My trip to the US was to be a solo affair but for some reason I said yes to my sister who asked to join me. Immediately I knew it was a mistake but after weighing the pros and cons, and they were pretty much equal, I decided to embrace the first part of my adventure and being able to share it with someone. I decided to ignore the following traits that my sister possesses but is oblivious to it or she just plain doesn’t care. The slight negative digs she makes when she feels she needs to feel superior, her absolute messiness and untidy nature generally, having to tell her what to do or it won’t get done, constantly hungry all the time and eating everything in sight but denying it when mentioned, her inconsiderate actions when sharing a room by being as noisy as possible without care and now a new trait of snoring like a freight train all night long but constantly telling me that I snore. But hey she’s my sister and she had cancer last year so here we are.
I planned a meticulous itinerary as I always do on my trips and every hour is accounted for. My sister wasn’t aware that I would wake up 6am walk 20 miles a day to explore each destination. Basically I broke her on day 1. We left our apartment in Washington DC which she chose and insisted on, at 7 am, and by 1pm while desperately trying to keep up with me and failing, I told her to just go back to the apartment. I just said get a lyft and I left. I continued with my itinerary and got home by 7pm having walked 20 miles. After day 1, I realised what was to come for the next two and a half months. I do what I try to do best was to carry on with my plans and ignore my sister’s whatever excuse she would bring up about not being able to do stuff with me. I actually preferred it not to have her follow me around so it suited me when she decided to spend two full days of the five cooped up in the shitty apartment she chose. I on the other hand explored the city to death. I walked everywhere and saw all the things I have seen on my favourite TV shows all my life. I recognised buildings and streets and was so excited to be there. The Capitol building was just magnificent and the Lincoln memorial even though having some construction was just as I remembered from my shows. I visited the Arlington Cemetery and then walked to the Pentagon and stopped by the Police for trying to take photos through a secure fence. Typical me. The only tour I booked was the Capitol building as only US citizens were allowed for the White House and Pentagon tours which really annoyed me. My favourite part of the Washington DC trip was sneaking into Lincoln's cottage which was a three hour walk from downtown. I got there just after 4pm only to be denied entry. I wasn’t even allowed to take photos near the entrance either. The guard was just plain uncooperative but very politely to go away. This was after all an ex veteran base of retirement homes and veteran family school. It’s an entire village base with Lincoln’s cottage slap bang in the middle. Disappointingly I walked away and tried my luck getting a sneaky peak through the perimeter fences. I walked all the way around for 10 minutes when I came across another entrance which was unguarded. It looked like a parking lot in front of the school. I walked in and tried my best to find the cottage. I saw the Sherman Church and the retirement complex opposite where 3 elderly gentlemen were talking. I apologised for interrupting them and asked where Lincoln’s cottage was. They pointed me straight to it and off I went. It was a beautiful cottage. It was closed so I couldn’t go inside but I was in the garden and rested on his stoop. There was also a statue of him and his horse. Although it wasn’t a life size statue as Lincoln was 6 feet 5 at least and the statue was my height. After taking many photos it was time to head back to the apartment via the beautiful basilica. It was a very long day of walking but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The trip in October was a wonderful time to experience the fall foliage. I knew that up until the cruise apart from exploring new cities, we would experience the wonderful colours of the autumnal season. This was especially so when it was sunny as well. Beautiful reds and oranges all over.
While planning this trip, it didn’t start out to be a mission to visit every state but as plans fell into place it became the 50 states trip albeit with a cruise thrown in and the quick weekend in Haiti minus Hawaii and Alaska which I had already visited previously along with 8 other states. Eventually my itinerary made it possible to visit all but two of the states. The first half with my sister obviously takes more time and the second half on my own is packed like a bullet train. So while in Washington DC, somewhat annoyed that it wasn’t a state, I took the Amtrak to Baltimore in Maryland. It was a lovely city and such a hot day. I covered another 20 miles walking around the city and into quieter towns nearby like my favourite Pigtown. I saw historic places, famous people’s birth homes and graves and quirky things if it was there. On another day I took the train to Wilmington Delaware. It was further away and a much smaller town but it was another great day exploring neighbourhoods where the rich and poor people lived. My first greyhound was over two hours late and I was worried about not getting back to Washington DC. It finally arrived and I was able to get a refund because of their 120 minutes guaranteed delay compensation policy. That was great.
