U.S.#11 New York: cruise, museums and musicals

A cruise around Manhattan and an elevator ride to the 86th floor of the Empire State building were fitting bookend attractions for our 7 days in New York City. Many images were already in my head from years of viewing the slides of several trips to New York. (How come we never got to go with Mum and Dad?)

Each of the following images is a link to a Web Album - click on it to go there to view all the images in each photo album. Albums are chronological, but my notes are not.




The city is buzzing - no real end to the CBD - it continues in all directions with crowds of pedestrians heading all places. Yellow taxis everywhere - I wondered why they're always using their horns until I realised that jaywalking rules: locals in a hurry trying to beat the lights and tourists blithely ignoring pedestrian signals.

Navigation is a cinch generally when you get the hang of the numbering of the avenues (going up- and downtown) and the streets 'crosstown'. You can even work out distances - 20 short blocks to a mile and three (short blocks) to a long one.

We were told authoritatively on several occasions that New Yorkers like walking everywhere or taking the bus or subway - which is just as well as the roads are congested pretty much all the time. However, in the summer the heat is oppressive and we resorted to buses toward the end of our stay. Buses are fine once you get hold of a bus map and you have unlimited time to sit in traffic and at lights. It's probably the same pace as a brisk walk only beautifully air conditioned.

In seven days we saw several brilliant concerts including a Klezmer/ Bluegrass band at the City Winery, a gig at Joe's Pub by Country artist Marty Stewart, and I finally got to the Village Vanguard to enjoy an 11pm set by Joe Levano, Bill Frisell and Tony Motian. We also saw Memphis, a musical about the DJ Huey Calhoun (loosely based on Dewey Phillips) who promoted black Rock 'n' Roll music in Memphis, Tennessee in the 50s and 60s at great expense to his personal life. This was followed the next night by Fela, a musical about the life of Fela Kuti. Both were polished and exciting performances though the latter stood out as a masterful achievement in choreography and design.

City winery and Guggenheim Museum

My travelling partner was blissed out by Marty's (solo) performance and

got to give him some feedback afterwards when he finally emerged at the lobby to sign CDs and greet the few adoring fans. He's a real pro: I loved his stories between songs which established his credentials in the Country scene and convinced the audience that he was utterly down to earth and personable. He clearly enjoyed touring solo - for the first time in 15 years. Song lyrics were comprehensible and his guitar and mandolin licks were polished.

The Vanguard gig was great: I nearly didn't go due to all-round sensory overload (read: exhaustion) but it was well worth it. The trio were obviously used to playing together: I recognised a couple of the 5 numbers played (should've asked what they were afterwards) and all songs were masterful and understated interpretations.

Our days were mostly taken up by the Stations of the Cross: namely, the museums covered by our Citypass - American Museum of Natural History (traditional static diaramas), the Guggenheim (noisy and crowded), Metropolitan Museum of Art (beyond comparison with any other collection I've seen - in size and quality) and the Museum of Modern Art (too tired to enjoy but Cubist collection and Matisse exhibition were both impressive).


Metropolitan Museum of Art


I also made the effort (2 days in a row) to get the Neue Galerie. The first day I got there and had a quick coffee (in a real Viennesse Kaffeehaus with a real Linzertorte at a Viennesse price!). When I got to the entrance they advised it was closed! So why had they sold me a ticket 25 minutes before closing? As I appeared to be close to tears, the staff diplomatically asked me to take a seat whilst they consulted with the manager. They then issued me a pass to return the next day - being the final day of the Otto Dix exhibition. It turned out to be one of the highlights along with the Met Museum of Art: for its size (over 100 works) and sheer emotional force. His First World War series of sketches completed during and after his time at the Front constituted an overpowering anti-war statement. The rest of his oeuvre covers the spectrum of life in pre- 2nd World War Germany with expressionistic honesty and brutality, qualifying his work as 'Degenerate Art' by the Nazis.

