RandYwakefield

HONOLULU TWO and AUSTRALIA AGAIN

randywakefield — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 16:01:00 GMT

Back in Honolulu for a one-night stand before flying home, we booked in to the same hotel across the road from Waikiki beach. Didn’t have any time for any more sightseeing so just went out to do some last-minute shopping. A bit warm after San Francisco but still very pleasant. Finished the shopping - had a couple of drinks at our usual haunt overlooking the beach and went out for sushi and sashimi before an early night.

The flight home was 30 minutes late leaving Honolulu and we missed our connection in Sydney, but apart from that it was a good flight, Sylvia picked us up and we’re happy to be home again.

Gallery: HONOLULU TWO and

randywakefield — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 15:50:00 GMT

Finale

SAN FRANCISCO

randywakefield — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 14:13:00 GMT

We left Yosemite by the western gate after visiting Hetch Hetchy dam, which was quite pretty, but again the waterfalls were dry. The four hour drive from Yosemite was through some nice green fruit orchards and wine country – a bit of a change from the deserts of Arizona and Nevada. Arrived in San Francisco through Oakland via the Bay Bridge – which is a double-decker somewhat longer than the Golden Gate Bridge. Our (Worldmark) unit was right in the middle of town, up near Nob Hill and one block from Chinatown. It was good to have a refrigerator and microwave and make our own tea and catch up on some laundry. Lois and the helpful front desk staff gave us plenty of local info to guide us around. We had the car until morning so took a drive over the G/G Bridge to Sausalito by the bay on the north shore and tried a Japanese restaurant instead of Chinatown. Still had some car time left in the morning so drove around town a bit and took a circuit over 3 of the 5 big bridges spanning Oakland Bay.

We dutifully went to Fishermen’s Wharf and enjoyed some good seafood. The sea lions that lounge around on the pontoons next to the dock are also a great attraction – although a bit noisy. Took a cruise out under the G/G Bridge which was completely shrouded in fog at noon and whipped by a brass-monkey kind of breeze - c’est la vie. Rushed back to our room for a hot bath and rum toddy – (see photo).

The cable cars are a bit of fun and the steep hills have to be seen to be believed. Also dutifully tried some Italian food at North Beach which was as good as New York. Away from the central business district there are mostly low to medium rise buildings with plenty of water views – a bit like Sydney in some ways. We enjoyed the atmosphere of San Francisco – a good place to finish our whirlwind tour of Canada and USA. Next off to Honolulu then home.

Gallery: SAN FRANCISCO

randywakefield — Tue, 2 Oct 2007 13:54:00 GMT

YOSEMITE

randywakefield — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:16:00 GMT

Because of our full travel schedule we only had 2 days at Yosemite and we had left it a bit late to book our accommodation, but finally found a hotel some 15 miles from the park entrance. We got to know that stretch of mountain road quite well – along with the 35 miles to reach Yosemite Valley after entering the park - 50 miles each way each day (if you don’t have to go back to recharge the camera battery) – then it’s an extra 100 miles (not kms) of tight mountain curves – no passing - yellow line fever.

But the drive was worth it. The valley was gouged out aeons ago by a glacier in one of the ice ages making a fantastic vista of sheer rock faces plunging down to an idyllic valley with fields and streams and with waterfalls coming down the rock faces here and there. Went to the giant sequoia grove (the second time) early in the morning and it was pretty cold, but fortunately we had a suitcase full of winter clothes in the car, so at last we had a chance to use them. We saw (some of) the giant sequoias and some ponderous ponderosas and heaps of rocks and plenty of pine trees. Unfortunately, didn’t see any bears, but lots of squirrels. Being late summer, most of the spring melting snow was gone and some of the waterfalls (and lakes) were dry, but it was still very spectacular.

Like the Grand Canyon, some of the areas are only accessible by (free) shuttle bus – park and ride. There are only a few hotels and lodges in the park – plenty of camp sites, but we didn’t bring our tent. On the positive side, our hotel had a hot spa pool which was good to relax in after a long day of driving and walking around the park. Could’ve stayed longer to see all the beauty spots, but on on to San Francisco, our final mainland destination.

Gallery: YOSEMITE

randywakefield — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 07:29:00 GMT

Magnificent

LA is a GREAT BIG FREEWAY

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 03:05:00 GMT

Drove across the Mojave Desert from Arizona to California and ran into a blinding thunderstorm – almost had to stop driving the rain was so heavy. But it didn’t last long and we were soon in brilliant sunshine again. Got onto the first of many six-lane (each way) freeways at San Bernadino about 35 miles from LA. Our hotel was in the Korean district – Korean signs everywhere – opposite the Seoul Hotel and next door to a Korean restaurant, so naturally we had Korean BBQ for dinner – not bad.

