Some random final thoughts about trip.....

In no particular order:

- I might have been very lucky with the route i chose, but US seems inundated with museums/attractions which are highlighted whilst driving the interstates (such as John Wayne museum, Buffalo Bill Museum). Somehow i don't remember seeing the equivalent signs whilst driving up the M1 - but perhaps i was not looking

- Whilst driving i saw very limited signs of political support, but all those i saw were pro Trump. Perhaps reflecting my route which avoided most large cities

- Religion remains key to a lot of areas i travelled through. Salt Lake City being the most extreme example but you come across a lot of churches and evangelical billboards

- Perhaps it might not seem like it now, but Americans seem to have more respect for political life. The concept of replicating in the UK the Presidential Libraries and Museums would seem alien to most brits but i think it works here

- Thankfully there is minimal talk about Brexit here!!

- Whilst the US economy is obviously doing well, there appears to remain some areas that have yet to benefit. A number of the communities i went through appeared run down (not unlike parts of UK) with shops closing or clearly struggling. Similarly a number of motels had closed - this may be due to change in holiday patterns or natural cycle (new motels pushing out the old offering)

- There are a lot of differences (sometimes subtle) between the states i travelled through.  Perhaps not surprising given the scale but for example some seemed to think that roadside billboards were clearly the best way to advertise, where in others it was rare

- US people remain very open to tourists, in particular Brits. Whilst we can sometime mock the "have a nice day" mantra it appears mostly heartfelt

- The only display of people's thoughts on immigration was at the Iowa Cubs game where there was a citizenship ceremony which was very warmly greeted by crowd

- Extremes of weather are significant. It seemed strange to be driving in 90+ degree weather and seeing signs that this is a snow road - no parking if more than 2 inches

- US roads aren't that well repaired. Certainly towards beginning of trip some of main roads left a bit to be desired. Perhaps this reflects the impact of that extreme weather but perhaps also some pressure on municipal budgets

- I still cant get to grips with US and guns. The ability to buy at Walmart alongside your groceries just appears wrong. There also seemed no shortage of Firework shops

- Something i have also felt when abroad, local guides always appear more enthusiastic/knowledgeable then in UK. This might be unfair but it feels like tourism has a greater emphasis/respect as a profession outside of UK

- Overall favourite visits of trip:

Historical = Gettysburg  a site which was brought to life by museum and tour guide

Culture = Fallingwater. A well designed building in great setting

Scenic = Yellowstone. All the national parks had their unique attraction but this was probably the most diverse in terms of scenery and wildlife

Unusual = The old Jail in Chambersburg. Small but really interesting and massively enthusiastic guide

,,,, Vegas baby!

So i had one full day to see Salt Lake City.  The center is quite small and therefore whilst still hot early in the morning it was a rare occasion to walk around a US city. The main feature is Temple Square which is effectively the headquarters for the Mormons with both religious and operational buildings.

Having been door-stepped a few times at home, i had some expectations on what i might find- very devout, enthusiastic and friendly people. As you walk around everyone says hello and there are lots of people to guide you around or answer questions. Its slightly surreal, nearly all the people are young ladies (probably 16-20) wearing a flag to represent where they have come from, as they have come to spend a couple of years as missionaries. Apparently young men are more likely to have administrative roles.

I decided to take a walking tour which was hosted by two of the female missionaries - one from Virginia and the other from the Philippines. At the outset they made it cleat that they would be happy to talk about anything, and not to worry about potentially offending them  It was an interesting experience, they were both pleasant, intelligent and obviously very devoted to the religion, They talked openly about the different roles of men/women in the church and a desire that over time women can take on more responsibility.

Whilst you are not allowed into the main temple which dominates the center of the city, you are shown a number of historical buildings including the Tabernacle which has the 11th largest organ in the world. I went back later to listen to a short recital and the acoustics were extremely good - in particular for a building built in the late 19th century by a bridge builder!

