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USA eclipse 2017
  • John Bickerstaff
Jul – Aug 2017

USA eclipse 2017

A 36-day adventure by John Read more
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  • Trip start
    July 27, 2017
    John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Close encounters of the high kind.

    July 27, 2017, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Not sure if it's the orange one's influence but check in was bizarre. Queued up to have a weird security quiz. Liz was asked about her job or lack of. Just to mix it up I was grilled about my free time - clearly I don't look the working sort. Ended up quizzing me about the cost & location of the seasie. Security was negotiated with comparative ease. Boarded to find a plane out of the dark ages - no seat back entertainment - cheap skate yanks. Still, not the longest of long haul flights & the BBQ chicken was pretty good. Saw a couple of planes - crossed over a vapour trail - does that class as a near miss?Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Vegas!

    July 27, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 34 °C

    Very disappointing arrival into New York. Skycrapers barely visible on the horizon. Not what was ordered... Settled down to the expected endless queues & grilling that is homeland security. Since Liz had a passport that hadn't been put through the washing machine since our last visit she could prove she had an expired travel authority - we could jump some of the queuing by using the baffling machines. They spat out receipts. No surprise whose had a cross on it. Crosses go one way - pre-approved the other. Going to be a grilling. Except it wasn't. Perfunctory questions & spat out. Unfortunately not for Liz. Epic queue. Got moved - not allowed to wait, even parents were being separated. Picked up the bags. Eventually met up, did security & settled down for some serious waiting. Had window seats when eventually boarded but a combination of Mancunian style cloud & bad location over the wing meant no views at all. Not the most comfortable flight but made it to Vegas & the first sight off the plane - slot machines. Train to baggage reclaim. Opted for taxi - needs to be easy & in his defence it was. He did however take the longest route possible & expected a tip. The tip was the extra $10 you took us round the sticks.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Geek fest

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Time to try to comprehend the insanity that is Las Vegas. Stepped out post breakfast & the first thing to get our still weary heads round was the temperature - 30°+ at 8.30. Any little bit of shade was grasped & clung to. Every now & then misters were used to cool things down, which helped allbeit very briefly. Scouted out the venue for the Bunnymen concert & then headed for a casino - first one - any one - one with air con.
    The scale of it was immense - seemingly endless means of losing money. The craps tables summed it up perfectly. Wandered round Caeser's Palace just as some nerd fest was kicking off - epic queues of geeks waiting for a computing conference. Half expected to see Sheldon.    Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Slots of fun

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    Apparently all the madness that is the 'strip' is a new phenomenon. For a sanitised version of the old fashioned madness that was Las Vegas in the past you need to head to Freemont Street, Downtown. Rather bizarrely the strip is not the city centre. Handily this is also the site of one of U2's best known videos & hence my idea of what Vegas is like. Where better to have a little flutter. Being 5 miles or so from the hotel meant walking was not an option so we hit the bus. The downtown express was anything but, but it had air con so we were happy. Were dropped off with the instructions of where to pick up the return - @ the heart attack cafe. Wandered along the pedestrianised & cannopied road with dodgy Elvis impersonators & kids dancing to Michael Jackson. Stopped for a slot machine session - 5 cents a pop - high stakes stuff. Avoided the temptation to zip wire off Slotzilla - a five storey slot machine. Back to the strip for lunch. By now it was hitting 40° - a bit much. Retreated to the air con of the MGM casino. All well & good but couldn't find our way back out - we did find Sheldon though. Guess they don't want you leaving. When we did get out we headed for the Earl of Sandwich for possibly the best sarnies.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff
    1

    Mac, me & 500 others.

