Sunday 23rd October

Today we drove about one and a bit hours to Harper's Ferry. This is a historic National Park at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers. There were several battles over the area during the Civil War and it is also the place where the famous abolitionist, John Brown, raided the US armoury to try and arm a slave rebellion that never happenned. He was caught and hung and this actually caused such an uproar that it was one of the triggers for the Civil War, that led eventually to abolition.

We did a short walk through fields (never seen so many grasshoppers and crickets!) and woodland to a lookout over the river and some old earthworks where we sat and ate a very tasty sandwich bagel made by Lizzy, before returning and getting the shuttle bus into the historic Lower Town.  There we looked around the John Brown museum before returning to the car park. 

We drove back to Baltimore and got ready to go out to a very special restaurant for our farewell dinner (Woodberry Kitchen). We arrived by Uber in time for our 7.45pm reservation but our table wasn't ready so we had a cocktail while we waited. The food was amazing! We shared four starters and then Iain and I had crabcake, followed by a creme brulee with roasted grapes which was wonderful. 

Monday 24th October

Poor Ryan had to be up at 6am but we rose rather later and Lizzy called us an Uber at 10.30am to take us to BWI. Unfortunately there was no available lounge (under reconstruction) so we had to wait until we boarded the plane at 1.45pm to get a free drink and nibbles! We are presently at Newark awaiting our evening flight to Manchester.

This is Ann....signing off!

Friday 21st October

Today we decided to stay in Baltimore with Lizzy who had taken a day off work again. It was another lovely sunny day, so we walked down to the Inner Harbour to go up to the 27th floor of the World Trade Centre building for some spectacular views. We then waited for a water taxi to take us to Fell's Point. This is a pretty area with lots of cafes and restaurants some way around the harbour area - it took about 20minutes with one stop at Locust Point and it was nice to see some of the buildings from the water. We had a nice lunch/brunch with Lizzy before walking to the Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden. The Sculpture Garden was much better than the one in DC and had both modern pieces and some by Rodin, Henry Moore and others. By the afternoon the clouds had started to roll in and we had just finished before the rain started. We really enjoyed the Art Gallery, especially the Asian and African, Modern and Contemporary sections. They also displayed several Mattisse, Van Gogh, Picasso, and lots of others. What I liked about it was the fact that it wasn't too huge and there were plenty of places to sit down while you looked at the pictures.

The rain had stopped by the time we left and got an uber back to Lizzy's flat. Lizzy and I then made Spanokopita and a nut/dried fruit/honey/boozey concotion to use up the rest of the filo pastry!

Saturday 22nd October

Today was 'Open Doors' in Baltimore which meant that a lot of buildings were open to the public. We walked around the corner to join a tour at 10.30am of the Hippodrome Theatre. The theatre covers what used to be three buildings and has an interesting mix of modern building and Victorian ornateness in the auditorium itself. Scantily clad women were posturing on the stage in a Body Building Competition which looked more like a beauty contest. All male judges, of course! Unfortunately, because of this, we weren't able to see backstage.

We then took the light rail up to the Mount Vernon area of the city and went to Enoch Pratt house and Maryland Historical Society building before visiting the grand Peabody Library. We walked several blocks admiring the varied architecture before visiting a strange little three storey house near where Wallace Simpson lived, stuffed full of artefacts and memorabilia from that era..

We had great sandwiches for lunch at the Fat Belly sandwich shop around the corner before calling an Uber to take us to the Aquarium. Ryan is a member so we got reduced rates but it is a large place and we needed all the three and a half hours to look round. I loved Lizzy and Ryan's favourite fish - the Look Down fish (very flat, silver with big eyes) and Long Horned Cow Fish but also the dark blue little Cardinal fish and the Striped Burr fish. We were lucky to catch a feeding session at the Australian exhibit and a feeding display as Archer fish shot water to knock crickets off a branch. At least one got away! We also saw two male dolphins and heard a talk about them as they played with their keepers. They also have six females but keep them separate. They are also preparing to send them to a larger, more natural area and not to replace them, which is good. 

We got back about 6.30pm and went out for an excellent meal at the Helmund (Afghan).

Thursday 20th October

Today we returned with our bag to Lizzy and Ryan's flat before taking the light rail (tram) to Penn station and then the train to Washington DC. We arrived around lunchtime and on our way down to have a look at the Sculpture garden we spotted some umbrellas down a side street and found an excellent place for to eat. Iain had an extremely good fish and chips and I sampled crab cake which was also very good. We then walked to the Sculpture garden which was  much smaller than I had expected. The weather was hot and sunny but with much higher humidity than previous days. We then visited the Newseum which Iain then spent the rest of the afternoon perusing, whilst I mostly sat around, although I did look at some of the exhibits; most notably one about 7/11. 

