spiral staircases to the sculpture filled memorial gardens surrounding it. The Library is just wonderful and all rooms are a pleasure to behold. We thoroughly enjoy our visit before pushing on towards Madison County.

We decide to take an exit to Adel to look for a camping spot and located a couple of dodgy looking grounds.  It is late so we decide they will suffice but that we will treat ourselves to a meal out and find the Italian Villages Restaurant.  Put this one on your list if you are in the area.  We were greeted by a lovely young woman who we find out later is the owner of this establishment with her father and brother.  We could not have been welcomed any better as she sat down to hear a little about Australia and our travels.  A couple at a nearby table soon joined in on the conversation and in due coarse another couple moved tables to join us.  We all chatted and we entertained both our new friends and ourselves with tales of our travels.  We remembered all the funny and sometimes sticky situations we had got ourselves into and so enjoyed the chance to relive them with these new friends. Our host  spoiled us with a traditional sticky treat that was quite delicious. We were also given some valuable advice by everyone on what to see and do along our chosen path.  It was a fabulous evening that eventually had to come to an end.  After a group discussion on our camping plans everyone decided we should move on to a much nicer KOA campground and Dawn kindly convoyed us to it.  What lovely people we meet along our way, Dawn was not happy until we were checked in and safe, and that she had a photo of us.  Hopefully we will now keep in contact via email and maybe we will be able to welcome them to Perth one day.

Having caught up on the washing and sorted the car out we are ready to explore for another day.  Off we go to find the Covered Bridges of Madison County, made famous by the movie Bridges of Madison County adapted from the novel of the same name by Robert James Waller. The area once had 19 covered bridges but only 6 now remain.  They were built between 1870 and 1884 by Benton Jones and Eli Cox.  They were covered because it was thought the amazing timber of the bridges was actually worth so much that the extra cost was warranted.  We managed to see 4 of the 6 and enjoyed every one.  They are an engineer and architects dream, each a thing of beauty and ingenuity that the builders must have been very proud of.  The covers actually do a fantastic job as when you enter it is obvious that the old timbers are dry.

It is also obvious that they are frequented by lots of lovers as words of devotion are written over the walls.  It is quite funny to read and then see where some people have actually returned to cross out their pledges of love or just changed the name on the other side of the heart.  It is also apparent that some parts are painted out on a yearly basis as they only have 2014 pledges, whilst others are carved into the timber to last forever.  Paris has it’s bridge of padlocks, as do other copy cat cities of Europe, while Madison County has its bridges.  We also swing by the birth place and childhood home of John Wayne.  Such a lot in a small town, such fun. The rest of our day is spent putting some miles underneath us.

This is a large country and to get from East to West requires that a good portion of the day needs to be behind the wheel.  But being Australian we are quite used to this and enjoy the subtle changes in the scenery.  We hit the end of Iowa near Omaha and turn right to head up through Sioux City, touching Nebraska, but our real destination is South Dakota.

We are moving from the Prairies to the Great Northern Planes and are reminded of the remote area of Western Australia out past Mt Magnet into the Great Sandy Desert, one of our favorite areas. The natural landscape is just gorgeous with the rolling hills, flat prairies and a river running through.  There is just one thing that spoils it and that’s’ the touch of people.  Because it is a road well traveled it is full of huge advertising signs.  By the time you have read them all and get to the destination you are over it and just pass by.  I guess it works for some but for us it would be much better to just enjoy the natural landscape.  Perhaps the signs should be limited to a 20 mile radius of the destination, this would be more than enough to warn you of the coming attraction.  Still, we were keen to have a couple of stops and chose a couple of interesting spots to stop to break up the days.

HEADING WEST WITH A STOP ON THE MISSISSIPPI

The trees give way to farming lands as we cross the most fertile soil in America, The Great Plains. We drive through wide open spaces, corn fields and crops and small towns still showing us trees of splendor.  We pick a trail that is going to give us a taste of the states of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and beyond.  We have passed through Detroit and Chicago, some will wonder why we have not stopped for longer to explore these famous towns.  We have had so much big town time, and can it get any bigger than NY, DC and Boston, that we need to get back to the small towns and open spaces.

We plan a short trip along the famous and mighty Mississippi River from Davenport, one of the ‘Quad Cities’ to the oldest town in the state of Iowa, Dubuque. We manage to find a spot on the river to have our lunch and it turns out to be a State run camping ground.  It is hard to drag ourselves away from such a gorgeous bend in the river but it is too early to stop, sadly.

Dubuque is on the banks of the Mississippi and was once considered the gateway to the West, the ‘Key City”, by the immigrants who settled here. After its founding by Julien Dubuque in 1785 and his work with the local Indian Tribe a thriving trade market began attracting the new settlers.  We are keen to learn of the mighty waterway that bisects this town and the entire country from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.  We spend a day learning of the history of the early explorers, the paddle steamers, the timber industry, Mark Twain, the floods and the power of the river, the civil war, the Bayous, the locks, the wildlife and the general importance of this life line to all the river touches. One over-ruling theme is that this river gets into the blood of those around it and becomes a major part of their lives.

Whilst here we have sat on and walked along these shores we can understand the magnetism that draws you in and bewitches you. Dubuque is just one of many spots along the river that you can learn and experience life close to this mighty waterway. We would like to come back one day and maybe take a canoe trip to paddle it’s length, what a journey that would be, one put on the bucket list.

We spend the night in Dubuque and wake up to a crisp sunny morning and head off to Eagle Point Park, slightly North of Dubuque.  This is a park right up high overlooking Lock and Dam #11.  Along the upper reaches of the Mississippi the river drops 420ft in just 669 miles so to tame the river and make it work for all those people that relied, and still do rely upon it, a series of 29 locks and dams were built.  This particular system was built in 1937 at a cost of $7,500,000 and is today near to finishing a $60,000,000 revamp.  It is the last one to be restored to its full capacity.

Whilst we take in the view over three states (Iowa, where we stand, Wisconsin to the North and Illinois across the water) we watch the lock in action. A series of 5 barges, approximately 120m in length total is pushed against the lock gates and the tug is pulled up against its side whilst the gates are closed behind it.  The lower gates are slowly opened after the water has dropped and the tug pushes the barge through into open water, the whole process taking about an hour. It is common that three sets of these barge “trains'” be pushed together by the powerful tug boats up and down the river carrying in the region of 1500 tones in each barge. This load would take a train 3 miles long or a line of trucks stretching 35 miles to transport. No wonder the river is so important.  What a genius engineering feet this was in the early 1900’s, and still a most effective system nearly a hundred years on and for into our future.

Although the river agrees to work with the people for much of the time it still occasionally stamps its authority by flooding, just to show who really is the boss. Nature can never truly be tamed can it? From Eagle Point Park we set off on another driving day, our next destination Des Moines, Iowa.

STUNNING FALL COLOUR ON THE MOHAWK TRAIL

It turns out to be a very good idea to head west from Boston along the Mohawk Trail as we meet a couple on holiday from Florida who advise us that the leaves further north are coming to an end and that they have come South from Vermont to see the last of the season.

The Mohawk Trail is a lovely scenic drive through Massachusetts and we’re rapt to discover it gives us even more fall colour to enjoy.  We manage to find a campground that is still open, nestled right on a river and under those gorgeous trees, near the small town of Shelburne Falls. We are lucky to stay as they are only days away from closing for the season. It is a lovely evening despite the fact that it has rained all day so we have no problems camping in Jetson.

We spend the following day exploring the town of Shelburne Falls and its many features. It’s a cute little town that has been the set for a couple of films, The Judge released recently and Labour Day starring Kate Winslet. The falls in the middle of town and glacial potholes are great, though the falls look man made. We are lucky the Deerfield River is quite low at this point to really appreciate the ancient potholes and we imagine how much water would flow through when the snow on the surrounding mountains is melting.

