Part 1 of 4 – 9 September to 22 September, 2014
Our 2014 trip to the USA was arranged around the Academy Travel “North East USA” guided tour, commencing in Washington DC. We had missed the equivalent 2013 tour (all booked and ready to go) because Annie broke her arm, but the postponement allowed us to incorporate more into our 2014 plans. We began with San Francisco, then the Grand Canyon and other western geographical highlights; and after the Academy Travel guided tour we spent additional time in New York, thence touring New England; and, after a detour to Lincoln, Nebraska, we finished at the Houston International Quilt Festival. We were away for 56 days.
Annie kept a contemporaneous diary, and rarely failed to put daily pen to paper. Gary was less assiduous, sometimes delaying several days before putting recorder to lips. This is that diary. There has been some editing, but not much.
Day 1 - September 9 (Tuesday) [Melbourne to San Francisco]
In transit. Gained a day across the International Date Line. Arrived 11.55 a.m. Bay Area Rapid Transport to downtown. Handlery Hotel. Very late check-in. Walked Union Square in meantime. Later, cable tram to Fisherman's Wharf. Cold and disappointing. Boudin's Bakery. Conventional tram back to the Handlery.
Dan [son] drove us to Tullamarine. Traffic okay. Straight through to the Qantas departure lounge. Departed 25 minutes late, at 10.15 a.m. Good flight (although initial turbulence), generous food and drink,
[Also, on Tuesday because of day gained crossing the Date Line.] Despite all warnings we had an easy pass through immigration, including electronic fingerprinting. Baggage collection; then short walk to different terminal for San Francisco on-flight (per agency of American Airlines). Bumped into friend of Judy Wines. A couple of hours wait in American Airlines lounge. On arrival at 11.55 a.m. caught the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transport) into the city. Alighted at Powell Street station, just three blocks from our hotel......as it happens, via a walk along one of the three cable tram routes. San Francisco [pop. 852,000] has been smart in retaining the cable car system, both for tourism and local transport.
It also has trolley busses, we're told one of the few American cities still to use them; plus conventional tramways. All the trams we saw in our four days were pretty ancient, some still with the livery of other cities. I recall that Melbourne sold some of its "obsolete" tramcars to San Francisco some years ago, presumably for use on its non-cable network, but we saw no Melbourne units during our stay.
Check-in time at the Handlery Hotel was 3.00 p.m., so we left our bags and walked the neighbourhood. The hotel is just up from Union Square. There are several major hotels nearby, and the Square is the focal point of all the major international retail brands. There are also Macy's and Neiman Marcus stores. The Square itself is quite a centre of perambulation; and entertainment at night. It’s clearly the principal fashion centre of town, and a great place to be based for our four days here.
There were further delays in getting into our room (not ready yet!), but eventually okay. The Handlery lay-out is a bit complicated - our room was in the rear block, with a bit of a walk beyond the pool to get access - past the house barber, who seemed mostly to be reading the paper.
Later by cable tram to Fisherman's Wharf. Very disappointing – mainly because we didn't do much exploring, and it turned cold. Snack at Boudin's Bakery, where the sourdough tacos and the Caesar salad were “too big”, but very good; then return to Union Square by conventional tram. The suburban streetscapes reminded us of Wellington.
Day 2 - September 10 (Wednesday) [San Francisco]
AT&T and Apple shops unable to help with Annie's USA chip - phone locked! Gary long walk to Civic Centre, including City Hall and Symphony Hall (shop only).
After a long catch-up sleep we emerged about 10.30 a.m. Excellent breakfast at local deli,
but Annie was quite unwell with jet lag. Walked down Geary Street and Market Street.
Some fine buildings, old and new, buskers and a great jazz band. Long walk. through shopping precinct near Union Square. Annie’s pre-paid USA phone chip wasn’t working, so help sought from both AT & T and Apple. The iPhone – they said – was locked, and could be unlocked only by Optus in Australia – which was precisely what Martin had had confirmed was not the case. Very frustrating. [In effect, we remained without the use of Annie’s phone throughout the trip!]
Annie returned to the hotel; and Gary explored the Civic Centre of the city - principally Symphony Hall (not inside though), and City Hall
- a huge building, containing all the municipal functions and a city museum; and it’s a venue for weddings and wedding receptions. Very grand, Beaux-Arts style architecture.
