Sausalito, CA

I got up early and went out to San Francisco Airport again, this time to pick up Robbie at 7am.  Robbie meets Amy for the first time – that’s got to be a lot for her to take in.  We head back into town for Robbie to stop at the Nagles’ house, where he is staying while they are in Jacksonville for the weekend. 

Once freshened up and rid of his luggage, which fortunately for me was filled with VB, Wizz Fizz, Jaffas, and Spacefood Sticks (ahhh! the little things from home) we head back over to Sausalito to have breakfast with Natalie and Peggy in a local café.  After breakfast we wander around the little bayside town and after a while Robbie and I split from the girls and their shopping frenzy and head to a pub for a couple of beers and a few games of pool. 

Dinner again was at the Cat and Fiddle (why not – it is the perfect restaurant) and afterwards World War 3 is started with Trivial Pursuit.  Underestimated by our opponents, Team Oz were very unhumble winners and will undoubtedly hold this over the girls’ heads for many years to come. 

Late in the evening I drive Robbie back over the bridge to his accommodations for the night.

Sausalito, CA

Amy and I were up early and headed north to San Rafael to have breakfast with Chris and Casi.  We just ate in a café near Chris’ work.  After breakfast we spent some time in and around San Rafael with Casi and her sister, Lisa.  As always it was great to catch up with the newlyweds.  After this trip, who knows when we’ll see them again. 

The bulk of the day is spent at P’s just relaxing.  A good time to catch up on laundry and snoozing. 

Amy & I, Sausalito, California

We did drive out to San Francisco Airport to pick Natalie, who’s flown in from Atlanta for the weekend, at 6.30pm.  We spend the night in, but make the most of celebrating Natalie’s birthday with cake.

Reno, NV to Sausalito, CA

Just woke up and continued my drive into San Francisco.  Went via South Lake Tahoe making only 2 stops, once at Denny’s for breakfast, and once by a cop for speeding.  I put the big Aussie accent on thick, and luckily he let me off with a just warning.  Phew! 

Once in San Francisco I drop the car off downtown and walk down to the ferry terminal in order to catch the 1pm ferry over to Sausalito.  On the other side I am met by Peggy (or Aunt P as Amy affectionately calls her).  Peggy is Amy’s friend, Natalie’s aunt, and is kindly putting us up for the next few nights.  Peggy’s apartment is beautiful, with a huge balcony overlooking the Bay.  Unbelievable! 

Amy arrived from Portland at 3.30pm and it was a wonderfully warm reunion.  That evening the 3 of us had dinner at the Cat and Fiddle in Sausalito.  This is a great restaurant with a patio which hangs over the Bay.  Fantastic food, incredible view, and wonderful company!  A couple days here meeting Peggy & Natalie, as well as catching up with Robbie, who is arriving in the US for a work conference on Saturday.  This should be a great way to send us on our cross country drive.

Me, Sausalito, California

Las Vegas, NV to Reno, NV

We called Kendra this morning and organized for her to have lunch with us.  We caught a cab from the Hard Rock, picked her up and went to TGI Fridays for lunch.  Food here was good. 

After lunch we headed down to the airport to pick up my rental car, which I am taking to San Francisco tonight.  It was in the late afternoon that I dropped Melissa and Kendra at work and then continued my drive north on the 95.  I drove for about 7 hours, stopping at only a McDonalds in Beatty for dinner along the way.

Again just before I got into Reno, I was too tired to continue driving, so I pulled into a rest area and slept in the car for the night.

Las Vegas, NV

A late start to the day meant that it was too hot to do anything, so the TV and air conditioning kept me company until late afternoon.  I walked up to the Strip and had dinner at Fatburger before walking around and taking photos near the MGM, New York New York. 

From here I jumped on the bus and went to Fremont Street – the old part of Vegas – where I took some more photos.  I caught a cab back home and it wasn’t long before Dave and Melissa were home.  In the meantime I spoke to Amy on the phone.  We had our usual beers in the spa and eventually went to bed around 2am.

