USA Road Trip

Having spent 8 hours trying to do a handful of simple tasks in Bellingham, without a car, and weary after the tournament, we realised it was time to solicit the services of Bruce (our trusty gold Hyundai). What Bruce lacked in personality, he gave in efficiency. What he really needed was a partner in crime... That's where Shiela came in. You see, Bruce is from Mars. Shiela is from Venus. He refuses to ask for directions when lost, so Shiela (our newly acquired SatNav) pre-empted Bruce's every move. To say they never fell out would be a white lie, but on the whole, it was a very effective arrangement. Together Bruce and Shiela brought us to places we could never have found without them. For this, we owe them a debt of gratitude.

So, our 3 week, west coast USA adventure began, in Bellingham, WA, near Seattle. Highway 101 took us down the Washington and Oregon coasts, with the stunning scenery making up for the slow miles. Through Washington and Oregon, we camped almost every night, and hiked almost every day. Al's matchbox camping stove provided breakfasts and dinners fit for kings. Rising with the sun, our body clocks seemed to quickly adjust to using all our energy during the hours of daylight. We seemed to be flat-out by 8 or 9pm every night but still managed some "dance while you think Charades" by the campfire!


Califonia was a welcome change of scene, with much more on the agenda than hikes and camping. We started in Arcata (north Cal), which is known for its weed-growing, liberal, politically-opinionated inhabitants. Arcata didn't disappoint. It has as many crazies as Gastown, Vancouver, but here everyone is loaded from sales of the herb. We ended up playing pool with a couple of the college students and got a great insight into the mind of some of the American voters out there. "Ron Paul, man"; "You guys are controlled by the Queen, man"; "No way man, if I get a passport, then the Feds will know all about me". Solid.

Further south in California, Al detoured via Sandy Aygo, while myself and Fi headed for the hot springs and wine country. We were told that these particular springs were "typical north-California". Little did we know that this meant everyone was going to be in the nip! 2 days of "discovering ourselves, man" and both of us were fairly sure that the commune life wasnt for us. A spectacular place, but too many auld lads sitting cross-legged for my liking!

Sonoma County was a fabulous next stop where we went wine-tasting and toured the Bezinger family estate. Myself and Bruce were operating a strict Designated Dessie policy, so Fiona did the bulk of the vino tasting - "I could get used to this"! Another mere couple of hundred miles and we were crossing the Golden Gate bridge. Fiona's first time, and my first re-visit in 20 years. The next part of the adventure was going to bring us on the 2-week "Green Tortoise" bus, so we were forced to say goodbye to Bruce. 2000 miles on the clock - a faithful servant and friend.

Slideshow of USA Road Trip