Sick Of It All & 28 Days @ Cockpit

On the 12th of this month Evan, Andy, Randal and I went to The Cockpit in Leeds to see Sick Of It All. A good night of punk. The support band was the Australian band 28 Days, a good support act, whom the crowd was into.

I wish the opportunity to see bands in Leeds came more often, but working nights in the pub is the main hindrance. That, and I am still trying to save money.

The Crap Facts

This is my 188th concert.
The Cockpit is the 50th venue I've seen a concert.

This is my 2nd concert in Leeds.

This is my 2nd concert in West Yorkshire.

This is my 2nd concert in England.

This is my 2nd 28 Days concert.
Sick Of It All are the 245th band I've seen.

Leeds United vs Arsenal @ Elland Road

Sunday was the day I had been waiting for all my life. Andy, Evan, Amy and I made our way out to Elland Road to see Leeds play Arsenal. Wow! What a day! We so easily got caught up in the emotion of the fans, the singing and chanting and devotion to their team. And then there was the football. A rough game, but with plenty of skill as well. Leeds went on to win 1-0 and the fans left happy. Not even pouring rain, darkness, and the cold could dampen our spirits on the walk home.

Leeds 1 (Olivier Dacourt55) defeated Arsenal 0

Leeds

Paul Robinson, Gary Kelly, Lucas Radebe, Jonathan Woodgate, Ian Kelly, Erik Bakke, Olivier Dacourt, Lee Bowyer, Jason Wilcox, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith

Arsenal

Alex Manninger, Sylvinho, Tony Adams, Martin Keown, Oleg Luzhny, Patrick Viera, Lauren (Kanu 74), Robert Pires, Ray Parlour, Sylvain Wiltord, Thierry Henry

Crowd: 38,084

Massive, Beefcake & Me @ Elland Road

Reef @ Leeds Uni

On Thursday, Amy and I went out to Leeds University, just behind the pub, to see Reef. It’s the fourth time I’ve seen them and, once again they put on a great show and the crowd reacted accordingly.

The Crap Facts

This is my 187th concert.
Leeds Uni is the 49th venue I've seen a concert in.

Leeds is the 36th city I've seen a concert in.

West Yorkshire is the 6th state I've seen a concert in.
England is the 5th country I've seen a concert in.

This is my 4th Reef concert.
Reef are the 1st band I've seen in 3 states.

Drogheda, Ireland to Leeds, UK

Sunday’s weather was cold and wet. We went to a place known as the Hill of Tara where St Patrick played a significant role (I think) in an Irish war. I officially declare this place to be the coldest in the world. The freezing winds and driving rain went through your clothes as if they weren’t there. 

I couldn’t have been happier to get in the van and head to our next stop, the town of Trim. The plan here was to see a castle, but upon arrival we found the site closed, so off we went in search of lunch. We found a pub where the locals took a shining to this group of 20 odd and made our short stay so very pleasant. 

This is where our weekend ended. We went from here to the airport and all went our separate ways. I flew back in the pouring rain to Leeds, while Amy stayed with Kern, Reggae and Marie in Dun Laoghrie as she is meeting her father the following day to travel through Northern Ireland.

St Patrick, Hill Of Tara, Ireland

Drogheda, Ireland

On the Saturday we started off by going to Monasterboice High Cross. This is a ruined abbey in the middle of nowhere. I’m unsure of the significance but what remained was picturesque and quiet moving. Newgrange was next. This is a burial site northwest of Drogheda. Unfortunately there we too many people in our group (apparently bookings are required) so only some of the group saw it, while the rest of us went to a nearby pub and had lunch. We went back to Drogheda and did our own things for the late afternoon. Dinner was had at the Westcourt Hotel, a rather swank place where the food was great. Afterwards it was off to another pub, again to continue the celebrations.

Ruins of Monasterboice, Ireland

Cross of Monasterboice, Ireland

Leeds, UK to Drogheda, Ireland

Amy came back from Spain in time for the 2 of us to fly over to Ireland on the 3rd, to have a weekend with friends and celebrate Reggae’s 29th birthday. We were met at the airport by Creany and caught the bus into town from here. After a drink at the pub and a wander around town we were met by the others in the 3 minivans to head on up to Drogheda where we were to be based for the next 2 nights. 

We arrived in Drogheda and checked into the Green Door Hostel and immediately went to a restaurant for dinner. We ate Italian at Sorrento’s before moving on to Weaver’s Pub. It was here that others caught up with us and a good night was had by all. In the early hours some kicked on to a nightclub, but Amy and I headed home instead.

October

For my first weekend off in October (a Monday and Tuesday) Amy and I head down to Liverpool to take a look around. We get to see the Beatles Museum and the Tate Art Gallery both by the Mersey River. It is bitterly cold here and both off us are suffering from the flu. Amy leaves from Liverpool Airport to head to Spain for 3 - 4 weeks, while I went back to work.

I did manage to get to London for a night – mainly to pick up stuff I’d left at the Barnes’. That bus ride is a long one. I will take the train at every opportunity from now on. I did catch up with Saffa, Benno Jr, Andy White and Bert while down here. Had a great night out at Maxwell’s and Belushi’s.