Apart from one large 1960's building which acts as admin hub (even Church can make a mistake with architecture) the buildings are all impressive.

Overall it was an interesting experience but slightly surreal. There is quite a bit of security, a number of people walking around with shades as though auditioning for Men in Black and as the guides said themselves, the young men can look like cheap store security guards. If door stepped in the future, then i will tell them that they still don't have a chance of converting an old atheist like me, but i might chat about SL city.

Driving out of the city the next morning actually saw the most traffic of the trip, but gradually as i got further south it thinned out into more normal levels. My destination was Bryce Canyon, as a base for Zion Park the next day. Arriving early afternoon gave me the opportunity to go into Bryce Canyon National Park, where i could spend a couple of hours driving around. Once again very interesting, less about wildlife this time, more about stunning scenery.

Following day saw a couple of hour drive to Zion where i arrived late morning. This was the first park which felt crowded and a number of the parking areas were full. This probably was the reason i stayed for a shorter period than the other parks, even though the scenery again was amazing.

So that was it for the National Parks. I had bought a "America the beautiful pass" at the first park i went to, and for $80 it saved me money on this trip - and is valid until end July next year.

Final driving day was to Las Vegas.  Itself a very scenic route and you get to see the city from around 20 miles out - a solitary vision in the desert, Leaving the car at Hertz i had completed 4,371 miles over the three week period. I cant say that i loved the Toyota Corolla but it did its job (just as the Maintenance Required sign had been on for the last few days).

I now have 10 days in Vegas playing bridge, and then 2 nights in San Diego on my home.

New photos have been added here:

Salt Lake City
US Sundry
Bryce Canyon
Zion National Park

Updated list of States travelled through:

Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)
Nebraska (back over bridge)
Iowa again
South Dakota (where i changed time zone within the state as we went to Mountain Time Zone)
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana (yes they criss-cross quite a bit)
Idaho
Utah
Arizona
Nevada

Updated car music list (i managed to keep a US theme solely from my music library) :

Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin
Talking Heads
Hootie and the Blowfish
Meat Loaf
Moby
Madonna
Frank Sinatra
Paul Simon
Bob Dylan

and then to Yellowstone

So next day was a drive to Billings. This was primarily a stepping stone on the way to Yellowstone so i did not really have much planned for the day or at Billings.

If i had done any research however i might have worked out that Little Bighorn (Custer's last stand) was on route and so this was the break in the journey for lunch. The museum is quite small but includes a 20min movie with the background to the battle. I had actually just got to this period in my book and so had some of the background which included a fair amount of criticism for Custer's strategy on the day.  Alongside various memorials there are tombstones for all of Custer's men who died that day (that's all of Custer's men - none survived).

Having spent a while there i got to Billings late afternoon. The drive into the town has similarities to the M4 as you get to Merthyr Tydfil  and probably fair to say not particularly scenic (apologies to inhabitants of Billings or MT). I was staying in the Vegas Hotel and Casino - lavish title but the price had been fairly cheap. Fair to say that the price was more reflective of the venue and the "casino" was basically just some slot machines. That said bed and breakfast were both fine and that was the most important thing.

Next day was a drive to Yellowstone where i was staying just outside the park at West Yellowstone. Google maps offered me the quickest route of about 4 hours but showed another option which was about an hour longer. Did not really get a feel for what that entailed but there seemed to be some more interesting features so i tried that one.

Good idea.

The route took me through the mountains - Bear Creek Pass - and then into Yellowstone at the North East gate. From there it was a winding route to the West exit and West Yellowstone.

The mountain pass took me up to just under 11,000 feet and the snow capped top.  Temperature of 57 degrees was slightly lower than the 99 degrees i had faced the previous day at Little Bighorn. The road (which i imagine is closed fairly regularly in the winter) wound around the mountains with both 20mph and 10mphs bends, as well as fairly long stretches of 25mphs. The scenery was stunning and the extra hour was always going to be extended further by numerous photo stops.

