17 May - Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Our last full day in the US and on our drive back from Washington we visited Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This is the site of one of the most important battles of the Amerian Civil War. Battles took place on July 1, 2 and 3 of 1863 between the Confederate forces under the command of Robert E Lee, and the Union forces led by General Meade. In three days of fighting the total number of casualties was around 50,000 with some 8,000 fatalaties. The entire area around the township of Gettysburg has been preserved and many monuments have been erected to commemorate the events. On the outskirts of town we visited the famous Gettysburg Civil War cemetery which is the burial site of many of those killed. It is on the occasion of the establishment of the cemetery that President Abraham Licoln delivered his famous Gettysburg address, one of the most famous speeches ever recorded. (see the text here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_address)

We only had two hours to visit this very moving site - it would take a week to do it justice. As our flight out of NY back to Australia departs tomorrow we needed to get within striking distance of JFK and so we drove to a little town called Lebanon NJ leaving us drive of around 80km tomorrow.

Getttysburg proved to be an interesting conclusion to a brief but wonderful visit to the US.

15 May 2010 - Washington - Day 3

Our last day in Washington DC. Started off with a visit to the White House. As we were walking towards it we were suddenly stopped by security guards. A few minutes later a motorcade with President Obama rolled past and we were allowed to go on our way.

Next we continued on to Georgetown which is an old historical village which dates back to colonial times. Some nice shops including a fantastic tobacconist with a huge range of handrolled cigars. Bought a couple to smoke on the banks of the Potomac River, just a short walk away. Due to the fine weather we've experienced the last couple of days the people of Washington were out in force enjoying the Potomac River and the many eateries and bars on the banks.

Tomorrow we head for Gettysburg and then back to NY in preparation for catching our long flight home.

14 May 2010 - Washington DC - Day 2

A very full day today. After breakfast at a little diner around the corner our first port of call was the Capitol, one of the most famous, and most significant buildings in America. It houses both the Senate and the House of representatives. At the moment Washington is overrun with schoolchildren and policemen from all over the country (30,000 all together - it's Police Week) we were fortunate enough to walk straight in to a guided tour which was absolutely terrific. The room directly below the dome is incredibly beautiful and features large statues and paintings which tells the history of the USA and the War of Independence.

Our next port of call was the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. This is full of the most incredible aviation treasures imaginable. From the Wright Brothers Flyer (the first heavier than air craft to make a manned flight) right through to the Apollo 11 Module which carried Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins to the moon, in every direction there is an aircraft straight out of history.

You would need two days to do this museum justice. We even got to touch a piece of genuine moon rock.

Finally, we walked all the way down the other end of the Washington Mall to see the Lincoln memorial. The long walk proved to be well worth while. This memorial which is much larger than I imagined it houses a magnificent statue of one of America's greatest presidents Abraham Lincoln. It is a very powerful piece of sculpture and at any one time there are thousands of visitors, mostly from the U.S. but also many from all over the world. While we were in this area we also dropped in on the Vietnam War Memorial Wall nearby which is also an incredibly solemn experience. Altogether a very full day and we were very happy to hail a taxi back to the hotel.

13 May 2010 - Washington DC

Spent last night at a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Washington. Dinner at the Outback Steakhouse next door. Had fantastic hamburgers - the menu had lots of items which attempted to appear as Aussie fare like 'shrimps on the barbie'. Got a fairly early start this morning and headed straight to Arlinton National Cemetery. This is one of the most sacred sites in the USA. As well as 16,000 war dead from the American Civil War, soldiers from all the wars as well as Supreme Court judges are buried here. Of course the most famous graves are those of the Kennedy brothers. JF Kennedy and his wife Jackie are buried in a grave which has an eternal flame. Just a short distance away is brother Robert (assassinated in 1968) with just a simple wooden cross. A little further away again is brother Ted who died last year. The cemetery covers a huge area of green wooded lawns and has thousands and thousands of graves. On a hill overooking the cemetery is Arington House which once belonged to George Washington and prior to the Civil War belonged to Robert E Lee. It is currently being restored to its former glory.

In the evening we walked around the Capitol Building with is the US equivalent of our Parliament House. Althogether a very solemn but marvellous day. Tomorrow we head off to the Sminthsonian Museum of Space and Flight and whatever else we can fit in.

12 May 2010 - On the road

Yesterday morning John and I picked up our hire car and returned to the Holiday Inn to pick up the girls. Our target was Wanamassa NJ, which is where John and Sandra lived for 6 months while John worked nearby. After escaping the NY traffic we made good time and in no time we were standing in front of John and Sandra's old house. A few photos later we were on our way to the boardwalk in Asbury park. Spent the afternoon driving through the New Jersey countryside and eventually found a suitable motel with a fantastic diner next door. Mission accomplished.

