Provincetown Day 2
2022年9月17日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
We woke up later than usual today - Ted feeling a bit seedy! - after drinks last night. I went to breakfast, but Ted decided to forego it. We walked down to get a coffee but going to Coffee Joe wasn’t as good as we’d hoped, as there was no seating and the service was mediocre.
Today was a great relaxing day, as we didn’t stick to any schedule. We went down afterwards to the Portuguese bakery where Ted waited forever for a ham and cheese croissant. Ted then went to buy some T-shirts whilst I went and bought a breakfast burrito. As you can see, our schedule today was very riveting!
For dinner, we went to the same bar we went to for pre-dinner drinks as it also doubled as an Italian restaurant. I struggled to get through the meal though as a lunchtime smoothie I’d had earlier, complete with banana, blueberries and peanut butter, was one of the most filling things I’ve ever drank. We have enjoyed being here in Provincetown but would prefer to come here with friends if we came again.
We thought about going out again tonight but considering our early start tomorrow and the fact we’re so behind on sleep, decided against it.もっと詳しく
Provincetown
2022年9月16日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
I didn’t quite get the sleep-in I’d been hoping for as I woke way too early, especially since breakfast wasn’t served until 8am. The breakfast itself was the first one we’ve had provided on this holiday, and was only a simple offering of granola and muffins. Ted and I headed out for a walk on the surprisingly cool morning to see some more of Provincetown. It is very different from Ogunquit with a lot more shops, restaurants and bars however since it’s located on a peninsula, there doesn’t seem to be much to drive to in the way of day trips.
Ted and I walked to the spectacular Pilgrim Monument which is close by to our B&B before walking to town and enjoying a coffee at a beachside cafe. We have noticed that the NGPA (National Gay Pilots Association) are having an event here in Provincetown, and there are plenty of pilots walking around wearing lanyards. For lunch, we went to a street side restaurant for beer and burgers before going shopping for T-shirts - we found a store having a massive sale so I bought five!
After bumming around for a while, we headed back to our B&B to book some accommodation in Holyoke, due to our alternate arrangements. We dressed up and got ready to go out that night for some pre-dinner drinks, and went to the Shipwreck Bar nearby. Since there seemed to be a private function we headed instead to a small bar on the Main Street for a beer, before heading back and trying again. The function was still happening, but the organisers encouraged us to stay regardless. It ended up being the Gay Fathers of Greater Boston group, so we stayed for a while and had a few drinks before heading towards the Crown and Anchor.
Ted recognised one of the pilots there as someone he had met earlier, and the pilot convinced the organiser to let us in since we both worked in aviation. Not only did the organiser let us in, he also gave us four drink vouchers! Initially, we found it a bit hard to find people to talk to as everyone seemed to already have their group of friends, but the organiser actually brought over some people to speak to, including an Australian pilot from Canberra who now lives in Boston.
The party then moved to the aforementioned Shipwreck Bar! There were so many people there that the gathering ended up spilling over to the bar across the road. Once Ted and I had had our fill of drinks and socialising, we headed back to our accommodation, although I walked through the area for a while trying to find anywhere that sold water. I ended up having to buy four bottles from a rooftop bar that was still open. It was so great to get out and meet members of the community!もっと詳しく
Ogunquit to Provincetown
2022年9月15日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C
It was fortunate I set the alarm, because we were both sound asleep when it sounded. Sleeping in the room wasn’t completely easy due to the sound of people walking around upstairs, but it was nothing that earplugs couldn’t fix. Since we still haven’t acquired a taste for hotel coffee, we waited until we arrived in Salem before getting our caffeine fix. Fortunately coffee shops like those back home haven’t been difficult to find on this holiday!
Our tour guide in Salem was a local named April, who gave a good mix of humour and knowledge during the tour. Even though a large emphasis of the tour was about the Salem Witch Trials, it was interesting to learn about the city’s early history too. Some of the sights we saw included: the “Witch House”, which was owned by Jonathan Corwin, who was called upon to investigate the witchcraft accusations, and is the only existing structure tied to the Salem witch trials; the First Church in Salem which was built in 1836; Burying Point Cemetery, which is right next to the Salem Witch Trials Memorial; and Ropes Mansion, a Georgian Colonial mansion. But one of the coolest things was the “Bewitched” statue, featuring Elizabeth Montgomery’s character Samantha astride a broom and framed by a moon crescent.
Since we still had a long drive to Provincetown, we bought some sandwiches from the same coffee shop before heading off. I would’ve loved to have spent more time in Salem as it felt like we’d only scratched the surface, so hopefully someday we will get to visit again. We then headed south past Boston, which wasn’t as easy as we’d anticipated. Even outside of peak hour, traffic was horrible with a mass of cars fighting over a mishmash of lanes. A truck driver verbally abused us twice too!
We finally arrived in Plymouth, and it was a real treat. Known as “America’s hometown”, it was a beautiful seaside town, with plenty of English culture, like the red phone booths. We saw the famous Plymouth Rock (not very exciting!) and the replica of the Mayflower before continuing on our drive.
The drive to Provincetown was very relaxing through the Cape Cod area, and our Airbnb accommodation was not difficult to find. Our room is wonderfully large with a fair sized bathroom too. After unloading the car, we wandered down nearby Commercial Street to get into the atmosphere of the area. We ordered some corn chips and beer in a street side bar to people watch before getting some cheap Chinese food in a nearby food court. Since we’d been eating all day, we weren’t in the mood for much.
Provincetown weather is actually cooler than our last few destinations, so maybe autumn is finally coming. We may be changing our itinerary - we had planned to stay with friends Stephen and Woody after leaving Provincetown but their son has just been diagnosed with Covid. Since it’s a Thursday night, we decided to relax in our room for the evening.もっと詳しく
Bar Harbor to Ogunquit
2022年9月14日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Today we ended up leaving earlier than expected, mainly due to going to bed early last night. After packing up the car, I cautiously went to check out with only one key, expecting to be asked where the other key was, but nothing was said by the receptionist so I counted our blessings and we departed!
So far on this holiday we have been avoiding the freeways to save money until we faced the reality that the toll charges here are sometimes only $1, and nothing like the exorbitant toll charges we have back home! This means we returned to Ogunquit much faster than the drive from there took, as we were on the freeway as opposed to the coastal scenic route.
Before getting to Ogunquit, we visited the city of Portland, which is where we were originally meant to be staying tonight. We headed straight to the waterfront area which was a collection of cafes and restaurants, with cobblestone streets. We explored the port before similarly heading to the downtown district, but found it to be less interesting as it was reminiscent of a lot of large cities.