A while later i got to Yellowstone where i spent a few hours that afternoon and the most of the following day. The photos/videos referenced below will give you a feel for the scenery but to try and summarise the main features:

- amazing breadth of stunning scenery - pine and spruce everywhere but with plains and also mountain passed

- a wealth of geysers (more than the rest of the world combined) each with their own particular nuances of colour , steam , power and vegetation

- more Bison that you could count. Mainly in herds in the distance but often solitary close to (or indeed on) the road, or near to some of the geysers. A couple of occasions just across the river making photos easier and more spectacular

- you can get complacent about bison. After seeing another fairly close up i was slightly surprised when i got more excited about the next wildlife i saw as i heard myself think " wow......some ducks"

- bears that are more difficult to spot. Probably easier if you hike in the woods but not many close to the road. You get an idea that something interesting is about when you see break lights ahead of you and cars crawling  - and i managed to spot a bear in the distance (you may be able to make out in photos). On another occasion traffic slowed for quite some while and i parked up to join others looking at the roadside. Only to be told by ranger to move on - someone had spotted a young bear, father in distance but no sign of mother. Ranger was keen to make sure no one got between mother and child - given the potential reaction.

- range of other wildlife including elk, prairie dogs, moose and of course ducks

i managed to broadly cover most of the key roads across Yellowstone, but clearly its somewhere you can spend a lot of time and see the areas in more depth. Perhaps somewhere for a return visit.

Next day would be a drive to Salt Lake City where i am staying for two nights. There was a certain cricket match going on and whilst i managed to get wifi when stopping for brunch, i left the game with Stokes and Butler coming together and the match evenly poised. I stopped a few more times but with no joy getting any form of phone reception so i had no idea whether the match had an interesting finish.

Arriving at the hotel at Salt Lake - the joy of wifi - and wow what an outcome.

I will explore the city tomorrow but i found a pub/cinema around the corner from the hotel. Being teetotal the pub feature was not essential but it did give the cinema a good feel. I saw Spiderman which is i think the first Avengers film i have seen. It was very different to my memory of the TV programme ( oh to think of Purdey) but very enjoyable.

Now i just need to find some more highlights and reports on the cricket.

New photos have been added here:

Little Bighorn National Battlefield
Billings to Yellowstone
Yellowstone Old Faithful
Yellowstone West Thumb Geyser Basin
Yellowstone Mud Volcano
Yellowstone Mammoth Hot Springs
Yellowstone

Updated list of States travelled through so far:

Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)
Nebraska (back over bridge)
Iowa again
South Dakota (where i changed time zone within the state as we went to Mountain Time Zone)
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana
Wyoming
Montana (yes they criss-cross quite a bit)
Idaho
Utah

Updated car music list (trying to keep a US theme although my music library might struggle to keep going for the whole trip) :

Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin
Talking Heads
Hootie and the Blowfish
Meat Loaf
Moby
Madonna
Frank Sinatra

Start of the national parks phase

So i left Omaha to drive to Sioux Falls.

First stop for breakfast at what turned out to be one of those typical US diners. Friendly staff, traditional food and reasonable value for money. Slightly puts Little Chef to shame.

I then stopped at a couple of small state parks to take in the scenery and break the journey  before arriving at Sioux Falls early afternoon.

At Sioux Falls, there was clearly one thing i needed to check out which were the Falls themselves. Well protected and small visitor/cafe made it a good location in the afternoon sun. Whilst i was there i checked out local events showing on google maps and it indicated a free municipal band concert that evening. So i went along to the "sound of the 80's" played enthusiastically by a pretty decent local band. This is apparently a weekly occurrence during the summer and seemed to reflect a strong local community focus.