    July 28, 2017 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 35 °C

    Tea proved to be something of a movable feast. Initial plans of eating at the hotel were binned off when the headline steak price of $7.99 was found to be a gambling related offer & shockingly 5 cent punts on the slots didn't count. Opted to take in the Belagio fountain show - one of the few things in this city that hasn't been totally monetised - before deciding. It was at this point it became clear how unsuited to human existance Vegas naturally is - 42° at 7pm. Any breeze felt like a sub-standard hair dryer. Once the fountains had done their thing we tried in the Paris casino but it was too loud & busy. Decided to head towards the concert, for we had a show planned, & find somewhere near there. Took the route through the Flamingo casino & found a relatively quiet food court - should be cheap, easy & relatively acceptable, admittedly not the greatest of endorsements for a food establishment. Chinese chow & then off to see Echo & the Bunnymen - Liverpool's 2nd finest. Unfortunately show times proved to be later than anticipated & the Bunnymen proved not be quite as show worthy as Liz hoped ie she was tired & not fussed. I loved it along with 500 others & the wasted guy in front of us probably liked it enough for about 10 of us - surprised he didn't explode with excitement. Midnight curfew & it was still ludicrously hot outside.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    3 different varieties of arid & bleak.

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Small matter of getting to the airport to pick up the hire car. Since we had 24hr bus passes it seemed to make sense to get the airport bus & then take the car rental shuttle. The buses were very frequent after all or so I thought. Helps if you read the timetable. Got to the bus stop to find we had a 30 min wait - oops. The rental car place was easy enough to get to - a world away from the operation at Exeter, in fact the car rental place was probably bigger than Exeter airport in it's entirety. Got into a heated discussion over unpaid fees for the car. It was paid up front in advance, which was accepted but sometimes the 2 companies get the taxes a bit wrong. Why should I have to pick up the tab. Manager called & sorted. All for ... 24 cents. Checked car - all ok. Stopped off at the Welcome to Las Vegas sign - people were queuing for a photo opp & some chancer was charging to take photos even though a sign said it wasn't allowed. Pushed on, picked up stuff & headed out of Vegas or at least we tried. Many wrong turns. Eventually headed out to the bleak Nevada hinterland. Flat, arid & inhospitable. Crossed the border into Arizona & things got more rugged & grand but still bleak. Every now & then signs pointed to unseen places - their existance seemingly implausible. Stopped off for food in Mesquite & finding shops proved a challenge - fast food easy, casino / resort not a problem. Into Utah & things got impressive - just beyond Hurricane there was a historic viewpoint - expected some sort of border skirmish with the Mexicans. In fact it was the site of a rocket test track.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff
    1

    What's the time?

    July 29, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Lodge located - handily a short walk from the park gate. A quick sort out & then out to get the National Park Pass & have a quick look since we arrived relatively early. Car entrance into the park is banned meaning everyone has to use the shuttle bus within the park - they looked busy & it was a relief not to need them today - just a short walk up the valley floor along the Virgin river. Still really hot but at least the breeze had some noticable cooling effect - the fact that that was probably caused by an imminent storm was immaterial - flood warnings had been issued. Thankfully the warden didn't insist on photo id & off we went, hideously unprepared - not even a bottle of water. Rectified that at the shop. Nice walk - rather sweaty. Can safely say the hilly challenging routes are unlikely to make the grade - August in the S. States. Headed back & located the local Thai restaurant. Happy days. Nice bit of cooling down before heading out for tea - phones however seemed to think we'd been out for ages - all of a sudden it was 7.30. Clearly we had crossed a time zone - that's why the clock in reception was highlighting it was Mountain time zone. And that was why people were flooding out of the park...Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Canyon climbing.

