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USA 2019
  • Denis and Janice Travels
  • Denis and Janice Travels

USA 2019

Vancouver, Alaska, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Death Valley, San Francisco and Hawaii in four weeks. Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 19, 2019
    Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Denis and Janice looking fresh and ready for the holiday

    Leaving home

    August 19, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We are on the way. Train from Thornleigh to the airport.
    First stop is Honolulu after a ten hour flight.

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    The iconic Waikiki Beach. Lots of people but lots of space.
    The beaches and the hotels work well together.The Pearl Harbour Memorial was a little underwhelming but still worth a visitThe Pearl Harbour Memorial.The US Arizona Memorial (which was closed the day we were there).A couple of tourists posing for a photo at Waikiki BeachSurf's Up! Actually it wasn't.Waikiki Beach is long and caters for everyone.Surfboards for hire everywhere.

    Stopover in Honolulu

    August 19, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A 10 hour stopover in Honolulu gave us a chance to see the Pearl Harbour Memorial.
    A pity the Arizona Memorial was closed for maintenance as it is supposed to be excellent. The rest was a little underwhelming.
    Next stop was Waikiki Beach which was quite good and definitely worth the one hour bus ride. A nice beach but many of the Sydney beaches are better.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    A view of the city from the Granville Street Markets
    Two important figures plus some bronze statues!The fruit displays were great - a shame to buy one so we didn't.Granville Island Public Market - a must see if you visit Vancouver.Built for the World Expo in 1986.Looking back as we walk home.A panorama shot of Vancouver from the opposite shoreA view of the bridges crossing Vancouver Harbour.

    First day in Vancouver

    August 20, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Our first day in Vancouver and we spent the first half exploring the harbour on a hop on hop off mini ferry. A wonderful harbour!

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Apparently this collection of laughing statues is the most photographed in Vancouver.
    Vancouver is a truly wonderful city. We would go back!The mandatory photo of cute penguins!We enjoyed our visit to the Vancouver Aquarium.A new building that was hard to ignore.Posing (again) in front of the statue of Gassy Jack (the father of Vancouver)This is what the city often looks like. Very beautiful.You cannot go to Vancouver without seeing the Totem Poles at Stanley Park.

    Another day in Vancouver

    August 21, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Another day in Vancouver that we mainly spent walking (often in the rain).
    Vancouver Aquarium followed by Stanley Park Totem Poles and then a few hours in Vancouver city.
    Lots to see but we're officially tired. 4 weeks to go!Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Capilano was a great place and almost in the city!
    Janice (on the left) and a Canadian Mountie!The fishing harbour at StevensonThe historic Post Office at Stevenson also serves as a mini museum"No running on the bridge!" they said. You could just manage a walkIt was a loooong way down!Capilano - a perfect dayCapilano was a beautifully presented parkThe day ended with another ride on the hop-on hop-off bus. The skyline in Vancouver is impressive

    A day exploring outer Vancouver

    August 22, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    First off was Stevenson, the original fishing harbour, undergoing a makeover. Quaint.
    Then the SkyTrain and a shuttle to Capilano, famous for its Suspension Bridge. Denis managed almost half way.
    We ended the day with another walk through Vancouver.Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Brandy Wine Falls. Picture card beauty!
    Denis (he's the one on the left) with a Royal Mounted MooseShannon Falls was equally as spectacular.The drive from Vancouver to Whistler is ranked as one of the 5 Best Road Journeys of the worldWhistler was the site of the Winter Olympics in 2010.Beautiful to look at. The scenery too,!A magnificent panorama taken on the road to WhistlerLate lunch at Earl's Kitchen in Whistler. Not a bad burger!Whistler is definitely a holiday and party townLogging was the main industry in Squamish. They climb up that mountain in the background.

    Whistler and back in one day

    August 23, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Left Vancouver for a scenic drive to Whistler. A 90 minute trip took 4 hours as we stopped at every viewpoint, waterfall and little town on the way.
    Not much at Squamish but we loved the name. Logging is big in Squamish!
    Whistler (Winter Olympics 2010) is a touristy, holiday ski resort and it's quite beautiful.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Goodbye Vancouver - you are one of the more beautiful cities.
    Laura's house!Down the steps to a beautiful backyard.Laura's place was a lovely way to start our ,month long holiday.Dinner with Laura. Husband Dane was away on his fishing trawler.