We met Lizzy outside the Folger at 5pm and went to a bar for a cocktail whilst waiting for Ryan to join us. We then went for dinner in the restaurant below before returning to the Folger to see a play. This was a really excellent and fun production of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. It was also interesting to see the reading room of the Folger during the intermission. We had to catch the Marc train at 10.30pm as it was the last one to BWI where Ryan had left the car, so we had to dash out before the applause started and get an uber to Union Station. We made it though, and got to bed about midnight. The uber system is very useful - it relies of GPS on mobile phones. One registers on the system and it uses a direct debit type system to pay for any ride the client books. The client looks on line and can see what cars are nearby and how much it would cost and can then request a particular car. The app displays the name of the driver, their rating and the numberplate of the car.

Tuesday 18th October

Today was warm amd sunny and we explored Baltimore with Lizzy, who had taken a day off work. We walked down to the Inner Harbour and went to the American Visionary Art Museum which was quite fascinating.

We looked around one wing and then decided to walk over Federal Hill to a little cafe for lunch, before returning and looking around the other building.

Afterwards we took a bag around to the Hotel Monaco where we are staying for the next two nights and, after an excellent dinner that Lizzy and Ryan prepared, we retired to the Monaco.

Wednesday 19th October

Today Iain and I took the bus from outside the hotel to Penn station and then the Marc train to Washington DC. This was a slow train and stopped at several places en route but it was interesting to see a bit of the surrounding countryside. It was hot and sunny and we walked down from Union Station to the Library of Congress, which is a very imposing building opposite the Shakespeare Folger Library. We met Lizzy outside and she took us to a very nice French cafe for some lunch before returning to work. We decided to take the Circulator bus around DC so as to get a feel of the place. We had to walk a fair way and had difficulty finding the stop so we were quite hot and sticky by the time we caught one, and glad to sit down! We alighted at the Lincoln Memorial and spent a little time looking around it as it was quite interesting, before hopping back on the Circulator up to Union station. We had an hour before we were due to meet Lizzy there but our feet were tired so we sat down and had a beer while we waited.
We took the light rail (tram) to BWI (Baltimore airport) where Ryan picked us up on his way home and we then went and had dinner at an excellent bar-be-cue restaurant called The Blue Pit.

Monday 17th October

We packed up after breakfast and decided to visit Louray Caverns before going to into Shenandoah. This was one of the best cave systems we have seen on our travels and althoughwe had to go on a guided tour, we were able to take our time. The lighting was very well arranged and showed off the numerous formations sympathetically so that one could take good photos without flash. There was also an underground lake that showed wonderfully the reflections of the stalactites above.

We then drove along Skyline drive to Stoneyman trailhead and did a short walk up to Stoneyman Summit for some wonderful views, before starting the three hour drive back to Baltimore, where we arrived around 8pm. As it was getting late, we had a very good takeout from a local Afghan takeaway which is very close to the flat.

Friday 14th October

Today we travelled to Baltimore (via Atlanta). Luckily they checked our bags right through as we only had 30 minutes to find and board our connecting flight in Atlanta, as the first flight was a few minutes late. We arrived in Baltimore and were very relieved to find our luggage had arrived and Ryan was there to meet us. We were very impressed with Lizzy and Ryans flat; it has twenty foot high ceilings, is in the style of industrial chic and is larger than we had thought. 

Saturday 15th October

We didn't sleep well because of the traffic noise and the tram horns but after a leisurely breakfast we packed up Lizzy and Ryan's car to drive to Shenandoah National Park for two nights. It took about three hours to get there and we then drove some way south down Skyline Drive and parked up to do a short walk up Compton Peak. It was only about 2 miles and 450 feet of climb and was on a lovely stony path through woodland, which at this time of year is displaying wonderful autumn hues. It was quite hot though and by the time we returned to the car and driven some way to our accommodation  it was dark. It was quite exciting driving down a gravelled road to collect the keys from a lock box, to open a large wooden gate which put us in mind of Jurassic Park!

The unmade road continued along the river and we eventually found our cabin which was quite difficult in the dark. We were delighted with it - it was beautifully appointed, with a large picture window facing the river, and a large deck with a hot tub, barbecue and seating. 