Day 3 - September 11 (Thursday) [San Francisco]
City tour Hop-On-Hop-Off bus, full circuit, including stop-offs at Painted Lady timber house in Queen Ann style at Alamo Square, and Golden Gate Bridge in fog. Gary walked across. To Fisherman's Wharf again.
We did the city tour on the Hop On Hop Off bus.
After a wretched night Annie picked up a bit after breakfast. It was cold on the bus, indeed freezing near and across the Golden Gate Bridge – which was somewhat fogbound.
Our first stop-off was to stroll around the “Painted Ladies” at Alamo Square. Timber, in the Queen Anne style. Very picturesque, painted in delicate colours.
The Bridge was as spectacular as imagined. It spans San Francisco Harbour near where the Harbour opens into the Pacific. Gary walked across, and met up with Annie and the bus on the far side. We returned to the city through the Presidio Park area, including among other things the former military barracks, and the headquarters of Lucas Film. Another notable place along the red bus route [24 stop-off points] was the Haight-Ashbury district, famous as the centre of hippiedom in the 1960s.
That evening we returned to Fisherman’s Wharf, and gained a better impression.
Day 4 - September 12 (Friday) [San Francisco]
False check-out! Bus tour across Golden Gate to Muir Woods. Coastal Redwoods. Sausalito detour on return. Gary long walk through Nob Hill area. Annie still jet-lagged.
How was it possible? We packed for the hire car, and proceeded to check-out, only to be told that we were a day early! Embarrassment and amusement, back to our room, and another day in San Francisco.
We took the tour bus to Muir Woods [Muir Woods National Monument], controlled by the National Parks Service, about twelve miles north of the Bridge], location of a stand of coastal redwoods. Coastal redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens)
are not to be confused with the giant sequoias (Sequioadendron giganteum), which occur away from the coast. Some stats: redwoods - 379 feet, 2000 years, 22 feet diameter at chest height, 12” thick bark; sequoias – 311 feet, 3200 years, 40 feet diameter at chest height, 31” thick bark.
A memorable excursion, which included about 1½ hours in the forest, dropping off at Sausalito [pop. 7,060] on the way back, and taking the cross-harbour ferry
for the final stage back to San Francisco – the Fisherman’s Wharf area again. Very good pizza at Boudins.
Later in the day Gary spent some hours exploring the historic Nob Hill precinct, not far from Union Square.
Day 5 - September 13 (Saturday) [San Francisco to Groveland]
Pick up car from close-by Avis. Brilliant scenery through Sierra Nevada mountains. Stayed at Pine Mountain Lake (gated community) unit owned by Hotel Charlotte, Groveland.
The Avis depot was within walking distance, but long delay in getting our vehicle. Had forgone the trip north to Sacramento, the State capital, instead headed east through the Sierra Nevada mountains and towards Yosemite National Park. Marvellous scenery all day. Stopped at a small “outpost information centre for Yosemite”, mainly seeking accommodation ahead, and were referred to Groveland [pop. 600].
The Hotel Charlotte (one of three recommended) had only one available room - on the main street frontage, so we declined........but they also own ten units in the nearby gated community complete with golf course, Pine Mountain Lake. Why not? Did some shopping in Groveland, but missed the opportunity to get a couple of sleeping pills for Annie. A very pleasant two-storey unit in a set of six, with rear patio opening on to the golf course.
Helped the lady two doors up find the master faucet under her sink. Spoke later to the occupant of three doors up, Garry Weinstein - very affable, but sadly, he said, no relation to the Hollywood Weinsteins. Annie had a swim in the Lake, but had a sleepless night – including the 2.00 a.m. beeping smoke alarm! Thoughts of staying put for a couple of days were, sadly, outweighed by the tight schedule we’d set ourselves for the week before we had to fly to Washington.
Day 6 - September 14 (Sunday) [Groveland to Lone Pine]
Breakfast at Hotel Charlotte back in Groveland. Day at Yosemite National Park: pine woods, Monument Rock. Gasoline just outside Yosemite. Town of Lone Pine is hokey. Budget Inn off the main street.
Back into Groveland for breakfast at The Hotel Charlotte.
Gary’s small sausages and scrambled eggs were excellent, but Annie’s breakfast choice was pretty ordinary. Grovelandis a small tourist town; looks “really old”, but not in an historic sense.
This was our day at Yosemite. The $20 entrance fee was a steal, given the brilliant scenery. Lots of Sunday traffic, but not a problem.