We thought we’d see more of Portland, so we drove out to the Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The weather out there was spectacular, as was the view of Portland. It seemed like the perfect place to have lunch, so we relaxed in the sunshine and got some vitamin D.
We then continued onto Ogunquit and were pleasantly surprised that our cheaper hotel was actually better than our previous one. The walk to town is slightly further, but the room is bigger and more comfortable. Ted went to the supermarket to get some more supplies whilst I unpacked the car. We had planned to catch up with our friends Scott and Nate whom we’d met through mutual friends in Las Vegas a few years back, so we dressed up to go for dinner.
Before dinner, we headed to the piano bar which was less crazy than before but still popular. We then tried the Maine Street bar which was mostly empty, before heading to the Italian restaurant nearby. It was wonderful seeing friends again after a long break from travelling, which has been our main focus on this holiday. The dinner was great, and Scott and Nate even kindly paid as they said we were the visitors.
We have a tour booked tomorrow in Salem for 10am, so I set the alarm to avoid oversleeping. Massachusetts tomorrow!もっと詳しく
Acadia National Park
2022年9月13日, アメリカ ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
After waking up this morning, we discovered that our cabin accommodation didn’t have any crockery or cutlery, so instead of having breakfast first, we made a quick trip to a nearby supermarket to stock up on even more supplies. When we returned, we spoke to the people in the cabin next to us, where their huge puppy jumped on Ted, covering him in mud in the process!
When we returned to the room, we wasted time looking for the second key to the cabin, before thinking that maybe we were confusing it with our previous accommodation and there was never a second key! Our main plan for today was to visit nearby Acadia National Park, the sixth most visited national park in the United States.
The weather today wasn’t perfect though, as the day was quite overcast. One of the places we enjoyed seeing the most was Jordan Pond, with a view of the North and South Bubbles in the background. We were a bit confused though, as we’d been driving on the Ring Road all morning and we still hadn’t seen the entry gate yet!
We headed up the Cadillac Summit Road which we’d needed to pay an additional entry fee for, but it wasn’t quite what we’d expected as the cloudy weather overtook the view. We managed to get a few good pics before departing and were about to return to the accommodation when we saw a road indicating the way to a sandy beach.
It wasn’t until we drove on the road for a while that we finally reached the actual entry to the park! The scenery on this side was different to what we’d already seen, which included a beach, and a rocky shore called Thunder Hole which is a small inlet, naturally carved out of the rocks, where the waves roll into.
We headed back to the cabin before deciding to explore Bar Harbor again. This time we weren’t so lucky with parking, as it seemed like there were twice the number of people than yesterday, so we parked further away at a sports oval. Our first bad weather happened today as it rained consistently for a while. We stopped at the Beerworks restaurant for an unhealthy dinner (clam chowder and Mac and cheese) before walking back in the rain to the car. After returning to our cabin, we relaxed and dried off before bedtime.もっと詳しく
Ogunquit to Bar Harbor
2022年9月12日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Even though we had a long drive, we still had a decent sleep-in before packing up the car for the drive to Bar Harbor today. Our first stop was the town of Kennebunkport which was close by. We liked it a lot - it had a more nautical look than Ogunquit, and it wasn’t as large. We even managed to find a good coffee house, where I had a 4 shot iced coffee. Yikes!
There are two ways to reach Bar Harbor and today we took the longer, and more scenic route. It’s also the route that has no tollgates! We had some light rain on the way, which has been the only plain weather we’ve had since starting our holiday too.
We arrived in the town of Rockland for lunch which is a very edgy, grungy kind of town but decided to try elsewhere for lunch since a lot of places were closed anyway. Ted and I have developed a real love of diners since we don’t have them back home, and went to a quaint diner in the nearby town of Rockport. The lunch was marred somewhat when I tried to enter the men’s restroom and broke the door frame in the process. I was very apologetic but the waitress wasn’t bothered at all! Either way, we left a larger tip than usual!
As we continued up the coast, we stopped at a beautiful town named Camden, which was another port city. We spent some time walking along the waterfront and took plenty of photos. We’ve noticed there are an abundance of places selling lobster rolls (or lobster anything!), but $40 a pop is a bit much we thinks!
When we arrived at our accommodation, we were very pleased with our cute little cabin. The owner was also wonderful in recommending the local sights, and said we could use the washing machine and dryer for free. After unloading our bags, we took the car into nearby Bar Harbor about ten minutes away not sure what to expect.
To say the least, we love it. The town is a popular destination for cruise ships, and there is a huge abundance of shops, restaurants and tourists! We found a reasonable Thai restaurant for dinner but just the atmosphere of the town made it worthwhile. So far Maine has been wonderful with its port towns, Dutch Colonial architecture and friendly people. We are heading to nearby Acadia National Park tomorrow, which will be another National Park we can add to the list :-)もっと詳しく
Ogunquit Day 2
2022年9月11日, アメリカ ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
What a relief to wake up today, take our time, and not have to jump into the car for another long drive! Today we decided to explore the local area of Ogunquit so after having breakfast in the room, packed up a backpack and walked down to the beach area. It was actually surprising to see how much surf there was - even though the weather wasn’t ideal, there were still a lot of people enjoying being by the sea. The majority of tourists here are either elderly people or the LGBTQ crowd, and the number of rainbow flags about is really impressive, even on the churches.
I had read about visiting nearby Perkins Cove thinking it was another, possibly quieter, nearby town. It actually ended up being an extension of Ogunquit, where the very wealthy live. We had driven the car there but balked at the idea of staying for lunch since the car parking price alone was $30. We loved seeing the beautiful area but ended up returning to our local area, where we went to the Treehouse Taqueria for a Mexican meal instead.
We then relaxed in our room before having something to eat and heading to the Maine Street bar for drinks around 4pm. We ended up staying until seeing some friends we’d met the night before, but didn’t stay out all night since we’re heading off to Bar Harbor tomorrow. At least we’ll get to see Ogunquit again on the way back!もっと詳しく
Stowe to Ogunquit, Maine
2022年9月10日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We had a decent sleep last night, showing that the jet lag has finally passed. We packed up our car and had a chat to some Canadian guys in the car park about their Mini which was brought here for the British car show. We then headed into nearby Stowe for breakfast, which looked miraculously clean considering the celebrations last night. We went to a small cafe for oatmeal and a bacon and ham muffin for breakfast, combined with bad American coffee. We took some photos of the beautiful town before heading to a sight I was interested in.