    July 30, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Woke up to find outside was cool(ish) so strike while the iron is hot. Out for a quick run, brekkie & upto the park. No need for photo id unsurprisingly, rather more surprising was the limited queue for the shuttle bus into Zion. Got on the 2nd bus. The plan was to do the moderately challenging stuff before the heat took over & by then we'd be coming downhill. So upto the Emerald pools via the Kayenta Trail. Lots of dramatic outlooks over the valley & a fair few stumbles & trips. Got to look where I'm going. The middle pool was relatively easy to get to. The decision was whether to push onto the upper pool. The clue is in the name - quite a bit of uphill & not do much shade. Liz wasn't happy but we made it. Unfortunately you couldn't swim there but lots of shade when we finally made it. Lots of down to the lower pool which had waterfalls spraying the unwary - nice. At the bus stop the warning that made the impression was of the possibility of hours of queuing for return buses (not the tales of flooding, wildlife etc) so the decision was made to head back as the heat got to its worst & hopefully as people were still active. Plan worked - no queue. As for the visitor centre - the queue going into the park - epic... madness.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Hike cheating

    July 31, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    One of the most iconic views of Zion is from Angel's Landing - a strenuous 6 hour hike. With 30° or higher that was never an option. However, on the way out to Bryce the road climbed up the valley wall & at the top was a hike claiming canyon views & only to be moderately challenging. The only catch was the lack of parking. An early start should do the trick. Run & brekkie done. Just the small matter of fuel - is the hire car petrol or diesel? Nowhere in the documentation was there an indication. Had to rely on the sound of the engine... Thankfully at the car park, there was 1 space but had to turn round to get it - facing the wrong direction - could be a problem. Start of the path was a hefty flight of steps - Liz looked none too pleased. A fair bit of shade & fairly flat for the remainder helped. The view at the end sealed the deal. Very impressive. Bad selfies aside - you couldn't fail to take a bad photo of this. The limited parking ensured limited numbers - the family messing around with the echoes didn't ensure quietness - and they never stopped singing on the way down. Got back to the car & as Liz predicted there was a queue to get through the tunnel to Zion & no-one wanted to let me in so I could turn around. Ho hum - eventually a slow bus meant a gap - quick 3 point & off to Bryce.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    A big Wow.

    July 31, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Sailed through the Park gate - loving the annual pass. The visitor centre was a little more challenging - parking was looking to be a problem, but we got lucky. Stocked up on water & genned up on hikes & views. Opted to try the shuttle again - worked pretty well at Zion. Except we missed the bus & since it wasn't compulsory the car got the nod. Headed to furthest main viewing area - Bryce lookout. On arrival the car park was packed - should've got the bus. Eventually we got another break & parked up. Headed to the gorge rim & jaws promptly dropped. Words don't do justice to the sight - just epic in size & grandeur. Nice walk along the rim to get away from the crowds. Onwards to Inspiration Point & hopefully a more extended rim walk. On arrival rumbles of thunder suggested otherwise. Ignored the ominous signs but drops of rain forced a rethink & a dash back to the car. Things didn't improve. Decided to drive to the furthest point & hope things might ease off. They didn't. Hail & fork lightning. Decided to retire to the hotel & head back if things improved - they didn't...Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Cookie Monster

    August 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Savoured the cool morning temperatures - almost a hint of chill. Before the big trip we headed to Panguitch - the local town - 'famous' for its wild west architecture. Or at least the picture we saw in a leaflet suggested so. This it did have, but not much else - well a tenuous link to Butch Cassidy & petrol. Now to the small matter of heading to the Grand Canyon & due to routing / attraction choices made we'd be doubling back on ourselves for a good chunk. The lush high altitude meadows made a pleasant change last time & still were an improvement on arid scrub. And if nothing else 100 miles in we had a cookie stop at Jacob's Lake to look forward to. In between plenty of grand views & villages with spectacular backdrops. A sign claiming a 'scenic view point' appeared. Something of a big claim in the current surroundings - a lot to live upto. We were offered a clear overview of the Grand Staircase National Monument - a series of plateau erroded by the forces that created the Grand Canyon. Impressive. Onto the cookies.
    Supposedly 'world famous' & other than a visitor centre & garage there's little else at Jacob's Lake. But they were certainly worth the visit. There'll certainly be a stop on the return trip to Page.    Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Well it's not Maghull Square

