Travel in the USA – From Melbourne to Manhattan

Farewell Tour – Part 3

As I sit under the eucalyptus trees, listening to the magpies in 28 degrees celsius, I will fully admit that I am running behind on the Farewell Tour blogs. We are back in Australia, it’s 2018 and the rest of the Farewell Tour updates will be more of photo gallery style with a few comments thrown in instead of the usually more rounded post that contains some information and detail about what we’ve been doing.

City we’re visiting	Nashville & Memphis	State	Tennessee

State Facts
Capital:	Nashville	Nickname:	Volunteer State
Motto:	Agriculture and Commerce	Bird:	Mockingbird
Tree:	Tulip Poplar	Flower:	Iris
Main rivers:	Mississippi, Tennessee	16th State Settled:	1 June, 1796

Our first stop in Nashville! Made famous by *American Pickers’* Mike & Frank, they had some cool stuff at hefty prices.

Nashville, known as the capital of country music, necessitated a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. So if you don’t mind a bit of Shania Twain…

… 1962 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, complete with saddle, over 150 attached silver dollars and…

… a giant guitar that you can put your head in, and…

I tried on so many pairs of boots. So many that I ended up a sweaty mess with no boots. Trying on boots is hard work!

Next stop, the home of Graceland (Elvis Presley’s former home) and surprisingly (to us!), one of our favourite cities on this trip.

We visited Graceland on the afternoon of our arrival in Memphis and it really was amazing. The home itself is actually quite modest by todays ‘mansion’ standards.

The wedding attire from his marriage to Priscilla.

Also the final resting place of Elvis, his beloved parents and grandmother and there is a memorial to his stillborn twin brother.

Graceland. Purchased when he was just 22 years old he lived here for 20 years. It remained part of his estate until he died in 1977 and was bequeathed to his daughter, Lisa-Marie on her 25th birthday.

Graceland, the museum (you take a shuttle to the house from here) complete, with 6 merchandise/gift stores, 3 restaurants and room after room of Elvis’ belongings is where it gets a little crazy!

A 1975 Super Trike was custom made for Elvis.

Apparently he had eight of these for his family, friends and himself to get about the farm. The blue one is Lisa-Marie’s.

A 1969 Mercedes 280 SL Roadster gift for Priscilla. That’d do me.

Elvis’ mother was a huge influence in his life and she predeceased him by 19 years.

I’m all shook up. The thing that most struck me about all of the things on display was that it was the first time that I have ever seen evidence of one person’s wealth all in one place. It was staggering. Numerous cars, including 2 Rolls Royces and the same again of other vehicles including motorcycles, 2 airplanes, so many costumes, many of which were covered in bling… he wanted it, he bought it. Master P and I are currently including *A Little Less Conversation, Kentucky Rain* and Suspicious Minds on our playlists. Long live The King.

Sampling some Memphis BBQ was high on our list and we hit the jackpot at Central BBQ, as recommended by our Airbnb host, Larry. Larry was awarded the Eagle Scout award in 1979, served 3 tours of Afghanistan and whipped Master P into line without batting an eyelid. We were frankly scared not to take his advice. (just joking, he is a legend)

And a little bit of geography and history thrown in.

After chatting to the kids about Afghanistan, giving them some legit Taliban money, a few cardboard coins that are issued to serviceman over there as legal currency (so that it doesn’t rattle in their pockets) and a few rather sordid and graphic tales, Larry recommended a stop at the Bass Pro Shop. We had never heard of it but given it is housed in a huge, glass pyramid in downtown Memphis, it’s hard to miss.

*Bass Pro Shops* is a chain of outdoor retailers covering everything boating, fishing, hunting and camping and this particular store has it’s own hotel (Big Cypress Lodge), a glass observation deck, an archery and pistol shooting range, a Ducks Unlimited heritage centre, a restaurant and several Aquariums and open pools with fish and alligators!

After seeing some of the vehicles that Elvis had, Master P was shopping for his own.

This is a display of vintage duck callers. Yup. I satisfied my craving for a buffalo checked puffer vest and that was an interesting way to spend an hour or so.

A tour of Sun Studios, where the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis were discovered (known as the million dollar quartet) and recorded some of their earlier music and more recently U2, John Mellencamp, Def Leppard and Bonnie Rait.

The original digs are pretty small but the equipment is all original.

And an excellent tour guide who had lots of great little stories.

Master P feeling the vibe from the drum kit set up in the studio.

Enjoyed a great lunch, blues band and one too many Long Island Iced Teas here!

Had to duck across the river to add another state to our list!

During our Memphis travels we came across a flyer for a local antique market that happened to be on our way out of the city when we left. Obviously our luggage didn’t allow any large purchases but Miss E and Master P scored some little trinkets and we found some interesting pieces.

My Mum had one of these and there is a photo of each of my sisters and I with it blown up on our heads!

And off we went, on our way to New Orleans.

City we’re visiting	New Orleans	State	Louisisana

State Facts
Capital:	Baton Rouge	Nickname:	Pelican State
Motto:	Union, Justice & Confidence	Bird:	Brown Pelican
Tree:	Bald Cypress	Flower:	Magnolia
Main rivers:	Mississippi, Red	^18th State Settled:	30 April, 1912

Prior to entering New Orleans we stopped at the Joyce WMA Swampwalk that takes you into a swamp on a raised boardwalk. The boardwalk was destroyed in 2012 during Hurricane Isaac but has been rebuilt and opened again in 2012.

It was heading towards dusk and it looked a little ominous.

13 Nov 2017 Joyce Swamp Walk (outside New Orleans) (3) — We were a little jumpy… waiting for a gator to suddenly rise out of the water but it really was beautiful and quiet.

13 Nov 2017 Joyce Swamp Walk (outside New Orleans) (10) — A few restful turtles off in the distance were the only wildlife that we saw.

