Measuring in Friends

Having just spent Thanksgiving with my family in Los Angeles, and as the first leg of our trip nears the end, it got me thinking about all the people we have met whilst we've been in North America. People who have made our journey so memorable.

Whilst we have been in the States, we've reconnected with old childhood friends, caught up with family, been joined by mates from home, and met a whole host of new people. From my second cousin who I'd never met before, to our tour guide in Mexico, the Frat boys in Florida, to our West Brom friends made in Vegas; these are the people that have made our trip so amazing. 

As Tim Cahill said:

I have been lucky enough to share my experiences over the past three months with three fabulous people, and I'm quite devastated our little family is being torn apart tomorrow as Danielle departs for New York. But I realise how fortunate we are to have met so many great people, from all over the world along the way. Here's to making more friends Down Under!

California Dreamin'

I'm content and in awe. It's the middle of November, winter is fast approaching and I've spent the past week happily travelling from one beach to the next along the West coast of the USA.

November is glorious in California. Not only has it been averaging about 22 degrees (with some days as warm as 28), there's such a great vibe. It's out of peak season so a lot quieter than it would have otherwise been, and everyone's gearing up for the holiday season, with Thanksgiving less than two weeks away.

There are some beautiful places down Highway 1 - and if you're in to your cars I'd recommend the route just for the drive alone. Never have I more enjoyed driving than down the quiet winding coastal road. Spectacular.

There are some real treasures along the way too. From the arcades of Santa Cruz, to the Farmers Market of Monterey (if you go, make sure you time it for the market on a Tuesday as the food stalls really are something else), beautiful, beautiful Carmel, to the shops and restaurants of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, the lovely beaches of Long Beach, Huntington, Newport and Laguna - you're spoilt for choice.

A trip to Hearst Castle is also worthwhile. An imposing structure sat on the hill, overlooking San Simeon. The original owner, media mogul, William Hearst took inspiration from Europe, particularly Spain, and included literally everything he wanted, from Roman-styled pools (indoor and outdoor), to Greek pottery, historic painted ceilings, tapestries. You name it, he had it. The castle was even surrounded by a private zoo! The estate is really well preserved, although the animals are no longer there, and it is fascinating to wander round. When I eventually have enough money to build my own castle I'll definitely be taking inspiration from this place.

I left my heart in Napa Valley

Okay, so that's not quite how the song goes. I was going to focus this blog on the original tune and how of all the cities we've visited so far San Francisco has been my favourite:

I left my heart in San Francisco

High on a hill it calls to me

To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars

The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care

But now I've been to Napa Valley, and I realise that's where I've left my heart. Rolling hills, beautiful wineries, autumn leaves, tasty food and of course fantastic wine. There's not much not to love about the place. 

The Domaine Carneros winery, owned by the Tattinger family - yes, I did come all this way to discover my favourite wine in the region is made by the French - is particularly good. A striking house and setting, fascinating tour and lovely patio serving Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and as you'd expect some good bubbly; as well as French-inspired plates of cheese, charcuterie and smoked salmon.

Our weekend wine tasting in Napa, however, doesn't detract from San Francisco but indeed adds to it's appeal. Just 50 minutes drive away, I can't think of a more ideal set up than working in the city and spending my weekends in Napa.

San Francisco is a lovely sunny city - I'm told we timed our visit perfectly to miss the mist usually associated with the place - bursting with shops, restaurants and bars, big hills, spectacular views over the bay, and picturesque parks. It has the quirkiness of New Orleans, especially in neighbourhoods such as the Haight, combined with big city feel of Dallas, and the trendiness of Miami.

It's unique features make it a must visit city. I'd be shocked to discover there's anywhere else in the world where historic cable cars climb up giant hills, sea lions sit in the harbour, barking and splashing the day away, with impressive bridges, such a large coastline, and as grand a park as Golden Gate park.

Over the past week I've discovered why so many people rave about Northern California, and I can't blame them. In fact, I suspect I'll be joining them!

Three national parks and a little place called Vegas

In the last ten days we've re-established ourselves in the US after Mexico, covered a lot of ground over three different states and explored some fascinating and contrasting places. From the big lights of bustling Vegas, brimming with gamblers and party-goers, to the serenity of the vast Grand Canyon, eerily silent Death Valley and the beautiful wilderness of Yosemite national park.

Everyone hears so much about Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps, and all it's craziness. Before we even got to the states I had a clear picture in my mind of what it would be like. But when we arrived, eventually (there was a slight issue involving strawberry margaritas at Houston airport that meant we had to get a plane later than planned) it was not at all what I expected. I can't really pinpoint exactly why; perhaps it's because the strip was so long - we never made it up to the Stratosphere at the other end. Or perhaps because the city does sleep, things close and people drift off to bed from about 1am, albeit later than a normal day in a normal city. I'm not sure, but it took some re-adjusting. For the first few days I wasn't sure what I made of it, but by the end of our eight days - which everyone was right, is more than enough time in Vegas - the place had captured my heart.

Sophie and I took a (needed) day out from Vegas to visit our eighth state and what has been described as 'the most stunning natural spectacle' and also 'a big hole in the ground' (Chloe), the Grand Canyon.