    August 1, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The journey to the rim was not without its issues. Something of a queue at the park entrance was largely caused by a laid back ranger - taking his time with the maps. Not sure how maintained the roads are - caught a pretty hefty one - didn't sound good & on later inspection the hub cap agreed. Whether the car hire people will notice is anybody's guess - at least we are insured. Minds were suitably focussed elsewhere when the road approached the canyon rim - glimpses of the spectacle to come between the trees. Parked up & couldn't resist walking down the Bright Angel trail. It was amazing - too big really to comprehend & words don't do it justice. Headed back to check in and discovered that we'd have to wait till 4 - not too bad under 2 hours. Except we'd forgotten that Arizona was in a different time zone - around 3 hours felt a bit different. Took in the visitor centre & decided to drive out to one of the further viewpoints - Imperial Point. If anything the views were more varied & we pretty much had them to ourselves. At no point have we been able to see the Colorado river - shows how deep it is. Headed back & checked in. Nice relax & then to the stressful experience of ... choosing what to eat. The main dining room with spectacular canyon views was fully booked & ludicrously expensive. The deli had pizzas & sarnies, then there was the Chuckwagon buffet 'eat as much as you can' - dangerous. That was the option. Very nice. Needed an epic walk afterwards. Decided to go to the general store at the camp ground - about a mile away. About the same as the walk to the square back home - slightly better views though - that's here not Maghull - just in case there's confusion.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Hail storms in Arizona

    August 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The plan was to go and get brekkie from the saloon & eat on the veranda overlooking the canyon. At 8am they had sold out. So change of plan. But not before Liz had her cup of tea. There was only one option - head to the general store - they can't sell out. Added bonus - it's the sole source of wifi so postings can be updated. Headed down the bridleway I'd just run on a couple of hours earlier. So for breakfast we spent $10 instead of $34 at the lodge. Lucky break. Then to the main event - a short hike down below the rim on the mule track. The first thing that struck us was the smell - it was a bit ripe - certainly had to watch your step. As we headed down black clouds were certainly looming but this is Arizona & though not as typically arid as you'd imagine surely unlikely to see rain. About 5 mins down the first drops of rain were felt. A quick look didn't bode well so we headed back for shelter - just in case. Just as well - an epic thunderstorm followed - torrential rain & hailstones. A few lucky souls made it to the shelter & then followed a steady stream of soaked hikers. Chatted to a father & son from 'Philly' who had hiked down from the south rim and upto the North rim. It was 50°down at the river crossing so when the rain came they were quite happy ... initially. By the time it stopped they weren't keen. Dropped them off at their bus stop and headed for lunch. A pulled pork sarnie that needed to be eaten quickly or it fell apart. Liz went off to sort her cup of tea - no prizes for guessing who ended up messiest.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Was that thunder or a fart?

    August 2, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After a messy lunch we adjourned to our room - hanging fire with going out to tie up with sunset at the Angel's Window - supposedly the best bet on the Northern Rim. Go too early & we'd be hanging round. We set off with the best of intentions & was happily heading North when a lorry passed in the opposite direction kicking up a stone. It hit the windscreen & made a small chip - hopefully the hire agency wouldn't notice. Pulled into have a look & all of a sudden the chip extended to a 20cm crack. Think they'll notice that. Decided to head to the local garage to see what he thought. He seemed very relaxed - no way was it a problem - the car hire people will sort it. Glad he was so confident - sure they'll sort but it'll cost. Decided to press on and fortunately there were a number of stops and short walks along the way to keep us occupied. Roosevelt point & Wahalla Point showed increasingly impressive views of the canyon. Also some archeological remains proved an interesting aside. The best, however, was saved to last - Angel's Window and Cape Royal. Standing on top of the Angel's Window felt like you were surrounded by the Canyon and for once you could actually see the Colorado river - 1 mile down. Tried to hang around for sunset along with a couple of characters - a farting Japanese guy and 2 singing Mexicans. Looming clouds & the rumbles of thunder in the distance persuaded us to call it a day.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Colorado - a closer inspection.