There are two bridges side by side right in the middle of town.  The first is an 1890 Truss Bridge that is a very interesting metal structure.  The second only meters away is the Bridge of Flowers, an old trolley bridge converted into a Botanical Garden and maintained enthusiastic locals.  It is just glorious at this time of year with so much colour and the flowers blooming and yet again the perfect day lets us see it is all its glory.

We explore the town and its many art and craft galleries and move on to fit in some lovely walks nearby, including the Natural Bridge State Park, named so because it contains the only natural white marble arch/bridge in the USA and is accompanied by the old marble quarry.  The bridge is believed to have been carved 13,000 years ago by the glacial melt water from 550 million years old bedrock marble. just awesome.

Every move we make provides a different view of the trees.  As I said it is impossible to describe the colors, from purple and rust to orange and flaming red to yellow and gold and deep browns.  That doesn’t sound like much but to see it with your own eyes is out of this world.  Since we left Perth we have been treated to all the different seasons, seeing leaves falling in England, the bare trees of winter then sprouting in Spring in Europe and so glorious through Summer and now the Fall in USA.  Australia is so different where the only color change of trees is with the odd specimen trees, beautiful but nothing like the world of deciduous trees that the Northern Hemisphere has to offer.  It is probably the most distinctive difference and one that we have loved so much.

We have managed to time our trip perfectly to the New England area, the most famous fall destination. Hardly a minute goes by that we don’t exclaim how spectacular these trees are and how many wonderful views of changing color we have experienced, hopefully we’ll have photos up very soon!

MIGHTY NIAGARA FALLS

What an interesting spot in the world.  It is so famous I doubt there is a person in the world who has not heard of it.  This is a most extraordinary place where one of the worlds most amazing natural wonders sits in the middle of two cities straddling the border of USA and Canada. They are crazy tourist towns with bright lights and gambling, attractions and activities, and right in the middle are 3 massive waterfalls dropping around 2,400 cubic metres per second over a 50m drop. Yes, you guessed it, we’re at Niagara Falls!

We arrive just before sunset on the New York side and are able to go up on the viewing platform for free, ah the joys of traveling in the off season. Billions of gallons of water are cascading through as millions of people every year swarm to watch. We are lucky to visit, once again, when the tourist season is over and share the view with only a few hundred other lucky people.  Every one will tell you that you have to view it from both sides and they are right.  We spend the end of one day and sunset on the USA side and get up close to this amazing sight of thunderous cascades that send a huge plume of vapor back to the skies.

Later we cross into Canada and view the falls lit by powerful strobe lights turning the water red white and blue and lots of colours in between.  We find our accommodation and get up the next day to take in the view by daylight. We are staying along the river and have a beautiful canyon view across the road.

Time to experience the Canadian view of Niagara Falls and it truly is amazing. It fills the senses, seeing the beauty, feeling the spray and hearing the thunder, but I still find it quite bizzare that something so wild is sitting in the middle of towns and not out in the wilderness somewhere.  I guess this adds to the unique world that is Niagara Falls.

We have to drag ourselves away and decide to head down through Canada taking in a view of the great lakes along the way.  Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are so huge it is like looking out to sea. One can understand the force of Niagara when you see what feeds it and what has to accommodate it on the other side.  Back into the USA near Detroit, a city that turns on the lights for the industry, actually a beautiful end to the day.

ANOTHER BIG BITE OF THE APPLE, NEW YORK

We have another very full day in New York City planned, starting in Central Park. A short walk from our new accommodation it’s quite beautiful to see such a large green area in the middle of this land of skyscrapers.  It has a varied design and we take it all in from one lake to another, discovering bridges and pathways through playing fields, play grounds and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, and winding through the more intimate natural part of the park, our favorite.  People are walking, running, sitting, sleeping, riding bikes and sitting in carriages pulled by those poor horses.

We pop out of the park for a visit to FAO Schwarz Toy store, great fun, and then back to the park for our picnic lunch.  Time to move on so we jump on the subway and head for the High Line park.  This is a fantastic area on the Lower West Side that was once a train line.  The ‘park’ has been ingeniously reinvented.  It is a long line of elevated landscaping that has incorporated many spots to sit, relax and watch the world go by.  There are lounging seats all the way along in gorgeous modern but comfortable designs, easy on the eye and the body.  The train track is incorporated into the clever native plant landscaping including an infinity water feature. It is great to observe the streets below from this elevated position and also taking in the sculptures and murals along the way. Fabulous work NYC, one of our favourite things so far.

Dragging ourselves away from the peaceful environment we take to the streets again to walk to the Empire State Building.  We arrive about 5.40pm and skip the ticket buying queue to start our accent to the most amazing view.  We learn along the way all about the building from it’s first conception to the amazing 11 month building project that saw the completion of the tallest office building in the world.

We spend time taking in the day time view N, S, E and W and then find our spot on the rail to watch the sunset.  WOW.  We have chosen the perfect time to be here, a clear sky with just a few clouds to give a spectacular orange sun something to shine on.  It is one of the best sunsets I have ever experienced but that is not all we are waiting for.  As the skies turn black NYC slowly turns on a light show that is just gorgeous.  This is a slow process as each building flickers into life, spectacular, and just to top it all off it is a full moon hanging in the East skies, a huge yellow orb. It really couldn’t have been more perfect to take in the view from all directions again, Time Square from this angle is spectacular too.

From the ground this building is amazing, pointing out of the skyline, but it is not until you are up there that you can fully appreciate the height and sheer splendor of this structure.  Built in a time when occupational health and safety obviously didn’t have much influence, we see photos of men just hanging out of this steel structure without even a rope around them 1250 feet from the ground.  This was a building erected ahead of its time and a testament to mans ability to stretch the imagination to build something that has stood the test of time to still be awe inspiring today. It so tall that the curve of the Earth can be appreciated and you feel like you’re higher than anyone else in the city.

We have spent two and half hours up the top imprinting into our minds the gorgeous view of New York City.  Our trip back to our room is punctuated with a quick stop for a gourmet hamburger and another ride on the subway (the easiest we have yet had to navigate in any big city) and a stroll through the night streets where we feel perfectly safe, all the time reliving an amazing time in this amazing city.  We have loved every minute and have been helped by countless New Yorkers with their unmistakeable accent.  It is a city with a reputation to live up to and it delivers ten fold.

Our last day starts very late, waiting for the hotel hot water supply repair and still we all have to have cold showers.  Not everything is perfect but it all seems to add to the fun and the experience that is NY.  We take in a few more of the local shops, Marshalls and Barneys before lunch and supply top up at Zabars then we are on our way out of town in a shocking traffic jam.  We don’t get very far very fast and we are exhausted when we find a very nice hotel to just relax in.  It is luxurious, spacious and quiet, just right to recharge in, phew.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NEW YORK.

We are now in The Badlands and what an amazing part of the country this is!!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!!

Its another of those pinch me moments.  There we were in the good old town of New York City.  We settled into our Lower East Side flat for the first couple of nights.  Just standing on the streets is amazing, we are close to the Empire State building, wow.

Our first day is a quick trip downtown to take the ferry over to the Statue of Liberty, pinch me again.  Great day admiring this great lady from all angles and taking in the Lower Manhattan skyline, so well known around the world, and still just awe inspiring. After a lot of photos and and great audio tour around the island we set off back to the mainland and the 9/11 World Trade Center Memorial.  Here we soak up the aura of what was the worst day in the lives of all in NY and possibly around the world.  The magnitude of this attack touches everyone and it is so poignant and invasive.