13 Nov 2017 Joyce Swamp Walk (outside New Orleans) (12) — All of this in a foot of water. If you didn’t know it you would be forgiven for thinking you could just walk on it.

13 Nov 2017 Joyce Swamp Walk (outside New Orleans) (22) — These yellow flowers added some colour and as always, lots of Spanish Moss hanging from the trees.

We stayed at an Airbnb in Algiers Point, across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter of New Orleans. Just a $2 ferry ride across to the city.

The ferry ride over to the city was a lovely way to start and end the day. We even found a geocache along the way.

Birdlife, ships and lots of other interesting sights are always happening along the great Mississippi River.

An abundance of cute, tiled signage dotted the French Quarter with historical information.

Always time for a quick photo with a statue.

With Bourbon Street under construction, Royal was the place to be.

Many weird and wonderful retailers, old and new, to explore.

Stopping for a pile of beignets was a must.

Special K was dying to sample some of the local music.

You really can always hear music whether coming from a club or out on the street.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (14) — The New Orleans that I always imagined looks almost exactly like this!

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (22) — Jackson Square with The Cathedral-Basilica of St Louis on the border.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (26) — Street musicians playing a rousing Bourbon Street Parade (here’s a version by Louis Armstrong and another by our favourite New Orleans native, Harry Connick Jr . Do yourself a favour…

Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World was definitely a must do on our list, especially as we were visiting this city outside of the Mardi Gras season. And I say season deliberately because, as we discovered, Mardi Gras actually takes place over about 6 weeks rather than just 1 day as most people probably believe. The opportunity to come to a warehouse containing both old props and floats, and new designs being prepared for the next Mardi Gras simply can’t be missed.

Mardi Gras, like Christmas, is a whole season – not just one day. That being said, Fat Tuesday is the biggest day of celebration, and the date it falls on moves around. You’ll find that Fat Tuesday can be any Tuesday between Feb. 3 and March 9. Carnival celebration starts on Jan. 6, the Twelfth Night (feast of Epiphany), and picks up speed through midnight on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday is always 46 days before Easter, and Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25, with the exact date to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon following a spring equinox. There you have it. Voila! If you’re still confused, get out a calendar that has the holidays printed on it. Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday!

Excerpt taken from http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com

This pic taken before we’d even entered the warehouse

A new cutting machine is able to create some of the designs out of polystyrofoam, changes it’s own blades and can run over night.

Probably used on many *Chick-fil-A* cows

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (45) — Boo! It’s usually the kids depositing their heads in cut out circles around the country but we couldn’t resist.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (48) — This beauty in the process of her transformation.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (56) — Another transformation of a previously used prop being transformed to fit into a new theme.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (60) — This Orpheus group float, funded by my very own future 2nd husband Harry Connick Jr, is awaiting repairs and an update for the next Mardi Gras.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (62) — A look back at part of the warehouse.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (69) — At the end of the tour, Special K and Miss E couldn’t resist the opportunity to play dress ups in some previous Mardi Gras attire.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (76) — Isn’t she a beauty

Learning some about the history of Louisiana would not be complete without covering the era of plantations and slavery. There are a number of beautiful plantation mansions around and after a spot of delicious lunch at The Cabin in Burnside, we took a drive to look at some of these beautiful homes from a bygone era.

with, according to my children, a bathroom that deserved to be photographed

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (80) — Bocage Plantation, closed to the public. Built in 1801 by Marius Pons Bringier as a wedding gift for his daughter Fanny when she married Christophe Colomb. As you do.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (86) — The Houmas Plantation house. Open to the public. Named for the original landowners, the Houmas Indians, they sold the land in the mid 1700’s and by 1803 was a thriving sugar plantation.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (118) — Oak Alley Plantation. Special K quickly jumped out of the car and snapped these shots.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (121) — The oak trees either side of the pathway lend it such a grand quality.

We visited the Creole Laura Plantation where we were able to have a tour inside the main home and historic slave quarters with an extra bonus. The story told by our lovely tour guide Kristen was taken from the personal journals of Laura Locoul Gore, the fourth mistress of the plantation. Her memoirs provide an unusually honest record of life on a plantation, including how the slaves were treated, the Creole traditions that dictated the handing down of property (including slaves) and what happens when the ins and outs of the family dynamic can influence these things.

Creole is the non-Anglo-Saxon culture and lifestyle that flourished in Louisiana before it became a part of the United States in 1803 and continued to dominate South Louisiana until the early decades of the 20th century. Native birth, the French language and Roman Catholicism were the benchmarks for identity in this Latin-based society that included people of white, black and mixed-race ancestry.

Culturally, influences from three groups, namely, west Europeans, west Africans, along with significant input from Native Americans combined to become Louisiana Creole culture.

The Creole functioned in an elitist structure, based on family ties. In its philosophy, economics and politics, European custom and modern thought were thrown out and, in their place, a strict, self-serving pragmatism was born out of the isolation and desperation that characterized Louisiana in her formative years. The earliest, tragic lessons of survival in Louisiana created a family-oriented world that would, for centuries, put little value in public education or public works and even in the rule of law.

Creole Louisiana was a place where class, not race, determined social status, where rural life conformed to rigid disciplines, where human bondage created wealth, where adherence to the family business and tradition was paramount, where women ran businesses and owned property, where democratic ideals and individualism were held in contempt and where, until the 20th century, people spoke French and lived this way, separate from the dominant White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant American culture.

Exerpt taken from http://www.lauraplantation.com

The tour took us through the cellar under the main floor where wine and huge urns of olive oil were kept, into various parts of the house which were resplendent with antiques from the time period, even some that are original to the home, the outdoor kitchen, slave homes and even another home on the property, built for the aging matriarch that has since fallen into complete disrepair. It was a fascinating and sometimes confronting account, particularly regarding the fathering of dozens of children by the white plantation owners with slave girls (some not more than 12 years old).