Obviously when I got home to the apartment nothing was done. Kitchen still a mess, food still in the fridge and sister still unpacked. The next morning as we left early for our amtrak train to the next state at the last minute my sister scrapes the walls of the apartment where I saw the $100 deposit disappear. The first thing she said was I didn’t do it even though I saw her with my own eyes. Then she said ok I will pay you back for the deposit but I still frantically scrubbed the walls so we could get our deposit back. This is my sister happy to fork out $100 for a silly mistake.
Philadelphia was great and my sister was much happier with her choice of apartment as it was in Chinatown and everything was nearby so not much walking needed. The apartment she chose however didn’t let us leave our luggage so we had to pay for storage another unnecessary cost. She is happy to pay for convenience but again inconsiderately doesn’t think of other people who might be on a budget and didn’t expect this additional expense. A cheaper hotel slightly out of town would have been my choice but hey I compromised because she had cancer.
Philly was just awesome and I visited all the places I had planned. Some places were very far away and in some very unsavoury neighbourhoods but for some reason I needed to see Rocky’s house. He’s not even real for fucks sake. Washington DC was full of homeless and drugged up people mostly black too but they could still converse with you even if it’s just asking for money. What I saw in Kensington by Rocky’s house was just upsetting. As I left downtown the neighbourhood changed and I expected to see run down and even derelict buildings and lots. As I got closer to Kensington the catchment changed dramatically for the worse. The group of people near Rocky’s house whom I thought were tourists visiting the house were in fact drug dealers. I saw them selling and I saw junkies buying. I stayed barely 2 minutes on Rocky’s Street only speaking to a neighbour who happened to be outside on his porch two doors down from the drug dealers. He confirmed which was Rocky’s house and I quickly took a picture and got the hell out of there. I had to walk under the bridge to leave the area and what I saw was the most upsetting part of my trip to Philly. If you could imagine a dark and grimy underpass and figures moving about like zombies moaning and drooling. Then you see the still figures slumped over like dead bodies with a needle still in their arms or by their side. The stench and general creepiness of the whole situation was awful. From one point thinking I’m going to be robbed off my phone so being g a little scared to thinking actually these guys can’t physically do anything in their state that I actually relaxed. I relaxed more when I got to Fishtown and no more zombies. At this point I realise the drug problem that America has and how the taxes used from legalising marijuana isn’t being used to tackle this huge issue. Instead you still have the junkies and smelling weed everywhere you go. It’s a disgusting smell.
Our next state was New Jersey, Atlantic city to be exact. I was so excited to be staying at the historic Claridge Hotel and only for £30 each per night. It was slap bang on the boardwalk and they even had a free shuttle from the train station to the hotel which meant my sister didn’t have to take the lyft.
We checked in early and headed for the boardwalk. I wanted to start from the top and walk the 8 miles down and back. I managed to do half when I saw how much of the buildings and shops including smaller hotels were closed down or left abandoned. I cut short my walk and headed into Ducktown. This part of the neighbourhood was full of South Asians which surprised me. It was a short visit in New Jersey and New York beckoned.
We caught the typically late greyhound to New York. After some convincing we took the subway to our hotel. The lyft would be over $50 but my sister was happy to pay it as she struggled with her two bags and most of the time with just the one bag even because as a good sister I carried my bags as well as hers. We got to our hotel which was pretty nice but I thought it was a hostel albeit an expensive one. Now I know why as it was a hotel with own bathroom. Another expensive option but great location. Now to start exploring. My sister has now figured out my way of travelling and only joins me for two or three hours before she heads back to the hotel to rest. I went absolutely nuts the first day trying to squeeze every place I wanted to see. We had booked two Broadway shows two nights in a row so I needed to make sure wouldn’t be late. Moulin Rouge was just magical and I loved it. Neil Diamond a Beautiful Noise was more play and I only recognised some of the songs. It was 90 minutes from the theatre to our hotel which we walked the first night and took the subway the next night. Subway was $2.90 one way which was expensive for short trips but obviously economical for longer trips. On our last night before the cruise my sister wanted to visit Coney Island and I was also keen as I had seen it in the movies many times. Unfortunately Luna Park was closed so the place was dead apart from a couple of fast food restaurants and the boardwalk was open. We got there just in time for the sunset. I did everything on my list except Brooklyn and the Bronx, in 3 days instead of my planned 5 day itinerary. I figured I would do Brooklyn on the port day save having to go into Manhattan. Then the two extra days would be to ensure I didn’t miss anything. There’s always something to do in New York day and night. Even seeing the New York rats is a highlight. It’s the little things I appreciate.
