Means you get on a plane and when you get off it's almost two days later. But the flight only took 15 hours. It's a bit weird.
However, if you fancy driving the 15,000 miles, Google Maps has some thorough directions. Do have a read and check out point 13 in particular.
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Toodles
x
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Oakland, California
My last stop in North America before heading back to LA for a flight to Sydney was Oakland, where one of my friends lives with her husband and extremely cute baby. Getting there from San Francisco was easy; I simply hopped on the BART train that goes across the bay and, voila, I arrived 20 minutes later!
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Oakland is full of great things to do and, more importantly, awesome food. We stopped for pizza on the Friday night, followed by lunch made from ingredients bought at a brilliant farmers' market, then - wait for it - a full roast dinner on Saturday night! It was the last homemade meal I'd have in a while and it was SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD.
First up though was cocktail hour while watching a hilarious TV show called Party Down (thanks to Sarah for getting me into this!)
Then roast chicken, asparagus, rainbow chard, Yorkshire puddings and mash potato, before red velvet cupcakes! Heaven!
The next morning we ate brunch at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe - I had pancakes, fruit and syrup, and it was DELICIOUS.
So, Oakland is great - really relaxing and funky and fun - but more importantly, I was so happy to spend a weekend with much-missed friends who made me feel completely at home! Thanks Sarah, Will and Jack!
Toodles
x
View Larger Map
Oakland is full of great things to do and, more importantly, awesome food. We stopped for pizza on the Friday night, followed by lunch made from ingredients bought at a brilliant farmers' market, then - wait for it - a full roast dinner on Saturday night! It was the last homemade meal I'd have in a while and it was SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD.
First up though was cocktail hour while watching a hilarious TV show called Party Down (thanks to Sarah for getting me into this!)
Then roast chicken, asparagus, rainbow chard, Yorkshire puddings and mash potato, before red velvet cupcakes! Heaven!
The next morning we ate brunch at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe - I had pancakes, fruit and syrup, and it was DELICIOUS.
So, Oakland is great - really relaxing and funky and fun - but more importantly, I was so happy to spend a weekend with much-missed friends who made me feel completely at home! Thanks Sarah, Will and Jack!
Toodles
x
Thursday, 7 July 2011
San Francisco
Here are some things I learned in San Francisco:
1. It's awesome, no matter how many times you go
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2. If you eat nothing but noodles and imitation Pop Tarts for a week, you'll start needing naps at 7pm every night when your body starts to shut down
3. If you put beer and a digital camera in the same bag, expect at least one of them not to survive the journey
4. Saying "Sorry I'm not on Facebook" or "Sorry I've got to go, my house is on fire" is a good way to get rid of members of the opposite sex who won't leave you alone
I think they are all valid life lessons.
Anyway... San Francisco is so great, it's definitely in my top three visited-places-on-the-trip-so-far. Numerous reasons make it brilliant; it's lively, diverse, no problem to explore should you not have a car, intelligent, interesting, vibrant and picturesque. It's also great for shopping - but, given that my travelling fund needed to last a lot longer than retail therapy would permit, I was nearly licking the windows of half of the shops because I was that desperate to let Mastercard have its way.
A friend and I first visited Chinatown (apparently the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia) - this is a bit of a tourist trap but cute and fun all the same. I used to work opposite Chinatown in Manchester, which is pretty similar, except about a twentieth of the size and it frequently scared the shit out of me when I'd walk past the markets on fish delivery day (nobody needs to see dying fish flapping about on their lunch break, or crabs that instantly made me think of the John Hurt scene in Alien... oh my god I've just thought - he's eating noodles in that scene isn't he? Weird coincidence. Now I'm never eating noodles again. By the way don't watch that film if you're squeamish or about to eat noodles. Or about to eat anything EVER AGAIN. Well, do watch it, because it's unbelievably good, but if you do, make sure you watch Aliens as well, purely for Bill Paxton and the bit where he goes GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!).
I'm digressing again. Somebody stop me next time I do that.
ANYWAY. In San Francisco the pretty lanterns and bustling markets make it a must-see should you ever visit.
Then we walked up to Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, from which you can see:
Alcatraz
The beautiful sea lions (you can read more about them here)
San Francisco bay
We also rented bikes and went for a mammoth ride around the whole city. We headed from Market Street to Golden Gate Park up through the Presidio then up to the Golden Gate Bridge and down through to back where we started. Oh yeah, IT ENDED UP TAKING EIGHT HOURS. ON A DIET OF NOODLES. This wasn't the wisest move. Later we calculated that the route was just shy of 20 MILES and, if you didn't know this already, SF is SUPER-HILLY, I'm talking muscle-burning-y, soul-crushingly hilly. I've used A LOT of caps lock in this entry to emphasise HOW HILLY IT WAS. The views were totally worth it though.