Our tour guide on the way said we can take as many pictures as we like and describe it to our friends and family, but it's just not possible to explain exactly what it's like. And he is absolutely right. As George Wharton James, author of 'The Grand Canyon: How to See it' said:

"Though only two hundred and seventeen miles long, [The Grand Canyon] expresses in that distance more than any one human mind yet has been able to comprehend or interpret to the world. Famous word masters have attempted it, great canvas and colour masters have tried it, but all alike have failed."

With that in mind I will not exhaust my vocabulary in a feeble attempt to explain the feelings and thoughts this natural wonder conjures up. Instead I will say just two things: 1) I could have sat there staring with fascination all day - it's stunning, everyone should go see it; and 2) If you visit at the end of October, as we did, bring some warm clothing. Somehow we lost perspective that you are at altitude when you are staring down in to the Canyon, so of course it's colder than at sea level.

After our eight days in Vegas were up - highlights of which included Marquee Mondays, seeing Shania Twain, Calvin Harris at Hakassan for Hallowe'en, and the central bar at our hotel, which became our regular hangout from 4am till 7am - we headed on our way to our ninth and final state, California. First stop, Death Valley.

Now it may not sound all that appealing, but the drive in our new car, or LD as we call him, was spectacular. Again, for fear of not doing the landscape justice, I'm going to rely on the words of another:

"Strange how a landscape so unwelcoming and intolerant of life can be so inexplicably and compellingly beautiful" - H Wormington 

We then moved from one remarkable national park to another, heading straight from Death Valley to our final stop before San Francisco, Yosemite. In addition to the change in temperature being quite something - after two hours driving the desert landscape transformed in to snowy mountain tops - our accommodation in Yosemite was quite different too. 

Not only did we have bear lockers to put all our food and toiletries in (we didn't actually get to see any bears, rather disappointingly), in stark contrast to our luxury casino hotel in Vegas, we opted for tents; originally unheated, but that was an idea we quickly re-thought.

An evening spent snuggled by the fire in the guest lodge, playing cards - for fun rather than money - actually turned out to be one of our favourite nights. And our interrupted sleep, as we piled on another layer of clothing on to keep warm, was made worthwhile by the breathtaking scenery and wildlife engulfing us. 

It looked picturesque in its beautiful Autumn setting, but I'd like to return to Yosemite in the summer months. Although the evident devastation from this summer's wildfires suggest it may not be the best time to go, revisiting when it's not so cold, when Yosemite falls is flowing at its best, and when I can really make the most of my favourite national park is definitely on my to-do list.

The Lone Star State

It's been a great week in the Lone Star state. We've experienced real big cities, some crazy driving and a lot of people wondering how on earth we ended up in Texas.

Our introduction to the state was in Dallas. We spent a considerable amount of time learning about JFK, which is a big deal, as you can imagine with the 50th anniversary of his assassination fast approaching; seeing the memorial, the spot where it happened and that window.

We also admired the view from the reunion tower, spent a Saturday night checking out the locals bars and ate great food from two very different cuisines: tex mex and ethiopian (although Chloe might contest that statement after discovering the Texans like to put beef in everything, even refried beans). The only two downsides were our failed attempt to go bowling - rather hilariously making that failed attempt number four - clearly bowling being a significant part of American popular culture is an outdated myth; and the weather, dropping to around 20 degrees the first day we were there, we even wore jeans - quite a shock to the system!

South Texas, in contrast, has not only gifted us with glorious weather, but even more beautiful cities and more intriguing historical sites - although no real cowboys, which I'm a little disappointed about.

Austin, buzzing with students and with a plethora of bars and live music venues, plus plenty of shops and nice cafes is the sort of place I'd want to live. And it's impressive state capital building, tower blocks and beautiful university structures provide a lovely setting.

We loved Houston; the Flying Saucer bar in downtown with it's multitude of beers was a great place to meet local businessmen and women. And we were fascinated by the NASA space station.

But for me it is San Antonio, home of the Alamo, which has been the stand out city. The battle cry, 'Remember the Alamo' is one we've all heard, made famous across the world by John Wayne and Davy Crockett, even if our knowledge of the Alamo itself is somewhat vague. Not only is San Antonio's architecture and history stunning (even if the Alamo is a lot smaller than I'd envisaged), but it's river walk, more reminiscent of the likes of Venice than something you would expect to find in Texas, is out of this world. Lined with lovely restaurants, which light up the river at night, the walk has a mini theatre (which we were all excited to realise featured in Miss Congeniality), an abundance of pretty bridges, and great boat tours. 

Plus it leads to La Villita, a cute little village where the Mexican Commander surrendered to the Texans during the Texas War for independence in 1835; today overflowing with arts and crafts, and the best icecream I've had in a long time.

Now we're at Houston airport waiting to board our plane to Cancun, and I can't help but feel a bit sad; not only are we leaving Texas, the first leg of our trip is over. But as we head to Mexico, I'm sure much more adventure awaits.