September

Arrived in London on the 2nd and was fortunate enough to stay at Bert’s place. Not sure what I am going to do for work, as I need to get this hernia operation sorted out first. After seeing a doctor as soon as possible, he sorted me out with a referral to the British Hernia Center.

Had an interview for a job at the Walkabout Inn at Reading on the 6th. I was told that they were mainly looking for women but that Leeds were also looking for staff. I had an interview two days later with Jon Crook who offered me a job the next day. My start date is to be the 27th.

Some time after that I moved down to Barnesy’s at Kingston. They have a bigger place and wanted someone to house sit while they went to Spain for two weeks. I was more than happy to oblige. My only trip into the center of town was to spend a day wandering and to go to the Dali Museum. A great exhibition from my favorite artist. I’m pretty sure that some of the works were the part of a traveling exhibition in Florence I saw in 1998. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing his works of art. Pure genius! Afterwards I walked up to the National Portrait Gallery near Trafalgar Square. The gallery was displaying an exhibition of Australian photographers / personalities. A little bit of home in London.

Buckingham Palace, London

Houses Of Parliament, London

Dali Museum, London

Dali Musem & London Eye, London

On the 22nd I made my way up to Hendon to the British Hernia Center to have my problem resolved. The surgery took a couple of hours. I was under a local anesthetic and don’t remember any of the operation. The taxi back to Kingston was a bit blurry as well. The following two days saw me in pain and I was having trouble walking.

I delayed my trip to Leeds for two days to recover. I managed to catch a train to Leeds on the following Tuesday to start working the next day. I get to share a room with Pete and Fraser. The work is not too bad, but it will take a bit of get used to being on my feet for long periods of time. The aftermath / recovery from my operation is coming on nicely.

On the 29th Amy arrived from the USA. It is so good to see her again – can’t believe it has been seven weeks. She will stay in Leeds for a week before heading off for a trip to Spain.

New York, NY to London, England

As money is really low, I got up this morning and decided to catch the subway straight out to JFK.  I had ages to kill at the airport before my flight onto London and my next adventure was to begin – a 2 year visa to live and work in the UK.  At the airport I spent time reflecting on a great last 5 months, and looking forward to the future and hopefully more travels in Europe.

New York, NY

I was up early to make my way down to the Statue of Liberty Ferry, though not as early as I’d like as only the first ferry of the day gets to climb the statue to the crown.  Unfortunately that was not me.  I walked the whole island and climbed to her feet.  I took a heap of photos of her and the Manhattan skyline. 

Statue Of Liberty, New York

I took the ferry back to Manhattan, then a subway to the Natural History Museum and the Rose Science Center (again part of that City Pass).  These museums did not hold much interest for me and I got through them relatively quickly. 

Manhattan Skyline, New York

Afterwards I wandered aimlessly around the 70th – 79th Street areas.  Just looking around and taking in some of the local buildings. 

I went to the hostel, where I met up with Paul (a Dutch guy staying in the room).  We caught the subway to the World Trade Center (the tallest buildings in New York).  We went to the observation deck for an awesome night time view of the city before making the mistake of going on to the roof, where I almost shat myself.  My fear of heights is well known, but this is the worst it had ever been.  You ride up and escalator onto the roof and the only way to get back down is to walk along a perimeter (which seemed miles to me) to an escalator down.  I’m glad to say I’ve done it, but I would never do it again.  I was more than happy to be back on the ground.  With adrenaline overflowing, it was back to the hostel after this for my last night in the USA.

Times Square, New York

New York, NY

This morning I took a quick bus ride over to the Guggenheim Museum.  This is a beautifully designed museum that is spiral shaped.  Inside the museum the spiral walkway allows you to see everything from top to bottom.  My favorite parts are the models of the sister museums, The Bilbao Guggenheim and the plan for the new museum in New York, on the lower eastern riverfront. 

Guggenheim Museum, New York

From there I caught the subway down to the World Trade Center to try and get half price tickets to a show – any show, I’m in New York – but they only have tickets for the following day, and I am trying to go sometime today.  So I walked back to Times Square to the TKTS booth where the line for tickets was huge.  I took the option of walking to different theaters to see what I could do there.  There was a ton of shows I wanted to see eg Saturday Night Fever, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Cats etc, but I settled on Swing at The Theater – a $20 ticket in the last row for the matinee.  I ducked into McDonalds in Times Square for a quick lunch before getting back to the show.  As a single, because the theater wasn’t full, I got upgraded to an $80 seat (Woo Hoo!).  The show was awesome!  There was no real story, but a live band (on stage, not in an orchestra pit) and dancers bringing great swing music to life.  Not one of the bigger Broadway shows, but I’m very glad I chose it. 

After the show I was back on the subway to Lower Manhattan to view the Statue of Liberty from a distance.  It was too late to catch the ferry over, yet I was right next to the Staten Island Ferry, but not realizing it was free and would’ve given me a closer view, I did not get on it.  I will be back tomorrow to get a closer look.  I was on the verge of another migraine and my hernia was giving me some grief so I headed back to the hostel at 6pm and stayed in for the night.

