the Jeep!!!

So we thought we had posted this photo yesterday - but it seems to have disappeared... so here it is - the BIG car!!!

Seafood Chowder...

***Miles travelled Today: 164

***Total Miles: 296

***States travelled through: Mass, Maine

...when we got up this morning it was raining - and it has rained all day... but up to now the weather has been great!!! Anyway we set off through Portland, and found the 'Whole Food' store... WOW!!! For anyone who has been to the USA - you will know what we are talking about... it was rather overwhelming... but we found some bits and pieces... I don't know about 'not looking like a tourist'... how can you not... any way, we found a very helpful assistant, and between us went back to her about seven times asking various questions... we said, "that's what happens when you're nice to the English tourists, we will keep coming back to find you!!!"

We made our way up the coast and stopped at the Rockland Cafe... where we sampled THE most amazing seafood chowder... after this well deserved break we carried on up the coast towards Bar Harbour... stopping several times along the way to take photos... YES!!! There are already loads of photos... (Lins - we know you are following the blog... and YES - you will have to look at all the photos when we get home - simply following the blog does not exclude you from that luxury!!!) Anyway - we thought we would post a picture of the BIG car... yes, it is going to use more petrol, but it is a really nice car, and really comfortable... and big enough to sleep in should we run out of cash towards the end of our three months!!!

We're getting dab hands at just stopping at hotels, walking in and asking if they have a room... so we are staying at the Best Western... which is really nice, as we signed up for their reward scheme before leaving the UK - they give you 10% off your stay... so we're saving money already!!!

Suzi - you need to look for BAR HARBOUR on the map for your next sticker!!!

on the move...

***Miles travelled today: 132

***States travelled through: Massachusetts, Maine

...and so our trip begins... we made our way back to the airport to collect our hire car... only to be informed that their system only had us booked for 31 days and that we were returning the car to Boston!!! Anyway... with an extremely helpful, YES - helpful woman assisting us, as our voucher had all the dates and the fact that we are delivering the car to Seattle in 70 days... it was eventually all sorted out!!! and... we then ended up with an upgrade... as we are going to be 'living out of it', for the next ten weeks... so we now have a 4x4 Jeep... which we are now trying to figure out miles to the gallon and how many litres in a gallon... maths was never our strong point!!! (If my Pops was still around he would have an answer for us!!!) Anyway... it's lovely... all the better to be travelling through all the National Parks we intent to do!!!

... an hour or so into our 'drive', as we are armed with trip tik map printouts (from AAA), a map book and a Tom Tom (which has been christened Tam Tam)... there were a few disagreements on which way we should be going... Jay seemed to believe that Tam Tam was right and not Linz!!! I was trying to be humorous when I said, "You've known me for 20 years and Tam Tam for less than ten minutes and you would rather believe her!!!" Anyway... Jay was fantastic... and we managed to get out of Boston without incident - even driving an automatic car!!!

We stopped off at Salem for a few hours this afternoon and then made our way to Portland... we actually just walked into the Best Western hotel and asked if they had any rooms available for tonight... as easy as that!!! Thankfully they did!!! We then did an evening drive out to watch the sunset...

PS: Thanks to everyone for posting comments...

...and Suzie... you can put your next sticker on now... look for PORTLAND!!!

(have just noted that our posts are still going on with UK time/date settings... so this is Friday the 7th!!!)

Boston by foot...

WOW!!! We have had yet another busy day... first of all we did a harbour cruise... and then made our way through to the market area... which was, to say the least - just unbelievable... we then walked along 'The Freedom Trail'... not having previously known very much about American history, it has been amazing to discover and explore... we then made our way down to Boston common, where we found the statue of the ducks... (we have posted the photo especially for the little people following our blog, Suzie, Jack and Ellie!!!) Then we had a picnic on the Common, and just a relaxing afternoon, topped off with a sedate trip on the swan boats... Boston is such an amazing city, we would recommend it to everyone!!! We are getting ready to make tracks tomorrow, we will be collecting the car in the morning, and making our way up the coast... We have purchased a Tom Tom... for Jay... and a map book... for me... and tomorrow - when we get into the car and set off... we have NOWHERE booked to stay!!! Which, right now, I am a tad stressy about!!! Although our holiday began on Monday, and we have done so much in Boston, it really feels like tomorrow is the beginning of our journey across the states...

48 hours in Boston... and knackered!!!

Wow!!! What haven't we done in Boston!!! Two days hopping on and off the trolleys... seeing all that there is to see... most amazingly... we got to see the Red Sox win at Fenway Park!!! Jay was so excited... I didn't know how much she knew about baseball - and she didn't know I knew nothing at all!!! The vibe was amazing!!! Hopefully the photos tell a story... at 18h30... the stands were still relatively empty as the heavens had opened... but when those words 'Play Ball' resounded across the stadium... it suddenly filled up... with thousands of people... we tried to get some pictures of the action... however... they didn't take time out to pose for us!!!