Each 'Museum' day was punctuated by a meander through Central Park: on the first of these I aimed more or less for the exit opposite the Dakota Apartments on the steps of which John Lennon was murdered in 1980. Just beyond the Imagine memorial, i came upon a wonderful 8 piece band doing Beatles numbers and joined in the choruses of Strawberry Fields. They were flogging their CD of Beatles covers and obviously do a brisk trade, busking in that spot regularly.

NY MOMA etc

U.S.#10 Banff : I heart Banff

It was great to be touring in a car again. Abbotsford was the first fuel stop on the way from Vancouver to Banff (well, it requires at least a mention in this blog...).

Kamloops was a great overnight stop: it was a bonus to happen upon the evidence of settlement by local indigenous people dating back 4,000 years - this was in the form of kitchen pits remaining from housing. House structures were beautifully reconstructed in a reserve devoted to indigenous built form of the last 4,000 years, till European invasion.

Road east to Banff


We followed the recommendation to take the road to Banff via Golden and Mt Revelstoke and it got very interesting from this point on. I enjoyed the photographic opportunities provided by the sun roof - the peaks being far to high to capture from the passenger windows. And, of course, I insisted we have lunch at Kicking Horse Pass - so I could see what prompted our honorary Aussie to name his band after this top spot.

Banff is the largest ski 'village' I've ever seen: providing for every imaginable need of skiers and summertime tourists. Development is obviously strictly administered so that the natural values of the surrounding area are not compromised by the bustling town. The caribou are not put off by the traffic and graze freely by the roadside.

We stayed in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel which is so big and grand that it conducts tours of its buildings and grounds for anyone interested. We didn't have time to do one, however, we browsed its dozen or so shops and on the last day I enjoyed a swim in its 30 metre lap pool and hot plunge pool. We declined the provision of parking (at $25 per day or $50 per day valet parking) as the room tariff was already rather pricey.

Banff and Sunshine Meadows walk


I got a lift to the starting point for the walk up to the Sunshine Meadows - a plateau which supports a complex network of ski lifts for every imaginable snow sport. In summer, a bus replaces the gondola ride to Sunshine Meadows. It's a relatively easy climb from there to the meadows. The trail is clearly marked and, fortunately for this solo walker, there were many people walking the trail so I wasn't concerned about surprising any bears going about their business. Wildflowers had almost finished flowering but the views hadn't!

I took a rest break at the top of the chairlift for lunch and as soon as I opened the plastic wrapper containing food, weazels darted out expecting to share it. They are much faster than the chipmunks or squirrels, and a real challenge to photograph. Feeling a bit put-upon, I finished the rest of my packed lunch at a bench a small distance down from the peak - a couple of local girls hiked past, one of whom authoritatively explained to her mate that the diggings next to the bench were those of a Grizzly. Maybe that wasn't such a good spot to eat either.

My walk took in all 3 lakes as well as the summit. Although I got back to Sunshine Village in time for the 4.30pm bus, it was full, and whilst waiting for the 5.30pm (last) bus, I chatted with a woman from Virginia, who had settled in the U.S (from China) 16 years ago. She was most interested in the Australian system of government, in particular, the social welfare / medicare system. And I was interested in catching a lift with her and her family back to Banff so we continued our conversation during the 20 minute ride back to Banff.

Johnston Canyon and Sulphur Mountain
The next day we chose the short drive to Johnston Canyon rather than go to Lake Louise. The pics can't do justice to this amazing gorge and series of waterfalls. We were advised to get there early to avoid the crowds as it's a popular tourist destination. The Red squirrels posed obligingly for photos. These are not to be confused with Ground squirrels which are plain grey brown or with chipmunks which are tiny by comparison.



Sometimes, the top travel experiences occur in an unplanned and serendipitous manner. This happened in the afternoon of that day when we drove up the mountain to view the resort where my nephew worked when he first arrived in Canada. I spotted the gondola up Sulphur Mountain and immediately decided to ride it to the top. With a car to myself, I got a little panicky on the 8 minute ride - altogether too tense to take out and use the camera. Nevertheless there were plenty of opportunities at the top to do so, and the day was perfect.