Next day was a drive to Munro. On the way i took a number of diversions:

Dakota Discovery Museum - small museum which appeared to be part of college campus. i was the only one there, and i would be surprised if the $7 entrance fee per person would keep it going. Interesting background on local area, relationship between native Indian  Americans and American pioneers and local artist exhibitions

South Dakota Hall of Fame - a concept which is alien to UK but seems prevalent in lots of states and of course sports.  Obviously the names meant nothing to me, but interesting to see what type of success they wanted to celebrate

Akta Lokata Museum - really interesting, part of boarding school which was established for Indian Americans by catholic church. Originally with government subsidy, it continues primarily through charitable support as government switched teaching methods to day schools. Well put together museum, with video remembrances from pupils and staff (mostly clergy until more recent years).

I arrived in time to check out the "1880 Town" which had been advertised on countless billboards along the journey.  Its a mock western town, comprising of all the outlets you would expect. Apparently it was used in Dances with Wolves, a fact it played on quite a bit, including photos of various members of the Costner family around the set.

Next day sees a drive to keystone where i would stay for 2 nights. A short journey enabled me to spend a number of hours at Badlands National Park, an amazing combination of rock formations and canyons. Created through erosion since the area was originally sea around 70 million years ago and then transformed over time to wetlands and then the prairies of today. Stunning views and interesting visitor centres.

my full day at Keystone was in order to take in Mount Rushmore and Wind Cave National Park. Unfortunately the latter was closed due to maintenance work on the lift down to the caves.

You obviously know what you are going to see at Mount Rushmore but it was actually smaller than i expected and whilst really enjoyable i spent less time there than i expected (partly also because visitor centre was closed). That gave me time to view Custer State park which is a combination of prairies and forests and includes a number of scenic drives, including a wildlife loop, Managed to see a variety of wildlife including bison, deer and wild donkeys (although they seemed quite docile as they walked on/off the road at one stage).

Final part of the day was Bear Country USA, a wildlife park where you drive around a number of enclosures. I struggle sometimes with zoos/wildlife parks and whether they really add to the conservation agenda, and crawling around the park in a slow moving convoy of cars i did wonder what the fumes would be doing to the animals.

New photos have been added here:

Omaha to Sioux Falls
Dakota Discovery Museum
South Dakota Hall of Fame
Akta Lokata Museum
1880 Town
Badlands National Park
Mount Rushmore
Custer  State Park
US Sundry

Bear Country USA

Updated list of States travelled through so far:

Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)
Nebraska (back over bridge)
Iowa again
South Dakota (where i changed time zone within the state as we went to Mountain Time Zone)

Updated car music list (trying to keep a US theme although my music library might struggle to keep going for the whole trip) :

Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin
Talking Heads
Hootie and the Blowfish
Meat Loaf

Around 4th July

Strangely enough i got to 4th July 1776 in my history book a couple of days ago, so at least i would know what everyone would be celebrating.

Before then i would be off to Notre Dame, one of the originally planned stops on my route although i had reduced from 2 to 1 night. Arriving just after midday i found out that there was a campus tour at one, so that seemed a good option. My knowledge of Notre Dame was mostly associated with college football, but given the name i was not surprised by the religous links which remain important to this day. I had not appreciated the irish links however. The campus was very impressive and really well maintained. All the students have to stay on campus for their full stay, this includes perks such as cheap season tickets for the football (c $200 compared to full price of up to $4,200 - with waiting list).

Whilst not ivy league - the cost of Notre Dame like other colleges in USA is much higher than UK. That said, presumably as a result of their religous links, they do appear to be generous with bursaries. All applications are reviewed, places given on merit and then students ability to pay influences the final bill.

After the tour, i decided to risk life and limb by finding a bar to watch USA v England in soccer world cup (women). Really exciting match, including controversy of VAR, probably ended up best for my safety with a US victory.

