If yesterday was a little ho hum because of all the travelling, then today was the complete opposite.
We intended to go into nearby San Angelo for breakfast and a quick look around before leaving by mididay and travel to San Antonio. How wrong we were.
The old guy at the Visitors Centre where we made enquiries about a good place for breakfast, directed us to the older part of the town. San Angelo is now almost 100,000 people, and like most towns, with the introduction of new shopping malls, the commercial focus has shifted to other sections of the town. We fouund ourselves right in the older part.
Cafe's or diners seemed few and far between. A nice girl with a guitar told us that there was a good cafe here somewhere but she didn't know exactly where. She said when she goes there she just drives around until she finds it! So we set off in search. The first thing we found was the General Store.
The General Store was huge, and had every variety of goods imaginable beautifully displayed - except breakfast. We did spend quite a while there checking out the displays and chatting with the staff who were delighted to give us some detail of the history of the building (which was formerly a garage and tire shop) - note the American spelling. They directed us to a cafe up one block and to the right two blocks.
We set off in search of breakfast, but we did not make it to the cafe they directed us to. Instead, we found the elusive cafe the girl with the guitar had told us about - Stangoes.
One step inside Stangoes told us this was what we were after - a re-created (or perhaps even original) American Soda Shop from the 1950 - 60's era, with Juke box, loads of old posters all around the walls, pin ball machines, laminex tables and all sorts of interesting memorabilia. The menu was restricted, but we didn't care. We ordered, and while waiting for the food we explored every corner of the shop, and Brian put a quarter in the Juke box - one with 45's, which were placed by robotic arm on the turntable - you know the ones you havn't seen for thirty or more years - and played some old music.
Breakfast was good, and having purchased some trinkets, we headed off in search of who knows what - and we found it.
Now before I go on, you need to understand that cowboy boots are HUGE in Texas. I mean HUGE. Everyone wears them with everything.
We stumbled upon Leddy's boot store and factory. Leddy's is 93 yeas old, and is one of the most famous cowboy boot producers in the world, producing only 10 pairs of hand made, custom fitted boots per week, and we stumbled in all the way from Australia not knowing anything about them.
That soon changed, as we were greeted like long lost cousins by the owner of the business Beverley and her sister - the grand daughters of the founder. Beverley delighted in showing us not only the store, but took us on a tour of the boot factory, explaining each process that the boots go through to manufacture, and the different types of leather available and their respective qualities. We met the staff at their work stations, one of whom is the toe shaper who has been at his bench for 36 years. The tour was fascinating, and we were privileged to have been treated to such an experience. We loved the boots, but were not prepared to wait the 15 months from order to delivery or pay the price of $2,750 and upwards. Brian presented Beverley with a kangaroo badge, and we received a boot pin each.
We had photos taken, and after hugs all around we left Beverley and her team to produce more stunning boots. We then found the next great store - J Wilde. And there we met Joyce - (The J Wilde) who owned the place. It was fascinating - colourful displays of clothing, light fittings, quilts, rugs, ornaments and more. A truly beautiful shop. Now Joyce was interested in chatting to us and introducing us to her close neighbours who run the restaurant next door - Miss Hatty's Restaurant and Cat House - named for its former role as the towns upmarket brothel. We met the owner and her staff, and after checking out Joyce's other store (which only opens on Thursdays and Fridays, but which she opened especially for us) we returned to Hatty's for a cup of coffee and home made apple pie - mmm delicious.
We were reluctant to leave town, but many hours late - after 3pm, we finally tore ourselves away from San Angelo and headed further East. I dont know if everyone who visits this wonderful town are treated like royalty as we were, but if this is southern hospitality, then give us more.
We had a wonderful day. Of course it was too late to make it to San Antonio, so we headed for Fredericksburg which had been touted as a very nice place - and at first glance the town promises to live up to it. It is basically a German town with an Amish influence. We found a great supermarket and had a great dinner in the Brewery - just the ticket for weary travellers. It was after 8:30pm when we finally made it to the RV park - got the owner to open up and book us in, and we hit the hay with smiles on our faces. What a great day. Can't wait for tomorrow.
Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Travelling Day
The drive between Carlsbad KOA and our next destination, San Angelo, is a long and rather boring one, except for the occasional dust storm and the huge trucks which frequent this part of the World.
We moved to the border of New Mexico and Texas, and just before crossing into Texas we came across the little town of Hobbs, New Mexico. Hobbs being the monica of one of our best mates, we could not resist stopping to take photos of the town's welcome sign, and I am sure it will look good blown up and hung above the door of Hobbs' house in Mona Vale.
We checked in to a nice RV park in San Angelo late in the afternoon, and planned to explore the town next morning prior to the four to five hour drive to San Antonio - a place we have heard a lot about and really want to see.
We moved to the border of New Mexico and Texas, and just before crossing into Texas we came across the little town of Hobbs, New Mexico. Hobbs being the monica of one of our best mates, we could not resist stopping to take photos of the town's welcome sign, and I am sure it will look good blown up and hung above the door of Hobbs' house in Mona Vale.
We checked in to a nice RV park in San Angelo late in the afternoon, and planned to explore the town next morning prior to the four to five hour drive to San Antonio - a place we have heard a lot about and really want to see.
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Carlsbad Caverns
An early start from El Paso and a three hour drive to Carlsbad Caverns today. The wind was not quite as strong early, but bared its teeth not far into the trip, and we could see great clouds of dust again in the distance.
The drive to Carlsbad Caverns was spectacular in many places. The desert scrub gave way to grass trees and then prairie grasses. As we started to climb the mountians, the vistas were exceptional - mile after mile of beautiful cliffs and mountians, though the wind in the mountain areas was a bit scary at times. Brian did a great job of ploughing through 50+ mph cross winds that buffeted the RV and got the awnings on the slideouts flapping. It even caused the skylight in the bathroom to pop up, and we couldn' get it closed again, so travelled with it open, half expecting the wind to rip it off at any stage, but it held firm.
Carlsbad Caverns was a delight. The descent underground to 750ft was either by walk in or by lift - it was no contest really. The ride down took about 1 minute, and when we reached the bottom and entered the caves we were spellbound by the beauty of nature. It is no wonder that theses caves are referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, and are a US National Treasure.
The pathways through the caves are all bitumen, so there is no sloshing through mud, and the sheer volume of the caverns meant that claustrophobia was not an issue. The features are well lit, and there are information panels at every turn. The whole trip throught the caverns took over an hour to complete at a pretty steady pace - there are literally kilometres of caves to explore. We saw stalegtites, stalegmites, columns, shawls and other things we can't remember the names of. It was really like a fairyland and we half expected to see fairies or elves (or something like that) at the next turn. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we would recommend the caves to anyone visiting the US. It is right up there with the best we have seen in this country, and they deserve a better reputation.
From there it was on to the Carlsbad KOA near Lake Brantley State Park. It was highly rated as an RV Park, and we would agree that the reputaton is well deserved. The staff are friendly and very obliging, and Brian has made friends with everyone. Jimmy even came over and helped us to "fix" the delinquent hatch in the bathroom. The showers are extremely clean and the park is well kept. It was a good find.
Tomorrow we start our trip towards the Texas Gulf Coast. We plan to go through a town called Hobbs, where we will take some photos - Hobbs is the nickname of one of our best mates. We intend to get to San Angelo tomorrow. Just a lazy four to five hour drive.
Cheers.
The drive to Carlsbad Caverns was spectacular in many places. The desert scrub gave way to grass trees and then prairie grasses. As we started to climb the mountians, the vistas were exceptional - mile after mile of beautiful cliffs and mountians, though the wind in the mountain areas was a bit scary at times. Brian did a great job of ploughing through 50+ mph cross winds that buffeted the RV and got the awnings on the slideouts flapping. It even caused the skylight in the bathroom to pop up, and we couldn' get it closed again, so travelled with it open, half expecting the wind to rip it off at any stage, but it held firm.
Carlsbad Caverns was a delight. The descent underground to 750ft was either by walk in or by lift - it was no contest really. The ride down took about 1 minute, and when we reached the bottom and entered the caves we were spellbound by the beauty of nature. It is no wonder that theses caves are referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, and are a US National Treasure.
The pathways through the caves are all bitumen, so there is no sloshing through mud, and the sheer volume of the caverns meant that claustrophobia was not an issue. The features are well lit, and there are information panels at every turn. The whole trip throught the caverns took over an hour to complete at a pretty steady pace - there are literally kilometres of caves to explore. We saw stalegtites, stalegmites, columns, shawls and other things we can't remember the names of. It was really like a fairyland and we half expected to see fairies or elves (or something like that) at the next turn. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and we would recommend the caves to anyone visiting the US. It is right up there with the best we have seen in this country, and they deserve a better reputation.