Creole Plantation home – The Laura Plantation home reflects the way that most Creole homes were painted.

Reflecting the Creole style with lots of colour, the Laura Plantation house is probably not what you think of when you think of a Louisiana plantation home, but in fact is probably more typical of the homes of the time.

14 to 17 Nov 2017 New Orleans (143) — Looking out over the outdoor kitchen area at the rear of the house

I have purchased the book Memories of the Old Plantation Home which is the full version of Laura’s journals and I can’t wait to read it.

Loved these three cities and their surrounds. Off to Texas next!

Nic x

Farewell Tour – Part 2

When you think of Charleston, you probably think of historical, pastel coloured mansions, The Charleston (dance), long, hot days, bug-filled nights and possibly a group of entitled dimwits from a reality show called Southern Charm. Thankfully there’s more to it than that.

City we’re visiting	Charleston	State	South Carolina

State Facts
Capital:	Colombia	Nickname:	Palmetto State
Motto:	While I Breathe, I Hope	Bird:	Carolina Wren
Tree:	Palmetto	Flower:	Yellow Jessamine
Main rivers:	Savannah, Pee Dee	8^th State Settled:	23 May 1788

The Airbnb we stayed in is part of a large Charleston ‘single’ or ‘half’ style house (meaning that it is suited to long narrow pieces of land where the appearance from the street is that the home is one room wide), split into 3 separate apartments with the long porch/piazza on the upper floor and 2 doors. The first door appears as a normal front door but is really only entry down to the side of the house where the true entrance to the home is.

blog_charleston_single_double_house_2 — Charleston ‘single’ or ‘half’ house. (photo from a real estate site)

The path through time displayed through the Colonial, Georgian, Federal, Classic Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Victorian and Art Deco, homes and other buildings in Charleston has seen 502 acres of the city declared a National Historic Landmark District. The neighbourhood we stayed in is slowly being gentrified, only going slowly I suspect because of the rules and regulations around doing so in such an historical place.

Charleston (2) — This club was so tiny that most of it’s members sat out the front.

Charleston was founded in 1670 so it seemed appropriate to take a guided, horse-drawn carriage tour to discover some of its secrets. Something about the clip clopping ~~drowning out Master P’s whining~~ adding to the ambience… not so helpful for taking photos as you will soon see. Most of the houses are in reality not tilted!

Our dryly humoured tour guide Al (Charleston Carriage Works), an architecture and history buff withstood his grumpily disobedient stead (Jake) and filled our minds with a very different Charleston. Earthquakes, fires, slave uprisings and plantations are all a part of Charleston’s history and evidence is all over the city when you know where to look.

Historical features included large ‘earthquake’ bolts that were used after an estimated magnitude 7 earthquake in 1886. These bolts pass through the existing masonry, effectively tying opposite walls together to provide stability to structures that survived but were unstable.

The round earthquake bolts appear on many structures however new builds have taken to adding fake bolts as they seek to mimic the style of surrounding properties.

At least 104 mounting/carriage or upping blocks still remain in their original positions outside of homes or public buildings and are a protected entity. These generally consist of a large block of stone next to the curb, used to assist in stepping down from a carriage.

Nov 2017 Charleston (36) — A carriage stone and a beautiful wrought iron fence and gate show the history of this home.

There is some beautiful examples of decorative wrought iron work adorning various buildings, the history of which began in 1772 when a wrought iron communal rail was shipped over from England and installed in St Michael’s Episcopal church. The local blacksmiths began to create more elaborate designs as the wealthy in the area began to use wrought iron for their gates, fences, rails, a status symbol I’m sure, however over the years through various natural disasters much of it was lost. Many blacksmiths continued the wrought iron tradition. Philip Simmons (1912-2009) was a famous iron-worker, and his work can be found in various locations throughout Charleston and various museums in the States.

Following our tour we wandered around the Charleston City Market where most of the fare was hand-made and picked up a few trinkets to remember our stay. I bought this hand drawn illustration of the gates of St Michael’s. Artistry in both the original ironwork by J.A.W Iusti (who arrived from Germany in 1820) and this rendition.

Special K’s passion for a good, fresh oyster was satiated at a nearby restaurant and then we took a drive over the Cooper River on the Arthur Ravenel Bridge to Mt Pleasant, Sullivan Island

Charleston (4) — The Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge from Charleston to Mount Pleasant & Sullivan’s Island over the Cooper River, as taken from on the bridge itself.

Charleston (6) — A large part of Charleston’s history.

On our way to Savannah we stopped for lunch in a forgettable town called Beaufort, where we geocached for the first time. If you’ve never heard of Geocaching, neither had we until Master P and I started reading The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase by Wendy Mass. One of the main characters excitedly recounts his experiences with Geocaching and you’d better believe that the thought of mini treasure hunts along our travels lit Master P and I’s fire so I downloaded the app a few weeks before we set off on our Farewell Tour, made sure I could understand the app and BAZINGA! We found our very first geocache! We were all pretty pumped and the thing I love about it is that if you need to travel by foot from point A to point B, it is a fantastic way to keep the kids interested and perhaps stumble across an area that you wouldn’t have necessarily come across otherwise. For more information on geocaching click on the link <–.

City we’re visiting	Savannah	State	Georgia

State Facts
Capital:	Atlanta	Nickname:	Peach State
Motto:	Wisdom, Justice & Moderation	Bird:	Brown Thrasher
Tree:	Southern Live Oak	Flower:	Cherokee Rose
Main rivers:	Chattahoochee, Flint, Savannah	4^th State Settled:	2 January 1788

Earlier this year I did a wreath making class (just a couple of hours) at our local Michael’s (craft supplies) store. The class was a complete waste of time however the lovely lass that took the class (who had never made a wreath before!!), happened to have done her Fine Arts degree in Savannah. As I hot glue gunned a heap of faux flowers and foliage to a wreath base, she wrote me a fantastic list of ‘must do’s’ (it was just her and I in the class) which did not disappoint. Ice-cream from Leopold’s was definitely some of the best we have ever had (I highly recommend the Butter Pecan and Master P also recommends the mint chocolate chip). Leopold’s, a Savannah institution since 1919 had a line of people out the door even though it was November.