I saw an apparently-real Banksy on the way though, hurrah!
And the giant pointy building in the city's financial district, which has matching mini pointy trees outside (yes, I'm easily amused by things like this)
Here are some pictures I took on our bike ride. The Golden Gate Bridge is easily one of my favourite sights so far. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the city.
Toodles!
x
1. It's awesome, no matter how many times you go
View Larger Map
2. If you eat nothing but noodles and imitation Pop Tarts for a week, you'll start needing naps at 7pm every night when your body starts to shut down
3. If you put beer and a digital camera in the same bag, expect at least one of them not to survive the journey
4. Saying "Sorry I'm not on Facebook" or "Sorry I've got to go, my house is on fire" is a good way to get rid of members of the opposite sex who won't leave you alone
I think they are all valid life lessons.
Anyway... San Francisco is so great, it's definitely in my top three visited-places-on-the-trip-so-far. Numerous reasons make it brilliant; it's lively, diverse, no problem to explore should you not have a car, intelligent, interesting, vibrant and picturesque. It's also great for shopping - but, given that my travelling fund needed to last a lot longer than retail therapy would permit, I was nearly licking the windows of half of the shops because I was that desperate to let Mastercard have its way.
A friend and I first visited Chinatown (apparently the biggest Chinatown outside of Asia) - this is a bit of a tourist trap but cute and fun all the same. I used to work opposite Chinatown in Manchester, which is pretty similar, except about a twentieth of the size and it frequently scared the shit out of me when I'd walk past the markets on fish delivery day (nobody needs to see dying fish flapping about on their lunch break, or crabs that instantly made me think of the John Hurt scene in Alien... oh my god I've just thought - he's eating noodles in that scene isn't he? Weird coincidence. Now I'm never eating noodles again. By the way don't watch that film if you're squeamish or about to eat noodles. Or about to eat anything EVER AGAIN. Well, do watch it, because it's unbelievably good, but if you do, make sure you watch Aliens as well, purely for Bill Paxton and the bit where he goes GAME OVER MAN! GAME OVER!).
I'm digressing again. Somebody stop me next time I do that.
ANYWAY. In San Francisco the pretty lanterns and bustling markets make it a must-see should you ever visit.
Then we walked up to Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39, from which you can see:
Alcatraz
The beautiful sea lions (you can read more about them here)
San Francisco bay
We also rented bikes and went for a mammoth ride around the whole city. We headed from Market Street to Golden Gate Park up through the Presidio then up to the Golden Gate Bridge and down through to back where we started. Oh yeah, IT ENDED UP TAKING EIGHT HOURS. ON A DIET OF NOODLES. This wasn't the wisest move. Later we calculated that the route was just shy of 20 MILES and, if you didn't know this already, SF is SUPER-HILLY, I'm talking muscle-burning-y, soul-crushingly hilly. I've used A LOT of caps lock in this entry to emphasise HOW HILLY IT WAS. The views were totally worth it though.
I saw an apparently-real Banksy on the way though, hurrah!
And the giant pointy building in the city's financial district, which has matching mini pointy trees outside (yes, I'm easily amused by things like this)
Here are some pictures I took on our bike ride. The Golden Gate Bridge is easily one of my favourite sights so far. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the city.
Toodles!
x
The mile-o-meter #2
Time to check again how many miles I've covered. It's been almost three weeks since I calculated the distance, so let's add on everything up to today (July 7th).