A conversation we have had with Kathy in the last few days comes to mind.  In all our travels we have learned of the wars raged against and between our fellow human beings.  We have wondered and thought that peace was the natural way of our race and why have we not managed to find it and learned the lessons taught by all this blood shed.   Could it be that conflict is our natural way and peace is the outcome only some of us want to achieve.  It has helped to look at this new perspective to try to understand the massive loss of lives we continue to wage against each other.  One day maybe we can achieve Peace? I surely hope so.

We walk on to the Brooklyn Bridge, another icon, all those nuts and bolts holding together a magnificent structure. The moon is out and almost full, another beautiful sight. We find the subway again and ride to Times Square where we emerge into the night, lit up as we could only imagine before.  Soaking up the experience of neon flashing advertisements the size of buildings, busking by various talented people (including an almost naked man with a guitar and a cowboy hat) and browsing through the toy shops the atmosphere is electric, pardon the pun. We sit and people watch for a while and enjoy our first real NY hot dog, yummy.  Our very full day is starting to pull us to bed so we wind our way back through the streets to Lexington and 37th for a well earned rest.

Our second full day of adventure begins.  We drop in to purchase our Empire State tickets to avoid queues later and decide a sunset ascent will be best.  Off we go to the Morgan Library and the NY Public Library, both are gorgeous in their own ways. We’re treated to a special surprise out the front of the NY Public Library, Amanda Seyfried is shooting Ted 2, very exciting!

It’s then time for a little retail therapy as we pop in to Century 21, a discount designer store.  Look at lots but only come out with a couple of gifts and head back to our apartment to move to our new hotel on the Upper West Side.  This sounds very simple but not all goes to plan.  I head off to pick up the car, having struck a deal with the parking complex the day before I arrive and the deal seems to have been forgotten. It costs me twice as much as agreed to collect Jetson, annoying to say the least.

It gets worse when I turn out of the car park on a one way street and find I am heading into a tunnel, can’t be good.  My dread level continues to rise as the tunnel is long and at the end is the usual toll barrier.  Now after having just forked out an excessive parking bill I am not going to pay another two tolls to get back to Manhattan.  I don’t even know where I am at this point!  I decide to pull up in the middle lane beside the witches hats (orange cones) and jump out of the car to get some help.  Mistake number two, a police woman advises me to get back onto my seat in no uncertain terms.  By chance another vehicle has stopped beside me going the other way so three police stride toward us both.  Once I am sitting back down again the woman returns to her post and the other 2 take one car each.  I beg my case in my most convincing Aussie accent and talk my way out of paying the toll. This includes the removal of the witches hats and the police holding up the traffic for me to do a ‘U’ turn back into the tunnel, phew. Thank you Mr Policeman for being so kind!

I am now back in Manhattan and manage to navigate back to the apartment to find the girls wondering where the hell I have gotten to. Mikayla’s wondering if I am lying shot somewhere, she is a little dramatic sometimes.  Luggage loaded we head off to our new ‘digs’.  Its a very old place but very clean and perfectly acceptable.  It is a long story why we had to move, all about a double booking, but I think it all worked out for the best.  We are now on the Upper West Side and love the atmosphere, and a bonus, free (and safe) parking. The weather forecast for the night is for rain so we put the Empire State Building on hold.

I take to the streets to see if I can spot any more stars and although there’s no more famous people I really love the vibe of this side of town.  I shop for some yummy supplies at the famous Zabars before returning to our apartment to dine and crash ready for more exciting adventure to come in New York.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album NEW YORK.

WONDERFUL FRIENDS IN WASHINGTON DC

Some readers may be confused about where we are. We’ve done it again and started posting flashback posts without context, so no more posts about Europe and onto new posts about the USA! We are now in Iowa having begun our journey across from east to west. But first a post about our time in Washington DC, three weeks ago, with our wonderful new friends Kathy and Dick.

Kathy and Dick are actually our new mentors.  They have devised a fantastic way to travel whereupon they have spent their retirement years moving around the worlds greatest cities and living and exploring the regions for months at a time, occasionally returning to their home in Washington to recharge their batteries before their next exciting adventure.  What a wonderful way to see and experience the world, and one I hope I can achieve in the future.

We are welcomed into their gorgeous home and treated to a delicious home cooked dinner prepared by Dick, an exceptional cook. We talk on into the night before we all decide sleep is required so we can face our first day exploring Washington DC.  What a day it was, and how wonderful it is to have our own private guides to steer us through all that Washington has to offer.

We walked miles over four incredible days taking in so much history and architecture, that is when we stopped chatting long enough to leave the house each morning. First day was a visit to The Capitol via the botanical gardens, where Dick and Kathy introduced us to a very rare Australian plant that we had never heard about. You learn something new every day! We also entered The Capitol through a tunnel connecting it with the Library of Congress after having a lovely lunch and seeing the stunning library and reading room.The day was capped off with a great tour of The Capitol where we got to experience the magnificent rotunda and Apotheosis of Washington fresco in person, albeit surrounded by “the doughnut” scaffolding.

We had a day of monument hopping too. Along the National Mall we went visiting the WWII, Vietnam Veterans and Korean War memorials, the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jefferson Memorials. There are many thing Americans do well and memorials are one of them. All of the memorials are very moving in their own way.

We visited some of the many Smithsonian Museums and all the while had our free guided tour from our local tour guides of the architectural wonders within this fabulous city, by night and day. A highlight was a visit to The White House. Though we didn’t get invited in for a look around we did enjoy seeing it in person and having a picnic in the park opposite.

We also visited Arlington National Cemetery, another stirring place that also provided us with amazing views back along the National Mall to the Capitol, which incidentally was lit up by the sun every time we caught a glimpse, even on the cloudiest of days. The same day we dropped in on the Cathedral, slowly being restored after earthquake damage. We could have explored all day here to pick out all the interesting architectural achievements and details.

To sustain us through all of this we had a wonderful dinner out at a Mexican restaurant on the newly developed waterfront, a favourite of Kathy and Dicks, but mainly ate incredible meals prepared by Dick.  Kathy was endless in her ability to cope with the noisy and wacky Aussies while Dick needed the occasional rest from all these women, though he never complained once at being outnumbered 4 to 1.  Kathy was born under the sign of the Bull just like me, perhaps this explains why I already feel like she is a kindred spirit who will hopefully always be in my life.

Our home time is filled with moments of advice for our further adventures in the US, so valuable in planning our travels, along with a lot of laughs as we share our experiences.  Washington is a fabulous and amazing city with such beauty but the real beauty for us was spending time with Kathy and Dick. We have made the most wonderful new friends and we can’t thank them enough for all they have done for us.  The only way will be when they come to Perth to visit us and we can do the same for them.  We so look forward to that day.  It is such a sad farewell as we move on to New York.

SAVANNAH, CHARLESTON AND THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

Florida and all its adventure slips away as we step back in time.  Getting on the road again sees us back in a rain storm even worse than our one on our way in to Orlando.  Somebody has delivered us two perfect dry sunny days for Universal in the middle of two deluge storms, lucky all the way.

Our first stop is Savannah, a town stopped in time with square upon square of information and beauty, where our incredible luck pops up again and we stumble into town when a Jazz Festival is on.  We had made a difficult decision to let New Orleans wait till another trip so this was a treat.  Sitting back on the grass nibbling away on some shrimp, what else, we listen to the music. Everyone is out on the green on their picnic blankets and deck chairs and we are soon invited into a game of catch with a little boy and his basketball. It’s so nice to play, we have been missing the little ones in our family!

We wake up only an hour away from Charleston, another beautiful town of old Southern architecture where we wander the streets, taking in the Visitors Center and learning of the Slave years and Civil War that finally lead to liberation. Our dining experience is at Bubba Gump, a Forrest Gump world of trivia and, you guessed it, Shrimp, delicious.  It makes us want to watch the movie yet again and we have fun remembering all our favourite lines. We visit the market across the street and walk through countless arts and craft stores before running through the rain back to the car.

