Stats for the memory book

No. of days: 59

No. of kilometres: 18,000

No. of states: 24
California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York & DC

State we spent the most time in:

California (12 nights)

State we spent the least time in:

West Virginia (about 20 min)

Favourite states:
Solange – California & Massachusetts
Tim – Utah & Louisiana

Favourite city:
Solange – New York, NY
Tim – San Francisco, CA

Favourite small town:
Solange – Rockport, MA
Tim – Clarksdale, MS

Favourite National Park:
Bryce Canyon, UT

One experience we wouldn't have missed:

Solange – walk to the Sequoia Grove, Yosemite, CA

Tim – sunrise at Monument Valley, AZ

Favourite food:
Solange – New England Clam Chowder (MA), Crawfish po-boy (LA), pulled pork and slaw sandwich with Abe’s famous BBQ sauce (MS)
Tim – Meat loaf sandwich (VT), Pulled pork and slaw sandwich (MS)

Most memorable meal:
Solange – Oleana, Cambridge, MA
Tim – Mulates, Breaux Bridge, LA

Favourite hotel:
Solange – The Boonville Hotel, Boonville, CA
Tim – Bellagio, Las Vegas, NV

No. of beds slept in: 45

No. of photos taken: 1,435

No. of traffic violations: 1 (Woodstock, VT)

No. of times we’ve filled the car up with petrol: about 25

No. of u-turns: about 80

New York City almost in sight

Today is day 56 of our journey across the USA.

Twenty-seven days ago we were in Memphis. On that night we were exactly halfway through our road trip. We’d already been captivated by California, awed by Utah and Arizona and seduced by Louisiana. We still had Virginia, DC, Chicago, Vermont, Massachusetts and much more to come.

Tonight we have one day left in the car and a day and a half after that in NYC.

It was fitting that we spent today as we did – most of it in the car journeying from Rhode Island to New York State via Connecticut. And where we are tonight is also typical of many nights – a roadside motel in an anonymous area of strip malls, which aren’t pretty but have served us so well some nights.

Sure we’re feeling nostalgic that our adventure is coming to a close. Would we turn around and start all over again? You bet. Should we turn around and start all over again? No. After all we’ve seen and done, it would be extraordinarily ungrateful to feel anything but overwhelmingly content.

Two-months ago tomorrow I wrote the first blog posting as the movers were moving us out of our apartment. We had no idea what was in store for us then. We’re not sure what’s in store for us next. Whatever it is we've been inspired and challenged by our journey to make sure it does justice to this experience.

Next stop NYC - as tourists.

Getting close to the finish

We're in Newport, Rhode Island (the smallest state) famous for the America's Cup (a while ago), the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and the summer cottages (mansions to us little people) of the Vanderbilts and Astors. Built to keep up with the Joneses and then some, they are quite something. Several could pass for French chateaux or give Buckingham palace a run for its money. Their positions are most spectacular - built on the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic.

Tomorrow we head west for the last time - exactly where we will spend the day and night is still to be decided. But the main aim is to arrive in New York City some time on Wednesday afternoon.

It's hard to believe we are so close to where we started almost eight weeks ago. We've done about 16,500km - almost half way around the world!

Taking our time in Massachussetts

Massachusetts is very special (if only I had a dollar for every time that's been said on this trip!). It may be because it has such a long coastline with many bays and long, flat white-sand beaches. It may be because of the cute, square, white clapboard, window-shuttered, front-porched houses. It may be because of all the history surrounding the first settlers and the war of independence.

Whatever it is, we've spent almost six days here. We're lucky that we had some time left to linger, as it really is worth it.

We were given some very good advice by a friendly Kiwi-English-American restaurant owner to follow the coast from New Hampshire down to Boston. We passed through little seaside towns and ports that hark back to the early days with names like Portsmouth, Gloucester (the state is full of 'English' towns like Kingston, Chatham, Worcester, Truro).

The town of Rockport was too good to pass through so we booked into the Seven South Street Inn (enthusiastic host and homemade breakfasts to die for) and spent three nights. It was the perfect place to discover Boston from (by train).

We had to move on so reluctantly on Saturday morning we headed south again, visited the JFK Presidential Library and Museum (left inspired to be courageous...) and landed in Hyannis, Cape Cod for the night. We are now in Provincetown, almost at the tip of Cape Cod, staying right on one of the long beaches bordered by creamy grass that we've seen in movies and magazines - wow! Just watched a brilliant orange sunset (Tim with a beer) on the beach.