Fremont Street, Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas, NV

Breakfast this morning was at 10am at the Hard Rock Hotel – but of course, I’m with Dave & Melissa. 

From here we caught a cab down to Mandalay Bay where we went into the new aquarium exhibit – Shark Reef.  This was OK, but nothing compared to Denver.  We jumped on a monorail that went past the Luxor to the Excalibur.  We walked through this and New York New York Casinos to get to the Manhattan Express Rollercoaster, which Melissa and I went on.  This would have to be the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on as I was still shaking half an hour later.  We crossed the road to the MGM where we caught the monorail to Bally’s. 

From here it was a quick cab ride to the Sahara, where we met up with Kendra and Mike at the Nascar Café.  They have another rollercoaster here – which starts and stays at 90 miles per hour.  It goes under the sidewalk, through a loop and around the Sahara front entrance before going straight up (in about 45 seconds) before doing everything backwards to the beginning.  I think I was lucky to hold down anything I’d eaten from the last week.  What a ride!  Had another beer in the café before crossing the road to the Holy Cow Restaurant, where we had dinner – mmmm steak.  We jumped into Kendra’s van and went back to Dave and Melissa’s for a couple of drinks before going up to the mini golf arena, where we played around.  Once finished we played arcade games and got into the baseball batting cage, where I was hitting balls coming at me at 60 miles per hour  (normally they come at 90).  Although afterwards my hands hurt we definitely had a ball (no pun intended).  We didn’t get back home until 3am and I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Las Vegas, NV

I got up at 11am, and in the 40 degree heat, started my day off by riding Melissa’s bike up to the Strip to drop some film in to be developed. These are mainly photos from Salt Lake City and the roll of San Francisco that Dave found.

I decided to go for a ride and look around. First stop is Ellis Island for lunch, where I also watch the end of Pat Rafter in the Wimbledon final.

After lunch I ride out to Paradise Road and head north until I get to the Stratosphere. I then headed south, taking in all the sights of Las Vegas Boulevard. Mind you the heat was killing me.  By the time I got back to Walgreen’s my film was ready, so I headed back to the apartment. I caught the Spooners just before they were heading to work and proceeded to spend the afternoon indoors – a bit of television, bit of email, heaps of air conditioning. When they got home we spent a couple of hours in the spa. Bedtime at 3am.

Salt Lake City, UT to Las Vegas, NV

Vans Warped! Rock! Here I come. Well so I thought – but on with the story.

I left the hostel at noon and down 2nd and North Avenues for 75 minutes to the Utah State Fairgrounds. Here I lined up for half an hour to get in. I am looking forward to seeing The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Supersuckers and Lunachicks in particular. When I hand over my ticket, security searches my camera bag and refuses me entry and the basis that I have a “professional camera”. Protests fell on deaf ears and without baggage storage my only option is to sell my ticket and head back to the hostel. To make matters worse it rained on me on the walk back.

On the way back to the hostel I change my Greyhound ticket to the 5.30pm bus this evening, instead of the one I had reserved for tomorrow morning – all done out of spite. Once back at the hostel I checked out, but am still charged for the room, and make my way back down to the bus station. I stop at Crossroads again for lunch.

At the Greyhound I met Stephan, a German guy on his way to Flagstaff. The bus leaves and hour late and is unexciting all the way to Vegas, although Stephan is good company. We arrived in Vegas at 2am, after sleeping the last 20 minutes. I jump in a cab to Spooners and arrive to find them in the spa with Coronas waiting. The Spooners know me too well.