New York, NY

I started off the day getting off the subway at Central Park West to see Strawberry Fields – the small tribute to John Lennon.  It is in the park, near to the building where he lived and was murdered. 

From there it was back on the subway to the Museum of Modern Art.  I am there for one thing only – to see Dali’s “Persistence of Memory’, but that floor is closed for renovations.  It’s Europe all over again!  I found a City Pass at MOMA which gets me into 6 attractions around town for half price, so I picked one up to use over the next couple of days.  From MOMA I walked over to Radio City Hall and to the outside of the Chrysler Building. 

From there I walked across town to the Hudson River to the USS Intrepid.  This is a retired navy aircraft carrier which is docked on the river and now serves as the Sea, Air & Space Museum.  I loved it!  There was heaps of information on the carrier itself but it was the space missions that caught my eye.  It was sad reading about the Challenger disaster from many years ago.  Also on the ship was the Iwo Jima statue of the 6 Americans hoisting the flag after the Battle of Iwo Jima.  Next to the Intrepid is another retired naval ship and a submarine, the USS Growler, which I took a guided tour of.  The submarine was way too small for my liking.  It made me feel very claustrophobic.  Having said that I am 6 inches taller that the limit to be a crewman.  I could think of nothing worse than being stuck under water in this tin can. 

USS Intrepid, New York

After the Intrepid I headed back across town to the United Nations Building.  Unfortunately it was closed in preparation for a meeting next week.  So instead I walked up to the Empire State Building (the 3rd attraction on my City Pass) and took the lift to the observation deck on top.  The view of Manhattan, both north and south, was marvelous.  Could also see right down the Hudson as well as over to New Jersey.  I had wanted to stay up there for sunset, but cloud cover killed that idea.  I took a ton of photos before heading back down.  I walked over to Times Square for a slice of pizza before heading back on the subway to the hostel at about 8.30pm.

View of Southern Manhattan from The Empire State Building, New York

Washington, DC to New York, NY

We get up and catch a cab to Union station.  Here I am on the Greyhound to New York and Amy is on Amtrak back to Charlotte.  Saying goodbye (again) is tough, but it is made slightly easier by the fact that she will be coming to England sometime within the next 6 – 8 weeks.  

The bus is an uneventful 3½ hour drive, most of which I was asleep.  I arrived at the terminal in New York right near Times Square and then spent most of the afternoon looking for a place to stay.  Three hostels, Big Apple, Banana Bungalow & the YHA were either full or closed.  Eventually I found a bed at Central Park North, on 109th Street, just outside Harlem.  I do a quick walk to the Tourist Info before heading back to the hostel.  I stayed in for the evening as money is getting fairly low.

Fairfax, VA to Washington, DC

We waited at Chase & John’s to return their keys and thank them for their hospitality.  Chase drives us to the Metro where we catch the train into DC again.  We plan on staying in a hostel, but it’s full, so we ended up at the nearby Braxton Hotel, 5 blocks away.  It seems a little dodgy, but it will do for the night. 

We stopped for lunch at Trio’s (mmm….pizza) on our way walking back into the monument area.  Unfortunately we got caught in a thunderstorm, so turned back to the hotel.  Fortunately we made it back as the skies opened up.  We had dinner at a local Thai restaurant just near the hotel.  We head back after dinner and just hang out, as it is our last night together until Amy comes to England in a couple of months.

Me in Washington DC

Fairfax, VA

I woke up this morning with a disgusting migraine, so spent most of the day in bed.  John & Chase are off to a friend’s wedding and have kindly let us stay at their place – and use their car.  The first time we left the house was to go to dinner at Chevy’s.  This is in the same area as the restaurants from the previous 2 nights.  The Mexican food was good, but I’m pissed that I have wasted a whole day in DC because of a migraine. 

Fairfax, VA

Chase, Amy and I caught the Metro into downtown DC this morning.  We started off our day at the mall, which is a long grass lawn between Capitol Hill and the Lincoln Monument.  We made our first stop at the National Art Gallery, where the main exhibition was of scale models of famous European buildings, including many Russian ones I’d seen 2 years ago.  The main reason we’re here is to see Salvador Dali’s “The Last Supper”.  This is another amazing Dali masterwork and different take on the standard view of Christ and his disciples the night before He died.  

Chase & Amy @ Capitol Hill, Washington, DC

Lunch was at Union Station before we headed over to Capitol Hill.  We walked around the building, but did not make an attempt to go inside. 

Back down the Mall we walked to the phallic Washington Monument.  On the next half mile walk to the White House, we saw the presidential helicopter fly overhead.  

The White House, Washington, DC

Me @ Washington Monument, Washington, DC

Some pictures outside the White House before we get back on the metro back to Chase’s.  John joined the 3 of us for dinner at Greavy’s, one of John’s favorite sports bars.  We spent the evening in there watching some college football.

Charlotte, NC to Fairfax, VA

Chase picked us up this morning as we are going to spend a couple of nights with her and her husband, John, in Fairfax, Virginia, just outside DC.  Our only stop on the trip was for gas and a quick bite at Wendy’s.  We arrived at the Chase & John's not long after the afternoon traffic at 5pm.  The four of us went to dinner at a nearby restaurant, Sweetwater.  Once again the food is superb as we enjoy a few beers before eating out on a patio.

