USA

9th June 08

Up at 5.30am didn't have a good nights sleep! Set off for P's arriving at 6am, a quick coffee then off to T3 Manchester with quack at the wheel. Arrived at T3 at just after 7am said our farewells to P & Quack, leaving our little blue car with them for P to enjoy. Checked in & went through to departures with ease. Had breakfast at costa coffee. Flight BA1503 was good, food, refreshments & entertainment excellent! Arrived at JFK to 100 degrees reception, boy was it hot! Waited as instructed by Wendy (DD) on the central area for a couple of minutes then Jmel arrived in the all singing, all dancing Toyota Prius (v nice). We loaded our bags after exchanging hugs & kisses with Jmel. The air con in the car was a welcome relief. Jmel being the perfect hots as she always is had prepared refreshments waiting in the car, iced tea & iced water, which were fab. We settled in at the house with ease & went with Jmel to collect DD from the station (hiding in a doorway as a surprise). We had a great chicken salad for tea, followed by fruit & cheese/biscuits this was all enjoyed with constant chatter. We went off to bed at 9.45pm which was a late night considering it was 2.45am in the UK.

10th June 08

Mal was up at 5am after getting me to agree he was 'a good boy' for staying in bed for so long! I got up about 6.15am, then after making coffee proceeded to lounge in my P.J's reading magazines, eating a wonderful breakfast prepared by Mal of oatmeal, apple, raisins & cinnamon. I continued to lounge whilst planning our Washington DC adventure. We depart on Sunday for 3 nights at the Harrington. Mal prepared the 2 cycles for us to explore on later. Eventually I showered & liberally applied suncream as it's very hot again today. I then helped Jmel prepare a shrimp salad for lunch. Yesterday we saw a raccoon, a robin & black squirrel. Along with some amazing dragon flies. We saw a chipmonk this morning, a woodpecker & a grey squirrel.

11th, 12th, 13th & 14th June 08

We spent the next few days kicking back & relaxing, reading, drinking iced tea & doing a few jobs around the house for DD & Jmel. They also took us to wildflower island (http://www.teatown.org/) which was a tranquil oasis of beautiful 'wildflowers' some 230 native & endangered species at tea town. We also met up with Betsy & Jane on Friday 13th for some tapas 'like' food at Chart House (http://www.chart-house.com/) on the banks of the hudson, with a breathtaking view of the NYC skyline. After eating, Betsy asked if we fancied a sunset cruise on her boat. Without hesitation Mal & I said yes! the boat was top class & speeding up & down on the hudson made us feel like masters of the universe. Betsy & Jane were awfully kind to go to so much trouble.