Salt Lake City, UT

Last night I arranged with Chris to meet up and drive out to Park City, Utah. This is 20 miles east of Salt Lake City, and the site of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We stopped at the Olympic site first and spent over an hour watching people practice on the freestyle and K-20 jumps. We then drove around into Park City, which looked like a great, clean city and a haven for the rich during ski season. Park City is also where the Sundance Film Festival is held each January. We walked around here for a while and had lunch at a local pub. Usually to drink in Utah, you need to become a member of the bar (usually around $5) or have someone sponsor you. For some reason Chris and I weren’t questioned.

Freestyle Jumper @ Olympic Park, Park City, UT

On the way back into Salt Lake City we stopped at the Hard Rock Café to pick up some more pins for Dave and Melissa. We were going to have a drink here as well, but opted against it when membership was bought up.

We went back to the hostel and decided we’d meet up later for a Chinese dinner. I walked up to the library, six blocks up the hill, to check my email. Upon my return, Chris and Alexandra suggested going to a concert in Bringham Young Historic Park. Each Tuesday and Friday in the summer an hour performance is put on for free by a variety of acts. Tonight it was Julie se Azevedo – a local celebrity – who plays original songs on a guitar and piano. We sat in the park, enjoying the setting sun, listening to the very personal songs and generally relaxing.

That finished at eight and we walked up to Pagoda Chinese restaurant, with another addition, Jean-Paul, a Swiss guy we met in the park. I had a great Chicken Chow Mien dinner.

After dinner I called Amy and spoke for an hour.

On the way home I was going to stop at the house with the massive US flag to take a picture, but to my disappointment someone had stolen the flag (Losers!).

Salt Lake City, UT

I got up this morning and walked up the hill to the State Capital. This great building looks south over Salt Lake City, and although the view is a little hazy, there are plenty of good photos to be taken. I went inside and joined one of the guided tours, which gave a history of both the city and the building. I had a wander around on my own afterwards to take some more snaps.

Utah State Capital, Salt Lake City, UT

Inside Utah State Capital, Salt Lake City, UT

I left there and went down the hill to Hansen’s Planetarium. The entry to this museum was also free and, amazingly, there was no one inside. The small museum had plenty of lunar artifacts, as it seems Salt Lake City provides plenty of support to such programs.

From here I walked over to Temple Square – the home of the Mormons. In the square we were given a guided tour of the building as well as a rundown of the Mormon belief. The main temple was being renovated so we couldn’t go in. But we (the group I was with) did see the Tabernacle, which is where a large organ (11,000 pipes) is situated and where the famous choir performs nightly. We also went into the tourism / visitor center, which had a statue of Jesus and many religious paintings. Also, I went into the Assembly Hall, which is basically a small church.

Mormon Temple, Salt Lake City, UT

Assembly Hall @ Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT

Tabernacle Organ @ Temple Square, Salt Lake City, UT

Afterwards I went to the Crossroads Mall for a late lunch / early dinner, before heading back to the hostel. I made my nightly call to Amy before hanging out with Chris and Alexandra (also from Switzerland) on the steps – chatting away.

Salt Lake City, UT

Today will be an unorganized stroll through downtown. I leave the hostel at 10am and head west of the city, where I am keen just to look around. I stop at a small café for breakfast and then just wander aimlessly for a while. There is a Hard Rock Café here so I walk the 7 blocks east (then 5 blocks south) to buy some pins for Dave and Melissa. It’s a pleasant stroll, and while the weather is hot, it is not too bad.

I head back into downtown and pick up a local free paper to see what’s on. On Saturday the Vans Warped Tour is on (Green Day, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Nofx, Supersuckers etc) so I decide that if I can get tickets I will stay and extra 2 days. The ticket outlet is 2 blocks further away from where I just came from. So out I go again, stopping along the way to check my email. Tickets are only $27, so not a problem. I grab some fruit and water on my way back to the hostel and, once there, extend my stay for an extra 2 nights.

I spend the evening writing in my diary and hanging out with a German girl (who’s name I didn’t get) and Chris (a Swiss guy who is traveling around the US). I made my nightly call to Amy, who was on her way out, but we talked for longer later in the night. 8 days before I see her.