The next morning we boarded our two week cruise to the Bahamas and Bermuda. I let my sister plan the trip to the cruise terminal and tried to convince her to use the subway first then lyft bearing in mind it was the day of the marathon and roads may be blocked. She insisted on the lyft as she really couldn’t handle her bags on the subway. She was paying for the lyft so what do I care. I just wanted to make sure we were there in plenty of time for all eventualities like always. Everything went well, no traffic, ferry on time and cruise check in was just as easy. Now for two weeks of relaxation and eating too much.
We flew to Nashville, Tennessee after a couple of days resting from the cold in New York. I was back to normal again so went back to exploring every nook and cranny of this wonderful city. It is the total opposite of New York, clean, friendly and bright. I’m loving Nashville from its music scene to street art to its skyscrapers. The homes ate huge too, they have mansions everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, Nashville has its own homeless problems but it’s pretty manageable unlike Washington DC.
The main scene in Nashville is Broadway with its numerous bars and saloons playing live music all day and all night. What’s brilliant is there are no cover charges and anyone can go into any bar and listen for as long as they want. It’s such an easy going and friendly place. Everything is close by and easy to get to.
When you move away from the main drag outside of the city I loved visiting the Belmont district. They have a beautiful university campus with gorgeous buildings I would feel inspired if I went to this university. There is also a mansion, pink with Greek columns. I spent thanksgiving in this beautiful setting spending time with the silly squirrels and little chubby red bird. It was a beautiful sunny day too. This was my first thanksgiving and it was perfect.
We got into Atlanta at night in downtown and the first thing we saw was police and a black man carrying a brick. I just wanted to get the hell out of there and 10 minutes later we were midtown checking into the hilton. I have to make the most of these lovely hotels as it will be hostels and airbnbs when my sister leaves me. After a fabulous night the next morning I headed into the 4th Ward and sweet auburn district to visit the Martin Luther King National Park. Here you could visit his birthplace, grave, neighbourhood and his church. I think it all went to hell for the African Americans when he was killed.
Atlanta is full of homeless people especially downtown. It also smells of toilet downtown too. Homelessness as well as drug addiction is a massive problem in the states.
After Atlanta we headed yo Charlotte in North Carolina. A lovely little city so clean and no homeless people at all. In fact I saw more Jehovah’s Witnessess than homeless people in the city. My sister never even visited the city. She just stayed in the motel and went shopping in the area. I explored both places and was excited that they had a tram. This means free rides. The next morning it was a 6am amtrak to Charleston in South Carolina. We had a stop in a little town called Wilson. I went exploring as usual. It was like I had stepped back in time. It was Sunday so expected it to be quiet but not dead quiet. By the time we reached Charleston it was 9pm and we headed straight to our hotel by the Riverview. It was out of the city as it was too expensive. I was looking forward to the walk across the bridge.
It was supposed to he a pedestrian bridge but it didn’t look like it. When the pavement ended I was walking on the road or ditch. Americans really don’t like walking. It was a thrillingly across the bridge and thank god for the jogger or I would have turned back and got the bus.
Charleston city is absolutely gorgeous. Not a skyscraper in sight and so many beautiful homes. I’m a bit conflicted about their history architecturally as I can’t even imagine the nightmare the slaves endured in those homes. I had two full days to explain this city. I walked as far as the Arthur Ravenal Bridge which was pedestrianised and saw one of the homes owned by a free man in Nassau St. There were apparently 100 free men in this district which is now classified as a poor neighbourhood. Then I headed to the oldest college in the USA. It was absolutely beautiful and inspiring to be learning somewhere so wonderful. I wish I went to a school like this. The same evening we boarded our amtrak train to Savannah and headed back into Georgia. Savannah is apparently the most haunted city in the US. I guess it looks like it does because of the ghosty trees. Those trees are synonymous in Savannah and makes everything look dramatic and other worldly. If you took the trees away then it would look like any other town or city without skyscrapers. We only had one full day so I did as much as possible. I headed all the way to Wormsloe historic park to see the 1.5 miles of oak lined road and then to Bonaventure cemetary which is said to be the most beautiful cemetery in the US. I reiterate if it wasn’t for the trees it wouldn’t be anything special. I enjoyed the squares in the city and tried to remember movie locations such as forest gump and scenes from the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
The next day we flew to Florida so I could fly to Haiti. I stayed one night in Miami in my sister’s airbnb after my Haitien trip. Then we flew to New Orleans in Louisiana which is the 14th state on this trip.