The next day would see my driving through Indiana, Illinois and Iowa to one of my new stops - Rhythm City Casino and hotel in Davenport. This was slightly less driving then originally planned for the day which gave me the option to stop off along the way. On all the interstates there are lots of signs to local attractions and whilst some have limited detail on the distance from the main road they do provide alternatives to amend the route. Today i stopped at:

Starved Rock State Park including large lock with small museum

Hennepin Canal State Park - slightly less impressive small canal

Buffalo Bill Museum - one of those $5 musuems that are really interesting and with very enthusiastic staff/volunteers

Unfortunately the very friendly welcome i have had from everyone to date, was not replicated by the Blackjack cards at the casino. I therefore left the following day (4th July) slightly lighter in the pocket.

Driving to Des Moines i was not sure what would be open due to the date, but seeing a sign to the Herbert Hoover museum i took the side road off the interstate and arrived at opening time of 9-30am. Doors were being unlocked as i got there and i spent a really interesting couple of hours. I knew very little about this president (other than the Dam) and came away liking the man and thinking that he would have been better not to have stood for president. Taking over just ahead of the great depression of 1930s (which apparently he warned about) he seems to have been blamed for the struggles of the nation. whether his policies were right or wrong is not clear, but that phase of his life seemed to compare less favourably with his earlier and later efforts.

When i arrived at Des Moines i quickly hit google to find out where there might be any fireworks. it was mentioned that there were fireworks after the local minor league baseball match, so not expecting any luck, i tried website for tickets and found the only one left behind the batter. Really good evening, including a ceremony for 30 or so people that were being granted citizenship (with a message from President Trump on the big screen at the end). in today's world, it was warming to hear the really postive reception they all received from the full crowd.

After the match (a win for the locals) there was a really spectacular firework display.

Next day was a drive to Omaha. 

The first interesting attraction signposted was "birthplace of John Wayne" , so i took the side road to Winterset, the capital of Madison County. A small town,  with variety of shops around a church square, including a museum to JW. Once again, museum was small but really impressive and around the corner you also went into his childhood home.

I would be in Omaha for two nights, partly to get some laundry done! Did not quite go to plan - asked when i arrived and told to bring down following morning. Next morning told that dry cleaning was not undertaken at the weekend. Not to worry - self laundry room in hotel. First load done and in dryer, washing machine then takes money for next load, shows an Err message and then asks for money again.  Keys to machine apparently not held onsite - so eventually gave up after one load (money refunded).

Other than that, plenty to do in Omaha for the day. Railway museum,  bridge where you walk from Nebraska to Iowa (and back again) as well as art museum providing interesting mix.

New photos have been added here:

Notre Dame
Notre Dame to Davenport
Buffalo Bill Museum
Iowa Cubs Baseball
Madison County inc John Wayne Museum
US sundry
Omaha including railway museum
Omaha - Joslyn Art Museum

Updated list of States travelled through so far:

Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio
Indiana
Illinois
Iowa
Nebraska
Iowa again (just walked over the bridge)

Updated car music list (trying to keep a US theme although my music library might struggle to keep going for the whole trip) :

Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac
Alanis Morrisette
Cornelius Brothers
Tracy Chapman
Dean Martin

More history

Well i am in USA so only really modern history.

Looking back on Facebook i made a note that on 17 March, partly in preperation for this trip, i started reading The Penguin History of the United States of America. The fact that Kobo tells me that its 20% read with 42 hours to go reflects that its a significant book (i dont read that slowly) which i have struggled to get into. I dont know why - like modern works (book, TV, film) it has the key dynamics of intrigue, murder, politics but for some reason my progress has been slow. As such going around some of the sites over the last few days (and my time in Boston and Gettysburg)  i have been less prepared than i should have been.

Having seen a lot of Gettysburg on my first day, i decided to change my route, cancel one night in Chambersburg and have an interim stop in Cumberland. Nothing much to see there but it would give me more flexibility the following day.