    Goodbye Vancouver

    August 24, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Time to say goodbye to Janice's cousin Laura. A really lovely home where we were made most welcome and always felt at home.
    Hopefully Laura will come visit us in Australia soon.
    The Golden Princess is our next home for our cruise to Alaska.Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    The Golden Princess - about to leave dock.
    Sailing out of Vancouver.The on-board entertainment was the usual singing and dancing.We're ready for the cold and windy and rainy weather!The ship gets into the swing of things.Sailing out of Vancouver.What better then line dancing to get you moving!The pool did not get a lot of use in Alaska.More singing and dancing!

    The Golden Princess - a day at sea.

    August 25, 2019, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Our first day on board and we have a full day of sailing until we get to Alaska.
    Life on board is certainly not dull and we enjoyed our first day of the cruise.

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    What is a Lumberjack show without a log rolling competition?
    The audience for the Ketchikan Lumberjack Show had at least two Aussies.One of the competitions in the show was a relay race involving different activitiesThe weather in Ketchikan was wet but we had fun.The axe throwing competition was a highlight - these guys are good!A little rain didn't stop us!A walk down Creek Street, Ketchikan.The salmon are running in downtown KetchikanA grizzly old fellow pictured with a bear!Another view of the "main street" in downtown Ketchikan.

    Ketchikan - our first stop in Alaska

    August 26, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    A rainy day today for our first stop in Alaska.
    That didn't stop us and we walked the boardwalk at Creek Street where we watched seals unsuccessfully trying to catch salmon.
    The Lumberjack Show was very entertaining. A little like the Easter Show woodchopping but with lots of water, throwing axes and log rolling and power saws as well.Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Another great view of the Mendenhall Glacier.
    The Nugget Falls are alongside the Mendenhall Glacier.The Mendenhall Glacier is an impressive site.The town of Juneau's sculpture of a whale - what else would it be!A Juneau gondola trip that we didn't take.Resting at the Mendenhall Glacier.We didn't expect to find a rain forest in Alaska!An enjoyable hike (walk) to the Mendenhall Glacier.No wild bears so this one will have to do.No bears but we did see plenty of salmon.

    Juneau - the capital city of Alaska

    August 27, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Juneau and the forecast was for another rainy day but instead we awoke to beautiful sunshine.
    We took the half day tour to Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. It was worth every minute.
    A lot of walking the trails and plenty of salmon to see but we didn't spot any bears. Perhaps next stop?
    The rain forest was quite a surprise and something we weren't expecting in Alaska.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    A scene from the early Alaskan gold rush days - they were tough!
    Welcome to Skagway - and 4 cruise ships at once!Everyone wants to hold an Iditarod puppy!The dogs were surprisingly lean - nothing like an Alaskan husky.We both found gold - not enough to pay for the trip though!No gold today - perhaps tomorrow!You do not need snow to be absolutely breathtaking!The cruise ships berthed at the end of the main street.We had an exciting sled ride around the camp. Here the dogs have a rest.There was something for everyone on sale in Skagway.

    Skagway - start of Gold Mining in Alaska

    August 28, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Next stop is Skagway - population about 1000 people but 4 cruise ships together and it grows to 12,000.
    We walked the historic main street and then went on a 5 hour trip that followed the path of the early gold for miners to the Yukon.
    The Iditarod Musher Camp (dog sled farm) was very interesting and we really enjoyed our sled ride (even though the sled was a dune buggy!).
    Then a turn at panning for gold and although we didn't strike it rich we both found some gold specks. Enough to make us happy.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Well rugged up but it wasn't that cold if you stayed out of the windWe were lucky enough to see some glacier "calving" but were too slow to photograph it.We didn't need the hoods but we look the part!

