Benton, Pennsylvania

Benton Area - Day 6

We were supposed to only stay one night with Alice and Ron, but without too much arm-twisting we decided to stay another day. After a wonderful cooked breakfast, Ron and Alice took us on a tour of their area.

The real rural Pennsylvania

These little villages pop up everywhere

The following photos were taken around Lake Jean.

Lake Jean

Ron & Geoff discussthe finer points of fishing

How's that for a stone fence?

 We then drove up to Eagles Mere. It was once a thriving tourist destination. Now it is a quiet little village that tourists like us enjoy wandering around.

Geoff in front of the big clock at Eagle's Mere

After lunch we headed back to the farm. The day was full of firsts for me. I saw my first hummingbird - it was so tiny. I wanted to take a photo of it, but it was too fast. I saw my first buzzard - three actually. They're quite beautiful.

                                                                                                                                                                               

Leaving New York City

New Jersey Turnpike to Pennsylvania - Day 5

We made it around to the car hire place all enthusiastic about getting out of New York and beginning the rest of our trip only to have our plans dashed. The credit card I'd bought along was not considered to be a credit card by USA standards. They refused to rent us our car. Repeated attempts to ring back home to our travel agent failed to even connect.

Unsuccessful calls to many other New York car hire agencies revealed the same story. They would not hire a car to us. Eventually Thrifty came to our rescue and we took a taxi around to where we thought their office was. There was no office. We were dumped out on the pavement, in the rain, in New York, with no idea of where to go. No-one we asked had any idea who Thrifty was let alone where they were.

We were told 81st street, but on a whim, we decided to try 83rd street. Finally, there they were! 83rd street. Thrifty were very good. They did everything they could to help us out. Although it meant almost an extra $4000 we hired a car and were finally off on our journey.

Getting out of New York wasn't as hard as we thought. The traffic wasn't bad, and with the help of our new Garmin GPS, we were soon on the New Jersey Turnpike. Woohoo! Out of the city at last.

We had lunch in Denville, New Jersey, at a lovely little cafe where we were treated like royalty. I'm beginning to love America.

We headed back onto the New Jersey Turnpike and eventually we crossed the boarder into Pennsylvania. I love Pennsylvania. Everywhere you look it is like a postcard picture. The woods are pretty and green, there are rivers and streams everywhere, pretty little villages and quaint houses pop up out of the clearings. There are farms with red and white barns just like you'd see on TV or in a movie.

 

Crossing into Pennsylvania

 

 

 The Pennsylvania countryside is pretty

We were heading towards Benton where we were to spend the night at a farm stay. Geoff had to drive because I wasn't added to the insurance. Keeping him from wiping the door handles off on the side rails of the road, watching for signs and reading the GPS was interesting.

Then we missed a turn and had to go miles before we could turn off the freeway and go back the other way - twice. Even worse, it was a toll road. We paid the toll and then had to go back through the same toll in the opposite direction. The man in the booth charged us double the second time just for being idiots.

Many turn-arounds and five tolls later, we eventually we got to Benton and found Alice and Ron's farm. We were so glad to arrive we could have kissed the ground, and them, and the car...

Friendly Farm Stay on Andy's Hill Road, Benton.

In the pond were bass, newts, frogs and other water-dewllers.

We were welcomed by Ron and Alice and immediately felt like one of their family. After the traumas of the start of the day, ending the day here surrounded by this peace and love, was wonderful.

Subway Adventures

The Subway to Brooklyn - Day 4

Today we rode the infamous subways beneath Manhattan. We rode a couple of trains by accident and had to get off and go back the other way. It's a bit confusing if you don't know which way Up Town, Down Town, Mid Town and Across Town are.

We eventually got the hang of it. We took the subway across to Brooklyn where we walked through a little park and saw our first squirrel. Cute,but too fast for a photo. Then we walked back across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan.

Geoff on the Brooklyn Bridge.

From the Brooklyn Bridge, we took the subway to Grand Central Station. Wow! Now that's opulance! It looks wonderful now, but I can only imagine way back in the 1930s how "grand" it would have seemed.

We walked from Grand Central Station around to the Chrysler building.

Me with that famous clock.

 

The Chrysler Building is one tall statement in concrete and glass!

Then we were off around the corner to the American Museum of Natural History. We never got aroundeven half of the place. It's huge. It's also worth spending a day looking around. We had limited time, so we chose about four different exhibits to visit. I think you'd need a whole day to see the lot. 

 It cost us $35 to get in. They call this a "suggested donation". I wonder what would happen if you "suggested" a different price?

 Next, we were off to the  Empire State Building for a virtual helicopter ride all around and over Manhattan narrated by Kevin Bacon. It was like one of those Disney rides where the seats move and you feel as though you're really flying. Was great.

From there they took us up  - one elevator full at a time - to the 86th floor where the observatory is. So we walked all around the Empire State Building taking various photos.

Inside Empire State Building was all marble and Art Deco opulence.

Outside the Empire State Building.

That was it for our last full day in New York. We bought our GPS Garmin and an internet stick, so I'm all set up to function independently now.

We pick our car up tomorrow and drive out under the Hudson River in the New Jersey tunnel. Fingers crossed.

Manhattan Tours

Day 3

The famous Times Square
 

We went on an organised tour with On Board City Sights. We started out on a bus, swapped to a boat and then back onto the bus again with brief walks around to different sights.

Geoff in front of the New York Stock Exchange building on Wall Street

We started out and finished up just past Times Square. I'd highly recomment this tour. The tour guide was a real dag and really knew his stuff. He made the day fun.