Boulder, CO to Salt Lake City, UT

Happy Independence Day! Well not really.

The cab picked me up at 7am for the $5 ride to the bus stop. I waited for late running bus and by 8.30am I was on my way to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The bus made a couple of stops along the way and pulled into Cheyenne at 11am. The next bus was supposed to leave 45 minutes later, but it was also an hour late – and packed to the rafters. I sat next to a young Oregonian guy named Vince and chatted most of the way. I hate Greyhound – and the 2 kids sitting in front of me who, for some reason, needed to put their seats all the way back, so my knees were up my nose. The trip to Salt Lake City is extremely uneventful. We make 3 stops – in Larime, Rawlins and Rock Springs (all in Wyoming). The scenery is merely rolling hills as far as the eye can see – and nothing else.

The bus pulled into Salt Lake City at 9pm, and I then walked up the hostel. Along the way I passed many families and blocked off streets, celebrating Fourth of July. I also past this amazing historical house, which had an American flag hanging of it which was at least 2 storeys high and nearly as wide as the house. I checked into the hostel and went straight to bed. I will start tomorrow off afresh and hope Salt Lake City is good value. Oh! And of course I rang Amy again tonight.

Boulder, CO

Today it is time to organize to moving along. I walked to where the Greyhound Station is (via Kinko’s to check email). It takes over an hour to walk there. A ticket to Salt Lake City will cost me $76 and take 11 hours – leaving tomorrow morning at 8am.

I walk back towards town, once again a different way. I walk through the Pearl Street Mall again and stop at the candle store to buy a present for Jen for letting me stay.

From here I walk back to the apartment, getting a sandwich from Snarf’s on the way. When I get home Star Wars is on the television followed by an old Liverpool game. Heaven. Surprise, surprise I call Amy and we talk for 2 hours again.

I make the most of my last night in Jen’s house as tomorrow I have to co-mingle with that breed of people called the Greyhounders and also deal with being in a hostel again – just what I always wanted.

Boulder, CO

Once again I have a nice long sleep in this morning.

When I get myself organized, I decided to walk to Chautauqua Park, which takes 45 minutes walking, heading southwest. Here there are some hiking trails, which take you up the hillside near the formation of rocks known as Three Irons (because of their shape). The combination of my complete lack of fitness and the thin air – I am over a mile above sea level – sees me make it only half way up the trail I have chosen. The view from this height, back to Boulder, is quite spectacular. So after a few photos of the surrounding landscape, it was back down the hill.

Foothills Of The Rockies, Boulder, CO

3 Irons, Boulder, CO

I walked a different way back to town, through a suburb, which is dominated by the university and its students.

I stopped at the same Irish bar as Thursday night to have lunch. An enjoyable steak with endless cokes was just what I needed. It was 4pm then, so I headed back to the apartment. I stopped to buy a sandwich for dinner and some snacks before making myself comfortable in front of the television again for the evening.

As per usual I had a marathon phone call with Amy. I am so dying to see her again that it’s driving me insane. Not long now.

Boulder, CO

I decided that I had better do something today, seeing as though I’m in a new town and it is a great day. I walk east, down to near where the shopping center is. I resist the temptation to go into the huge record store, but find a spot to check my email. From here I walk back along Pearl Street, stop at Snarf’s (a sandwich shop) for lunch and then head up to the Pearl Street Mall to wander around the 4 blocks of pedestrian mall. Plenty of nice shops to look through.

People here seem really laid back, considering the type of people ie younger people, old hippies, yuppies and café latte-ing people who think it’s cool to be seen in Boulder.

I head back to the flat and spent the afternoon and night watching television. I spoke to Amy, as always. Only 2 weeks to go before I see her again – can’t wait. Dinner is last night’s pizza, as once again I am settled in front of the television until the early hours of the morning.