    August 3, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    Today was really a stopover on the way to Monument Valley. No sense though in ignoring interesting things along the way, most of which revolved around the Colorado river. Laid back start - usual run & walk combo finishing with breakfast at the campsite shop. A sharp shower while eating was a foretaste of what was to come. Took a last look at the view and headed off to replenish our cookie supply. Heading out of the park we were faced with yet another thunderstorm. Some superb lightning. Cleared as we headed down of the Kaibab Plateau & as we descended the temp rose 14° to 30° in the space of 10 mins. The next 50 miles of driving was your archetypal mid-west desert road - long, straight and surrounded by scrub bush & ochre sand. Impressive & boring at the same time. Made it to Lee's ferry without falling asleep at the wheel. This was the historic crossing of the Colorado river. Expected this to be the closest we'd get to it. Probably was but you wouldn't know it - massive cliffs & the dinghies below were tiny. Frighteningly some visitors have to have a sign to warn you not to jump off. Just a couple of miles from Page was Horseshoe Bend - a view of the Colorado looping around an outcrop. Seemed a good stop off before checking in. Shouldn't be too busy - an offbeat sight. 5 coaches in the car park suggested otherwise. Numerous warnings about hiking in the desert made this seem far more risky than expected. The heat didn't help - though what can you expect in the desert? Thunder clouds unsurpringly were looming. Took our time & drank lots of water. Considering some of the bloaters coming back it seemed unthinkable that we'd struggle. What was a struggle was the masses of people & the stupid things they insisted on doing. Pictures taken, view admired - exit stage left. Found the hotel, checked in, found the pool & cooled off. That only lasted until the phone call to the hire company. 30 mins of language based confusion typified by him thinking the wind screen had been damaged by a horse & cart - how can the phrase 'a lorry / wagon' be mis-understood. Brief excursion into Page consisted of a quick visit to the Glen Canyon Dam & a steak meal served by possibly the squeakiest waitress on earth.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Photo Dictator.

    August 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Before heading off to Monument Valley we had the small matter of a trip down Antelope Canyon - a slot canyon that when flash floods occur can be lethal. Good job we're in a desert - nice and dry ... Oh wait. The company that had the dubious honour of my business was supposedly quieter - fewer numbers, which was also the selling point of the lower canyon tours as opposed to the higher end. The car park appeared and it seemed such a claim was a little suspect. 1 hour later and still queuing to get down into the canyon & the rival companies clients flying down & all was not hp. Eventually we made it down and it was truly an alien looking landscape. You could well imagine how lethal flooding could be down here. The guide clearly fancied herself as something of David Bailey - wittering on about white balances and ordering us into various poses along the way. Despite all the hoardes, it was a magical place - not sure it was ideal for the wedding photos that were being taken down there. Free bottle of water, no mention of tips, the sun was out - all was well. Off to Monument Valley - what could go wrong.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Big Buttes

    August 4, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    For the majority of the journey, in the distance we could see, if awake, dark looming clouds. These eventually formed the almost predictable thunderstorms. Fortunately they always seemed to be just ahead - cars coming the other way had lights on & we were often driving on wet surfaces. In some ways it added interest to the drive - the roads were dead straight with limited interest - a silo of some sort that looked like a giant slide was the most exciting talking point. By the time we got to Kayenta - about 30 miles from Monument Valley, the storm had hit, was getting pretty vicious & the rain was torrential. There'd been a few signs refering to flooding along the way. Went over a couple of raging torrents that almost certainly were dried river beds yesterday. Our first glimpse of the buttes were shrouded in cloud, rain and with shards of lightning threatening them periodically. The rain let up a little as we approached & checked in but the usual sunshine drenched views of the valley weren't going to happen. Torrential rain in the desert - couldn't make it up. Checked in & we had one of only 6 out of the 96 not to have a view. Wonder why? Eventually things cleared a little - had an explore. Saw John Wayne's favourite view - supposedly. Had some traditional Navajo stew - what on earth is hominy?Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Dodgy roads