With local map in hand, I strolled back to the hotel via a track through the woods. It was suddenly very quiet and isolated, zigzagging about 2kms downward and dotted with horse poo - I imagined that it was far too dangerous to traverse any other way than on horseback. The bus driver had advised making a lot of noise (which is easy when you're walking with a companion) so I sang bursts of 'There's a bear in there' and chatted loudly to all the inhabitants so that I wouldn't meet any bears on the way.

U.S.#9 Vancouver and Van Dusen Botanical Gardens

We left Hood River before sunrise, having an hour's drive to the airport at Portland to fly to Vancouver. I realised I had not taken many pics of the mighty Columbia River Gorge so attempted to take some from our mini-van as we sped along the highway. Some of the foggy valley pics worked, in an impressionistic sort of way, but most didn't...

As soon as we arrived in Vancouver, we located the Australian Consulate so that one of our touring party could exercise his democratic right to vote - Friday arvo being Election Day in Australia. This worked a lot more efficiently than receiving postal voting papers in Hood river 3 weeks after having ordered them from the AEC.

Vancouver looks a lot different in summer: this was particularly highlighted by our trip up Grouse Mountain in the gondola. The last time I was there, we couldn't do much at the top except admire the view over Van and sit in the bar watching the ice skaters directly outside. This time we went up the chairlift to the peak and took the elevator to the top of the wind turbine to enjoy the view from there.

As we had only a long weekend in Van and we planned to spend it with family, we made a beeline the following day for the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens with a cold bag of champers and a picnic pack of supplies from the French cheese shop.

The gardens were in full bloom: I just loved the various outdoor 'rooms' of different habitats, especially the herbs and flowers, and the grasses. We got through the maze quite efficiently working as a team. The many sculptures featured during our visit were by a group from Zimbabwe called Zimsculpt: these were available for sale but way too heavy to bring back to Abbotsford in a suitcase with a 50lb limit.

This was followed by a lazy sunset on the verandah at Kitsilano, enjoying the view of the bay. Being a bit tired out the next day, an idea started percolating - to do a couple of laps in the longest pool in the Northern Hemisphere - at 137 metres it proved to be an interesting experience. The protocol is for all lap swimmers to swim up on the outside of the right line and return on the outside of the left line (there being only two lines marking the laps). Overtakers swim between the two lines. Got it? The whole effect is further enhanced by its brilliant location overlooking the beach.

U.S.#8 A few Cool Facts about the Hood River Aquatic Centre

1. There's a different tariff for out-of towners (fair enough, too).
2. There are no numbers on the lockers - that's because you bring your own padlock.
3. No-one bothers with the padlock (incredible but true).
4. The 25 metre lap pool gets deeper cross-wise instead of lengthwise (what's the reasoning for that one?)
5. Aqua classes are conducted at the shallow side so that the Over 80s can join in from the adjacent warmer pool (how considerate!)
6. The water is very clean - I know this because one of the women testified that she comes here from White Salmon because she always gets a rash after swimming there (urgh...)
   
7. On every 2nd lap, you can admire the views out of the open roof/ wall to the ubiquitous Mt Adams.
8. On a windy day, (and remember, that's why we're here) the canvas roof makes such a racket it sounds as if it's going to blow away.

U.S.#7 A big day trip to Mt St Helen

On the eve of our Big Trip, we dined on the terrace at the Hood River Golf Club with our new pal, Julie. What a great tip - definitely going there again! Hope the hummingbird comes back to the flower bed when we return ('twas a bit too fast to photograph).
So here's the link to an amazing story and video of a backyard hummingbird: Inspiring Hummingbird Flies to Stardom | Blogs about Dogs, Cats and Pets | Petside.com


With a packed lunch and plenty of water in the Esky, we crossed the border into Washington State by toll bridge connecting Hood River to the twin town of White Salmon (no prizes guessing what the favourite pastime there is...).

Within 20 miles we were well and truly lost - heading into Yakama Nation territory without a permit. So after this 40 minute detour, we were back on the other windy road on the correct side of Mt Adams heading toward Mount St Helens. There were a few too many ranges and ridges to count in between - up amongst fir trees, down in some birch forests and along some winding rivers with fly fishing enthusiasts wearing those boots that come up to your chest.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest is very large and we covered most of it in 9 hours' driving - a few too many curves according to the stomach of one of our passengers. But at least we got back in time to collect wind surfing gear from the rental shop so it was worth the rush!