Photos:

- Pigeon Cove on the way to Rockport

- Boston from across the Charles River

- Entrance to 'our' beach on Cape Cod (sign says 'Welcome to the beach')

Happy Anniversary with love from Boston

Lunch of oysters, chowder, chardonnay at the Union Oyster House (http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/).

Walked the Freedom Trail - enjoyed North End and Charlestown - in the sunshine.

Unforgettable dinner in the garden at Oleana in Cambridge on Anu's recommendation (http://www.oleanarestaurant.com/) - Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers, Lamb & Eggplant Dumpling with Garlic Yogurt & Everything Green, Tamarind Glazed Beef & Smokey Eggplant Puree with Pinenuts and Joan d’Anguera 'Planella' (Montsant, Spain).

Thank you Boston for a 5th anniversary to remember.

Happy anniversary, Tim. Couldn't resist the photo.

First view of the Atlantic in New Hampshire

You may remember our first view of the Pacific at Elk in California. We'll we've made it all the way to the Atlantic coast - "from sea to shining sea" as they say.

First view of the Atlantic yesterday on Hampton Beach, New Hampshire.

We are now on the Massachusetts coast north of Boston in Rockport - very cute seaside town.

Vermont & New Hampshire

Vermont is as pretty as you imagine it will be. It's small villages with village greens, white clapboard houses and churches, covered bridges, snow-capped peaks and forests. It's small. It's quaint. It's quiet. There is hardly anyone around (and it isn't clear what those who are around might fill their time with other than skiing and admiring the view!). There is not a building over three stories high. There is not a housing development in sight. It's small-town America at it's best.

We spent 2.5 days cruising the empty streets enjoying the peace and sweetness of towns like Woodstock and Grafton.

Also a quick visit to New Hampshire (state motto is 'Live Free or Die', which is very bold for another teeny state) for dinner in Hanover, the home of Ivy League Dartmouth College and Murphy's on the Green - good food and itinerary advice from the owner. http://www.murphysonthegreen.com/

Overdue introduction

After 15,000km it seems about time to introduce you to the most important member of our travelling trio - our car.

Here he is admiring the view on one of the Finger Lakes. He's a Chevy Cobalt. He's gold. He's little (although only by the standards of the giants they like to drive here). But he's done us proud!

His California plates are beginning to raise comments out here. Not sure how he's going to get home to San Francisco.

Enjoying New York State

It’s good to be reminded that New York State is about much more than NYC. Here’s a little detail on the last few days of lakes, rivers, forests and views in New York State. The North Western corner offers a lot.

We started in Niagara Falls – it’s not very high in comparison to other falls but you can get right up close and almost feel that you could be swept up by the river and into it. It is still wintry so the river was full of ice sheets and parts of the cliff face of the falls were iced over. The towns on both the American and Canadian sides are overwhelmed by efforts to capture as many tourist dollars as they can, which makes it a little difficult to really linger and enjoy it. Take a look at our video.

Next stop was the Finger Lakes – 11 narrow lakes that the Indians say is the hand print of God. Dinner, breakfast, lunch and dinner right on the lake in the villages of Hammondsport, Geneva and Skaneateles. Peaceful, pretty, unassuming places where life seems to be on slow.

Then into the Adirondack Mountains and two days of lakes (some still partially frozen), pine forests, mountains and small isolated hamlets where everyone in the local diner knows everyone else (we ate well at Walt’s Diner in Old Forge). We stayed on Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Wow!

It's been good to take it easy with nature again.

Meals with a view

The last few days have been about enjoying the natural beauty of upstate New York: a few days on the Finger Lakes and in the Adirondack Mountains. Here are the views we had for:

Dinner on Thursday night (Keuka Lake)

Breakfast on Friday (Seneca Lake)

Dinner on Saturday night (Lake Placid)

Hard to believe this is all within 300km of New York City.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from the Finger Lakes in New York State. This was taken in Las Vegas at the Bellagio's chocolate boutique. It is made entirely from chocolate and was even bigger and more chocolatey in real life.

Enjoy!

Back to New York State

After 12,000km we're back in New York State (the North-Eastern corner so still a way to go). It is hard to believe how far we've come in 6 weeks.

