Category: North America

Find our adventures from the USA, Canada and Mexico!

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North America

Boston; The Freedom Trail

Boston Common snowman

English colonists began to trickle stateside from the early 1600’s. By 1620 they had incorporated the region of New England. Roll on 1765 and issues began to arise as the British started to force home requirements that few believed in, tensions rose and in 1770 British soldiers shot dead five colonists in Boston. Legal wrangling ensued and despite assurances that justice would be done, the soldiers were found not guilty. Just two years later Samuel Adams (now the namesake of a gorgeous Massachusetts lager) began stirring up public support against everything British, which resulted in the Boston tea party, a not so fun event where boxes of tea were readily dispatched into the waters surrounding the city following tax disputes. By 1774 the British had taken advantage out of the colonists and determined that all British citizens would return to the UK to be tried for crimes committed in the American North East. The colonists had had enough and conflict erupted into what we now know as the American Revolution, lasting until 1781 a treaty was finally signed in 1783 which formally ended the conflict and provided the colonists with the Constitution of the United States and thus laying the foundations for what would become the worlds most powerful country.

Whizz forward to 1951 and a local Boston journalist by the name of William Schofield decided to link up all the historical significances of the city with a pedestrian trail. Within a few years over 40,000 people were walking the 2.5 mile trail annually and enjoying some of the best preserved history in the country.

Start: Boston Common

End: Bunker Hill

Distance: 2.5 miles

Time: Full day (if you call into all the sites, if not this can be walked within an hour).

Difficulty: Easy

Boston Common

The oldest city park in the United States, and once home to public executions, the common is a 6 acre city park which was completely covered in snow whilst we were there. An ice skating rink had popped up and various information boards told tales of a bygone era. A US National Historic Landmark, the common has been the soapbox for many political speeches, activities and events.

Massachusetts Statehouse

You cant miss the golden domed, light red bricked building sitting above the common. Built in 1798 this so called architectural masterpiece is a thieves dream. With a 23 carat gold plated dome worth just shy of a half million dollars, it to me, looked distinctively out of place. Tours must be booked in advance. A time capsule stashed in 1795 was recently opened and revealed coins, newspapers, a silver plaque and a copper medal. Such was the amazement by the glimpse into the past a DVD was released showing the opening. If that’s your thing.

Park Street Church

Look for the tall white spire, at 217ft it was once the United States tallest building (literally for 20 years!), it is today a fully functioning church and whilst we were there (Boxing day 2017) was firmly shut.

The Granary Burying ground

Final resting place of the three signers of the Declaration of Independence; Sam Adams, John Hancock and Robert Paine, who are also accompanied by Paul Revere (American patriot), the victims of the Boston Massacre and a few members of Benjamin Franklins family. The cemetery was closed the day we were there, which to be honest was fine, as mooching amongst the dead is not my thing.

Kings Chapel

Formerly known as ‘the Stone Chapel’ this fine building was the first Anglican Church in New England.

Statue of Benjamin Franklin

One of the founding fathers of the United States, Franklin is renowned for perhaps the earliest ever recorded act of stupidity; flying a kite in a thunderstorm. Going on to invent a number of things, Franklin is wrongly thought of as being a former US president, has a load of quotes attributed to him that are probably not true and is now known for having his face on the $100 bill and his name attributed to ships, streets and an airport in Texas.

Old Corner Bookstore

Initially a home, then an apothecary, this quirky looking building first sprouted roots as a bookshop in 1828. Once one of the countries most important bookshops, it continued to churn out reading material right up into the 1980’s.

Old South Meeting House

More a church than a house, this spire touting building was where five thousand colonists gathered to organise the Boston Tea party. Now a museum, it is claimed to be the second oldest establishment in the entire United States.

Old State House

One of the oldest public buildings in the US, it is the oldest surviving building in Boston. Now a museum, it was once the seat of the colony government from 1713 – 1776 before affirming itself as the seat of the state government until the end of the 1700’s.

Site of the Boston Massacre

Not sure what we were expecting to be honest, but the massacre site is easy to miss and marked only by a circular stone in the ground and an information board.

Faneuil Hall

Used by the British as a theatre, though originally intended as a public market, this centuries old landmark now is surrounded by chain stores, markets and the buzz of tourists eating cheap food. This is where we stopped for lunch and where there really is something for everyone. If you can’t decide, nip into Quincy market for pretty much anything you want.

Paul Revere House

Former colonial home of American patriot Paul Revere, and now a museum, the three storey house was first knocked up in 1680. Like much of Boston it was gutted by the Great Fire in 1676. Numerous renovations over the years, including $4million dropped on it in 2007, have allowed this building to be central to many tourists plans when in the city.

Old North Church

“One if by land, two if by sea” goes the famous poem. But actually referring to the number of lanterns to be launched from the mission according to how the British would attack. It was this warning that allowed Revere to ensure church bells were then rang in surrounding towns informing the patriots of the attack. Recent investigations have found crypts containing over 1000 deceased in 37 tombs. Tours within the church include a visit to the crypt if this is your thing.

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground

Bostons second cemetery and eternal home to some of Bostons most significant historical figures.

USS Constitution

The worlds oldest commissioned naval vessel still on the water, this wooden hulled frigate was first launched in 1797. Built for the brand spanking new American Navy, she spent her early years providing protection for merchant ships. Retired from service almost a century later, some of the escapades of this beauty include a number of successes against naval ships from numerous countries including Britain, and seeing fighting in the waters of Africa and the Mediterranean.