From there it was on to the Carlsbad KOA near Lake Brantley State Park. It was highly rated as an RV Park, and we would agree that the reputaton is well deserved. The staff are friendly and very obliging, and Brian has made friends with everyone. Jimmy even came over and helped us to "fix" the delinquent hatch in the bathroom. The showers are extremely clean and the park is well kept. It was a good find.
Tomorrow we start our trip towards the Texas Gulf Coast. We plan to go through a town called Hobbs, where we will take some photos - Hobbs is the nickname of one of our best mates. We intend to get to San Angelo tomorrow. Just a lazy four to five hour drive.
Cheers.
Saturday, 26 April 2014
And Then Came The Dust
We had been hearing predictions of strong winds for Saturday in SW Texas and New Mexico, and the forecasts were spot on.
Saturday morning the wind had picked up a little, but it wasn't a problem. There was a bit of dust in the air, and the temperature was around 80F.
While the boys headed off to rent a car for the day so we could go sightseeing, the girls attended to the mundane chore of keeping the washing up to date. Ho hum but got to be done !
After picking up the girls, we headed for the discount cowboy outfitters - the first one had a good selection of boots, but not in the size we were after. The second one - "Cowtown", had an advertised 20,000 pairs of boots, and it sure looked like it. The place was massive, and we managed to find a pair of natural python skin boots with leather tops in just the right colour at just the right price.
Shopping sorted, we headed for the city centre, and the wind picked up another few notches. Too windy for most activities. We managed to find a parking spot and wandered down El Paso Street. Lots of shops selling bargain basement priced goods - reminiscent somewhat of Asia or even Fiji, but without the aggression. We did not find anything which took our fancy, so we headed for lunch.
The event manager of the Mini launch that we attended (crashed) on Friday night had told us that if we wanted great food, to visit her restaurant - Cafe Central - so that is what we did. This is a fine dining restaurant - far removed from the usual American diner or family restaurants that are dotted all over. The food was excellent, and the service was impeccable.
And still the wind kept increasing outside.
We made the brave decision to once again walk down El Paso Street. At the end of the street is the bridge that connects USA with Mexico. We did it. We carried on past the end of the street, paid our fare of 25c each and crossed into Mexico - just for a look and to say we have been there.
And the wind blew.
If we thought that downtown El Paso was a little seedy, it had nothing on the entry to Mexico at Juarez. Everthing looked to be falling down or apart, the place was littered with all sorts of rubbish, and the locals were trying to sell anything they could lay their hands on - the deck of the bridge connecting the countries was choked with cars waiting at the border checks, and the Mexicans were in and out of the traffic with all manor of goodies and washing windows. It was quite comical really.
It was not hard to make the decision to beat a hasty retreat right back to the good old USA. We paid our 35c entry fee, crossed the bridge, and waited patiently in line at the border control. Rod was first through and got the third degree from the crossing guard - I don't think he could really believe that we came all the way from Australia. And he certainly was confused that we had spent only a few minutes (about 3) in Mexico. After a couple of minites interrogation, he allowed Rod to enter, and then one by one the rest of the party followed after a few questions and shaking of his head.
And the wind continued to blow, and the visibility dropped even further.
By this stage it was after 4pm, and it was getting darker. We could only see about 500m, and dust blew in great gusts across the roads as we drove back to the RV park and sanctuary.
And the wind blew.
The RV park is now filling with caravans and rigs trying to avoid the wind and dust. We heard that the I10 Interstate highway that we travelled over the past few days had been completely closed today, as there is zero visibilty in the desert due to dust. We at least have a base.
Hopefully tomorrow will bring calmer conditions and a drop in wind speed and dust. We don't fancy trying to drive this big rig in high winds, but we don't want to lose any time either - so much to see and so little time. The forecast is for lighter winds, so lets hope they get that right too.
We are now washing the dust from our throats, and a visit to the showers is also high on our priority list so that we can give back some of the dust we have accumulateed in various unnamed places today.
Tomorrow is Carlsbad Caverns - hopefully.
Cheers,
Saturday morning the wind had picked up a little, but it wasn't a problem. There was a bit of dust in the air, and the temperature was around 80F.
While the boys headed off to rent a car for the day so we could go sightseeing, the girls attended to the mundane chore of keeping the washing up to date. Ho hum but got to be done !
After picking up the girls, we headed for the discount cowboy outfitters - the first one had a good selection of boots, but not in the size we were after. The second one - "Cowtown", had an advertised 20,000 pairs of boots, and it sure looked like it. The place was massive, and we managed to find a pair of natural python skin boots with leather tops in just the right colour at just the right price.
Shopping sorted, we headed for the city centre, and the wind picked up another few notches. Too windy for most activities. We managed to find a parking spot and wandered down El Paso Street. Lots of shops selling bargain basement priced goods - reminiscent somewhat of Asia or even Fiji, but without the aggression. We did not find anything which took our fancy, so we headed for lunch.
The event manager of the Mini launch that we attended (crashed) on Friday night had told us that if we wanted great food, to visit her restaurant - Cafe Central - so that is what we did. This is a fine dining restaurant - far removed from the usual American diner or family restaurants that are dotted all over. The food was excellent, and the service was impeccable.
And still the wind kept increasing outside.
We made the brave decision to once again walk down El Paso Street. At the end of the street is the bridge that connects USA with Mexico. We did it. We carried on past the end of the street, paid our fare of 25c each and crossed into Mexico - just for a look and to say we have been there.
And the wind blew.
If we thought that downtown El Paso was a little seedy, it had nothing on the entry to Mexico at Juarez. Everthing looked to be falling down or apart, the place was littered with all sorts of rubbish, and the locals were trying to sell anything they could lay their hands on - the deck of the bridge connecting the countries was choked with cars waiting at the border checks, and the Mexicans were in and out of the traffic with all manor of goodies and washing windows. It was quite comical really.
It was not hard to make the decision to beat a hasty retreat right back to the good old USA. We paid our 35c entry fee, crossed the bridge, and waited patiently in line at the border control. Rod was first through and got the third degree from the crossing guard - I don't think he could really believe that we came all the way from Australia. And he certainly was confused that we had spent only a few minutes (about 3) in Mexico. After a couple of minites interrogation, he allowed Rod to enter, and then one by one the rest of the party followed after a few questions and shaking of his head.
And the wind continued to blow, and the visibility dropped even further.
By this stage it was after 4pm, and it was getting darker. We could only see about 500m, and dust blew in great gusts across the roads as we drove back to the RV park and sanctuary.
And the wind blew.
The RV park is now filling with caravans and rigs trying to avoid the wind and dust. We heard that the I10 Interstate highway that we travelled over the past few days had been completely closed today, as there is zero visibilty in the desert due to dust. We at least have a base.
Hopefully tomorrow will bring calmer conditions and a drop in wind speed and dust. We don't fancy trying to drive this big rig in high winds, but we don't want to lose any time either - so much to see and so little time. The forecast is for lighter winds, so lets hope they get that right too.
We are now washing the dust from our throats, and a visit to the showers is also high on our priority list so that we can give back some of the dust we have accumulateed in various unnamed places today.
Tomorrow is Carlsbad Caverns - hopefully.
Cheers,
Friday, 25 April 2014
Mesilla and on To El Paso
Friday in New Mexico - another glorious morning - not a cloud in the sky - a light breeze keeping the temperature to bearable - somewhere around what we guess to be 30C.
First stop today was the beautiful little village of Mesilla - just a few miles from our overnight stay, and right on the banks of the Rio Grande. The river is completely dry at the moment - it is dammed in winter and the water from the thawing snow will be released at the end of April in time for the summer.
In Mesilla we found a true to life New Mexican village complete with authentic adobe dwellings, shops, restaurants and more. We found a great courtyard cafe for morning snacks, then wandered the streets looking at shops, stalls and artefacts, and conversing with the locals. The girls found some beautiful sterling silver jewellery to buy, and the guys just hung around and paid for the purchases. After a great couple of hours, we headed for El Paso.
To say that the freeways and road network in El Paso can be confusing is a complete understatement. The freeway system is like spaghetti, and completely congested with trucks of all shapes and sizes, and thanks to the GPS system and some good navigating by co-pilot Brian, Rod managed to untangle the web and find the RV park. It is quite near one of the biggest freeway knots we have ever seen, and there are still 2 more sections to be built. When Marty Robins sang about El Paso, I am sure it was a quaint Mexican border town. It ain't that no more. On the US side there are almost 1 million people, and on the Mexican side of the Rio Grand in Cuidad Juaraz there are about 2.5 million.
We called a taxi to take us to a shopping centre and somewhere we could get a really cold beer. The driver was a genius, and he dropped us at a brand new "pub" called Twin Peaks. As the name suggests, it is somewhat like Hooters - a real man cave, and as promised, the beers were extremely cold - served at 29F, just below freezing point. They were in fact ice slushies, and we lapped them up.
Just across the way we also found a western outfitters, and Rod bought some new shirt. We looked through the vast array of cowboy boots, and tried on a few cowboy hats just for the fun of a few photo.
