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USA 2026 Calkins
  • Vicki Calkin
  • Simon Calkin
  • Vicki Calkin
  • Simon Calkin

USA 2026 Calkins

A 35-day adventure by Vicki & Simon. Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 29, 2026
  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1

    Mode of Transport

    April 29 in New Zealand ☀️ 19 °C

    First time on flight with Simon's new mobility scooter, courtesy ACC. Simon has named him Go Go. We have checked in our bags, and gone through process so AirNZ will let Simon drive to airplane door and then staff will store GoGo in the hold. Hopefully of the plane we are travelling on 😊
    Having coffee and ANZAC biccies. It's 4.15pm and check-in only starts at 4.50 so believe it or not, Team Calkin is actually early for once!    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Houston

    Apr 30 – May 3 in the United States ☁️ 27 °C

    Wednesday 29/4/26 Houston
    Arrived at hotel around 4.30pm. After 13.5 hours flight on top of drive to Auckland we were not up for any sightseeing.
    Headed just down the road for food and I had a lovely IPA with my meal -
    so just one photo 😊    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Houston wanderings (1)

    Apr 30 – May 2 in the United States ⛅ 26 °C

    Thursday 30th April 202
    Houston, I love your parks, trees, murals, sculptures and mosaics. Lots of beautiful old buildings, and some cool new ones too. Spotted one gecko, turtles, an eel like creature, and one squirrel. We spent the day wandering a few blocks either way from hotel, with siesta mid afternoon. Coming back from Discovery Green we happened upon a pub with a live band playing great foot tapping music and had a beauty steak dinner. Lucky we are carnivores at heart, as we'd had BBQ brisket sandwiches for lunch in the underground Foodcourt! (there are offices, shops and walkways underground here)
    1. Market Square Park
    2. Lynn Wyatt Square
    3. Hermann Square
    4. Old Sam Houston Park
    5. Buffalo Bayou Park
    6. Discovery Green    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Somewhat damp on arrival in rocket hall3

    1. Space Centre Houston 1.5.26

    May 1 in the United States ⛅ 31 °C

    Woke to steady rain which developed over the day into torrential rain with thunder and lightning, and cooler temperatures (ah, the relief!)
    We had a prebooked ride and tour to the Space Centre Houston. In addition, we had prebooked a tour of the original control room, pretty cool. We were both blown away by the Space Centre. Definitely somewhere I would recommend. Just wish we had more time there (not helped by the bad weather that kept us in the Rocket Park building for longer than required). .
    Suggestion: arrive at opening time under your own steam and leave only when turfed out!    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    13

    The Grand Ole Opry Saturday 2nd May 2026

    May 2 in the United States ⛅ 13 °C

    Awesome show. We both enjoyed it so much! Soaked up the good vibes and love for country music.
    Mission BBQ for dinner beforehand was suggested by Amy, our driver from Nashville airport to hotel. Food was good, decor was armed service related memorabilia. They provide free food/good deals for servicefolkRead more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    11Cool trike that we both took photos of but in the glare of the night lights this was the best image1

    Nashville Wanderings 3-4.5.26

    May 3 in the United States ☀️ 21 °C

    Nashville has a high proportion of absolutely gorgeous old buildings in and amongst newer buildings. Photos taken at Marathon car works buildings taken Sunday 3/5 during tram ride. The rest taken after visiting Johnny Cash Museum, walking back to hotel. We stopped and watched the madness that is Nashville. Our dinner table, which I was very chuffed to nab, was inside the bar, but open to pavement and shenanigans.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    See the piano keys across the back of the entrance areaLoved this floor surface - very reminiscent of barns and old homestead houses

    1. Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Nashville

    May 3 in the United States ☀️ 16 °C

    Sunday 3rd May 2026
    The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is outstanding. The building itself is beautiful
    This is but a small snippet of it's offerings and only from the first display (which took forever for me to work through)
    Dolly Parton Display was a great place to start. Dolly, I salute you    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    2Simon and his siblings saw this very car at Ridley's garage, Turangi. Toured Aussie&NZ January1969222

    2. Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Nashville

    May 3 in the United States ☀️ 19 °C
  • USA 2026 Calkins
    111

    3. Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Nashville

    May 4 in the United States ☀️ 20 °C

    Back again (this time on my own 😄) because the four and a half hours we spent here yesterday just weren't enough!
    Straight into the Taylor Swift display - having dissed it to Simon the day before I absolutely loved it (especially the butterfly made using the idea of Dolly's coat of many colours, tho would have been even better if the kind soul taking shots for me had not cut off the letters to the left!)Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    4. Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Nashville

    May 4 in the United States ☀️ 20 °C

    I enjoyed the footage shown on a TV screen of old shows, including The Beverly Hillbillies, Dolly Parton (pre re-work), and Glen Campbell.
    Found interesting the displays that acknowledged the merits of session musicians, particularly those of a high calibre (first-call) who contributed to successful recordings. To the ignorant (like me) their skills are not recognised.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    This display was fab. Pick a decade, then pick a song from selection

    1. Johnny Cash Museum, Nashville 4.5.26

    May 4 in the United States ☀️ 26 °C

    A highlight of our trip for me. Never knew what a kind philanthropic man Johnny Cash was. Also very taken by how poor the childhoods of some of my favourite greats were, and how when their fortunes changed they didn't shy away from helping others (also reflecting another commanility - their Christian upbringings - which they took into their adult lives AND actually applied! e. g. Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton)Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    Interesting rock layeringVicki's new favourite. Yummy!

    Nashville to Memphis driving Tues 5.5.26

    May 5–8 in the United States 🌬 26 °C

    Was a nice slow start leaving Nashville after picking up car and (Simon, brave man) driving to Memphis.

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    1. National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis

    May 6 in the United States 🌧 20 °C

    This amazing educational facility/Museum informs of African American beginnings.
    It starts with the story of slavery, it's cruelty and lack of regard for human beings (specifically a lack of recognition that the people enslaved were human and therefore worthy of the same respect, and application of "Christian" values, protection by Law and the protections afforded by the Declaration of Independence).
    It also showed efforts to maintain connections to African roots (at least initially when slaves were being kidnapped from Africa) as opposed to children born into slavery.
    The displays covered changes made to the law to manipulate the use and ownership of slaves, how in spite of subsequent corrective changes to Federal Law these were actively ignored by some Southern states. Also discusses forms of persecution and provides information about civil rights movements (including Dr Martin Luther King who was shot dead by an assassin, on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel (which is adjacent to the Centre). One of the displays includes looking into the motel room he was staying in (no blood splatter!
    I spent a truly sad and informative day which started out very noisy with groups of schoolkids, but I saw them off, I was there so long!    Read more