Bunker Hill Monument

The Battle of Bunker Hill was early in the American Revolution and the final resting place of 1054 British soldiers and 450 United Colonists. Now a monument in the style of an obelisk stands above the city and can be reached by 294 steps.

The freedom trail is interesting, how can it not be. But be careful, at times it isn’t very well marked and we found ourselves back tracking a couple of times, especially near city hall. Be aware that the freedom trail actually misses a number of historical places of significance, most notably the scene of the Boston tea party.

Finishing at Bunker Hill monument you can either walk back to Boston Common, or hop on the transit system at Community College, disembarking at Park street and taking the orange line.

Due to the US largely lacking any depth of history, especially when compared to Europe, minor events or locations of minimal significance are often exaggerated and underwhelming. Boston is an exception. Rich in history, landmarks and sites, it is an absolute must for anyone remotely interested in American History.

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North America

A Texas road trip with kids

The Lone Star State

Texas. The second biggest state in the US, a land mass so vast it is almost a thousand miles abreast and home to some 27.5 million people. With vast landscapes, some of the country’s richest history and a perfect fusion of Mexican-US culture it is no surprise that Texas sits firmly as the countries 6th most visited state by foreigners. Yet few foreigners hit up Texan roads beyond the major cities. Size is the obvious reason, with 600 miles between Houston and El Paso most opt to save the road tripping to the western states. However, with a little bit of patience, a touch of planning and a lot of caffeine, a road trip through Texas is memorable, enjoyable and most of all a fantastic experience.

Starting out in Houston you really are spoilt for choice for what to do, where to stay and places to eat. A visit to the Johnson Space Centre is a must for space enthusiasts, kids and anyone that wants to utter the words ‘Houston we have a problem’ with some kind of authority. Arrive early and bail by lunch allowing your afternoon to be spent getting cosy with nature at the museum of natural science. Check the schedule for Houston Astros and catch a game at the world-renowned Minute Maid stadium. Those staying for longer than a day or two can hit up the zoo, drench themselves in fine arts or gawp in amazement at some of the cities decent m

seums and art galleries. Maybe catch a rodeo if time lands right.

San Antonio is on everyone’s Texas wish list. A gorgeous, leafy city famed for its river walks, Mexican culture and The Alamo it is arguably Texas’s best offering for tourists. Rich in history, this artsy American city straddles the perfect balance between relaxed and maintaining its UNESCO heritage missions. Whether you walk the heritage trail, stroll the river, dine in upmarket restaurants beneath trees older than time itself, or stand in awe at the largest cowboy boots in the world. San Antonio has something for you, and for me, cements itself as one of the country’s most beautiful cities.

San Antonio river walk

Driving north towards Austin it is almost criminal not to stop of the state’s best outlets to stock up on cheap Levi’s, Tommy Hilfiger and a snazzy Ralph Lauren shirt to make yourself feel decent. Austin itself is currently on chill level 10 and working hard towards keeping the relaxed, somewhat bohemian feel. Despite tourists heading en-masse to sample good beer and to make themselves seem all cosmopolitan as the take selfie after selfie at the state capital, the best of Austin is its green spaces. Obviously, you absolutely must (it is probably Texas law) visit the LBJ library. Walk around, act interested, pretend you are a library expert and then bounce. On the fringes of Austin is Zilker park, with the Colorado river running through, it is the perfect spot for a bit of skinny dipping, lazing around and wasting the day away staring at a deep blue Texan sky.

Texas Hill Country takes into account 25 counties all lush with rolling, picturesque hills beaming with lavender, peaches, vineyards, Texas bonnet flowers and rattlesnakes. Come at the right time of year (May) and you will be presented with more photo opportunities than you can shake a stick at. Effortless opportunities of postcard perfection await. Visit outside of flower growing season and spend your time drinking your way through the many, many, many vineyards. Alcohol connoisseurs will likely find the few distillery’s and nurse hangovers in Fredericksburg, the town which claims to be central to all things awesome in the area. A claim that is a bit meh to be honest.

Truth be told, Fredericksburg or quaint little Kerrville just down the road are pretty much the ends of the earth as far as civilisation goes for now. The city seekers will turn around at this point. But those keen on red eye drives and slices of New Mexico will continue into Western Texas. Famous for absolutely nothing, West Texas is literally a bunch of roads through oil fields and nothingness heading to El Paso.

The I-40 west epitomises the road to nowhere and some of the state’s most obsolete towns will flash by in a blink. Cowboy fans will be salivating at the opportunity to drive as far as Fort Stockton before taking a southerly exit towards Big Bend National Park, home to the Chisos mountain range, Chihuahuan desert and go lucky Mexicans making the stroll northbound. Sitting atop anorexic horses, John Wayne enthusiasts can curl their mouths and let everyone know that “life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid” whilst wives snap away their boredom with a $50 camera from a Walmart sale.

Continuing along the I-40, West Texas is home to Alpine, the turnoff for the states epitome of art, Marfa.  Keen to nab a slice of the art massive, Alpine has been quick to knock up a few art galleries and spawn a hippy-esque crowd busy smoking joints, rolling their beards and discussing how one day they might hike one of the towns great trails.

Prada, Marfa Texas

Few places in the United States have gained as iconic a status in the art scene as Marfa. Nestled in the desert, Marfa has drawn tourists for decades keen to see the lights at night that no one seems to know the source of. Having never seemed to have occurred to anyone to drive and check them out, lights near Marfa have long formed stories of UFO’s, and a mystical presence largely misunderstood. When tourism tired, art galleries sprung up, including the most famous Prada shop in the United States. Painted walls, olde buildings, stoned locals and Chinese all seeking a slice of a $5 painting on sale for $20,000 abound. People talk about Marfa being ‘one of those places you never want to leave’, but seriously, I found Marfa to be one of those places you are happy to exit. A self-indulgent collective of mystifying objects passed off as art work, Marfa is one of those places you smile because you went to it, but forget about soon after leaving.