Drove out to Hollywood Boulevard and saw all the stars’ names on the sidewalks and visited Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Had no interest in looking at movie stars’ mansions so we drove out to Santa Monica (Muscle Beach) – through another heavy storm - but there was no muscle on display. Back in sunshine, we had lunch (beer for me) at Venice Beach a little further south and a little bit nicer and more upmarket.

Driving from one place to another in LA means merging from one freeway to another – then another. Little Tokyo was a bit disappointing and Chinatown was not much better but the food was ok. Next morning we drove out on the Pacific Highway to the north towards Yosemite via Malibu and Ventura – nicer beaches than Santa Monica.

Gallery: Los Angeles

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:54:00 GMT

Hollywood

Gallery: GRAND CANYON

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:50:00 GMT

Spectacular

Gallery: Las Vegas

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:43:00 GMT

Casinos

GRAND CANYON SPECTACULAR

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:39:00 GMT

Hired a car in Vegas for the final driving leg of our journey – Grand Canyon – Los Angeles – Yosemite – San Francisco. Drove (about 4:30 hours) to Grand Canyon over the top of the wall of the Hoover Dam. The lake created by the dam is long and narrow winding through the canyon. Got to the Canyon in plenty of time for the sunset, which is a popular attraction, but the clouds got in the way.

Grand Canyon was suitably GRAND – has to be seen to be believed. The colour changes and the rock formations are fantastic. Some parts are closed to traffic and there is a (free) shuttle bus running through the park all day till 10 pm. It’s very user-friendly and caters well for campers. Caroline and Dave would love it. Got up early in the morning to see some more before driving on to Los Angeles. (Mexico has been cancelled).

STRANDED in Las Vegas

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:36:00 GMT

We flew to Las Vegas via Houston which means we touched down in Texas, adding one more to our long list of states and provinces – almost losing count….. Arrived in Las Vegas and took a taxi to our (Worldmark) unit a bit south of the strip intending to pay by credit card as we had used up all our cash in Miami and New Orleans, but unfortunately taxis don’t take credit cards in the USA. The taxi fare was $17 plus tip $19 – we had a total of $22 between us – leaving us a total of $3 ($2 after Yasuko visited the casino). So there we were – STRANDED - in the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas with only $2 in cash. Fortunately our resort had a (free) shuttle bus to the strip and we had credit cards, but it was still a bit tricky. We couldn’t take a bus or taxi or buy anything unless it was by credit card and we had to wait 48 (business) hours to transfer funds – (fatal error).

We soon found that walking from one casino to the next around a ginormous building site was a marathon undertaking, but in spite of our strained circumstances Las Vegas was ok once we got used to it. We liked the interior of the Paris casino and went to see “The Producers” there with Tony Danza. The show was good and so was the buffet dinner before the show - the buffet meals at the casinos are excellent and are one of the highlights of Las Vegas. We had a few - even oatmeal for breakfast.

We originally planned to go to Mexico after Las Vegas, but for various reasons – including safety - we decided to bypass Mexico. That gave us an extra day to fill in, so we decided to stay an extra day in Vegas. We booked in to the Excalibur and finally our cash came through so we were able to ride the bus up and down the strip and see a bit more of the other casinos. Once she had some money in her purse Yasuko won back her $1 plus a bit more. Had breakfast at the Bellagio on the last day before we left (by car) for the Grand Canyon and we had to agree with Rosie that it was “not bad”.

Gallery: New Orleans

randywakefield — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 02:29:00 GMT

History

New Orleans and all that Jazz

randywakefield — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:40:00 GMT

We didn’t think we’d need a car in New Orleans. Just as well because we couldn’t find our hotel reservation printout and we couldn’t remember the name or address of the place we were staying at. Still, with a bit of perseverance and a few phone calls and a bit of assistance from a friendly shuttle bus driver, we ended up at the right place. After checking in we found the printout of our reservation confirmation hidden amongst some other papers – c’est la vie.

New Orleans is a place with a lot of history not the least of which was hurricane Katrina. The after-effects are still visible and (some of) the people are still suffering. Buses are running on (some of) the trolley car routes and the unused tracks are half buried in the mud – the once-busy port is quiet with empty berths and warehouses.