The Park is nearly 1200 square miles, with a number of streams and valleys, and the highest point some13000 feet above sea level. No time for extended walking, but we drove to several scenic points, taking in views of Glacier Point, El Capitain, and Half Dome [our photos of the latter had the most spectacular effect, almost 3D].
Thick natural pine woods. Query how much is old growth - probably quite a lot, given that the National Park was set up by Lincoln in 1864……..although huge tracts of the Park are burnt annually through lightning strikes. The pass out of the Park is at an elevation of over 10000 feet. We had a bit of drama with a low petrol gauge, but were saved by a gas stop just outside the Park boundary.
It was a fair distance across to the Death Valley region, and we decided to overnight at Lone Pine [pop. 2,035], a little short of the Death Valley National Park. Lone Pine is distinctly hokey, but there’s still plenty of highway traffic, so we took a motel away from Main Street.
Day 7 - September 15 (Monday) [Lone Pine to Kingman]
Kitschy café for breakfast. Death Valley: 130 miles long, up to 25 miles wide. Elevation 282 feet below to 11000 feet above. Zabritskie Point. Trapped in Las Vegas outskirts. Boulder City via Henderson. Stayed Arizona Inn, Klingman - cheap! Out for fine Italian meal.
We breakfasted at a very kitsch café in the main strip. Gary's French toast was too sweet (i.e. no salt), and certainly had no need for maple syrup. We filled up the gas, then off to Death Valley. Amazing - all of it. Our long-held impression of one long straight valley is so wrong (think Tony Rafferty the distance runner). Sure, there have to be hills either side in order to make a valley, but these mountains are magnificent, with great variation. Annie described them as majestic. Facts for the Death Valley National Park: 130 miles long, from 5 to 25 miles wide. Highest peak more than 11000 feet; lowest point 282 feet below sea level. Area of 5270 square miles. It is the hottest and driest place in the USA - in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west
We stopped at Furnace Creek [pop. 88] visitor centre and saw a 20 minutes information movie, narrator Donald Sutherland. The climb to Zabriskie Point was an ordeal for Annie - too hot. Such a lot to see in the Park, and insufficient time.
We intended to pass well to the south of Las Vegas on our way to the Grand Canyon, but the freeway signage was less than helpful, and we missed the turn towards Hoover Dam and instead became embroiled on the southern outskirts of the city. We were eventually able to double back and, with excellent help from two guides, were on the way to Henderson [pop. 266,000] thence to Boulder City [pop. 16,000]. Still picturesque! Arrived at Kingman [pop. 28,390] around 7.00 p.m. On Route 66.
We had dinner at an Italian restaurant. Quality food. The motel was run by an Asian Indian family, the tariff was surprisingly cheap ($40), and there were two queen-sized beds in the room, plus wi-fi. Extraordinary!
Day 8 - September 16 (Tuesday) [Kingman to Grand Canyon North Rim]
Most helpful information centre chap in Klingman. Phoned ahead for accommodation at Yavapai Lodge, Grand Canyon Village. Too early for check-in, so back to Tusayan for IMAX, and helicopter over the Canyon - waste of time and money because didn't fly into the Canyon. Long walk along Canyon southern rim.
Very profitable visit to the local Information Centre.......which we'd noticed the previous night quite close to our motel. A most helpful chap, with info for days ahead. He suggested we ring ahead, and arrange accommodation at Grand Canyon Village [pop. 1,500] – the first place couldn't help, but passed us on to another (both run, as is all Grand Canyon tourism, by concessionaires Xanterra). Arrived at the National Park a little early for the nominated 4.00 p.m. check-in at Yavapai Lodge, so backtracked to nearby Tusayan, for an IMAX presentation on the Grand Canyon, then for a helicopter ride over the Canyon.
Disappointing flight and, as the subsequent days proved, there's more to see from the ground than from the air..........the issue is that the helicopter doesn't venture into the Canyon, only hovers above it. Still, if we hadn't done the flight we would have died wondering!
Back for check-in at our lodgings - far superior motel/cabin type (in our view) than the much more expensive lodge type that we'd failed to secure. Twin queens again! Long walk along the Canyon rim, to the west. Amazing.
Day 9 - September 17 (Wednesday) [Grand Canyon North Rim]
Courtesy bus to Hermit's Rest. 5.5 kms walk. Second bus drop-off after lunch. 4 kms walk. Active sunny day.