It is time to head for the hills, literally.  We take the back road and wind our way out to the Great Smoky Mountains.  This is the lower end of the Appalachian Mountains and we spend a couple of days driving, taking in breathtaking views of this spectacular region. We’re starting to get our first taste of the colour changes the trees are going through and understand why people come from all over the world to see them at this time of year.

Our first night camping out in our new car, nicknamed Jetson because of its futuristic doors (you have to be old enough to remember the cartoon to get that one), goes pretty well and we look forward to more National Park camping later on in the journey.We have set up with a blow up bed in the back of Jetson and it actually worked pretty well. We’re looking forward to more camping opportunities in the other National Parks.

We continue to wind our way along the Blue Ridge Parkway and onward to Washington DC.  Luck delivers another very special moment.  A black bear cub lollops across the road in front of us, a delightful surprise.  Now, everyone knows where there is a cub there must be a very protective mum so we stopped to try to spot her but the forest swallows them up.  At least we saw the cub briefly.

On we go to our next adventure. Our time so far has taken us through Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennesse (only a tiny corner) and Virginia, not bad. We are so excited as we are about to stay with a very special couple we met in Madrid who have invited us to stay.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the albums GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA and GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS.

CAROLINE CLIMBS BEN NEVIS

Another flashback to our time in Scotland, the day Caroline climbed Ben Nevis.

The end of this adventure is to tackle the highest mountain in the UK, Ben Nevis.  We get to the Visitors Center mid afternoon and are a little disappointed to hear the weather forecast for the next day is quite poor, but alas we are too late to do it this day as we would be coming down in the dark, not a desirable for our first attempt.

We camp in the car park and decide on an early start to try to beat the bad weather coming in. It turns out that there are people coming in right into the night as we see a torch or two traverse the car park with a weary climber.  Awake at five and it is already raining quite heavily so we have another hour in the warm and try again when the weather seems to have cleared a little.

We finally decide to head off at 7.15am.  Now, this mountain is divided into three sections and the first is a steep climb over a path of boulders set as steps.  It is hard going and sadly it starts to become apparent that Mikayla is not very well.  She hadn’t wanted to say anything but was progressively worsening and eventually we have to make a decision that she and Georgia would return to Vincent and I would go on as far as I could. They have made it nearly half way and are very disappointed to have to turn back.  I might add that because of the constant drizzle we are already soaked even though we are quite warm.

I continue on and enjoy a break in the weather and the climb as I pass the easiest part of the trail past the Loch, it is so gorgeous.  Then starts the second section of the shale zig zags.  The climb is steep and still I am warm as toast even in just a t-shirt.  As I plod ever upwards I start to meet some climbers coming down and they advise me that it under an hour to the top but that it is freezing up there.  A couple more zigzags and I hit the biting wind and it is time to put on the layers.

The climb turns into a scramble over large boulders, past the ice trap and then a difficult path between the cairns.  Vision is poor as the rain has really set in up here and I am strangely quite alone at this point.  There have been people on the track all the way but for this final accent it is just me and I can only just see the next cairn, the only way to make out the trail.  It is quite an adventure as I imagine what it would be like to get lost in this wilderness and how very cold a night alone would be up here.

No wonder this mountain claims a few lives every year, to be unprepared would be madness and even with everything organized a weather change could be disastrous.  The top seems to be taking a long time to reach, I am now about four hours into my journey and eventually reach the top.  I have a few moments alone to take a photo of myself and the top beacon, and off the cliff edge.  I can only see about three meters down the cliff face before the cloud invades but it is clear it is not the best path down!  A wrong step up here could be quite a big one.

Quite suddenly there is an influx of fellow climbers and we are all congratulating one another for reaching the top, some are first timers like myself but others are repeat offenders, one man on his seventh ascent.  Well done to everyone.  It is not pleasant up here, visibility is next to nothing, there is a howling gale and it is freezing and wet and I decide it is time to head back down.  It has not been about the view since about half way but about the challenge.  Now I face the challenge of getting back to Vincent.

The top stage takes its toll quite quickly and my knees are complaining.  Once I reach the top of the zigzags I am treated to about half an hour of sunshine and a clear view of the world around, I stop to eat my supplies and chat to some climbers on the way up.  They have a while to go and I advise them that it is harder to come down than go up.  Everyone seems to agree on this point.  I have been able to take of a few layers and dry out the gloves and beanie in the constant wind.  I am now thinking the decent would be lovely if it stayed like this.

Sadly I have been too optimistic and as I reach the bottom of the zigzags the weather sets in worse than ever.  I am about half way down and the path is treacherous and slow and my legs are screaming.  The rest of the journey is agony and at times I wonder why I am here.  I am once again drenched to the skin, it is a rain that by-passes the very best waterproofs.  My feet are just puddles but my boots keep me safe on the slippery boulders and muddy track.  There are some young men that run pass me, Oh to have those knees again.

I slosh on at my very steady pace and I wonder about the poor soles that had still been climbing upward.  I am also so very grateful for the week of sunshine we have had previously to enjoy the highlands, the views would not have happened in this,  how lucky we are.  At about 4.15pm I knock on Vincents door and exclaim to the girls that I think I am about to die.  I head off to the loo while they prepare for my recovery treatment.  I also stop in at the visitors center to let the ladies know I did it.  Congratulations are received with thanks and we discuss the various spots on the mountain, it seems everyone finds coming down the hard part and I am glad it is not just me.  I am still able to laugh though and am pleased to have conquered Ben Nevis.

I meet a guide, and very experienced climber, that is taking a group of climbers up at midnight, “why would you do that?” is all I can respond.  He thinks it’s crazy too, what a way to make a living. Back to Vincent and the girls have the hot water ready.  Hair washed and body bathed they guide me under the covers and provide me with hot water bottles (thank you Maggy, I think you saved my life).  We are going to have to stay another night in the car park as I could not drive, and wonder if my legs will ever manage this task again.

While the girls provide me with food they also fill me in on their day.  By the time they got back to the car they were both very ill with a stomach issue, say no more.  It is so lucky they turned back when they did, at least they had managed to make a recovery and get warm and prepare for my return.  I don’t think Vincent would have coped with three drowned rats at once.

When I wake in the morning I am scared to move, wondering if this is indeed even possible.  My need to get to the loo gives me the motivation and I am very relieved to find that it is not as bad as I thought it might be.  No real damage has been done it seems, just some aches and pains to recover from over the next few days.  The girls are relieved when I seem relatively normal, not sure I was making much sense the night before.

We now have to try to sort out Vincent.  He is water logged with wet jackets and clothes and just invaded by the constant water flow outside.  We get on the road and crank up the heater and start to dry him out.  The next day sees the return of some sunshine so by about day three we have everything back to normal.  What would we do without our precious Vincent, our little home away from home.

We continue traveling south back into England and soon reached the Lake District. It had been our intention to complete the three peaks of the UK, Snowdon and Ben Nevis conquered and Scaffle Pyke to go.  Sadly the legs are not recovered enough to go up the last one after only three days so will have to save that for another trip.

We can console ourselves with our meandering through the Lake district enjoying such a beautiful part of England.  The weather holds quite well and the scenery is just gorgeous and we get to visit the part of the world that Beatrix Potter loved so much.  As we are mad BP fans we enjoy soaking up all the information we can. We visit her husbands law office first and are treated to passionate guides that give us a little more insight into her life.  We gaze on lots of her original drawing and sketches. We then head out to Hill Top and experience an eccentric world that she created to work from.  We can just imagine Peter and all his friends popping up in the garden.  It is a magical journey we thoroughly enjoy.  We look across the fields to her marital home and imagine her plodding across to work with her friends in tow.  We are glad to hear that the movie made of her life is almost all accurate, though she did not know her husband as a child.  A small amount of creative license is acceptable.  Our passion for this wonderful writer will continue on and I look forward to reading to my grandchildren the stories their mothers loved so much.