Always desire to learn something useful

We have spent a lot of time on the road the past few weeks, travelling from the southern most part of the US, in Key West, Florida, through Georgia, round Alabama, in to Mississippi and Louisana, then round the largest state of them all, Texas.

As we've been exploring these different landscapes and meeting a diverse range of people, we've done a lot of learning - about the US, about different views and cultures, about the nature we've encountered, about all the different places we've visited and people we've met.

It's good to take a break and nurture the soul, which is exactly what this trip has been doing, but it's also important not to let your mind stagnate. So in addition to learning from our travels, we've been educating ourselves in the car. From learning Spanish, to the state nicknames and capitals, to UK Prime Ministers, general knowledge, London boroughs, animal facts, European capitals; Chloe and Danielle have even been imparting their knowledge on Harry Potter. We've tried to keep it diverse and we've tried to keep it beneficial.

As famous Greek playwright, Sophocles said:

New Orleans, an eclectic mix of fun

Before we arrived in New Orleans Leah, the landlady of the bar we were drinking at in Mobile, Alabama elucidated what it was like:

'It's dirty, it's grimy, it's trashy, y'all gonna love it!'

If only we knew just how much. Sure parts of it were grimy and the tourist traps like the famous Bourbon Street were trashy, but it was also quirky, authentic, unique.

Its eclectic mix of jazz bars, tattoo parlours, Mediterranean food, office blocks, steamboats, flea markets and historical sights make it unlike anywhere I've ever been before. Never have I been to a stranger, more random place than New Orleans.

The different districts and attractions almost belong completely separately. You would not expect to find coffee and beignets of Cafe du Monde alongside the strip clubs and cheesy music of Bourbon Street; nor the tattoo parlours and boutiques of Uptown to be part of the same city as the business district or voodoo shops, for which New Orleans is renowned. Yet oddly this amalgamation of anomalies comes together superbly.

It starts to make a lot more sense once you understand the history of the city. The impact of African Americans and native Indian Americans is obvious and once intermingled with the European influence, which dominates the large French quarter of the city in particular, you suddenly begin to see why it's such an unusual place.

It is this originality that makes New Orleans a must visit city. Whether you're looking for sophisticated jazz, kooky shops, great food or crazy nightlife, it really has it all.

And whilst the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina is still evident in a few places, particularly on the drive in, the city seems to have recovered now (contrary to reports I'd heard before we arrived). New Orleans is a large, bustling city - I was surprised by the scale of it - with a melange of people moving at all hours of the day at the very heart of it.

If you are looking to visit I would recommend the dinner jazz cruise on steamboat Natchez; a great combination of history and culture, with incredibly friendly staff and the opportunity to say you have sailed up the Mississippi river.

You should also check out the bars along Frenchmen Street and Decatur Street - Bourbon Street was lots of fun, but perhaps somewhere you should only visit once for the novelty. 

The eateries and boutiques along Magazine Street are definitely worth a visit. As are the tattoo parlours (especially Idle Hands) at that end of town if that's something that interests you.

And if the opportunity arises, you should try and see an NFL game at the dome. We were in town for the Saints hosting the Miami dolphins - and whilst we weren't at the game, the atmosphere was fantastic. I'm sure it helped that the Saints crushed the dolphins 38-17, but it seems New Orleans is a football-mad city.

Whatever you're looking for in New Orleans, in the words of our friend Leah, 'y'all gonna love it!'

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

When we decided to come and explore the US I envisaged beautiful beaches, dramatic landscapes and exciting cities - and thus far we've had plenty of that. But I also imagined quiet little towns, country folk and in the words of Otis Reading, sittin' on the dock of a bay, wasting time.

Well now we're in Fairhope, Alabama and we have found just that. A sleepy country town by the sea, we've found some lovely people - never have I felt more like a celebrity than on the beach today, where the young local girls for whom British tourists are definitely not the norm, spent most of the day fascinated by our accents, quizzing us on England and One Direction - but we also found the most stunning dock.

And so today, I have been living by Otis  Reading's words:

Looks like nothing's going to change

Everything still remains the same

I can't do what ten people tell me to do

So I guess I'll just remain the same

Sittin' here resting my bones

And this loneliness won't leave me alone

It's two thousand miles I roamed

Just to make this dock my home

Now I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wasting time

I can certainly think of worse places to be 'wasting time'.

Living in the USA

The first two weeks of our trip are up. If we were on a normal holiday we would be back in the UK now sat at our desks with our fast-fading tans, watching the drizzle and reminiscing about the good times we'd had in the Florida sun. Instead we're still here and it's started to sink in we're going to be living in the US for the next 3 months (well 2 and a half now). 

With that comes the realisation not every day is going to be all highs, there will be moments when we miss home, miss our friends, feel a little tired or grumpy - not that we've had time to feel even remotely home sick yet.

We have a lot of places to visit, an abundance to see, and with that comes plenty of time on the road, a variety of experiences, some exhaustion, but most importantly a hell of a lot of fun! Tonight we plan on reliving our Uni (or should I say college) days by gatecrashing a Frat party at our new friends' in Tallahassee.

The four of us are already like a little family. And I have a sneaky feeling we're going to love living in the USA.