Charlotte, NC

Today started at the post office where I sent some stuff back home and other on to Barnesy in England.  We then drove out to Clover, South Carolina, to Amy’s grandmother’s farm.  Oni lives on a 200 acre farm, which Don works and her Uncle Joe lives and runs his surveying business.  We spent the afternoon with Oni and walked the farm and headed over to the cabin, which was the original homestead over 200 years ago, that Joe is restoring. 

Back at Mrs. Lau’s we were well fed on our last night in North Carolina.

Charlotte, NC

We spent most of the morning just getting our stuff together and tidying.  Early in the afternoon we drove out to the Charlotte Country Club, where Don and Nancy are members, and spent the afternoon lazing by the pool.  While there we met up with Peter, an old high school friend of Amy’s, who is the tennis pro at the club.  

Amy and I joined Don & Nancy for dinner at Manzette’s, an Italian Grill.  Once again a restaurant in the USA impresses.  After dinner we went to Chase’s moms to hang out for the evening.

Charlotte, NC

Sleeping was heaven.  And it wasn’t until about 11am that we got up and a lazy day was instilled.  A drove me around Charlotte for a couple of hours, delighted to both show me her town and reminisce over the places of her youth.  During our travels we picked up food for dinner.  Chase joined us for dinner with Mrs. Lau and Larry, and a plan was hatched to meet Chase’s family in Washington DC.

Charlotte, NC

We walked to the pharmacy early this morning to drop off some photos to be developed.  Amy’s best friend, Chase, came around to hang out for the afternoon.  Living on opposite coasts they don’t to see much of each other.  Later we picked up our photos on the way to Amy’s Dad’s, where we spent the late afternoon visiting and reliving the trip.  Time slipped away quickly and we ended up staying there for dinner that evening.  When we got back to Queens Road West, Amy’s stepdad, Larry, had returned from seeing his family in Pennsylvania.  Again we got to relive our trip through stories and photos.

Greenville, SC to Charlotte, NC

The day started off with Jackie making waffles for breakfast.  After breakfast we drove out to Caesar’s Head to do a four and a half mile hike through the South Carolina mountains.  We walked down to get a view of a waterfall before turning back. 

Back at the Bairds, Drew fired up the barbeque, after a quick nanna nap, and cooked up a storm for dinner. 

Amy, Jackie, Mason, Drew & I, Caesar’s Head, South Carolina

It wasn’t until after dinner that we packed up the car and drove up to Charlotte.  We arrived at Amy’s Mum’s place and settled in briefly.  I had the feeling that I was driving into the Gone with the Wind set when we arrived at Amy’s childhood home.  After spending some time with Mrs. Lau, Amy took me out to her local, Sundries, where we met up with her friends Kelly, Shelly, Elizabeth & Melissa, and drank until 2am.

Atlanta, GA to Greenville, SC

We left Atlanta early in the morning for Greenville, South Carolina where we are staying with Drew (Amy’s brother), Jackie & Mason. It is a quick 2 hour drive up the freeway and it’s not long before Jackie is taking us to a supermarket to pick up food for lunch. When Drew came home from work, we dropped Mason at Jackie’s parents and headed out to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. Food was great. For some reason I have never eaten a lot of sushi, but the sushi, sashimi and Japanese beer was fantastic. After dinner we went down town to a pub for a drink. We were home relatively early but spent nearly all night talking.

Jackie, Mason, Drew, Amy & I, Greenville, South Carolina

Atlanta, GA

Staying in a real house, we took the opportunity for a bit of a sleep in this morning. It was nice to sleep in a real bed in a real house. We are staying at Natalie’s place even though she is currently in LA for work.

We started the day with lunch at a pub in Little Five Points before we drove out to Buckhead, a suburb of Atlanta. This is where Amy was born and lived the first few years before moving to Charlotte.

We went downtown to the Coca Cola Museum, suffering the traffic that is apparently synonymous with Atlanta (I couldn’t take that every day). Coke was invented here in Atlanta, and the museum backdates the history of the drink (and the conglomerate it founded) before detailing the advertising that makes it so popular. At the end of the museum the opportunity is there to try different Coke products from all over the world, which, of course, I did.

Coca Cola Museum, Atlanta, Georgia

On the way back to Natalie’s we stopped at a supermarket to purchase food for a home cooked meal. Once we were back at the house, we were in for the night.

Memphis, TN to Atlanta, GA

This morning we drove out to the Brooks Museum to see a Linda McCartney exhibit. As you’d expect, there were heaps of Beatles photos, as well as the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead and many others. I’m glad our museum choices are better than out movie choices. We drove downtown and went to Huey’s for lunch. Huey’s has a reputation for having the best burgers in town, and they did not let us down. 

From lunch we went to the Lorraine Motel, site of the assignation for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The motel is now a civil rights museum showing the injustices of slavery, racism and apartheid. This was a really interesting and moving exhibit, which ends in the actual room where King was staying when he was murdered. Highly emotional to say the least! 