Sunday 16th October

The sun was shining on the Shenandoah River when we got up and we decided to do a longer walk but to be back about 5pm so we could enjoy the hot tub before it got dark. It was quite late by the time we had had breakfast and got organised, so we decided on the Rose River loop. This was a beautiful four plus miles with 750 feet of climb along rocky wooded trails to the waterfall and then along the river and up by cascades to Dark Hollow Falls where we joined a main fire road back through the trees. The autumnal colours were wonderful and we had lunch down by the Rose River falls, sitting on a fallen tree.
When we got back we all enjoyed the hot tub for a while before having a barbecue and salad.

Wednesday 12th October

Today we walked along five blocks to Louis Armstrong park where we sat and had an iced coffee whilst a rucksack full of laundry was being washed and dried. It is very hot but pleasant if you can find some shade. We then returned to Babana Courtyard and went to a local shop for a Po-Boy sandwich for lunch. These take their name from the sandwiches some philanthropists handed out to strikers on the railroad stike - 'Here's another poor boy'. We had been told that they were very good from this shop and there were! A hot French loaf with salad and loads of deep fried, battered prawns - delicious and undoubtedly very fattening! It was quite an experience as the shop was rather like a very busy Chinese take away and everyone was hanging around waiting for their food - all locals and no Americans or tourists. 

We just had time to consume our po-boy before our lift came to take us on a small boat swamp trip. We had a 35 minute drive east from the centre of New Orleans across one of the longest bridges in the world (23 miles) to Honey Island Swamp. It was very interesting seeing the differences between canal, river, bayou and slips as well as the wildlife; alligators, wild hog, golden orb spider, various egrets, kingfishers and herons. The Spanish Moss hanging on the trees sometimes gave the place an other worldly feeling. We had nearly 2 hours on the boat before returning in the minibus.

We then decided to walk down Bourbon Street, which at our end was very quiet and residential before becoming noisy, glitzy and full of tourists. We decided to eat up on a balcony so we could see the world go by, including a half naked woman with a parasol offering pictures for tips! We then ended up at the only place on Bourbon St that appeared to be playing jazz as opposed to cover bands and pop. We went to Maison Bourbon who had an excellent band playing traditional jazz standards; they were all really good musicians and the place was only half full!

Thursday 13th October

Having had a lateish night last night we decided to get a 3 dollar day pass for the trams and went down to the ferry across the murky waters of the Misissippi to Algiers Point which has some nice old buildings built after a catastrophic fire in 1895 which destroyed much of New Orleans. We went on several trams and stopped for some lunch near the French Market before returning home. We are going out to Loius Armstrong park shortly as rumour has it that there is music there this evening!

Sunday 9th October

Another lovely sunny day, although a bit frosty first thing, and we had a long drive, all the way down to Salt Lake City. The countryside was very varied with mountains giving way to fertile cultivated plains, lots of cattle and arid looking sloping hills which reminded us of sand dunes.

We also saw more of the red Triassic Chugstone and enjoyed the canyon of the Snake River as the road snaked beside it. At Evanston we joined the highway and actually found our hotel very easily! We then had a very good Mexican dinner just around the corner from the hotel.

Monday 10th October

We set our alarms for 6.30am and with the help of our invaluable sat nav found our way to the airport (about 20 minutes drive) and it was then very well signposted to car rental returns!

I had actually guessed the weights of the suitcases accurately this time and carried walking trainers and other shoes/sandals in our cabin luggage. Our flight was uneventful and we were picked up at New Orleans by our taxi driver Stanley. We had been told to phone him on the airport courtesy phone but he was actually there waiting and wondering where we were, which caused a little confusion. He was very knowledgable about the area and plied us with lots of information on the way. We arrived at Banana Courtyard, which used to be an old Bordello and also a Funeral Parlour once upon a time. It is now run by Miss Mary (and Hugh) and is stuffed full of antiques and curios.... how they keep it clean is a mystery to me! We have a small balcony and relaxed with a bottle of bubbly and some water melon before walking out to find somewhere for dinner. We wandered down to Frenchman Street which is full of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. We found a small place with a nice courtyard and sat listening to a pretty good blues singer/guitarist while we had a beer and shrimp jumbalaya - both very good! We then walked back up the street and ended up at a place called Maison who had a good band playing with a great female singer. We stayed there for a good while enjoying some wine and the music (I'm afraid I had to get up and dance - impossible to sit still!) before walking home for a good night's sleep.

Tuesday 11th October

Today after a continental breakfast downstairs (and they had marmite!) we decided to take the Hop on - Hop off bus tour around the city which was good. The guide was very informative and we drove around the French Quarter, CBD, waterfront and Garden District. We hopped off at the French Quarter stop in time to have some lunch (Gumbo - very tasty) listening to live music before joining a short walking tour of the area. Some of the houses are very beautiful - especially those with wrought iron galleries (with supports to ground level) or balconies.