    Glacier Bay - a chance to see the snow

    August 29, 2019, Coastal Waters Of Southeast Alaska And British Columbia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A day spent cruising Glacier Bay.
    The scenery was very interesting and at times it was spectacular but perhaps it was just a little short of what we were expecting.
    No wild life apart from three mountain goats we couldn't see and a few seagulls.
    Still no bears!
    The weather was actually great and when out of the wind it was quite warm. No real need for the "snow skiing" winter clothes we had packed.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler

    College Fjord - lots of Glaciers to see

    August 30, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    The best day in Alaska so far. Perfect weather and perfect scenery.
    There were plenty of glaciers to see and different types - tidal, hanging , meringue and grounded.
    They were all in retreat mode (some blame it on global warming others on global warming coupled with natural cycles). What is definitely true is that they are disappearing.
    The scenery was majestic and the photos certainly do not need a caption.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Captains of the US Portage!
    The beautiful blues of the Portage Glacier.Our small cruiser for Lake Portage.The end of the Whittier Tunnel - 2.5 miles longInformation Centre at AnchorageMany of the streets of Anchorage are adorned with flowers

    Whittier then on to Anchorage

    August 31, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    We left the cruise and had another boat trip - this time on a small cruiser to see Lake Portage and the Portage Glacier up close. Quite spectacular!
    On the drive from Whittier to Anchorage we travelled in the longest tunnel in North America - 2.5 miles long.
    Eventually our bus reached Anchorage - much bigger than we had expected - a city of 300,000 that is presented very well with lots of flowers and some pretty parks.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    The Anchorage Museum was surprisingly interesting!
    At last Denis found a real live bear!There are more light planes than bears!Captain James Cook was here looking for the North-West passage.An old tram took us to Ulu - a knife factory.A reindeer meat hot dog. Delicious!Anchorage is a long way from anywhere. Sydney didn't get a mention.If there is a stream there is likely to be some salmon.

    Anchorage - an exploration day

    September 1, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 14 °C

    A day to explore Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.
    Started with a 1 hour tour on the usual "red bus" which was quite interesting. I didn't know Captain Cook "discovered" Alaska while searching for the North West Passage.
    Next a shuttle to the Ulu factory on Ship Creek. Ulu is a special type of curved knife made only here in Anchorage.
    Then we visited the Anchorage Museum. A lovely building and it contains quite a few interesting exhibits.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Goodbye to Anchorage!

    The lost day

    September 2, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Our plane to Las Vegas and the start of our Grand Canyon tour was delayed by 14 hours!
    Something about it being too hot in Las Vegas for the plane to leave (unbelievable story if you ask me).
    We booked a hotel for the night, flew out of. Anchorage 1 :00 the next day, collected our rental car and drove 4 hours to Flagstaff Arizona. In bed around 2:00 a.m.
    A helicopter ride to look forward to in the morning.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    An iconic photo - clouds floating above the Grand Canyon.
    A geologists dream and the Colorado River far below.You cannot take enough photos!Hovering 300 feet above the ground but it's about to become 5,000!Here's another sensational view from the helicopter.Just one more photo and then I'll be ready!Denis has his first helicopter flight. Holds Janice tight so she would not be nervous!Janice makes friends everywhere.Some people were a little more adventurous than we were.

    The Grand Canyon (at last)

    September 3, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    It took a little longer to get there than planned but the Grand Canyon was worth the trouble.
    The day started with a wonderful helicopter flight over the Canyon. One more off the bucket list!
    The pictures tell their own story - it really is an amazing sight. - a true natural wonder of the world. The Grand Canyon has an average depth of 1600 meters (or about one mile).

    A great day filled with great memories!    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Denis ended up in trouble in Seligman.
    A Route 66 memorabilia shop in Williams.Get your kicks on Route 66.Tourist stop in Seligman.Who's that in the background ruining my photo?If you ever plan to motor west travel my way take the highway that is best.We still took the wrong turn!Hoover Dam was extremely hot!The bridge to the Hoover Dam.

    Route 66 and then the Hoover Dam

    September 4, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    A full day spent travelling from Flagstaff to Las Vegas following the iconic Route 66 much of the way.
    First stop Williams, an old country town with lots of interesting memorabilia from the 60's.
    Then Seligman - the "home" of Route 66. Lots of 60's stuff too and also a great lunch.
    Our final stop was the Hoover Dam and it too was an enjoyable and interesting experience, but hot - 110 in the old money!
    We finally arrived in Las Vegas ready for four exciting days. No rest!    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    The Bellagio Fountains.
    A walk on the Las Vegas strip.A selfie to prove we were there!I think I'll taste the vanilla one or perhaps the caramel one!The Eiffel Tower in the background.Our home for the next four days.Elton John concert is getting closer!A reflection showing two views of the strip.

