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Portland and surroundings.

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Portland is my favorite American city. Why? There are many reasons but lets start from the beginning. With population of just over 2 millions it is the largest city in Oregon and the third largest in the Pacific Northwest (after Seattle and Vancouver). It makes it just about the right size, not too big, not too small. You still have plenty of city attractions and general urban feel but you don’t have to fight the concrete jungle like in the LA, New York or Chicago. It lies on the banks of river Willamette just before it empties into the mighty Columbia river. Its compact downtown is located on the west side of the river and it’s surprisingly walkable. Street blocks are small and grid pattern makes it easy to navigate. If you tired of walking you can always make use of the excellent public transport network. It includes buses, light railway(MAX), streetcars, even aerial tram, and is free to ride in the central zone.

Cycling is another great option. Portland has one of the best cycling network in America and its citizens are keen cyclist. Nowhere in America I have seen so many people cycling. Portlanders are friendly bunch, keen on recycling, good beer, outdoor and, as I mentioned above, cycling. In other words all sort of activities people don’t normally associate with the United States.

Portland lacks one single major tourist attraction but there are some sights worth visiting. Being an infrastructure geek, the first thing I went to visit was Portland Aerial Tram. It is commuter tramway which connects south waterfront and the major university hospital and campus. It costs $4 for return journey and climbs over 150 meters in about 3 minutes. From the top station you can see an amazing panorama of eastern Portland and surrounding mountains. Another great attraction worth some time to explore is Powell’s City of Books. The largest independent bookstore in the United States. It occupies the full city block and offers 6300m² (almost 68000 square feet) of the floor space, full of new and used books stored side by side. It is a real labyrinth where color coded maps, available at the front desk, are essential. Great fun for anyone who likes books.

Of course there are some museums and galleries but I didn’t bother with exploring them. Instead I decided to soak the city simply by exploring some of the nice neighborhoods. One of the best of them is North West Portland. It is in a walking distance from the downtown and is full of the old houses, restaurants, pubs, bars, shops and trees lining the streets. You can feel great communal spirit there. For example hostel where I was staying had agreement with the local pizzeria so any unsold pizza, at the end of day, was offered for free to the hostel guests. In the same way we got free bread rolls from the local bakery. All we had to do was to find a volunteer who wants to walk about 5 minutes to collect them. Portlanders just seems to hate waste.

HI-Portland Hostel, Northwest, is well worth recommending. Located in the old wooden house it is very clean, quiet and well run. It is great place if you are looking for good sleep and good company but not necessarily for party atmosphere. If you want some party, or at least some drink, there are plenty of options alongside NW 21st Avenue which is just few minutes away from the hostel. Speaking of drinking, it is worth remembering that with 28 breweries Portland has more breweries than any other city in the United States. It is in fact place where in the 1980s microbreweries craze started.

Short walk or MAX ride west from NW Portland lies Washington Park. It covers over 50 hectares of mostly steep and wooded hills ranging in elevation from 60 to 260 meters. Somewhere there are major tourist attractions like Oregon Zoo, International Rose Test Garden (one of the Portland nicknames is in fact The Rose City), Portland Japanese Garden and few others but I didn’t find them. Here I have to admit that I got a bit lost while exploring the park. I simply underestimated its size, complicated terrain and how densely wooded it is. But I still had nice afternoon just walking around trying to find my way back and escape coming rain. Washington Park is just smaller brother of the Forest Park which covers over 2000 hectares and is one of the largest urban wilderness parks in the United States.

But I left the best aspect of this amazing city for the end. It is its location. And what a great location it is. If you look from any high point in the city (like Aerial Tram top station) you can see not one, not two, but three massive, snow covered volcanoes. They are Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier. On a sunny they they look absolutely spectacular.

About two hours drive in opposite direction you can reach Pacific coast. With some spectacular wild beaches it offers great options for weekend getaways. One of the closest and the best places for one day visit is Canon Beach with landmark rock formation called Haystack Rock and adjoining Ecola State Park which offers great hiking and coastal views. South of Portland rural Willamette Valley is one of the best vine growing regions in the United States.

But in my opinion the best approach to Portland leads from the east. I was driving all the way from Idaho and for the last 200km road hugged the mighty Columbia river. Initially the landscape is wild, bleak and open but as road approaches Cascade Mountains the river valley narrows and Columbia River Gorge begins. It is absolutely fantastic place. I left the main interstate highway which follows the river at the bottom of the gorge and choose the Historic Columbia River Highway instead, which traverses and climbs high cliffs of the gorge. It is twisty and narrow route which is popular among cyclist and motorized tourists. Some sections are closed for cars altogether and open only for cyclist and walkers. One of these closed sections includes narrow tunnels, drilled in the basalt cliffs, which contain windows offering view of the valley.

One of the best views along the route are from the Crown Point. But the great vistas are not the only attractions of the gorge. As river cuts its way through the Cascade Range you can notice change of the vegetation. Bleak dry vegetation of the eastern Oregon is replaced with the lush vegetation of the Pacific coast. It happens because Coastal Range is a major watershed blocking humidity from the ocean from reaching further inland. Byproduct of that are numerous, (over 77 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone) and spectacular waterfalls. Probably the most spectacular of them (and definitely the most photographed) are Multnomah Falls. If you browsed any guidebook to Oregon the chance is you have already seen it. It is the one with bridge in front of it.

Immediately east of the gorge lies Hood River. It is a nice small town, local center of major fruit growing area. On the steep streets you can find nice cafes and restaurants serving food made of the local products. From above the town you can see massive, cone shaped, Mt Hood looming above this lovely rural idyll. It is simply small and happy town.

All these wonders are no more than two hours from the downtown Portland. It makes it perfect place for the outdoor lovers. At the end it is the city where companies like Nike or Columbia Sportswear started and are still located. It is not a coincidence. For me, it is probably the only city in the United States where I could easily relocate from London 😉

So if you are looking for relaxed and easy going place to spend some time on mixed urban – outdoor holiday, Portland is the perfect place for you. Just pack some good walking shoes and rainproof gear, leave tie and fancy clothes at home, and you ready to go. You won’t be disappointed.

Wyoming

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Wyoming is big. Very big. It is actually damn huge. And empty. I was going to visit only the north western corner of Wyoming which is of course the world famous Yellowstone National Park. But to get there from the Salt Lake City I was crossing all its length from the south to north. It is a long and lonely drive. Views on the way are less dramatic than in Utah as there are not so many impressive geological formation. It is rather gently rolling landscape and settlements (it is difficult to really call them towns) are few and far between. In a way, that’s how I always imagined a road trip in the USA. And probably because of that I absolutely loved Wyoming. It was like being in a movie set. Empty, wide road, good music, big sky. Perfection. The only problem was that it all made me drive a little bit to fast. Fortunately the local sheriff was a nice guy so I only got polite warning. Apparently I was the fourth European tourist he stopped that day. It is probably something in those wild landscapes and open spaces which gives us some sort of, hmm… freedom.? I know, it sounds pathetic but I think that what it is. A bit of extra kick.

Eventually after all day drive I arrived to Jackson. It is a very unusual town. An urban (however small) oasis in a generally rural and conservative state where mining and ranching are the main industries. Jackson felt more like a Californian town. In fact, quite a lot of its population are formed by ex-pats from either the west or east coast. And you can see and feel it. Nice coffee shops, galleries, outdoor shops, trendy boutiques and restaurants, all this make you feel like somewhere in the northern California or Oregon. But don’t be fooled. When you enter, for example, an outdoor shop, next to the sleeping bags you can find the gun section. And I mean some really big guns.