After that we headed further into the shopping centre - we could hear a band somewhere close, and we followed the sounds to the promenande level of the shops. There we struck GOLD.
It turned out that Mini El Paso - the car Mini that is - was having a huge launch of the new model, and we managed to gate crash what was the hottest ticket in town. There was entertainment, beautiful gourmet food, and free drinks - we loaded up on mini burgers, fish and chips served in little glasses, beautiful beef dishes, goats cheese and cranberries and chocolate and pina colada mousse desserts. We love America.
We managed to spend a few hours rubbing shoulders with the A list of El Paso, enjoying the food and particularly the Marguaritas, made there in front of us - they were served icy cold in cups the size of wine glasses - until the Marguarita girls decided they liked Aussies, and the upsized us to cups the size of milkshake containers.
Eventually we called the same cab driver to take us back to our RV. He was a funny guy, and we learned that he was originally from New Mexico, lived for much of his life in New York, came back after being divorced, owned the cab, lived over the border in Mexico, was 67 years old and had a 26 year old girlfriend.
We have retired to the RV for the evening - very tired, but satisfied that our trip is right on traack. There could be a slight problem tomorrow, with gale force winds and dust storms predicted, and travel in high profile vehicles (such as RV's) not recommended. It looks like we will have to stay in El Paso another day.
I wonder what product launch we can find tomorrrow night.
Cheers.
First stop today was the beautiful little village of Mesilla - just a few miles from our overnight stay, and right on the banks of the Rio Grande. The river is completely dry at the moment - it is dammed in winter and the water from the thawing snow will be released at the end of April in time for the summer.
In Mesilla we found a true to life New Mexican village complete with authentic adobe dwellings, shops, restaurants and more. We found a great courtyard cafe for morning snacks, then wandered the streets looking at shops, stalls and artefacts, and conversing with the locals. The girls found some beautiful sterling silver jewellery to buy, and the guys just hung around and paid for the purchases. After a great couple of hours, we headed for El Paso.
To say that the freeways and road network in El Paso can be confusing is a complete understatement. The freeway system is like spaghetti, and completely congested with trucks of all shapes and sizes, and thanks to the GPS system and some good navigating by co-pilot Brian, Rod managed to untangle the web and find the RV park. It is quite near one of the biggest freeway knots we have ever seen, and there are still 2 more sections to be built. When Marty Robins sang about El Paso, I am sure it was a quaint Mexican border town. It ain't that no more. On the US side there are almost 1 million people, and on the Mexican side of the Rio Grand in Cuidad Juaraz there are about 2.5 million.
We called a taxi to take us to a shopping centre and somewhere we could get a really cold beer. The driver was a genius, and he dropped us at a brand new "pub" called Twin Peaks. As the name suggests, it is somewhat like Hooters - a real man cave, and as promised, the beers were extremely cold - served at 29F, just below freezing point. They were in fact ice slushies, and we lapped them up.
Just across the way we also found a western outfitters, and Rod bought some new shirt. We looked through the vast array of cowboy boots, and tried on a few cowboy hats just for the fun of a few photo.
After that we headed further into the shopping centre - we could hear a band somewhere close, and we followed the sounds to the promenande level of the shops. There we struck GOLD.
It turned out that Mini El Paso - the car Mini that is - was having a huge launch of the new model, and we managed to gate crash what was the hottest ticket in town. There was entertainment, beautiful gourmet food, and free drinks - we loaded up on mini burgers, fish and chips served in little glasses, beautiful beef dishes, goats cheese and cranberries and chocolate and pina colada mousse desserts. We love America.
We managed to spend a few hours rubbing shoulders with the A list of El Paso, enjoying the food and particularly the Marguaritas, made there in front of us - they were served icy cold in cups the size of wine glasses - until the Marguarita girls decided they liked Aussies, and the upsized us to cups the size of milkshake containers.
Eventually we called the same cab driver to take us back to our RV. He was a funny guy, and we learned that he was originally from New Mexico, lived for much of his life in New York, came back after being divorced, owned the cab, lived over the border in Mexico, was 67 years old and had a 26 year old girlfriend.
We have retired to the RV for the evening - very tired, but satisfied that our trip is right on traack. There could be a slight problem tomorrow, with gale force winds and dust storms predicted, and travel in high profile vehicles (such as RV's) not recommended. It looks like we will have to stay in El Paso another day.
I wonder what product launch we can find tomorrrow night.
Cheers.
Thursday, 24 April 2014
Travelling Day - Tucson to Las Cruces
The GPS tells us that the distance to Las Cruces (City of Crosses) is about 300 miles (500km). We returned the rental car in Tucson, and took off south towards the junction of the borders of New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. We decided that El Paso was just a touch too far for the drive today, and settled on Las Cruses as an intermediate stopover in a highly recommended RV park.
The drive through ever changing desert scenery was an eye opener. Not far out of Tucson the Saguaro cactus disappeared, and there was more vegetation - mainly scrub, cactus and then prairie grasses. The whole area is surrounded by mountains, and driving across the floor of the valley gave us some great scenic backdrops.
The speed limit through this part of the desert is 75mph (120km) and our RV copes well with this speed. We are still not the fastest rig on the road - trucks and other RV's speed past, but we are comfortable driving at this speed - the roads are well made and wide, and there are police cars everywhere. Brian and Rod are taking turns at driving - about 1.5 hours at a stretch.
We stopped a few times en route. One of the stops was at an Indian Trading Post, where there were thousands of artefacts on sale - most made in China !! They also sell fireworks in this part of the world - and the trading post had all kinds and sizes, and even had a package deal for $600 - a real bargain - wonder how we can get them back to Oz?
After a stop at Wal Mart for more provisions, we made it to Las Cruces well before dark, and found a great KOA campground with sensational views over the town and surrounding mountains. And GREAT WIFI. We can now catch up on the Blog.
We managed to find a great little patio with comfy chairs and we spent a lovely evening watching the lights below us and planning the activities of tomorrow.
One funny incident occurred when Rod and Helen both headed for the shower block. Neither knew at the time that they had neglected to take a towel with them, and Rod managed to dry himself on the bath mat from the disabled shower. Helen was not as lucky, as someone was using the disabled shower, so she had to dry herself with the shorts she had been wearing.
You have to laugh.
Brian continues to be Mr Social - at every opportunity he disappears, and we know instantly that he is prowling the RV park looking for someone to talk to. He never fails to find some poor traveller with an ear to bend. I must say however, that he often comes back with a snippet of information on destinations, RV parks or the like. He is our official information gatherer.
Tomorrow we are going to head into El Paso, Texas, and we will book into an RV park that has been recommended (to Brian of course). From there we plan to hire a car and see the sights. There is a cable car that looks interesting, and we might look for the famed "Roses Cantina".
Cheers from New Mexico,
The drive through ever changing desert scenery was an eye opener. Not far out of Tucson the Saguaro cactus disappeared, and there was more vegetation - mainly scrub, cactus and then prairie grasses. The whole area is surrounded by mountains, and driving across the floor of the valley gave us some great scenic backdrops.
The speed limit through this part of the desert is 75mph (120km) and our RV copes well with this speed. We are still not the fastest rig on the road - trucks and other RV's speed past, but we are comfortable driving at this speed - the roads are well made and wide, and there are police cars everywhere. Brian and Rod are taking turns at driving - about 1.5 hours at a stretch.
We stopped a few times en route. One of the stops was at an Indian Trading Post, where there were thousands of artefacts on sale - most made in China !! They also sell fireworks in this part of the world - and the trading post had all kinds and sizes, and even had a package deal for $600 - a real bargain - wonder how we can get them back to Oz?
After a stop at Wal Mart for more provisions, we made it to Las Cruces well before dark, and found a great KOA campground with sensational views over the town and surrounding mountains. And GREAT WIFI. We can now catch up on the Blog.
We managed to find a great little patio with comfy chairs and we spent a lovely evening watching the lights below us and planning the activities of tomorrow.
One funny incident occurred when Rod and Helen both headed for the shower block. Neither knew at the time that they had neglected to take a towel with them, and Rod managed to dry himself on the bath mat from the disabled shower. Helen was not as lucky, as someone was using the disabled shower, so she had to dry herself with the shorts she had been wearing.
You have to laugh.
Brian continues to be Mr Social - at every opportunity he disappears, and we know instantly that he is prowling the RV park looking for someone to talk to. He never fails to find some poor traveller with an ear to bend. I must say however, that he often comes back with a snippet of information on destinations, RV parks or the like. He is our official information gatherer.
Tomorrow we are going to head into El Paso, Texas, and we will book into an RV park that has been recommended (to Brian of course). From there we plan to hire a car and see the sights. There is a cable car that looks interesting, and we might look for the famed "Roses Cantina".
Cheers from New Mexico,
Tucson
Our day in Tuson has been really good. We decided that since the place is so spread out, and there were a few things we really wantd to see, that we would hire a car for a day. That turned out to be a great decision.