15th June 08

Our trip to Washington - we boarded the amtrak from New Rochelle, DD kindly waited with us until our train arrived. Once on board we settled into our very comfy seats, on the left of the train as advised by DD - so we could get a good view as we went through Philadelphia. The trip took about 4hrs, but passed in the blink of an eye, I sat passing view after view - too inquisitive to sleep. We arrived into union station Washington DC just after lunch. We decided to get the metro (2 stops). We appeared from the metro into a very bustling city, although not as busy as NY. Just one problem..........we didn't know the address of the hotel!! Mal proceeded to ask directions as we proceeded to walk, to no avail. Thankfully after getting hotter & hotter & grumpier & grumpier we found someone in the know! Yippee the hotel was not too far away. Hotel Harrington (http://www.hotelharrington.com/). Now if you are looking for 5* luxury then this is not the place for you. We were cautioned by DD that is was very basic & Jmel point blank will not stay there. She was right it was basic & v. old fashioned. We arrived at room 1035 - I was dying for the loo so dashed straight in, Mal drew back the curtains followed by WOW exclaimed "the hotel may be basic but the view is stunning, you can see the capitol building". I quickly dashed out not stopping to fasten my trousers to see.........a brick wall (our view), Mal got a swift pinch, but pointed out the picture at the back for the bed which was of the capitol building! The hotel served its purpose & was very central to all of the monuments etc. We immediately went out to explore unable to contain our excitement. First stop was potbelly's sandwich works were we both tucked into the most amazing salads (http://www.potbelly.com/). After filling my potbelly we headed to the Whitehouse, unfortunately George W was not at home - he was in the UK having tea with Queen Elizabeth. Within this area we could clearly see the Washington Monument. We headed off to the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial this was an awesome sight (not sure awesome is the most appropriate word) it was certainly very humbling. Neither Mal or I expected to feel as moved as we did. It was made all the more sad by hundreds & hundreds of roses which had been laid (it was father's day)! We walked around in silence amongst many other people. After this we called on Abraham Lincoln boy was he a BIG guy! Apparently if this statue stood up it would be 68ft tall! Looking from the Lincoln Memorial steps you got yet another amazing view down the mall over a reflecting pool to the Washington Monument then over another reflecting pool to the capitol building it was a sight to behold & the weather was beautiful. The city did not have skyscrapers like NY, so it felt much more open & light. After a swig of water we continued on our journey of discovery, at times joined by some of the many squirrels scurrying around. We next came to the Korean War Veterans Memorial - just when you think it can't get any better.......it does. This monument had 19 life size soldiers depicting a squad on patrol, you could clearly see the pain etched onto their faces. The statement in a piece of granite 'Freedom is Not Free' struck a chord, we left this monument speechless. Our last stop via the Washington Monument was the WW2 Memorial, which is huge in comparison. It contains 4,000 gold stars each star commemorating 100 Americans of the more than 400,000 who were killed in the war. By now it was 5.30pm we had a way to walk back so made our way stopping off for an ice cold beer at the elephant & castle (http://www.elephantcastle.com/) just across the street from the hotel. We went to the Austin Grill for some mexican food which was ok although the water tasted like disinfectant. As we waited for the bill (which was none too cheap) I had a visitor.... a cockroach scurrying across the floor, needless to say we didn't return to the Austin Grill! We headed for bed & after speaking with DD & Jmel we slept like logs. The cost of our accommodation for 3 nights was just $370.

16th June 08

We arose early, like two excited kids eager to explore the city. We took DD's advice for a 'free' breakfast downstairs at the hotel. This was not a success - the food was awful, all served up on plastic plates, cups etc. but to top it off we had to pay for it. The only good thing was i could check the internet (for free). Anyway, with breakfast behind us we embarked on our walking tour of Washington DC. We headed straight to the Holocaust Memorial Museum to get out day pass, we got there at 9.15am & joined the long queue it was v. hot even at this early hour. We got to the ticket area at 9.45am & luckily got admission for 10.15am. This museum was brilliant & I could easily have stayed for most of the day. It was very educational & once again humbling. Mal finally dragged me out just after lunch. Next destination the Air & Space Museum. Well Mal was like a little boy! We bought our tickets for the Imax 'fighter pilot' - it was great. After this we grabbed a maccy D's, going on to explore the rest of the place. That was our whole day taken up. As we prepared to depart for another iced beer, Mal nipped to the loo. Upon his return a huge thunderstorm had erupted, the museum had a double height glass window so the view was fab, you could see the black demonic sky & fork lightening, the rain came down & we were penned into the sanctuary of the building until it started to ease. The gift shop was doing a roaring trade with poncho buying visitors (us included). So, with ponchos on & silly photos taken we made our escape from space! By the time we reached our destination we were dry underneath but the poncho's were soaked, guess they had served there purpose. I was so tired I had a nap, getting up at 7.30pm showering ready for our meal out. We went to a lovely asian restaurant, called Asia Nine (http://www.asianine.com/) the food was first class & we stretched our budget to a nice bottle of wine. We decided to order some water - when the waitress arrived with a bottle of voss Mal & I looked at each other thinking we were going to get fleeced. To our surprise the bill was little more than the previous night & we didn't have to endure any visiting roaches! We strolled back to our hotel hand in hand feeling very lucky & soaking up the relaxing vibe of the city.