Amy, Lorraine Motel, Memphis, Tennessee

After the museum we bid farewell to Memphis and headed off on our long unadventurous journey to Atlanta. We arrived just after midnight and settled in to Amy’s friend, Natalie’s, house.

Memphis, TN

I’m going to Graceland

Graceland, Memphis Tennessee – Paul Simon

I can’t believe we are at the home of the King – Elvis Presley. We bought the complete package to tour the facility, starting inside Graceland (the home) itself. We were given an audio tour through the building – from the basement TV room to the shag carpet room (floor to ceiling shag pile carpet), to the office where he gave his press conference after returning from the Army, to the squash court in the 8 acres of land. In the house was a room and hallway known as the Hall of Fame. This area holds literally thousands of gold and platinum albums accumulated from all over the world. Last of all was his grave (beside his mother, father and grandmother). These are covered in flowers as tomorrow is the 23rd anniversary of his untimely death. Across the road from the house are the museums. The car museum contained the famous Pink Cadillac and where we saw a film about his career. Also parked in the area was the Lisa Marie and Hound Dog, Elvis’ personal airplanes with his signature TCB insignia on the tails.

Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

Elvis’ Grave, Graceland, Memphis, Tennessee

We ended up in a little café, Elliot’s, downtown for a belated lunch. After which we drove over to the Smithsonian Rock n’ Soul Museum, which traced the history of rock n’ roll. From its roots in New Orleans to the scene in the early 1950’s in Memphis (i.e,. BB King, Elvis, Chuck Berry etc). 

We went back to the hotel for a swim before a great trip to KFC for dinner. I went solo and had to get past Graceland to get to the restaurant. Unfortunately there was a road closure because of the evening’s candlelight vigil for Elvis. I spoke to a police office, and really threw on the accent, and after a couple minutes chat, he waved me through (while no one was watching). I thanked him and told him it what Elvis would’ve wanted. 

It had been a long day and Amy and I decided not to go to the vigil as we have another big day ahead of us. In hindsight, this is a decision that I regret as I will probably never have a chance to do something like that again.

New Orleans, LA to Memphis, TN

Breakfast was at Betsy’s Pancakes before getting on the road to Memphis. This was the most boring 6 hour drive of the trip so far. We stopped just inside the Tennessee border at a Tourist Info kiosk to find a place to stay. We decided on the Graceland Inn, but it was a lot more expensive when we got there that what was advertised. 

The Americana Inn across the street was a lot cheaper so we took it. Our time in Memphis started with a relaxing swim in the hotel pool. 

After a home cooked dinner we headed into Beale Street and wandered around. It is Elvis week in Memphis (Wednesday is the anniversary of his death) so the city is packed to the hilt with Elvis fans and impersonators. Needless to say, the place is jumping. Love this town already. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at some shops across the road from Graceland, where many bands were playing in the car park. We stayed and watched a few bands before heading back to the hotel.

New Orleans, LA

We left the YHA for India House, an independent youth hostel, just north of downtown.

The morning was spent driving out of town a little ways to find the New Orleans Museum of Art in the Botanic Gardens. We found a food place, Wholesale Foods, to stop for lunch on the way. We went into NOMA, where there was a display from Faberge – a company most famous for their designed eggs, popular during the time of the Russian Tsars. Faberge also made jewelry boxes, cigar holders and other jeweled items. The other main exhibit there was of photographer, Gordon Parks. Parks was the first African American photographer for Time magazine, who started his career by exposing poverty stricken areas of Central & South America. My favorite picture was one of Mohammad Ali, who was covered with sweat after a training session. The photo seemed to capture both the arrogance and humor of the man.

We headed back to the hostel for a siesta and then headed out to Popeye’s for dinner. We hung out at the hostel doing laundry and diaries during the night, and going through the photos so far.

New Orleans, LA

It is too hot today (at least 40 degrees with 90% humidity). We caught the tram into the center of town again this morning. We walked down Canal Street to the Mississippi River. We then sought shelter in some shaded markets before heading into the French Quarter. There is beautiful architecture all through this area – reminiscent of what I have seen previously in France.

Lunch, and shelter from the heat, was done at a café called Angels.

We kept wandering after lunch, back into Bourbon Street and the surrounding shopping area before getting back on the tram back to the hostel for a siesta and air-conditioning (mmmmm!)

We went out for dinner at Samuel’s, a pub 3 blocks from the hostel. We stayed on for a few drinks afterwards and watched a boxing match on the big screen.

Austin, TX to New Orleans, LA

Just up and out this morning as we continue our journey towards New Orleans. Our only stop was at a roadside Stuckey’s for lunch, once again in the middle of nowhere. We arrived in New Orleans at 5pm and tried to find the YMCA to stay at, only to find it was no longer there. Instead we checked into the YHA in the Garden District. We picked up some food at a corner store to cook later for dinner. We caught the tram up to Bourbon Street, where we walked up and down. First stop was the Steak Pit (for a Big-Ass Beer), then to a club called Maison Rouge, where we watched a great jazz & blues band. We went to a couple more bars and wandered through some shops before heading back to the hostel at 2am, where we did some drunk dialing to Robbie & Linda.