Before coming to the USA I had heard that the Von Trapp family from “The Sound of Music” had moved here after escaping Austria and, sure enough, there was their lodge about 10 minutes outside of town. It is now an exclusive accommodation with an extensive property and activities for the guests. Fortunately we were allowed to wander inside and take photos, as well as learn the history of the place.
We had planned to visit the towns of Manchester and Portsmouth during our drive today, but only settled on the latter. Manchester didn’t seem that interesting and was somewhat run down. We drove to the area near the City Hall as apparently it was the more diverse area, but didn’t like it much. Portsmouth however was a charming and touristy seaside town. Just like the names, the English influences here are really obvious in the New England states. We had a Mexican lunch down on the water which wasn’t as expensive as we’d anticipated (we still can’t find Coke Zero anywhere though!).
Our arrival into Ogunquit was somewhat slow though as the traffic into town is quite intense. This place is definitely popular with tourists! We checked into our accommodation, which is a good sized room in a hotel which is walking distance to town. Even better, we’re here for two nights meaning we can have a break from driving. We headed to a nearby supermarket as we’re hoping to save money on breakfasts and dinners instead of eating out all the time.
We had a well deserved nap before we decided to change our itinerary slightly. On the way back from Bar Harbor we are meant to be staying in Portland for one night however the accommodation is very expensive, so we have decided to come back to Ogunquit instead where it is half the price. We couldn’t get the same accommodation as now, but the new place is only a few minutes up the road.
We had dinner in the room before heading out for a drink. Firstly we went to the lively Front Porch Piano Bar which was very popular with locals and tourists alike. We met a lady downstairs from Miami who joined us at the local venue across the street, called Maine Street. Not only did we meet some locals, we also found out we’ve been pronouncing the name of this town incorrectly! It’s O-GUN-quit, not OH-gen-quit! We didn’t have a late night but we still had a fun nightもっと詳しく
Thousand Islands to Stowe, Vermont
2022年9月9日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Even though our cabin isn’t glamorous, we did both sleep well. One thing that was a bit unusual is that the instructions on the wall said we needed to separate the garbage, sweep and vacuum the floors, wash and put away the dishes and strip the beds before leaving! It almost felt like we were at camp.
The Queen’s passing was all over the news this morning, even here in the US, and there were also some flags at half mast here too. We were a bit concerned when we awoke to fog, particularly since we had the cruise at 10am. We remained optimistic and packed up our car, bought a takeaway coffee in Clayton, and drove down to Alexandria Bay for our cruise.
The fog was still there although it was slowly dissipating. The tour operator advised that the tour may get delayed which concerned us due to our tight schedule and their no-refund policy. Luckily we were not delayed for more than 15 minutes, so the cruise was only delayed further waiting for the people who ran to get a coffee thinking the departure would be later!
The cruise went through the appropriately named Millionaire Row, where there were some stunning houses located on islands along the way. The guide even asked us to look over the edge and look out for the US-Canada border (which most of us fell for). We enjoyed a green tea and popcorn in the dining area before stopping at beautiful Boldt Island where the majority of the passengers disembarked to explore the castle. Truth be told, if we’d had enough time we would have done the same, but we still had a lot of driving to do so we had to pass.
Even though the cruise departed late, we arrived back in Alexandria Bay on time. We continued our long drive towards Vermont where we passed a few Amish communities on the way. As we didn’t want to run behind, we settled on McDonalds drive thru at Gouverneur for lunch, which is something we definitely don’t do often.
When we arrived at Lake Placid we both liked it. I mistakenly associated it with the movie, not the venue of the Winter Olympics! The area had a lot of tourists, but we loved walking through the shops and photographing the lake. I bought a T-shirt - my first purchase this holiday - before we continued on. Easier said than done though, as a lot of the roads were closed and we were constantly detoured.
We drove past the ski jumps on the way out of Lake Placid, before arriving in beautiful, flat Vermont. Some of the villages we drove through were amazing. We had originally scheduled to go to the capital Burlington, but the amount of driving was getting to us, so we headed straight to Stowe instead. When we arrived it was already dark so we decided to go into town first before going to the hotel, in the hope something would be open so we could get something to eat.
Well unbeknownst to us, the town was completely pumping. The town was holding their annual “British Invasion”, which involved a band playing British songs, the displaying of British cars, and thousands of people in the street. We thought it was related to the passing of the Queen, but it was just a coincidence. We bought some pies for dinner thinking they’d be a cheap option (misjudged that one!) before enjoying the atmosphere. We headed to our so-so hotel afterwards but, despite driving all day, Ted was still awake enough to stay up and watch the tennis! Tomorrow we visit another state as we head to Maine!もっと詳しく
Collingwood to Thousand Islands
2022年9月8日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Today we bade Canada farewell as we crossed the border into the United States. Gretchen kindly made us eggs on toast for breakfast, which is much better than what we’ve been eating lately! Before heading off, G & D offered to take us to the Collingwood waterfront before we continued on our way.
Since coming here, driving has been awkward as we sometimes lose directions due to the map roaming dropping out. There’s also so many speeding drivers! Today involved a lot of driving, so our first stop involved just getting petrol and eating at the diner next door. Before going into eat, I panicked when I couldn’t find my phone anywhere - the last thing you want to lose on holidays after your passport! The service station owner called my phone and Ted managed to find it trapped down between the seats. Phew!
The diner was called St. John’s which seemed to have been struggling a bit lately. When the blackboard only listed three meat meals, we considered moving on but fortunately, the waitress had full menus. I did have to ask what “peameal” was though. As we continued through Canada, I noticed that several flags were at half mast. We realised why when the internet reported that the Queen had passed away. It was interesting to see that the Canadians still felt an affection for her.
Before reaching the border crossing, we tried to stop and see the 1000 Islands tower hoping to take the elevator to the top but unfortunately it’s only open on the weekends. Next time! The border crossing was fortunately very easy, mainly because there were only two rows of three cars each.
When we arrived at our accommodation, the receptionist Jolene kept apologising for giving us the “Fisherman’s Cottage” which was a bit run down but was otherwise spacious. It was given the name as it’s where the local fishermen usually stay. She also recommended we book a cruise of the Thousand Islands promptly as they sell out quickly. We managed to get a cruise for tomorrow morning before we depart.
We were pleasantly surprised when we went to explore nearby Clayton and thought it was beautiful. The town had a whole selection of restaurants and cafes lining the waterfront, with Adirondack chairs to enjoy the view. We parked the car and walked around for about half an hour before realising we hadn’t put any money in the parking meter! We didn’t get booked though.