17th June 08

We decided to do a trolley tour today. We hopped onto the orange line with a very witty guide named 'grumpy'. We got off to explore the Jefferson Memorial by which time we had been slightly spoilt but again this was in a great location overlooking the tidal basin. Next we went to the FDR Memorial which was very different to all of the others. We hopped onto the red line with Bubbles over to Arlington Cemetery - WOW! This was stunning, the most amazing cemetery, it was immaculate like nothing I have ever seen before, we visited the graves of JFK & Jackie O (the view from here was breathtaking). Once again we boarded the trolley back to the centre. We decided on a super salad at potbelly's for breakfast come lunch. Fully fed we jumped on the green line over to Georgetown, what a beautiful place! We disembarked at the central point & straight into giffords (http://www.giffords.com/) for an ice cream. We headed to see the butterfly exhibition whilst Mal chomped through his M n M cone filled with what looked like a whole tub of peanut butter ice cream. Well the flutterbyes what can I say..... they were stunning in all of their resplendent glory. Basically, you were in a polly tunnel with flutterbyes from all over the world flying around you - needless to say, I was bricking it! But I convinced myself if I kept both of my hands glued to my 'snappy' camera I was not likely to lash out & volley any through the air unlike my turtle episode in Hawaii! I survived the experience & must say it was brilliant. We went back to the hotel via the Post Office Pavilion. We went to the top to take in a birds eye view of the city. A final stop for an iced beer then back for a shower & change. Tonight Mal wanted to take some night shots of the city, so with camera in hand we started to walk & walk & walk, we took pictures of many sights. We finally got back to the centre at 9.45pm, deciding on something quick to eat at the Elephant & Castle due to the late hour. We ordered 2 pints of lager & a huge plate of nachos with cheese & all the trimmings - we then to room 1035.

18th June 08

We arose early - decided on starbucks for breakfast. Starbucks was packed so we decided to give it a miss & head straight to the station on foot. The leisurely stroll was lovely, we had a great bacon & egg roll at Union Station. We didn't have long to wait for our train. We again got great seats & set about a game of scrabble (Mal won as usual). We arrived back to be collected by Jmel who had kindly got all of the shopping in & planned a great mal. We had a lovely dinner & regaled both DD & Jmel with our tales of Washington DC. We had a great nights sleep in a freshly made up bed.

19, 20 & 21st June 08

We spent the day relaxing & washing clothes from our trip. On Friday we headed into the City late afternoon to rendezvous with DD at her offices. We had been enlisted (if we wanted) to hep pack up DD's office ready for her move. Once we had done the 'pickford's' bit we headed to Bond 45 (http://www.bond45.com/) which is a restaurant just off Times Square. We stopped off en-route at an Irish bar where we met some of DD's work colleagues, they were great people, very friendly & welcoming. John one of the guys gave us an invitation to a BBQ at his house the next day. We moved on to Bond 45 which was a great restaurant & we highly recommend it. Mal said it was the best pizza he has ever had. Saturday was a mixture of lazing around, a trip to the shops with Jmel, then preparing for Sundays 'cook out'. Jmel also made some guacamole & DD made brownies (aka birthdays) to take to John's BBQ. Late afternoon we headed off to Johns for a great time, we met 4 new people & 3 kids plus 1 work in progress. Hmmm I wonder if Kaz has had the baby yet? Just asked DD the answer is yes a little girl - congratulations!