As interesting as it is, Jackson always will be mainly gateway to the two great national parks. Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I entered Grand Teton on a glorious sunny morning. The most impressive feature of it is the Grand Teton Range. The steep rugged mountains, raising 7000 feet straight from the flat valley floor, makes amazing and lasting impression. You can find pictures of them in virtually every guidebook, calendar or coffee table book about the USA. And, to be honest, I understand why. I even took the same shots you can find in all these publications. I just couldn’t resist, even if I knew it was a total lack of imagination.
The most popular attraction of the park is Jenny Lake. There is nice and easy circular trail around it, but I hiked just part of it and then climbed a bit higher to one of the side valleys and to Inspiration Point. From there you can admire great view of Jenny Lake and all the Jackson valley. It was very nice hike but at some point I had to go back. There was just to much snow to continue higher. If you are too lazy to hike around the lake you can take the miniature ferry (or rather boat) across it.

However spectacular, Grand Teton is just small brother of the real big attraction. The Yellowstone. Probably everyone knows something about it. Geysers, bisons, waterfalls, these are all images we see when we think of Yellowstone. It is all true, but what struck me first was how big and wild the park actually is. Grand Teton and Yellowstone border each other but driving between them involves a good two hours to get to some sort of facilities. In the meantime I crossed the continental divide twice, seen lake covered with ice (in June) and a lot of snow on the side of the road (some of the viewpoints were still closed due to the high snow banks blocking them).

There are plenty of accommodation options in the park. Campgrounds, lodges, hotels, you name it. Being on a budget I went for camping of course. Seeing all the snow at the higher elevations I opted for the Madison Junction Campground which is one of the lower ones in Yellowstone. It is also conveniently located not too far from the major attractions like Geyser Basin and Canyon Area. It is a huge campground, with over 350 sites, but all nicely dispersed in the forest (which protects from wind) and just yards from the Madison River. It didn’t feel crowded at all and you could even see wildlife right outside of your tent. No, I didn’t see any bears but one evening there was small herd of bison roaming between the tents. Just have to be careful when going to the loo. Unfortunately, nights were cold. Even using sleeping bag liner, which I bought after experiencing cold night at Bryce NP, didn’t help much. So I was up and running fairly early in the morning. On the up side, morning is the best time to see the wildlife. This is the time when you can experience “the bison jams”. Bison simply walk on the road and you just have to patiently drive behind them or very slowly and carefully overtake them. Possibly when they decide to eat some grass on the side of the road.

On my first full day in Yellowstone I went to see the biggest attraction of the whole park, the geysers. Two third of the world geysers are in Yellowstone and the biggest concentration of them is in the upper geyser basin where the famous Old Faithful is located. It is called Old Faithful because it erupts fairly regularly and the park service posts predicted eruption times at the visitor center. It is also real magnet for the crowds. Actually, crowd is probably even better indicator of the coming eruption than the park service notices. If you see the crowd growing, with all the benches occupied, it means the eruption is coming. Sometimes it looks more like Oxford Street on a sale day than national park. Fortunately there are plenty of geyser in a walking distance from the Old Faithful. For some of them park service also posts the predicted eruption times but they are not as reliable as the big daddy. Anyway, if you have all day to explore the area you will probably see some spectacular eruptions without the crowds. Apart from the geysers there are plenty of other geothermal wonders. Hot springs, multicoloured thermal pools, mud volcanoes, it all creates very interesting landscapes. They are especially concentrated in few areas inside the park which are called basins. Some of these basins look absolutely amazing, especially in the cold mornings when they are full of steam rising from the thermal features. You can feel like you are on some alien planet.

But geology is not the only attraction in Yellowstone. There is also plenty of wildlife. I mentioned bison walking down the road or roaming between the tents. But it is only tip of the iceberg (although very visible) There are also bears, elks, dear, wolves plus many species of birds and smaller mammals. The best place to watch wildlife in the park is the world famous Lamar Valley which is often called American Serengeti due to the abundance of the big mammals. One of the most famous residents of Yellowstone are wolves, reintroduced to the park few years ago. And the biggest concentration of them is in the valley. It is in the northernmost part of the national park next to the Montana border. Marshes on the flat valley floor offer great grazing grounds for elk, bison and dear, and they are the main prey for the wolves. Unfortunately to see them one have to get up about 3am and have good lenses or binoculars. Good knowledge of local terrain and a lot of good luck helps as well. I didn’t have any of the above so I haven’t seen wolves. But I’ve seen even more bison plus some elk and dear. Now I can imagine how American West looked like before the arrival of white settlers.

The last part of Yellowstone where I spent some time was the area around Canyon. It doesn’t offer geothermal attractions of the Old Faithful area and wildlife is far less common than in Lamar Valley but there is one spectacular site worth visiting: the Yellowstone River Canyon. It is a deep, narrow, steep, V-shaped valley which river cut through the soft volcanic rock. To add attractiveness there are two impressive waterfalls (the best in spring when snows are melting) and rocky canyon walls have spectacular bright colours (yellow, red, orange) which are created by minerals from the hot springs. It is definitely worth going down into the canyon using one of the short but steep trails which lead to the viewpoints just above or below the waterfalls.

Driving between different areas of the park involves crossing some very high mountain passes. Always check before visiting if all the roads you want to drive are open. Especially on the road from Lamar Valley to Canyon and from Grand Teton National Park to Old Faithful area, I have seen high snow banks on the side of the road even in the middle of June. The first of these roads is also very steep and curvy. Think twice when you drive the RV. And if you want to camp take warmer sleeping bag than you think you need. You will need it.

Wyoming in general, and Yellowstone region especially, are well worth visiting. They offer some typical American experiences: great outdoor, wild west, cowboys, wildlife, open space and the big sky. I could say it is my favourite US region. But I would be lying. There is still Pacific North West. That’s where I was heading next. But more about it the next time.

Utah

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Utah is an amazing destination for people who like the outdoor fun. My trip there started actually in the urban jungle of the metropolitan Los Angeles. It is simple much cheaper to fly there than anywhere in Utah itself.

It was all great until I left the car rental company depot at the airport. The first moments of driving on the notorious LA freeway network can be intimidating, frightening but also exiting in the same time. It takes a moment or two to get used to drivers totally ignoring the road rules, indicators or speed limits. And all this on roads with 12 or more lanes of bumper to bumper traffic with cars going well over 80mph, overtaking on the inside and on the outside, changing lanes just inches in front of you and so on. The only way to survive, is to behave in the same way. Fortunately it comes easier than you might imagine. It was Friday before the long memorial weekend, when half of the Americans travel somewhere, so the situation was particularly bad. Fortunately my local friend, using highlighter pen and a road atlas of California, showed me a route which avoided the main highways and went through the local desert roads instead. Thanks to him, in just a few hours, I was able to move from the densely populated metropolis to the open desert landscapes. In one and half day I blasted through deserted parts of California, Nevada, some short stretch of Arizona and arrived to southern Utah.

And what a great state it is. I started exploring it from the Zion National Park. The main attraction there is a canyon which the river Virgin carved through the multicoloured sandstone formations. I won’t be describing all the geological details here. First because it is boring for most of the people, and second because I forgot the details of my geology classes a long time ago. But even if you can’t say the difference between the sandstone and the granite you will still be stunned by all the wonders of Zion. There are plenty of good hikes for everyone. For the lazy or not very healthy ones I recommend the Riverside Walk which is no more demanding than a stroll in the London’s famous Hyde Park but offers close contact with the narrow section of the canyon. Unfortunately it also offers close contact with the hordes of tourists. Fortunately, there are some short but steep hikes leading away from the crowd, like for example Weeping Rock Trail.

If you are fit and don’t have agoraphobia I strongly recommend the Angels Landing Trail. It is a steep and strenuous walk where you gain 1500 feet of elevation in the distance of 2.5 miles. First you fight the many switchbacks which you think will never end and then you arrive to the best part of the trail. The last few hundred feet of it are formed by chains, steps cut into the rocks, and ridges as narrow as three feet. I love this sort of trails offering extra adrenalin. Views from the top are well worth all the efforts, but remember to take plenty of water (not available anywhere on the trail), sunscreen and start early. Zion NP is quite low and can get unbearably hot during the midday.

The cheapest form of accommodation around is camping, which also allows you the closest contact with nature. Try to get your spot early. Park campgrounds fill up quickly and you might end up like me, camping somewhere on the public lands out of the park, which is OK, except for the fact there are no facilities.