Manchester to London: 200 (all figures are approximate - well, according to Google Maps)
London to New York: 3,400
New York to Baltimore: 185
Baltimore to Miami: 1,200
Miami to Charlotte: 750
Charlotte to Los Angeles: 2,450
Los Angeles to Seattle: 1,140
Seattle to Summerland, Canada: 330
Summerland to Whistler: 300
Whistler to Vancouver: 80
Vancouver to Seattle: 155
Seattle to Los Angeles: 1,140
Los Angeles to San Diego: 120
San Diego to Las Vegas: 320
Las Vegas to Los Angeles: 270
Los Angeles to Santa Barbara: 100
Santa Barbara to San Francisco: 325
Total: 12,465 miles
---
San Francisco to Oakland and back: 32
San Francisco to Los Angeles: 344
Los Angeles to Sydney: 7,500
Sydney to Byron Bay: 450
Byron Bay to Surfers Paradise: 56
Surfers Paradise to Brisbane: 50
Brisbane to Noosa: 87
Total: 20,984 miles
Toodles
x
Manchester to London: 200 (all figures are approximate - well, according to Google Maps)
London to New York: 3,400
New York to Baltimore: 185
Baltimore to Miami: 1,200
Miami to Charlotte: 750
Charlotte to Los Angeles: 2,450
Los Angeles to Seattle: 1,140
Seattle to Summerland, Canada: 330
Summerland to Whistler: 300
Whistler to Vancouver: 80
Vancouver to Seattle: 155
Seattle to Los Angeles: 1,140
Los Angeles to San Diego: 120
San Diego to Las Vegas: 320
Las Vegas to Los Angeles: 270
Los Angeles to Santa Barbara: 100
Santa Barbara to San Francisco: 325
Total: 12,465 miles
---
San Francisco to Oakland and back: 32
San Francisco to Los Angeles: 344
Los Angeles to Sydney: 7,500
Sydney to Byron Bay: 450
Byron Bay to Surfers Paradise: 56
Surfers Paradise to Brisbane: 50
Brisbane to Noosa: 87
Total: 20,984 miles
Toodles
x
Tips for surviving a Greyhound bus journey
I think I covered some good ground while in North America, given the size of it and the time it can take to get from place to place. I did this by hopping on internal flights, which are generally pretty good value and easy because you only have to check in about an hour before departure.
However, I needed to take a couple of Greyhound buses for convenience. The longest was only 9.5 hours, but they can take up to three days if you really want to clock up some miles. Here are some things I learned; hopefully they will help any of you who are planning to travel this way in the future!
1. The buses stop in the middle of nowhere and the driver doesn't really care if you are back on board on time. Here is a picture of the inaccurately named King City in California where I spent/wasted 30 minutes of my life.
2. Lots of people on the bus are total weirdos. No pictorial evidence of this because I was scared one of them would knife me.
3. Some of the routes are actually a great way to see some gorgeous scenery. I can think of worse things to look at for nine hours than the Californian coast.
4. Make sure your iPod is fully charged before you go.
5. Sit near the front to avoid being anywhere near the toilet, which will otherwise assault all of your five senses and make you want to shoot yourself in the face before the journey is over.
6. Take appropriate snacks. All layovers are in places with fast food outlets, so if like me you're trying not to return home twice the size you were, you'll need to plan ahead. I took fruit, nuts and M&Ms. Drink water, but not too much, otherwise you'll have to use the loo (see point five for why this is absolutely the worst idea ever).
7. Make sure you know how you're getting from the station to your destination. The stops are usually in the arse end of nowhere and doorways to hell.
HAVE FUN!!!
X
However, I needed to take a couple of Greyhound buses for convenience. The longest was only 9.5 hours, but they can take up to three days if you really want to clock up some miles. Here are some things I learned; hopefully they will help any of you who are planning to travel this way in the future!
1. The buses stop in the middle of nowhere and the driver doesn't really care if you are back on board on time. Here is a picture of the inaccurately named King City in California where I spent/wasted 30 minutes of my life.
2. Lots of people on the bus are total weirdos. No pictorial evidence of this because I was scared one of them would knife me.
3. Some of the routes are actually a great way to see some gorgeous scenery. I can think of worse things to look at for nine hours than the Californian coast.
4. Make sure your iPod is fully charged before you go.
5. Sit near the front to avoid being anywhere near the toilet, which will otherwise assault all of your five senses and make you want to shoot yourself in the face before the journey is over.
6. Take appropriate snacks. All layovers are in places with fast food outlets, so if like me you're trying not to return home twice the size you were, you'll need to plan ahead. I took fruit, nuts and M&Ms. Drink water, but not too much, otherwise you'll have to use the loo (see point five for why this is absolutely the worst idea ever).
7. Make sure you know how you're getting from the station to your destination. The stops are usually in the arse end of nowhere and doorways to hell.
HAVE FUN!!!
X
Wednesday, 29 June 2011
If you like my blog, try this
I'm really flattered by the nice comments people are making about my blog and I hope it's as fun to read as it is to write. The blog has completely reignited my love of writing (not that I didn't like any of the THREE MILLION words I apparently wrote during almost five years at Adfero... yes someone worked it out) and in the process of creating it I have come across friends' blogs and funny little things online I wanted to share. If you have any you'd like to contribute, feel free!