Our first point of call was the Arizona Sonora Desert Musem. It was highly recommended, and it is a bit of a misnomer. It is not really a museum but a real live desert environment - a 1.6km walk on paved trails, and a 1km walk on a pathway through the desert. This is a fascinating place, and despite the heat (90+ degrees), it does not feel as appressive as similar temperatures at home. We wandered the trails for hours, seeking out and finding a host of desert animals, including coyote, ocelot, bob cats, prarie dogs, hevelinas, rattle snakes, tarantuals, wolf spiders and pythons to name a few. The closeup views of the various species of cactus, and the giant saguaros and the skeletons of dead saguaros were fascinating. There is so much life in the desert. It was a fascinating few hours. We enjoyed it immensely.
From there we moved on to Old Tuscon - a town built for the movies in the 1950's, including lots of John Wayne movies, sets for Little House on the Prairie and many more. The movie momorabilia was good, but thats about where this place ended. The rest was a tacky cash grab reminiscent of Old Sydney Town or similar. We didn't spend long there.
Our next destination was the San Xavier Mission - a beautiful Catholic Church set in the middle of the San Xavier Indian Reservation. The church has been really faithfully kept and is a credit to the priests and the local parishoners.
Having the hire car made things really easy to find a good restaurant for dinner - BJ's was a great venue, and we retired early after a vey busy and enjoyable day.
We are getting really confident now driving on the right hand (wrong) side of the road, and we have not had any close calls to date. Lets hope that continues.
Tomorrrow we head towards El Paso.
Our first point of call was the Arizona Sonora Desert Musem. It was highly recommended, and it is a bit of a misnomer. It is not really a museum but a real live desert environment - a 1.6km walk on paved trails, and a 1km walk on a pathway through the desert. This is a fascinating place, and despite the heat (90+ degrees), it does not feel as appressive as similar temperatures at home. We wandered the trails for hours, seeking out and finding a host of desert animals, including coyote, ocelot, bob cats, prarie dogs, hevelinas, rattle snakes, tarantuals, wolf spiders and pythons to name a few. The closeup views of the various species of cactus, and the giant saguaros and the skeletons of dead saguaros were fascinating. There is so much life in the desert. It was a fascinating few hours. We enjoyed it immensely.
From there we moved on to Old Tuscon - a town built for the movies in the 1950's, including lots of John Wayne movies, sets for Little House on the Prairie and many more. The movie momorabilia was good, but thats about where this place ended. The rest was a tacky cash grab reminiscent of Old Sydney Town or similar. We didn't spend long there.
Our next destination was the San Xavier Mission - a beautiful Catholic Church set in the middle of the San Xavier Indian Reservation. The church has been really faithfully kept and is a credit to the priests and the local parishoners.
Having the hire car made things really easy to find a good restaurant for dinner - BJ's was a great venue, and we retired early after a vey busy and enjoyable day.
We are getting really confident now driving on the right hand (wrong) side of the road, and we have not had any close calls to date. Lets hope that continues.
Tomorrrow we head towards El Paso.
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
Phoenix and Tucson
The scenery on the drive between Las Vegas and the southwest is something to behold. The high desert is a harsh and unforgiving environment full of nothing but tumbleweed, giant saguaro cactus and Joshua trees. The Saguaro are like sentinels in the desert who are guarding the gateway to their territory - their arms rigidly straight, and always the middle finger raised higher than the rest, giving us the bird. There are literally millions and millions of them, lining the hills and filling the valleys.
We motored into Phoenix with high hopes. We settled on an RV park a little out of town, and called a cab to take us into the heart of the city to see the sights. The cab driver had no idea of where to go or what to see in Phoenix, and dropped us at a shopping centre where we had a great lunch and did some shopping for the essentials. We called a cab to take us back, and after a great deal of difficulty in establishing exactly where we were, managed to get a cab on the second attempt after about an hour.
We have established that the favourite saying in Phoenix is "I wouldn't have a clue". It seemed to be the standard answer we got to just about any question relating to tourism, or where to go or what to do, so we made the decision to cut from here and head for Tucson - smaller and much more to our taste.
From the moment we entered Tucson, it had a much better feel to it. For a start, the temperature here is about ten degrees cooler. Still it was 93F Somewhere in the mid 30'sC. There is little to no humidity, and it is very comfortable in the shade, and even bearable in the sun.
We spent a lovely afternoon walking the streets off the inner part of Tucson, having visited the Visitors Centre and been shown where to go. Rod had a haircut - "a regular gentlemans cut" and we found a shopping centre, where the checkout guy gave us a VIP discount which saved us 45% on the shelf price.
We checked in to the Prince of Tucson RV park and headed for the pool. A few cold beverages and a good meal will recharge the batteries, after a long and very hot day.
Tomorrow w will see the sights of Tucson - the western desert museum, maybe the old town of Toombstone and more. This is a very interesting part of the world, and Brian has already met and conversed with most of the people on the RV park. He should get some good tips from them.
As night falls, the temperature is dropping to a very pleasant level. Hopefully the night will be cool,enough for a decent sleep.
We motored into Phoenix with high hopes. We settled on an RV park a little out of town, and called a cab to take us into the heart of the city to see the sights. The cab driver had no idea of where to go or what to see in Phoenix, and dropped us at a shopping centre where we had a great lunch and did some shopping for the essentials. We called a cab to take us back, and after a great deal of difficulty in establishing exactly where we were, managed to get a cab on the second attempt after about an hour.
We have established that the favourite saying in Phoenix is "I wouldn't have a clue". It seemed to be the standard answer we got to just about any question relating to tourism, or where to go or what to do, so we made the decision to cut from here and head for Tucson - smaller and much more to our taste.
From the moment we entered Tucson, it had a much better feel to it. For a start, the temperature here is about ten degrees cooler. Still it was 93F Somewhere in the mid 30'sC. There is little to no humidity, and it is very comfortable in the shade, and even bearable in the sun.
We spent a lovely afternoon walking the streets off the inner part of Tucson, having visited the Visitors Centre and been shown where to go. Rod had a haircut - "a regular gentlemans cut" and we found a shopping centre, where the checkout guy gave us a VIP discount which saved us 45% on the shelf price.
We checked in to the Prince of Tucson RV park and headed for the pool. A few cold beverages and a good meal will recharge the batteries, after a long and very hot day.
Tomorrow w will see the sights of Tucson - the western desert museum, maybe the old town of Toombstone and more. This is a very interesting part of the world, and Brian has already met and conversed with most of the people on the RV park. He should get some good tips from them.
As night falls, the temperature is dropping to a very pleasant level. Hopefully the night will be cool,enough for a decent sleep.
Sunday, 20 April 2014
The Group Splits and We Motor South
Easter Sunday in Las Vegas is the same as every other day. The Casino was in full flight by 8am when we ventured down for breakfast, with the punters filling machines with greenbacks and sucking on cocktails and spirits. I can't quite relate to that, but maybe some of them are still out from Saturday night. That I can relate to.
We spent the morning getting ready to go, buying last minute provisions, and saying goodbye to the three departing members of our party. We started with nine, reduced to seven after New York, and now we are four again heading for another three weeks trekking the highways and byways of the US.
The first leg of the journey was captained by Rod, who drove out of Vegas and about 100 miles south to Kingman Arizona. There was plenty of traffic leaving Vegas after the long weekend, but as we poked along at 65 miles an hour they whizzed past. We don't care about speed. We are tortoises who will get there eventually. After a great late lunch, we decided that Kingman was far enough for the day. The next decent RV park is at Desert Edge in Phoenix - another three hours, and we don't fancy pulling in around 7pm on day 1 and then having to set ourselves up for the first time.
We managed to find the essentials for the trip - an esky, some stubby holders, wine glasses, beer and wine and a gas BBQ. We also got some food as an afterthought.
The campground at Kingman had plenty of vacancies - and the staff were extremely helpful. We were shown to a pullthrough site and were set up in no time - power and water hooked up, air conditioning going strong, beds made and gear stowed in the lockers. We headed for and found spotlessly clean amenities, and the most charming little gazebo area which provided plenty of shade for a late afternoon debriefing. There was even a great herb garden next door to the office area which the girls raided.
There is something really familiar about being on tour together. It has been three years since our last trip through the US, but it fits like an old pair of shoes, and we are thoroughly relaxed now that we know the RV is up to scratch and we can handle it through the traffic.
Life is Good.
We spent the morning getting ready to go, buying last minute provisions, and saying goodbye to the three departing members of our party. We started with nine, reduced to seven after New York, and now we are four again heading for another three weeks trekking the highways and byways of the US.