Zion NP is one of the most popular parks in the National Parks system and because it is also one of the smaller ones, it can get very crowded. Fortunately it is also the only park in the US which bans individual cars (at least in the summer season) and offers public transport instead. Anyway try to avoid weekends.

The next great national park of my trip was the Bryce Canyon. It is just a short (about two hours) drive from Zion NP but the landscape there is completely different. Bryce lies at 8000-9000 feet above the sea level, which places it over 3000 feet higher than Zion, and makes it a much cooler park covered in large parts by the pine forests. Like in Zion, the main attractions of the Bryce Canyon NP are the geological formations. These are called Hoodoos, a kind of rock pinnacles formed by specific erosion processes. Again, lets skip the detailed geology classes (as you know my memory by now). They form landscapes which looks like from the fairy tales. It is all the most impressive around sunrise or sunset, when the long shades and warm sunlight form a magical atmosphere. I recommend to hike down to the formations early in the morning using the combined Navajo and Queen’s Garden loops. It brings you close to hoodoos, slot canyons (some of them just few feet wide but over 100 feet deep) and other less known wonders. Beware that even if the trail is not difficult (combined ascent and descent of just 800 feet) due to the high elevation you will get tired much quicker than you might think and hope. Morning light is the best for taking pictures. In the afternoon you can drive the rim drive, stopping at the various viewpoints to admire the whole park. Unfortunately camping in Bryce means freezing cold at night. It was one of the reasons I got up early enough to see the sunrise. It was simply too cold to sleep. Again, this is all due to the high elevation. Even if the days are warm a and sunny the nights will get very cold very quickly.

West of Bryce Canyon is located one of the best drives I have ever done, the Utah Hwy12. Designated a one of the US Scenic Byways, the road turns and twists through the amazing landscape for well over 100 miles . It is a geology wonder, continuously unfolding in front of your car. I wanted to stop every few hundred yards to take yet another picture but eventually the batteries in my camera ran flat which let me just simply to enjoy the drive. In my opinion this road is as good as the famous Pacific Coast Highway in Big Sur, California. But getting to my next destination also involved driving some pretty boring, flat and straight roads while staring at desolated landscapes. Sometimes for hours. Thank God for the satellite radio. It was getting dark and I really wanted to get to Green River to find some cheap motel (after few days of camping, including freezing night at Bryce, I really felt I deserved a normal bed). Fortunately I could easily drive 90-100mph as the road looked like a 40 miles long runaway, completely straight, wide and empty. Did I mention I love driving?

Green River would be absolutely not worth writing about. Just another cluster of gas stations, motels and fast food restaurants with population scattered around. Community which survives thanks to the interstate highway. Somehow I like this sort of places (for a short time of course), where everyone and everything is on the way to somewhere else. It is something you can’t find in Europe, it is part of the American road culture.

But lets move on. The following day I arrived to Arches. It is another small and compact national park but also another one full of geological wonders. Main attractions there are the rock arches formed by complicated erosion processes in the Navajo sandstone. What might strike you first is how red everything is. Rocks are red, sand is red, a bit of soil you can find there is red. Even the tarmac on the park road is red. It contrasts with the few green patches of vegetation. This is a real desert park. Once I got out of the air-conditioned car I felt even my eyeballs drying, so don’t forget to carry plenty of water. The most popular hike in the Arches NP is the one to the famous and picturesque Delicate Arch. It is only 1.5 mile long with less than 500 feet elevation gain but don’t underestimate it. Most of it goes on slippery slick rock, there is no shade on the way, no water, and it gets incredibly hot, even hotter than in Zion. The arch itself is amazing. Many people seen it on pictures or on TV screen but nothing compares to the real thing. I got there about an hour or so before the sunset and many people were already waiting with anticipation, like before some important sport event. Clouds obscured the sunset itself but the changing light made the time I spent there a really magical experience. There are of course other walks in the park, a few good ones are around the Devils Garden area. It let people explore features other than the arches (rock spines, ribs, enormous boulders, in other words: the rocky labyrinth).

There is just one small campground in the park itself but there are plenty of camping opportunities on the BLM lands alongside the Utah Hwy 128 which follows the Colorado river just outside the park boundaries. Most of these sites don’t have showers but they do have the pit toilets. If someone prefers luxuries of the standard bed, town of Moab (also just a few miles outside the park) offers plenty of options. It is a small, attractive, friendly, and a bit funky community dominated by young people in a search of outdoor fun (mostly mountain biking). Not a typical small Utah town and it is a stark contrast with the Green River.

Close to Arches NP and Moab lays Canyonlands NP. This is an absolutely enormous park, made of three districts separated by canyons at the confluence of the Green and Colorado rivers. To move from one district to the another you have to drive hundreds of miles. I visited just a small section of the park but even that involved long driving and great vistas. There are a few short trails, but this is really a destination for serious explorers, who have much more time than I had. Anyway, it is still worth visiting just to peep into the enormous labyrinth of canyons from the few viewpoints alongside the park roads. It is also much, much emptier than any of the parks I visited before.

From reading this you might think Utah is all about deserts. Nothing more wrong. Most Europeans don’t realise how big and diverse most of the states are. At the end, Utah is larger than Britain. I realised it when after few days of exploring southern Utah geological paradise I decided to go north and visit Salt Lake City (it was on the way to Wyoming anyway). It was another long but spectacular drive. Gradually the landscape got less desert-like and more alpine scenery started dominating. Just before the Salt Lake City road navigates the mountain passes, almost like in the Switzerland. One thing stays constant: the low density of population. It means that arriving to SLC feels like coming to a great metropolis, which is of course wrong. It is a mid size US city with pleasant downtown and great location at the foothills of the Wasatch Range. It is nice placde indeed (especially after a week camping in the deserts) but you can’t really call it a metropolis.

I skipped the greatest attraction in the city, the Temple Square, heart of the Mormon religion, and went to visit the state capitol instead. It is free and quite interesting. Some of the paintings and sculptures inside somehow are similar to the socrealistic art of the former eastern block. Look at some of the titles: “Immigration & Settlement” or “Science & Technology”, not exactly how Van Gogh or Monet would call their works. Fits more into the Kremlin collection doesn’t it? And how about marble and granite toilets? How cool is that? You can visit the building pretty much on your own, no one even checks your bags, or join tour led by nice retired volunteers. You can also buy a Utah fridge magnet from the capitol store. Only in America.

But it was time for me to move on. Wyoming, another state larger than life, was waiting. I’ll write about it next time.

Southeastern adventure

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Our journey started in a rainy, cold and generally miserable April morning in London. But after just a few hours we landed in a sunny and even hot Washington. Washington Dulles Airport is quite unusual, between some jetties and the main terminal building there is no fix connection. You have to board funny vehicles which are cross between a bus, truck and lift fork. Even with such added “attractions” the whole process is much faster and easier than I have ever experienced at Heathrow. Few minutes after clearing immigrations we collected keys to our car.

Washington has an efficient public transport (by American standards) but for the rest of our trip car was a necessity. We stayed in a cheap motel in Arlington, Virginia, just a few minutes from Pentagon, where transfer for the Metro is possible, so we decided to leave our car and explore the city. Trip to the center of took us no more than 20-30 min by bus and metro. Washington’s museums might be a little overwhelming in the first contact so we decided to spend the first day, or rather afternoon, just walking around. Central part of the city is The Mall, a long expanse of green between the Capitol, where we started our walk, and Lincoln Memorial, the two iconic structures. In between we visited a few monuments including the famous black wall of Vietnam Memorial and the big and elaborate National World War II Memorial. But of course the most iconic of all of them is the simple white pillar of Washington Monument. Sight of all the American flags around it might be a bit tiring for the eye, but that’s what you would expect from the national capital. Wouldn’t you?