Me with Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

We took the boat trip out to see the Statue of Liberty. It's quite beautiful up close but not as big as you'd think.

The rebuilding continues where the Twin Towers once stood. It's going to be a wonderful sight when it's all completed.

If you look carefully, you'll see a couple of familiar mugs on the big screen on Broadway, near Times Square.

From L.A. to New York

May 2 - Day 2

Well, I must say, the flight from L.A. to New York was the best one yet. We were upgraded to Business Class. Oh yeah, that is the way to fly. We were waited on, had a menue to choose from, had personal DVD players loaded a selection of movies for us to watch. The 5 hour flight seemed very short. It was a pity they wouldn't allow people to use their cameras on board because the view of New York as we slipped below the clouds was spectacular. I guess there are postcards for that sort of thing.

We landed in New York and walked straight out onto the platform where our courtesy bus was waiting to take us to our hotel - the very swish Carleton Hotel on Madison Avenue.

It was too late to do anything that night so we walked around the corner to a little serve-yourself place and selected a nice meal each which we sat and ate there. So far we've found all the food and drinks everywhere around Manhattan are way too expensive. Even a bottle of water 300mls will cost you $6 here. 1ltr is $10. I've developed a liking for their Coka Cola - it tastes different over here. I love their lemonade too. [Note: lemonade as opposed to Sprite - which we call Lemonade.] 

The Empire State Building lit up at night. I took this from the other side of Madison Square Park

 

Closer up now. We walked through Madison Square Park. It's very small but lovely.

We never got to eat here. There were people lined up all the way out onto the sidewalk. The food must have been good.

I'm sure this building with its clock lit up on the Madison Avenue side of Madison Square Park does have a name. I just don't know it. It was pretty, though, so I took a photo.

We're In L.A.

May 1

We finally got the all clear to leave from the doctor at 4pm Monday afternoon. From then on it was rush, rush, rush! On Tuesday morning I threw all my clothes into my case and zipped it up. I was convinced that both our cases were overwieght, but when weighed at Albury we discovered we were both well under the limit. "Oh you're travelling light," the customs people said. Light! I'd hate to lift a heavy case!

No time for cuppas in Albury, we raced off to Sydney where chaos reigns supreme. After asking directions from several staff, we eventually found our way to the International Terminal. From then on it was an endless wait in a line for booking, an endless wait in line through customs, an endless wait in line... Yeah, you get the drift.

Our view from the plane.

The long wing of Flight UA840

 

When we got our boarding passes we discovered we weren't even sitting in the same sectin of the plane. Jeez! Thanks to a very nice young man who changed seats with Geoff, we finally got to sit together.

And sit we did... for nearly 3 hours.  3 hours!! Our plane couldn't take off without a new cargo door strap.

Eventually we lifted off.

A view of Sydney as we last saw it.

 Some iconic views of Sydney harbour as we flew over it and away from Australia at last.

 .

Evening over the

Pacific Ocean.

This is over Suva. We could see the islands clearly. But having already spent about 5 hours in the air, my sense of humour evaporated.

The flight was interminable. Unbearable. Excruciating. Indescribable. Why do people actually do this to themselves? Why subject themselves to this unique kind of torture?

The next day dawned eventually - or the same day dawned again. 







We finally caught a glimpse of mountains through the clouds.

My first glimpse of L.A. as we descended through the clouds.

L.A. International Airport - where the big jet engines roar... I was so happy to touch down I could have burst into song! 

Now there's a familiar sight!

  

Oh my God! I could have kissed the ground! Only there was no ground, just a very long walkway, around a corner, down some stairs and then a 2 hour wait to get through Immigration. 

We got through Immigration and Customs with no problems, then we had to wait outside for a transit bus. We were told the wrong information and waited for another 2 hours only to discover that we were waiting in the wrong spot. We could have been on our bus and at our hotel at least an hour or more earlier.

Grrrr! Humour evaporating again.

Add to that the enormous May Day protest about something which will forever remain a mystery to me even though I watched it on several TV channels, and it all added up to us not getting to our hotel until about 4pm.

The whole highlight of the day and the same day again, was that we rang Maia Berens and she and her husband, Bart, came to the hotel to meet us.

We went to a lovely little shopping centre to a health food smorgasbord type shop and selected ourselves a wonderful meal which we all sat and shared as we chatted and laughed.

After years of talking to Maia via Skype, Messenger and anything else that would work, it was wonderful to finally meet in person.

Before we met, we both thought we'd be awkward and not know what to say. No fear of that! I don't think either of us drew breath!

Geoff chatting with the Valet at our hotel.

Geoff, Maia and Bart walking in to buy some healthy take away food.

Our first real meal in America. It was really delicious too.

Geoff and Bart discuss the finer points of what really is where in Australia.

Maia and I chatting away as though we get together often.

It really felt like we were two old friends getting together after a long time away. 

Another of those, "Geoff, just take the bloody picture," moments.

 Bart, Maia and I in L.A.

Right now it is 8.37pm Tuesday evening here and 1.37am Wednesday morning at home. Geoff is already in bed fast asleep while I sit here and blog on. I'm not happy that the shuttle bus is picking us up at 6.45am tomorrow. Breakfast isn't until 7am here, so I guess we'll miss out on that. Jeeez!


Anyway, despite the insanely slow plane flight, the painfully slow waiting in lines, and the delays and mistakes, we've had a really exciting start to our trip.