The first leg of the journey was captained by Rod, who drove out of Vegas and about 100 miles south to Kingman Arizona. There was plenty of traffic leaving Vegas after the long weekend, but as we poked along at 65 miles an hour they whizzed past. We don't care about speed. We are tortoises who will get there eventually. After a great late lunch, we decided that Kingman was far enough for the day. The next decent RV park is at Desert Edge in Phoenix - another three hours, and we don't fancy pulling in around 7pm on day 1 and then having to set ourselves up for the first time.
We managed to find the essentials for the trip - an esky, some stubby holders, wine glasses, beer and wine and a gas BBQ. We also got some food as an afterthought.
The campground at Kingman had plenty of vacancies - and the staff were extremely helpful. We were shown to a pullthrough site and were set up in no time - power and water hooked up, air conditioning going strong, beds made and gear stowed in the lockers. We headed for and found spotlessly clean amenities, and the most charming little gazebo area which provided plenty of shade for a late afternoon debriefing. There was even a great herb garden next door to the office area which the girls raided.
There is something really familiar about being on tour together. It has been three years since our last trip through the US, but it fits like an old pair of shoes, and we are thoroughly relaxed now that we know the RV is up to scratch and we can handle it through the traffic.
Life is Good.
Last Day in Vegas
Lauren, Natalie and Brian have taken off for Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. They tried to get on a helicopter tour but they were all booked out for the Easter weekend, so they settled on a bus tour - it makes a long day, with a 5:45am start and an estimated return time of between 8 and 10pm, but they were keen to see the canyon.
Meanwhile, the more mature members of the group did another day on the Vegas strip, with excursions to and through most of the major casinos and their mandatory shopping centres. We managed to add to the retail sales of a few of the shoe stores, and had a great morning people watching and strolling the strip.
The afternoon was spent in getting the motorhome from the agency in Las Vegas, and taking it back to the KOA campground adjacent to Circus Circus where we are staying. The maiden voyage was Captained by Brian, and apart from one wrong turn, the drive was without incident. I must say that the RV is even bigger than we imagined it to be. It has a full separate double bedroom with a slideout, a bunk room with a slideout, and a lounge room slideout. It has heaps of room for all four of us, and it will be extremely comfortable. It measures 34ft (almost 11m) in length, and it is wide enough so that it takes up almost an entire lane of most of the roads. It is very well equipped and fully air conditioned, which I am guessing we will be thankful for as we head into the deserts of Arizona. The temperature is already aproaching 90 degrees, but after the cold and snow in New York we are not complaining.
A few quiet ales before bedtime rounded off what has been a great three days in Sin City. We all agree that this place has lots more to offer the vistor than just gaming. People watching alone is enough entertainment for us, and the cheap food and drinks are a bonus. We may even come back again one day.
The juniors arrived back at around 10:30pm, thoroughly exhausted but having had a great day - they even got hailed on at the Grand Canyon, but they loved the expeience and were in awe of Hoover Dam and the Canyon. Their only real negative was that the driver of the bus wanted to stop every hour or so for a food break - he was probably on a deal with the outlets.
Tomorrow is exit day from Vegas. Lauren, Natalie and Brian W head for a couple of days in San Francisco, and we are headed south into Arizona and then on to Texas. We can't wait.
Meanwhile, the more mature members of the group did another day on the Vegas strip, with excursions to and through most of the major casinos and their mandatory shopping centres. We managed to add to the retail sales of a few of the shoe stores, and had a great morning people watching and strolling the strip.
The afternoon was spent in getting the motorhome from the agency in Las Vegas, and taking it back to the KOA campground adjacent to Circus Circus where we are staying. The maiden voyage was Captained by Brian, and apart from one wrong turn, the drive was without incident. I must say that the RV is even bigger than we imagined it to be. It has a full separate double bedroom with a slideout, a bunk room with a slideout, and a lounge room slideout. It has heaps of room for all four of us, and it will be extremely comfortable. It measures 34ft (almost 11m) in length, and it is wide enough so that it takes up almost an entire lane of most of the roads. It is very well equipped and fully air conditioned, which I am guessing we will be thankful for as we head into the deserts of Arizona. The temperature is already aproaching 90 degrees, but after the cold and snow in New York we are not complaining.
A few quiet ales before bedtime rounded off what has been a great three days in Sin City. We all agree that this place has lots more to offer the vistor than just gaming. People watching alone is enough entertainment for us, and the cheap food and drinks are a bonus. We may even come back again one day.
The juniors arrived back at around 10:30pm, thoroughly exhausted but having had a great day - they even got hailed on at the Grand Canyon, but they loved the expeience and were in awe of Hoover Dam and the Canyon. Their only real negative was that the driver of the bus wanted to stop every hour or so for a food break - he was probably on a deal with the outlets.
Tomorrow is exit day from Vegas. Lauren, Natalie and Brian W head for a couple of days in San Francisco, and we are headed south into Arizona and then on to Texas. We can't wait.
Saturday, 19 April 2014
Vegas and Meeting a Relative
The whole party met up for breakfast at Peppermill Restaurant just across from our hotel. Just as is everything else in this town, the diner was over the top, with indoor fake trees, neon lighting etc., and cocktails being served with breakfast. We resisted the cocktails, but we all ordered and got MASSIVE breakfasts. We will never learn that a full breakfast is just that - it is enough to feed an emerging third world country. We could easily have shared three breakfasts between the seven of us, but of course we had one each, and left the majority of it on our plates.
Maureen announced that she had been contacted by a relation who was also visiting Vegas. She had posted something on her Facebook page about being in Las Vegas, and Trish (a second cousin who was also on Facebook at the time) read the entry and contacted Maureen. They arranged to meet up for lunch on Friday. The power of the internet never ceases to amaze.
We made our way to Palazzo where Trish and her husband Andrew were staying along with their daughter and son in law. They live in Salt Lake City Utah - about an hours flight away - and visit Vegas every couple of months. Andrew likes to play the "slots" and he must do a fair bit of it, as the Palazzo were putting them up free of charge, and apparently do so all the time !!
We spent the next few hours being guided around by Trish. The young ones had already seen that it was not their cup of tea, and headed to the south of the Vegas strip to do some exploring on their own.
Trish took us to all her favourite places, and we saw some amazing things. A stop at the Bellagio Cafe for light refreshments was very well received, and after bidding farewell to Trish with a promise to keep in touch and to help in further exploring the family tree, we had a few hours retail therapy. On the walk back to our hotel we spotted some vacant seats at an outdoor bar overlooking the strip, and settled in for a couple of cleansers. We were about to leave, when who should come sauntering part but the rest of our group - Nat, Brian and Lauren. Needless to say, they were happy to join us for another.
About 8:00pm we walked the few blocks back to the hotel, and decided that we could all go a meal. Vince Neal's steakhouse was the venue, and the steaks we had were big, juicy and just the ticket. A cocktail washed it all down nicely, and we headed for bed. Friday in Vegas was a blast.
Brian Roach must be the luckiest guy in town. He put $1 into a pokie and somehow, after pressing a couple of buttons he activated the Bonus prize feature on the machine. He had no idea what he was doing, but with guidance from his daughters he managed to turn his $1 in $67 in just a few minutes. Needless to say, he cashed in immediately.
Tomorrow, Lauren, Natalie and Brian W are booked on a tour from Vegas to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. The helicopters were sold out, so they are going on a bus tour. It will be a long day for them, but they are excited about it, and they should have a great day at what is the most spectacular place on earth.
The remainder of the party will do the Vegas strip again, and pick up the motorhome in the afternoon. It is a day early, but the rental company is closed for Easter Sunday when we were due to pick it up. At least this way the others will be able to see it before we take off on Sunday and the others head for San Francisco.
The fun just keeps coming.
Maureen announced that she had been contacted by a relation who was also visiting Vegas. She had posted something on her Facebook page about being in Las Vegas, and Trish (a second cousin who was also on Facebook at the time) read the entry and contacted Maureen. They arranged to meet up for lunch on Friday. The power of the internet never ceases to amaze.
We made our way to Palazzo where Trish and her husband Andrew were staying along with their daughter and son in law. They live in Salt Lake City Utah - about an hours flight away - and visit Vegas every couple of months. Andrew likes to play the "slots" and he must do a fair bit of it, as the Palazzo were putting them up free of charge, and apparently do so all the time !!
We spent the next few hours being guided around by Trish. The young ones had already seen that it was not their cup of tea, and headed to the south of the Vegas strip to do some exploring on their own.
Trish took us to all her favourite places, and we saw some amazing things. A stop at the Bellagio Cafe for light refreshments was very well received, and after bidding farewell to Trish with a promise to keep in touch and to help in further exploring the family tree, we had a few hours retail therapy. On the walk back to our hotel we spotted some vacant seats at an outdoor bar overlooking the strip, and settled in for a couple of cleansers. We were about to leave, when who should come sauntering part but the rest of our group - Nat, Brian and Lauren. Needless to say, they were happy to join us for another.
About 8:00pm we walked the few blocks back to the hotel, and decided that we could all go a meal. Vince Neal's steakhouse was the venue, and the steaks we had were big, juicy and just the ticket. A cocktail washed it all down nicely, and we headed for bed. Friday in Vegas was a blast.