What a difference a day can make. When we woke up the following morning walking was not an option because it was raining. I mean it was really pouring. So we decided to visit museums, or rather one of them, the National Museum of American Indians. Why this one? Washington is full of great museums but I think they are similar to the famous museums in London. Inside the American Indian Museum we were hoping to find something new and unusual and we weren’t disappointed. It is a great and very educational museum, created in large extend by the Native Americans themselves. Inside there is also one of the best cheap eateries in Washington DC. Museum cafeteria serves traditional dishes of Native Americans. Selection is large and the place is worth a few visits, just to try food from the different tribes and regions of America. So, even if you are visiting the other museums, come back here to grab some food. Just avoid the lunch hours when finding a seat is more difficult than winning a lottery. We also popped into the National Gallery of Art. I am not a fan of art but I like architecture of this building, especially the modern wing.

Next day our real trip started. For me the best way to see America is definitely by car. This country is designed for cars and with few exceptions (like New York or San Francisco) you can’t really travel around without one. Our first idea was to go south following the Appalachian Mountains but the weather (especially rain) forced us to change the plans. We headed south towards the South Carolina and Charleston. It is a long drive but it is worth it. Charleston is rather small but very historic city. In fact, I read somewhere that it has more structures on the National Register of Historic Buildings than Boston or mighty New York. It is one of the oldest cities in North America, in the current location since the 1670. Charleston seen the first shots of the Civil War and many other historic events. It is really pleasant to walk its narrow streets full of brightly colored small buildings or big mansions with gardens and verandas. It is like moving back in time to the XVIII century. Imagine West Hampstead with palms on the sidewalks and sunny pleasant weather. In other words it is simply gorgeous architecture. One of the most impressive mansions are located along the Battery which is a promenade along the riverfront. They are real beauties.

We stayed across the river from the downtown Charleston in one of the millions of cheap motels which line highways across the America. It is usually a very good option money-wise. We used to spend around 40-50$ per night for a double room. The best way to find them is to stop at one of the state welcome centers. They are located just across the state borders when you enter most of the states by the major Interstates (motorways, freeways). There you can collect the discount coupons books which offer cheap accommodation almost everywhere. Coupons are usually organized by the highway numbers and exit numbers. It’s a real help for the budget travelers. You don’t have to call around and ask about the rates. You just choose a place in your price range and go. In 90% of the situations hotels will accept the coupons. If no, there are usually other motels accepting them because the motels are usually grouped together next to the highways exits.

In Charleston we left our car in the motel and decided to walk to the town across the modern and impressive Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge. It seemed like a short walk when we drove the bridge a day before and it took us just few minutes. In fact it took us more than an hour to walk to the city center in a full southern sun. It was tiring but the bridge offers some great views of the whole peninsula where the downtown is located. As it is almost totally flat area many of the historical churches are clearly visible from the distance and it is easy to understand why it was sometimes called the Holy City. When we got tired of great architecture and history, browsing the local market was really great fun. You can buy for example the Stetson hats or genuine craft made by the residents of the coastal communities (woven baskets are the most popular). Of course you can buy almost anything with the South Carolina flag on it (I got the luggage label). Charleston also offers very big choice of places to eat and drink, so we decided to have a nice meal in restaurant with great view of the riverfront.  On the way back to motel we took taxi. It is wise solution after dark because on a way to the bridge you cross some not so good neighborhoods. Fortunately the price of taxi was similar to the London Underground ticket.

Our next destination was Savannah. It is located about two hours drive from Charleston across the heavily forested coastal plains. It’s the archetypal south with the little towns where life goes slowly. Savannah itself is an old historic town although no as old as Charleston. It was founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe who established last of the 13 original British colonies in Northern America, Georgia. Its layout is well planed around the 24 lovely green squares which are surrounded by the old houses. Some of these squares are gone by most of them survived. At the first glance Savannah lack some of the Charleston charm, especially around the riverfront, but it felt more lively of the two. Charleston has some posh atmosphere which is missing in Savannah. There are more T-shirt shops while in Charleston antiques shops are more common. But don’t be foul. Move more inland from the busy and partying riverfront and antique shops and big mansions appear and the southern charm takes hold. Some of the big mansions around the old squares reminded me New Orleans architecture, especially the iron wrought balconies and the big verandas.

Both, Charleston and Savannah, offer the horse carriage rides, bus tours, old trolleys tours (old trolley is in fact a bus which just looks like a trolley), walking tours, ghost tours and many, many more. But the best way to enjoy them is simply to put the map away and just get lost in the small narrow streets or to go for iced tea (the local cold drink of choice) and spend some time sipping it on the riverfront or one of the squares.

After Savannah we decided that it was enough of cities, history and architecture. Beach and fun was what we needed. For that we headed south. Florida was our next destination. But this is another story…..

Northeastern adventure.

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I love the New England countryside. Forested mountains, hilly pastures, red barns. Pictures like from a postcard. We decided to go there in the middle of September which was too early for the famous autumn colors so that we could escape crowds which usually ascend to the rural roads during October. After three days in Boston we headed north and that’s where, for me, the real New England begins.

My favorite New England state is Vermont. Especially the Lake Champlain coast and islands. From Burlington we took US Hwy 2 north and then across the causeway, to visit tiny settlements located on the islands on the lake. From the south they are: South Hero, Grand Isle, North Hero, Birdland, Alburgh and some other tiny hamlets with names I don’t even remember. There you can visit country stores, art galleries or local cafés. Even just stopping for petrol you can chat with friendly locals over a cup of tea or a coffee. We would have liked to stay a few more days in the area but, as it is usual with such road trips, we had more things to see and not that much time. After crossing yet another causeway we entered the New York State. Specifically a town called Rouses Point. Most people associate this state with urban craziness of NYC but up there north, next to the Canadian border, things couldn’t be more different. Towns are small, country music rules and the sky is big.

We decided to have a pizza at the tiny Gino’s Pizza. It was place where furniture remembers early eighties, people are friendly and chef looked like he just came from Naples but spoke with a strong Yankee accent. When we asked for a big pizza, he said that because we are Europeans we should first have a look how big the big pizza actually is. It was absolutely enormous so we took his advice and scaled down to the medium one (which was still bigger than any big pizza you can get anywhere in UK).

Absolutely full we headed north again. After crossing Canadian border without too much hassle at the quiet and deserted border station we drove towards Montreal. I expected a lot from the famous city but unfortunately I was seriously disappointed. The biggest reason was a dreadful weather. It was raining like a hell for the whole afternoon so we only had a quick around the city center walk and went back to our car completely soaked. At this point we decided to pass the Montreal sightseeing and drove west towards Toronto, hoping for a weather change.

And what a difference a day can make. The following day was absolutely fantastic. Sunny and warm but not to hot. Perfect for a peaceful drive. We went off the main motorway and decided to explore the back roads. I especially recommend the Thousand Islands region and the best way to visit it (apart from a boat of course) is to drive the 1000 Island Parkway. It is an absolutely amazing road, hugging water all the time, with great views over the islands. Some of them are tiny with just one tree, on some there are houses, on others the whole mansions and even one castle. Yes a castle. It was build by a millionaire and apparently has 120 rooms.

Another good way to see the varied topography of the St. Lawrence waterway is a visit to the viewing tower located on the Hill Island, right next to the border crossing to US. To get there you have to drive narrow and steep suspension bridge next to the massive 18-wheelers. It is a bit scary. From the top of the tower you can see how many island and channels create the region. At the westernmost point of the region is historic city of Kingston where you can stop for dinner or a bit of shopping.

Our next destination was Toronto. Driving from the east we used the famous (or infamous) Hwy 401. Some say it is the busiest road in the world. It has anything from12 to18 lanes and it is a weird experience. Fortunately we arrived to the Toronto area late in the evening and avoided famous rush hours on the 401.

Toronto is actually a very nice city. If Montreal was a disappointment, then Toronto was a big positive surprise. Great weather definitely helped for a positive experience. The day started with a visit to the CN tower. For a long time it was the tallest free standing structure on earth but by the time of our visit it was already overtaken by Burj Dubai. To be honest it doesn’t really matter if it’s not the tallest any more. It is still an amazing structure and offers stunning views from the viewing platform located at 346 meters. Everyone brave enough should try to walk over the glass floor panels. Even I knew this is very strong, perfectly safe floor I still tried to step on the little metal frames joining the glass panels. I also realized that most people did actually the same thing. After the tower we walked around the nice and compact Toronto downtown and visited the provincial parliament building which offers quite interesting, free, guided tours.