And of course she recommended a steamboat ride. We boarded the Georgia Queen, whose previous life as a casino boat on the Mississippi River ended after a change in legislation, made for a grand trip down the Savannah River. We saw her the night before and she looked glorious all lit up. I’m yet to master night photos however!

Savannah (29) — Built in 1995, she has 3 grand ballrooms, chandeliers, boasts 38,000 square feet of usable space and can cater to 1,000 people. The *Georgia Queen* is the largest vessel of her kind in the USA.

Savannah (4) — … and then he found other ways to amuse himself.

A couple of scenic highlights were the infamous Waving Girl statue. The waving figure of Florence Martus and her dog are a prominent feature on the shoreline and there are many and varied legends regarding the real life figure that inspired the statue. The truth (we’re assured by the boat tour operator) is that Florence lived with her brother (a lighthouse keeper) on Elba Island started waving to the ships that went by out of boredom. It is said that between 1887 to 1931 she did not miss a single ship, day or night and waved with a white handkerchief or lantern accordingly. She became quite well-known and ships looked out for her as they came through. Since her death in 1943 this statue was erected, a Liberty ship took her name and in 1999 a Savannah Belles Ferry was named after her.

Savannah (13) — She’s kind of fabulous. Sure she could have used the internet and a job but why ruin a good story.

Fort (James) Jackson, a restored 19th century fort is the oldest standing brick fort in Georgia, saw action in the War of 1812 and the American Civil War, and is now a National Historic Landmark. A reenactment, complete with canon (fake) firing was part of the entertainment.

A couple of other points of interest along the Savannah River.

Post river ride, we started to walk back up the hill and came across a film set. A car was being towed with the director etc sitting in the back of the truck while filming through the windscreen (does that make sense?).

Savannah (11) — A lot of people, not much action.

We weren’t too surprised as a vacant lot near our Airbnb cottage was obviously being used to house all of the trailers etc involved with filming and after a quick Google search there were a number of projects being filmed around the place. One of which was a film called Killerman, starring Aussie Liam Hemsworth, who had reportedly been spotted around the traps with his fiancé Miley Cyrus. We decided to stop and watch for a bit. It’s not something you see everyday and Master P found it interesting to see how part of a car chase may be filmed. And lo and behold the area began to fill with more people and out walks Liam Hemsworth himself ready to do his next scene in the driver seat of the car. There were stunt men (2) dressed in the same clothing, one other actor in the car, an entirely different car and even the female star came to visit the set. All very interesting. And yes, Mr Hemsworth is a tad handsome. #teamchris

Savannah (32) — I’m a bit of a rock star.

Savannah (9) — This shirt though, man. Not cool.

Savannah (10) — Cheers Mr Director, the jacket works.

Savannah (12) — Eye contact! Sparks flew!

That’s a wrap Mr Hemsworth. Swoon.

Savannah is quite a striking city and has and interesting lay out that involves 22 historical squares. They are set out among the streets and the edges are lined by homes, inns, churches and museums and provide the city with many areas to enjoy the greenery, admire the many historical statues, have a picnic and, in our case, a failed geocache attempt! As we dug around under the beautifully kept gardens and started attracting suspicious sideways glances, we gave up! We learned that the grayish-green, foliage hanging from the limbs and leaves of many trees and seemingly taking over some of them is called Spanish Moss, but neither originates in Spain or is in fact moss. It is called moss but looks like lichen and is in fact a member of the bromeliad family and is native to many places, including Queensland, Australia where it is known as ‘grandpas beard’. Here is Savannah, in mainly hangs off of live oak trees (the Southern Live Oak is Georgia’s state tree), which I had also never heard of! (I’m sure this is not surprising to those that know me!). Technically the tree is an evergreen, however live oak leaves go brown, stay on the tree and then drop immediately before new leaves emerge in the spring.

Savannah (19) — It’s a statue in a square… and that’s all I remember about that!

Savannah (17) — Cobblestones and old brick on the way down to the river.

Savannah (15) — A couple of good-looking oldies

An uneventful stop in Atlanta, Georgia followed Savannah but the journey there proved to be SO awesome!

Firstly, COTTON FIELDS! Who knew they were so pretty. As we passed a few along the highway I insisted that we exit post-haste and hunt as down an appropriate cotton field to plonk the kids in the middle of, preferably with a barn in the middle! All wishes don’t come true so I was sans barn but here are my cotton pics.

Savannah to Atlanta (2) — Almost better than snow, but not quite.

Savannah to Atlanta (6) — I would love to see a time lapse pod explode.

Savannah to Atlanta (5) — Rough on the outside, soft and squishy on the inside.

Savannah to Atlanta (4) — Little piece of natural wonder.

And then it was off to Juliette, GA for lunch at THE REAL WHISTLE STOP CAFE FROM THE MOVIE FRIED GREEN TOMATOES! With a bazillion quotes, visions of Kathy Bates wrapped in cling wrap and sweet southern accents from the movie buzzing around in my head, we sat down to a plate of fried green tomatoes (delicious) and I swear I could hear the train whistle sounding in the background.

“Buuuuuuuddddddddddyyyyyyyyy!”

“I can’t even look at my own vagina!”

“A big old ox like Grady won’t sit next to a coloured child, but he eats eggs.. shoot right out of a chicken’s arse.”

“Towandaaaaaaaa!”

Ok, I’m done.

