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

Things we’ll miss…

For all the things I’ve complained about since we’ve lived in the States, now that we’re leaving I should probably consider the things that we are going to miss! In no particular order…

The boys barber – just around the corner there is a barber shop run by 3 Israeli brothers. Special K and Master P troop off every couple of months and have a lovely blokey time with some lovely blokes. Toot sweet Great Neck Village Barbers.

People listening – On par with ‘people watching’, listening to the different NY and in particular Lawn Guy Land (Long Island) accents of those around us never gets old. Everything seems like it’s a drama and Miss E and I in particular are in heaven listening to one end of a telephone conversation or sitting in a diner listening to the next table.

Fireflies – we discovered fireflies the very first night we stayed in our house. The power wasn’t connected yet, there were no window coverings, we were all sleeping on the floor in the living room and one after the other, we each had a “Did you see that flash of light?” moment. The following 2 years we knew that summer had arrived when we started to see fireflies.

Snow – I think I’ve probably raved on enough about my love of snow. Like fireflies, there is just a magical quality about a lovely dump of snow.

arrandale snow — The view from our front door after a dump of snow in 2016

Text updates/notifications – For a country that tends to be a little backwards in a lot of areas (ie our water bill could only be paid by cheque), the use of text message notifications is awesome. For example, when you need prescription medication, your Dr sends the scrip directly to your nominated pharmacy and (once you subscribe to the text service) they text you when it’s ready. If it’s an ongoing medication, the pharmacy automatically fills the scrip when it’s due and texts you that it’s available for pick up! Totes convenient.

Baseball – Once again, something I’ve already documented but regularly going to Citi Field to see the Mets play and watching Master P take to Little League baseball like a champ have both been such great experiences. I was so excited when Sis M managed to pop over for a flying visit recently and see Master P playing for the Bees and catch a brilliant comeback win by the Mets.

NYC – We are so lucky to have been just a short train ride away. I feel emotionally attached. From the weekends we spent as a family, to the days I managed to sneak in on my own (not nearly enough), I am already planning trips back. I love this city.

Visitors! – Running the whole gamut from family members coming to stay, right through to having lunch with one of my sisters friends, we have been blessed to catch up with a lot of people during our time here and each and everyone one of them was so appreciated. Here are a few of those friendly faces. Big hugs to EVERYONE that took the time.

The Allan’s

Our Aussie neighbour Scott (with trombone) and his parents touched base when in town for Scott playing at Lincoln Center

Sis M’s friend Claire

Hadn’t seen these lovely faces in close to 20 years!

My lovely inlaws

Amazing road trip with Tiff

Iavarone Bros – most supermarkets here have a pre-prepared meal section. This establishment close by Special K’s employers and where the kids did gymnastics received regular visits from us for their excellent salads, delicious cooked meats, deli, bakery section etc. Pasquale Iavarone opened his Italian ‘Salciceria’ in Brooklyn in 1919 and the rest is history. The best fast food EVER!

Traveling – By the end of our stay here, we will have managed to visit *34 of the 50 American States + Canada and Jamaica. Not a bad effort!!

*A few of these were visited by Special K only, for business.

Craft Stores – Michael’s and Joann’s, I thank you. I have purchased 2 new machines since we have lived here, which were not even on my radar before we came over. That’s what happens when you have lots of time on your hands and feel the need to create. I am looking forward to using these fabulous cutting devices to aid in my a new venture (see below). I am on a first name basis with one of the lovelies at Michael’s.

The houses – I am clueless about architecture. If it isn’t brick veneer, California bungalow or mud brick I’m lost. But people here appear to have very strong ideas about the style of home they like. I loved our little Colonial house, built in 1905, showing every bit of its age but the beautiful natural light in the living area, high ceilings and front porch (Christmas decorating heaven) made it warm and cosy.

I have fallen in love with the Dutch Colonial style of home and will miss driving around various parts of this country and our neighbourhood and enjoying the rich palette of diverse homes.