But the best part of the whole Toronto experience was visit to the beaches. Yes, Toronto has beaches. Just a few miles east from downtown. All you have to do is to take one of this cool, old fashioned, red trams and in 30min you can enjoy the seaside-like environment. Actual beaches are surrounded by some nice old houses and the main drag (Queen Street East) offers great food and shopping. There are even Kew Gardens for Brits with a homesick feel. They are a bit smaller than our Kew but it is still a nice spot. So our day in Toronto ended with a nice long walk, on the beach, at the sunset.

The following day we went towards Niagara. But before we reached the famous waterfalls we popped in to Niagara-On-The-Lake. It is a lovely small town set, as the name suggests, on the lake shore, and surrounded with wineries. It is totally a tourist trap, full of tour buses and American tourists looking for a British experience close to home. But don’t worry’ it is still worth visiting and offers some good shopping. Locally made wine, Irish accessories, antiques, organic food. Almost anything that shopping addict might need. And of course it is the perfect place for an afternoon tea.

The best way to approach Niagara Falls is to drive Niagara Parkway. It is a scenic road connecting Lake Ontario with the Lake Erie and it follows Niagara River for all of its 56km.

Some say, Niagara Falls is so commercialized, kitschy and tacky that going there it is a total waste of time. I don’t think so. True, you have all the possible gift shops you can only imagine, and all the tacky attractions, but the falls itself are still worth seeing. You just have to ignore the kitsch around and concentrate on the falls. And believe me, it is not that difficult because they are truly amazing. I would recommend going down to the base of the falls. After paying quite a hefty fee you can enter the tunnel leading to the base of the falls. It is worth of all the money you paid. Once you approach the falls itself you can feel that everything is actually vibrating. Thousands of tons of falling water makes the ground shaking. Then you enter the platform offering view of the falls right next to you, actually almost above you. You can also see the falls from the smaller side tunnels which opens right behind the curtain of water. After the whole experience we were almost completely soaked. The plastic ponchos you get when you enter the tour don’t give much of a protection against the eternal mist forming behind the falls.

After the falls we continued south on the Niagara Parkway which becomes very rural and quiet just a few miles from all the hustle and buzz of the falls. But it still offers a beautiful scenery and is worth driving.

We entered back to US at Buffalo which is completely insignificant and not worth stopping. But countryside around is very pleasant. We went off the main highway again to drive the back roads of upstate New York. We got lost a bit and almost run out of fuel but saw some nice towns and villages. After diner in one of this small towns we headed east towards the Big Apple, still long way to go. We had to spend a night somewhere and it wasn’t easy to find motels off the main interstate highways in this rural region. We finally spotted one in the town of Warsaw. It was one of the dirtiest and dodgiest motels I have ever slept in, but it was late, it was raining, we were tired and it was extremely cheap. Anyway, if you can, avoid staying in motel in Warsaw, NY.

The next day we spent driving quiet highways on the New York – Pennsylvania border region heading steadily toward the New York City which was our final destination.

But this is the subject for a completely different story.

Sierra Nevada Mountains

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California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is one of my favorite mountain ranges. It rises abruptly from a flat valley at the sea level, to 14500 feet in a matter of just few miles. It is one of the most dramatic mountain ranges in the world. Only a few mountain roads cross it.

I had a chance of spending few months in the Sequoia National Forest while working at the mountain camp for families. Sequoia National Forest borders the famous Sequoia National Park and shares the same amazing landscape and nature.

Our camp was set at the elevation of 7500 feet (almost 2300m) and to get there I had to go to Fresno first. Fresno is a major city in the Central Californian Valley. It is an amazingly unremarkable place. My Californian friends were saying that it is one of the most boring places in the whole of California and I think they were right. The city is a center of massive area of intensive agriculture on irrigated land and that’s all about it. If it wasn’t enough to send you in other direction it has also a very unpleasant climate. Days with temperatures over 40C are very common in the summer. It is good only as a shopping base for supplies.

Half an hour drive west on Hwy 180 and landscape changes dramatically. The road starts steep and curvy climb, which lasts another hour, before reaching elevation of the camp. While driving you can see the changes of climate and vegetation together with the elevation. On the valley floor, apart from the lush greenery of irrigated land, there is only semi desert vegetation and dry grass. Later comes brush with juniper and Pinyon pine. At the elevations between 4500 and 6500 feet there is the zone where the giant sequoias grow. But they grow in isolated groves far from the main road. Instead you see mostly the Ponderosa Pine. Finally, the dominant vegetation at the elevation of our camp was variety of the evergreen coniferous forests with Lodgepole Pine, Red Fir and Mountain Hemlock.

It is a very nice environment indeed. At this high elevation climate was much more pleasant than in Fresno. It was still warm but not too hot. It was also dry, for the first two and a half months there was not a single drop of rain. It is the perfect place for a vacation camp.

Institution of the summer camp is well established in the USA. Every year millions of kids go for a week or two to spend some time in natural environment. Most of the camps are located in the mountains, forest or on the lakes. Our camp was a bit unusual because it was designed for kids and their parents. The idea is that while kids are playing with the camp instructors parents have time to relax. Of course they can join play and activities if they wish. Most of the families spend one week at the camp each summer. Some of these families come back year after year and some of the parents have been here as a kids.

The camp is a great fun as there are plenty of activities. Horse riding, mountain biking, archery, shooting, wave boarding on the small lake, barbeque almost every day, astronomy classes after dark or singing around the giant camp fire. But probably the best activities (and one of the most popular) are excursions involving some interesting hikes. Usually such trip involves off road drive to the remote trailhead (which is usually fun in itself) and then hiking. We had good, experienced guides who could explain us all the local ecology and geography. One of the best excursion was trip to the isolated sequoia grove: Redwood Mountain Grove. It involved the long bumpy drive and a few miles trek. But the reward was forest of the giant sequoias. Not a one tree, not two, but the whole forest. It looked more magical than the scenery from the Lord of The Rings movie. Because of the isolation it was completely empty. There wasn’t a single tourist apart from us. You can of course find some easily accessible sequoias, right next to the main roads, but they are usually lonely trees, fenced off and surrounded by busloads of tourists.

Another great option are some of the longer hikes above the tree line. Especially the trek from Lodgepole Village area to the Heather and Emerald lakes offers some great views and, at the end, you can rest on the banks of the clean alpine lake. On the way you can branch off and instead of the lakes go on to the top of the Alta Peak (11204 feet) but this options requires good legs and a lot of stamina. A bit less challenging is hike to the top of the Mitchell Peak (10365 feet). The view from the top is great but the hike itself is a bit boring comparing to the Alta Peak ascent or the Emerald Lake hike.

Great way to explore Sequoia National Forest is riding mountain bikes (note that they are prohibited in the neighboring national parks). One of the best excursion was trip to the Buck Rock fire lookout. It was a very slow and tiring climb using some narrow forest roads. At this elevation mountain biking (actually any physical activity) is much more difficult than at the sea level. But there was a reward at the end. The fire lookout is perched on top of the rock pinnacle and offers an amazing view from its 8500 feet elevation. It is understandable because its purpose is to provide an observation platform for the forest officials who look for early signs of the forest fires.

It is a small building (maybe 3×3 meters) with a bed, radio and basic supplies. To get there you have to climb the 172 steel steps attached to the rock. It is a basic and lonely place to work but what a view it offers. I could work for free just to be able to stay there. Way back from the fire lookout is much easier than climbing up there. It is a fast and adrenaline pumping downhill ride on a wide gravel forest roads. And what a ride it is. I can’t remember much of the scenery because I was too busy braking and generally trying to stay alive. Great fun for those who are not scared of speed.