You can follow Complete Ledge on Facebook if you've ever been mildly irritated by sales-type guys
This is a great blog by one of my oldest friends
Here's a new favourite about a cat (I told you cats were a recurring theme...)
This design/home/cooking one is by a dear family friend whose inspirational and beautiful talent astounds me more with every post!
This is my brother-in-law's blog... it's about his tiling business but I'm mentioning it anyway!
I also like this one even though I haven't got any tattoos - it's by my brother-in-law's sister, which makes me and her... um... something related!
Toodles
x
You can follow Complete Ledge on Facebook if you've ever been mildly irritated by sales-type guys
This is a great blog by one of my oldest friends
Here's a new favourite about a cat (I told you cats were a recurring theme...)
This design/home/cooking one is by a dear family friend whose inspirational and beautiful talent astounds me more with every post!
This is my brother-in-law's blog... it's about his tiling business but I'm mentioning it anyway!
I also like this one even though I haven't got any tattoos - it's by my brother-in-law's sister, which makes me and her... um... something related!
Toodles
x
Santa Barbara
I took a trip to Santa Barbara because I wanted somewhere to relax and it was also on the way to San Francisco, which would be my one of my last US stops before heading to Australia. Santa Barbara is about three hours by Greyhound from LA, but it feels about 30 hours if you're hung over. Not that I was hung over. I'm just saying you know, hypothetically. If one was to be hung over, a Greyhound isn't the best place to be. In fact, it's one of the worst places you could possibly be. According to someone I know. Not me.
View Larger Map
So, what's it like? Well, it's pretty small (you can walk across it in about 20 mins) with one main street of shops and restaurants, a beautiful beach, a generally laid-back air and gorgeous Spanish-style buildings standing between steep hills and the Pacific. You feel like there is a little more there in the way of historical significance and culture than other places in the US, but that said, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's interesting. Pleasant is a better word. Everything about it is just pleasant.
Check out the slide show for an idea of what Santa Barbara has to offer - and although it looks gloomy on the photos, it was actually a really lovely, sunny day, on which I saw dolphins in the ocean!
A friend and I also visited the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, which is super to look at and explore as it's full of gorgeous colours, textures and shapes. There is restoration work going on at the moment - apologies for that in the photos!
Finally, here are some pictures of a rather unusual vehicle parked at the beach. I've Googled it to see if the uber-hippy owner is well-known or if it's some kind of famous feature... and it looks like his name is Brother One Feather. Basically, he has decorated his VW Camper Van - in which he also lives - with tens of thousands of trinkets, toys, stickers, figurines, murals and general junk (a bit like the TV show Hoarders, but on wheels). But every millimetre of the van is covered. And it's all so... neat and tidy. I don't know how he's done it but it's truly fascinating; you can stare at each section for ages, spotting different sayings, characters and little bits and bobs.
And yes, that is Scooby Doo in the driver's seat.
Toodles
x
View Larger Map
So, what's it like? Well, it's pretty small (you can walk across it in about 20 mins) with one main street of shops and restaurants, a beautiful beach, a generally laid-back air and gorgeous Spanish-style buildings standing between steep hills and the Pacific. You feel like there is a little more there in the way of historical significance and culture than other places in the US, but that said, I wouldn't go as far as to say it's interesting. Pleasant is a better word. Everything about it is just pleasant.
Check out the slide show for an idea of what Santa Barbara has to offer - and although it looks gloomy on the photos, it was actually a really lovely, sunny day, on which I saw dolphins in the ocean!
A friend and I also visited the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, which is super to look at and explore as it's full of gorgeous colours, textures and shapes. There is restoration work going on at the moment - apologies for that in the photos!
Finally, here are some pictures of a rather unusual vehicle parked at the beach. I've Googled it to see if the uber-hippy owner is well-known or if it's some kind of famous feature... and it looks like his name is Brother One Feather. Basically, he has decorated his VW Camper Van - in which he also lives - with tens of thousands of trinkets, toys, stickers, figurines, murals and general junk (a bit like the TV show Hoarders, but on wheels). But every millimetre of the van is covered. And it's all so... neat and tidy. I don't know how he's done it but it's truly fascinating; you can stare at each section for ages, spotting different sayings, characters and little bits and bobs.
And yes, that is Scooby Doo in the driver's seat.
Toodles
x
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