WNYC/NPR – As an avid 774 ABC listener in Melbourne, I was a little in crisis as to my talkback radio listening when we arrived. I had all of the greatest intentions of listening to podcasts from the ABC however time (and Netflix!) doesn’t allow for me to listen to radio all day and then catch up on Aus radio. So I kept it local and almost feel the same way about Brian Lehrer and Leonard Lopate as I do about Jon Faine and Richard Stubbs (who has since left radio). The amount of time dedicated to Potus 45 did my head in on a regular basis (enter Audiobooks) but I loved keeping up with the local issues, interviews with local NYorkers from the entertainment industry and the in-depth journalism from National Public Radio. Might have to sneak a few WNYC podcasts in on my return. I even subscribed (just to get a tote bag)!

New friends – I’ve blogged about my struggles to find my people here. Combined with a long period of self imposed isolation due to feeling so out of place and mourning the loss of my Mum it took me a while. But I found them. Their generosity, kindness and inclusiveness in such a short amount of time leaves me feeling intensely grateful. I knew I didn’t need a thousand friends, just a few treasures to share the weariness and joy of life over a coffee or wine (or a mojito!), a hug and some laughs. You know who you are.

Celebrating Fall – As an avid fan of Autumn, I am fully down with the way this season is celebrated here. Pumpkins, scarecrows, corn stalks and displays of flowers resplendent with every shade of red, yellow and orange adorn front lawns, porches, door wreaths, shopping centres, local parks etc. and celebrating the impending harvest feels right and kind of unifying.

Wreaths – I openly admit to being a huge fan of Christmas wreaths before we moved here. I had even progressed to a non Christmas wreath, featuring the number of our house. However, I think it’s safe to say that I am now obsessed with wreaths for every occasion, season and location. My crafty little mind is spilling with ideas that I am sure can be embraced by those that love a bit of beauty in and around their homes in Australia. Be it a beautiful seasonal wreath to give that touch of elegance and warmth to the entrance of your home, a rustic living wreath of succulents for your outdoor entertaining area or something with texture and colour to bring together the elements of a room… see, told you I was obsessed. I’ve been doing lots of experimenting and planning for a small homemade business venture. Stay tuned. Here is one of my first attempts with flowers I made from fine crepe paper.

And the Farewell Tour begins.

Nic x

Key West & Miami

With 2 months left of living in New York and 6 weeks on the road across the southern end of the States after that, we are feverishly trying to fit in some extra travel. The week before school starts back in our district sees us spending 6 nights in Florida split between Key West and Miami.

We have been to Florida before but really, I think Disney World needs to be reclassified as its own state. Whenever I said to anyone that we’re going to Florida, the assumption is that we’re going to Disney. I am happy to say, a trip to Disney is not on the itinerary.

The drive down from Miami airport, along the Everglades National Park and the Overseas Highway was quite spectacular.

The beaches in the Keys are mostly man-made and the longest beach in Key West, Smathers Beach, is topped up with sand shipped in from the Bahamas every couple of years after it has washed away! But what Key West lacks in natural beaches it makes up for in colour, coffee, attitude, chickens (just walking around everywhere), drag shows and tropical flora and fauna.

OMG, the coffee!! The Cuban Coffee Queen restored our faith and this cute postcard backdrop was a bonus.

Rainbow flags everywhere. A very LGBTQ supportive community.

These kinds of places are what make Key West special.

This photo doesn’t do justice to these glorious flowers

During our wanderings we stumbled across the gardens at The West Martello Tower. Check out these tropical offerings, most of which were found inside the bricked walls..

We visited The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy and the Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum which were both fascinating in different ways but also afforded a stressed out Special K some well-timed mindful moments!

Key West was a fantastic little get away and a bit of a step back in time. Duval St is the main tourist thoroughfare but we found that a block or two in either direction served us a lot better. Less drunk/stoned people, less carved wooden penises hanging at eye level and better food!

The highlights of our 3 days in Miami were a trip to the Everglades National Park, the beach, the art deco buildings on and around Collins Avenue and our bus tour driver who was very in the know with regard to where various movies had been shot and left Special K and I with a hankering to watch Scarface!