By courtesy bus from Hopi Point to Hermit's Rest, the route to the west. Walked 5.5 kms around the rim. After lunch took the red bus from the Visitor Centre, and walked another 4 kms. Very crowded bus back to the Centre. An active day, lovely and sunny.
My dictated adventures are a bit thin for this day, so here is Annie’s diary entry: “Lovely sleep. Scrap breakfast. Purchased back-pack. Clothes nearly dry. Drive to car park to pick up shuttle. We had aimed for Hermit’s Rest but too many people, so started Village Route transfer – absolutely amazing. Walked to Hopi Point then shuttle to Hermit’s Rest – lovely building, built way back. Now a shop. Massive fireplace. We took some pics for others and they for us. Met nice people from Michigan. Walked back to Pima Point. I’d had it by then, so we shuttled back home. Stopped at café, had a Caesar salad and apple pie; also got on to wi-fi, so that was a good catch-up. Back to room and me collapse for a while. Gary to reception to ask about Lake Powel and Monument Valley - will work that out tomorrow with info they gave him. Out about 5.30 to Visitor Centre and walked the South Kaibab Trail, then bus and home. A mile of people getting on shuttle. Walked nearly 10km. today, and my feet and hips feel it. Plus the altitude. Scrap tea, and a large merlot.”
Day 10 - September 18 (Thursday) [Grand Canyon North Rim to Page]
Visit further rim sites on exiting the Park. In Page unable to secure houseboat on Lake Powell (because of three nights minimum). Antelope Canyon tour with camera-savvy guide. Stayed at Quality Inn.
A leisurely check out (farewelling deer in the motel carpark), and stop off at a number of rim sites on the way out of the Park.....but couldn't get to a couple that we'd passed on the transit bus last evening. Some of the most spectacular yet......including the original tourist vista. Headed west for Cameron [pop. 1,300] (where there’s a 90 degree turn north for Lake Powell and Page), and hoped-for info from the Navaho-run Information Centre. But they were conversant only with Navaho country sites, and not the places where we were headed.
We arrived at in Page around midday. There were oodles of accommodation, but we wanted first to check the possibility of a houseboat on the Lake. Bonnie at a tours office was more than helpful, ringing the houseboat people, but they require a minimum of three nights, so that was that. Bonnie then tried two hotels - Best Western $300-plus, Quality Inn (owned by the Navaho Nation) $120ish. Same view of the Lake, so no contest. Secured a room with a view, then arranged Antelope Canyon tour for later this afternoon, and Lake Powell boat for tomorrow morning. Good tucker at a local eatery. Went back to thank Bonnie and her two workmates.
Great luck with the Antelope Canyon walk....party of six only, in a 4-wheel drive, and guide Vivienne - who drove like a demon, and who knew everything about cameras and iPads. Extraordinary canyon.
Last year's floods scoured 40 feet of sand from the bottom; and then the next rains washed the same amount of sand back in.
On the tour we met a couple who fulsomely recommended a B & B at Sedona, so we rang ahead for Saturday night. Needed call-back confirmation (because usually available for both weekend nights only), and all right. Price outrageous, so we'll see.
Day 11 - September 19 (Friday) [Page to Monument Valley]
Dreadful breakfast. Bank dramas and calls. Lake Powell boat tour. Annie to doctor re post-jet lag insomnia. To Monument Valley, View Hotel, last room - the "bus driver's room". Revoltingly large dinner dishes. Great views from hotel.
Another fine day. Annie patchy night. Breakfast at the Inn. No luck getting on to NAB, so (unnecessary) email to Dan at home. Hunted out clinic for Annie later, then off to staging point for Lake Powell boat tour.
and the "bus drivers’ room" at the View Hotel. Great location. Pleasant public area - where wi-fi available. Revoltingly large hamburger for dinner.
Annie's nachos/salsa/guacamole enough to feed the Mexican army (if there is one). Annie slept well.
All along the highways we have encountered the same style of roadside crash barriers as we have back home – so some patent-holder is on a good thing. And a curiosity: the county and other gazetted boundaries have prominent signage (typically in the middle of nowhere, where the border occurs), but frequently there is no signage to indicate the name of a town or settlement. And the traffic lights suspended above the centre of the intersection, rather than on the four corners, are a bit tricky to get used to – especially confusing to us when we’re on the “wrong side of the road” and planning to turn.