Me, Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Louisiana

Austin, TX

We went to Mojo’s Coffee House for a cuppa after breakfast doughnuts at the hotel.  We also spent a few minutes at the Austin library checking the internet.  We ended up in an all-you-can-eat pizza place for lunch.  

The afternoon was spent wandering around the shops in the area and heading over to a shopping center near the hostel to go to the movies.  We saw Hollow Man.  Man, what crap!  Our movie choices seem to be getting worse and worse.  

After the movies we went to a nearby park and hung out by the river, just killing time and relaxing.  We were waiting for a friend of Amy’s, Andrew, from university who was coming into town.  We had Wendy’s for dinner and headed over to the Sheraton where they were checking in that evening.  After waiting for a couple of hours we finally get it out of him that he is not arriving until 11pm.  So we continue our journey east.  We are headed to New Orleans and drive until we can no longer stay awake.  We find a hotel at a freeway exit, God knows where, and crash for the night.

Austin, TX

Today is not a good day.  I feel as seedy as hell!  And I am actually not able to function properly at all.  When we were kicked out of the hostel we stopped at an IHOP for a pancake breakfast.  Yeah, that didn’t stay with me long.  There was no way we could travel today, so we booked into a Super 8 and I wallowed the hangover away in bed.  Amy patiently beside me – not knowing there was a pool right outside our room.  We left the room at about 7pm and headed to Stubb’s BBQ for dinner.  This was the best thing that happened to me all day.  Food here was fantastic and I wished we’d been here to see a concert out the back.  After dinner we walked around downtown and near the University of Texas for a look around.  We also got in our daily ice cream.

Midland, TX to Austin, TX

We started a little later with a Chick-Fil-A brunch before hitting the road to Austin. 

We arrived there not long after 6pm and checked in to the youth hostel just outside of downtown.  We went into 6th Street, Austin’s downtown area to check it out.  We stumbled across a bar that was selling $1 Coronas, we stuck around to take advantage of such Southern hospitality and only left we they kicked us off the bar stools as the place started up as a nightclub.  This was at about 10pm, and once outside we grabbed a slice of pizza before we would head back to the hostel.  As it turned out, right next door was a bar doing 2 for 1 cocktails.  How could we say no?  Another few drinks and we knew it was time to leave when our waitress was so drunk she fell off the bar.  That was about 3am.  We stumbled home absolutely slaughtered.

Tucson, AZ to Midland, TX

We left early for the 600 plus mile drive to Midland Texas to see Amy’s step sister, Jenny, and her family, husband David and son Ian.  Amy drove and I slept most of the way (including all of New Mexico).  We stopped at a diner, Angie’s just outside El Paso, Texas for lunch.  We were the only ones in the place and we got ourselves a huge, great Mexican feast.  

We arrived in Midland at around 8pm.  Jenny took us to David’s restaurant, Wild Scallions, for dinner.  David owns and is the Executive Chef here.  The food is a fine dining American cuisine, and the best meal I’ve eaten in what seems like forever.  Back from the restaurant and, I don’t know how we managed it, we were up all night chatting.

Tucson, AZ

The morning started on the campus of the University of Arizona walking from faculty to faculty.  We walked past the football stadium, which is bigger than the Sydney Football Stadium, I was totally blown away.  The campus is huge and it takes a long time to cover the grounds.  We also went by Amy’s old Sorority House.  We stopped at the Sausage Deli for lunch – this, ironically for a vegetarian, is another of Amy’s Tucson favorites.  After lunch we drove west of the city, up through Gate’s pass, over to Saguaro National Park.  We stopped at various points to take pictures of these massive 12 foot plus cacti. 

Me, Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Again this was another landscape I’d never seen before, and made me feel like I’d stepped on to the set of an old Western movie.  On the drive home we stopped at the pharmacy to pick up some photos and for our daily ice cream.  We also did some shopping at a second hand store.  When we got back to the hotel, we went down the afternoon and spent the late afternoon relaxing there.  We had dinner at Rosa’s restaurant – Amy’s favorite Mexican restaurant in the world.  After dinner we had drinks at Shelter before settling in for the night.

Flagstaff, AZ to Tucson, AZ

We had a quick bagel for breakfast so as to head off to Phoenix.  Our one stop at Phoenix was at the Phoenix Art Museum to see an exhibition of Annie Liebowitz called “Women”.  So many great photos of different women from coal miners, to astronauts, the famous and the infamous (Courtney Love).  My favorite picture was one of Barbara Bush.  It is a huge black and white photo showing all the definitions of her face.  Such a simple picture that seemed to express the life that she had lead.  Amazing!  Having said that, the whole exhibit was well worth the stop.  After digging up our camping gas canister (we thought it would be too hot to leave in the car) we get back in the 43 degree heat and drive on to Tucson.  Our stop along the way was at a truck stop for lunch.

We arrived in Tucson at 5pm in the middle of a huge thunderstorm (a theme in Arizona).  We checked into a sweet suite at the Courtyard Marriott before driving around town a little.  Amy went to University of Arizona here so she was keen to show off all the old haunts.  Dinner was at El Coral, as Amy’s favorite place, Café Pocacosa, was closed for the summer (actually it re-opening on Tuesday – the day after we leave).  