    August 5, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Be great to be able to tell the time - chopping & changing between Arizona & Utah was the problem I maintain. The hotel is situated in Arizona but uses Utah time - 1 hour difference. All sounds simple but phones often use geographic & service details for time. Sometimes it changes all by itself. Unfortunately this meant when I thought I was getting up at 6.20 it was in fact 5.20. No wonder no-one was about. Should have twigged. Worse case when I looked out the window & saw pitch black something should've registered. At 5.30 it dawned on me, unlike the sun I was expecting to see. Went to bed for an hour. After all this it was cloudy. Went off for a run in a huff. Probably the most dramatic route for a while. Got back, packed & had prime time seats for brekkiee. Before heading off I wanted to take the valley road - admittedly it was a dirt road but the receptionist said the first section was do-able in a regular car. What she classed as the first section is anybody's guess - first 100m, first hairpin... The first couple of photo opps were achieved relatively easily but getting to John Ford's spec was tricky to put it mildly - deep ridges, big rocks & the remains of flash floods from yesterday. Managed to hit a couple of rocks - fingers crossed no more damage. The final view was pretty special - some opportunist was charging $5 for the John Wayne Experience - sit on a horse - no mention of milk though. Tentatively headed back - crawling along to a few people's irritation. Made it back to safety & had a final look in the visitor centre. Came out to torrential rain - is this Manchester in disguise?Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    More dodgy roads.

    August 5, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Just the small matter of 170 miles to get to the South Rim of the Canyon. First stop was Kayenta - nearest town to Monument Valley - fill up & get essentials. Missed turn for shops - slight detour, major speed bumps - car not happy. Pushed on retracing steps for a little while more. Signs warning of rough road surface caused concern - could the car cope with anything more. As it happens it was nothing more than uneven & bumpy. By now the roads were straight & the surroundings dull & monotonous. Last resort to relieve boredom - American radio - miraculously something was found - a live concert. That helped. A scenic viewpoint came & went confusing signage dictated a huffy retreat - so unlike me. Tried the next one & unsurprisingly the roads down were abysmal. Just parked up & the rain began. Stubbornly insisted on seeing this gorge & it was quite impressive. In pretty much any other country it would celebrated as a wonder. It is however next door to the Grand Canyon. Eventually made it to the park gate & on entering cars were being ushered to the first sight of the Canyon. Needless to say most did. Very busy. Seems drier on this side. Nice clear view of the river. Quick look & headed to the lodge. It became clear that it wasn't just the canyon that was big on this side. Our lodge was split into 2 wings, each with 6 buildings. Massive. A world away from the North Rim. Unpacked & headed down to the rim & there was a really nice walk along the edge of the canyon for a mile or so. Had geological pointers, some great viewpoints & best of all was pretty quiet. A New York family were about the same pace as us - the dad offered to take our photo - appreciated. Handed the phone to his son to sort out - great delegation. Made it to the Village centre but it seems really to be just a collection of hotels with access to some stunning views. Back for tea - order was taken by a machine - no tipping issues.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    On the rim