As the road begins to reach El Paso you begin to feel a real sense of purpose. One of the United States safest cities, separated by a wall from one of the world’s most dangerous cities feels oddly unique. The obnoxiousness of a 50ft tall American flag flying in the face of murder, poverty and desperation is either a step too far, or an indication that bleakness does not rule out hope.

With its naturally, distinctive Mexican feel, El Paso is a perfect blend of sombreros, tacos and big American cars. It is a wonderful city, cheap by US standards and feels like a movie set from some naff 60’s flick whereby John Wayne saves the whole of the country versus one billion Mexicans. Movie studio it is not, but corner of Texas, New Mexico and worthy visit for any tourist it really is. Scenic drives, state parks, historic sites and museums are all within easy reach of the city. It is the perfect rest stop from the endlessly baron roads of West Texas and one of the country’s most economical cities for the tourist.

New Mexico markets itself as an enchanting place and few would disagree. With adequate time, you could get lost amongst some of the best the West has to offer. As part of a West Texas road trip, it would be a shame to not head directly to the White Sands National Monument. Home to rolling sand dunes akin to talcum powder and coloured a shade of white that has yet to be invented, it is another world. Purchase a skid pan and zoom down dunes as though you were a child again. Dodge cacti, brave dehydration and hike through a landscape so unusual it is unfathomably mythic.

White Sands National Park

Continue north and hit up the town where paranoia breeds excitement. Turned on by the thoughts of a mysterious crash in 1947, the town has been selling alien shaped candy ever since. With everyone’s kitchen a homage to what they witnessed, Roswell is the breathing heart of everything green and funky. Catch the airplane graveyard on the way out.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of those places that sounds snide. Admittedly it doesn’t have the best name and probably, with hindsight it might have been named differently. But don’t be fooled. This is easily one of the best national parks in the country, and one of the most uniquely spectacular places on earth. A cave of epic proportions it is naturally manicured to perfection. Rock geeks will have finally found home. Everyone else will walk around, 750ft underground in absolute awe at the chambers, formations and ignorance of those that brought torches.

Heading back towards Dallas is a trek. Abilene offers a good place to stop and explore, whilst it’s cheap, quirky little zoo will break the monotony of the I-20.

Thoughts of cruising into Dallas, wind blowing through your hair, music blasting will quickly become realisations of the Dallas traffic jam. With the entire city pretty much turning into a car park late in the day, many tourists would do well to stay on the outskirts. Fort Worth is a good bet, whilst the energy corridor is home to the cheapest mid-range hotels.

99.9% of tourists are there to visit the place that put Dallas on the map – Dealey Plaza, home to the biggest US conspiracy of all time. In uniquely American taste, the place where JFK was shot is marked on the road with a white cross, somewhat distastefully, tourists take selfies with perhaps the most famous piece of road in the State. Dallas is home to some beautiful outdoor spaces, and great American museums and landmarks. It is for many the epitome of Texas, and a true nod to the 27.5 million Texans beaming with lone star pride.

A road trip through Texas is one of those things you struggle to imagine yourself enjoying, long empty pieces of nothing dotted with oil pumps and a loneliness that often makes you feel like you’re at the end of civilisation. Yet with the right company, a good playlist, a sense of adventure and a V6 under the bonnet you will find yourselves in one of the friendliest and most welcoming places in the United States. Oh, and Texas is home to some of the cheapest gas in the country.

Until next time…
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North America

Dutch County, Philadelphia and Atlantic City

Dutch CountyPeople that do things differently have always grabbed my interest, I think that by understand others, you can understand yourself a little better. So, it was natural that heading north from Washington DC we would take a quick detour via Amish country, or more politically correct – Dutch County.

Looking on a map of where to go I was instantly tickled by place-names such as Intercourse which is situated close to Fertility and not too far from No-Cash. Truth be told, prior to setting off I knew very little about the Amish and their way of life, my extent of knowledge was that the guys sported beards and wore straw hats and the women wore dresses with aprons with their hair in buns. Turns out I was partially right, but not completely.

The Amish are basically a community that speak Dutch, and live a simple life funded mainly by farming, they shun cars for carts and tractors for horses. In many ways it is beautifully simplistic and an extremely attractive lifestyle, however the Amish live by their church and dedicate their lives to not just simplicity, but devout religion.

Heading towards Lancaster the fields open up and quickly become rolling fields of green dotted with typical American farms. Look a little closer and the inhabitants are Amish. Not wanting to intrude I was careful to not stare for too long, and having learnt the Amish don’t like having their photographs taken I was sure to avoid snapping away. The area is completely rural, but gorgeously tendered to, it really is a beautiful area to be in. Setting off from Baltimore I had decided to visit an Amish farm where you pay entrance and get to walk around but the more I saw Dutch county, the more I realised this was real, the farm would be a charade. We would be wasting time. With that in mind we drove around, got lost, bought locally grown fruit, ate homemade ice cream and loved been in a warm, soft and gentle part of the United States where life has grinded to a crawl and the relaxed vibes are far too addictive to ever want to leave.

PhiladelphiaA couple of years ago I drove across the states from LA to New York, I remember wanting to stop off in Philly but seeing mass industry, iron bridges and smoke bellowing out, it put me off and I continued on. This time I had decided that Toby could re-enact the whole Rocky thing so headed to Philly for some movie pilgrimage.