From Chicago, we headed east through Ohio and Pennsylvania - repeat visits to both states but this time along Lakes Michigan and Erie (see pic). We took a very scenic route through small lakeside towns (many closed for the winter) and vineyards (they make wine in Pennsylvania and New York too).

It's still cold here - we've seen snow again. I thought spring would have arrived by now.

We're staying in Niagara Falls ready to walk to Canada tomorrow to see the Falls. Quick visit to the American side this evening. It was so cold we could see huge sheets of frozen ice. Peanut Butter and Muddy Sneaker ice-cream at Parkside Candies (a Buffalo institution) did not help!

"Chicago Chicago"

After a morning learning about Lincoln at the $90 million Abraham Lincoln Presidential museum (boy do they LOVE Lincoln), we headed to Chicago on Sunday afternoon.

We arrived in the pouring rain, wind on Monday morning, snow Monday lunchtime and by Monday afternoon it was brilliantly sunny.

Chicago in all seasons is a cool city. We were lucky enough to be staying on North Lake Shore Drive (courtesy of my friend Anu) right on the shore of Lake Michigan not too far from Oprah's Chicago pad.

We walked the city, went up the John Hancock Tower (94 stories) for city and lake views and spent time at the Art Institute. It has a massive collection of Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. The number of works by Cézanne, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Seurat (A Sunday on La Grande Jatte is here), Manet and Monet that are here must enrage the French! Quite something to see.

On Monday night we were shown some of the city by new locals, Anu and Travis. We started with some very special cocktails at a 1920's-inspired speakeasy, The Violet Hour (http://www.theviolethour.com/). Then several (it was too good to stop!) rounds of sushi, sashimi and tempura.

A great city. Offers a lot of what you find in NYC but with less people, traffic and general bustle. And without the magic of NYC that's hard to put your finger on.

Can you spot us in the pic?

Exploring the east and then heading west again

Since you last heard from us, we've been travelling through Pennsylvania. It's hard to believe how close we've been to NYC - at one point within 300km. We headed west again as soon as we could!

Our first Pennsylvania stop was Gettysburg. A very sweet town. Well geared for tourists but full of character. Dinner at the Springhouse Tavern, which is in the oldest house in the town. We ate and drank (local ale and cider) in the stone, candle-lit basement.

We spent a lot of time at the Gettysburg museum and loved the Gettysburg cyclorama (a painting that gives a 360 degree view), which put us in the thick of the action on the battle's crucial third day. Then a tour of the battlefield and its monuments - the mist and light drizzle made the drive even more poignant.

Then on to Dutch Country to sample a bit of the simple life with the Amish and to eat! Countryside was beautiful (with villages called Bird in the Hand and Paradise). People were friendly and the Amish just going about their business. Food was great - fried chicken, sweet corn, pepper cabbage, chow chow, homemade bread, whipped butter and shoo fly pie.

Tonight we're in Springfield, the capital of Illinois and home of all things Abraham Lincoln (and in years to come probably Barack Obama). Passed though Ohio and Indiana to get here - flat and uneventful except for a stop at the Speedway in Indianapolis for Tim.

Tomorrow we head to Chicago, a must-see we've been told so we're looking forward to it.

How about a frog, Marc?

Dear Marc

We haven't seen any snakes or dinosaurs on our trip yet (actually I'm happy about that!) but I did see this frog riding a bike yesterday.
What do you think of him?

Love
Solange
xxx

Obamas and cherry blossom

Loved Washington DC. Dinner and breakfast in lovely Georgetown. Meandered around the monuments (under the blossoming pink and white cherry trees), Mall and the Capitol. Lingered outside the White House trying to figure out what was where, said 'hi' to their bee-keeper, and took 'I was here' photos for lots of other tourists. Unfortunately no sightings of the sweet girls on their swing set or Michelle in the new veggie patch.

A 10pm drive to see the main sites - fantastic to see the monuments lit up, hair-raising to navigate their crazy road system!

A visit to the Museum of American History to see among other things, Abe Lincoln's top hat, Dorothy's sparkling red shoes, Ali's boxing gloves, several First Ladies' inaugural gowns, and the 1813-made flag that inspired the 'Star Spangled Banner'. Fun, entertaining and lots to learn about the US.

Some time spent at Arlington - lucky to see some American pomp and ceremony in the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown soldier, great views of DC's landmarks across the Potomac (see photo).