Nic x

LV + Utah (in an RV) – Part 2

The things I knew about Utah before travelling to Utah can be listed as follows:

Desert – cacti and orange, sandy soil, not much water

Rocks – funny shaped towers of rock called Hoodoos

Mormons – approximately 62% of the population according to Lord Wiki

And now, having traveled through southern Utah for a week with Harvey the RV (I take no responsibility for the naming of this poor defenseless RV), all I can say is that it is a beautiful place.

Harvey the RV was a hit! I even managed to drive for a short stretch but I had to draw the line at driving on the highways. The cross winds were just too much for me to get my head around without the image of us plowing off the road, across the desert, Joshua Trees being knocked into the air and Harvey ending up on his side with ramen noodle cups and Crayola supplies strewn from hither to thither. Not pretty.

Special K did a stellar job of handling Harvey over the 850 miles of our amazing trip, not just the driving but all of the less glamorous chores as well such as emptying the poo pipe and making sure we were balanced so that the fridge worked.

I’m not going to prattle on too much because the photos will speak for themselves. Utah is just stunning. And some of it so familiar, I assume due to the number of times we ~~were forced~~ have watched movies from the Cars movie franchise, Radiator Springs having been inspired by a number of places including parts of Utah.

Introducing Utah, no filters, no editing, bit of shabby lighting here and there…

Utah (10) — Zion National Park – Riverside Walk

Utah (25) — Zion National Park – mule deer

Utah (36) — Plants growing from the rocks

Utah (41) — Miss E, very grateful for the path along the riverside

Utah (47) — Daddy/Son love in Zion National Park

Utah (55) — Zion National Park – the trend of building cairns caught on

Utah (57) — Zion National Park – Riverside Walk along the North Fork Virgin RIver

Utah (58) — Zion National Park – Master P befriending the local rock squirrels

Utah (iphone) (48) — Can anyone else see the face in the rock?

Utah (iphone) (57) — Mt Carmel Tunnel – due to the width of the tunnel and the size of the RV, we needed to pay a fee for the staff to halt traffic to let us through. The RV can only go through the tunnel by driving in the centre of it, which means no one else can be in there. The baton has been passed…

Utah (iphone) (60) — Bit spooky really. Can’t believe we neglected to sound the horn!

Utah (iphone) (62) — Sorry for the hold up peeps.

Utah (iphone) (87) — The numbers painted on hillside rocks in Orderville, Utah mystified us but I got to the bottom of it. Valley High School graduating classes have a tradition of painting their year on a rock.

Utah (130) — One of those times I really regret my complete lack of fitness. There are tracks that go down to the bottom of Bryce Canyon but they are way above our fitness level!

Utah (155) — The arse end of a tree that is attempting to take a dive into Bryce Canyon

Utah (168) — Bryce Canyon – we walked the Rim Trail

Utah (196) — The glimpses of snow just add to the magic

Utah (iphone) (117) — Toasting their own

Utah (iphone) (120) — Undoubtedly one of the best parts of RV’ing – a fire every night

Utah (iphone) (126) — Master P’s favourite Harvey position

Utah (iphone) (107) — Definitely Miss E’s favourite lounging area in the RV

Utah (211) — Hoodoos on the Mossy Cave Trail

Utah (298) — Great stop for lunch at the Burr Trail Grill

Utah (313) — Gorgeous birch tree forest in the foreground

Utah (iphone) (157) — Easter Egg collection in the freezing cold barely morning

Utah (iphone) (168) — Panorama Point – Photo credit: Miss E

Utah (iphone) (177) — Cairns by Miss E and Master P

Utah (iphone) (198) — Capitol Reef National Park – Capitol Gorge

Utah (476) — Riding the waves in Capitol Gorge

Utah (485) — Capitol Gorge – Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Utah (491) — Capitol Reef – petroglyphs (carvings) by American Indians a while back

Utah (503) — Special K told the kids these were tarantula nests and given there were dozens of them above our heads, it completely freaked them out. Good times.

Utah (iphone) (251) — Cafe Diablo in Torrey, UT – this is just the starter side of the menu but the Rattlesnake Cakes were delightful

Utah (iphone) (263) — Ribs cooked for 12 hours served with brussel sprouts and sweet potato mash – heaven! Thank goodness Americans are all for doggy bags.

Utah. Just gorgeous.

Nic x

PS Yes, some of the photos are out of chronological order but my brain hurts and WordPress, sometimes you just make it too hard!

Las Vegas + Utah (in an RV) – Part 1

Since we’ve been living here in the States, we have often discussed what we will do when we find out we will be coming back home to Australia. Early on we sewed a tiny seed of an idea about Special K seeing out his contract, packing everything up and into the container for shipping to Australia, handing our keys back to the landlord and then taking off in an RV/motor home for 6 to 8 weeks, heading south and then west, ending in Las Vegas to board our flight to Melbourne.

The closest we have ever come to this style of travel is a few short weekends spent in a camper trailer back in Aus, with varying degrees of success. And by that I mean we just barely managed not to kill each other. The set up was a pain, we didn’t really sleep well and everything seemed harder because you knew there was zero privacy when staying in a campground with a bazillion other people.

In an attempt to be smart about this proposed trip, we decided that we would need to have a short test run, perhaps a week in an RV so we waited for an appropriate vacation to crop up where this would work. As a result of doing a fair bit of travelling around since we have been here, we are forever receiving sales calls with different offers pertaining to travel, timeshare presentations, cheap hotel deals etc. Special K called me one day with ‘a great deal’ and would I prefer a 3 night stay in Orlando or Las Vegas. He was quite shocked when I said Las Vegas. Sure, LV is not the first place you think of to take a 6 and 9 year old however many things within close proximity are. I suggested that we add a week of RV travel onto the 3 nights. The Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and the vastly different terrain of the desert appealed to me very much so the plan was hatched for another USA adventure.