Anyway today we started with a trip to the Skywalk... a 360 degrees view around Boston... 50 floors up... how amazing...

...we then had an amazing lunch at 'No Name' Restaurant...

One of Jay's wishes for this trip is to get to speak to Americans and 'simply be'... our waiter was fondly called The Professor, a Greek immigrant to Boston, who has various degrees and teaches teenagers who have been excluded from schools... this was a fantastic start to our trip...

(Hey folks... we're still figuring this blog thing out... and the photos have been uploaded in the opposite order than intended... Mike H... THESE are the Red Sox pictures from last night... a bit more interesting than simply looking out the bleechers bar!!!)

Red Sox

...we have been so busy today... doing absolutely all sorts... but the most fantastic thing is that we were able to get tickets for the baseball match on tonight between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels!!! Us and 38 000 other people!!! We actually sat in the 'Bleechers Bar' which looks out onto the diamond from the bleechers end... and watched them doing their warm-ups!!!

First 24 hours in Boston...

... although we have been in Boston 24 hours, we are simply cutting and pasting from our electronic diary, as we didn't have internet access yesterday...

MONDAY 03.05.10:

Although we had booked in online – we still left early this morning... just in case... “In case what???” Just in case we break down, we get a flat tyre, there are road closures!!! Anyway we got to the airport really early and we were too early to drop our bags off – which was fine as it gave us time to enjoy a pre-road trip breakfast with two very special friends, who felt like they themselves were actually going on this holiday!!! We were finally able to drop off our luggage and go through into duty free – waving a final goodbye... and off we went... into duty free and beyond!!! We didn’t spend too much...

We had a great flight... arriving in Boston at 13h30... we have to keep reminding ourselves that we are five hours behind the UK... we caught a taxi to the hotel which was really weird – as there seems to be a whole road system under the city buildings... kind of like loads of wide tunnels... On arrival at the hotel we simply dropped off our luggage and decided to go off exploring – armed with a map, we walked across the road from the hotel to Boston Common – we were sitting having a chat and the skies were growing darker by the second – but we just kept chatting about our impending travels... when suddenly the wind just whipped up around us... and everyone was getting under cover, at this point a branch broke off the tree under which we sitting and dropped down on us... this was the sign to make a move!!! Given the time of year all the trees are blossoming, it was just lovely to watch all the blossom flying on the wind... anyway this gave us an excuse to find somewhere for a drink... so we ended up in a French Bistro!!! Having looked at the map, been all touristy and asked the waiter where we were on the map, we went off to the tourist information... where we left with an armful of leaflets and maps and we have booked ourselves on a trip tomorrow with the ‘Old Town Trolley Tours’... we stopped for a quick bite to eat...at a small burrito cafe... where it took us ages to figure out the menu in terms of how to order – some friendly Americans took pity on us and explained the whole process!!! On getting back to the Hotel, although it was only 18h00, it was 23h00 to us... and we were pretty tired... so after a relaxing bath, we were early to bed... waiting for the day to begin tomorrow, when we would explore in earnest...

Big Bruv...

Okay... so the next post is not from Boston... me and my big bruv... who cannot quite believe this unplanned holiday is SOOO planned!!! (Having had a look at our planner!!!)

Bon Voyage Lunch...

No!!! We're not going to France - but I don't know an American equivalent!!!

We're at Duncs and Freds for our final lunch before venturing across the ocean!!!

We have now done all the packing, we're actually under weight... space to buy stuff!!! We have had our 'planner' bound... not that every stop is planned, but there are lots of suggestions of places to go and things to see... which probably weighs a few kilos!!! Suzi and Mom have there maps, with stickers and pins... to follow our trip!!!

Suzi has done a lovely American card for her aunties to take with...

... we are having a lovely champers toast to out trip...

and then we will be on our way...

staying at Janice and Marina's tonight - so that we will be off to the airport early in the morning - just how early - I don't think they quite know!!!

Thanks to everyone for their comments, cards, e-mails and texts... wishing us a happy holiday!!!

Our next entry will be from Boston!!!

lists... lists... lists...

We have finished work!!! For three whole months!!!

Today has been a very busy day... cleaning house, tidying the garden... last minute washing and ironing... final 'things' that just needed to be bought... a visit to the bureau de change... oh - and of course a two hour visit to the beautician...

Oh - and of course packing... and the voice from next to me says... "Oh we haven't packed yet!!!" Let's just say then that everything is ready to be packed!!!

...and we still have a long list of lots of little things that still need to get done!!! But in the meantime we are sitting at a free wi-fi place, relaxing, having a drink and watching all the people go by!!! (As if we won't be doing enough of that over the next few months!!!)