    A quick look at Las Vegas

    September 4, 2019 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 35 °C

    We've reached Las Vegas after a very interesting drive. Driving is the way to see America.
    Rested up for a couple of hours and then spent three hours exploring Vegas.
    We covered one block!

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Most of the time you didn't know where to look, so much going on.
    The creativity was absolutely incredible!The whole show was amazing from start to finish.In front of the pink flamingos! Yes, they were real.No comment needed but they could arrest me!Riding the High Roller Wheel!Definitely did not do this although it looked like fun.Different in the day time but still fun to explore.Finally spied a golf course from the High Roller. No one playing - too hot!

    Day in Vegas, Cirque du Soleil at night

    September 5, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

    A late start today - well after 12:00 p.m. before we ventured out to face the heat.
    Conquered Denis' fear of heights (well nearly) when we had a memorable ride on the High Roller Ferris Wheel. Great views!
    More time spent walking the strip and just experiencing this amazing fantasy town.
    The images of the Cirque du Soleil Beatles Show do not do it justice. It was incredible.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    . . . and goodbye Yellow Brick Road!
    He sounded just the same as he did 25 years ago!Two and a half hours of great music!

    A very quiet day then ELTON JOHN

    September 6, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    Enjoyed the Flamingo hotel with the occasional walk outside. This was our day of rest!
    Waited all day for the Elton John concert which was fantastic. He was on stage for two and a half hours.

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Keith Urban - what a performance.
    Outside The Venetian - gondola ride anyone?The High Roller Wheel - we are about to hop on.What a show!The Venetian - a great spot for breakfast.The casinos are all extravagant!The Luxor!The camera's straight - the building's crooked.New York! New York! But we're in Las Vegas!

    Walk the strip and then KEITH URBAN

    September 7, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    A long walk exploring just about all the major casinos - apart from some innovative architecture and design they all feel the same - poker machines were everywhere and the smell of cigarettes was hard to miss!
    Tonight was our last night and we had a truly wonderful experience - Keith Urban at the Colosseum was sensational. A must see if you get the chance.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Salt Flats at Death Valley.
    If we look hot it's because it was!An old borax mine - long closed down.The road out.Why not have a long walk in the desert?The road to Death Valley was long, straight and hot!People have died crossing Death Valley so we were prepared.Long ago this was a profitable borax mine.

    A drive through the Death Valley!

    September 8, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    A long road trip to Mammoth Lakes via the infamous Death Valley.
    It was hot but not unbearable. About the same as Las Vegas. A worthwhile trip and we have some great memories.
    The lowest point was 190 feet below sea level and had the same temperature of 43 degrees Celsius as Las Vegas.
    To get to Mammoth Lakes we had to drive to a height of 7895 feet and saw the temperature drop to 10 degrees Celsius.
    Some awesome views along the way.    Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Entrance to the Yosemite National Park
    Along the way!A rest spot in Yosemite,.There is no shortage of pine trees.We had a picnic lunch here.Just a beautiful spot!A mountain of rock!The road home.We made it to Mammoth Lakes.

    Day exploring Yosemite National Park

    September 9, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    Drove to Yosemite National Park and spent the day exploring.
    It was quite beautiful and it would be absolutely incredible in the winter/snowy season.
    We finished a full day with a very nice Mexican meal in the Mammoth Lakes village.Read more

  • Denis and Janice TravelsUSA 2019Traveler
    Typical mountain scenery - you get used to it
    The hidden dam - nothing on our maps!A "vista" stop and we discovered this great spot - that's a dam in the background.The mammoth at Mammoth Mountain Inn.We waited 30 minutes for road works - there were approximately 30 asphalt trucks lined up.More burnt out forest, the result of a recent major forest fire!There must be a million almond trees!Almonds!!The Bay Bridge into San Francisco (not the Golden Gate Bridge).

    Driving to San Francisco

    September 10, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    A day spent driving from Mammoth Lakes to San Francisco.
    We decided to take the Sonora Pass over the mountains. It was a different drive to Yosemite but equally as interesting. A road less travelled!
    We reached just under 10,000 feet again (Kosciusko is 7,310 feet) .
    A highlight was road works where 30 double bogey asphalt trucks were lined up.
    Once over the mountains it was an easy drive through open farmlands until we reached outer San Francisco.
    Stopped for a picnic lunch near an almond tree plantation.
    Tickets for a major league baseball game tonight!    Read more

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