It is time to head south toward Devon and it takes a few more days to drive through the green lanes and on a couple of high ways till we are back with family.  What a great adventure we have had again and we look forward to coming back in the years to come and explore some more.

This brings the England adventure all up to date.  The final days with family have already been posted on Sep 25th if you would like a flash back update.  All posts from now on for a couple of months with be from USA and our adventures in this wonderful country.  Some are already up and will endeavor to be up to date very soon.  Madly adventuring and writing is really hard work you know.

SCOTLAND: INNERLEITHEN, EDINBURGH AND THE HIGHLANDS

We’re taking you back in time to when we said goodbye to Minting and continued North to Scotland during our UK adventures.

After a sad farewell to Minting and Serenity we head on up the UK through the Yorkshire Dales and enter into Scotland through Jedburgh.  We pop into the visitors center to be given fantastic advice by a very helpful and young woman.  We leave with a load of information to help plan our next part of our journey.

On our way up we stop in a little village called Innerleithen where there is a chance take advantage of our National Trust Membership again. An opportunity to visit Robert Smail’s Printing Factory, a fantastic step back in time.  We are greeted by a lovely young woman who is so passionate and proud of this special opportunity to see how a printing works was ran before all the ‘mod cons’ came along.

Mr Smail resisted the evolution in the printing game and also left behind all the original documentation, all the bells and whistles for the future generations to now enjoy.  Our tour moves on to the case room where all the type is set.  Another equally passionate woman takes us through the whole process and even gives us the opportunity to make our own book mark which we are very proud of and will treasure always.

On now to the big machines with a lovely young man who shows us how the old dragons work. The business is still running thanks to the National Trust and along the tour we see some of their splendid work including posters, cards, invitations and calenders etc.  We talk for a very long time to our original guide about our travels and her passion for her work.  Time to move on and we thank everyone for the best tour we have done our whole trip.

The day is still young and we head into Edinburgh, lucky enough to catch the last days of the Fringe Festival.  We spend time wandering the streets taking in the many entertainers and pop into a few free galleries.  It is a very attractive city that we enjoy our short time in. We move on, deciding to head for the North, passing through Perth.

Our decision to spend as much time exploring nature turns out to be the best plan we could have made. We head up the middle through the Grampians and explore magnificent scenery before finding a spectacular spot on a Loch to settle for the night.  Before the sun goes down I head up a hill for a walk.  It is a bit of a climb along animal tracks but the view over the Loch improves with height and Vincent becomes very small behind me.

We wake the next day to the shinning Loch with a low cloud suspended over it and the most magnificent reflections in the mirror like surface.  We move on to see Loch Ness, famous and busy, beautiful no doubt, but we are headed for a more wild experience.  Further North we press and into the highlands.

Lady luck is on our side once again.  Apparently a storm has just passed through with so much rain there have been landslides,  we arrive and spend 5 days exploring the highlands with spectacular sunshine and perfect blue sky.  We pass along the single lane roads winding and weaving our way through some of the most amazing scenery of our entire trip.  You can’t go past Austria and Switzerland for mountains but this comes so close.  Every turn is another spectacular view.  If you have never been try your hardest to come and see some of the most unspoilt beauty in the world.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

You can also find Robert Smail’s Printing Works Facebook page by clicking here.

FANTASTICAL FUN AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

This is the world of theme parks and, after much discussion and advice from those who have been here before, we decided that Universal was the place for us. Our first day is at Universal Studios, OH MY GOD WHAT A DAY. Here we are in a world that will shake, rattle, roll, spin, scare and speed you through the most amazing experiences. We start with the good old fashioned roller coaster. It’s fantastic! From there we live through the worlds of Shrek, Minions, Transformers, Wizards and Aliens. Even on the ground you are transported into other worlds, taking in a little Blues Brothers and Hollywood magic.

Our favorite world is not a Hollywood creation but boy they have done it well, Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. As we wonder through we imagine purchasing our needs for a year at Hogwarts and take a lunch break at The Leaky Cauldron, washing it down with a Butter Beer. Of course we have already withdrawn our galleons from the very special Gringotts bank with the help of some gorgeous goblins and a very special Dragon. Ah, the magic.

The afternoon is taken up with the Men In Black ride, not everyone’s favourite, and The Simpson’s Krusty the Clown ride that had us laughing the whole time including during the wait in line. We couldn’t leave without another visit to Diagon Alley and Gringotts, the best ride at Universal, and were lucky enough to catch Celestina Warbeck singing on stage, though we didn’t spot Molly Weasley in the crowd.

We take in an animal show with many specially trained creatures of the furry and feathered kind, including Marley from Marley and Me. Back to a little more adventure and into the world of Transformers, what a ride, rip roaring, stomach churning thrills as we save the world from evil one more time.

My stomach has done enough for one day but the girls decide to go back for more at both Transformers and Gringotts. Our senses have finally been pulverized enough for one day and we stagger on to look at the Universal City Walk of restaurants and evening entertainment before a cooling stroll back to our hotel where we collapse into bed.

Sunrise hits and we jump back up into the world of Islands of Adventure, two special islands devoted to more fun. These world concentrate on the cartoons of old and Super Heroes. We start the day with a new roller coaster, The Hulk, even better than yesterdays. We may have been a little park weary but this soon fired up the desire for fun and fear.

We decide to save the water rides for later in the day and head through Jurassic park. Then we move on to more Harry Potter fun. This time we enter into Hogsmead and eventually into the dungeons of Hogwarts Castle. Words can not describe the wonder as we watch and overhear the conversations between the moving paintings gossiping about the goings on at Hogwarts. Harry, Ron and Hermione appear from under the invisibility cloak and hatch a wonderful plan to transport us away from boring classes to be involved in the service of catching a snitch and other daring deeds for Professor Dumbledore.

Our ride is the best one yet and we emerge back onto the Hogsmead streets exhilarated and starving. The Three Broomsticks soon solves this problem. We ride a very terrifying dragon next and admire the Hogwarts Express, clouded in steam at the station.

We exit the exciting magical world and pause for a moment at a very special, very old talking rock. Children stop to have a little conversation and a delightful cooling off with Cosmo, their looks of wonder and astonishment as entertaining as anything we have done.

A little down time is the order of the hour and we wander on to The Cat In the Hat, Dr Seuss, world of fantasy, riding a very sedate overhead train looking on such colour and beauty, transporting us back into our childhood memories. A magnificent Merry Go Round full of magical creatures completes the experience. The batteries recharged by the beautiful world and lots of sunshine sees us ready to face the water rides.

As we tumble, slip, slide, scream and float our way through the Looney Tune creations we laugh uncontrollably as we and our fellow travelers are soaked to the skin and refreshed. Spider Man and Twister are last and though we have a new burst of energy it is only enough to transport us back through the streets of super heroes back into the real world and home before we crash in a heap, our body and minds overloaded with frivolity, fear and fabulous experiences. And we’re thankful for the stunning weather we had for both days at this wonderful place.

Wrapping up our Orlando experience is a little contradiction. NASA is trying its hardest to explore the universe and find life other than ours. In “reality” at Universal we seem to have found lots of life other than ours in the shape of fantastic monsters that we are spending a lot of energy trying to save the world from. Who has it right, and should we just be happy with seeing “stars”. On with the adventure I say.

Photos can be found on our Facebook Page in the album FLORIDA.

USA PHOTOS

We’ve finally uploaded all the best photos from our time in the USA so far, bar Washington DC (coming soon).