Before leaving Chambersburg, i had to visit the #1 Tripadvisor Thing to Do which was the old Jail. Given i had popped into Jim's Farmer's market earlier (which was #6) and not been too impressed, i did not have high expectations but the reviews on Tripadvisor were very positive. As i opened the door i heard a voice behind me (who was doing some gardening) politely asking what i wanted. Turned out Tony was also the tour guide (you dont wander around on your own) and was happy to give me the $5 tour on my own. I am sure he was thankful that just as he was beginning a group of 5 arrived to join. 

Whilst quite small, the tour took more than the originally suggested hour, partly due to the fact that Tony was very informative and obviously thoroughly enjoyed showing people around. The jail had originally been built in 1818 and was in use until 1970. According to Tony making it the longest consecutively open jail in Pennsylvania! the tour takes in the staff rooms, cells (including a newer block opened later in the 19th century) with many of the rooms having other exhibits donated to provide historical context. One referenced the Underground railway which i made a note to find out more detail during my trip. Overall a surprisingly good way to spend a couple of hours and i have added a tripadvisor review which should keep it #1.

The drive to Cumberland was uneventful and a quiet evening meant i was rested for early start following day. 

I had noticed that on the drive to fallingwater there was a national park - Fort Necessity National Battlefield - so i decided to get there for its opening at 9-30am. There was a small museum about the battle (brits v french which we lost) and then a signpost to the fort itself. As i got closer there appeared to be a mock soldier just outside the fort but as i got closer it became clear that it was a person dressed up in english battle costume. Given it was warm at 9-30am, i can not imagine how he would have felt as the day progressed (presumably hoping that noone was stupid enough to turn up at the hottest part of the day so he could find some shade in the fort).  Once again someone really informative who brought the fort to life and was very happy to chat and answer questions. So far on the trip, all the guides, which i think have been a combination of professionals and volunteers, have all been sensationally good.

So the stop was a success, and i started on the short trip to Fallingwater. I came across some small waterfalls by the side of the road so this was an ideal place for a coffee. Whilst there the traffic stopped at a rail crossing and to prove that america does eveything bigger (well in this case longer) it was a full five minutes as the freight carriages went by.

Fallingwater is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed house which was recommended by an american friend when he knew my broad route. For its peak time (autumn) you have to book months in advance but i managed to book the day before. 

The house is built in the forest, right against boulders and using them to frame the house.  It has a stream which goes underneath and feels integral to the house. I sparked an interest in architecture when i looked after a US architect firm (SOM's UK business who worked heavily on Canary Wharf) in my early banking days and whilst no expert can appreciate aspects. The tour of the house is guided (with strict instructions not to touch or photograph anything) and as well as pointing out the design features the guide talked about the client family (wealthy local merchant) and their relationship with FLW. As the guide mentioned, FLW looked in some areas to "client proof" the house and i sensed would have been happier if the house was not used, so the client family could not interfere with his careful design.

You are able to take photos outside and they go to show the stunning setting but perhaps dont enable you to get a feel for how the house blends into the hill.

Leaving mid afternoon, this got me to Pittsburgh late afternoon. I had already decided to cancel my second night in Pittsburgh so that i could break the next drive and so i thought i would go for a walk to see one of the recommended sites  the Monongahela incline. A tram that goes up to provide great views over Pittsbugh. Google maps showed a 30 min 1.4 mile slightly complicated walk, so whilst still hot i thought that i would leave the hire car at the hotel. Off i went , water bottle and hat to hand,

An hour later, GPS have been lost a few time.... have been routed and re-routed a number of times - all seemingly uphil - i decided to give up (knowing it was surely just around the next corner). i do believe that getting lost from time to time is good for the soul, but perhaps not in 90 degree heat.  A bath,  keeping up the US theme by listening to US academic and author Jared Diamond on Desert Island Discs podcast - was well received.

