Days 18, 19 and 20: Saturday 18th, Sunday 19th, Monday 20th

Days 18, 19 and 20: Homeward bound

We were up so early that I even managed to wash my hair (and dry it!) and we packed up quickly and easily. And we were away!

It was a rather cloudy morning and firstly, we stopped to fill up Buddy's tank. Then we drove around Half Moon Bay. There was nothing much there, it seemed to me - but it was probably very nice when the sun shone. We stopped at the shopping center there and enjoyed(?) EggMcMuffins and (Paul) a Big Breakfast. Onwards, across the scenic route, where we stopped at Pumpkin Farms! I should've bought something but I didn't. I had wanted, very much, to taste some pumpkin pie, but they didn't have any.

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Next, we drove around the lakes along Interstate 280 (including the San Andreas Lake - over you know what!) and then rurned back to the Hillside Shopping Center, where stopped and bought a TRUCK from Toys R Us (we loved their trucks!).

Then, just up the road, to San Francisco International Airport.

We dropped off the car. We took out all our stuff and briefly turned around to pack it all onto a trolley. When we turned around again, the car was gone!! We didn't even get chance to say goodbye! Our total mileage for the trip had been 2622 miles.

Then we boarded the 'train' for the International Terminal. It was a little monorail-type thing - and there was no driver - just a robot voice telling us where the next stop was and to mind the doors!

The queue for check-in for flight BA284 was simply ridiculous. It took about an hour and a half to check-in, with us taking it in turns to leave the queue and go outside for a smokes. Then we walked around the shops and had a meal, which BA had kindly paid $6 each towards as the FLIGHT WAS DELAYED until (earliest) 7:00pm!! This was because the plane had been delayed for 3 hours on leaving Heathrow, due to a security scare. All very confidence-building!!

contemplation


our plane getting ready (nearest BA jumbo)




our last meal in the USA - served up in hanging baskets

We went through departure gate A4 at about 5:30-6:00. We had to take off our shoes. But they were still not boarding the plane at 6:30! But by about 7:00, we were making our way on board, to the same seats as we'd had on the outward flight. And they were still squashed. The plane taxied for a long way - right beside the Bay!! And then, after take-off, we flew low for ages over San Francisco, which I didn't much like. Get up higher!! We flew within an inch of Seattle and then straight up over Canada, Hudson Bay and Greenland. There was quite a lot of turbulence; more than on the flight from London. Dawn arrived over Greenland, but I'm not sure where the day changed. Our meal was as awful as on the outbound flight - probably worse. Hub and I had beef, beans and (what they passed as) dauphinoise potatoes, while Paul had pasta. There was cheesecake for dessert. And chocolate. I watched a bit of the new Stetford Wives movie, but it was junk and then I tried to sleep; to no avail. BA were VERY slow on providing water and we had to go and help ourselves. And then we had a (poor) continental breakfast an hour or so before landing. Then we had to hang around over Heathrow for quite a while. I didn't like that - there were planes all over the sky!!

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We had an uneventful landing at Terminal 1 though and then had to go down steps to get off the plane (eek) and then walk MILES to the baggage claim. We collected our bags quite quickly and then went outside and phoned Nick and Dad. We also phoned the Purple car person, who collected us in his little bus and took us to our (very old and small) car!! Then we drove to the Sheraton and a room in virtually the same place as the first one. Nearly fell asleep immediately, but we managed to watch the Ryder Cup to the point where Monty won it for us, before becoming comatose and sleeping for a full 12 hours!!

full circle!

The next day, we drove straight home. Still jetlagged.

What an adventure. What a WONDERFUL trip!

I shall need to rewrite a lot of this report - especially the later chapters, as I have rushed them. However, it is very doubtful that I can EVER adequately describe the great trip we had. We loved everything about it. We learnt a lot about the American way of life (so similar to ours!) and saw probably some of the most glorious places we're ever likely to see in our lifetimes. An amazing experience - with memories to last us a long, long time.

Some observations

American taps turn in the opposite direction to ours.

American light switches switch up for on and down for off.

Their flush toilets are great.

Their electrical sockets; not so great (positively dangerous)

They have yellowy-orange road markings, unlike our white.

Some road signs are new - namely, "Wrong Way", "Yield" and "Bump".

Americans drive much more carefully than most Europeans.

They have wonderful 'sandwiches'.

Their lemonade/vanilla ice-cream taste completely different to our.

Their TV sucks (the ads completely ruin the programmes).

(The Weather Channel loves a good old hurricane!)

(Where was PBS?)

Americans are more friendly and more polite than we are.

But we are very similar.

In fact, this visit to the US was the less 'foreign' place I've ever been. Perhaps it has a little to do with the fact that we speak the same language (sort of), but, I think, more to do with culture. In France and other countries in Europe, you know you're abroad - we felt at home in the USA.

I'm sure more will follow as I think of them!

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[ Introduction ] [ Day 1 ] [ Day 2 ] [ Day 3 ] [ Day 4 ] [ Day 5 ] [ Day 6 ] [ Day 7 ] [ Day 8 ]
[ Day 9 ] [ Day 10 ] [ Day 11 ] [ Day 12 ] [ Day 13 ] [ Day 14 ] [ Day 15 ] [ Day 16 ]
[ Day 17 ]

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