DC is a beautiful, easy-to-stroll city - the architecture, the magnolias, the history, the feeling that such a small city plays such a huge role in the world.

Today in DC

- A visit to the White House. GM's Wagoner out, Solange and Tim in!




- Enjoying the 3,000 cherry trees in full bloom, which line the Potomac.

Virginia - where it all began

We've spent the last two days in Virginia, the first British colony. I can see why the British felt right at home here - it was largely grey and drizzling! It's also beautiful countryside - green, rolling mountains and valleys.

Our main ports of call were Lexington (for lunch) and Charlottesville (for dinner and breakfast). They are both quaint, colonial towns. Lexington is famous for the Washington and Lee University (where Robert E. Lee is buried) and the Virginia Military Institute (every graduate in its history has gone to war). Charlottesville is famous for the University of Virginia, which has been named the greatest piece of US architecture. It was conceived and designed by Thomas Jefferson. It is a beautiful place. Perfect to stroll around.

To get between the towns we crossed the Appalachian Mountains on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We didn't get to see the view as it was under mist - very atmospheric especially when two deer tore across the road from out of no-where!

Better luck this afternoon as the sun came out for our drive through the Shenandoah National Park - dense forests as far as the eye could see and more 'friendly' deer content to graze on the side of the road rather than scare us out of our wits!

Next stop Washington DC just in time to wish Obama good luck for the G20 summit.

Family ties in Kentucky

I never thought I'd be visiting family in Bowling Green, Kentucky but this trip has been full of surprises.

On Thursday night we were spoilt - home cooking, cold beer, comfortable bed and catching up on about 15 years made for a memorable evening. It really was a very special addition to our trip. Thanks for a great evening Therese, Sean and Savannah!

Going to Graceland

You never think you’ll find yourself driving down Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis on your way to Graceland. But today we did!

The house is much smaller than you think it will be. The decor is crazier than you think it will be (somebody once managed to sell the concept of shag-pile carpet on the ceiling and walls). The awards fill more wall space than you can imagine. The costumes are even flashier than you expect them to be. And in case you were wondering, no, he wasn't home...

We spent the afternoon in Memphis in the sunshine listening to live music in a park on Beale Street – a good way to spend a Wednesday afternoon.

Tomorrow we're taking a small detour to Kentucky to visit some family.

Enjoying the good things in life in LA and MS

We’re lucky people to have spent the last few days enjoying food and music through Louisiana and Mississippi. And most importantly getting to savour it all slowly in the very best Southern way.

We’ve had a lot of good food on this trip but Louisiana is the first state where we’ve come across food that you don’t find everywhere else. So we’ve sampled as much as we could and in large quantity. We’ve feasted on gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, fried seafood in all forms (catfish, crawfish, mussels, shrimps), hush puppies (corn and jalapeno balls), boudin (pork, spices, rice sausages), po-boys (sandwiches), hogshead cheese (no dairy in sight just more pork and spices), cracklin, pralines (sugar, sugar, pecans and more sugar), pulled pork sandwiches smothered in the world’s finest BBQ sauce and slaw, BBQ beans and ribs. And all washed down with sweet ice tea, mint juleps, hurricanes and ice-cold beer. We think we shared an apple two days ago...

As for the music – live jazz in New Orleans (in several bars and on the streets) and a visit to the birthplace of Blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi, also home to some of the best BBQ at Abe’s BBQ (famous since 1924
www.abesbbq.com/index.html).

There has also been some culture and a lot of history thrown into the mix. Visiting old plantation homes like Oak Alley (see photo) and Laura, and roaming the French Quarter in New Orleans on a great walking tour, we’ve learnt a lot about the South and the influence of the French, Spanish, Africans, Cajuns, Creoles, Americans and the Mississippi in creating this unique place.

New Orleans is shabby and bruised (a few people told us that at last they feel like the rest of the country is feeling what they’ve been feeling since 2005), but she is also beguiling and charming. You can’t help but be won over by the beauty of the French Quarter, and by the friendly locals who wouldn’t live anywhere else and want you to feel the same way. There were moments when we did!

Taking it slow in Louisiana

We're spending tonight in a little cabin (http://www.bayoucabins.com/) on the bayou in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana (about 15km east of Lafayette). We've just had fried catfish, grilled shrimp, jambalaya and succulent pecan pie for dinner, and watched a couple of enthusiastic locals do the two step to some serious 'country' music.