One more thing you can’t miss is horse riding. It is, at the end, a quintessential part of the American West experience. Apart from that, it is simply a great fun to visit area on a horse back. I never rode horses before but our camp had some really patient, calm and polite creatures on hand so I did have a chance to feel like real cowboy once or twice.

Of course during the three months stay at the camp we visited all the touristy highlights too. Like the General Sherman or General Grant trees. Both are absolutely gigantic sequoias. Some say they are the biggest living things on the planet. There is also the famous drive-through fallen sequoia (Tunnel Log) or old house made inside of the log of another fallen sequoia (Tharp’s Log). All easily accessible just off the Hwy 180. If you don’t want to go off the main road to the fire lookouts I recommend visit to the Moro Rock. It is a granite pinnacle next to the main highway which offers some superb views. You just need to climb 400 steps from the parking lot.

 It was really one of my best summer vacations. I was there at work but in such place work and play blend together easily. For example staff dine together with the guests. We could also take part in all the activities in our time off duty.

Most of the staff members were Americans, majority of them students of the Californian colleges. Rest of us were foreigners attending various students programs (like myself). We lived in wooden cabins between the trees, not far from the guests area but far enough to have some sort of privacy. Food was good, weather even better, almost paradise.

The absolutely best part of the camp was an open air Jacuzzi. Especially after dark when all the kids went to sleep. With the view of stars above and drinks in our hands it was an ultimate experience. Especially good after the whole day spent hiking, biking or horse riding. Highly recommended.

Pacific coast road trip.

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September 2004, after three months spent at a mountain camp in the wilderness of Sequoia National Forest, California, we were ready to hit the open road. Our camp was situated at 7500 ft above the sea level and required a two hours drive to get to civilization. So we were eager to get some change. The coast was our destination.

We rented a car at the Fresno International Airport. The word “International” was a bit of an exaggeration, as at the time of our visit they only had one international flight a day to somewhere in the middle of Mexico. Californians say that Fresno and surroundings is the most boring and uninspiring part of California. They are right. We left the area as soon as we made ourselves comfortable in the car. Well, as comfortable as possible for four quite big guys in the economy class car.

After three hours we were approaching San Francisco. Nothing is better than driving to SF from Oakland crossing the Bay Bridge. It is a double deck suspension bridge and towards SF you drive on the top deck. The road leads directly to the downtown San Francisco and you have the feeling that you are going to land on the roofs of the buildings. Truly impressive.

But we didn’t stop in the city. This trip was all about the coast. Just before the dusk we crossed another famous bridge, the Golden Gate, on our way north by the US Highway 101. We were heading towards the wild coast of northern California. After an hour or so we left behind all the suburban sprawl of Bay Area. The road changed from freeway to dual carriageway first and to a two lane road after. All the other cars disappeared and by 11pm we had the entire highway just for ourselves. We hadn’t booked any accommodation for that night, so we kept going and going and going. The road became curvy and narrow, crossing forests and mountains, including Redwood National Park famous because of its trees taller than sequoias. We crossed the park around 3am when it was wrapped in a dense fog. It was one of those moments when you remember the dark episodes of the X Files and start worrying.

By the 4am we reached Brookings, one of the first settlements in Oregon and decided that enough is enough. We spent a few hours half sleeping in the parking lot of a local supermarket. This is the downside of a lack of planning when on a budget trip.

Because we couldn’t really sleep the following day started early. At 6 am the local McDonalds opened. It had a really strange profile of customers, mostly retired folks, a lot of them wearing the WWII veteran pins or caps plus some youngsters talking about God. A bit heavy subject at 6am if you ask me. We were clearly a bunch of  outsiders.

The morning fog disappeared quickly and we could finally appreciate the coastal views. And what views they were. The Oregon coast is absolutely amazing. Small bays, cliffs, lighthouses, little fishing communities, forests, mountains, sand dunes and, in midweek September day, almost total lack of tourists.

In a moment of craziness we decided to explore the wild beaches and coastal dunes. In some parts they are open for cars, but we realized very quickly, (after 100 yards or so) that an economy size saloon car, with two wheals drive, is not the best option for sand driving. Fortunately most locals drive SUVs or pick-up trucks which are able to tow a tank, so one of them helped us to get out of the sand. We decided to walk the remaining stretch until the beach. The beach was wide and wild, with trunks of trees, some of them could arrive all the way from Siberia. It is the kind of coast I like. Not like beaches of Florida or Mediterranean, crowded with tourists desperately trying to get tanned on small patch of sand.

The same day part of the coastal road, (still US Hwy 101) was closed and we had to detour inland. Being a map fanatic, geographer and on-board navigator, I decided that I knew how to shorten this significant (100 miles or so) detour. It all started well but after a while we found ourselves stranded at a T-junction in the middle of Central Oregon Coast Range with signs pointing to place called Deadwood in all three directions It was too late to go back. We turned right (if I remember) and after some time, on a very steep and narrow road, with very poor surface and with no sign of civilization (apart signs mentioning shooting to strangers), we managed to get back to the main highway. It happened to be actually the highway which we were looking for. It seems I’m not so bad navigator after all.

By the end of the day we crossed Columbia River, via impressive bridge in Astoria, and entered Washington State. This night we decided to spent in a luxurious wooden cabin at one of the campgrounds. We got there well after dark crossing another forest where another dark episode of the X-Files could be set.

Our next day started from a visit to Aberdeen. One of us was a great Nirvana fan and Kurt Cobain was born and spent most of his life in this town. It is one of those small boring towns, one of thousands in America. Apparently Kurt hated it. There is no sign or shop or anything mentioning the most famous of the Aberdeen residents. A lady at the place called: “The best hot-dogs on the world” told us that the idea of erecting a plate in memory of Cobain was in the air, but the city officials said no. After a quick photo, next to the sign with the town name, we were on the move again. We drove around the Olympic Peninsula,right next to the wild beeches and temperate rain forests of the Olympic National Park.

Temperate rain forests are unique to a few places around the world. Apart from the Pacific coast of Washington State and British Columbia they also exist in New Zealand and Southern Chile. They receive almost as much rain as the tropical rain forest but the temperatures are much lower. It is a real jungle where the massive trees are covered with other plants grooving on them. It is a one fantastic green mess. We went for a short educational trail in one of the park sections, which is a great experience but you have to be always ready for rain, it rains almost daily here.

By night we were approaching Seattle. To save some time we took the ferry from Bremerton across the Puget Sound to downtown Seattle. It cost just few dollars and save more than an hour or two of driving It was dark again by the time we reached our destination. Fortunately the view of Seattle’s skyscrapers from the ferry is equally stunning by either night or day.

In Seattle we stayed two nights in Green Tortoise Hostel. It is located right in the downtown and cost 20 dollars or so for a bed in one of the dormitory rooms. It is a great city, full of cafes (that’s where first Starbucks opened), cheap eateries and nice people. One of the best places to start your visit is Pike Place Market where you can buy almost everything. But it is more about the atmosphere rather than about the products. Especially fishmongers, shouting to the potential buyers and throwing fish between themselves, are a great sight. Another great spot is Space Needle, a tower offering great views of the city, Olympic Mountains across Puget Sound, and (on clear days) magnificent Mount Rainer with eternal snows on top.

Seattle has a quite good public transport network. The main hub is the bus tunnel witch runs right underneath the downtown. It is a bit like metro but you see trolleybuses arriving at the stations instead of trains. After leaving the tunnel they switch to diesel and travel to many suburbs of Seattle including the University of Washington campus. I recommend this place for cheap good food, nice atmosphere and good bookshops.

The next stop on our journey was Portland. It is three hours south of Seattle at the confluence of Columbia and Willamette Rivers. It is much smaller than Seattle but has the same progressive feel. Both cities have good public transport, mainly because the Pacific North West residents are much more environmentally conscious than populations of the other parts of USA.

We had just one evening in Portland so we decided to visit some of the many local brewpubs. Apparently Portland is the city where brewpubs and micro breweries first became popular. At least in the US. To find them you can go to one of the many drinking establishments in the Northwest District, along the 21st and 23rd Avenues. Some of the beers we had were really strong and after a few small bottles we went back to our hostel jaywalking.