Movie buffs can spend endless days walking through just about every scene from the film which is responsible for drawing millions of tourists for a slice of Rocky nostalgia. The most famous scene is obviously Rocky running up the stairs and then jumping around at the top, and was filmed at the Philadelphia museum of Art. Parking is $10 opposite, but, if you are a cheap skate like me, drive about 20 seconds round towards the right and find free parking with a hefty 4-hour grace period. I was surprised at how many people were at the ‘Rocky steps’ and even more surprised at how many people were running up the steps punching flies and actually thinking they were Rocky whilst their girlfriends tried not to let their cringe ruin the video that would be up on You Tube within 20 minutes. All things considered, it’s a great place to be. Few people actually looked like they were going into the art museum, most seemed content being self-professed world champion boxers for the moment.

At the bottom of the stairs is the world famous Rocky statue, and joining the queue I was privy to the most blatant scum bag scam that I have ever seen in the US. Two guys were touting the people in the line, tattooed, muscles, everything I am not. “Let me take your photograph” they practically demand. The guy in front of me politely said “no thank you” and the aggressive response was “what you think I can’t take a photo, I do this every day. Don’t insult me”.  When I was asked I said “I won’t be in the photo, just taking one of my son” and my response was “pfft, joke man” as he walked off. Now that I am a hundred miles away I have no problem calling him an absolute scum bag.

Few people know this, but Trading Places, the classic 80’s movie was also filmed in Philly. For us it’s a great thing because it is the only reason we bothered to negotiate the cities painfully thin one way roads to the Rittenhouse Sq. I say good thing, because having planned to nip in and get out we ended up staying. Downtown Philly is absolutely nothing like you would expect, it is green, hip and brimming with people playing music, coffee shops, craft shops and local run eateries. I could not believe we had passed such a great place by. Our time from there on was literally spent exploring the streets, embracing the gorgeous upper class houses, taking shade in the parks and finding pizza.

Atlantic City

AC has had a tumultuous history, things started well with the original Monopoly board game actually being based on the coastal city many years ago. Throw in prohibition, Nucky Thompson and corruption to the core and AC has always been a place of excess and stress relief. Home to the longest boardwalk in the country (4 miles long), largest organ in the world and a load of world class casinos AC has been drawing hedonists since before the word was penned. However, things of recent haven’t been so rosy and the idiots in charge have been left scratching their heads as to why.

It is only natural that I compare it to Vegas, and having been to Vegas a zillion times I feel I can do so fairly. Ok, people go to Vegas to get hammered, gamble and then go home. It works, it is the most visited city in the USA and has spawned an entire industry based on tourism.

Referring back to calling the folks in charge of AC idiots… In an attempt to be the Vegas on the east coast AC fails miserably.

  1. First of all, you have to pay to park anywhere in the city, the cheapest I could find was $10. In Vegas everywhere is free.
  2. In AC you cannot drink alcohol on the boardwalk, meaning you can’t drink alcohol outside of a licensed bar. An unnecessary restriction not present in Vegas.
  3. AC has a beach, great. Except for most of the year its freezing cold or raining.

Point is, Vegas is unrestricted and AC is not. With the rise of cheap air fares there is little reason to head to AC anymore.

So what did we do, well not much to be honest. Upon arrival things looked good, I text my wife “this looks like Vegas on the coast”. I was wrong, it is more like a tacky, dirty, attempt at being Las Vegas that fails miserably. We walked about half of the boardwalk as it literally became a boredom-walk that resembled an old video game where every few seconds you pass the same shops. Drug paraphernalia (typical US common sense, drug paraphernalia allowed – alcohol not). Dodgy looking shops selling years old pizza, gyros, and expensive ice creams. We bailed the board walk and relaxed on the beach, which actually is really nice. The sand is almost white, soft and the Atlantic Ocean refreshingly inviting.

In all honesty, Atlantic city is not really worth the effort, even if you have no plans of hedonism the only thing to do is the beach and the Tanger outlets (which are really good but scattered around a large area). I think coming to AC I expected too much. Toby was bored, I was bored, in trying to fill a 4-mile boardwalk the city has created nothing more than a tacky, ill managed affair with food poison almost certainly guaranteed.

 

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North America

Washington DC in a day, for free

Washington DC is a lot like London in that you can nip in and do what you need to in a couple of days, or you can linger there for weeks and still find things to do. As the capitol city of the United States it has the obvious governmental and political sites worth seeing, but offers a whole lot more besides. And, best of all, most of the things you will likely want to do in the city are completely free.

With 800,000 people making their way into Washington DC every day for work, the city is at a standstill during rush hour. City car parks fill by 7am and by 9am your chances of a short stay on street spot is slim. With that in mind it makes sense to either arrive early and shell out around $25 – $40 for a day’s parking, or park out of town. I chose the latter, opting for a $4.50 all day fee at a close metro stop: Rhode Island Ave.

Washington DC metro is ancient but slick. Hopping off and on is easy and cheap with an average journey within the city being about $3 with kids under 5 free, unlimited day tickets are $14. Journey times are around 10 minutes seemingly wherever you want to go.

The city is designed to be walked, and is pristinely clean, sidewalks are plentiful and the grass is manicured to absolute perfection. It is without doubt a gorgeous city to be in complete with historical buildings, statues, and world class memorials. However, it is a big city, and walking from one place to another can take a while and little legs will give up long before you make it. Below is the walking tour tried and tested with my 4-year-old and taking in some of the city’s best memorial sites.