Today we left fairly early en route to Philadelphia where we wanted to visit the place where the Declaration of Independence was written and signed and to have a look at the Liberty Bell. My eBay GPS unit handled all this without a problem and we had a great time visiting these famous places in Philadelphia. This afternoon we covered quite a few miles until it started to get dark and a bit rainy. We've just bedded down in a Holiday Inn on the outskirts of Washington.

10 May 2010 - New York

A big day today! We finally think we've worked out how the subway system works and this morning at 8am we caught a train to visit the Empire State Building. There aren't enough superlatives to adequately describe this experience. Apart from the sheer engineering facts about this building which was completed in 410 days in 1931, and the incredible view from the top, the beauty of the art deco finish inside the lobbies and the lift is overwhelming. It was a crisp, clear day and we had great views in all directions. Certainly one of the main highlights of the day. After a coffee in the Starbucks at ground level we caught the subway to Battery Park, right on the southern tip of Manhatten, where the ferries to the Statue of Liberty depart from. Things slowed down a bit at this stage as the queue for the ferries was about 1 hour long, but eventually, and after enjoying some of the buskers entertaining us as we waited we finally boarded the ferry. Approaching Liberty Island and then finally seeing the Statue close up was a very exciting experience. Unfortunately, since the 9/11 attacks access to the statue itself is limited and no tickets were available when we arrived. Despite this this visit was another highlight. From here we caught the next ferry to Ellis Island. Some 12 million immigrants were processed here up to about 1929. The installation has now been fully restored and is now an  immigration museum. We found this a very moving experience and once again a real highlight.

Tomorrow we pick up our hire car and drive to Wanamassa, NJ which is where John and Sandra lived for some time in 1983. From there we will continue on to Philadelphia.

9 May 2010 - New York

Arrived in NY yesterday and arrived at our hotel around 6pm. Which left enough time to head into Times Square to have a look at the lights and have some dinner. Unusually for this time of the year the weather here is quite cool and we had to rug up a bit. Today, with a full day ahead of us we started with a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the WTC twin towers. We followed this up with a three hour cruise around Manhatten island which is spectacular and unforgettable. From this cruise you can see most of the major landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Brooklyn Bridge. Once again it was quite chilly but an unforgettable day none the less. This evening we walked to Little Italy, which is just around the corner from our hotel and had a fantastic meal at one of the many Italian restaurants.

7 May 2010 - End of Cruise

Our last full day on the cruise and we are running about 8 hours behind schedule, due to the ship having to turn around to look for the crew member who jumped overboard. Despite this sad event the mood on the ship was quite festive with lots of special events. Dinner this evening was formal and most people dressed up for the occasion. We also attended a final variety show for the cruise and later in the night attended a parade through the Royal Promenade. Tomorrow we arrive back in New York and we expect to dock around 3pm. We then have three nights in New York which will give us an opportunity to see quite a few sights

5 May 2010 - San Juan, Puerto Rico

We arrived in Puerto Rico this morning while we were still asleep. Puerto Rico is effectively part of the USA and anyone born here is automatically a US citizen. Went ashore and joined a tour bus for a look around the town. As we only had about five hours here this was the best way to go. Had a very entertaining tour guide and we were very impressed with old San Juan. PR has a rich history and the influence of the Spanish here is immediately obvious in the architecture and the fact that nearly everyone speaks Spanish. We visited the Don Q rum shop and enjoyed free Pina Colada’s made with coconut flavoured rum – delicious. Back on board by lunch time and we sailed at 1:30pm. Later in the evening we received some sad news. After noticing a crew member was missing examination of the CCTV system revealed that he had jumped overboard just after 8pm. The ship was turned around and a search was initiated. The search was finally taken over by the US Coastguard and we were allowed to continue our journey to New York. We will however be arriving about 8 hours late which will throw a lot of people’s travel plans into chaos.

4 May 2010 - St Thomas

Arrived at St Thomas in the US Virgin Islands early this morning after a brief overnight trip from St Maarten. Like most islands in the Caribbean, the economy is totally dependant on Tourism. When a cruise ship with 2000 passengers arrive there’s a lot of competition for the tourist dollar. The biggest seller in St Thomas is jewellery. Street after street is filled with shops selling diamonds, gold, watches and perfume. After a few hours of window shopping we returned to the ship for lunch. Then in the afternoon the girls shopped some more while John and I travelled to the top of a nearby lookout by cable car. The view from the top was amazing and well worth the trip. An unexpected bonus was a show featuring trained parrots (macaws, galahs and cockatoos) performing some fantastic tricks including riding a bicycle across a highwire. We returned to the ship around 4 pm and the ship departed promptly at 5:30. We travel tonight to San Juan in Puerto Rico. Had a nice dinner tonight in the Magellan Dining Room. A bit like dining in a 5 star restaurant.