Went for a river cruise on a paddle-wheeler on the Mighty Mississippi – very wide and deep – 60 metres deep running at 7 knots 100 miles from the sea - lots of history along the banks. The surface of the river is some 5 metres above sea level, which partly explains the flooding caused by “Katrina”. The levees didn’t fail but some side canals overflowed into the Lower 9th St. which was the hardest hit area.

Bourbon Street still swings and there are plenty of jazz places and no shortage of sachmo impersonators. If we hear “Wonderful World” one more time it will be enough. Saw some interesting places including hand-made cigar factories – bought a few to bring home. Tried some jambalaya, crawfish pie and gumbo and had a good time. Next off to Las Vegas.

Gallery: MIAMI & EVERGLADES

randywakefield — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:34:00 GMT

Gallery: WASHINGTON DC

randywakefield — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 11:20:00 GMT

Gallery: New York

randywakefield — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 02:34:00 GMT

MIAMI and the EVERGLADES

randywakefield — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Picked up our rental car at the airport and made it ok to the hotel at Miami Beach just across the road from the beach and a little way north of South Beach, which is the hotspot.. Had a swim in the Atlantic – very smooth and calm and quite warm – Yasuko liked it. Everyone in Miami speaks Spanish – some of them speak English too – and a whole lot of Cubans – so we went to a Cuban seafood restaurant in South Beach – spicy and good. At night it’s like Rio at carnival time (if you can find a parking spot).

The airboat trip on the everglades was a highlight – something (I’ve) always wanted to do. The everglades (which is not a swamp but a very wide, shallow, slow-flowing river) is all fresh water and runs from a lake to the sea in the Gulf of Mexico. It was interesting and exhilarating with plenty of wildlife – birds and alligators which swam up close to the boat. They are also in the grip of a drought which could become critical – global warming???

Took a drive down the beautiful Florida Keys towards Key West way out in the Gulf of Mexico. The most startling thing we noticed on the way and all around Miami was the number of motor bikes (read Hogs) – nearly as many as cars – amazing. Starting at Key Largo (which, by the way, is a bit of a sleazy dump), the keys became more beautiful the further we went, but we cut it short and went back for a swim and happy hour (free drinks) before more delicious seafood in South Beach. As usual, the weather was perfect. Next day off to New Orleans.

Washington DC & The National Gallery

randywakefield — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 03:19:00 GMT

Easy driving down to w-dc. Our hotel was a little way out of town in Maryland, 9our 12th or 13th state or province) on a hill overlooking the Potomac River. We took a little drive downtown to check out the sights in the afternoon - easier said than done. Washington is a bit like canberra - a basic grid with lots of circles, overlaid by criss-crossing streets at different angles, superimposed with a complicated system of freeways. Major construction and numerous detours even confused our trusty gps.

So next day we went to the subway station and parked and took the train. Everything is clean and new and shining in dc including the subway. Went to the national gallery - fantastic. Roomfuls of renoirs, degas, manets, monets, cezannes, van gogh, rembrandts, and the only leonardo in the usa, plus maqtisse and picassos - all originals - all donated.

Walked past the whitehouse (surrounded by security). Then the Simsonian, which is an amazing collection of about 15 museums including the air & space museum which contains actual jet planes and space rockets and modules etc. in a word - amazing. Also a bit of Americana including Edison's first light bulb and the original M*A*S*H signpost (see photo).

On the way home we decided to do a test run to the airport so as not to get lost and miss our flight in the morning. You guessed it - we got lost. Actually we found out later we weren't really lost at all - just street signs turned the wrong way. Anyway we made it ok and dropped off the car and caught our flight - after even more security. Miami here we come.

Philly and the Liberty Bell

randywakefield — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:23:00 GMT

It was robin's idea to go to philly and see the liberty bell and it turned out to be a pleasant experience. we left new york in cloudy weather and it got worse. fog closed in and we almost had to stop driving. struck the first really poor weather since leaving home. (did i mention that the gps couldn't tell the difference between the brooklyn bridge and the manhattan bridge??) anyway we arrived at our hotel front door without fail, an elegant if old unit building in the centre of town. we had a small apartment (contionental breakfast provided).

duly went to see the (cracked) liberty bell in a very appropriately designed presentation. we had arranged to meet caroline's long time friend karen (nee jackson) who took us to a very interesting trendy upmarket restaurant for dinner. we talked and laughed a lot and had a great evening. unfortunately her husband ben couldn't make it but we hope to catch up with him at caroline's wedding.

next stop washington dc