Brian Roach must be the luckiest guy in town. He put $1 into a pokie and somehow, after pressing a couple of buttons he activated the Bonus prize feature on the machine. He had no idea what he was doing, but with guidance from his daughters he managed to turn his $1 in $67 in just a few minutes. Needless to say, he cashed in immediately.
Tomorrow, Lauren, Natalie and Brian W are booked on a tour from Vegas to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. The helicopters were sold out, so they are going on a bus tour. It will be a long day for them, but they are excited about it, and they should have a great day at what is the most spectacular place on earth.
The remainder of the party will do the Vegas strip again, and pick up the motorhome in the afternoon. It is a day early, but the rental company is closed for Easter Sunday when we were due to pick it up. At least this way the others will be able to see it before we take off on Sunday and the others head for San Francisco.
The fun just keeps coming.
New York to Las Vegas
The weather was a little warmer today for our last day in New York. At least there was no snow on the ground, though the minimum temp was still hovering just above freezing, and the daytime maximum got to about 50 degrees - thats about 10C.
The morning was spent on last minute shopping - we found a discount designer shop in SoHo, and gathered a few more items to further test already bulging suitcases, and then headed to the airport and Vegas. The trip was uneventful except for the park benches they call airline seats on American Airlines and the total lack of services. At least the scenery was spectacular for those lucky enough to have a window seat. The plane went over Cleveland, where the seemingly never ending farm land was intensively cultivated into very neat rows and circles and finally over Denver and the spectacular snow covered Rocky Mountains before landing in Sin City.
The sight of the banks of pokies at the airport terminal gave the crew a giggle, and a dollar or two was deposited just for fun. The train ride from the terminal to the baggage collection area was rather swish as well, but the Limo ride topped it all.
We had a choice of a shuttle bus or a stretch limousine for the trip from the airport to the Casino where we are staying. Of course the limo won hands down and it made a very exciting entry into what is a very bright and exciting place. We didn't venture far from the hotel, as we were already very tired from our trip, and we had gained three hours with the flight across country, so by the time we finished dinner in the Buffet and headed to bed, it was around 11pm, but felt more like 2am. Nothing a few hours of decent sleep won't fix. Everyone is excited, especially the younger members of the party who have not been here before. Tomorrow will be an eye opener for them.
The morning was spent on last minute shopping - we found a discount designer shop in SoHo, and gathered a few more items to further test already bulging suitcases, and then headed to the airport and Vegas. The trip was uneventful except for the park benches they call airline seats on American Airlines and the total lack of services. At least the scenery was spectacular for those lucky enough to have a window seat. The plane went over Cleveland, where the seemingly never ending farm land was intensively cultivated into very neat rows and circles and finally over Denver and the spectacular snow covered Rocky Mountains before landing in Sin City.
The sight of the banks of pokies at the airport terminal gave the crew a giggle, and a dollar or two was deposited just for fun. The train ride from the terminal to the baggage collection area was rather swish as well, but the Limo ride topped it all.
We had a choice of a shuttle bus or a stretch limousine for the trip from the airport to the Casino where we are staying. Of course the limo won hands down and it made a very exciting entry into what is a very bright and exciting place. We didn't venture far from the hotel, as we were already very tired from our trip, and we had gained three hours with the flight across country, so by the time we finished dinner in the Buffet and headed to bed, it was around 11pm, but felt more like 2am. Nothing a few hours of decent sleep won't fix. Everyone is excited, especially the younger members of the party who have not been here before. Tomorrow will be an eye opener for them.
Wednesday, 16 April 2014
How Cold is It?
Predictions of a change in the weather were spot on. After the rain all day Tuesday, overnight the temperature plummeted, and we woke up to a very cold and rather white morning. It had snowed overnight, and the temperature got down to 34 degrees. That is just a touch above freezing. The wind was a bitter easterly, making it seem much colder. The beanies, gloves, scarves, jackets and all things woolley and warm were summoned. After days of wandering around in almost summer gear, we were all rugged up and still shivering.
Breakfast of coffee and bagels at Atlas warmed us up considerably.
The gang then split up - some got the ferry to Staten Island to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty, some went shopping, and others attended to the mundane housekeeping tasks like washing the dirty clothes - actually we walked them around the corner to the Laundry and Dry Cleaners, where a fee of $8 took care of our whole load - washed and folded.
I was contacted today by New York Stays who organised our accommodation. They sent an email to ensure that we were happy with our accommodation. Of course we were not, and after a lengthy telephone conversation, we learned that the guy who owned the apartment we were booked into, and who changed it to the apartment we actually stayed in, had done so without the authorisation or knowledge of the Agency. The Agency immediately refunded the deposit/bond that we paid, and promised to chase the owner to attempt to secure a full refund. They also cancelled his accreditation and took him off their listings. We feel a little better knowing that at least someone is trying to assist us, and we are hopeful that we may get more money refunded.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the Musical Mama Mia which we saw at the Broadhurst Theatre on W 44th Street. It has been running since October 2001. We managed to get tickets on Monday for the Wednesday night show, and we all had a blast. The great thing about it is that everyone knows the music, and the performances of the cast were excellent.
A hair raising cab ride back to the Holiday Inn was followed by an excursion to the local 7-11 which was still open for beer, chocolate and other essential food groups.
Maybe the hectic pace of the past week is starting to catch up with us, as everyone was happy to retire to their rooms.
Tomorrow the group splits - Dennis and Janet return home to Stockton to get ready for Janet's brother's wedding at the weekend, while the rest of the crew heads for the bright lights of Las Vegas.
We have enjoyed Dennis and Janet's company for the trip and we hope that we can do something together again.
Cheers,
Breakfast of coffee and bagels at Atlas warmed us up considerably.
The gang then split up - some got the ferry to Staten Island to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty, some went shopping, and others attended to the mundane housekeeping tasks like washing the dirty clothes - actually we walked them around the corner to the Laundry and Dry Cleaners, where a fee of $8 took care of our whole load - washed and folded.
I was contacted today by New York Stays who organised our accommodation. They sent an email to ensure that we were happy with our accommodation. Of course we were not, and after a lengthy telephone conversation, we learned that the guy who owned the apartment we were booked into, and who changed it to the apartment we actually stayed in, had done so without the authorisation or knowledge of the Agency. The Agency immediately refunded the deposit/bond that we paid, and promised to chase the owner to attempt to secure a full refund. They also cancelled his accreditation and took him off their listings. We feel a little better knowing that at least someone is trying to assist us, and we are hopeful that we may get more money refunded.
Undoubtedly the highlight of the day was the Musical Mama Mia which we saw at the Broadhurst Theatre on W 44th Street. It has been running since October 2001. We managed to get tickets on Monday for the Wednesday night show, and we all had a blast. The great thing about it is that everyone knows the music, and the performances of the cast were excellent.
A hair raising cab ride back to the Holiday Inn was followed by an excursion to the local 7-11 which was still open for beer, chocolate and other essential food groups.
Maybe the hectic pace of the past week is starting to catch up with us, as everyone was happy to retire to their rooms.
Tomorrow the group splits - Dennis and Janet return home to Stockton to get ready for Janet's brother's wedding at the weekend, while the rest of the crew heads for the bright lights of Las Vegas.
We have enjoyed Dennis and Janet's company for the trip and we hope that we can do something together again.
Cheers,
Moving Day
We had to move out of our apartment today.
It was always planned that after day five in New York that we would be moving to new accommodation. Our rental agent Marton had told us that we would need to move from East 37th street to a different apartment on the lower East side. We were initially happy to do so, but after the hell hole he put us into in midtown, Marton does not enjoy our confidence anymore, so we have cut loose from him, leaving him $900 short in payment which we withheld on day 1 pending repairs to our accommodation which never happened. Fortunately, this, along with the balance owing on the second apartment which we also withheld, gave us enough cash to book into a hotel for the last two nights. We did in fact move to the Lower East side into the Holiday Inn on Delancey Street.
We are delighted with the new location. It is in SoHo, very close to Little Italy and Chinatown. The housing is older and really interesting, and the shopping is GREAT. The female members of our party are in Heaven, with the designer shops just a walk away, but even the guys seem to have found a bargain so far, with well priced clothing and shoes.
Lunch in Mott Street in Chinatown was excellent and very cheap.
We then ventured into the financial district of downtown. Wall Street was abuzz and security was everywhere. We managed to get a closeup of the nether regions of the famed Bull of Wall Street, and I think that everyone in the party fondled his rather large cahunas as it is said to bring financial gain.
A short walk away was the Freedom Tower -built to replace the twin towers destroyed on September 11th 2001. The new main tower is a wonder to behold, and when the precinct is finished with all seven new towers, it will be unbelievable. The memorial ponds are quite moving, with the names of all victims engraved and surrounding the ponds. The crowds flocking to see the memorials are enormous, and the security is just as tight as at the airport, with scanners and searches happening to everyone who goes in.