I'm going to include a link to a great website here, so you, too, can enjoy the 30th anniversary of the Mt St Helens Eruption. It seems the locals would like us to share in this celebration, and in hoping and praying that nothing of this magnitude ever happens again!

USGS Multimedia Gallery: Mount St. Helens: May 18, 1980

U.S.#5 Hood River: Windy one day, Gorge-ous the next

Hood River provides a lot of hospitality even to those of us who don't 'wind dance'. Most of the holiday rental accommodation is located on the gorge side of the hill maximising views of the river and Mt Adams. If you wanted, you could view the windsurfers and parasailors through binoculars. Click the photo to link to the Picasa Web album.

The steep hill provides a good workout for a walker - that's me - the sole walker. All the rest cruise the streets in their mini-vans or F350 pick-ups.

As a middle-class holiday town, there are many boutique and gift shops, and restaurants, cafes and pubs with balconies to sit out on and enjoy the views and the summer air.

Out of town, car touring reveals the many faces of the Columbia River valley and surrounding hills, dales and waterfalls.

This album includes the drive to Mt Hood and the monumental Timberline Lodge. Vehicles stop here (so do chipmunks) but snowboarders get to go further up the peak for a summertime ski.

For grand accommodation nothing beats the Columbia Gorge Hotel, actually located just out of town (near the highway) but obviously well out of our price range. It has loads of history, you'll need to 'google that' because we didn't stop long, just to admire the landscaping including the cliffs and huge waterfall.

We explored the waterfalls loop back along the road to Portland: Multnomah Falls are by far the biggest and most visited. Check that spectacular walkway over the falls. They are situated conveniently right on the 4-lane freeway and train line... The frequency of freight trains through the valley is staggering - I'd say, every 7-8 minutes there's a train of 80 to 100 wagons. And that's just on our side in Oregon. On the Washington State side there's another track servicing that state.

U.S.#4 Riding the buses in San Francisco

This post is obviously not chronological - we haven't rushed back to SF to catch everything we missed! Rather, I'm backtracking to resume the blogging which got behind to due to the frantic pace of touring.

Don't forget to click on the photo to follow the link to My Picasa Web Albums to view the photos in this blog. And you're welcome to comment on anything you view or read, this blog is moderated so I'll decide if it gets published!

U.S.#6 Hood River hots up

When it's a hundred in the shade, what can you do but jump in the Chrysler people mover, pump up the air con and tour the countryside? We got up too late and moved too slowly to undertake the long loop to Mount St Helens so decided to do the Fruit Loop and Columbia River valley up to Maryhills, the desert end of the valley.

Having purchased most of our fruit at Safeway yesterday, we dropped in on the Lavendar Farm instead. The owner explained that he got the idea for it from a visit to one outside Launceston. With views to Mt Hood in the background and rolling hills covered in fruit trees and vineyards, I could've sat in the pergola all day and watched the bees busy at work amongst the lavendar bushes.

However, we had other sites to see and several more wrong turns to take, before leaving the Fruit Loop and heading east toward the desert country. One of our party was bitterly disappointed that her favourite Western outfitter in the Dalles was closed for Sunday trading (how dare they - the outlet shops don't!). With the temperature rising we wound our way toward Pilbara country except there was a giant river threading its way through the valley.

We found the petroglyphs in Columbia Hills State Park: they had been moved to a convenient site away from the gorge which had been flooded with the building of the dams. Most of the petroglyphs were barred from public access without a tour guide due to vandalism. Oh well, these were great anyway, and, with the 'I'm feeling lucky' button in Picasa, they actually come up better than in situ.

Quick swim in the river at a van park / rocky beach with significant irrigation run-off and chained off for protection from the water skis. Hmmm - not my favourite swimming hole.