They can be found on our Facebook page in the albums below, just click on the place to see!

FLORIDA

GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA

GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS AND BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY

NEW YORK

KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE

Have had a few computer issues so have not managed to post as fast as we would like, we have been writing though so stay tuned. Hope to catch up soon with our recent travels in USA and watch out for a few post entries about our time in Scotland.

We have made our way up toward Orlando and first stop is the Space Centre another awe inspiring place. First thing is the bus tour around the Cape Canaveral facility. Very polite and informative guides divulge a torrent of information regarding the past, present and future plans for the mobile launch pads. It is quite extraordinary to imagine the moments before a launch and all the planning that comes down to a moment in time counting down to the lift off of a rocket. We are shown the amazing Crawlers that transport the rockets from their birth places in the huge buildings with the largest automatic doors in the world.

Half way around the center you are dropped off at a building that takes you on a journey through the actual Apollo Control Centre and shows the footage of the first Apollo mission launched. It’s quite amazing to see the actual place where history has been made over and over again. Another door opens and their is an actual rocket suspended from the ceiling with so much information to absorb about this amazing Space Program that saw a total of 12 American astronauts get to walk on the moon. A small number but such a huge achievement.

Delivered back to the main center there is so much more to learn and see. We start with the Shuttle exhibition, another massive building that holds the actual Shuttle Atlantis, displayed in all its glory with, shall we say, warts and all. She is just as she was on her retirement after a final trip into space and re entering the earths atmosphere. The Shuttle program is now over after millions of space miles traveled by these incredible inventions and their amazing crews. As I said WOW. Here we take a ride in a launch simulator and get a taste of the “g” forces and shakes and rattles endured to break out of our atmosphere into the universe beyond.

And how big is this ancient world? We take a look at the Hubble Telescope exhibit and are inspired by the vastness. We learn of all the problems overcome to produce the most spectacular photos you have ever seen, taken of events that took place light years before. Stars being born and dying and other complete solar systems, it is all jaw dropping, fantastic. A short drive takes us to the Astronaut Hall of Fame and paying tribute to the amazing human beings that have been in space and looked back at earth in all her splendor, especially those who did not get to return.

Oh, how I wish I could do this one day. The over riding theme of the entire day is that young children have looked up at the stars in the sky and wondered how to get there, and some have made it a little way closer than others. It is with great passion that the Space Programs that have gone before have come to success, and sometimes failure and loss of passionate lives. It is a Universal passion that now sees an International Space Station take in visitors and let them live in Space. How far we have come BUT how far we still have to go.

NASA talks to the young whilst they explore this amazing world looking for those pioneers of the future who know it is their destiny to reach for the stars. As these facilities open their doors to the world of private enterprise one wonders what the future holds. How long will it take to probe further than man has ever gone before? Will there be a bus trip to the Moon one day soon? Will we find a planet that will sustain human life? Will there already be other life forms out there? It is the stuff of dreams that one day will be reality? Go NASA and all the International Space Programs, make it all happen!

Full of new information and trivia, did you know Barbie was invented the same year that we first put a man into space? We leave inspired. We absolutely loved the time line of all the missions and what else was happening in the world, what songs the Beatles were releasing, the famous stars that were being born and sadly those who left this life, the political scandals of the day, the wonderful inventions released. So much to learn our heads were spinning, we recommend you just go do it one day and you will know what I mean.

Our day ends and we head on to Orlando to begin a new adventure. On the way we are ‘treated’ to rain Florida style. It just falls like a sheet and just doesn’t stop. It is a slow, tense trip as you can literally only see a vague shape ahead with little red lights. We sit in the traffic as it moves at glacier pace and hope that the weather is better the next day, we’d rather do Universal in the sunshine!

FIRST FORAY INTO FLORIDA

USA here we come. It’s been a mad few days getting packed but we are ready, willing and able to fly. Luckily for us Graham is so wonderful and has taken a day off to drive us to Gatwick, rather a long way from Chelmsford and not good with traffic either.

He is the perfect person to give us last minute advice about America and safely deliver us to check in although he is still skeptical at the weight of our bags. We say goodbye with the comforting knowledge that he will pick us up on our return.

After a fairly uneventful flight on a brand new Dream Liner, we touch down in Florida. We find our bags, and sympathize with one couple who could not find theirs, and head for the car rental. We are offered a very good deal to upgrade our vehicle so instead of a Rav4 we settle into a Chrysler with enough space to sleep in when we are out in the National Parks so we’re off to a very good start.

I quickly get used to being back on the right hand side of the road but this time in a left hand drive. There’s always something new to learn.

The car is so quiet we wonder if the engine is even going. Vincent has conditioned us to so many rattles and squeaks it is strange to travel in such luxury, but that’s not saying we can’t get used to it! We arrive at our hotel just before 12 AM, luckily, and find it to be quite acceptable. A shower, toilet and a clean comfy bed are all that is required.

After a good nights sleep we head off to Miami taking in the coast, beach, shopping precinct and the Art Deco scene, all lovely. We are grateful our new car has air-conditioning, as the humidity is very high.

We arrive at another hotel much nicer than the first and we decide to book for a couple of nights so we can spend a day venturing out to Key West and then another in the Everglades.

The trip to Key West takes about 3 hours as you make your way along a thin causeway of strips of land and long bridges. The views are spectacular of an ocean that is dead flat for as far as you can see dotted with gorgeous green islands. We also see our first big “thing” on this drive. A huge shrimp and the first of many to come we assume.

Half your time is spent in towns surrounded by countless shops and advertising but the rest is lovely. Key West is right at the end with lovely beaches and lots of tourists. We take in the lovely architecture of the Deep South, weatherboards galore, and the interesting array of people and vehicles.

Motorbikes and cars cruise along with music pounding, setting a scene that anything goes. The drive back is just as lovely as we stop to swim on one of the few public beaches; the coast is taken up with hotels and private properties. The water is not clear and really warm so not refreshing, and we spot a huge jelly fish so only end up half way in. Different to what we’re used to, the water is not so salty and feels soft on your skin.

Our next day we head into the Everglades and learn about the flora and fauna of this spectacular wetlands, including the alligator. We spot a couple and note the difference to our crocodiles; it seems to fit between the salty and the freshy being narrow but long. They are spectacular and you can only imagine how many live in the watery grassland waiting for unsuspecting prey.

It is a beautiful National Park, a little similar than Kakadu and we learn how the overflow from Lake Okeechobee creates the flow of the water back to the sea, mainly by way of the Shark slough, a wide but shallow river. It is in a delicate balance as human expansion demands more water to be taken from the Everglades creating change and not for the better. At least measures are being taken to preserve this unique area, relatively young in fact, and hopefully to last so much longer.

A TRIBUTE TO VINCENT

Still posting in flashback! The end of our UK adventures and a goodbye to our wonderful Vincent!

We head off toward the East taking in more lovely scenery and after visiting A LA Ronde, end up camping for the night in the New Forrest. What a tranquil place for our last night sleeping out in Vincent. Just can’t believe this moment has come.

We head on the next day to Brighton and enjoy the sunshine walking along the pier and around the Lanes. We have not done our research properly and don’t go into The Pavilion, next time. I think we have got to the point that we just want to get home now.

We miss John and Jenny so drop by but alas they’re not home, so we decide to push on to Chelmsford. We are welcomed back by Maggy and Graham. Just a few days before Aunty Babs had a nasty fall and is in hospital and we are glad to have a week to be able to visit her regularly and catch her up on our travels. We hope she is quickly back in her home and feeling much better.

We spend our time sorting out lots of little jobs before we embark on the next adventure. It is a busy time and the fact that we are soon to be in America is taking its time to sink in. Its exciting and scary all at the same time.