Even though the rain bucketed down for most of the day it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the group, and we all agreed that the move to SoHo has been a real positive, as it has given us a completely different perspective of New York. Parts of the area are certainly seedier than Midtown where we were prviously based, but it has so many interesting places. One of these is the Atlas coffees shop on Clinton Strret just two minutes from the hotel. The coffee is the best we have had in the US, and the bagels and croissants for breakfast are addictive. This place has quickly become or local. The other local we are intending to try is The Donnybrook Pub, almost as close to us, where happy hour goes from 11.30am to 8pm. I hope we have time to do everything.
The rain has signalled the start of what appears to be a cold spell coming, so we may yet get to use the coats, gloves and scarves that we have brought hi us but not used yet.
Tuesday was rounded off by a very pleasant meeting of all parties in the Retro Bar in the hotel, and our barman Edward treated us well. He also had a slight windfall when he was prepared to bet us (Rod) double or nothing on a coin toss for the tip. Needless to say Rod called wrongly, and Edward pocketed a $30 tip. He has, however promised us the chance to get even tomorrow night. My guess that he will win another $30 and be very sad to see us leave on Thursday.
Wednesday the girls are headed for the Staton Island Ferry and then more retail therapy - this time at Macys. The evening will be a visit to The Donnybrook or the 230-5th rooftop bar prior to a trip uptown to see Mama Mia.
Cheers.
It was always planned that after day five in New York that we would be moving to new accommodation. Our rental agent Marton had told us that we would need to move from East 37th street to a different apartment on the lower East side. We were initially happy to do so, but after the hell hole he put us into in midtown, Marton does not enjoy our confidence anymore, so we have cut loose from him, leaving him $900 short in payment which we withheld on day 1 pending repairs to our accommodation which never happened. Fortunately, this, along with the balance owing on the second apartment which we also withheld, gave us enough cash to book into a hotel for the last two nights. We did in fact move to the Lower East side into the Holiday Inn on Delancey Street.
We are delighted with the new location. It is in SoHo, very close to Little Italy and Chinatown. The housing is older and really interesting, and the shopping is GREAT. The female members of our party are in Heaven, with the designer shops just a walk away, but even the guys seem to have found a bargain so far, with well priced clothing and shoes.
Lunch in Mott Street in Chinatown was excellent and very cheap.
We then ventured into the financial district of downtown. Wall Street was abuzz and security was everywhere. We managed to get a closeup of the nether regions of the famed Bull of Wall Street, and I think that everyone in the party fondled his rather large cahunas as it is said to bring financial gain.
A short walk away was the Freedom Tower -built to replace the twin towers destroyed on September 11th 2001. The new main tower is a wonder to behold, and when the precinct is finished with all seven new towers, it will be unbelievable. The memorial ponds are quite moving, with the names of all victims engraved and surrounding the ponds. The crowds flocking to see the memorials are enormous, and the security is just as tight as at the airport, with scanners and searches happening to everyone who goes in.
Even though the rain bucketed down for most of the day it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the group, and we all agreed that the move to SoHo has been a real positive, as it has given us a completely different perspective of New York. Parts of the area are certainly seedier than Midtown where we were prviously based, but it has so many interesting places. One of these is the Atlas coffees shop on Clinton Strret just two minutes from the hotel. The coffee is the best we have had in the US, and the bagels and croissants for breakfast are addictive. This place has quickly become or local. The other local we are intending to try is The Donnybrook Pub, almost as close to us, where happy hour goes from 11.30am to 8pm. I hope we have time to do everything.
The rain has signalled the start of what appears to be a cold spell coming, so we may yet get to use the coats, gloves and scarves that we have brought hi us but not used yet.
Tuesday was rounded off by a very pleasant meeting of all parties in the Retro Bar in the hotel, and our barman Edward treated us well. He also had a slight windfall when he was prepared to bet us (Rod) double or nothing on a coin toss for the tip. Needless to say Rod called wrongly, and Edward pocketed a $30 tip. He has, however promised us the chance to get even tomorrow night. My guess that he will win another $30 and be very sad to see us leave on Thursday.
Wednesday the girls are headed for the Staton Island Ferry and then more retail therapy - this time at Macys. The evening will be a visit to The Donnybrook or the 230-5th rooftop bar prior to a trip uptown to see Mama Mia.
Cheers.
Monday, 14 April 2014
OMG NYC is a Blur
I have no idea where the last two days have gone.
It has been a blur of sight seeing, laughs and great food and wine. Our party is having a ball.
Yesterday morning started with a bang - we had approached a seller of sight seeing bus tours near Grand Central Station, and the competiton is so intense for the tourist dollar, that we actually started a turf war between the sellers. It was hilarious to watch them fighting over our businees, and one even accompained us up the street, showing us the sights and being super helpful. We had already decided to go with him, but kept him on the string and made him earn his commission.
Before we got on the bus, we had to find alternate accommodation, as we have told the guy who organised our current apartment that we will not be taking up the new apartment for two nights on Tuesday and Wednesday. We actually were not quite that polite about it, but that is a long
story I don't have time for at the moment.
Finally managed to get into the Hioliday Inn on the Lower East Side and we are now really looking forward to the change in scenery and a new neighbourhood.
The day on the bus was really informative, and gave us a much better perspective of the city. We were amazed at the difference between Manhattan and Brooklyn in both scenery and mood. A really long day was capped off with a traditional Italian dinner at Rossinis's on East 38th street, where home made lasagne, chiken, veal and seafood dishes were complemented by good wine and Italian beers.
Nine weary campers were ready for a long session of Zeds.
Monday started with breakfast at Grand Central station and a walk to Times Square before another bus ride - this time to Harlem and The Bronx. There is also a great disparity in economic and cultural levels between there and Manhattan, and the deals we saw on the sidewalk left us in no doubt that, despite the guides comments, there has been little change in the crime rates. We were left wondering what life might be like in the high rise community housing areas we saw. None of us could get our heads around it.
We also cant't believe how big it is - it goes on forever !!
A stroll back to the West End Bar and Grill - our old stomping ground from 2011 was great, and we followed that with a great meal at Bryant Park, a few quiet beers and home for Juniors Cheesecake.
I guess this sounds like an eat-athon, but honestly, we have done so much walking, that we are probably (hopefully) losing some weight.
Moving out of our current luxurious digs tomorrow - into individual rooms - we will miss the company of nine people in the unit, but looking forward to somewhere where all the facilities work
and things are a little (lot) cleaner.
All in all, despite out whines and whinges, we have not done too badly in this unit - the beds have been comfortable and we have had enough space. The experience of an authentic New York apartment has been a good one, but not sure we could do it long term.
Tomorrow is another day and another experience in this amazing city.
It has been a blur of sight seeing, laughs and great food and wine. Our party is having a ball.
Yesterday morning started with a bang - we had approached a seller of sight seeing bus tours near Grand Central Station, and the competiton is so intense for the tourist dollar, that we actually started a turf war between the sellers. It was hilarious to watch them fighting over our businees, and one even accompained us up the street, showing us the sights and being super helpful. We had already decided to go with him, but kept him on the string and made him earn his commission.
Before we got on the bus, we had to find alternate accommodation, as we have told the guy who organised our current apartment that we will not be taking up the new apartment for two nights on Tuesday and Wednesday. We actually were not quite that polite about it, but that is a long
story I don't have time for at the moment.
Finally managed to get into the Hioliday Inn on the Lower East Side and we are now really looking forward to the change in scenery and a new neighbourhood.
The day on the bus was really informative, and gave us a much better perspective of the city. We were amazed at the difference between Manhattan and Brooklyn in both scenery and mood. A really long day was capped off with a traditional Italian dinner at Rossinis's on East 38th street, where home made lasagne, chiken, veal and seafood dishes were complemented by good wine and Italian beers.
Nine weary campers were ready for a long session of Zeds.
Monday started with breakfast at Grand Central station and a walk to Times Square before another bus ride - this time to Harlem and The Bronx. There is also a great disparity in economic and cultural levels between there and Manhattan, and the deals we saw on the sidewalk left us in no doubt that, despite the guides comments, there has been little change in the crime rates. We were left wondering what life might be like in the high rise community housing areas we saw. None of us could get our heads around it.
We also cant't believe how big it is - it goes on forever !!
A stroll back to the West End Bar and Grill - our old stomping ground from 2011 was great, and we followed that with a great meal at Bryant Park, a few quiet beers and home for Juniors Cheesecake.
I guess this sounds like an eat-athon, but honestly, we have done so much walking, that we are probably (hopefully) losing some weight.
Moving out of our current luxurious digs tomorrow - into individual rooms - we will miss the company of nine people in the unit, but looking forward to somewhere where all the facilities work
and things are a little (lot) cleaner.