Day 12 - September 20 (Saturday) [Monument Valley to Sedona]
Drive the Valley Trail, before most others on the road. South from Utah into Arizona. Desert country with distant mountains. Verdant valley on way through Flagstaff to “Canyon Villa” motel, Sedona. Pleasantly gross, but expensive.
Not really an early start, but on to the Valley Trail before most others, and certainly before those journeying in14-man jeeps. So, we were untroubled during our multiple stops. Didn't quite seem like John Ford country, but certainly had the solitude and the quietude. The grandeur too I guess, but we've become a bit inured to grandeur over the past week. Back to the room before checkout time, then to the lounge for emailing etc. On the road, retracing some of the way in from Page, but mostly heading further south. The view is of Utah, but just across from Arizona. Arizona is a State if contrasts – we traversed desert country for some hours, very like across the Nullarbor, but with mountains and outcrops in the distance; then as we approached Sedona we drove into verdant canyon country, although still at high altitude. Flagstaff on a Saturday afternoon was difficult to negotiate - very slow traffic; maybe sports day, who knows?
The main part of Sedona is an elongated tourist trap, uniform recent architecture, busy, busy Saturday afternoon. Imprecise directions from a tourist office before town, then total bum steer from one beyond town. Backtracked, but checked at another bureau, and had to reverse once more. The B & B is impressive, can accommodate 20-odd, spectacular view of giant outcrops, pool, generous living spaces including dining room (for communal breakfast) and library.
Day 13 - September 21 (Sunday) [Sedona to Las Vegas]
Sedona to Las Vegas, avoiding Flagstaff. About five hours. Despite Google route maps, still had great trouble finding hotel and gas station. Also, the Avis drop-off point. Bellagio Hotel excessive. Time on phone re NAB password, and re Page doctor's bill duplication. Out and about for a few hours, and novelty of open-top hamburger.
Breakfast at Les’s B & B was nowhere as good as we'd expected or hoped - a fruit compote, a sickly-sweet cinnamon bun, and two hot treats - a savoury scone and a frittata-like piece. Annie had a swim, and we packed everything into the bags in anticipation of the transfer into our Las Vegas hotel later in the day. The lovely 23 miles drive from Sedona back towards Flagstaff, then west back through Williams [pop. 3,100] and Kingman to Las Vegas (this time not going through Flagstaff itself). The journey to Las Vegas was just short of five hours. Annie had downloaded and copied into her iPad the final stage route maps off Google, and we used these to navigate into the centre of Las Vegas, but we didn't have the last stretch down the main drag to the hotel.......and, in any case, we had first to find a gas station and fill up. A bit of a chore. I expect that real estate prices are so high that filling stations are scarce close in. Anyway, we asked, and the directions proved to be correct; and thence to find the Bellagio.
Check in took forever - hundreds queueing, a dozen counters, people everywhere. Room 1520. Very luxurious, overlooking the famous fountains display.
Access to the lift lobby through acres of casino gaming areas. Why be surprised? Out and about for a couple of hours.
Great open burgers at Bobby’s Burger Palace.
Dramas of the telephone banking password, the internet banking lockout and passwords, the triple overcharge by the Page medical clinic, the $130 charge by the Bellagio (and, the day before, of the $50 card charge by The View at Monument Valley).
Day 14 – September 22 (Monday) [Las Vegas to Washington]
Leisurely get-away, and no desire to hit Las Vegas streets again. Kerb-side check-in at the airport. Uncomfortable flight to Washington. The Sofitel Lafayette Square. $70 taxi fare versus $90 Academy estimate.
Warm sticky night. Beautiful downy bed. Breakfast in room, and leisurely pack for the flight. No desire to venture into the street, not even for one last look. On checking out confirmed that the $130 charge will be reversed, but shock of $115 charge for last night's call to NAB. Friendly cab driver to the airport. Sidewalk check-in for the price of a tip, then spent more than an hour in Starbucks. Why do they require passport identification when going through to the departure lounges? Do Americans carry passports whenever they travel internally? Plane delayed because of late arrival. Departed at 2.15 instead of 1.35.
Fairly uncomfortable flight, seats close together. Four plus hours. Washington [pop 660000] arrival effortless, although long bus ride across the airport to the collection point. Taxi to the Sofitel. About seventy dollars including tip. Fine room, although no view.
To be continued…….
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