New Orleans is just as I imagined from the TV shows and movies except for the additional homeless people. In fact on Bourbon Street the homeless and tourists mingle. It also smells of piss too. I love the buildings with the wraparound balconies. There isn’t much history provided with buildings. The most infamous mansion is Lalaurie, she was depicted in one of the American Horror stories series. She did the most gruesome acts to her slaves. They endured unimaginable pain and suffering at her hands which is why the mansion still remains but no plaque to celebrate it. I visited several voodoo shops and weird vampire cafes. I finally tried beignets, French style donuts which I have seen on all my favourite tv shows in Louisiana. Basically it’s just fried dough but it was warm and tasted so good. I also headed to Chalmette battlefield to learn all about the most important battle against the British and how General Jackson lead his most diverse troops to victory and New Orleans was born.
Texas was my 17th state and we took the Greyhound bus from New Orleans to Houston. The only reason we are visiting Houston is to see the Space centre. 20 odd years ago I was in Florida in Port Canavrel Kennedy Space Center. That is where the rockets and shuttles take off and is Houston is mission control. It was a shaky wet start. Our hostel needed my passport and the greyhound coach had no wifi so I was unable to submit their form in order to get the entry codes. When we did arrive in Houston it started raining and it got worse as we reached the hostel. The hostel was unmanned and without the codes there was no entry. I found shelter in the nearby prep school. Once out of the rain I got my sister’s hot spot and eventually got the codes we needed to get into the hostel. It was a 15 minutes of inconvenience. The hostel was actually lovely and we were very happy in the end. The following day we headed to the Space Center and stayed for 6 hours exploring every exhibition, visiting every event and meeting an astronaut. It was an amazing day. The next day we hopped on the greyhound again and got to Dallas mid afternoon.
I actually like Dallas and Texas as a state. It’s big enough not to be crowded, it has skyscrapers and its very own charm. Dallas has its own music district in Deep Ellum with fantastic murals and street art. Most of all, my visit to Dallas was all about JFK and his assassination. Where he was shot is where x marks the spot on the street. The Texas depository building where Oswald apparently shot JFK. It was an historical site and the most important part of my visit to Dallas. I also met JFK enthusiast or some might call him a conspiracy theorist or online kook. I found it interesting to talk to him and see photos and memos from several law enforcement agencies confirming the assassination of JFK was a hit. Again its interesting but is it true or false?
The following day we headed to Fort Worth stockyard to see the famous Texas Longhorns. We did see some from afar at the Space Center. This time we were up close and personal with these beautiful horned creatures. The town is also a step back in time and I love that it is kept that way. I saw the Longhorns in their pen before the parade practising. Eventually they waddled through main street wither cowboys in tow making sure none strayed away. We had Texas chilli for lunch in the White Elephant Saloon where the Chuck Norris show Walker Texas Ranger is sometimes filmed. It was a brilliant day.
I headed to a town called Plano and from there 8 miles away to another town called Parker where the Southfork Ranch is. This is where they filmed my childhood TV show Dallas. It was a 6 hours walk from Plano to Southfork Ranch and back. I was excited to see the entrance main gate and the Southfork sign. Then I saw the famous House. That was more than enough but I explored as much as I could without having to pay the $20 for the official tour. Another great day.
State number 16 was calling and we got onto another greyhound and headed to Tulsa, Oklohoma. We booked into a ranch called Meadowlake in Sandy Springs just outside of Tulsa. Before getting there I took a quick tour of Tulsa City in particular the Centre of the Universe. Yes your voice echoed when you stood on it but not like in the new Stallone show Tulsa King, if you shouted nobody can hear you. That wasn’t true.