22nd June 08 Well today we had plans for 18 people to come along to a ‘cook out’. I think about 14 people came along. DD & Jmel went to church, upon their return we started to prepare for our visitors. The cook out was a success, plenty of lovely food & we met some very interesting people namely Yousef & his wife Mary. Yousef works for UNICEF & had lots of interesting stories to tell. Once our guests had departed & we had cleared up we all hit the hay as we were knackered! 23rd June 08 Today was a mix of leisure & packing for our trip to Cape Cod! 24th June 08 Off to Cape Cod! Mal at the wheel with his able assistant DD giving directions. It took about 3.5 hrs to get to Newport. We checked in to Historic Hill Inn, DD & Jmel had booked a 2 bed apartment. We were greeted by Donna, who was lovely. On first impression the house looked cluttered, but we reserved judgement as we hadn’t seen the apartment yet. The apartment – where shall I start, don’t know what was worst the smell, the dirty rugs, the minging bathroom. I think it had to be the fusty smell! As soon as Donna left the room – DD exclaimed ‘it stinks in here’! Anyway we dropped our bags & headed out. We took a stroll down town stopping off a Bowens Wharf for lunch at the Black Pearl. We then walked around town meandering in & out of the array of interesting shops. We went out prior to dinner for a drive around the Newport mansions, these were spectacular, a sight to behold. We dined at a restaurant recommended to us by Donna, which was great & consumed a number of glasses of wine. Post dinner we took a stroll along the beach which we all thoroughly enjoyed. A couple of nightcaps back at the ranch, we hoped for a good nights sleep. I was wrong! The overwhelming fusty smell proving too much, I slept with my P.J’s wrapped over my nose to block out some of the smell. 25th June 08 After a shocking nights sleep we arose for breakfast. I couldn’t really stomach much so had ½ a bagel. Even the offer of blueberry bread could not tempt me! Mal & I had decided to visit The Breakers (www.newportmansion.org) this morning it was awesome (the biggest mansion of them all) 7 was once owned by the Vanderbilts. We caught the trolley back into town & had a look around the shops. We met up with DD & Jmel at the Black Pearl after we had consumed a thirst quenching beer. We headed off for a light lunch, & then it was off for a 3.5 mile walk along the coast for Mal & I. DD & Jmel joined us for some of the way. The day was beautiful so we had a wonderful walk. We saw some great views of the mansions & ocean. Jmel & DD collected us at the end of the trail & we decided we had earned and ice cream. The weather had started to change & we saw the weirdest cloud formation, almost like a twister could form from it. We sat in the car & waited for the cloud to go over much to DD’s frustration as she was eager to get on, but Jmel had gained that childlike glow & wanted to stay with the cloud which was cool with us. Eventually we moved on for ice cream. Tonight we ate at Brick Alley which was superb, I enjoyed stuffed shrimp & have to say I was as stuffed as a shrimp afterwards – the food was absolutely yumalicious! Our final night in the smelly house was as restless as the first. 26th June 08 The morning was a welcome relief. Jmel enquired that if they were to book accommodation for us again would we prefer to pay a little more? Mal & I answered in unison a resounding YES! But that aside it was very good of them to book for us. We decided on a final walk around the Newport historic sites which we had not seen already. Then we headed off to Falmouth with Jmel at the wheel. We had decided that we would check out the rooms of the next place prior to agreeing to stay. Just to ensure we didn’t have anymore problems. We arrived at Inn at 1 Main Street (http://www.innatonemain.com/) a little hesitant, but must say Christi & Ray were the perfect hosts. The rooms were immaculate, I was elated that they had tigi hair products for me to use. I could finally wash my hair, something I had avoided whilst staying in Newport! Good job really or I doubt I could have got through my rats nest if I left it any longer. We dropped our bags & enjoyed a few laughs predominantly about our previous residence……think it was out of relief! We decided to go & explore a little. We ate at Liam Maguires (insert www) tonight, shrimp for me again! It was a great Irish bar with live music which we all happily sang along to & drank pints of the black stuff. We had to drag Jmel away she would quite happily have stayed for a few more hours. We all descended upon DD & Jmel’s room for a nightcap & replayed the moments from the ‘smelly house’ – what a laugh. I washed my hair before bed, never thought hair washing could be so exciting. 