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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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  • USA 2026 Calkins
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    Airboat Ride, Miami 20.5.26

    May 20 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Taking an airboat ride in the Everglades has been something I always thought I'd like to do.
    Stoked to have done it, but also to have an understanding now of the huge area that constitutes the Everglades, and the differences between West; the cypress trees with their Spanish Moss, and the East; the "Sea of Grass" we saw yesterdayRead more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Miami to Key West Wed 20.5.26

    May 20–21 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    42 bridges (the longest the seven mile bridge) with beautiful water views and realisation that we may have done something wrong in our lives (houses worth ridiculous amounts). Canals abound with big flash houses and jetty access to obscenely large boats!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Key West to Miami Thursday 21.5.26

    May 21 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    After leaving hotel, drove around Key West looking at the fort. Then at old houses as well as the houses of the rich! Had an amazing deli lunch - selection by Noah was fabulous.
    Plans to snorkel put aside due trips not running until after Memorial Day (25th May) but also sea choppy due to wind so wasn't going to work out.
    Back to Miami    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    Tournament of Kings - Las Vegas Show 24.5.26

    May 24 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Set in large hall to resemble watching a medieval tournament. This show had amazing costumes, and horses careering in close proximity to the audience. In our seated areas divided into kingdoms (we were Hungary) we ate our medieval fare with our hands and clapped and cheered on our "knight" to win. It was a bit of fun!Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1Beautiful indoor area for lunch with views over canyonAll of the gravel area should be covered in waterThere should be water all the way up to the treeline on top of hill on island

    Grand Canyon 2. Boat Ride 25.5.26

    May 25 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Boat ride along Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Gives a different perspective from helicopter overhead, and skywalk views.
    Hoover Dam photos taken on our drive back to Vegas, showing lack of water they are suffering from (Lake Mead is 185 feet below it's full capacity) and the power scheme is operating at only 27% capacityRead more

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    Grand Canyon 4. Eagle Point and Entrance 25.5.26

    May 25 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The Hualapai people are the hosts here. They have built a magnificent attraction encompassing the skywalk, diningroom (where we had our lunch), educational boards and the ubiquitous souvenir shops. Outside was a wonderful area for picnics in the centre of a large loop path taking us past different style dwellings of ALL the native people/tribes who had connections with the Grand Canyon.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1Below sea level - how crazy is that?

    Death Valley 1. Dante's View 26.5.26

    May 26 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Death Valley was spectacular. So pleased we had top tips from Theo to stop off and visit Dante's View. The drive in was beautiful. Once up at the viewpoint it was very hot, and also annoyingly windy - dehydration would be a real risk here, and no sun protection at all. Salt flats were so impressive, loved itRead more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    21Cute as a button, in one of the camping grounds111Each camp site has big metal locker for storing food so bears can't get at it, and firepit/grill

    Mammoth Lakes Drive & Art Cabin 27.5.26

    May 27 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 1 °C

    What was planned to be a slow day, turned into a real slow day! We visited the local information centre (Welcome Centre in US vernacular and spoke to the lovely and very knowledgeable and helpful Ollie there) only to find:
    1. The gondala we were planning to ride on was undergoing post winter maintenance
    2. Red Meadow Road, to view local scenic highlights, was still under reconstruction (and cos of current snow fall wouldn't have been open even if maintenance had been completed)
    3. Our planned route to San Francisco has been reclosed due to current snowfall and wouldn't be reopened until Friday (we leave Thursday, of course!)
    So instead we went driving around the series of lakes, Lake Mary and Twin Lakes, which were beautiful. Cabins, houses and palaces tucked in amongst trees, with views of the water and the impressive crags of the Sierra Nevadas (complete with snow, and several waterfalls). Camping grounds abound too. Usually a quirky general store type shop, and bar/restaurant for each little settlement.
    I had a lovely little side adventure when I popped into an art gallery (see video). The couple there live in Portland but travel for the "non-snow" months to their cabin, towing a 23 foot covered in trailer which includes art and collectibles they've picked up in proceeding year. They then place these items amongst their cabin and sell them, letting visitors wander through all the rooms.
    The cabin itself was built in 1830s by a couple. The husband at least was an artist (not clear if wife was too) and they spent their summers at the cabin, adding a room each summer 🌞 Eventually they built on a kitchen (must have been bbq dinners before then). Kitchen still sports the original enamel over cast iron unit with double sinks and bench top, original metal cupboard fronts with original pulls, and a woodburning cooker which I imagine was original, or maybe it's replacement over the years. The current owners also have three pieces of furniture built by the original artist owner. One piece was the shop counter, and has frontage of vertically run "planks" with tree bark, below the smooth finished wooden counter top. It was beautiful in a rustic way, perfect for a cabin in the woods! I was so wanting to take photos, especially of the bearskin spread over a bed, complete with fierce looking face, with hat atop. Managed to refrain from asking. Lastly. the current owner told me that the bears come around and look in the windows, he said they're not aggressive. I'll take his word on that!    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1122Chairlift June Lake. Simon said "I'm not sure I'd want this to be last run of the day, to carpark"Arnold's bon voyage gift. Two stickers for the separate car hirings KEEP RIGHT222Lightening fires?1Zoom in, the trees manage to grow in rock crevicesMore feckin snow as we drove away from the effect of Sierra Nevadas1Old bridge on left.I thought the Californian poppies were a lovely welcome as we returned rental

    Mammoth Lakes to San Francisco 28.5.26

    May 28 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    Today was a big drive from Mammoth Lakes to San Francisco, via US-395 and US-50 (highest altitude 8100' (2470m}, at Lee Vining).
    As a comparison, Ruapehu is 2797m.
    Still spectacular scenery, but not the route that was planned.

    (Plan was to take Tioga Pass, altitude 9,950' (3,031m). We were keeping an eye on it, and the Pass only opened up SINCE we've been in the US, so we were looking forward to being able to travel it). However, we've been foiled by the snowstorm that arrived with us in Mammoth Lakes on the evening of 26th. By morning of 27th Tioga Pass had seven inches of snow, with more expected. This route is amazing apparently and would have taken us via Yosemite but it was not to be. Ah well, the holiday gods were not with us    Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins
    1111This explains restoration of statue that has scaffolding around it in next photoSee note re restoration work being undertaken beneath scaffolding1

    San Francisco Union Square, Macy's and pooltime

    May 29 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    With a gentle start to the day, we had lunch at Union Square (a stone's throw from our hotel). I walked over to Macy's - what a massive store, with wine bar inside (handy if the shopping was to drive one to drink 🍷) I went for a swim in the heated pool which is very conveniently outside our room - blissful - lazed around in the sun reading, and then we had dinner nearby. Lovely and relaxing day.Read more

  • USA 2026 Calkins

    San Francisco 1. Hop On Hop Off Bus 30.5.26

    May 30 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    After breakfast in Union Square beautiful San Francisco seen from the Hop On Hop Off Bus. Lunch on Fisherman's Wharf and then discovering the Exploratorium.
    Lots of buildings here of a similar age, reflecting rebuild required after 1906 earthquake. A lot of art deco inspired buildings and detailing.Read more