LA to New York

OK today is Wednesday 13th May and I have started the last tour of my journey. I am traveling by bus from Los Angeles to New York, it should take about 3 weeks. First stop today is in San Diego. I've just had a wander round town and its a very nice place. Lots of lovely bars and restaurants. Emmm.

Traveling with me in the group are, or should I give you the cast list, we are in California after all:

Our leader Chris from California

Kerry from Australia

Kirsty from England

Andreas and Michael from Denmark

Simon and Liza from England

Hannah and Francesca from England

Fie and Camilla from Denmark

Jo and Isla from England

Yep I think its gona be another great trip!

OK today is 6th June 2009 and I am in New York now. It’s been a great journey. However Internet access here is very expensive so I am not going to go into too much detail; well that’s the plan....

Here is the itinerary:

San Diego

Las Vegas

Grand Canyon

Monument Valley Arizona

Mexican Hat in Utah

Taos in New Mexico

Roswell New Mexico

Carlsbad Caves

Lubbock Texas

Austin Texas

Lake Charles Louisiana

New Orleans

Memphis

Nashville

Maggie Valley North Carolina

Washington DC

New York

We left LA on the Wednesday and drove to San Diego. That night I checked out the local night life and found myself in a bar which had 2 grand pianos and 3 pianists - it was a piano play off - brilliant. I've never seen anything like it, fantastic entertainment.

The next day the highlight was rollerblading down PB aka Pacific Beach. I was and still am a bit unsteady on my feet, plus I can’t yet stop myself, but I gave it a go and didn't fall down, which is the main thing. I also visited the old town of San Diego which is a bit tacky but still worth a visit. I met a lovely lady there who did the same travels as me when she was my age.

The visit to Monument Valley was one of the biggest highlights of this trip. This is because Mark has taught me so much about Native Americans; and it is the Navajo people who live and work here. The oddest thing about the journey there was the Code Talkers exhibit in the local Burger King. I learn a lot from Willie our full blooded Navajo guide. He is full of stories, willing to answer questions and he has got a great sense of humor. Monument valley is stunning the only problem is that we can’t stay longer.

I spent my birthday in Taos New Mexico. Apparently next door to where Charles Manson used to live. Anyhow, we had a great night in Taos; we had Mexican food and Margaritas. I liked the village we stayed in, it had a photographers printing studio and I chatted to the owner about some of the prints he had.

Going to Roswell was also a highlight. Yep this is the place to be if you are odd and want to feel normal. I am sure the guy in the museum who is called EJ - well let’s say he is not fully of this world.

Carlsbad Caves were also very impressive - a huge cave system with some of the biggest stalagmites I have ever seen and the most beautiful stalactites. The best part about it was the fact that there is still an extensive part of the cave system undeveloped for tourists. Please be aware that as this is America this cave system has an operational elevator or lift to you and me, a restaurant, gift shop and toilets, all at the bottom of the cave.

As we leave Carlsbad bound for Lubbock we drive through torrential rain – Carlsbad is flooded. The weather improves in Lubbock. I get me photo taken with Buddy and have one of the best steaks ever; seriously melt in your mouth meat. Why cant we do steaks this good? The restaurant has an option on the menu called ‘Take the bull by the horns’. What this means is, the waiter will bring out to the table a huge slab of raw meat and you can choose and cut your own steak.

This bad weather seems to be following us. As we drove into Austin the capital of Texas we end up in the middle of a thunder storm. A bolt of fork lightening takes out a transistor right beside us as we waited at traffic lights. It was an unbelievable sight. I don’t know what scared the group more, this or the pounding wall of rain. We had to pull over as it was not safe to keep driving. Eventually the storm passes and we make it to our hostel.

Austin was great as it was the weekend but not just any weekend – its Memorial Day Weekend and everybody is out wanting to party. Austin is famed for music so this is the place to go out meet the locals and catch a live band. So that’s just what we do. What ever music you want you will find it here. If you want to dance, oh yeah you got it here; I got my dancing feet satisfied. By the way, you know you are in Texas when you get stuck in traffic behind a horse.

