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.