Author: Simon

Today was our last trip out…so were sent into space.

 

We were keen to test out the might of NASA against the Carnarvon Space Center that we visited in Australia (who you will remember had a cat and lots of equipment from Look Around You – see sometime in Jan/Feb)….

It was suprisingly quiet and we managed to get around alot of the exhibits….

Space Shuttle Atlanta….where Barnaby had a go at flying the shuttle, found out how to take a “Space dump” and we spotted a Sonic Screwdriver(?)….we also went on a Shuttle launch simulator..which didn’t quite live up to the hype and seemed to be a very wobbly seat and reminded us of driving long a farm track to the A-frame in Flagstaff.

 

We then took a bus ride out to the launch pads, which without rockets on them are not very exciting….but this led us to the Saturn V/Apollo missions exhibits….

 

Along the way there were numerous film presentations to “enhance” your visit and understanding. There was a mocked up Apollo 11 landing…or was it a mock up….or the real thing…..????

Hope you are enjoying the good weather in the UK!

Simon

Our last few days in Washington were quite quiet….

We ticked a few “major sites” boxes…..Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and The White House. We watched “Oceans 8” which was OK….and reminded us of our own major heist that we carried out at The Met, when in New York.

A 2hr 30m plane ride to Miami was delayed by an “over full” fuel tank, which needed to be emptied and then a cargo door, that was reported as “open” just as we blasted off down the runway…anyway we got here…..pictures tomorrow….

After the excitment of the Bobby Moore incident, we were all less than impressed with Philadelphia.

We did see an ex-olympic diver, dive from 80ft into a small swimming pool, as part of the Arts festival.

We did make some paper boats and float them down a temporary river, as part of the Arts festival.

We did see some Camels, goasts, sheep and a baby Wallaby, as part of the Arts festival.

We did visit the “Big Gay Ice Cream” shop.

We did see the Liberty Bell.

We did play Mini Golf for the first time since New Zealand (no change in winner, though).

We (well me and Barnaby) did go to the cinema to see a special showing of Genesis of the Daleks from 1975. (Top trip highlight, obviously)

We did enjoy a lovely day with Cat, James and Lily Morgan-Locke. (but forgot to take any photos!)

In some areas…We did feel like someone might “Pop a cap in our arses” if we didn’t watch out….

OK. We’ll get to the click-bait later.

On our last day in New York, we scaled the Empire State Building….especially proud of Jude, who doesn’t like heights….

Next we headed for the highlight of our trip (so far) The Museum of Mathematics…..well it’s not really a museum, more interactive sciencey/puzzley type exhibits…all part of our extensive home schooling routine.

On to the Brooklyn Bridge….and then somehow we got hoodwinked into visiting another dodgy ice cream parlour!!! However….this one came up trumps (100’s for Taste, Price, Physical Strength and Filling Factor)….Taiyaki Japanese Ice cream, with custard flavour fish cones….

Hat news…..all the staff at the Empire State Build had hats on (I didn’t get a photo)…apart from that, here is a picture of a hat shop.

Today we “ride the Amtrak from New York city to Philadelphia”. (And if you can tell me which song from one of my favourite artists the lyric comes from, well done, for using google)…….now we get to death of Bobby Moore.

We took an Uber from 30th Street Station to our AirBnb. Our driver, Omar, was originally from Gambia, and we were talking about football – “Why does everyone support Man Utd”? (who knows).

“I followed West Ham Utd, listened to Bobby Moore at the World Cup in ’66 on a small radio in the Gambia, he is an amazing defender, is he still involved in Football?”.

“No, I don’t think he is, well not since he died ages ago”

“Eh? What?”

“1993 he died”.

“You’re joking, I cannot believe this, I will tell my friends”

I didn’t get around to telling him about The Beatles splitting up, or that Keith Harris/Rod Hull/Su Pollard had died. However he did get a reasonable tip to console himself.

We celebrated with some beer (see his and hers size measures) and a portion of Fried Sprouts.

Good day.

We took a train from Providence to New York. The train conductors have been so helpful on all our train journeys, so far. This time he walked down through the train and told us he had 4 seats ready for us at the front of train, as he had seen us struggling on! Stick that in your GWR cigar and smoke it Brunel!

Arriving into Penn Station, was an experience, as was working out how to get across the river for less than the cost of a mortgage….anyway we arrived.

Here are some pictures from the end of our street:

Our first trip back across to Manhattan, based on a weather forecast of poor weather, we headed for The Metropolitan Art Gallery…..via a bus and the subway….Barnaby is a bit of an art buff, and we went straight to the European end of things, specifically Van Gogh and Picasso….

Next we wandered around Central Park, took in the (very good value) boating…next to the Lobe Boathouse

Alice then forced us to a (not very good value) Ice Cream place – apparently its where all the “YouTubers” go (?)

Further wanderings found Trump Tower (9 for Goldness, 8 for Security, 4 for Maximum Service Height and 55 for Physical Strength), Rockefeller Building (8 for Goldness, 1 for Security, 6 for Maximum Service Height, 75 for Physical Strength) and Grand Central Station (7, 0, 3, 85 + bonus 100 for trains)

On our last day in Toronto we took a short ferry ride across to Toronto Island(s). Here we hired bikes (again!) and enjoyed some beautiful weather and fine views back across the lake to Toronto…(note you can tell this was over a week ago, pre-haircut). NB you can see the islands on the CNN Tower blog….