27th June 08 We had a great nights sleep & got up to egg benedict a far cry from Donna’s fayre. Christi & Ray had kindly sorted out our ferry tickets, so rucksack packed we headed for the steamship authority for the shuttle down to Woods Hole for the ferry over to Martha’s Vineyard. We boarded the ferry & secured a table for 4. We saw an Osprey in its nest on top of a wharf pile which was a great sight. We decided to play a few rounds of whist to pass the ½ hr journey. This proved to be the start of an ongoing tournament. Martha’s Vineyard was great, we saw the gingerbread houses & spent a little time on the beach, Mal ventured into the Atlantic for a dip (it was a very hot day). We stopped off for a nice lunch (think I had shrimp again)! In the afternoon we decided on a bus tour of the island, this was really good. We saw some ostentatious houses, fauna & where jaws was filmed. Our trip was about 2 hrs; we stopped off at Aquinnah to admire the views. Many famous people own houses here Jackie Onassis being one of them. We got the ferry back to Woods Hole at about 6pm. After a quick change back at the ranch, we headed off for an Indian, which was very good. After steering Jmel past the Irish bar we headed back for another great nights sleep. 28th June 08 We did one last visit to the shops to purchase some navy crocs for DD. Mal was going for a bright yellow but DD was having none of it. So crocs loaded we embarked on our homeward journey. We decided to visit a glass blowing place en-route, where we watched the guy making various pieces of the most beautiful blown glass – what a talent! We must have watched him & his able assistant for about ½ hr it was intriguing. We took a look around his gallery, purchasing a lovely vase for Jmel’s birthday which they kindly engraved on the bottom as a permanent reminder of our visit. We decided to head off to Providence for lunch. Providence was a relatively large place in UK terms at least. We took a wrong turn due to most of the roads being closed as there was a bike race on. We started to descend into a down market area & concluded this was not a good place to leave a fully loaded car whilst we filled our tummies. As we made our way back to the centre we happened upon a bar called ???? Jeml & I went to do a reccy of the place & decided it looked good. It proved to be a great find & we devoured a sumptuous lunch. Back in the car we headed on only stopping once we reached our destination. The evening was spent eating chicken salad & playing whist – Jmel & Mal winning at every opportunity. 29, 30, 31st June 08 The next few days were spent relaxing, reading & cooking food on the BBQ. 1st July 08 Mal & I decided to cook tonight to celebrate Jmel’s birthday (3rd July 08) we would have returned home by then. Jmel gave us the giggles as she explained (being from Texas) she grew up to a certain age thinking all of the 4th July celebrations were for her birthday……why would you think anything else! We cooked steak with blue cheese sauce, drank champagne 7 a nice bottle of rose which Jeml was fond of. Cheese & biscuits to follow with some of the port Mal had received for his 40th birthday. Again the card tournament was on……DD & I won – although this could be down to Jmel consuming wine…. 2nd July 08 Our last day - we spent the time packing & decided to do a ‘challenge Anneka’. We went out bought & fitted a whole soaker system in the garden within the space of 2 hrs. We grabbed a 5 min shower & change break prior to leaving for the airport. Then we were off, fully packed to JFK. Jmel had thought of everything & handed me a bag full of lunch items to eat at the airport. We checked in then DD & Jmel walked us down to security. I must say we were both feeling very sad at this point & I looked at Mal with tears in my eyes. I didn’t want to go home yet – even the lure of the new Motor home couldn’t change my mind. With tears in my eyes I went through security after a big hug & kiss with both DD & Jmel. I boarded the escalator & turned to frantically wave to DD & Jmel, completely oblivious to the length of said escalator……yes you guessed it – I fell off the top of the damn thing! Mal took it all in his stride. We devoured our packed lunch after checking out the duty free. Our flight was on time but unfortunately we sat on the tarmac & had a ½ hr delay taking off. But we made good time arriving 45mins early, the food & service on the flight was excellent. Unfortunately we had to endure crying children for most of the flight….this being an overnight flight proved to be very frustrating.