San Francisco - Yosemite

DAY 1

Arrived in San Fran at 2pm local time (10pm UK time) and didn't get back to the hotel for another 2 hours or so (we got lost on the way!!) Our first culinary experience followed shortly after, when we went to IHOP for a take away. Philly cheese steak sandwiches ROCK!! We lasted until around 11pm local time before passing out until the morning. Honey snores really loud...

DAY 2

The next day we woke up and walked towards the docks to get the ferry to Alcatraz (after again visiting IHOP, this time for their awesome breakfast). However, the hills in San Francisco are more like mountains!!

This picture does NOT do the hill justice

We were all very tired about 5 minutes into our 40 minute trek! We got some totally genuine 'designer' sunglasses (for $7) and went off to Alcatraz at 12pm. While we were waiting we found the Sea Lion colony.

Alcatraz has lots of history, and it also ROCKed... Spent a few hours there then went back to mainland for the 3pm bay cruise, which took in the Alcatraz island and the Golden Gate Bridge.

We then went to Chinatown for a meal. It was... an experience... We are planning on sticking to American food from now on.

We then got the famous tram back (with Honey, Roy and Charlotte all hanging onto the sides of the car!)

DAY 3

The journey to Yosemite. After initially getting slightly lost due to the bridge we needed to take having blown up, a nice American lady guided us in the right direction. The rest of the journey went smoothly and we arrived in a town close to our hostel/tent a few hours later. We stopped in a diner for some American food (big burgers) which were MUCH nicer. It is looking like sticking to steak and burgers from now on...

Then the last little trek up to the lodge and we arrived 30 mins later*. We are now checked in relaxing with a beer and an Apple computer, and are looing to head to the local swimming hole in a short while.


*There are no phones here, and poor little Honey is missing his Nola...

We are OFF!!!

Hi all!! Just a quick word to say that we are off, all ready and raring to go!! Going to the Hounslow West travel lodge to stay until tomorrow, and then we will be in Heathrow early tomorrow morning!!

Wish you all the best, we hope to keep this updated as often as we can. See you in just over a month!!

More Activities Booked!!

We have now booked the last few things to do in America. The breakdown is as follows:

21/05 San Francisco, CA
Alcatraz
Bay Cruise
China Town

23/05 Yosemite National Park, CA
Many things, including Glacier point

25/05 Las Vegas, NV
Stratosphere tower rides - Big Shot, Insanity, and X Scream
New York, New York rollercoaster
Mirage habitat - big cats, dolphins
Bellagio fountains
Gun firing range

27/05 Grand Canyon, AZ
Hoover Dam
Grand Canyon Skywalk - due to new information (ie it costing $75 instead of $25, taking a whole day and you not being allowed to take photos) we will not be partaking in this activity
Grand Canyon stuff!!

30/05 Arches National Park, UT
Sights of the park

31/05 Denver, CO
Colorado Rockies
Casa Bonita

01/06 Hot Springs, SD
Mount Rushmore
Crazy Horse memorial

02/06 Sioux Falls, SD
Nothing... Maybe an early night?
Sioux falls park!! How could I forget the highlight of the trip!! Check out the way industrial estate merges into manky parkland!!

03/06 Bloomington, MN
Mall of America!! Including a NASCAR simulator, theme park, and more!
Also present - the Space Aliens Bar & Grill!!

05/06 Spring Green, WI
House on the Rock

06/06 Chicago, IL
Medieval Times
Shedd Aquarium
Sears Tower
Hancock observatory
(and of course, Chicago town pizza!)

08/06 Cleveland, OH
Pro Football Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

09/06 Clearfield, PA
Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, with giant burgers!! Yes, we are going here PURELY for the food!

10/06 Niagara Falls, NY/Canada
American side
Canadian side
Maid of the Mist
Journey behind the falls
Cave of the Winds
Skylon tower

12/06 Waterbury, VT
Ben & Jerry's factory

13/06 Portland, ME
Going to look around, and have the world famous lobster!

14/06 Cape Cod, MA
Boston
Whale Watching
Crazy golf
Looking about, enjoying the beautiful-ness (and of course, having plenty of their seafood)

17/06 New York, NY
Empire State Building
Helicopter tour
Ghostbusters buildings (apartment and firehouse)
Harbour lights cruise (route)
Chinatown
Baseball game
Jekyll and Hyde Club
Ground zero

FAQs

These have been questions asked to AQA (text any question to 63336, £1 per text) to help us with some important decisions.

Q: We are travelling from San Francisco to New York via Vegas, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and Cape cod, amongst others. What is THE must see attraction in USA?
A: The Grand Canyon is the USAs must see attraction, and it is already on your route. Leave the US to see the canadian Niagara Falls - the US ones are poor

Q: Me and some friends are taking a trip across America. Honey and Roy - 2 guys - are sharing a bed. Who should be big spoon, and who should be little spoon?
A: Honey should be big spoon and Roy the little spoon, as Honey is taller and his big manly arms can embrace Roy to keep him snuggly and safe

Q: Four of us are going across America, and I'm having to share a bed with a bloke called Honey. Should I be worried that he'll try some 'big spoon' action?
A: AQA thinks that you will be fine, as this Honey is no monster. For extra security at night, make a pillow wall between the two of you.

Q: As you suggested, Roy will now be little spoon. Final question - should we get him drunk and married to a transvestite in Vegas? His lips say no, but his eyes scream yes!
A: You should always follow his eyes over his lips, so go for it. He is only pretending that he doesn't want to go along with it anyway

Q: I am a bloke about to go to Las Vegas with some friends, and they are going to try and marry me off to a transvestite. What is the best way to get out of this?
A: The best way to get out of marrying someone in Las Vegas is to stay sober so that you can object. Failing that, find an attractive female and marry her first.

Q: Four of us are going on a trip across America. Tiny and Charlotte are boyfriend and girlfriend - should we get them married in Las Vegas?
A: Don't get Tiny and Charlotte married in las Vegas. They should enter into marriage themselves, reverently, discreetly, soberly, and after serious thought.

Q:I'm going to be trapped in a car with three guys going across America and I'm worried about the fart gas. Do air conditioned cars trap the smell?
A: The fart smell comes from hydrogen sulphide gas. On average, a person produces about half a litre of fart gas per day. Air conditioning recycles the air!



If you have any more questions that you feel are pressing, please text AQA then email us the question/answer so that we can add them. It would really help us out.

T-shirt designs finalised

We now have the final designs of the T-shirt. The characters/map will be across the shoulders, with the tour dates below. We will also each have our own individual character over our heart, with name below. Now we are just having trouble finding somewhere to print them to high enough standard!!

It is getting close now, so we need to start saving, and sorting out the money etc for when we go!!

Charlotte

Richard G (Tiny)

Richard G (Roy)

Honey

Bookings complete

We have now booked all the motels, flights, and car for our trip. It is scary - we are actually going to do this! Actually, it's more exciting than anything else. Countdown to go is all thats required (apart from insurance, changing address on driving licence, and sorting out our money...)
Oh - and to get our T-shirts printed...

Planning

So, the plan to cross America is starting to come together. We have worked long and hard, and have the itinery for around 75% of the month so far. Just a little bit more planning and then we can start booking things! Above is the draft of the route that we are to take, trying to take in as many of the sites and attractions as we can, and we shall try to keep you updated on what we see, and when we see it! We have allowed for 6000 miles in 30 days, but in reality it should be less than this.