I was so excited when we entered Meadowlake ranch. It wasn’t green and lush like in the YouTube video but as we came in the winter season it was more beige and golden. The cabin I chose was the one Paul McCartney stated in for his 66th birthday. I slept in the same bed a Beatle slept in and took a dip in the whirlpool he took a dip in. So amazing. The lake was lovely too and right next to our cabin. We were also their only visitors that night and had the whole ranch to ourselves. After making my lunch I went for a walk around the ranch and met a donkey, two goats and four horses. It was a beautiful setting and away from the city even though you can see Tulsa city from afar through the trees. It was a restful and relaxed visit to Meadowlake ranch. The Ranch has been used as a film locations most recently the Korean movie Minari. At the moment it’s been set up ready for the FX series Reservation Dogs.
There us also a family cemetary on the land. The land was once a Muscogee creek allotment. The land belonged to a Cherokee and his white name was Postoak. His 15 year old daughter was the first person buried there. There are 143 graves. Members of the Muscogee tribe often visit the cemetery as it is part of the Muscogee reservation.
The next morning we were able to stay until 2pm so we could go for another trail walk and then get ready for my next state, New Mexico.
Albuquerque was just great. There were no skyscrapers and the Old Town looks just like the old western movies from back in the day. The buildings are unusually designed from the other homes I’ve seen. They look more like square boxes with spike like moulds on the outside.
The transit system is free here so basically the homeless people use it an if you’re unlucky you get a bus smelling of piss. I found out about the free bus 4 hours into my walk which was fine as I enjoyed looking for the Breaking Bad locations. This was my main reason to come Albuquerque then it was for Better Call Saul. They were randomly dotted around Albuquerque and I managed to find the most important locations. It was great fun. The state is New Mexico so I expected Mexicans to be a majority here. There was a strong Native American influence too which is apparent in the street art and murals around the city. I also bought some groceries at the Mexican supermarket which is considerably cheaper than the previous ones I used before especially for fruit and vegetables. I got 2 avocados and a head of broccoli for $1.75. That would be at least $5 in a publix or kroger so I was happy. The next morning we flew to San Francisco.
We headed into the city using public transport. The train was $10 which was a lot so I found a bus that was $2.25. It was an hour’s ride and perfect timing for my reunion with Misty. I met her on a tour in Tasmania. She is a fun and had a great personality and we hit it off. We’ve been following each other on Facebook sine 2017. We’ll I was late, because of my sister obviously.
We got off our last stop which was 15 mins walk to our hotel. Of course my sister needs to get a lyft. So as usual she faffs around trying to get an address instead of just using the location option. Then she decided to move to another place when she realised she didn’t have her bag with her. She had left it on the bus or the airport. This bag had her passport and all her credit cards. Straight away she said I have to go to Yosemite on my own...like I said blind panic. Why on earth she took it off her back on a crowded bus I will never know. I saw a bus at a rest stop so I went and enquired while she panicked. If lucky the bus we were on was at the end of shift and headed back to the yard and the driver would check the bus and find the bag and hand it to lost and found. He gave us details on where to go and the number to ring and was ever do helpful. I eventually got my sister to see sense and getting her to focus on getting to the hotel, leaving the bags and then going to the yard. While she still tried to get a lyft and failing I saw a rickshaw. I told her to get on it and I would walk to the hotel and meet her. She didn’t want to pay $25 and decided to walk. As we crossed the road, the bus driver who helped us was sjust leaving his stop and he opened his door and yelled to us that the bag had been found and was at the yard. Well the relief was amazing and ecstatic laughter ensued but then my sister went back to her normal self. So we headed to the hotel. She struggled so I helped by taking her bag and carry it along with mine all the way uphill to the hotel. We tried to check in but it was her booking and she obviously didn’t have the passport. We explained and eventually we were allowed to check in by using my id and credit card.