After Portland we drove straight back south to San Francisco. It was the starting point of the last part of our coastal trip, the Big Sur. Some say it is the best scenic road in the world. In San Francisco we slept in Green Tortoise Hostel located right on the Broadway between clubs, bars and restaurants. It was Saturday night, so we didn’t sleep that much. This hostel, similarly to his brother in Seattle, was a bit crappy, noisy and full of cool dudes. Generally a great option for someone looking for fun but not really good for sleep.

The next morning we drove out of SF. The beginning wasn’t too promising, one of those not so good and very busy highways (a lot of people go to the coast on Sunday). The first interesting spot was Monterey. It is an exclusive place full of expensive mansions, gardens, golf courses and iconic cypresses.

But the real fun started from there. California Highway 1 makes its winding way squeezed between the Santa Lucia Range and the Pacific on its way towards Los Angeles. It is an amazing feat of engineering. This road crosses deep river valleys and runs on a very narrow strip of land right next to the high cliffs. Views are absolutely stunning. But you better use the view points (fortunately there are lots of them) because the road is very curvy and driving requires full of your attention. The weather was perfect during our trip but this part of coast is frequently covered by fog. It might make driving really dangerous.

It is a very empty coast. It is in fact one of the emptiest coast in the lower 48 states. On the way there are only few exclusive communities, art colonies or hidden private ranches. Hwy 1 is the most scenic and wild between Carmen-by-the-Sea (an exclusive small town where Clint Eastwood was a mayor for a while) and Morro Bay. No condos, no shopping malls, no crowded beach resorts or fast food joints, not even a single traffic light. True 121 miles of driver’s heaven.

After Morro Bay things get back to normal, little towns appear, and you can buy some food or gas. Closer to LA things get very hectic. California Hwy 1 joins US 101 and then becomes one of the many LA freeway. That’s where the real madness began and our trip ended in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica is one of the nicest parts of the greater Los Angeles. It has a nice wide beach with biking and walking trails continuing all the way to the neighboring Venice Beach. Both communities are practically joined and offer the same great SoCal lifstyle. Nice weather, surfing, good beach, good food and great people watching opportunities. It was a great place to spend the last night before flying back to grey and rainy Katowice.

Coast to coast on a budget.

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Driving across America is one of  things which you have to try at least once in your life. I did it in 2001 during my first visit to USA. After working for three months in Disney World it was time for my first real taste how huge America really is. There was five of us and after some haggling and negotiations we decided to go all the way to San Francisco, even if initial plans were only about Grand Canyon.

With the travel plans sorted, the trip budget became our biggest worry. To cut the cost we rented a big car (big to fit five of us, our luggage and all the shopping done at Disney) but not a SUV. To cut the costs even more we decided not to stay in motels but to camp instead. We bought two of the cheapest tents, and five thin foam mattresses (even cheaper) in Wal-Mart.

After fitting all this stuff and our luggage in the car (not an easy task) we finally started our journey on a beautiful September morning. The first day we just drove on, and on, and on, all the way to Louisiana. It took us the big part of this first day to find out the best configuration of people, luggage and food inside the car. We also found what the best sitting position is if you spend 10 hours in a car. They were all very useful discoveries for the future. The first evening we also learned how to open our too small, too thin tents and how uncomfortable the thin foam mattresses were. On the other hand we also discovered that it doesn’t really matter if you are tired.
On the next day, after a short drive, we reached New Orleans. The Big Easy. It wasn’t really on my list of priorities, but I was positively surprised. The city center is very compact and the best way to explore it is by foot. The French Quarter has still a strong European feel: French street names, tables on the sidewalks opposite the cafés, horse carriages for tourists and generally the relaxed atmosphere. But for me, the best thing was the architecture. New Orleans is full of one or two stories buildings with beautiful wrought iron balconies. They look great, even if some of them are not really in the best condition. In fact the shabby ones looked even better. And they look absolutely fantastic on a rainy day. We had to hide under one of these balconies, from the afternoon thunderstorm. It was one of those small and quiet side streets and we had an amazing time watching the rain.

Unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to enjoy the legendary nightlife of New Orleans as the west coast was still far away. We left the city early in the evening and took the Interstate 10. During the entire trip we never really planned where to stop for a night, we just looked for signs posting campgrounds. That evening we couldn’t find any. So, in an act of desperation we stopped by the sheriff’s office in some god forgotten town and asked for directions to the nearest campground. Folks over there were really friendly, though they didn’t know any campground around, they recommended us simply to stop on the rest area alongside a highway. At the same time they also told us it is illegal to camp overnight on the rest areas in Louisiana. Hmm. Fortunately one of the deputies knew that it is legal in Texas. So we kept on driving west. Finally, around midnight or so, we reached the first rest area in the Lonely Star State, Texas.

Texas is big, very big. The first thing that stroke us in the morning, was the amount of the pickup trucks on the roads. It seemed like everyone, even mothers driving kids to schools, drove a truck. Then there are the roads. Enormous, multilane rivers of concrete, especially around the big cities. But fortunately it is just one part of the Texas experience. An even bigger part of the Texas experience is the landscape. When you move from east to west you notice a gradual change from the lush, green, flat landscape of marshes and forests, through the hilly and green pastures to prairies and finally deserts. It took us more than a day to cross Texas, without even much stopping. We started in the early (kind of) morning from this first rest area in Texas and by the night we were somewhere in the middle of the desert in western Texas. There we spend night on some very remote and small campground. It was an amazing experience. Because evening was warm we didn’t use our “fantastic” tents. Instead we decided to sleep under the open sky. I have never seen so many stars before. The reason was remoteness of the campground (no light pollution) and the dry desert air.

The next day we stopped in El Paso. It is a relatively big city isolated from the rest of Texas by hundreds of miles of deserts and mountains. We would never stopped there but we wanted to visit Mexico and El Paso is good place for a short visit. Its bigger counterpart is Ciudad Juarez on the Mexican side of the border. We left the car on the US side and walked across the border bridge. I have to admit it was a bit of a depressing experience. The border was heavily guarded, especially because it was just two days after September 11. Once in Mexico it seemed like everyone tried to sell us something, mostly rubbish, at ridiculous price. We came back after just two hours. Probably further from the border things get better but we couldn’t drive our rented car into Mexico. Anyway it is better to avoid Ciudad Juarez as it is now a battlefield between the Mexican police and the drug cartels.

West of El Paso we entered New Mexico, another state alongside our route, where we spent another night on some remote campground. The following day was another day of desert driving as we left New Mexico and entered Arizona. It is a truly remote corner of the US. It is effectively just a desert crossed by the highway. Only a few small towns exist between Las Cruces (New Mexico state capital just 40 miles west from El Paso) and Tucson in Arizona. Some could say it must be a boring long drive. No way!! The landscape around is absolutely jaw dropping. It is a geology class without a need for books or maps. There is also this almost transcendental feel of going west towards the setting sun. It is a bit annoying from the driver’s perspective but it is just a minor problem.

After Phoenix we turned north towards the Grand Canyon. Nothing prepares you for its sheer size. You could see it many times on a TV, you can know all its statistics, and you might even say you are completely not interested in nature. It simply doesn’t matter. Once you stay on its edge and look down, you will be impressed. And you will remember this moment for many, many years.

Due to the high elevation you actually drive through the dense pine forest. You are not aware of the Canyon until the very last moment when the road ends, and there it is. Massive, enormous, colorful, simply amazing. After a cold night (again, due to the high elevation) spent on a campground not far from the Canyon we decided to hike down. Our choice was the popular Bright Angel Trail. The whole thing is a bit weird. Usually when you go to any mountain, first you climb and then you go down. Obviously with Grand Canyon it is the opposite. You start the day with an easy hike down, in a nice morning breezy air. The real fun starts when you have to climb back. By the time we decided to go back, sometime in the afternoon, the temperature had reached 35C or even more. Especially at the lower elevations (bottom of the Canyon is good 1500 meters below the rim), temperature is much higher than closer to the rim. Even we didn’t go all the way down, we still had about 1000 meters to climb. It took us quite a few hours to reach the top. We were exhausted but satisfied. Hiking is the best way to experience the Canyon. Views from the rim are amazing but you have to share them with millions of people. Going down, you leave 90 percents of them behind you.