View from our hotel room

A Cuban cigar factor

A visitor on the Everglades

Amazing Everglades

Isn’t he cute?

Nope.

Cruise anybody?

Ten four rubber ducky.

Noice!

Just hanging in the sun.

We only got to see a tiny part of the Everglades but one of the things I love about all of our traveling is seeing environments that I have never seen before – the Everglades was certainly that.

This trip was instigated by Special K and it probably really wasn’t on my radar, aside from the Everglades. I am a Winter lover so the thought of spending any time in Florida during Summer was pretty unappealing to me. But it was definitely worth it.

Nic x

It’s official! Homeward bound.

And just like that, our time living in the USA is almost over!

Special K’s contract has been extended for 3 months and he officially finishes up at the end of October. After a Farewell Tour of approximately 6 weeks we will be home for a Christmas with absolutely no chance of snow!

It’s hard to know how to feel. So much has happened since we landed in July 2015 that we are forever changed by this experience and of course, that was the whole point. The people and places of this city, state and country are now a permanent part of our families history and the life we have led here a part of the fabric that feeds our world view. There have been periods where all we wanted to do was envelop our children in our embrace, make haste to the Qantas terminal and never come back. There were also times (admittedly not as many) when we thought we would stay longer.

It’s the right time for us.

I always envisioned flying out of NY for the last time, gazing back over the city that I have been so blessed to become familiar with and shedding a few tears. The impending Farewell Tour Road Trip has put paid to that made for movies moment but those nostalgic pangs will still be fully felt as we drive our hire car out over the Hudson River on the The George Washington Bridge (even though it makes no sense to go that way, I will insist!) on our final American adventure.

Of course my mind is already going in a million different directions and the lists are well and truly underway. Coordinating the move, finding new homes for most of the electrical items and furniture we’ve purchased here, disconnecting services, changing subscriptions, wondering what is in our storage lockers in Australia that we have lived without for 2 and half years, enrolling kids in school (Master P for the first time in Australia), car shopping, attempting to get new flooring organised once the tenant moves out of our house in Australia, what has changed and what has stayed the same about our suburb, our friends, family and us. What are we taking from this experience and how will it change the way we live our lives going forward?

So many emotions.

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!

The Supermarket

Early on in our relationship, Special K and I had a bit of a stand off at a supermarket. I believe we were in Footscray, where I was living with a friend at the time and we needed to pick up a couple of grocery items. We pulled in, I turned the engine off and we both went to get out of the car.

“You’re not coming.” I said, followed by the kind of shit storm that I’m sure is often witnessed in general suburban parking lots all over the world.

You see, Special K and I are very different shoppers. He likes to browse, compare prices, move on to a different aisle, come back to compare again, compare the pricing to the national average, look at all the pretty things… and I like to run in, find my preferred brands with laser like precision, slam them all through the self serve register and be back in the car quick sticks.

In Australia there are 4 main supermarkets. Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and your local store, maybe an IGA. There are many many more supermarkets in the USA. King Kullen, ShopRite, Best Market, Costco, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Stop n Shop, Waldbaums, Shop Delight etc. Add to that the large Jewish population in our area that necessitates kosher supermarkets and the fact that Target sells groceries and it can all get a little overwhelming to find everything you need.

I have had to spend way too much time in supermarkets here.There are items I can’t get (seriously, I’d give something of substantial value for a supply of thickened cream), things that I think don’t exist here only to find that they are called something completely different and a world of products and brands that I’ve never heard of.

And then there are items on the shelves that are just kind of interesting and wrong.

The lovely Lidia looks SO much like my Dad’s lovely wife that the kids and I freak out every time we see this jar!

SO MUCH peanut butter flavoured stuff here. But powdered… really?

I was not aware there was an Aussie style of liquorice.

Pussy anything should not be consumable.

Medication does really come in these containers, just like on TV.

The only brand of tomatoes that I can find that ONLY have tomatoes in it.

Well, you’re gonna put mayonnaise on your bacon anyway.