Morning. Total cost $0.00

Walking tour good for little legs: 2 hours

Start at the Metro Center and walk on to Lafeyette square, check out the protests and get the obligatory White House photograph. Walk on and around to the front of the White House before heading over to the Washington Monument. Follow the route on to the WW2 memorial and go along the side of the huge pond. There were ducks here, I wished we had brought bread for them. You pass the Korean War memorial on the left and then end up at the huge stepped building at the end which is the Lincoln Memorial. If you started this walk around 9am, now would be the perfect place to stop for a picnic offering great views back across to the monument. From the Lincoln memorial, if the kids are fully recharged you should head around the tidal basin for the gorgeous pink blossom. If they are beat, head towards the Vietnam memorial and about 10 minutes up the road to Foggy Bottom metro station.

I chose this little walk because for the most part my son could walk in front without holding my hand or could run around on the grass trying to catch squirrels or birds. When he needed a rest we could just lay on the grass and relax. Once at the national monument there is virtually no traffic for the remainder of the walk making it not just quiet and free from hustle, but at times quite intimate.

Late morning/ early afternoon: Total cost $0.00

Take the Metro to Woodley Park/Zoo, a short journey and stopping point for the National Zoo. Free entrance and relatively small, the zoo is home to a selection of probably the animal’s kids most want to see with a few Pandas thrown in for good measure. Just opposite the zoo entrance is a Seven Eleven firing off hot dogs and big gulps for $1.89, for a super cheap, super unhealthy, but super hit-the-spot lunch. For the health conscious there were other stores selling other stuff.

It took us about 90 minutes to get around the zoo (you can rent strollers/carts for $10) and was very busy with school trips. It is the first time my son has ever seen a panda and he was completely mesmerised and convinced it knew Kung Fu, as it sat there munching on sugar cane oblivious to the attention it had garnered.

Afternoon

From the zoo we headed back down towards the Mall, and to the metro stop: L’Enfant Plaza. Just around the corner is the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. Entrance is free, and my son was blown away by the planes hanging from the ceiling, fantastic exhibitions and rockets. There is a lot to see and do and set over 2 floors if you are a plane spotter you could probably spend a good few hours in there, everyone else will need around 90 minutes.

Continuing on down the Mall you can head into any of the many museums and (if booked ahead) governmental buildings. There is so much to see and do, older kids might like the spy museum, grandma might like the National gallery of Art and had I not had my 4 year old with me I would have liked to visit the holocaust museum. Point being, just pick up a tourist map of the city in any gas station and tailor where you will go accordingly.

Eventually you will come to the reflection pond and the stunning US capitol building. The streets nearby are lined with food vans serving up just about every cuisine imaginable set to the backdrop of perhaps the most significant building in the entire United States. If, like us you are blessed with blue skies and scorching sun you will have had an immersive, yet exhausting day.

At this point my 4 year old was beat, the enthusiasm in him had waned and he was more interested in snuggles and being carried than seeing anything else.

One day in any major city is never going to be enough and you are further limited if young kids are in tow, nonetheless, if you should find yourself in such a position this should help in ensuring you see the best bits and do the best kiddy things without spending a single dollar… Well, except for travel and food. All that included I spent less than $20.

Costs:

Parking: $4.50

Metro Tickets: $6.80

Food & Drink $8

Entrance Costs: $0

Total = $19.30

Categories
North America

Cannon Beach

There is a recurring theme down the Oregon coast, it is a rugged, beautiful misty slice of coastline that is as mystical as it is enchanting. Think golden sand dotted with remnants trees battered around the shoreline, pools of water teeming with marine life, imposing rocky outcrops battered by the waves and circled by birds. Now add to that the most vivid colours you can envisage and drench the image in mist and over cast skies. Welcome to the Oregon coast, a stunning area of natural beauty that will have you mesmerized and will leave in you in a reassuring stupor that man can never come close to natural beauty at its most magnificent.

Cannon beach is picturesque in every sense of the word, facilitated by free parking, pristine lodges and world class brew houses that rival anywhere else on the continent, it is a place to just be. What that means, is that you don’t go to Cannon beach to have amazing adventures, you don’t go to thrill seek, you go to just be. To remind yourself of just how stunning a place can be, of how relaxed, welcoming and inviting an unassuming hamlet in Oregon can be.

The difficulty in writing a post about somewhere like this, is that you end up sounding like you are being commissioned by the town to write a post that is a thinly veiled sales pitch. In actual fact we just loved the place. We hiked for miles and miles along the beach, we watched the sunset, told ghost stories in the dark and misty evening, and drank local beers served with local food. It was a break and a time to let our hair down, relax and love being together. Cannon beach will live with the three of us for a long time and I cannot put any other reason on it, other than that is a place to just be. A real highlight of our Pacific Northwest road trip.

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North America

Hoh Rain-forest Hall of Mosses Trail, Olympic National Park

 

Hoh Rainforest – Hall of Mosses Trail

Hoh Rainforest has more water dumped on it per year than anywhere else on the mainland USA. With up to 170 inches (14ft) that’s an awful lot of precipitation which means it rains pretty much every day. All day. About 2 hours from Port Angeles, on the western side of the Olympic National park, it is easily accessible and perfectly tied in for Twilight fans that will love the series location, Forks, less than an hour (en route from Port Angeles). If you have never watched Twilight (like me) then it’s a great little town with an eerie feel, particularly in the morning when it is draped in mist. Actually my daughter said as we drove through “dad, please don’t break down here, there are definitely vampires”… Probably not.

Start: Hoh rainforest car park

End: Hoh rainforest car park

Distance: 0.8 miles circular

Driving up to the rainforest from Forks is a simple case of continuing south on highway 101, look for the left turn on upper Hoh Road which is easily missed from either direction.