After collecting some items from the supermarket we headed back so Ted could watch the tennis and relax before tomorrow.もっと詳しく
Collingwood Day 2
2022年9月7日, カナダ ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Gretchen and Dallas were both working today, so Ted and I had planned to explore the area by ourselves. We still felt confident doing it, even without our local guides! Gretchen made us overnight oats for breakfast, and our first stop was the town of Meaford. On the way, we stopped at a supermarket to buy some supplies (like food), as we seem to find it difficult to stick to our budget of not eating out everywhere we go.
The weather was perfect today, so visiting Meaford was worth it. There were already Hallowe’en displays about, so we walked around town including along the river. We even saw some people playing Pickleball, which is best described as a cross between table tennis and tennis. Apparently it’s a big hit here in Canada!
Our next stop was Wiarton, where apparently we have been before but I’ve unfortunately forgotten! The town is famous for Wiarton Willie, a Canadian groundhog who takes part in a local festival (I kid you not!) to predict if there will be an early spring. There is even a monument to Willie. The view in front of the lake was the perfect place to eat our lunch too.
Dallas had recommended visiting nearby Sauble Beach which ended up being a surprise - a nice beachfront area right here in Canada! With its Australian weather, the beach was really welcoming, especially with all the shops and restaurants lining the street that led to the beach. We stopped for a coffee at an outdoor cafe and were impressed with the coffee and iced coffee which were both reminiscent of what we get back home.
We had earlier driven through a town called Owen Sound which we’d liked the look of, so we headed back to explore it further. Unfortunately I think we’d seen the best of the town from the street as the back areas weren’t so attractive. We stopped into a games shop to buy a board game for Gretchen, Dallas and Ben for looking after us. They love games so it seemed like an appropriate gift.
We had both liked Blue Mountain Resort on a previous visit, so we went back for another visit today. Whilst there we checked out some different restaurants for dinner, but Dallas suggested eating locally instead as the restaurants were quite pricy. Gretchen and Dallas were also both keen on getting take-away instead, and it ended up being a huge selection of food from a nearby Greek restaurant. We stayed up playing the game “Taboo” before heading to bed. USA tomorrow!もっと詳しく
Collingwood Day 1
2022年9月6日, カナダ ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Despite the fact we went to bed so late, Ted and I are still slightly affected by jet lag and woke up around 6am. Gretchen and Dallas both had today off and we started the day well when Gretchen made us pancakes - real pancakes! - for breakfast (unlike the pancake in a shake that I make back home). Ben was starting school today so after Dallas took him to school, we headed out for the day.
When we arrived yesterday, Gretchen and Dallas had suggested an itinerary full of action such as hiking and kayaking, but when Ted and I said we’d prefer a more laid back time, today’s activities included wineries and cider houses instead. The first place we headed to was the Craigleath Provincial Park, where there were fossils embedded in the stone along the beach. The beach was beautiful and fortunately so was the weather.
We next headed to the Georgian Hills winery, where we could enjoy a tasting of either wines or ciders. Coming from an area like Adelaide, it was wonderful being able to experience something different. We sat in the dining area and enjoyed some platters whilst we had a few wines however the wasps were a problem as they were attracted to either the drinks or the food platters.
We stopped at a bakery next where I bought a vegetarian sandwich, which was a relief because the food on the platters wasn’t that filling. We then headed to the nearby waterfalls which were an easy walk, and very much worth seeing. After seeing the falls, we went to nearby Thornbury to try out the craft beers and ciders at a local cider house. I’m not generally a cider drinker, but they offered a flight of four different varieties such as blood orange, rosé and apple, which I really enjoyed trying.
After having these few drinks in the middle of the day, we headed back for a nap/meditate before dinner. After a few days of restaurant and fast food, it was wonderful being able to have a home cooked meal for a change. Griffin has headed back to his family’s home so the four of us stayed up talking until about 10pm - earlier than last night since both Gretchen and Dallas are working tomorrow!もっと詳しく
Los Angeles to Toronto
2022年9月5日, カナダ ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
After another mediocre sleep where we both woke up during the night due to jet lag, Ted and I packed up our luggage before making the trek to the airport for our flight to Toronto, Canada. Thank God we checked our itinerary - both of us had assumed our flight was at 2pm but we were actually reading the flight time for our trip home. Since our flight was actually that morning, I didn’t get time to shave before departing, as it was just a case of throwing everything into the bags, calling an Uber, and leaving.
Ted had been keen on leaving early regardless as today is a public holiday in the USA, and he feared the airport and the traffic there would both be chaotic. Both ended up being fine although there was a lot of congestion closer to the terminal. The waiting area however was nuts, so we found a quieter area upstairs to chill before boarding.
I bought a salmon roll to eat before departure which I’m glad I did - the flight was over five hours and was delayed due to the late arrival of the aircraft. One annoying thing was the lack of baggage space onboard - a lot of passengers (not us) had to surrender their hand luggage before boarding.
The flight was really cold to begin with so we needed our jumpers for most of the flight. Ted spoke to one of the flight attendants and it ended up that she is married to one of the Hawaiian ground agents Ted knew in Honolulu. Of course once they knew we were crew everything changed! They offered us free alcohol, which we took for Gretchen and Dallas, and some snacks for the drive to Collingwood afterwards. We never expect to get anything for free, we’re just happy to meet fellow crew.
Once we landed in Toronto, we collected our luggage and needed to trek from one terminal to the next to find the car rental office. Due to this and the initial flight delay, we left much later than expected but were then on our way! The drive to Collingwood was almost 2 hours but due to the change in time zones, we weren’t too tired even though it was late. We were starving though as there were no food options between there and the airport.
We finally arrived at Gretchen and Dallas’s house around 11pm and felt bad because we had kept them awake so late! We were so grateful when they asked if we’d like something to eat, since we hadn’t eaten since early that morning! Gretchen’s nephew Griffin is also staying here, as well as his dog Lincoln. We saw their son Ben briefly before bed, as well as their new dog Biscuit. Even though we were all tired, we ended up talking until 1.30 in the morning.もっと詳しく
Los Angeles Day 2
2022年9月4日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
As much as we like our room and hotel, we didn’t sleep so well due to the door leading to the street which would slam every time someone entered or left! Otherwise we slept quite well considering the earlier jet lag we had. After having breakfast, we dressed more cooly than we had yesterday (thongs instead of joggers) before heading out for the day.