3 May 2010 - St Maarten

Arrived at our second port – St Maarten. The southern half of this beautiful island is part of the Netherlands Antilles. The northern half is French. When we woke up this morning and went to breakfast the ship had already berthed and in no time we were ashore. We organized a tour of the island which was pretty spectacular. It included a visit to the Princess Juliana airport which is famous for being right next to a beach. Approaching aircraft pass over the beach so low that you could almost touch them. We were very fortunate to be there when an Air France jet was arriving and we captured the whole thing on video. Our tour guide also took us to a nude beach but we didn’t feel like swimming so we continued on. Returned back on board in the evening and without anyone noticing it we departed again for our next destination – St Thomas which is part of the US Virgin Islands.

1 May 2010 - Bermuda

By the time we woke up this morning and went to breakfast, we were docked at King’s Wharf in Bermuda. We are located in the old Naval Dockyard which dates back to the 18th century. We explored this area for a while and then caught the bus to the capital city Hamilton. This bus ride provided the opportunity to have a good look at the island and we were very impressed. The quality of the buildings, the friendliness of the people and the sight of emerald blue water everywhere makes this a place you could easily spend a few weeks in. Although most people speak English with an American accent, Bermuda is actually British and cars drive on the left hand side of the street. The capital, Hamilton is an impressive town with beautiful historic buildings and interesting shopping areas. We dropped into an English pub for a Guinness before continuing with the shopping and then returned to the ship by about 3pm. The deadline was 4:30 and by 5pm we were underway again. Attended a terrific show at 7pm and had dinner at 8:30. The ladies attended a parade in the Royal Promenade while John and I enjoyed a cigar in the Connoisseur Club. Great finish to a terrific day.

30 April 2010 - Explorer of the Seas

First full day on the Explorer of the Seas. Started the day with a 3km walk on the treadmill in a beautifully equipped gym – then off to breakfast. Spent most of the day just exploring the ship and discovering all the things you can do. The facilities are just amazing. An incredible choice of food venues, bars and shops. Live music playing all over the ship. Can’t even count all the swimming pools and hot tubs – there is even a pool with a water slide. We are booked into an Ice Show which will be performed on the ship’s ice rink. There is a theatre the size of Her Majesty’s in Melbourne with free shows every night. All these facilities and the accommodation is located on 12 floors. We have been very impressed with the food. The Windjammer Café serves buffet style meals around the clock but you can also eat at your allocated restaurant – ours is the Magellan restaurant which provides a different a la carte menu every day. Today we are at sea all day – the seas have been very calm, and tomorrow we arrive in Bermuda. We should be docked by the time we wake up. We’re very impressed with everything including the quality of our accommodation.

29 April 2010 - Leaving NY - Off to sea

Left our  NY hotel at 10:30 for Liberty Dock NJ where the Explorer of the Seas is docked. Finally boarded the ship at about 1:30 and immediately went to the best buffet lunch we'd ever seen. Cabins were available from 2:30 and we were very impressed with the accommodation. Looks like we will be well fed and well rested. A bit overwhelming working out where everything is and all the facilities available but we have 9 days to get it right.

28 April 2010 - New York New York

When your are continually flying due east or west time ceases to have much meaning. We flew out of LA last night and arrived in New York at 5:30 this morning. We had already cleared immigration and Customs at LA and so we quickly collected our bags and hired a car to drive us to the Holiday Inn in Soho, New York. We were planning just to drop our bags off as we didn't expect our rooms to be ready at 6:30 in the morning so it was a pleasant surprise when we were able to check in and have showers. An hour later we were exploring the NY subway systems and shortly thereafter we arrived at New York's Grand Central Railway station which is one of the most spectacular buildings I've ever seen. From there we walked along East 42nd street and into Times Square where I took this picture:

From here we walked to take a quick look at Central Park. By then we were getting a bit weary as we were into our third day without any real sleep. After a quick lunch at one of NY's famous deli cafes, we caught the subway home. And arrived back at our hotel around 4pm. Bought a bottle of wine and a few beers to celebrate our achievement and we are now at 5:30pm ready to crash. Tomorrow we leave for the cruise ship at 11:00.

27 April 2010 - In the beginning....

Today is the first day of our big adventure. Picked up John and Sandra at about 10:30 and drove to Melbourne through pouring rain. Good time to be leaving. Dropped the car off at Jetport and arrived at Tulla with loads of time to spare. Here we are killing time waiting for the flight to Sydney.

Anyway, all proceeded smoothly and we soon settled into the 13 hour flight from Sydney to LA. It's a pretty long flight and I didn't manage to get any sleep. Because we were flying due east, before you know it is daylight again. Managed to catch this photo during the flight.

Eventually arrived in LA in broad daylight and found we had three hours to kill to our next flight. Spent some of that time in McDonalds at the airport.

22 April 2010 - Only 5 more sleeps!

On Tuesday 27 April, we fly to New York with our friends John and Sandra. From there we embark on the Explorer of the Seas for a 9 night cruise to Bermuda, St Maarten, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. After that we spend a few days in NY and then hire a car for a visit to Washington DC. Not sure what to expect in terms of internet access but if possible I will try to update this blog with highlights and pictures.
Only 5 more sleeps!