    August 6, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Laid back start to the day - morning run aside. Brekkie was somewhat disrupted by the fact that the fridge had been set to vicious cold and all the fruit had been frozen. Headed to the general store with the expectation of something similar to the North Rim version. It was more akin to Asda with souvenirs. That said we picked up what we needed for breakfast and lunch - picnic with a view today. Today's joy was somethiing that the North couldn't really offer - an extended walk along the rim with ever changing views. What it would probably also offer was ever changing crowds. The first stretch to the village we knew & it was at the village we first encountered an element of busy but to be fair once beyond the trailhead down into the canyon it subsided and all was quiet as we like it. Ambled on watching the hikers descending and the condors gliding. You could practically see the trail virtually to the Colorado. A great challenge - one for the future maybe. Along the way encountered numerous chipmunks and squirrels as well as a lazy rabbit and a very showy bluejay. Opted for lunch at Maticopa Point. It was here we fully realised what a great invention ice machines are - 2 water bottles stuffed with ice provided cold water 3 hours into our hike - heaven. Decided now to head back on the bus - break from the sun or escape from the impending downpour - black clouds were looming. Found bus stop but there didn't appear to be a stop back to town. Turns out that was because there wasn't - had to go to the next stop. Bus arrived busy & we only just made it on. Phew. Driver was very chatty - giving instructions and details of stops in her distinctive southern drawl. Decided since we had a seat to push onto the visitor centre. Took in an Imax movie about the canyon - impressive. Came out expecting rain. It wasn't. Walked back but clearly this was where the crowds were. A bit of a chore and we'd probably had a bit too much sun. So back to the lodge for a cool down.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    God Dammit Hoover.

    August 7, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 40 °C

    Had a super early run to Yavapai Point to watch the sun rise. Back for brekkiie. Then off to say a final farewell to the Canyon from the appropriately named Grand View Point. Probably the best view of the Colorado we've seen. Enjoyed the peace & solitude until a noisy Japanese family appeared. Time to make a sharp exit. The small matter of 250 odd miles to Boulder City & the Hoover Dam. Decided to fill up (the car & us) at Williams - should be cheaper. The freeway junction was before town so we had to make something of a detour. By chance that meant we drove a little of Route 66. Williams was the last town to be bypassed. It was full of Americana looking shops & a Safeway. Stocked up for the journey ahead. Unfortunately the phone satnav wasn't playing ball so distances & arrival times were the old fashioned guestimate. What didn't help was the appalling standard of the motorway surface - pot holes on a motorway is just not safe. This is what you get in a low tax, small state, low investment society. Cruised along, searching for cacti and listening to a popular beat combo from Liverpool. Bizarre world. Made it to the Dam, allbeit with a couple of detours - one scenic outlook and one to try to approach over the dam - don't let you. Did as we were told & faced security, queues for parking & then more security to get in the visitor centre. And the heat!!! Some respite in the centre & jumped the queue with having booked online. Watched a video preaching how heroic it all was & then queued for a lift down to the powerplant. The scale was massive & all the while the subtle vibration of flowing water being channelled beneath. Battled the heat to get some photos outside - both on the dam and from the nearby bridge. The cooling stations dotted around the area helped ensure Liz didn't pass out. Once done - onwards to Boulder City. Hotel had a pool which was good. Did a little washing & it was dry in next to no time. Tea was at a diner that served drinks in the biggest jam jars that existed. Superb food as well.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Stress, stress, stress.

    August 8, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Always likely to be a stressful morning but this really took it to the extreme. Breakfast a little later than I would have liked put me on edge. All loaded and on way by 7.40 for a 10.30 flight seemed ok but the small matter of handing over a damaged car made that equation far more uncertain. Also had to fill up. Phone was giving good instructions & all was going smootly enough until traffic. Noooo! On exiting from the freeway, decided to get petrol asap. That didn't go well. First time I had been asked for a zip code. Had to go inside & she wanted to know how much was needed. Not a clue so she took for $30. Thankfully it only ended up being $15 - though getting a receipt proved a battle, both in understanding her & getting her attention in the first place. Onwards - the rentacar was easy enough to locate. Our section not so much. Then the inspection - all of 5 secs to notice the windscreen - not remotely interested by the hubcap. Maintained we were insured but wouldn't commit to what that meant - understandably. Gave me all the paperwork he said I'd need - we'll see. In the hands of the insurance now - not a nice sentence that. Bus to the terminal calmed me down a little and the tiny queue to drop bags more so. Bizarrely check in was road side. By boarding all was rosy - looking forward to milder conditions in Oregon.Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Just a bit more stress - yeah!