#4 Things that should not come in a can and look hideous

You can only imagine how much time Special K takes in a supermarket now!!!! *eyeroll*

Nic x

Random weirdness US style #1

There are many many things that are just a little bit different over here. Tiny things. Barely relevant. But certainly enough for me to compose yet another list. Whooot!!

In a restaurant, cafe, diner etc, straws come encased in paper. Every time you order a drink it is served with the straw on the side still wrapped or the straw is in your beverage with the tip of the paper still on the top of the straw.
Lights switches switch the opposite way and the majority of power points don’t have an on/off switch
The 2 out of 3 times that we have visited a beach we have had to pay to do so! One of the beaches was at Amityville and had a kids water park next to the beach. Mainly because the beach wasn’t really what I would call swim friendly. The whole thing was manned by staff. The second was at Ocean Beach and it had a new boardwalk (built since Hurricane Sandy) and was manned by lifeguards.
Turn right on red light – if you are stopped at a red light and you are wanting to turn right, you are allowed to, ensuring there is no traffic coming, unless otherwise signed
A slice of pizza is about the same size as a small pizza in Australia!
A 5c piece is larger than a 10c piece.
Flags – so many homes and businesses have the US flag adorning a window or pole that if there is a house or business that doesn’t have one, I’m instantly suspicious.
Home Deepot (huge hardware store, more like Masters as it sells white goods too) – even though we’re Aussies, we keep saying Home Deepot instead of Home Depot.
Maps can be a bitch – I really don’t know how we would have survived here without the Maps function on our iPhones. However, sometimes rather than just hitting ‘Start’ before you’ve actually had a look at the route, she likes to send you on quite the scenic journey. It’s a bit hard to explain without having to draw you a map but let’s just say that it cost me $16 in bridge tolls that went over large bodies of water when the destinations are both on the same land mass.
Phone numbers are formatted differently ie. XXX XXX XXXX and it’s the same amount of numbers whether it’s a cell phone or a home phone. I still can’t tell what prefix indicates if it’s a cell or a home but I’m not sure it’s that important either. Master P memorised my cell number for me because I couldn’t make it stick in my brain.
When you pay a Realtor to lease out your house, the TENANT PAYS THE COMMISSION. The topic of housing rentals deserves a whole post on it’s own really. Coming soon…
“The speed limit is arbitrary” – whether you’re supposed to be going 30mph (about 48kph) or 70mph (about 113kph) no body (else) seems to pay the legally enforced limits much mind. This is a particular bug bear for Special K who can often be heard mumbling the word ‘arbitrary’ in his sleep.
Coffee – I know, Aussies constantly roll their eyes when it comes to coffee in America. So aside from all of the usual commentary, I find it quite bizarre that you are often subjected to a serve your own style of coffee. It’s kind of like camp with an array of labelled jugs/urns to cover all types of coffee and milk and don’t even start me on the selection of sweeteners! I did have an hilarious experience at Starbucks the other day where a woman argued with the server for 5 minutes about the way she ordered her coffee. Something about froth on the side and whether it was a macchiatto or… geez I don’t even know what she was talking about but she was continuously pointing out that ‘This is how I order it 8 times a week in here’. I thought I might be the only one finding this somewhat hilarious and annoying at the same time but the chick behind me was equally bemused.
Ikea – in Melbourne, after you’ve loaded up your trolley with purchases, gone through the register and then remember that you can’t take the trolley out to the car, it just does your head in. Not so in the great US of A. You can take your cart out to the car and if you need to put something on your roof and you don’t have racks, no problem, Ikea will supply you with cardboard and twine that serves just as well. Yep, I couldn’t make that up. I haven’t seen that in Aus. $ikea roofracks$
Lemonade ain’t lemonade – I knew this before I got here but it took me three times of receiving the equivalent of lemon cordial before I remembered to order Sprite/7Up rather than lemonade.
Bed sizes – we have single, double, queen, king. They have twin, full, queen, king.
Cheques – When we opened our US bank account, we received 4 cheque books. All for the one cheque account. We were perplexed. Can you even get a cheque book in Australia these days? And then I went to get our water connected and had to pay a $300 deposit in cash or cheque!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!