I messaged Misty about being late and why and quickly got ready and left to meet her. My sister went to the yard to get her bag hopefully with everything in it. And everything was in it. I eventually had a great night with Misty-Marie. She paid for cocktails and dinner and even took me on a night time drive around the city. She even invited me to her home to meet Cyprus her dog on Christmas eve evening and also her husband. After dropping me off at the hotel I stated searching frantically for alcatraz your tickets as apparently it’s all sold out during my stay. Eventually I found a very expensive option with viator for $170 which combined 2 tours. I bought it as it was a Xmas day tour. I know it’s expensive but alcatraz had to he done, it’s why I came to San Francisco. My sister asked me about it and I said I booked it as the cheap tickets were all sold out. She then managed to buy tickets for $135 and rubbed my nose in it. I was annoyed so saw that by booking directly I could have it for $135 too but unfortunately my booking was non refundable. Luckily for me the seller didn’t remove Xmas date and had to offer me a refund so I was able to book it again but this time directly for $135. Happy days. Still expensive but it’s alcatraz so worth it.
The next morning I headed to pier 33 for my alcatraz tour. I messaged my sister to come early as it’s so busy and she said her tour had been cancelled. I found that funny. The tour was amazing and I stayed on the island for 4 hours. I explored everything and every part of the prison open to me. The other tour that I didn’t particularly want to pay for was a bay cruise. Only worth $38 but I paid double because of the scalper. No matter as alcatraz was worth it. I was able to upgrade my cruise to a sunset cruise which was worth $50 so I felt a little better. The sunset was amazing no stunning with fiery reds and oranges against the most iconic bridges in the world. Then Misty-Marie picked me up for Christmas eve pizza and playtime with her dog Cyprus. It was great and she even got an uber to send me back to my hotel.
The next day was Christmas day so I headed to the Golden Gate Bridge. My aim was to reach a coastal town Sausalito which was across the bridge and 3 hours walk away. The walk on the bridge was awesome and I was surprised at the number of people out on Christmas day. Why weren’t they at home eating a turkey? From the bridge I spent longer than I should have as santa brought me dolphins and lots of it. They were all by the bridge and I could see them while crossing the bridge. Brilliant Christmas day and it wasn’t even noon yet. I eventually made my way to Sausalito Bay and proceeded to see a million birds dive bomb the bay. It was an awesome sight to behold.
I started my walk back to frisco as the locals call it via a few stops along the way. I walked so many steep roads and for miles and was happy to be back in the hotel by 7pm. San Francisco was knackering but brilliant.
It was a super early start for our trip to Yosemite. It was also my birthday so was a little excited. Yosemite didn’t disappoint except for the price of the room $320 a night for an old fashioned bedroom. But you’re paying for the views and nothing else not even breakfast. Outside our porch was the waterfalls. It was a little underwhelming as the rainfall was low so no gushing falls but just a dribble. I was happy to be there for my birthday and enjoyed all my walks in the park. I walked to the lower and upper Falls. I walked to mirror lake then took the free shuttle to El Capitan and then to Cathedral beach and eventually to the village to see the museum and reconstructed Native American village. It was another good day.
My next destination was to the state of Nevada, Las Vegas for New Year’s. On the way to the airport I decided to make an impromptu stop at the tour agency to pick up my $42 refund instead of waiting for him to find a PayPal account. It took 40 minutes round trip and 20 minutes waiting for the bus. My bus was late and there was an accident on the road so we had to make a detour. The bus driver from Kenya called Daniel was fabulous. He got me to the airport in time via the wrong terminal, the airtrain and security just as boarding started. I made it and I’m going to Vegas baby.
When we arrived to our room the entrance looked like a crime scene. I couldn’t stop laughing after the day I had to get here. It was a motel type place and it was the cheapest room as close to the strip. Thankfully it was an easy day for me the following day. I woke up late and made my way to the welcome to Las Vegas sign. It was nearly 90 minutes away from my hotel. From that point I just walked as far as I could on the strip. By the time I got back to the hotel at 9.30pm I had walked nearly 27 miles. Everything looks close but it’s really far. I took a detour near the stratosphere as I saw a supermarket and on the map it looked like 5 or 6 blocks but it was a 90 minute round trip. I saw the real Vegas and even shoplifters running out of a clothes store and jumping in a getaway car. As it got darker I saw drug dealers selling drugs out in the open on the street corner The homeless were around but not as many as other cities. I headed off to downtown up to Elvis’ Chapel before turning back. My knees were hurting and Freemont was just too far away. I walked to the Bellagio just in time for their water fountain show and they didn’t disappoint. People come to Vegas for the lights and shows and obviously the gambling. There’s nothing else to do that’s why there are so many tours out of the city. In hindsight I wished I spent the day on either the area 51 or antelope canyon tour. The following day it was a super early start for the tour to Zion and Bryce National Park in Utah. After another sister drama the coach headed to Zion National Park driving through the gorgeous Mojave desert with all the Joshua trees Nevada is famous for.