After dinner we went for drinks and desert at Café Terracotta, out by the mountain.  I am still getting used to this dine around thing that Americans like to do, but I could get used to it.  After dinner we drove around the university area, cruising the bars and local street, listening to Amy’s stories of when she lived here.

Amy & I, Tucson, Arizona

Flagstaff, AZ

This morning started with me kicking and screaming as Amy took me into a health food store for breakfast.  The nerve!  We went to Bookman’s to check internet and then to Ross 4 Less, where we bought a photo frame to send to Jen, thanking her for having us.  We are booked into the hostel for this evening.  A private room, which was actually nicer than yesterday’s hotel.  We ended up at the pub next door for the afternoon – The Mad Italian – for a few beers and playing pool.  Tonight we went to the movies, and continued our tradition of bad films, seeing A Perfect Storm.  There’s 2 hours we’ll never get back.  Just a simple pizza for dinner, before another quiet night in.

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ

We were up and packed early on our way to Flagstaff.  It is just under a 2 hour drive and once we get there it is straight to the doctor’s for me as I have been suffering stomach pains for the last couple of weeks.  Turns out the pain is caused by an Inguinal Hernia.  I am going to need operating on eventually, but considering it initially cost me $AUS156 just to see this doctor I may wait until I get to England to have this done.  It is nothing urgent, though keeps me in a constant state of discomfort.  I did get a prescription for pain killers in case things got worse. 

We drove around town for a while looking for lunch, but temporarily abandoned plans due to a hail storm.  Once the storm passed we went to an Irish pub for a fish and chip lunch.  After lunch we walked around some of the shops in town.  We then drove south to Sedona and Cottonwood for a look around.  The area surrounding Sedona was beautiful, and the drive there through the desert was something else – like nothing I’d seen.  The Arizona desert is a lot more picturesque than the Nevada desert.  The town itself is very touristy and we did not stop, again hindered by another thunderstorm.

We drove back to Flagstaff and stayed the night in an Economy Lodge.  Across the street was Sizzlers, where we had dinner, before a peaceful night back at the hotel.

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Again the day started at Yavapai Lodge for breakfast – but a lot earlier today as we need to get all our energy reserves for the upcoming day. 

We drove the Bright Angel Trailhead and then spent the early hours of the day hiking down into the Canyon. On the way down we were passed by 2 groups riding mules and I was having a hard time deciding who was having the more uncomfortable trip down. While we made 3 miles down, we were still 9 miles from the Colorado River, and never going to make it there and back in any period of time we had. We stopped at a water station, before making the much harder climb back up the canyon wall. The views, both down and up, were again like noting I never thought I would see. It is a shame today was so hot that we couldn’t hike further down and see more. This place is truly a natural wonder. 

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Amy & I, Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

3 miles into Bright Angel Trail looking back up at South Rim, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Once back on top of the rim, it was a mere ice cream lunch before resting back at the campsite for the afternoon. We spent the afternoon writing in diaries and playing Boggle and ending with a mac and cheese dinner. Again we headed to Mather Point to enjoy the colors of the sunset over the canyon. What a great way to end our stay at the Grand Canyon!

At Sunset, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We went to Yavapai Lodge for breakfast this morning, and to stock up on water bottles for the day. We caught a shuttle bus to bright Angel Lodge, and then another to an area called the Abyss. From here we walked along the South Rim (heading west) for 3 miles to Pima Point. All along the way we had spectacular views of the canyon. We caught another shuttle to Hermit’s Rest (the westernmost point on the rim Road). After walking back a ways, we caught the shuttle again back to Mojave and then walked the mile to Hopi Lookout before getting the shuttle back to the campsite.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Amy & I, Grand Canyon, Arizona

That evening we drove outside the park to the town of Tusyan, to watch a movie about the Grand Canyon at the Imax theatre. We stopped at a local pizza place there for dinner before heading back into the National Park for an evening hanging around the camp.

Durango, CO to Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We went to Albertsons to pick up a breakfast on the run this morning, as still have a ways to get to the Grand Canyon. 

We did also stop at Four Corners, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico & Arizona meet. This is the only place in the US where 4 states come together. Of course, I had the obligatory tourist picture taken. 

Me & Amy, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Finally we arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park, via the east entrance. We stopped at the Visitor Center and took our first view of this natural wonder from Devil’s Canyon. For years I’d seen pictures and marveled at this place, but they don’t do the slightest justice. The Grand Canyon is just breathtaking! We set up camp at the Mather Campground before heading over to Aspen loop to walk the edge of the Southern Rim and watch the sunset over the canyon. Beautiful is word often used but it does not go near how this sunset looked. On the way back to the campsite we stopped at an amphitheater to watch a slide show of a ranger who did a 3 week hike along the Colorado River at the Canyon’s bottom.

Boulder, CO to Durango, CO

We started the day off at Rocky Mountain Joe’s – a café just outside Boulder to have our breakfast for the day. Afterwards it was back to Jen’s one last time, as we pack up the car and head off in the direction of the Grand Canyon. 