Ted had suggested I go to the nearby Comic Con but since it didn’t start until 11am and crowd numbers were so low, decided to go to the Aquarium instead. I did have a peek inside the venue as we passed it though and felt a bit sad I wasn’t going! Today was unbelievably hot again, which we found out later was quite unusual for LA.
When we arrived at the Aquarium, we found out they had special times you needed to reserve to enter so, since we couldn’t enter until midday, went to a nearby Bubba Gump Shrimp Company to get a beer and food, and savour the air conditioning. The Aquarium ended up being worth it - even though it wasn’t an economical choice due to the exchange rate, the place is listed as a non profit organisation, so we didn’t mind.
I ended up taking a lot of photos, as the marine life displayed was amazing. It’s hard to pick a favourite, but we loved the tropical fish, jellyfish and seals the most. When we left, the temperature had dropped considerably due to a cool change. We decided to take an UBER back to the accommodation though - not because of the heat, but because our feet were killing us!
We relaxed in our room during the afternoon to beat the heat, before getting dressed and heading out to dinner. Ted was keen to try a restaurant called Hamburger Mary’s which the FA’s we’d met last night had recommended. After walking through an interesting neighbourhood, we arrived at Mary’s and sat outside, which proved less appealing due to some screaming queens sitting nearby!
The meals ended up being basically hamburgers, chips and drinks but the final bill blew us away, as it was over $70. We decided to consider that our welcome meal, and make sure we were more careful next time! Since dessert was too expensive at the restaurant, we stopped at a supermarket and bought an apple pie and Cool Whip to enjoy in the room. Tomorrow we continue our travels as we head to Toronto, Canada 🇨🇦もっと詳しく
Los Angeles Day 1
2022年9月3日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C
Ted and I both woke up around 1am as expected, due to jet lag rearing its ugly head! Rather than lie there trying to get back to sleep, Ted went to the hotel 24 hour gym to try and wear down whilst I typed up this blog. After a couple of hours, we managed to fall asleep again. For breakfast we went downstairs to use the vouchers the manager gave us last night - feigning ignorance that we only had one - and managed to score a free buffet breakfast.
On the news this morning, they issued an excessive heat warning for Los Angeles, which will be here for this weekend whilst here. Even though we couldn’t book into our next hotel until the afternoon, we packed up and took an UBER to the area, as the airport neighbourhood isn’t that exciting. We’re glad we did - the area named the Arts District is a beautiful Art Deco neighbourhood of Long Beach. Our accommodation is equally attractive so after leaving our bags in storage, decided to explore the area.
One surprise is how quiet it is here - it’s the long weekend so we’re assuming a lot of people have gone away. Today was extremely hot though - we decided to head to the Waterfront but, after walking in the wrong direction for a while, finally got our bearings. I can’t say I enjoyed the walk - the heat was oppressive and I had no water. When we finally arrived at the Waterfront, I bought three bottles of water from the nearest kiosk whilst Ted bought some sunglasses as he can’t seem to find his.
Ted was keen on PF Chiangs for lunch, so we went there to relax in the AC too. Whilst waiting in a nearby Irish pub, I noticed there was a strange amount of cosplayers walking around before realising there was a Comic Con happening nearby. When we arrived back at our hotel, we really liked our room as it’s spacious and well decorated. The jet lag is really catching up though, as a simple meditation turned into a deep sleep for me.
After grabbing some breakfast items from the supermarket, we headed to the nearby area for a Thai dinner. Ted then wanted to see one of the local gay bars but after a very long walk, we didn’t like it as it was overly quiet. We headed back to see some other venues before deciding it was too early, so we relaxed back in the room before heading out again. On the way, we met couple of British Airways FA’s who were similarly heading to the LGBT area.
We finally settled on the Falcon Bar for a while, before the place then became way too crowded making it difficult to move. After a few drinks we headed back about midnight.もっと詳しく
Adelaide to Los Angeles
2022年9月2日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Today begins our first overseas holiday since COVID turned the world upside down. Truthfully it has been something I’ve been somewhat apprehensive about since the world has clearly changed, but we are optimistic we will love it again in no time.
We spent part of the morning at home assessing our options as, ideally we would like to fly in either Premium Economy or Business Class for the long flight. Originally we had intended to transfer via Sydney but after further consideration, decided to go via Melbourne instead. Brisbane was actually the better option but with only one flight available there from Adelaide, there wouldn’t have been a Plan B if the flight was cancelled.
We had already taken Snoopy to doggy day care the day before so, after packing up the last few items and locking up the house, we took an UBER to the airport. The check in agent gave us our domestic boarding passes, and checked our bag through for the Los Angeles flight too. I bought something to eat before the flight in case there wasn’t a vegetarian option if we got Economy to Melbourne but fortunately, got Business Class anyway. We then had over six hours to kill and contemplated going into the city to pass the time. When we considered the cost of the transport and the money we’d spend on food, a smarter option was to spend the time in the Marhaba Lounge instead which included all your food, drink, internet and comfort for the one price.
We kept an eye on the passenger loads during this time to see if our chances of an upgrade were likely. I went for a walk to try and find a Customer Service desk and, rather than be assisted by a Qantas staff member, she berated me for having a boarding pass as a standby passenger! I tried to explain that this was given to us by the check-in staff, but decided to end the conversation and find assistance elsewhere. I returned to the lounge, where Ted and I continued our eating marathon to pass the time.
After leaving the lounge, we checked the loads for the flight, which indicated that there were two Business seats available, and we were the highest listed in priority. Yet despite this, we were given seats in Premium Economy instead! We didn’t have time to question this, but I was still grateful to have received an upgrade.
The flight departed about 9:30 pm, so I stayed awake for the dinner service before trying to sleep. Unfortunately, my leg cramped during the night, so I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked! I also passed the time watching the new Top Gun movie, which was worth the time.
We arrived in Los Angeles in the evening, and the customs and immigration process, as well as the baggage collection, was actually very efficient. It took a while for us to remember where the airport shuttles operated from, where we waited about 20 minutes until the shuttle arrived. We had needed to book this hotel at the last minute as we had planned to leave Australia originally on the Saturday. The hotel is the airport Holiday Inn which has definitely seen better days!
There is a McDonald’s just outside the hotel, so we grabbed something small to eat to avoid getting hungry during the night. One thing we have really noticed is the availability of marijuana now - since it has been legalised here, the smell of it is everywhere we go. In our hotel, there was a shower running in the room next door for over an hour, so Ted called the manager who found a tap running whilst no one was there. He apologised for the inconvenience as the noise had been really loud, and offered us a free breakfast tomorrow. Yippee!