Zion National Park was just beautiful. The mountains were stunning but unfortunately we only had a short time so I only walked an hour on the trail. Then we headed to another two scenic spots before heading to Bryce National Park. That was unbelievable. It was so red and the shapes of the mountains with all their little chimneys just unbelievable. We had longer here so I was able to walk one of their trails. There was snow everywhere so the trails were dotted with icy patches which made it difficult to walk on without slipping. It was worth it though for the views. Then it was a long drive back to Vegas and slept through most of it.
The next day was New Year’s Eve and I managed to find a Hoover Dam and Boulder city tour for $35. This would give me something to do until our medieval dinner show until midnight. It’s going to be horribly busy this day.
The evening actually went better than expected. My sister was in such good spirits even laughing with me. We met up near the statue of liberty and headed to excalibur hotel for our show. It was a cheesy amateur dramatic type show with pyrotechnics and unfortunately horses. The best thing was the whole roast chicken we had each for dinner. It was delicious, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. After dinner we hung out until it was time to find a good spot for the fireworks. I was wary of the growing crowds but managed to find a space behind a tree ensuring I couldn’t get crushed as the tree was in my way. It was time for the fireworks and we had great views. It was a good 10 minutes long show. Then it was over and we took shelte in the Paris casino until the crowds dispersed. We eventually walked back to our hotel to collect our bags and get a lyft to the airport. So with no sleep the night before saving us $120 which was my idea, we flew to San Diego. We took the bus to the hostel and were in our rooms and I was asleep by 10am. I woke up at noon and went exploring. My first stop was the Seaport village where I was greeted by beautiful frollicking seals in the bay. Just what I needed to kick start my New Year. I saw the bar used in the Top Gun movie which was a bonus. Then I walked to Balboa park for all the galleries and museums. It was all closed because of New Year’s day but I enjoyed looking at the classical architecture of all the buildings. I headed back to the hotel as I got tired.
The next morning I took the trolley to San Ysidro International border to cross into Mexico. It is so close I had to visit Tijuana. It was a relatively easy border crossing into Mexico and just as easy getting around the city too. I saw a couple of museums, found a wonderful 3D mural and the cathedral. There was a lot of Police presence. I spent approximately 3 hours exploring Tijuana and decided to go back to San Diego unfortunately it took just as long queuing to criss the border to the US. The queue suddenly started on the bridge. I was walking along taking photos and I had to stop because I inadvertently joined the back of the queue. It snaked around 4 times back into the same square. Luckily if you were hungry or thirsty there were plenty of vendors selling things. There was even a couple of rappers and a cute dog on a bicycle. By 3pm I was back in San Diego on the trolley tram headed back to the hostel. I was too tired to do anymore.
The next morning it rained heavily so I had a lazy morning in my bed. I eventually got off my arse and went bay to Balboa park to check out the free museums and galleries which was perfect on a rainy day. It only rained for 20 minutes and I got a little wet but the sun came out and dried me up. I enjoyed the museums and had a better time in the Spanish Art village looking at amazing sculptures in the sunshine. As the sun was still out I decided to go to the Old Town historic park. The rain was gone for the day so I had an excellent time in the old historic park. It still had some of the old western charm but the buildings all but a few were now restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. It got dark so I headed back to the hostel. I met an Indian guy who now lives in Louiseville Kentucky. He was fun to talk to and we shared travel tips. He invited me onto his podcast show.
On my last day before greyhound to Anaheim I spent it at 3 beaches. It was a perfect sunny day for it. My first stop was La Jolla cove where the seals basked on the beach in the sunshine. They were surrounded by pelicans, cormorants and sea gulls in abundance. I could have watched them all day but I had two more beaches to visit. Pacific beach was another big beach. It had a pier with approx 40 bungalows built on them. They had amazing views. I peeked inside and saw a small one bedroom abode with haw dropping ocean views. Then I headed to mission beach which I think was the location for the top gun volleyball scenes. It was so cool. Then it was time to get the greyhound and headed to Anaheim for a much needed rest before I start the second leg of my US journey and thankfully I will be on my own. Bliss.