Another highlight of the trip was a tour with Cajun Jack in Louisiana where he takes us deep into the swamp to meet other Cajuns. For this trip we had to get up at 5am, leave at 6am and drive 3 hours. The rain is still following us, but Jack assures us that’s the last we will see of the rain for a while and he’s right. As we board his boat the rain stops. On the trip we meet a Cajun couple who are fishing for crawfish on the Bayou, huge fish jumping and I mean huge at least 2 feet long and alligators. Jack is a real character telling stories and barking…. Woof woof.

Now for one of my favorite places, New Orleans or Nawleens if you are a local. I am staying in a town house in the French Quarter; you cant get any better than this. We start the evening with home made Jambalaya and a trip down Bourbon Street. I end up singing karaoke, dancing on and off stage – this place is crazy. It’s a mix of Temple Bar and Amsterdam and dear knows what else. However I don’t waste my time here, I get up early to explore the French Quarter by running it. There is nothing like getting up of a morning, leaving the building and running straight down to the Mississippi River. Later that day I take a ferry across it and eat Crawfish beside it. I also meet a Voodoo Priestess who has won awards for her good work in the community. I buy a Mardi Gras Mask, see the old plantation houses and eat beignets at the Café Du Monde. I end my day here on a Vampire tour of the French Quarter with a real live vampire…. Sweet.

After New Orleans I thought how can you top that? Well that’s why we need the King, oh yeah we are going to Graceland, Memphis Tennessee. A Thank You, Thank You Very Much…… A Huh Huh.

Everybody scream Elvis! How excited am I. I visit Sun Studios and stand in the spot where Elvis, Howlin Wolf, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, BB King, Roy Orbison and many more have stood to sing their way into music history. Then I go to Graceland, what can I say I enter the home of Elvis not just once but twice. I visit Beale Street downtown, home of the Blues. I also absorb as much as I can in the Rock and Blues Museum and do a tour of the Gibson Guitar Factory. I talk to locals and watch a blues band play for tip in Handy Park on a Thursday afternoon.

The last major music stop is Nashville. En route we stop at a real cowboy store where I fall in love with a pair of boots. I wish I had bought those boots and stopped worrying about money. Then I could have worn them to the Grand Ole Opry. Four of us went to catch the show and it was great. Its still a radio show with commercials and all. We saw a girl called Rebecca Lynn Howard and we all felt that she is a star of tomorrow. After the Opry we caught a live band in a Nashville bar called The Stage on Broadway. They did the best cover of Jesse's Girl I have ever heard. Brilliant band with 3 singers. By the way, I also got my picture taken with the General Lee.

On this trip we have past the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada's and the Appellation Mountains – the 3 biggest mountain ranges in America. On the night we stayed in the Smoky Mountains we had Corn on the Cob barbequed. Its nothing like we get at home, fresh corn that you have to peal is simply delicious.

The trip ends with a couple of days in Washington D.C. I feel its important to visit this nations capital now, just as Barack Obama starts his term in office and you can surely tell. Obama souvenirs are everywhere. America is very proud of their new president. I was here 10 years ago with my brother through work and I had noted that there was a plan to build a museum to the Native Americans. I never thought I would be back to see it completed. The National Museum of the American Indian is a beautifully designed building inside and out. The exhibits are excellent. I also go inside the Washington Monument and get an elevator right to the top for stunning views of the capital.

But no trip to Washington is complete without meeting Kermit the Frog, seeing Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers and Rocky’s gloves. Very important you know.

Our last day is spent driving from Washington to New York. Well not quite New York, we get dropped off in New Jersey. Of course the bus I catch to take me to Manhattan, which is in rush hour traffic, happens to remove the front bumper of a passing car and we have to change buses. Welcome to New York. Oh and its raining but I am still very excited to be here! NEW YORK NEW YORK

Jun 3, 2009

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