Leaving Pittsburgh my revised route took me to Sandusky which is on Lake Eerie. Before starting the drive i did stop at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical gardens. Thankfully it improved my memories of Pittsburgh a great deal, including a Van Gogh in bloom theme (how did they know i was at the Tate exhibition just before i left).

i hsd hoped that being on the lake, temperature might go down at Sandusky. Not the case, which meant that for dinner i did the american thing and drove the three blocks in my air conditioned car! There is a small pool at the motel open to midnight so maybe thats the best time to be out in Sandusky.

Tommorow is a drive to South Bend - where i have again reduced my stay to one night. This gives me more time to stop along the way if i see something of interest (still wonder whether i should have gone to Mister Ed's museum).

Next blog probably at the end of the week.

You should be able to access photos here:

Boston
Mark Twain House
Gettysburg
Chambersburg
Cumberland to Pittsburg
Fallingwater
Pittsburg
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens


States travelled through so far:

Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
Maryland
Pennsylvania again
Ohio


Car music (trying to keep a US theme although my music library might struggle to keep going for the whole trip) :

Bruce Springstein
10,000 Maniacs
Suzanne Vega
R.E.M
Fleetwood Mac

First few days of US roadtrip

So when i stopped working last year, i decided to have a bit of a US roadtrip. I have been to the states quite a bit over the years, including annually to a US bridge national for the last 17 years, however outside the main cities i had not seen much of traditional USA.

With plans already in place to be in Las Vegas for the national towards end of July. i worked backwards, calculated where my Virgin airmiles would allow me to go (so easy to earn, so difficult to spend!) and ended up with a trip which started in boston, on 25th June, arrived in vegas 18th July for 11 days and ended with a couple of days in San Diego. Back in UK for the start of August and the start of the Ashes.

The journey is fairly well planned, hotels (mainly motels) booked but cancellable if i change my mind, and attractions noted. But with enough flexibility to go where i wanted - although today i managed to stop myself from turning off from my route to see a heavily billboard advertised Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Empororium.

Trip started with a couple of night in Boston - primarily to get over the worst of the jetlag before picking up the car. I had one full day to do some sightseeing which primarily consisted of a trip to JFK memorial library and then a guided tour of the freedom trail. Both were really interesting and put my knowledge of US history to shame (which will be repeated again during the trip).

In the evening a random google search found tickets available for a new play "Tea at Five" a one woman play about the later years of Katharine Hepburn. Faye Dunnaway playing KH. It is playing in Boston ahead of a move to Broadway later in the year. I eventually found out the reason the tickets were relatively easy to get was the official opening was not until later in the week - however it was very enjoyable despite FD struggling a few times with her lines.

Following day i picked up car for my first driving day to Wilkes Barre - which was really a stopping point rather than anything of itself. I decided to take a detour to break for lunch and see Mark Twain's House and Museum in Hartford. A guided tour of the house provided a good insite into the man and his family.

Following morning i made an early start - my body clock is not yet on US time - for the shorter drive to Gettysburg - I am staying about 30 mins away for 2 nights. Got there early so managed to see the introductory film and cyclorama (you look it up, I had to) before taking a guided bus tour for a couple of hours around the battlefield. Really interesting and humbling to appreciate the scale of the loss of life that took place. Whilst you never really see everything there is , I have seen most of the key sites so will look for other things to do tomorrow (must check Mister Ed'sopening hours)

i am a very occasional driver in US, so its taking me a while to remind myslef of the various querks. Speed limits appear quite random, that turning right on red might be sensible but just feels strange and there is an abundance of road signs. Some make real sense - double fines for speeding where there are roadworks for example, but with bright blue skys why do i have to turn my lights on whilst going through roadworks?

So far i have traveled through:

Massachusetts.......Connecticut.....New York.......Pennsylvania

The first day was mainly interstate but with some really good views of rolling forests and quite a bit of water - lakes/rivers. Today has been a bit more rural and your typical view of mid america single storey housing.  Music has so far been provided by  Bruce Springstein and 10,000 maniacs, with the US theme to continue tomorrow with Suzanne Vega.

Will post again after the weekend.