U.S.#3 - Yosemite National Park

So we get picked up round 6.30am from the Handlery Hotel in San Francisco to go to Yosemite National Park - a 4 1/2 hour drive unless you're travelling on a big bus packed with bleary-eyed tourists who haven't had breakfast yet.

Leo, our bus driver/ tour guide, starts off with a jovial aspect but reveals his true fascist tendencies when articulating how critical it is NOT to use his 'restroom' for anything more substantial than a sprinkle. Basically a bullshit artist, he didn't shut up for most of the trip. Fortunately he dropped us at the Lodge at 12.45pm and we said our cheerios with a 2 buck tip. He would be driving the same-day travellers back but we were staying on overnight to chance it with the next driver. (He had his 'issues' too.)

I found the Park overwhelmingly spectacular and grand inspite of the crowds and cars. There are 2 one-way roads along the valley floor and the shuttle bus is free and regular - thereby encouraging the masses to crowd on rather than fill the valley with car fumes.

We took one tip from our mate, Leo, which was to not waste time queuing in the caf for lunch but to head straight for Bus stop 16 or 17 and do a shortish stroll to either some waterfalls or the Mirror lake. We opted for the latter, the easier of the two - and it was brilliant, though there was hardly any water so, for mirror image reflections, we'll have to make do with Dad's pics taken circa 1964(?)

On our return we took a wrong path and suddenly we were quite alone - thinking about those Brown bears that Leo had mentioned (never walk alone...). It was sheer serendipidous (sic?) adventuring that we happened upon the Ahwahnee Hotel and parked ourselves at their delightful bar for sunset drinks and snacks.

The next day I jumped on the bus up to Glacier Point (2,200 feet directly above the Lodge) and my travel partner opted for the less vertigo-inducing open train valley floor tour.

At least 19 of the 30 passengers on the bus were planning to walk down either the long (7 hour) or the shorter route into the valley so I decided to do so too. Most of the pics are from that slip-sliding descent to the valley floor and my calf muscles have taken 4-5 days to recover enough to stop limping when going down stairs. It wasn't really steep but still dangerously slippery as some considerate fellow had paved the path all the way down (probably about 60 years ago) and now it's covered with a fine layer of gravel all the way.

The bus finally left the valley round 4.15pm and we arrived back at our hotel well after the kitchen had closed. I'd gladly return for more - and camp too, except for the bears (they hang around the happy campers looking for ways to get at the food.)

U.S.#2 San Francisco Part 2

Haight Ashbury on the third day and again upon our return from the overnight trip to Yosemite, as I had to retrieve my earring from a shop. We tried out a walking tour recommended by Lonely Planet (Janis Joplin's pad was in there somewhere, but I was chaperoning my travelling companion up the steep hills in the drizzling rain and her mind was on getting somewhere comfortable.)

The first squirrels of many came out to have their photos taken in the park. It seems the city parks are big, rambling and quite wild - not manicured with benches and flower beds.

We wandered round the little shops on Haight Ashbury - not a whiff of ganja but some interesting street art and loads of street people carrying their possessions and cute puppies.

Don't forget to click on the photos to get to the slideshow - I'm enjoying Picasa Web Albums' new 'Blog this!' button to link the text and pics. Bliss - released from the shackles of iphoto's locked-in syndrome.

U.S. #1 San Francisco - first 2 days

Yes, it's definitely Summer in the city - the flowers in the huge hanging baskets tell us so. But the weather is damp, cool and windy. The sun eventually came out to greet us at the Ferry Plaza wholefood and farmers' markets. (Note: the price on those Morel mushrooms.)

After a groggy first day we found our feet and our stomachs: enjoying a fried fish tortilla, all cooked in front of us in 2 minutes flat. I'm not sure why Gandhi towers over the outside stalls - maybe he visited once?

The cute 'doggies in the window' were a steal at $140 each: made of recycled newspapers.

We watched a few boats sail under the Oakland Bay bridge and then rode the buses (all electric, boasting no [er, local] emissions to Pier 39 where all the touros were. I have't seen so many crowds since Lido De Jesulo, Venice in 1983... So we didn't bother to get off to join the 'lines' for the local clam chowder.