We have booked a swamp tour for tomorrow afternoon and we will need some insect repellant, so we walked along Decatur Street (on the river side of the French Quarter) until we found the pharmacy. We then visited the Cathedral

and walked along the waterfront. After some difficulty we found the stop for the Hop on - Hop off bus which we took back to where we caught it this morning. I think we were both ready for a rest and a nice cup of tea (or coffee)!

Saturday 8th October

We woke to clear blue skies and sunshine so decided to circumnavigate Jenny Lake, about 7+ miles. The path through the woodland at the edge of the lake was lovely and gave us some beautiful views of te lake and the mountains. We had to do a detour at the south end of the lake as the trail was closed and the normal trail up to Inspiration Point and Cascade Canyon was also closed. so we ended up walking a longer trail up the mountain, very muddy and icy; but it was worth it once we got to the ridge above Inspiration Point. The trail was closed and our way was also blocked by a fast flowing stream of meltwater so we decided to retrace our steps back to Jenny Lake. We encountered a moose family on the way - a stag, doe and a couple of youngsters. Having crossed the river between String Lake and Jenny Lake we took a wrong turning and ended up having to retrace our steps for more than half a mile so over all we walked nearly 12 miles and climbed up several hundred feet. Our feet were a little footsore by the time we got back to our cabin and with only having an apple since breakfast I was ready for my five course dinner!

Friday 7th October

After snowing heavily last night while we had the most wonderful 5 course dinner (included in our package - apart from tips and drinks), by this morning it was melting fast and the sun kept trying to appear. After breakfast we drove around by Jenny Lake for some wonderful views of the Tetons 

before driving towards Jackson airport and around back to Jenny Lake Lodge. We also drove up Signal Mountain to a lookout over Jackson Lake and Jackson Hole (the valley).

At 2pm we were booked to go horseriding (also included) for 90 minutes. It was cold so we each had 5 or 6 layers on - I felt like Michelin Man but I was nice and warm! There were four of us and two wranglers (girl cowboys/hands). One guy had not ridden before and, before we set out, his horse decided to roll and went down on its haunches before rolling his back vigorously on the ground. Luckily he got off in time so no harm done! Our horses were very staid in comparison, thankfully, and just followed on, without us needing to give much direction. We rode past String Lake to Leigh Lake and back again with some lovely views and through beautiful pine forest.

By the time we got back the sun was out properly and we sat outside our cabin enjoying the view and the warmth.

Thursday 6th October

We planned to drive to Jenny Lake through Yellowstone as the East gate was open when I checked on the internet this morning. We were on the road by 10am and had an uneventful journey until nearing Yellowstone when it started being a bit snowy.

Thr ranger at the East Gate seemed to think we'd be okay so we continued through a winter wonderland until a snowstorm in the Sylvan Pass which was 'exciting'! The road around Lake Yellowstone was quite snowy

and the snow continued until we passed West Thumb when the sun came out, much to our relief!

We didn't see any bears but we did see a lonely bison a little bewildered that his grass had been covered with snow and an elk at the side of the road.

As we neared Jenny Lake it started snowing again and it continues as we sit in our lovely little cabin. Hopefully it will clear tomorrow and the forecast is for increasing sun over the next few days.

Wednesday 5th October

We both had a terrible night's sleep because of the traffic noise and the trains sounding their horns as they passed through Greybull all night! Who would have thought an out of the way place like Greybull would be so busy, and we didn't know when we booked that the railway was behind the houses on the other side of the street and our bedroom window faces the front and has very inefficient double glazing! 

Because the weather didn't look too good over the mountains we decided to drive up to Lovell to the Bighorn Visitor Centre and then up the canyon.

It was well worth a visit and the Bighorn Canyon was stunning. Sheer rock faces, towering cliffs, wonderfully varied colours of the stone and a river flowing in the bottom!

We ate our sandwiches gazing out on the canyon from the car as it was too cool to sit outside but the sun kept making an appearance and highlighted the colours of the rocks.

By the time we returned to Greybull the mountain road had reopened so we decided to drive up it for an hour

and we were rewarded with wonderful views of Shellcreek Canyon

as the road wound its way at the side of the river and on the way back we stopped at Shellcreek Falls which were lovely.

 I guess we will have an early night tonight and hope we will be so tired we'll fall asleep despite the noise!