    August 8, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Landed in Portland relatively calm & relaxed - was able to stream a movie and had a decent amount of leg room. Portland airport claims to have won the best airport in USA for the fifth year running - any airport that sets aside an area for bike assembly is alright by me. That unfortunately is where the positivity stopped. Found the car rental and the guy seemed accommodating enough - no problem picking up the car early - omitted to tell us it was going to cost us. Then tried to, underhandedly land us with all sorts of insurance and rescue stuff. All rejected - apparently I was freaking out (man)
    Eventually the paperwork was negotiated & we were told to pick any car from lot 3. This we did - a Focus. Much to the disappointment of the couple following. What did we do next? How did they know which car we were taking? Found a guy & he explained that the contract was sorted on exit. OK - on exit suggested that there were issues I wanted recording. She wasn't happy. Eventually established that anything under the size of a quarter was OK. Out into the wilds of Portland. Phone at the ready & for the most part it did a good job - just one missed turn. What was bad was the traffic & at 1.30 it suggests Portland was a busy old place. Worst driving experience since LA. Exiting from the motorway on the left or the right with little warning isn't great. Still we made it safely out but dread going back as surely we must. The cottage was about 90 miles away & there was a supermarket in Tillamook the nearest main town. Stopped to stock up. As we got close to the coast the mist thickened and the temperature fell. The cottage was found easy enough - perched precariously on the hillside looking out over the beach. Liz unpacked & I had a wander along the beach. Very quiet - nice.    Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Deer & I - equally scared.

    August 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Had phoned up the bike guy last night & though he'd completely forgotten about it he assured me he'd be out at 8.30 with a bike. Was a little skeptical but nonetheless waited in anticipation. 8.30 came and went, bike routes were prepared & I was all set. I was all for getting on phone when up rolls a big 4WD. Happy days. Sorted out the paperwork - laid back round here - no helmet, lock or repair kit. Not needed - we'll see. He proceeded to give me all sorts of tips for routes & places to go. Liz was taking advantage of the facilities - washing hair & clothes so free to go. While the bike would win no awards for modern gadgetry it would do & having a mountain bike on these roads was definitely for the best. First turn off our road - dirt track. Sign of things to come. Steady climb upto Cape Meares & then a road block. Pondered whether that meant bikes. My thoughts were interrupted - a lady checked I knew where I was going & confirmed bikes were ok. Pushed on through the misty forest towards Bay Ocean City spit - an off road track on the site of a resort washed into the sea by erosion. Unfortunately no remains but a fine cycle ride along the bay to a secluded beach. Saw a steam train and scared the shit out of a deer - some blue thing hurtling towards it - it bolted scaring the shit out of me. On the way I bumped into the lady again - her name was Sydney and she gave us some local tips on eats. Also recommended the Tillamook County Fair & in particular the Pig & Ford race. One to figure out there...Read more

  • John BickerstaffUSA eclipse 2017John Bickerstaff

    Out staring a squirrel.

    August 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Back from my cycle in time for lunch. Had a quick dip in the hot tub to sooth. Remnants from yesterday's tea served a purpose and the veranda outside helped relax - enjoying the view and the mild temperatures. Eventually itchy feet got the better of me so we had a little wander up the beach - got about as far as Netarts - the next village. The sky was brightening & it was pleasantly warm. The sea was pretty high & Liz wasn't for getting wet feet at the streams so a few piggy backs were called for - could I be trusted... Came back through town and I use the term loosely. Nosied at a couple of the houses for sale - not just us - a passing guy was similarly shocked by the cost of a 4 bedroomed beachside house - $1.6m - not going to happen. Back the veranda and Liz got out-stared by a squirrel - she was always going to blink first. These yankee squirrels are tough.Read more

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