Well the time has come to part with our beloved Vincent. As always in this life we are incredibly lucky and even this very sad moment falls into place. Maggy and Graham had first introduced us to their mechanic when we purchased Vinni back in December. He gave him the once over and fixed a few little things before we embarked on our European adventures.

It seems that he fell for him as quickly as we did and on our return expressed an interest in purchasing him. Long story short, on our return from our UK adventures we met to discuss the possibility and agreed on the price only just short of what we paid for him. HOW AMAZING is that. We kept him until our last day in Chelmsford and delivered him to Gary, his new owner.

What is fantastic is his intention to completely restore Vince, the perfect man for the job being a mechanic who can tenderly care for and repair any little problems.

This blog is a tribute to the VW Transporter, a tireless workhorse that has transported us over 16,000 MILES of hills and mountains, highways, byways and mere tracks.

He has kept us warm and dry, safe and secure, endured intruders and pushy drivers (who literally ran into him), snow, rain, sun and storm and just kept on keeping on. He also made it possible for us to camp in the most spectacular and sometimes unexpected places.

He delivered us into the VW club of fellow travelers that always wave enthusiastically as you pass, with the secret knowledge that you have the best vehicle on the road.

Vincent may have rattled a bit (quite a lot at times) but he was ever faithful and dedicated in his task of transporting us around. He was literally our home, a very cosy and comfortable haven that has shared in many laughs, a few arguments, lots of games, our snoring and our bathroom duties, what a patient and understanding fellow he is.

We will never forget you Vincent and will visit you on our return trips to England (Gary has agreed to rent him back to us on future trips – how good is that). We will be looking for a cousin of yours in Australia for our adventures there.

You are the one and only special Vincent and we love you and will miss you, but most of all we will treasure the memories that you have given us. KEEP ON KEEPING ON. THANK YOU FOR JUST BEING THE PERFECT YOU.

Photos of Vincent can be found in pretty much any album on our Facebook page!

FAMILY FUN

We’re now in the USA!!!! Very exciting for us and not very good for the blog writing as you can tell. We’re still posting in flashback. Fingers crossed we’ll be up to date again soon! This post takes us back to a few weeks ago during our time with family in Devon.

Our UK trek is nearly to an end as we drive Vincent on the final leg to Ivybridge and back to family. Jan and Paul welcome us back into their lovely home and it is divine to step into that lovely hot shower once more. The beds are like clouds and toilet access so easy, what a dream first night.

On this visit we manage to catch up with Sam, on our last visits he had been overseas working. He is a delightful young man who we quickly settled into conversation with, swapping travel adventures and talking about his amazing job and how he managed to fall into it. I believe he inspired Georgia and Mikayla that the right path just works out in the end. We had a lovely afternoon and then dinner out and all too soon our time together is over. We are so glad to have got to know you Sam and we hope we will see you again at Christmas and perhaps over in Australia one day.

We follow up with a visit with Uncle Don and Terry. Such lovely people that welcome us to lunch and are excited to hear of our travels, though they are ardent readers of the blog. We are so grateful to have this time with them and enjoy a lot of laughs. Terry promises to continue to keep us safely in her prayers, we can use all the help we can get. They look forward to our USA blogs and we look forward to our next visit.

Next on the list are Martin, Teo and the delightful Gabby. Oh how the newest member of the family has grown, not a toddler any more but a gorgeous little girl with blond locks and lots of energy. She is a whirlwind of fun that supplies many laughable moments for everyone. Jan is her dedicated grandma who gets to spend lots of time loving and caring for her. Martin and Teo are fantastic parents who endure sleep deprivation with a smile, what a lovely family.

We do more sightseeing with Jan to Dartmoth, a lovely sunny day out visiting this old complex of buildings and beautiful garden, a perfect day. We also have a couple of days out with Paul, he takes us onto the Moors and also on one of the top 10 rail journeys in England. Beautiful scenery and great to spend time wandering with Paul. We also head down to the pub to watch a football game, and catch up with some of Pauls’ mates we met last time, and everyone is very welcoming once again.

Our last night with Jan is spent watching game shows, something we love to share with Jan. This particular night saw us dissolved into fits of laughter with tears rolling down our cheeks; saying “on the bus” still has the same effect. What a perfect night.

Eight days quickly fly past and it is time to move on again. We are sad to leave and hope that our stay has not put the painting back too far. Hopefully we will see you all again at Christmas.

CASTLES AND MOUNTAINS OF WALES

Powis House and Gardens was a beautiful National Trust property and lucky for us we caught the last tour of the day yet again. Arriving here we went straight for the lovely library and museum where we would have liked to have spent more time had it not been for the fact we had to start the tour to see the house. Entering the house with a guide, again on our own, we started in the amazing entry way and main staircase.

Originally built in the 1200’s, the castle began as a medieval fortress and has grown with the Herbert family as time has gone on. Overall another beautiful castle and furnished as it would have been when lived in. The view from the terrace is spectacular, looking over the immaculate gardens.

Heading back out to the coast we found a camping spot at Rainbow Falls, then spent the next day driving as close to the ocean as we could. We ate lunch next to the water in the very touristy town of Barmouth, before moving along through Porthmadog, Criccieth, Abersoch and back up to Caernarfon on the way to Snowdonia National Park ready to sleep again.

Having found a very nice car park opposite an icy lake we slept peacefully only to wake to a car park filling with cars and walkers setting off on a very lovely sunny day. We were planning to head around to Snowdon but decided to head off on the same walk for an hour or two. The four off us set off but Georgia became ill and had to turn back with Minting.

Mikayla and I decided to plod on and, chatting with some fellow walkers, discovered we were in fact on Snowdon, on a different approach than that which we intended. Having gone at least half way we decided to push on to the top.

As we got higher we entered the clouds, starting to feel the cold. We discovered that it’s not about the view; it’s about the challenge. Fellow walkers were impressed by our shorts, our legs turning blue. We had a quick lunch at the top and headed back down, knowing that we would be in trouble with the girls as they would be worried.

We had started walking at 11.15 and returned to Vincent at 4.30, a very respectable time on the 7.5 km route including the notorious ledge that takes a couple of victims every year. Georgia was at first relieved, then mad and then very congratulatory at our achievement. We decided to eat, get warm and stay put for the night before making an early start the next day.

Plas Newydd came next and it sure didn’t disappoint. Overlooking the Menai Strait amongst beautiful woodlands and an Italianate garden it had amazing views, but the best part of this mansion would have to be the mural in the dining room, painted by Rex Whistler. There’s plenty of optical illusion going on in this clever masterpiece that is a must see.

Later we got some washing done in the nearby town of Bangor, watching the interesting locals go by before finding Penrhyn Castle, unfortunately already closed for the day. We decided to camp in the car park here and caught the first taster tour of the day here.

The taster tour was a complete waste of time, although we did get to see one room that is only open to the public with a guide. Our favourite part of this castle was the staircase with detail to rival that of the Natural History Museum in London, so intricate and pretty. There are also extensive kitchens and servants quarters open here and they are sometimes even more interesting than the main house.

After lunch we moved on to Conwy where we walked across the Conwy Suspension Bridge and came across the quaint and tiny toll keeper’s house. The guide here was full of knowledge and told us all about the family who lived here and kept the bridge open before being sent to see Aberconwy House.

Aberconwy House should be renamed Higgledy-Piggledy House for it’s very uneven floors and add-ons through out time. It’s Tudor in style and from the street looks like it should have been used in the Harry Potter films. It also makes you wonder how it doesn’t just topple over, must have been built pretty sturdy from the get go!