Tuesday 4th October

It snowed last night and we had to de-ice the car before setting off this morning. The temperature was 33 degrees and the pine trees were dusted with snow but the roads were clear. As we came down south a few miles the snow quickly disappeared and temperatures rose to mid forties - but I was glad I had packed some cold weather clothing. We travelled down the scenic Franz Joseph highway over Dead Indian Summit, at 8,000 feet, to Cody. The mountain scenery was wonderful with deep gorges and many different shaped peaks.

Iain took the shot above from the side of one of the gorges - that's me on the bridge!
At Cody we did a shop as we are self catering again for a couple of days and had a bite of lunch in a little cafe/diner before heading east for 53 miles to Greybull. Here we have a small self contained cottage with sitting room/kitchen, bathroom with washer/drier, and bedroom; it is part of the motel but a bit further down the main road. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we intend to explore the Bighorn Mountains and Canyon.

Monday 3rd October

Today was cloudy and very wet and a lot cooler than previously. 

We decided to drive along the Lamar Valley and on to Mammoth Springs. We stopped at impressive Undine Falls on the way.

When we got to Mammoth we were met by a stag elk and his family!

We actually managed to walk the boardwalks around the Main Terrace without getting wet and drove around the Upper Terraces, stopping to eat some sandwiches in the car for lunch while the rain lashed down. I was glad of my bobble hat and gloves as we walked around!
The Terraces were quite different from other formations we have seen in the Yellowstone NP.

They are built up of travertine and coloured by the different thermophiliac bacteria that thrive at different temperatures; yellow and transparent like it hottest, while the orange, brown and greenish prefer it a little cooler. The best we thought was the Mound Spring and the Canary Spring but they were all fascinating.

 

 I loved the shapes and colours of the different crystal formations and where the odd twig or fern had become covered in calcite crystals.

Saturday 1st October

Today was overcast in West Yellowstone and soon turned to intermittent rain. After breakfast we went and shopped for food for a couple of days, whilst we were in a town with a largish supermarket. We then drove north and east through the park to Cook City where we are staying for three nights. Luckily when we stopped at Tower Falls

and the Calcite Spring the rain stopped and the sun tried to come out. The gorge was quite spectacular with sheer cliffs gouged out by the Yellowstone River.

We then drove to see the Petrified Tree (a redwood caught in volcanic eruptions and turned to stone)

before driving down the Lamar Valley to the north east exit of Yellowstone. Even though the clouds and rain were rolling in it was very beautiful and we saw several large herds of bison as well as deer and a big horned sheep by the side of the road.

Cook City is just what you'd expect from an old west town from the movies, and is mostly closed for the winter, but we bought some fresh farm produce from a couple who have a stall here every week (usually Sunday but just so happenned to be today). The sun came out in the late afternoon and we sat outside our little cabin with a cup of tea, playing bogle.

Sunday 2nd October

We decided that we would strike while the iron was hot, so to speak, and drive over the scenic Beartooth Pass today as the weather forecast was worsening. We had intermittent sunshine all morning as we drove the 48 miles from Cooke City to Red Lodge over what must be one of the most scenic highways in the world.

The pass itself is almost 11,000 feet high and had some snow on the ground but luckily not on the road. We stopped many times on the way to take photos of the wonderful mountain scenery and had lunch at a pub in Red Lodge.

On the return journey the clouds had rolled in and visibility was very poor. Partway down the pass we had a hailstorm which was quite exciting if rather deafening, but we reached Cook City safely.

Thursday 29th September

Today was intermittently cloudy and sunny and we decided to have an easier day.We drove through Firehole Canyon and then visited the lower Geyser Basin with the Fountain Paintpot and wandered around the boardwalk. We then drove around Firehole Lake Drive viewing the Great Fountain Geyser which unfortunately wasn't being very active. We then drove past Madison Junction to the impressive Gibbon Falls,

Beryl Spring and then parked at Artist's Paint Pots. There was a short half mile walk to the overlook where you could view the Paintpots which displayed wonderful colours.

There was also a fascinating white mud (?clay) pool of mud blooping away merrily.

We then went to Norris Geyser Basin and did the short loop around the Porcelain Basin, leaving the longer Basin trail until tomorrow.

Encountered a Bison jam on the way back but got some good photos of the herd and an old solitary male.

Friday 30th September

Today was another mostly sunny day and we did the Monument Geyser walk (Slightly over 2miles) which entailed a steep climb, through young pine forest, of 640 feet to the deserted geyser basin at the top.

we then revisited Norris Geyser Basin to do the 2 mile walk around the Black Basin which included Steamboat Geyser and Vixen Geyser both of which were spouting merrily.

We then decided to drive along the Norris to Mammoth road until the closure 5 miles up so that we could see the Roaring Mountain.