All in all, despite out whines and whinges, we have not done too badly in this unit - the beds have been comfortable and we have had enough space. The experience of an authentic New York apartment has been a good one, but not sure we could do it long term.
Tomorrow is another day and another experience in this amazing city.
Thursday, 10 April 2014
En Route to USA and Day 1 - The Highs and Lows
It has been a long haul, but we have made it.
Brian Roach was rather peeved at Qantas when he realised that the fifty dollars he had paid for his choice of a particular seat had been a total waste of cash. He was nowhere near the requested seat. There were some harsh words exchanged at check-in, and I hear that some threats of defecting to Emirates in future may have sounded through the check in hall, but all to no avail. He was stuck with the allocated seats and that was it.
The flight to LA was reasonably painless, and the layover was just long enought to stretch the legs and visit the little boys or girls room before the next leg to New York.
After 21 hrs flying time, the sight of NYC below us was very welcome.
Onwards to our apartment. Nine of us in a five bedroom apartment in the heart of Manhattan just a short stroll to Times Square, Grand Central Station and all the bars and restaurants anyone could ever wish for. Heaven !!
If only the apartment measured up to the photos and expectations.
We really wanted the authentic New York apartment experience - and we got it, but the filthy rathole that we were shown into on arrival was a bit of a shock. Our "greeter" James was so proud to show us the rooftop terrace and the balcony off the kitchen. He proudly displayed the complementary Berkshire blanket and two bottles of welcome wine. He forgot to show us the filthy state that was the reality of the this apartment. It was not just dirty - it had not been cleaned in months, with dirt and dust everywhere, showers full of the last fifty guests hair, and ..... I have to stop. Its too depressing.
A perusal of the photos we were sent revealed that this was NOT the apartment we were shown. The layout was different, the flooring was not the same, and the kitchen was totally different.
For a fleeting moment I did feel a little sorry for poor James who greeted us - he copped a decent serve - but after some heavy words and further exchanges of pleasantries, my sorrow for him evaporated, and a determination to withhold a healthy percentage of the balance owing on the accommodation replaced it.
James has now run off to Marton who apparently owns the accommodation company. He left us with a promise of a cleaner attending first thing in the morning, as well as a technician to make the TV work. Time will tell. Even dodgy Dennis laughed at the standard of workmanship.
After the disappointment of the accommodation, we headed off to Rare Bar and Grill just across the road at the corner of 3rd Ave and 37th Street. The food was GREAT, and the beer cold. We did claim our first victory of the tour when the waiter sadly infromed us that we had drunk the bar out of Coronas, so we powered on to various other brews, including some locals which were well received.
Brian Wilson was so impressed to be able to count the bedsprings in the mattess in his room, and we are waiting for reports of what other couples (or singles) got up to for the remainder of the night. The walls are so thin we will no doubt know well before anyone surfaces.
As for the rest of us, we are totalled, and its now well over 30 hours since we went to bed. We need some zeds.
Catch you tomorrow when we are expecting to hear from Marton and continue our negotiations on whether he gets the remainder of his accommodation fee or not. If I was Marton, I woudn't go spending it before he gets it.
Brian Roach was rather peeved at Qantas when he realised that the fifty dollars he had paid for his choice of a particular seat had been a total waste of cash. He was nowhere near the requested seat. There were some harsh words exchanged at check-in, and I hear that some threats of defecting to Emirates in future may have sounded through the check in hall, but all to no avail. He was stuck with the allocated seats and that was it.
The flight to LA was reasonably painless, and the layover was just long enought to stretch the legs and visit the little boys or girls room before the next leg to New York.
After 21 hrs flying time, the sight of NYC below us was very welcome.
Onwards to our apartment. Nine of us in a five bedroom apartment in the heart of Manhattan just a short stroll to Times Square, Grand Central Station and all the bars and restaurants anyone could ever wish for. Heaven !!
If only the apartment measured up to the photos and expectations.
We really wanted the authentic New York apartment experience - and we got it, but the filthy rathole that we were shown into on arrival was a bit of a shock. Our "greeter" James was so proud to show us the rooftop terrace and the balcony off the kitchen. He proudly displayed the complementary Berkshire blanket and two bottles of welcome wine. He forgot to show us the filthy state that was the reality of the this apartment. It was not just dirty - it had not been cleaned in months, with dirt and dust everywhere, showers full of the last fifty guests hair, and ..... I have to stop. Its too depressing.
A perusal of the photos we were sent revealed that this was NOT the apartment we were shown. The layout was different, the flooring was not the same, and the kitchen was totally different.
For a fleeting moment I did feel a little sorry for poor James who greeted us - he copped a decent serve - but after some heavy words and further exchanges of pleasantries, my sorrow for him evaporated, and a determination to withhold a healthy percentage of the balance owing on the accommodation replaced it.
James has now run off to Marton who apparently owns the accommodation company. He left us with a promise of a cleaner attending first thing in the morning, as well as a technician to make the TV work. Time will tell. Even dodgy Dennis laughed at the standard of workmanship.
After the disappointment of the accommodation, we headed off to Rare Bar and Grill just across the road at the corner of 3rd Ave and 37th Street. The food was GREAT, and the beer cold. We did claim our first victory of the tour when the waiter sadly infromed us that we had drunk the bar out of Coronas, so we powered on to various other brews, including some locals which were well received.
Brian Wilson was so impressed to be able to count the bedsprings in the mattess in his room, and we are waiting for reports of what other couples (or singles) got up to for the remainder of the night. The walls are so thin we will no doubt know well before anyone surfaces.
As for the rest of us, we are totalled, and its now well over 30 hours since we went to bed. We need some zeds.
Catch you tomorrow when we are expecting to hear from Marton and continue our negotiations on whether he gets the remainder of his accommodation fee or not. If I was Marton, I woudn't go spending it before he gets it.
Tuesday, 8 April 2014
Night Before Blastoff
Can someone please explain to me why it is that we must work our bums off getting the house spic and span and tidy so we can go away and leave it? Our house has been preened and cleaned and tidied and scrubbed within an inch of its life - just so a couple of freeloaders can sqat here for five weeks while looking after the cat, the business and the house. In fact it looks so clean and tidy that it almost makes me want to stay - until I think about the adventure we are about to embark upon.
I dare say there won't be much sleep tonight - I will probably do my usual trick and stay awake so if the alarm doesn't go off I will be awake anyway, and will be up in plenty of time to catch the plane. Makes sense to me !!
See you all "on the other side".
I dare say there won't be much sleep tonight - I will probably do my usual trick and stay awake so if the alarm doesn't go off I will be awake anyway, and will be up in plenty of time to catch the plane. Makes sense to me !!
See you all "on the other side".
Monday, 7 April 2014
Aussies Off Again - Adventure Part 2
Its On Again.
The Pynes and the Roaches are about to head back to the USA to take up where we left off in 2011.
Leaving Oz on April 10, and headed for New York , then a side trip to Las Vegas and then motor-homing again for three weeks via Phoenix, across Arizona to Texas, then onto New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and Dallas before flying back to LA for a few days R & R before heading home on May 17.
This time we will be accompanied on the New York and Vegas legs by two of the Roaches offspring,
Lauren and Natalie, plus Nat's husband Brian. Their friends Janet and Denis make up our party of nine in NYC.
The trip got off to a shaky start when we received news from our booking agent in New York just five days out from launch that our much anticipated 5 bedroom townhouse on Lexington Avenue had fallen through. However, he has come up with a great alternative - another five bedder - this time closer to Times Square and much bigger than before, on East 37th Street. We know we will have to move again after five days, but hey, thats all part of the fun, and we will take it in our stride.
We will visit some of the things we did before in NYC, but also intend to see lots of new things, and hit some of the night spots with the young ones.
Follow us as we count down to Thursday morning and then check in regularly as we update our blog.
Cheers, R, H, M & B.
The Pynes and the Roaches are about to head back to the USA to take up where we left off in 2011.
Leaving Oz on April 10, and headed for New York , then a side trip to Las Vegas and then motor-homing again for three weeks via Phoenix, across Arizona to Texas, then onto New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and Dallas before flying back to LA for a few days R & R before heading home on May 17.
This time we will be accompanied on the New York and Vegas legs by two of the Roaches offspring,
Lauren and Natalie, plus Nat's husband Brian. Their friends Janet and Denis make up our party of nine in NYC.
The trip got off to a shaky start when we received news from our booking agent in New York just five days out from launch that our much anticipated 5 bedroom townhouse on Lexington Avenue had fallen through. However, he has come up with a great alternative - another five bedder - this time closer to Times Square and much bigger than before, on East 37th Street. We know we will have to move again after five days, but hey, thats all part of the fun, and we will take it in our stride.
We will visit some of the things we did before in NYC, but also intend to see lots of new things, and hit some of the night spots with the young ones.
Follow us as we count down to Thursday morning and then check in regularly as we update our blog.
Cheers, R, H, M & B.
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