Our time in Wales over we left Conwy and headed back into England towards Liverpool, after spending one more night camped in the country side of Wales.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

FUN AT THE GOLD MINE AND A VISIT TO DEVIL’S BRIDGE

Continuing on from where we left off in our previous post, we spent most of the afternoon at Dolaucothi Gold Mine, yes another National Trust, where we were excited to be taking a tour inside the mine. While we waited to start Minting had her first go at gold panning and we had fun playing old rope toss games, though none of us were very good. Lucky for us we ended up having a private tour and we were kitted out with our helmets, headlamps and super heavy battery packs ready to head into one of the scariest underground places I’ve been.

Our guide was fantastic and we learnt a lot about both Roman and 19^th/20^th century history, valuable welsh gold and the people who mined here. It was then time to turn our headlamps on and enter into the mine. All was good until we had the opportunity to look backwards and realized the only light we had was what we were casting from our headlamps and I started trying to memorize the way out!

The mine was actually really interesting and, unlike in the ice cave in Austria, we were equipped with enough light to see what was around us. At one point we turned our lights off with only a candle aflame and experienced what it would have been like down there for the miners.

The little boys who worked down here were “not worth the light”, as candles were really expensive and taxed, and learned to avoid the candlelight as it marked danger spots. Lucky occupational health and safety has advanced since then, although they say there were hardly any accidents recorded in the mine.

At the end of the tour our wonderful guide gave us a few recommendations for future site seeing in Wales and sent us to a delicious fish and chip shop in Aberaeron, The New Celtic Restaurant, where we bought our fish and chips take away to eat on the beautiful pebble beach while the sun went down. Minting had a great time rock collecting, finding a few unique shapes and colours, and we enjoyed sitting by the ocean before moving on again to camp near our next stop Llanerchaeron.

Llanerchaeron, another National Trust, is still a working farm where you can visit the animals, tour the house and even get involved in a couple of fun activities. We started in the farm area where we were lucky enough to see a cute calf, born a few days before, and piglets, as well as the other farmyard animals. A walk through the vegetable garden and next to the private lake took us to the front garden of the Georgian Mansion where we taught Minting to play croquet, Mikayla coming up trumps with the win!

Crossing the threshold into the house we were confronted with many stuffed animals in glass boxes and more otter heads on the walls than paintings. Getting over that, it was actually a really nice home and restored beautifully. Up the double staircase, under a huge skylight, you emerge onto a stunning landing. Also crowned by a skylight, this time oval, the landing connects to large oval rooms, opposite each other, that even have round doors. Even better was the fact that these lovely rooms were meant for the women of the house, the dressing room and the ladies sitting room. We got talking to a fabulous lady called Peggy here who reminded us so much of Nan and whom we could have talked to all day.

Time for lunch and we had a scrumptious and healthy meal at the NT café, then hit the road. The view driving along the coast was beautiful and, from what we could see through the pouring rain, inland was just as good as we cut in towards Devil’s Bridge.

Reaching our destination the rain seemed to have stopped for the minute and we started an hour’s walk hoping the rain would hold off while we had to be outside. As always we were lucky and only had to deal with our muddy shoes at the end of the walk and the spray of the waterfalls during.

Here there are three bridges built one over the other and legend has it that the lowest and oldest bridge was built by the devil himself. One day an old woman lost a cow to the opposite side of the river and couldn’t get her back across. The devil appeared and said he would build her a bridge overnight if he could claim the soul of the first living thing to cross the bridge. She agreed and in the morning came back to find a sturdy bridge in place. Not wanting to give herself to the devil the old woman decided to send her dog across the bridge first, throwing a stick for him the fetch. Furious the devil left with nothing, leaving the dog, the old woman got her cow back and the bridge has been there ever since.

The walk was lovely, down steps continuously into the valley for the first half and up again for the second. There’s even a Jacob’s Ladder here, way steeper and ladder-like than the one in Perth. The waterfalls are nice and you can also see fossils in the caves, when you look past the heinous graffiti on the cave walls. Mum, Mikayla and I returned to Minting and Vincent, dry and tired and it didn’t take long for us to decide it was time to stop for the night.

We ended up camping in a pull off on the side of the road with a boat on a broken trailer. Later joined by another campervan, the owners of said boat who were having a run of bad luck. They had bought a boat and halfway home a trailer wheel had fallen off so they had come to camp and look after it. In the morning they tried to start their campervan, but it had broken down. Unfortunately we couldn’t give them a jump-start with Vincent; hopefully they found someone who could quickly, poor things.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.

UK TOUR WITH MINTING BEGINS

Under the guidance of Georgia we navigate our way through London to Queensway tube where we pick up Minting, our Chinese friend who stayed with us in Gidge. It is exciting to see her again and we start off on an adventure through Wales. As we anticipated it would be quite a squeeze for us all in Vincent but after a few tries we manage to find the best way to fit 4 in the bed and Minting does really well to get used to the wild camping way of life.

We have decided to base our travels around our National Trust membership and very luckily Minting is allowed to enter for free on our Family membership. Our first stop is at Cliveden, a lovely grounds surrounding the original mansion, now a hotel. The terrace is 500 years old and currently being restored. The view over the formal gardens from up here is delightful. We then wander through the property and end with the water garden. It is so pretty and as we stroll around when suddenly a big splash disturbs the peace. Sadly it’s Georgia falling into one of the very deep ponds whilst trying to get the camera out for the perfect shot of a koi in the disgusting dirty pond water.

Once we realized she was not hurt it was laughter all round, even Georgia, a muddy, algae draped mess. Thankfully we managed to talk the staff into letting her use their shower, lucky, as the smell would not have gone well in Vincent.

The down side to all this was the camera took a dip too and though, after a few days sitting in rice, it works again the horrible water got inside and has left blotches on the inner lens. Time to get the ball rolling with insurance for a replacement but in the mean time blotchy photos it is.

We moved on to our next stop and found a place to camp in the gorgeous village of Lacock. Rising early we took in the sights of this quaint little village. Apart from being the birthplace of photography it is also one of the many sights in England that was home to some Harry Potter filming.

We wandered around visiting Professor Slughorn’s house, and the Potter’s home in the Philosophers Stone. Inside Lacock Abbey the cloister of were used as parts of Hogwarts in the first and second movies and Snape’s potions class can be found inside, such fun. Only thing we didn’t like here was the bakery where they microwaved our pasties. We thoroughly enjoy our time in Lacock and comment that we could come and live here one day.

We move on to The Forest of Dean to find a lovely spot to camp, providing us with a couple of nice walks in the forest before setting off to view the last and only Dutch water garden in England, a place called Westbury. Another National Trust wonder, small but beautiful and restored to its former beauty after years of neglect. We purchase some second hand books for our collection at amazing prices, yet another reason to visit NT properties.

Minting cooked Chinese lunch for us before a short walk at May Hill before driving on to one of our most spectacular parking spots ever, high on the hills in Brecon Beacon, south of Hay-on Wye.

We enjoyed watching the tranquil sport of paragliding. Though a weekday there were at least ten sails in the air, majestically flying around on the breeze. We have to have a go at this one day.

We walked up the very steep hill and enjoyed a closer look at these ‘birds’ before descending to sit and watch the sun go down, spectacular. There are some gorgeous, fat ponies roaming around amongst many sheep, on some of the best pasture you could ever get, and we were lucky to get a pat. The sheep share this area with no fences, oblivious to the passing cars and people.

Minting practices her newly acquired ukulele and it begins to sound like music to help us drift off into the special world we are lucky enough to have found. Sunrise is just as spectacular as the evening and it sad that we have to move along. We head to Hay-on-Wye for an interesting few hours in this town of books. Rummaging through a few of the second had spots and once again purchasing a couple of treasures. Heading on through Brecon Beacons National Park the views are amazing and we stop for lunch at Henrhyd Falls before continuing on through the park taking in the stark rolling hills, fantastic.

Photos can be found on our Facebook page in the album UNITED KINGDOM.