The visitor centre is open Friday thru Sunday during winter, and on holidays. This means that in winter, if you rock up midweek you are expected to use an honesty box for your fee and there will be no rangers available to answer questions. The good thing about this, is that there will be much fewer people. In our case there was no one else in the rainforest.

At the visitor centre you have two choices of trails, one is the Hall of the mosses and the second is the Spruce nature trail which is 1.2 miles circular. I wasn’t sure which to take, but when we turned up the rain had ramped up from heavy to hardcore. It was full on falling down and so we threw on the waterproofs and headed off at superman’s pace and headed off up the Hall of Mosses.

The trail head is obvious and is the head for both trails. Ours headed to the left and after literally a minute we were mesmerized. In fact mesmerized is the wrong word, blown away is not even sufficient. It is an absolutely enchanting, beautiful, surreal place. My daughter commented that it looked like where Tinkerbell lived, my son agreed. It is actually really difficult to give the place the justice that it deserves, it is like no where else we have ever seen.

The trail is well trodden and though unsuitable for strollers is well walkable by anyone from ages two upwards, those younger can easily be carried up the occasional incline. Generally the route is flat and not difficult at all. The signs claim the route takes around 60 minutes, but it doesn’t. We actually went around twice as we missed the exit point. Basically after walking for a while, there is a sign that points to the Mosses trail, it didn’t click with me that this was the sign at the start and so we went up and back around. Jack kept saying “Dad, ive definitely seen this tree before” and after realizing myself that this was a long 0.8 miles I agreed.

The trail winds through the edges of the forest and takes in some amazing sights of huge, vast cedar trees draped in moss and blanketed by ferns. There is just about every shade of green you can think of, and though it rained heavily for the duration it didn’t at all take away from the enchantment that had us spell bound. Without doubt it is not just our favourite short trail, but also the most unusual one that we have ever taken. It is the sort of place you go, take photos and then wonder if they have been secretly photo shopped!

A real gem in the Pacific Northwest and worthy of the excursion required.

Categories
North America

Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Hurricane Ridge

There are a number of hikes within the Olympic national park, from hefty trails that shoot right up from Port Angeles, to ones which take on the relatively tame 2,342m Mt Olympus. However, things often change and in fact in the Pacific North West things change regularly. In almost clockwork fashion snow drops on the park throughout most of winter, roads close, businesses board themselves up until spring and the park operates a skeleton service of road closures.

The premier hike in both summer and winter is across the famous hurricane ridge. Let me explain, in the US roads and locations are often named to represent something. In this instance Hurricane ridge represents two things; firstly it is a ridge, secondly it gets lashed with winds up to 120mph. Ergo – Hurricane ridge. Original I know.

Start: Hurricane ridge visitor centre

End: Hurricane ridge visitor centre

Distance: 4 miles round trip

We did the hike in winter with six foot of nicely compressed snow on the ground. In summer you can actually drive past the visitor centre to a designated car park, in winter this road is closed so you have to start at the visitor centre.

Regarding the road from Port Angeles, check whether this is open HERE. Generally it is open Friday thru Sunday throughout winter. Snow chains are a requirement, and you will get asked for them at the entrance. Your vehicle will not be checked so technically you don’t actually need to have any, but when businesses within Port Angeles will happily let you return chains you haven’t used for a full refund there is no reason to go ill prepared. We bought ours from Walmart in East Port Angeles for $75 inclusive of tax. Thankfully we didn’t need them so returned them later in the day for a full refund.

The Hike

Rocking up at Hurricane ridge I felt unprepared, folks skied past us and everyone but us seemed to have snow shoes as a minimum. You can rent these from the visitor centre at about $22 for half a day. Personally I thought that was an absolute scam so we went in the boots we were wearing.

Unless you start the hike early or during heavy snow fall you cannot miss the route. It is nicely compacted snow etched with snow shoe evidence and ski tracks. In boots I have to say, we found it quite effortless and there was no point where I thought we would’ve benefited from snow shoes.

The hike itself, I am told is stunning. Set to a back drop of the Olympic mountains interrupted only by deep green pine trees which serve to offer up glimpse of beauty whilst adding an Alpine flavour. I say that ‘I am told’, because on the day of our hike it was completely over cast and foggy. Occasionally the clouds would thin out and show a minute long sneak preview of what we were missing and it really did gorgeous. Unfortunately that’s all we were given, and the hike though enjoyable was done in a bubble of cloud as we knew full well the beauty that was hidden from view.

Overall I would say this is a hike that even the smallest of legs can enjoy, the kids made a snowman en route, threw snowballs and slid on their bums. Refraining from snow shoe use was initially a cost saving exercise but ultimately turned into a portal of fun. Those in snow shoes soldiered on with determination and grit whilst we kind of fell around, relaxed and took our time to enjoy our time in the snow and in what was supposedly beautiful surroundings. I have to say though, we didn’t get the views but we certainly had the magic.

 

 

 

Categories
North America

Aberdeen, Ocean Shores and Astoria

Astoria

No doubt about it, the 4 mile long Meler – Astoria Bridge from Washington to Oregon across the Columbia River is an experience in itself. With no one else on it (seemingly) but us, and the waters covered in an eerie mist, being on the longest truss bridge in the States was a little bit special. Not that I am a bridge expert I have to point out, but it sure was a mighty fine bridge. We were in Astoria for a number of reasons…

Mainly because two of my favorite movies from my childhood had been filmed here; Goonies and Kindergarten cop, but also because I’d heard the beer was amongst the best in the United States.