We headed to bed around 10 pm, with the hope that the jetlag does not affect us too badly!もっと詳しく
Day 15
2019年10月13日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Well today was a day and a half - literally! After a reasonable sleep, we needed to be packed up and out of our accommodation by noon so, after having breakfast with a group of Swiss and Germans, we headed out. As our flight wasn't until 9.30pm, we booked a day room near the airport to chill out before needing to catch our flight.
We took an Uber to our next hotel and our afternoon consisted of a combination of sleeping, relaxing and eating our remaining food. As the hotel was near the water, we walked along the lakeside path (beautiful weather) for some very light cardio! During the late afternoon we needed to head to the airport and cross our fingers we would have a decent flight home.
Unfortunately, it was about this time that the honeymoon ended! Even though check in was quite easy, the seats we were issued were really bad economy seats. We had tried for business and premium economy, and still couldn't figure out how we missed out as they were still listed as available. I asked at the boarding counter if we could sit elsewhere, and she offered me an exit row seat which sounded more appealing. Wrong! When I boarded, I was dismayed to see that most of the legroom was blocked by the protruding exit door - this seat was even worse!
I spoke to the CSM who then offered us other seats in economy which were not too bad. Well that changed when a whole group of travellers who had been delayed from their previous flight arrived. Once again we needed to get our bags and move, and this was after door closure! The crew asked us to sit anywhere so they could just do their safety demonstration first.
We were finally moved back to the seats we were in previously, and the sympathetic crew gave us some comfort packs from Business Class. After the aircraft taxied for about ten minutes, the captain then did a PA - there was an engineering issue we would need to return to the bay for. During this time, the crew offered drinks and snacks to the passengers.
Well the engineering problem wasn't an easy fix - we ended leaving four hours later! We stayed awake for dinner but we were totally exhausted by this stage. To make matters worse, Ted's seat didn't recline so he didn't get to sleep as much as he would've liked. I managed to get a few hours of sleep but I think I spent most of the 14 hour flight watching "Modern Family".
Considering all our previous luck with upgrades, I guess we were overdue for one lousy flight! Needless to say, it was a massive relief to finally arrive back in Australia. All things considered, it was still a wonderful honeymoon with many more good memories to remember.もっと詳しく
Day 14
2019年10月12日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Even though we had a small bed, we still managed to sleep okay. Our room is located right near the dining room, so after a decent breakfast, we went out to do some sightseeing. We have been to San Francisco many times before, but hadn't seen the Painted Ladies, so we walked to see these nearby historic houses. There was a dog park across the street so we were treated to a view of the city, canine companionship and some wonderful photo opportunities.
I suggested visiting Golden Gate Park which was easy to reach by bus. After hearing a lecture about local real estate from a somewhat nutty lady resident, we boarded the bus for the trip west. Ted suggested getting off the bus at a particular stop which wasn't quite as close to the park as we'd have liked. We eventually found the entrance and walked through the park, although we mainly just saw the Windmill before heading back to the Castro.
We had good memories of a Japanese restaurant we had visited on a previous trip to San Francisco, so we went there again for lunch today. Unluckily the prices aren't as low as they were when we first visited! We had a pleasant walk through the Castro before heading back for a nap. Dinner wasn't too expensive as I had a supermarket pasta salad before we went out for a few drinks. Tomorrow is our big flight home!もっと詳しく
Day 13
2019年10月11日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Ted and I had a long drive today to Dallas Fort Worth airport, and were really unsure what time to leave, to allow for the traffic and check-in time at the airport. We ended up leaving just after 6am so we could have breakfast before hitting the road.
Well, the weather was an enormous surprise. After the weeks of heat both here and in Mexico, we nearly froze today! Wearing only T-shirts and shorts, the temperature hovered around 10 degrees for most of the morning. Even more amazing was the downpour of rain - it was an absolute torrent. I was grateful when the sun finally came up as driving in the dark on a busy freeway in the pouring rain was somewhat unsettling.
The traffic all the way ended up being fine, and the car return was easy. When we got to the check-in counters though, a lightning storm had earlier shut down the airport, meaning there were mis-connected passengers all trying to get onboard any flight available. We ended up joining that queue as our circumstances were similarly confusing - mainly because we weren't sure we would be able to connect to San Francisco once we arrived in Los Angeles. Unluckily, even thought the Delta check-in lady was lovely, she still charged us for checking in a bag!
For lunch we had sandwiches at an airport 7-11 whilst we checked the status of the flights from LAX-SFO. Ted decided it wasn't worth the stress and suggested we just buy full fares with Southwest. I certainly didn't argue! It was during this time that I noticed I didn't have my Ipad with me. Ted asked if I'd remembered to collect it from the security conveyor belt, and I frantically run back in hope that the staff still had it. Luckily for me, they did, but I was still freaked out about nearly losing it.
Our flight to LAX was pretty uneventful due to the disinterested Delta crew (no free snacks this time!) but once we arrived in LAX, the weather was dry and warm. We collected our bag and walked over to Terminal 1 where Southwest departs from. After a lousy cheese quesadilla for dinner (there weren't many options), we boarded our short flight to SFO. Whilst the Southwest crew were a lot more warm and friendly, they similarly didn't offer any freebies!
It was after Ted and I had disembarked and we were walking towards the arrivals hall that I realised I didn't have my passport with me. Once again, I entered a mad panic as I ran back to the boarding gate and the agent on the desk asked the crew if they could check my seat pocket. Fortunately they did find it, and I sheepishly thanked them and went back to Ted. Praise the Lord! I don't know whether it was because of the long day, but this was the first time I've been so absentminded.
Once outside the airport, we caught a lift to our accommodation at the Willows Inn - a place we have stayed before and like very much. It was also the only place we found with affordable accommodation. Whilst the room was moderately small, we were more than happy with our choice. Ted headed down the street to get some groceries before having an early night tonight. After all the day's excitement, we were understandably exhausted.もっと詳しく
Day 12
2019年10月10日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
Before booking this trip, everyone said that Austin was the highlight of Texas. Well I'm sad to say that it didn't really meet our expectations today. Perhaps we were just unlucky, but nothing really thrilled us much in the City of the Violet Crown.
Ted was feeling a bit dusty this morning after last night, so after having a so-so breakfast, I went back to the barber shop from yesterday. Unbeknownst to myself, I needed to book online first, but I only needed to wait just over half an hour before getting a buzz cut (perfect for this Texas weather).