We researched Class C (can be driven with a regular licence) RV’s for hire and eventually signed up a Ford Four Winds 25 footer. Our criteria was fairly basic however with Miss E having lately embarked on her first hormone charged, pre teen daily mood swings, we needed to have a bit of space. This is the floor plan of said beast (the RV, not Miss E):

Miss E has the bunk over the cab and Master P sleeps on the fold out sofa. The sofa is the only bed we have to set up each night so in terms of setting up, it’s pretty easy. My litmus test for sleeping arrangements is if the kids are far enough away from SK that they can sleep through his snoring, then it’s a WIN!

The prices are pretty reasonable (with a large refundable bond), but as we do not have a shed full of camping equipment with us, we had to add various inclusions such as kitchen equipment, bedding, towels and general cleaning gear. All of this was easily available through the RV hire company but did add a little to the cost. Also, these beasts guzzle fuel and at approximately 8 miles per gallon you need to ensure that this cost is included in your budgeting.

We chose to travel over Spring Break and Easter which gave us the perfect amount of time and after much negotiating between taking the RV to California or Utah, we decided on the latter and left NY with an itinerary that we were all looking forward to experiencing.

Las Vegas – 3 nights at the Elara Hilton Grand Vacations

Utah – 6 nights at various RV parks (booked ahead of stay) just outside of National Parks

Total trip = approximately 850 miles

There really is a lot to do for families in Las Vegas. The casinos themselves offer a feast for the eyes with all of their themed over the topness and it’s also a good time to have an incidental conversation about the evils of gambling. 🙂

Our kids are used to us dragging them around for walks to see what we can see and although it never prevents them whining about it when we tell them what we’re doing for the day, they inevitably find something that they enjoy. Master P is an avid little photographer so I give him my phone and he snaps away, happily creating videos and taking photos of things that I probably wouldn’t. His favourite place to do so in Vegas was probably the Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Garden. There Japanese Spring display is stunning with over 65,000 blooms, finches and koi fish. Here are a few of his shots.

bellagio by patrick (3) — Just your 35 foot floral Kabuki

bellagio by patrick (4) — The face on this tortoise – so friendly and wise

Amongst the hundreds of shows in Vegas, there are a large number that are family friendly with Circ du Soleil, magic and illusion shows, music and variety shows.

We chose the following:

The Tournament of Kings dinner show at Excalibur makes all of your King Arthur dreams come true with seats surrounding a large arena where, whilst eating a chicken with your hands and drinking beer from a (plastic) Stein, you witness jousting, hand to hand combat and dancing girls. We were seated in the Austria section and cheered on our hunky knight of the round table with gusto. Miss E in particular loved this experience and cheered like she was at an Anzac Day AFL match. Master P spent most of the performance with his fingers in his ears after a few surprise explosive effects but still enjoyed the spectacle.

Nathan Burton, winner of America’s Got Talent, doesn’t disappoint with his magic and illusion show, complete with showgirl assistants (one of which is his wife), card tricks, escaping from a strait jacket and many other traditional with a twist magic tricks. Master P was a little disappointed at not being chosen to participate in the show but talked about it with rapture for days afterwards.

The LV Variety Show was a last minute decision, it started late and we were all a bit tired and emotional by the time it got underway. The hosts were a couple of blokes going by the name of The Crazy Gauchos and I swear I have seen them before. They were hilarious and introduced each act with gusto and had a few surprises of their own. We’re pretty sure the majority of the acts were performers from Circ du Soleil so lots of physically impressive performances including juggling, people balancing on each other and hurling each other around. A bit of comedy thrown in for good measure too.

For a bit of down time throughout the three days we swam in the pool, went to the Downtown Container Park, walked parts of The Strip, visited the ‘old Strip’ (Freemont Street) and went bowling while we waited for our RV to be ready. Honestly, aside from the exposure to slot machines (kids are not allowed in the gambling areas of the casinos however the slot machines are very visible wherever you are – they’re at the airport for heaven’s sake!) the kids didn’t see anything that they wouldn’t see in Times Square, NY. Except maybe this…

nudie man #2 — Nudie man on Freemont Street

Keep looking… in the middle of the photo with the white bag over his shoulder. Don’t be too concerned, he’s not completely starkers. He’s wearing a one sided, leopard print mankini. The kids were kind of in awe of him, doing his up and down laps of Freemont St.

And some of the signs that the beggars held up, referring to their ‘needs’ were just very very wrong but I kept my mum eyes scanning and guided the kids eyes in another direction. NY homeless are NEVER offensive with their signs!! Respect.

Doesn’t everyone get a tattoo on Freemont Street

Always loved this design at the Flamingo

The piece de resistance was our trip with Papillion Helicopters over Hoover Dam, the Mojave Desert and the western rim of the Grand Canyon, including limousine hotel transfers and champagne breakfast in the canyon itself. Special K had done a similar ride during one of his ‘business trips’ to Vegas and was confident Master P, a hater of loud noises, could handle it. I won’t rave on too much about how awesome this experience was however, when we considered the cost of doing this with our travelling mantra ‘we are never going to be here again’, it was money well spent and something that I will never forget.

gr canyon iphone pics (1) — Where the Colorado River meets Lake Mead

gr canyon iphone pics (2) — How’s the serenity

gr canyon iphone pics (4) — Love desert plants

gr canyon iphone pics (5) — Kyle our pilot, a great bloke who patiently answered all of our questions and listened to the kids making farting noises into the headsets

grand canyon dslr (1) — I love how thrilled the kids look here

grand canyon dslr (6) — A lovely spot for brekky

grand canyon dslr (7) — This little guy also enjoyed our breakfast

grand canyon dslr (8) — My love of cactii fulfilled

grand canyon dslr (9) — The beautiful Grand Canyon

grand canyon dslr (10) — Amazing colours

Do not expect that picking up your RV hire takes about the same time as picking up a car hire. There are videos to watch, paperwork to complete, tour of your home away from home, kids opening and closing every available door, transfer of luggage and amenities, figuring out whose phone is going to provide GPS and whose Spotify playlist will be up first etc etc. All up about 2 hours and then another hour at the local Walmart Superstore for groceries and pyjamas (always with the buying of pyjamas!!).