Another great train ride, from Toronto to Montreal (no hats I’m afraid)…..and then Jude could slip into French mode, oooh laa laa. As it was “Start of the season day” (ie everything was cheap to do) at the “Old Port” we all Zip wired, Big Wheel, High roped and Science Museumed…

We visited the Notre-Dame Basilica….and gazed at the huge organ.

A short bus ride to the Mont Royal (A mountain apprently!!! About the height of Lansdown Hill)…..for a view of the city

Next a long bus ride from Montreal to Boston (about 9hrs with 1.5hr stuck at US Custom)…..We had but a single day in Boston…so we learnt what we could about how the “Locals” picked a fight with the King of England (George III) and won….slightly awkwardly we had to play the part of the “Boston Tea Party” oiks (thus anti Royals) and “throw tea” into the River…..most unpleasant. We also enrolled the kids at Harvard to cut out unecessary paperwork later…

Next we picked up a car and drove down towards Cape Cod…..hopefully I can con someone else into doing blog, it’s all got a bit slapdash and demob happy….

We’ve been very busy and couldn’t be bothered to write anything. I know this because we have been inundated with email from angry followers…

So Day 3 in Jasper and we sent rafting. Nothing too adventurous as 3 of us hadn’t really been before. 5 Miles down the Abalasca River….we did some splashing and some 720 turns and some of us (the non adventurous 3) jumped in….

Day 4 was preparing to get back on the train, but as we had already heard it was 8 hrs late, we didn’t have to hurry. A short trip to Lake Malingne…still frozen in parts…and a partially snowy walk to “Moose Lake” which was a lake, but no moose….we did see lots of different types of poo and a very friendly bird….

Back to the train….ok so it was supposed to be in Jasper at 16:00, but we already knew it was late….so we had a Hotel room for the night….but then the train arrived about 4 am, so we hopped on board…..just in time for breakfast…..train rattles on down the tracks towards Toronto for the next three nights…..arriving 9.30 Saturday….well maybe not, how about 13.30 Sunday?! Lucky we didn’t need to get anywhere fast!

Once your on board being late is part of the “experience”….anyway here are some picture of the insides….(of the train).

Next stop Toronto….

Day 2 in Jasper and we head out into the park following the “Icefields Parkway” (dramatic sounding name for “road along valley”).

Stop 1 Athabasca Falls…only a drop of 23 metres, but the volume of water was huge…

Stop 2 Sunwapta Falls…even tiddlier 18 metres….

Stop 3 for some 21% Turkey Ham (Furkey Fam) rolls and a very poor viewing point…

Stop 4 Athabasca Glacier – Very different from the Fox Glacier in New Zealand (which I though was mint).

Stop 5 Tangle Creek Falls – Three tiered waterfall that apparently freezes over in winter and you can climb up..there was still a little bit of snow on the top..

Stop 6 (unscheduled) Bear!!!!! If you see cars pulled up at the side of the road, it usually means “Wildlife” and sure enough along came a bear, crossed the road, nearly fell over a bush and then disappeared into the forest.

Sorry, no Hat news (not even one belonging to a Bear Trapper) and I still haven’t had my hair cut.

You do? Well thats lucky as we’ll be having lots of train/bridge/hat news over the next few weeks.

Train number 1:

Seattle to Vancouver. This isn’t like jumping on the 07:02 from Oldfield Park…….we were allocated our seats by a man in a big hat, another man (small hat) checked our passports, yet another “checked” (yes really) our suitcases in and then got some of his burly friends to load them onto the train. We were loaded in groups, no pushing/shoving/running for a seat…..

On board “Carter” (another man with a big hat) told us the train was “over booked, as they liked passengers so much” and we should therefore expect it to be full. The Amercian definition of a packed train, slightly different to the UK version.  Everyone had a seat, and could also go and sit in the free space in the “Panorama viewing car”. That said Freight trains have priority over here so it takes ages to get anywhere! Our bags were waiting for us when we arrived at Vancouver (they must have gone in a car or on a bicycle) and then a nice lady (no hat) at customs told the kids they were very lucky to be on the trip and they should thank their parents.

Train number 2:

Once in Vancouver we were greeted by a lady with a shopping trolley/carrying a skate board (cycling helmet hat) shouting at a lady security guard. Another security guard (a man) was hiding around he corner. What a coward! Boo, hiss. Anyway we brushed past them and headed for the Sky Train (yes really, it’s a train in the sky! [they’ll be investing in a Monorail next]).

This train was driven by an invisible driver (invisible hat too), and delivered us to the suburb of Burnaby, which Barnaby rather likes….

Today (Monday) we visited the Capalino Suspension bridge. This is 140 metres across, 230 feet up. Wobbles a bit. Jude was very brave (she doesn’t like heights), but was wearing her “I am very brave” hat today. There were also various tree/cliff walkways and a gift shop where we tried on some natty hats.

Some other highlights of our time in Seattle….

“Gum Wall” – so called “Art” installation where members of the public simply stick gum on a wall down a dark alley. Every two years it gets cleaned off and the public start again…but because it’s been going on for a long time its now called “art”. (a bit like Coronation Street/Eastenders are now referred to as “continuing dramas” as opposed to “Soaps” at the TV Quick awards).

Pinball Museum – an excuse for Simon and Barnaby to spend an afternoon in a room with about 50 pinball tables. Pay an entry fee and stay all day….