www.theblisspages.com - travel: USA - west coast
www.theblisspages.com - travel: USA - west coastLinks on this page: Oregon : Seattle : Bend : California : St Helens : San Francisco
In the early eighties, my first wife and I went to stay with some friends in Eugene for a few weeks. At the time, we had a couple of English Setters - later we bred them and our pack enlarged to four - and the friends were also setter-mad. We went to a couple of dog shows whilst we were out there.
The biggest culture shock was probably the food. Breakfast often comprised sweet waffles with bacon and maple syrup and a chicken dinner might be accompanied by strawberry jam. Portions were huge by British standards, especially in fast-food emporiums. I particularly enjoyed TGIF (Thank God it's Friday) and the Hard Rock cafe.
I was also struck by the number of American flags proudly on display in citizens' front gardens. In England, flags hanging outside usually herald an international football match.
We went to Seattle for a day, and on the journey, I was struck by how slowly everyone drove, with a largely-observed fifty-five mph speed limit. My memories of Seattle were of multi-lane overpasses and of drizzle.
We also drove to Bend a couple of times, and the views on the journey were spectacular.
We also went south to California, and one of the highlights of the trip was the magnificent redwoods - some of the biggest trees on the planet. We actually drove through one huge old tree. On the way through the forest, we popped into a shop where I saw a really nice wall water feature, featuring copper channels slowly channeling water down the wall. I still regret not buying it.
We travelled down the Big Sur coastal highway, with its superb views of the California coast. The sea looked wild and beautiful, but I gather the water temperature is always very low, so wet suits are advisable.
St Helens last erupted in 1980, creating the largest landslide in recorded history and killing fifty-seven people. The marks were still very much visible. The almost-lunar landscape reminded me of the Vestmann Islands off Iceland I had visited in 1970, again shortly after an eruption. Vegetation and animal life were just starting to return, but it will be many years until the scars heal.
I visited San Francisco in 1989. I only had eleven hours in transit, so determined to make the most of them.
The full journey? I went from London to Bangladesh for two weeks work, to Thailand for a week's holiday, transited Japan (but didn't have time to leave the airport), then went to San Francisco, and on to Ecuador for another two weeks work and back via Miami. It's a hard life...
I took a taxi from the airport into town, and on the way saw collapsed bridges and freeways and Candlestick Park stadium, damaged by an earthquake that October. I also had my first view of the Golden Gate Bridge.
I wandered along the coastline and saw the famous wiggly road, also known as Lombard Street, which has featured in so many films, and the sea-lions which seemed to have taken over pier 37 at Fisherman's Wharf.
I took a tram over the switch-backed Nob Hill and stopped for a magnificent steak, accompanied by a glass of Californian red wine.
I didn't have time to visit the brooding Alcatraz Island, the former federal prison, but still thought I'd spent my brief time pretty productively, as I took a taxi back to the airport, to continue my anti-clockwise global circumnavigation.
:
: © Mike Bliss 2008