Louisiana is lovely - calm, slow, a little ramshackle, dignified, graceful. Despite being neighbours, it's a far cry from Texas where we spent the last two days.

It was fun to be in Texas - mainly because of all the stereotypes we know so well and it's a place neither of us ever thought we'd visit. It isn't the most inspiring place we've seen. Amusing to be greeted with Howdy's and Y'all's wherever we went!

In Fort Worth we ate serious meat in the Stockyards and wandered past stores selling every conceivable size, style, colour of stetson and cowboy boot. In Dallas we visited the 6th Floor Museum in what used to be the Texas School Book Depository. It is not often that you get to stand in a place where history was made (perhaps Ground Zero is another example), imagine it playing out in front of you and wonder how, even in the smallest of ways, the world might be a different place if events had worked out differently.

Tomorrow we'll meander further south through Cajun country. Arrive in New Orleans on Sunday.

On the road in Texas

We're finally heading consistently east. This morning we hit the road for the 1,200km trip to Dallas.

We arrived in Texas late this afternoon. First impressions: hot (about 10 degrees celsius warmer here) and flat as a pancake!

The long drive is made easier by listening to Alistair Cooke's "Letters from America" (thank you, Pam). And, of course, what we're seeing along the highway: amusing signs ('Jack's Smelly Pants Laundry', where to go for fried rattlesnake and free 72 ounce steaks), 2km-long trains carrying coal west, the seemingly never-ending strip malls that welcome us to some towns. And most hard to believe of all - the huge numbers of massive camper vans (at least twice the size of what you see in Europe) towing 4x4's.

Day by day we realise what a huge country this is!

New Mexico

We've spent the last two days in New Mexico. One in Sante Fe, a very stylish desert town full of art galleries and interesting small stores. It is one of America's oldest cities, founded by the Spanish, and has a unique feel to it - it's in the desert yet you can ski less than an hour away, it's American yet the Mexican influence is vast.

New Mexico is mountainous, desertous, very dry. It is stark yet beautiful but, if you are used to green spaces and water, it can feel quite stifling after a while.

New Mexico, like Utah, feels far removed from the rest of the US. The towns we've seen have been poor with deserted main streets and many boarded up homes, restaurants, shops, gas stations, motels. It is hard to imagine how the people in these states can possibly relate to what goes on in Washington DC never mind on Wall Street or in Afghanistan.

Grand Canyon magic

After the unforgettable highs of Monument Valley and all we saw in Utah , we wondered what the Grand Canyon would offer. Well, it did not disappoint. The sheer scale of it alone is enough - multi-hued cliffs and pinnacles tumbling as far as the eye can see in all directions. It has a very solitary feeling to it, as you know that so much of it is hidden and has not been explored by man.

You can't help but stand and stare in total awe of it.

Monument Valley, Arizona

More wonder at Arches National Park yesterday and then a drive through the Valley of the Gods to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park just across the border in Arizona.

We are lucky enough to be staying at the only hotel in the park (The View Hotel), so we’re spending the night among the monolithic rock formations. It is now pitch black, the sky is filled with stars and there is not a sound out there. Just some tourists and the Mittens. Wow!

This is Navajo territory – the reservation is the largest in the US. The landscape is barren, rugged, lunar, desolate, lonely, abandoned. Millions of years of natural forces have created this and all we have to do is breathe it in.

More Bryce Canyon

A few more pics of Bryce Canyon as it deserves a closer look.

Even more in awe with Utah

Our National Parks odyssey continued yesterday. We were fortunate enough to visit Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin State Park.

We’ve run out of superlatives to describe what we’ve seen. Best maybe to describe them by our reaction to them – in awe, incredulous, moved, inspired. Perhaps gobsmacked is best!

Bryce Canyon (photo 1) is beyond description. It is basically an amphitheatre created by erosion to form thousands of turrets called hoodoos. Best I think to let the view of the photos tell the story for us.

We did a short hike into the amphitheatre itself to bow before Queen Victoria sitting on her thrown and not looking nearly as menacing or stout in the Queen’s garden.

Capitol Reef is 1,000ft-high amber, cream and red rock walls running through a massive canyon (photo 2). Goblin is hundreds of sandstone gnome-like figures gathered together (photo 3).