See you in Utah.

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 9 (The End)

It seems like it’s taken longer than 3 weeks doesn’t it!? 😉

My ‘real time’ blogging never seems to quite work in practice!

The last couple of days were spent driving from Idaho, across Oregon and back to Seattle.

The farm stay in Idaho was so cute. I wish we’d had more than one night to explore the farm, get to know the animals and have a nice long chat with the owners. Their dog was very friendly and clever, scaring the heck out of Master P when it opened the door and came into the kitchen!

For our final night on the road we stayed in a yurt! I really tried to mix up our accommodation so that it wasn’t just an endless supply of hotel rooms.

The yurt is the first in a proposed 10 to be built as new business endeavour for the owners of Grande Hot Springs in La Grande, Oregon, an RV Park. As basic accommodation goes, we had everything we needed. The park had a pool and the kids were so happy to just have a few hours splashing around and exploring the hot springs with the iPhone camera.

At this point, with all of the main attractions behind us, it almost feels like the accommodation is mainly to break up the drive.

Dust, bridges, hay and wind farms.

So that was 18 days of driving around the beautiful north west of the USA with a bit of Canada thrown in for fun. I think we could have done it in an RV, particularly given the hundreds of them that we saw along the journey.

We have had many discussions about the amount of travel we can squeeze in whilst we are living here in the States and when the day comes that we are given our marching orders, we are planning a 6 to 8 week road trip to see some more of the country on our way out. From New York in a southerly direction and then across the south and with the final destination being Los Angeles.

Can’t wait.

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 8 (WY to ID)

There’s another national park in Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park. We hadn’t even heard of it before we planned this trip but as we drove out of Yellowstone Park through Grand Teton the whole landscape changed again.

Check it out…

We only had time to drive through and may never get back to explore, but Grand Teton certainly made in impression.

2 nights in Idaho saw us stay in a hotel in Idaho Falls and a lovely farm stay in King Hill. Miles and miles of yellow grass, wheat and potato crops and wind farms.

🙂

Yes, that is Marilyn Monroe wearing a potato sack

One of Master P’s favourite driving holiday chores

Shoshone Falls, ID

Shoshone Falls flow into Snake River

A swimming hole at the top of the Falls, enjoyed by Special K and Miss E

The Idaho Capitol Building in Boise, ID

And there was…

… But not what we were thinking!

Love a mosaic

Maybe the only one I’ll see while we’re in the USA

Bit funky in Boise, ID

Almost back to Seattle.

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 7 (Yellowstone)

What a cute little spot Bozeman, MT is. We stopped there for some lunch and a walk around the quirky shops, art galleries and cafes. In retrospect it probably would have been nice if we’d pushed on and stayed the night there instead of Butte but after a very long day in the car, I don’t think we would have seen much more of the town than we did anyway.

Our accommodation in Yellowstone National Park was a rustic, cabin style house, complete with outdoor seating, couches to sink into and lots of cute decor. Finally a kitchen… so we stopped in Gardiner to pick up some groceries and entered via the North Entrance of the park and headed east across to Silvergate. The park itself is mostly located in the state of Wyoming so as we drove across we dipped down into Wyoming but our accommodation was just outside the border back in Montana.

The 2 nights we spent in Yellowstone National Park were pretty awesome but not without the kind of drama that we have come to expect from a family holiday.

Miss E had a melt down about bears after walking into a shop and seeing a rather graphic poster advertisement for bear spray, featuring a man that had been attacked by a bear. I had stayed in the car and she came running back out in hysterics. Special K and I then had quite a large ding dong about the purchasing of a can of bear spray. I had pointed out that we should purchase a can and he scoffed as if I had plucked the very notion of bear spray out of my imagination. My argument was twofold – all of the Yellowstone Park literature advises the purchasing of bear spray and $40 is really a small price to pay for your daughter’s sanity. *insert head shaking emoji and eyeroll emoji*

Master P started vomiting half way into a day of driving around the park… in the hire car and all over me. Thank goodness there are so many people driving around in mobile homes so I begged garbage bags from some non-English speaking tourists (yes, imagine me miming a vomiting child) and we cut our day short.

We did manage to fit in our first s’more experience. Due to the rain, we had to toast the marshmallows over the gas stove but they were a definite hit with the kids, particularly Miss E.

Established in 1872, Yellowstone Park was the first national park in the United States and it’s easy to see why. The pictorial highlights are below but they don’t do it justice.

A controlled burn on the way into Yellowstone

We spotted an Osprey nest with a late blooming chick and it’s parents lurking around

One of the lovely rivers that flows through Yellowstone

A Pronghorn… I’m pretty sure 🙂

A real live chipmunk

Miss E spotted another Osprey nest on top of these rocks. No one home in this one.

Lower Falls…

In the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Bison bison everywhere

Mud volcano

Mule Deer

Beavers…

Special K took these photos…

As Master P threw up all over the car…

So cute

Look at that tail

Beautiful wolf off in the distance

I could hear Prokofiev in my head

Artist Paint Pots

Bubbling, smelly mud pot

The Midway Geyser Basin

is home to two of the largest natural hotsprings in the world

There is a boardwalk here so that you can walk around these amazing features

Very hot and steamy

Grand Prismatic Geyser

Just a stunning example of Mother Nature

At 70.C, probably a bit warm for a dip

Old Faithful Geyser

Erupts every 60 to 110 minutes

Everyone stands around waiting

And it’s worth it

Average blast is 130-140 feet high

Pretty cool

Another mule deer

Master P feeling a bit better

Bison jam #27

And not one bear.