Astoria relishes the golden era of quaint picket fences coated regularly in bright white paint. A fishing town by nature it is home to a zillion sea lines all gurning for attention and beautifully kept wooden homes longing not to be struck by lightning.

The goonies house was bought by some woman, some years ago who with the best of intentions bought the most famous house of 1980’s movies and opened its doors to fans of the classic Spielberg masterpiece. As tends to happen, when folks are afforded a privilege they invariably take advantage. Claims of over 1000 visitors per day, of people littering, climbing over the garden and knocking on the door at 3am prompted the owner to change stance and deny any visits whatsoever. Until recently the house was covered in tarpaulin, giving goonie buffs little more than a shady looking photograph set to the backdrop of a house that once was. I have no idea why, but the day we rocked up, the house was in plain view to see and though we ignored the ‘private property’ signs, I was sure to make our visit as innocent as possible. Seeing the house up close ignited within me the desire I had way back in the 80s of being there. It really was a dream realised.

The remainder of our time in Astoria was spent strolling the streets/hills, spotting marine life, staring at sea lines and drinking good beer. Travelling the Pacific coast it is virtually impossible to miss Astoria, but then why would you want to miss such an amazingly beautiful place anyway.

Goonies House February 2016

Aberdeen

Driving along the 109 from Aberdeen to Ocean shores I was expecting huge things from highly touted slither of beach, the small hamlet perched on the Oregon coast and home to supposed world class casinos, shopping and views. After spending time in Aberdeen I was actually looking forward to anywhere that didn’t have a name starting with Aber and ending in Deen. I mean genuinely, it is a strange place filled with even stranger people.

Imagine stepping back in time to the 1950’s, a year of industry and steel erected bridges. Driving through town is actually great, old style buildings, cars and a gorgeous river that cuts right through the centre. However, and this is a huge however. Step out of the car and you will find yourself in what must be a gated community where folks that didn’t complete school are sent. I have to tread carefully here, for obvious reasons, but I have never been in a dumber place in my life. I have every bit of sympathy for these people I really do, but how anyone is allowed a driving license is beyond me, and a gun license scares me. We actually watched a guy spend 5 minutes trying to pull up his trousers before giving up and sitting on the floor. People wondered the streets with jaws dragging on the sidewalk and others simply stood and stared into nothingness. In Wendy’s for lunch, it was as though we had just stepped into a coma induced congregation of benzopdiazepem addicts. Genuinely, people were sat dribbling as they ate their food, we witnessed a guy stood at the drinks machine from when we walked in, to when we left, in what must’ve been a drug induced inability to make a decision on what flavour soda he wanted.

Walking through downtown we saw a guy salivating as he stared at us through inch thich jam jar-olive from popeye- esque glasses. It really is hard to put into words how desperate Aberdeen is, but it comes as no surprise to me whatsoever, that when you google the city, a picture of a school burning down in 2002 comes up. Clearly it was never re-built. There is absolutely no reason to ever visit the place, it offers nothing at all to the tourist other than a drive by glimpse into life as an uneducated city dependent upon crack and who knows what.

Ocean Shores

Alas, when you finally get out of Aberdeen and beyond the painfully slow drivers whose cars are either unable or unwilling to pass the 20mph mark you invariably have high hopes of what is to come. The 109 West is dotted with bill boards advertising a gambling mecca, paradise by the seaside complete with Chanel number 5.

Pulling in to ocean shores is every bit as exciting as you can imagine and when you pass those two stone pillars it’s as though an angel from above is beaming down light upon your pathway. And then suddenly it fades. A grim façade akin to 1940’s British seaside’s appears and the weather instantly turns grim. The only neon lights in sight are that of a Subway shelling out $6 footlongs, and the fantasia you expected is little more than a vacant concrete street headed by an Irish bar. To say it wasn’t what I expected would be stating the obvious. Imagine buying a Corvette and having a Camry with a racing stripe delivered, with no wheels. That is no exaggeration, I actually cannot think of a single thing Ocean shores has going for it. There is absolutely nothing there other than a Days Inn and a few overpriced fish and chip shops. The beach is terrible, the sparse timeshares looked tired and the only time we found anything worth smiling about was a bunch of Elks eating someone’s spring flowers. Then we noticed that even the Elks have been downsized, having had their horns cut off. It made complete sense, Ocean shores likes to big itself up, but really it is a lame, grim place and the only thing it has that is of any interest to the tourist is the road out of there.

 

Categories
North America

Seattle and getting to Port Angeles

Canada is very expensive in terms of travel, to the point that for many the cost is prohibitive to their movement. The reason as my friend Lisa explains is that there are only 35 million people in Canada and so there isn’t the demand. I don’t buy it, the reason as far as I can see is absolute lack of competition. Air Canada is absolutely crazy and has to have the most expensive flight tickets on earth followed extremely closely by so called budget carrier West jet which, in any other country on earth would be a premium airline verified by extortionate prices. Trains in Canada are eye-wateringly expensive and a coach of just 147miles cost me just sly of £100 for one adult and 2 kids, and that was leaving at 5am! Prices for the two coach companies plying the Vancouver – Seattle route are suspiciously similar and stinks of price fixing.