Our next stop was to the South Congress area which is known for hip boutiques, trendy lodging options and Austin-original eateries. It had an art deco feel to it, but in reality it didn't impress us that much. Our next stop was Barton Springs, a recreational outdoor swimming pool that is filled entirely with water from nearby natural springs. Well sadly for us, we seemed to arrive on the one day of the week when it was closed. :-(
I then tried our next destination, Lady Bird Lake, which offers a pedestrian bridge with views of the city. Unfortunately, the two destinations our GPS sent us to didn't resemble any sort of pedestrian bridge - one was a power plant, and the other was some back road. Disheartened, we headed back to the area of our accommodation to have lunch.
Even that proved to be a chore! We found a decent looking falafel restaurant and tried to park nearby (all the parking in Austin is expensive and metered). The meter machine did not want to take our money so we parked in a suburban street nearby. Despite double checking there were no "No Parking" signs, I still couldn't relax during lunch, wondering if our rental car was going to be towed away!
After coming back to our room for a nap, Ted considered going for a swim in the hotel pool until he saw the state of it! We then walked back down to the bear bar for a beer, as well as another nearby venue called Cheer Up Charlies before Ted decided he would like to go to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We found one a few suburbs away at a local shopping centre, and we remembered why we liked it so much. The area also had a beautiful view of the Austin skyline.
After dinner we came back and packed up for our early departure tomorrow. It was a shame that Austin didn't live up to our expectations, but we still had some pleasant experiences.もっと詳しく
Day 11
2019年10月9日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
After a good sized breakfast at our hotel today, we easily entered the next freeway for our drive towards Austin. Unfortunately we were also heading in the wring direction for a while! But the freeways are easy to manage and we were not inconvenienced for long.
We decided to visit Fredericksburg on the way, as it was promoted as a German town in the middle of Texas. I think we were expecting it to be like Solvang in California, but it wasn't quite the same! The town definitely did have its charms with parks and shops, and was certainly large, however it seemed to lack the same character as Solvang. My lunch ended up being McDonald's drive through!
We are staying at a Super 8 here in Houston (the accommodation is so expensive!) but as the room wasn't ready yet, we walked down to a nearby diner for lunch. The weather was so hot! We also needed to visit a barber and bank and when we found two nearby we were happy (until we walked down to them and saw the barber was closed and the bank withdrawal didn't work). We have been having trouble withdrawing money from HSBC so we called them to resolve the problem before heading out again.
As it was getting cooler, we walked to nearby Capitol Hill which we really liked, both inside and out. We walked downtown to see the Driskill hotel with it's elegant foyer, and the famous Voodoo Donut where we didn't want to risk coronary heart disease by buying anything there!
We returned to our room for a shower and change of clothes before catching an Uber back downtown for dinner. We ended up going to a Sports Bar for a dinner of tacos before heading to a nearby venue to see the locals play shuffleboard and watch American Horror Story. We briefly saw a drag show at the pub next door before losing interest and going to a nearby bear bar for karaoke. Since the town wasn't exactly rocking, we took another Uber back for a not-too-late night.もっと詳しく
Day 10
2019年10月8日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
This morning we packed up and headed to our next destination, San Antonio. Before entering the freeway we found a Denny's restaurant for breakfast before the long drive ahead. Although it nearly ended up being a lot longer, as Ted entered West Colombia (in the south) as our next destination into the GPS, as opposed to Colombus (in the west) where we were meant to go.
The drive was about three hours, but we are quite happy with the hotel where we are staying, as a change from staying at an AirBnB accommodation. Once getting to our room, we walked 20 minutes downtown until we reached the River Walk. It was really nice. I wasn't sure what to expect but it was a really beautiful restaurant and pub area that has been built along the river going through the city. What I liked most is that it is actually under the city, meaning you don't have any traffic or other businesses taking away any of the ambiance of the area.
We had lunch at a riverside restaurant which came complete with a mariachi band. We were going to go to nearby Dick's since the prices were decent, but there seemed to be a weird tradition of making the guests wear a condom shaped hat while they were dining. Since San Antonio is well known for The Alamo, I went back up to the city to see it. Ted didn't want to as he had seen it before, so I went and explored by myself.
With all due respect to the USA, I didn't find it very interesting. I imagine it is a part of US history, but for a foreigner like myself, I didn't really understand the significance. Whilst I liked the historic building and gardens, I wasn't really familiar enough with the history of The Alamo to appreciate what I was seeing.
We had seen enough sights for the day, so we caught an Uber back to our hotel. I did some laundry before Ted realised he had left his razor behind in the last hotel. We tried going to a nearby Chinese restaurant for dinner but since it was closed, we drove across town to a Walmart so Ted could buy another razor. We ended up buying some dinner there which was significantly cheaper than eating out again.
Tonight we had an earlier night since we are back on the road again tomorrow, towards Austin.もっと詳しく
Day 9
2019年10月7日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Today we had a full day in Houston, and it did not disappoint. According to TripAdvisor, there are not a lot of sights to see, so I suggested we visit the most popular one - The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
After a sleep with both air conditioning and a fan, we headed to a nearby Mexican restaurant for breakfast (it was the only place we could find that served breakfast!) before continuing onto the freeways to the nearby Johnson Space Center. We managed to get free parking to begin with (not sure why the man waved us through), and we had planned to spend at least a couple of hours at NASA. As it turned out, it far exceeded our expectations.
Once getting past security, we started with the NASA tram tour which, after a significant wait, drove up around the Space Center. It reminded me slightly of the jet base at work - we saw Rocket Park, where one of only three of the remaining actual Saturn V rockets is displayed, along with other rockets that propelled space exploration. We also walked an elevated path through the Space Vehicle Mock up Facility in Building 9, where NASA astronauts train for current missions and where scientists and engineers are developing the next generation of space exploration vehicles. My absolute favourite though was seeing the ISS Mission Control, where Flight controllers coordinate with astronauts from the many countries that participate in the International Space Station program. Maybe it was from watching all those sci-fi movies, but I was personally transfixed by it all.
After this we had some lunch and then headed back for the mission control center tram tour. At first we thought we'd taken the original tour again, but then ended up seeing the Apollo Mission Control Center from which NASA led the Gemini and Apollo missions, including the momentous first lunar landing mission and early space shuttle missions. They also played some audio from the day to re-create how the original visitors felt when they saw the original moon landing. Awesome.
