USA Honeymoon

Well USA is crap for net access.

Here we are in San Fran and have our first proper access at long last

I will try to put up some highlights of the trip and will fill in later - with pics

Well here we are in San Francisco staying at the lovely Hotel Rex with the free fast net access.



Getting here was a little busy on the roads but we are fine and have now dropped off the car and are on shanks pony. We are going off to discover San Francisco a little later on.

We have had such a good time in the USA - but we miss real bread, milk and butter. They WHIP the butter yuk!!!!

Highlights so far....

Las Vegas was mind boggling we stayed at what was the largest hotel in the world the MGM Grand - that was as big as mossley alone - if not bigger and if you think the strip is 6 miles long lined with hotels all a similar size. We went to see Cirque Du Soliel and a Comedy Show ate at buffets etc. Drank a lot of $1 frozen Margueritas.

Our trip to the Grand Canyon was amazing it is so huge and beautiful. We stayed at a cowboy ranch in a tipi and the cowboys cooked us steak and sang round the campfire. Our tipi was nearly gored in the night by the big bull that got out and ran amok - we thought it was high winds until it nearly chased me to the loo in the morning.

The drive to Primm across the desert was an eye opener - it was NOT isolated or what you would consider desert there was a gas station every half mile! Primm wasnt very nice but we only stayed there one night. We went to the mall ate a huge pizza and that was about it.

Paso Robles was lovely - very small and very green. We went to a farmers market. Ate at a 50's diner. Had some GREAT steak. Swam in the outdoor pool and we had a (very smelly) spa bath on our balcony which we used once - pooh rotten eggs.

On the way to Highway one we went to Randolph Hearsts Manison - Hearst Castle. I think he was a newspaper tycoon and a billionaire. Very beautiful with marvoulous views - we really enjoyed the tour. Next stop was Big Sur in a cabin in the redwoods - lovely and quiet. However also VERY cold and foggy. BIg Sur is very rugged and beautiful.

Monterey was next my favorite place. Huge room with a sea view and there was a festival on blessing the boats so all the sicilians were out in force. Andrew discovered that one bowl of clam chowder is more than enough for a lifetime. We went to the aqaurium but also saw otters, seals and a poipoise actually in the habour.

Santa Cruz - shut. We stayed outside in Felton. Went for a drive to find Loch Lomand (they have one too) after 2 hours driving up a hill and hairpin bends we gave up. We never found the Loch but stopped to have a picnic and were instantly attacked by wasps who wanted our picnic. So made a dash for the car.

This morning we set off at 5.30am for San Francisco and here we are.

Carol (Andrew is having a snooze upstairs)