The border between Canada and the US on the Pacific coast is excruciatingly under staffed and took the coach about two hours to pass through as the two guys on duty consisted of one guy who was clearly on a pay by person wage assisted surely by someone who’s wage dropped $20 for each person he served within 20 minutes. The whole fiasco was worsened by my son who for some mind blowing, unfathomable reason randomly decided to declare he had a bomb. Needless to say, we arrived into Seattle about 3 hours late.
Seattle is somewhere I have been previously, it is a gorgeous city surrounded by a beautiful industry looking out over to gorgeous snow-capped rugged mountains in the distance. Our time in Seattle was actually very short, literally, a walk around the fun-filled discovery park, a laze around the fantastic kids park and then we were off to Everett to visit a childhood dream of mine. That said, I have to agree that discovery park is fantastic for families, though most attractions require re-mortgaging your home or selling your car, there are a number of things to do which are free. In honesty its pretty obvious why the whole area exists, at the centre is the synonymous to Seattle; Space Needle. I can imagine it now, one day some bloke was sat puffing on his stogie watching all the tourists making their way to the Space Needle. Likely he sprung to life and decided to build a few effortless museums and attractions to coax some of the footfall. The car park was wedged up to $10, and he sat back floundering banknotes over his investors. It worked. For those of us less willing to part with cash, there is the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation visitor centre which is free and there is the great children’s park which is well worth a visit and ideally located for some great photos in the shadow of the north west’s most famous tower.


Back to my childhood dream… Boeing have been knocking out planes for decades, a hundred years this year in fact. And their home in the Pacific Northwest is in the crime riddled hamlet of Everett, though thankfully on the outskirts. Home to the world’s largest building by volume and the centre of global travel, the Boeing complex is an absolute must for anyone lucky enough to be afforded an opportunity and is a 90 minute tour through the factories of planes such as the 777, 747 and 787 being built. The kids and I stood with jaws dropped as we made our way around seeing magic in the making. It easily, very easily ranks as one of the best tours/museums we have ever been on and was worth every cent of the $16 entrance fee ($8 for kids). It’s funny actually, staring at the vinyl green 747 before us being fitted out I stared and couldn’t believe it was the same plane that had carried us just a day earlier, a spectacular nod to man’s engineering prowess and desire to overcome logistical and indeed logical, problems. I finally got my lifelong curiosity answered too: Why do all Boeing passenger planes have 7×7 in their name. The answer (from a Boeing tour guide) Boeing makes a number of planes, and in a number of different classes, or series. The 7 series is their passenger class. The first 7 represents that it is a passenger plane, the second number is the model and the third number is there for marketing. I.e. Boeing 74 doesn’t quite have the same ring to it as 747. Genuinely.


Seattle is connected to adjacent islands via a hefty freeway which circumnavigates the land along with a number of ferry crossings. We were headed to a small town in the peninsula called Port Angeles and so rocked up at the Edmonton – Kingston ferry ready to shave a hundred miles from the road journey. Prices were $14 for me and the car, which is a jet black Buick Lacrosse complete with Wi-Fi, remote start, heated seats, climate control, Bose sound-system, leather dash board with oak trim, and weather built in with sat nav as standard. It’s a heck of a motor vehicle with huge alloys and amazing comfort. Anyway, kids were $4 each and the crossing took about 30 minutes.
Arriving into the peninsula was like stepping back in time to a pastel painted era of meticulous landscaping, wooden homes, homemade signs that adorn local businesses and all set to a stunning back drop of coastal beauty. Driving through I wished we had time to linger, but alas, the mountains beckoned and we headed west through forest which kindly allowed views partially obstructed by clouds of the very reason we were actually there.

Categories
North America

Getting Married in Savannah, Georgia

Without doubt we were glad to be getting out of Alabama, and after a quick stop at the fascinating Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg we continued onwards to Nashville, Tennessee. I am stopping short of writing about Nashville since it was agreed that we would return and get a more thorough flavor of the musical mecca. From Nashville we headed east for perhaps the most important day of my life; to marry my fiancé.

Savannah, Georgia and getting married

A year earlier I had taken the kids for a miniature tour of Georgia. One of the places we stumbled across was Savannah. It is a mesmerizing pocket of sleepy trees and squares draped in beauty that lived with me long after we had left.

Switch forward to this year and I was driving through the Nevada desert, bored, and my phone rings. “Let’s get married”. I was stunned, immediately agreeing to the ad hoc proposal by my fiancé Gemma.

Getting married in Georgia is simple and quick. Foreign citizens must first visit the county court in which they are getting married. For us, getting married in Savannah, GA it was Chatham county court. You must pay a fee of $65 and wait around 15 minutes to get your marriage license. Once you have that you are free to marry. In Georgia you can marry anywhere, in any park, on any beach without needing to get a permit. However, if more than 10 guests are to be present you are advised to get one. Since we were effectively eloping, there was no need for anything or anyone other than someone to marry us, and a photographer to document our day.

We used a company called ‘elope to Savannah’ for our wedding and really, though everything went well in the end it is hard to recommend them due to the fact absolutely every aspect of our day had to be chased up.

Getting married was life changing. I had found a woman whom I had fallen in love with and who had loved me in return. I won’t document our day since it was ours, and special to us. But now, as I write this on a flight to Kuala Lumpur almost exactly 8 weeks to the day, it remains one of the best days of my life and once which I will never forget.

Florida and wrapping up

Our ‘honeymoon’ if you like, was spent in Florida having some hard-core Disney time with the two youngest, Jack and Toby. Charlie and Abi had returned to the UK for school and the four of us were left spending days in Disney and loving the Florida sunshine. That time encompassed three weeks during which we loved life, and which will be documented in future posts which detail Disney, how to do it, the mistakes to avoid and how to make the most of your time in the sunshine state.

But for now I draw to a close the summer of 2015. From it we all gained something a little different, we all learned something new, and we arrived back in the UK a bigger, stronger, more determined family than ever.

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