We were planning to stop at Mesa Verde National Park for the night but bushfires have set 70% of the park alight and the park is closed. We drive on to Durango, Colorado and decide to call it a night there at 7pm. After settling into the hostel we walk down to El Patio for a nachos dinner and a couple of beers. 

Later that evening we decide to go to the drive-in to see Me, Myself & Irene. Not a very good movie, but I loved being at a drive-in for the first time in a million years. Amy, however, fell asleep. A good night’s rest in the hostel and we move on to Grand Canyon National Park tomorrow.

Boulder, CO

The morning started with Amy cooking up a storm. 

We then drive the 20 miles up to Lyons, Colorado to meet up with Jen’s sister (Erica), brother-in-law (Todd) and Nephew (Noah) at the RockyGrass Festival. A day of bluegrass music set at the foot of the Rocky’s, alongside a stream. There was a very mixed crowd (young, old, hippies etc) who are all keen for a mellow day. This festival runs the entire weekend but we are only here for the day as the road trip continues towards the Grand Canyon tomorrow. We spent the day hanging around at Erica & Todd’s campsite just wading in the water. The music was background noise for a relaxing day. We didn’t stay late, as Amy is not feeling the best. 

On the drive home we drive through a Wendy’s for a quick dinner. 

The night was spent in watching Sleepy Hollow on cable.

Boulder, CO

Started of the morning in a local café for breakfast. We then headed to 2 different malls to buy replacement sandals for those that were damaged back at Arches. When we got back to Jen’s, the girls hit the pool while I checked emails and went to the camera shop to browse goodies I can’t afford. Dinner that night was again downtown, this time at La Rhumba – a South American Restaurant. A great meal was then topped off by drinks at a nearby bar in the West End that had a beer garden on the roof. The night ended at Rich’s Roadhouse – a gay/biker bar, where we played pool to all hours of the morning.

Amy & I, Boulder, Colorado

Arches National Park, UT to Boulder, CO

We packed up the tent and went into Moab again for breakfast at Pancake Haus. From there it was the 8 hour drive on to Boulder, Colorado. We saw some more wonderful scenery, this time more mountainous, as well as passing by Vail and other Colorado ski resorts. Our one stop was for gas and lunch, at an awful Taco Bell. We arrived at Jen’s place in Boulder not long after 4pm. We used this opportunity to shower up and get a couple of loads of washing done. Once Jen came home we walked to downtown and ended up at a Thai restaurant for dinner.

Jen & Amy, Boulder, Colorado

Arches National Park, UT

We were up early this morning and straight into Arches National Park. We started the day driving to Devil’s Garden Trailhead at the end of the park to do a 5 mile hike that included Landscape Arch, Partition Arch and Navajo Arch. All the rock formations here are formed by wind erosion and, as the park name suggests, are literally archways. Our second stop was at Sand Dune Arch (2 small natural bridges) and then a mile further along to Broken Arch, which is a predicted name as currently it is only cracked. From there it was on to the Windows, along with Turret Arch and Double Arches. 

Amy, Partition Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Me, Broken Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Turret Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

Landscape Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

We left the park for a late lunch and to escape some of the heat. We ended up in Moab diner for a huge meal. After lunch it was back to the campsite for a swim.

We went back into Arches, stopped at Balance Rock, before heading the 1 mile to Delicate Arch, where we – and many others – watched the sunset. Due to a sandal blowout we couldn’t get as close as we’d like, but the setting sun behind this lone arch was pretty spectacular. 

Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah

We went into Moab for the evening and saw Scary Movie (yawn) before packing it in for the night.

Bryce National Park, UT to Arches National Park, UT

We were up early this morning to pack up the campsite and drive to Inspiration Point. In the early hours we hiked a mile and a half along Navajo Loop at Sunset Point. Walking down into the hoodoos and canyon gives you a whole new perspective and appreciation for this natural wonder. I was reluctant to do this walk so early, especially with the long drive ahead today, but I am grateful that Amy made me do it (this is not the first, or last, time Amy will win over my reluctance for us to do something awesome).

Navajo Loop, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Just after we left Bryce we stopped at a place called Fairyland. There was nothing special to see here, so time to move on. From here we started our long haul to Arches National Park, near Moab, Utah. The route we take is a minor highway which, while long and windy, was extremely scenic with the canyons, salt hills and various rock formations to be enjoyed with the top down on the car. Our only stops along the way were for gas and Wendy’s for lunch. 

We arrived at Arches at 5pm and went straight into the park for a quick look around. Instead of getting out and looking around, we left to find some accommodations near Moab and the campgrounds in Arches were full. We ended up at the Funpig’s Campground. This sweet campground offered us a spot with a tin roof covering. The site also had a pool, which was all the invitation we needed to stay on site for the late afternoon. Next door was a restaurant, Bucks Grill, where I took Amy on our first real date. A steakhouse was maybe not the best place for me to take a vegetarian, but we were very limited for choice. I also came across the unusual Utah rule where you can’t be served a drink until you have completed the one you have. 

Back to the campsite for a much needed night’s sleep.