After this tour, we walked through a high-fidelity shuttle replica and the original shuttle carrier aircraft NASA 905 in Independence Plaza, as well as the Starship Gallery which showed pictures and displays of previous missions to the moon (including moon rocks and replica spacecraft). My favourite displays were Mission to Mars, where it showed what it will take to travel to Mars and live on the red planet, and information about the International Space Station.
After buying some T-shirts as souvenirs, we left about five hours after we arrived and headed back to our accommodation. The traffic was not as bad as we'd expected and we ended up going back to Barnaby's for dinner again, as we'd enjoyed it so much last night. Being a Monday night, it was a lot quieter out although we did get to speak to some friendly Americans. We had an earlier night tonight since we're back on the road tomorrow.もっと詳しく
Day 8
2019年10月6日, アメリカ ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C
After another pleasant sleep in, we packed up our things and made our way around the state of Texas! Since we had a relatively long drive to Houston, we ate breakfast while driving. One good thing about Texas are the roads - there are so many freeways and once you have a destination in mind, it's basically just one road to where you need to go.
We thought we would stop and have lunch at a small town on the way but when we pulled up outside of Woody's Smokehouse with meat hanging from hooks in the window, I was immediately turned off. We ended up going to a nearby Italian restaurant instead. Firstly though we tried another nearby eatery which was more like a meat outlet, but I had to photograph the sign on the front door, which advised guests that guns were certainly welcome in their establishment (a bit different from back home).
The Italian restaurant was pleasant enough, although the majority of the guests were local folk who looked like they had just arrived from church. Before arriving into Houston, we stopped at a local Conroe gas station for petrol - that ended up being a debacle. When two of the pumps didn't work, it took ages to get our money returned from the harried sales clerk before we could go elsewhere.
Houston was another ensemble of freeways although our accommodation was more in the neighborhood area. Houston is really interesting - as the city doesn't have zoning laws, you can basically find any kind of business in any neighborhood, as opposed to having a residential area, a business area and so on. We met our hosts who were quite welcoming - the room was very nice although the wifi didn't work.
Even though it was really hot, we walked down to the local area for dinner and drinks. We had dinner at a funky diner named Barnaby's which we loved - they even had five different varieties of vegetarian burgers. Afterwards we walked to the nearby JR's and Eagle Bars - the whole area was very busy although we didn't really get to chat to anyone (a bit cliquey). After coming back to our room, we checked out airfares for our flight home - it looks like our best option might be a flight home from San Francisco instead of Los Angeles. We booked some standby tickets before heading to bed.もっと詳しく
Day 7
2019年10月5日, アメリカ ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After another good sleep (apart from waking with a sore shoulder), Ted and I met the host of the apartment Angel and his dog Coco, whom we fell in love with immediately (Coco, not Angel)! When we came to Dallas, we considered going to the Texas State Fair, but since we've seen it before already, we thought we could use our time to do some more sightseeing instead.
We arranged to meet Monica today, a lady we'd met several years ago at a tango show in Buenos Aires. She suggested we meet halfway at a bakery called Panera Bread, which ended up being quite nice. It was great to meet up with Monica - she had provided us with a lot of useful information when we were researching our trip to Texas which was appreciated.
We headed to a nearby Walmart so Ted could buy some sunglasses before heading to downtown Dallas. I was really hoping to see Dealey Plaza, the place of JFK's assassination in 1963 as we had not seen this on our previous trip to Dallas. Even though the day was very hot, it was a very enjoyable day out. The plaza still looks very similar to how it did back then, and the street was marked with the exact places where JFK had been shot. We could also easily see the famous Book Depository and Grassy Knoll made famous by the investigation.
The Book Depository has now been transformed into a museum which presents not only the assassination from a historical perspective, but also provides information about the conspiracy theories and further investigations. It was presented as an audio tour which I found very interesting, and I also took a lot of photographs of the outside area. For lunch, we used the GPS to find a nearby Cheesecake Factory (Ted's favourite) before going back to relax in our room.
We had arranged to go for dinner with Mike and Marco nearby, which was great since everything was walkable. It was still warm in the evening so we didn't need to dress up. We went to a nearby restaurant but the guys were unable to join us for drinks afterwards as Mike had been called to do a trip tomorrow. Mike was similarly good enough to pay for our dinner which we appreciated greatly.
Ted and I then walked to the nearby venues, which included the Country and Western bar Roundup, complete with line dancing. In comparison with Sydney, it is interesting to see how well organised and popular the venues in Dallas are. There were also so many people out! After several drinks and meeting various locals, we headed back just after midnight.もっと詳しく
Day 6
2019年10月4日, アメリカ ⋅ 🌙 22 °C
It was a shame to leave Puerto Vallarta today after a wonderful stay, but today we continued our travels towards Texas, USA. Early this morning, Ted went for a walk along the beach before we went to a wonderful beachside restaurant named El Dorado for breakfast. Ted then had a nap before we packed up (leaving our Mexican currency behind for the cleaning staff) and went to the airport.
Just getting to reception was a chore because there was an electricity blackout in the whole neighborhood, meaning we couldn't use the elevator to carry our bags all the way downstairs! We then needed to drag our bags through the streets until we could find a place that had Wifi (it ended up being at Blondie's Bar) so we could order an Uber to the airport.
I talked (probably too much) Spanish to our driver on the way before arriving at the airport. Despite best efforts, I was unable to convince the American Airlines staff to waive the bag charge this time! Ted broke his sunglasses this morning, so we had a look for some in the airport (unaffordable!) before boarding. We weren't seated together initially but the flight was quite empty, and the crew kindly gave us some free snacks too.
Our arrival into Dallas was quite easy, as both immigration and luggage collection were speedy. We did however have some confusion at the car rental office, as the woman tried to convince us to hire a larger vehicle complete with GPS (at a much larger price) but we stood our ground and stayed with the smaller vehicle we had rented. We had arranged to catch up with Mike for dinner at his place that evening and, even though we missed one overpass leaving the airport, our drive was not too hard.
We met Mike's partner Marco, as well as reuniting with his dog Storm too. Dinner was wonderful - we had artichoke and dip as a starter (something new for us Aussies), and Mike accommodated for both our diabetic and vegetarian tastes. There was no ice cream though as Marco had unintentionally eaten it all the previous night! We considered going out afterwards but as Mike is on reserve tomorrow, decided to try tomorrow night instead.
The drive to our accommodation wasn't too difficult (although long - Dallas is a huge city!) and as we're staying in an AirB&B, we are staying in a room not far from downtown. We didn't meet the host, but we did see the dog. Dallas sightseeing tomorrow!もっと詳しく
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