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 6

On the way to our next stopover, one night in Butte, MT we dropped into The National Bison Range. This property is a refuge and contains a herd of around 350 bison and other animals such as Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn Antelope and a couple of species of deer. It’s a self drive park with only a couple of small tracks where you are allowed to get out of the car. Bears had been sighted and rattlesnakes were a possibility so our stint outside the car was very short!

Love a rusty sign

Some kind of nest

Caterpillars

We couldn’t figure out what these dark spots were in the grass…

Until we got closer.

Pronghorn Antelope

Having a dip

The first of many Bison Jams!

Bison having a roll around in the dust

Apparently it gets rid of bugs

Whitetail Deer

Bighorn Sheep

Looking off into the distance

The sun bleaches these antlers when the deer drop them annually

These would sell like hotcakes at Pottery Barn!

Continuing on our journey to Butte we happened across some very odd signs along the highway. Something about a Testicle Festival.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Upon further investigation (of course!) you can camp at the Testy Fest and it includes live music, competitions such as Tattoo, Wet T-Shirt, Big Balls, Ball Eating, Undie 500, Miss TestyFest, Itty Bitty Titty, Mr. Fun Buns, Nicest Arms, Wet Undies, & Nice Bike and um… yeah.

Butte certainly wasn’t on our list of places we desperately wanted to visit, however we needed to plonk ourselves somewhere overnight and when we told Master P that the choice was between Butte or Anaconda, well our little lover of anything to do with bums, farts and general grossness was off in a fit of giggles and the decision was made! We did avail him of the correct pronunciation but the deal was done. I assume he will be attending the Testy Festy circa 2030.

An old mining town, Butte is a town that is definitely past it’s glory but is not without it’s charm. I love signs so happily clicked away but the big surprise was the ‘Our Lady of the Rockies‘ overlooking the area from atop the Continental Divide. Despite the god-fearing population that does seem to inhabit Montana, I did not expect to see a 90 foot statue of the Virgin Mary. Impossible to get a photo without a super zoom lens but the link is there if you want to check it out.

Yellowstone next!

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 5 (Montana, USA)

MONTANA!!!!!♥♥♥♥♥

I have dreamed of traveling to Montana for soooo long that I can’t even remember what inspired the longing. Perhaps it was Legends of the Fall or A River Runs Through It. Nothing to do with Brad Pitt of course. That would be silly. Although I was very keen on learning to fly fish… in Montana… with Brad Pitt. Hmmmmm.

There was no fly fishing but there was glamping, rafting, waterfalls and the most spectacular road that I have ever driven on. And that’s before we even got to Yellowstone National Park.

We crossed back into the USA at a considerably less attractive border crossing than the Peace Arch, at Carway, Alberta and Piegan, Montana. Miss E was busy reading in the back so I popped the yoga audiobook on and Master P happily worked through 45 minutes of yoga in the back of the car as we sat and waited in the queue.

Master P – Wheel Pose

Once we crossed the border it was big sky, yellow fields and mountain ranges off in the distance. We purchased our National Park Pass at the entrance to Glacier National Park. The cost is US$80 (for an annual pass) and that gets you access to over 2,000 federal ‘recreation parks’ across the country. And, as the ranger explained to us, there is room on the card for two signatures (you need to show the card and photo id upon entry to a participating facility) so you can share the card with another family. What a great deal!

Why yes Montana, you do indeed have a very large sky.

And then we traveled the Going-To-the-Sun-Road into Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains. Breathtaking. It rained most of the 50 miles and 2 hours it took to drive this mountainous road and Master P was in a state of elation all the way. Our photos are average, mostly taken by an excited Special K as I was driving. The highest elevation on this alpine road is 6,646 feet which would usually have me feeling a little on edge but, aside from trying not to hit the rock face that was often the side border of the road it felt safe and the fact that it’s original construction was completed in 1933 is quite incredible.

Nothing was going to stop these little fellas though

We stayed for two nights at Glacier Under Canvas, a small franchise of glamping sites that have accommodation from cabins, tepees, luxurious tents that include a wood fire and bathroom and even a treehouse. Special K, who’s mind turns to life after the corporate years rather frequently these days, immediately started proposing this type of set up as a possible future business endeavour somewhere in the Yarra Valley (Victoria, Australia). I had to quickly point out that ‘Darling, you know I don’t like people! What makes you think I would like to welcome strange people to the place where I live every day?’ Sorry you sweet fool but we’ll have to come up with another plan.

There are very strict instructions regarding no food in camp so as not to attract bears. Although there is an electric fence surrounding the camp, it’s really not much of a deterrent. Sure enough, as we left camp the next morning there was a big sign outside the reception tent, ALERT: BLACK BEAR ON SITE. Meep!

We had booked a Flathead River cruise so after a quick walk around the The Trail of the Cedars, we were off for a float down the river. It was very relaxing and Master P talked the ear off our guide the whole time.

Standing in front of a tree that had fallen. It’s roots are sticking out around us.

I do love a bit of funghi.

Lovely green moss

Big sky and big rocks

More funghi

The sky is up there somewhere

So pretty

Beautiful morning

The water is so clear

Miss E testing the waters, Master P I’m sure plotting to push her in

Just fall already!

A wee bridge

In for a dip

Serenity

We finished up the day at Whitefish, MT for some dinner and a walk around some pretty cool shops. Loved these cups and bit of Jesus on the way out!!!

The poor sheep are copping a bit of unwanted attention.

Did Robert Palmer wear gloves in this infamous video?

Amen!

Nic x

Seattle to Seattle – Part 4 (Banff & surrounds)

Still in Canada but with a looooooong six hour drive to our next 2-night accommodation venue. But what a part of the world!

Whilst we are still arguing about the exact shade of blue/green the water is, the area surrounding Banff and Canmore in Alberta, Canada is just stunning. I don’t want to get too bogged down in trying to find the appropriate adjectives. The photos will speak for themselves. Some of the images I have used Photoshop to slightly enhance the contrast but aside from that, the colours are true.