The scenery on the drive between these parks is also incredible and varied – one minute snow-capped mountains, then towering multi-coloured sandstone cliffs, then desolate canyons, then rolling fields covered in snow and cypresses, then a dry plateau to remind you that you’re in the desert.

This is a unique and unforgettable part of the world. These two days have been some of the best of a trip that we didn't think could get any better.

In awe with Utah

We've done about 4,000km so far and come about 1,000km east. We've got a long way to go!

Tonight we're in Southern Utah, which is National Park central. We started in Zion National Park. Hope to see about 4 more.

Zion is mighty cream, pink and red sandstone walls and rock formations (with names like Court of the Patriarchs and Angel's Landing) that tower all around you. Under a clear blue sky the light was perfect. We had the park almost to ourselves again. If Zion is anything to go by, the next few days are going to be quite something.

We're clearly the strangers in town! The guy at the motel's front desk looked very alarmed to see potential guests.

Viva Las Vegas

Well, we made it out of Las Vegas with our shirts!

Feeling quite dazed from the experience. It is a crazy place. We got to gaze up at the Eiffel Tower and have dinner near the Grand Canal (which is on the 2nd floor!), and then wander down the flashiest street to remind ourselves that we were actually still in the US. And I almost forgot to mention gazing up at a shiny new Sphinx. Did I say it's a crazy place?

Lots of the hotels are very glam as you can imagine. We stayed at the Bellagio, which to my mind offered probably the most memorable slice of Vegas - dancing fountains. Shoots of water dance and perform to music. Impossible to describe properly so rather take a look at this YouTube link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjCsKMAczrI

Cruising California

We've had some great highlights of the trip in the last three days. Incredible coastal views as we drove. Some perfect weather. Crazy, opulent, wonderful Hearst Castle (zebras grazing in the California sunshine and all!). Beautiful Santa Barbara - a morning run on the beach (yes, BOTH of us), breakfast on the beach and whale watching. Re-living Tim's sailing memories in San Diego.

And the lowlights? Deciding to drive through LA rather than around it as we had originally intended. We knew we should avoid it but since we were there... We definitely won't go back. If I ever win an Oscar I'll ask them to Fedex it to me. Just too many people, crazy traffic, beat-up roads and lots of general tackiness. One good thing was that Jack Bauer was clearly not in town, as we weren't incinerated or captured as suspected terrorists and tortured...!

We spent this afternoon back in Mexico, crossing the border at Tijuana to become tourists again.

In some ways it feels as if the road trip has just begun - we're spending a lot of time in the car, staying in some cute and some not so cute motels that we find along the way.

Tomorrow we head for two nights (we listened to you, Nelly!) in Las Vegas. It will be sad to leave lovely California behind. We've had a great time discovering it. It is very like South Africa - many parts identical to the Cape (Cape Town, winelands, Garden Route) and KZN (Durban, Umhlanga, the Midlands, North Coast, Underberg and the Berg). That gives an idea of how beautiful it is here.

Butterflies for Hannah

Dear Hannah

Today Tim and I visited a place in California where beautiful orange and black Monarch butterflies come every year to spend the winter, as it's too cold and dry for them where they live. There are hundreds and hundreds of them fluttering around or resting in the sunshine on the branches of cypress and eucalyptus trees. We loved it!

Love

Solange

Sunset on Big Sur

We spent last night in the very cute coastal town of Pacific Grove between Monterey and Carmel. Tim ran along the beach this morning.

We had breakfast on the beach in Carmel – a great way to start the day with good coffee. Then a visit to the Carmel Mission – beautiful and tranquil basilica, gardens, cemetery and courtyards that are straight out of a Spanish village. Next came some time with otters and the Monarch butterflies (see next post).

And then the start of the much-anticipated drive down Big Sur. The views are magnificent – rugged coastline below, wide beaches, cypresses hugging the cliffs, wild flowers on the side of the road. You can’t help pulling over again and again to marvel at it. We also stopped for drinks at Nepenthe (a hilltop bar restaurant) to take it all in. We were lucky (again) with the weather. The sun came out about 1hr into our drive and we saw a beautiful sunset.

We are now in San Simeon for the night. It is not really a town. It’s more a stretch of road covered in motels. We’re here because it is the closest place to stay near Hearst Castle, which we visit tomorrow.