Time. Time was our limitation. The same evening, after taking quick showers, we left Grand Canyon heading west again. It took us four and a half hours of desert driving to get to our next destination: Las Vegas. It was a great drive, the highway was almost empty and the sky was full of stars. Hours before reaching Las Vegas we spotted some brightness on the horizon. It got bigger and shinier with every minute. At the beginning we didn’t know what it was. Some small town, factory, or maybe a prison? Then we figured it out, they were the lights of Las Vegas. It is astonishing from how far you can see them across the dark and empty Arizona and Nevada deserts. Even if Vegas itself is still hidden behind the mountains.

For the proper “Wow” effect you have to arrive to Vegas at night. Believe me, I’ve seen it in the daylight and it looks much, much worse. But come darkness and there is nothing like Vegas. It is a one great show of neons, dancing fountains, fireworks, big cars and fast cars. Pure fun.

We arrived to Sin City at about 11pm and stayed for just a few hours, enough to loose a few bucks in a casino. Of course we didn’t win anything and left the neon metropolis by 2am. Because, as usual, we didn’t have any accommodation booked, we were just looking for a campground. And we couldn’t find one. We were so tired that we didn’t even realize how dodgy the campground we finally spotted at around 3am was. It was a very, very long day. We were hoping to wake up late, to recover from the previous hectic day (and big part of the night as well), but the strong desert sun made our tents as hot as an oven. By 8 am we were almost suffocated and totally awake. Damn it! We then realized that our campground was right next to the fence of the Air Force base, part of the famous area 51 (remember the X-Files?)

Another day, another desert. But this time it was the famous Death Valley, one of the hottest and driest places on earth. The record temperature was recorded in 1913, brain melting 134F (56.6C). By comparison we experienced quite a chilly day, just miserable 47C. It is still enough to make your eyes dry after you leave car for more than a few minutes. You really felt like you’ were drying out. But it is not all about the meteorological records. Death Valley National Park is full of unique scenery. Sand dunes, colorful rock formations and salt pans. And all this 85 meters below the sea level. Highly recommended.

After leaving Death Valley NP we drove west again, towards the Sierra Nevada, a really impressive mountain range, especially when you approach it from the east. Mountains rise from around the sea level to 4000 meters above in a very short distance. It is, basically, a massive wall raising straight from the flat desert. Very few mountain passes (usually closed in winter because of heavy snowfall) cross them. We chose Tioga Pass (3031m) which leads to the famous Yosemite. Before reaching the pass we passed lovely small towns like Lone Pine, Bishop, Independence or Big Pine. They are like oasis surrounded by the barren land. They are all full of friendly folks and live there goes slowly, all which make them antithesis of the stereotypical Californian towns. They are great places to stop, doesn’t matter if just for a meal or for a whole week.

We spent the night just before reaching the pass. At elevation around 2000m it was another short and uncomfortable sleep. This time the reason was not the heat, like last night, but the very low temperature. Our rubbish tents were completely inadequate for those conditions. I had all my clothes on me and it still didn’t help. So it was another day which started early (everyone wanted to heat up a bit inside a car). Next time I go camping I’ll take some proper tent and sleeping bag.

We crossed Tioga Pass and entered Yosemite National Park. In my opinion it is one of the best national parks in the US. The Famous Yosemite Valley (heart of the park) is more impressive than Grand Canyon (at least for me). True, it is a very busy place, better to avoid it in the middle of summer, but the scenery is absolutely awesome. Walls of granite rocks, some of them more than kilometer high, tower above the valley floor. Among them there is the magnificent El Capitan, the ultimate place to be for the rock climbers. Even if you don’t climb you will feel how small we are comparing with nature. You can spot small figures of climbers high in the wall. These people are totally crazy. Yosemite is also famous for its waterfalls which, unfortunately, almost disappear at the end of a dry summer (we were there in mid September), so the best time to see them is during the spring when snows are melting in the higher elevations.

It was pity we couldn’t spend more time in the park (just a few short hours), but our time was running out. We still had to reach the Pacific and then drive all the way back to Florida. So we left Yosemite in the afternoon and just before dusk we were approaching San Francisco. It was my first visit there, and the most memorable one. The mere crossing of the bay by the Bay Bridge is a great experience. It is a 14km double deck suspension bridge. And view of the downtown is truly amazing. Just before the night we also crossed the famous Golden Gate Bridge. And that was it, finally my dream of seeing Golden Gate was fulfilled. Maybe it is not the highest or the longest bridge, maybe views are better somewhere else, but for me this is the place I always wanted to see. For me it was the real climax of our trip.

We slept again in our tiny flimsy tents in Muir Woods National Monument. We knew there was a free campground, but before we got there, we got lost in network of small, narrow, curvy county roads. Fortunately because of that we could explore Marin County. It is a great place, houses are hidden in the dense forest, little towns are full of some cool coffee places, and all this in the commuting distance from San Francisco. The only problem are the high prices of everything (it is, at the end, one of the richest and most expensive counties in America).

After spending one day in San Francisco (itself destination worth a separate story) we finally started going back east. We had five days time left before we had to catch plane back to Europe in Miami. It was 5022km drive, and we did it actually quite easily. Driving 10-11 hours a day (starting 11am and going until midnight or so with some stops for eating and shopping) we still had some spare time to say goodbye to our friends in Orlando and to get a refund for our tents (Wal-Mart isn’t that bad at the end).

It was one of the best trips of my life so far, and I’m not exaggerating. It was tiring, it was crazy but it was great. So if you have two weeks time to spare, if you are ready to sleep in the middle of nowhere, if you don’t mind sleeping in the cheapest tents in freezing condition or in the desert heat, if you survive on the cheapest food from the cheapest supermarkets and if your bum can take 12 hours a day seating in a car, this is trip for you. But the most important thing, you need is bunch of great friends which won’t drive you mad if you stay together 24h a day in a small space for two weeks. Fortunately we made a great team.

How it all started.

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I decided to start this blog to share my passion about travelling in America. Those who know me personally could confirm that I can talk about it for hours. I can bore them to death with all my past stories and future plans. Nonetheless I’ll try to write something interesting from time to time and not to bore you to death dear reader.

My love affair with America started many years ago. I was already exploring world while still in primary school but for years my travels were mostly virtual, using maps, books and imagination. It didn’t help that I come from a relatively small town in Poland and I was growing up during the transition of my country from communism into some sort of normality. It wasn’t easy to travel back then.

Quite quickly the fascinating geometric shapes of the American states got me especially interested. I read books about the US and I started collecting maps. Then there were movies, shot in all the amazing locations like California, NYC or the South West.

My American interests would probably stay a harmless geeky hobby if not one of my friends. I was studying geography at the time. Living on a small budget, when I did travel I did it mostly by hitch-hiking or taking the slow trains. I wasn’t really thinking about any far journeys, especially to America. At that point a friend of mine asked me if I want to join her and go for a summer job in Florida. I laughed at first, especially when I realized that the job offer was from Disney World. It all looked like a big joke. My English was bad, I didn’t have money for the ticket, I just couldn’t imagine it happening at all. I still don’t know why did I go for the interview and how did I pass it, but few months later, after borrowing money for the tickets, I landed in Miami.

It was 15 years ago. Since then I have travelled thousands of miles (about 40 thousands to be precise) in America. From coast to coast, from the Canadian border to Mexico, from the hustle and bustle of NYC or LA to the rural North Dakota, from the hot deserts of Arizona to the green forests of Vermont. I have visited 48 states so far (all the lower ones) and have a clear objective to visit all 50 of them.

I’m not an experienced blogger, actually I never wrote a blog before, but I’ll try my best to keep it interesting and I hope to inspire some of you to visit this fascinating country.