Took the Amtrak from Sacramento to Richmond, then the Bay Area Transport (Metro) to our hotel on Market Street. Arrived just in time for Chinese New Year Parade, which passed right under our window. Rode the cable car, vintage trams, boats and buses to visit Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate bridge and China town. Afternoon of culture in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and generally a lot of walking and exploring the down-town area. Flew ...more...

Flew into Sacramento from LAX on a Sunday, and stayed in the town centre. A wet evening when we arrived, but the weather improved, and we explored the Old Town, the Capitol building, the Crocker Art Museum and the California Railway Museum. The Crocker Art Museum included an AI art installation, producing images from spoken descriptions. Chris gave it a try. Had some interesting and varied meals, before leaving by Amtrak to San Francisco. ...more...

Arrived in LA Union station and took the metro to Hollywood & Highland, close to our hotel. Used local buses to visit Griffith Observatory, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and California Science Museum, Exposition Park, all by bus. Used an Uber on our last day to get to LAX for our flight to Sacramento. ...more...

Off to San Diego for Nicole's wedding. Roce ceremony in Carlsbad Poinsetta, wedding ceremony in San Diego, and visits to USS Midway Museum, Maritime Museum of San Diego at Star of India Wharf, and Point Loma. Then up to Carlsbad Village for a couple of nights before getting the train to LA. ...more...

It was the RI Convention in Toronto that triggered this trip. We flew into Montréal the morning after the Canadian Grand Prix, spent 4 nights there, then got then got the train to Quebec. 3 nights in the Chateau then an internal flight to Ottawa. Another 3 nights then a train to Toronto, where we stayed by the station, conveniently placed for the Convention centre. Managed to fit some sightseeing around the Convention, including a day trip to Niagara Falls. ...more...

On this trip we stayed in the Best Western Hacienda in San Diego Old Town. Used the extended light railway to commute into town, and to reach the Mexico border at Tijuana. Walked into Mexico, and had lunch at Hotel Caesars, claiming to be the inventor of the Caesar Salad. Spent a day in San Diego Zoo, visited Janet and Glen in Powys, and enjoyed a wonderful Sunday brunch in the Oak Room of the Coronado Hotel. Later we flew to Atlanta for the Rotary ...more...

Third and final episode of our 'Deep South' road, rail and boat trip. Arrived in New Orleans on the American Queen from Memphis. Stayed a few nights enjoying the food and music, then travelled by the 'Sunset Limited' train to Houston. Stayed in the city centre but used local buses to get out to NASA Mission Control centre. ...more...

Second part of our 'Deep South' tour, these pictures cover the Riverboat section down the Mississippi on the American Queen. Shore leave was granted at Greenville, Vicksburg and Natchez, where we visited various private southern properties such as Anchuca Historic Mansion in Vicksburg, and public buildings (OK, mainly courtrooms). Arriving at Baton Rouge late evening), we spent most of the following day visiting the Louisiana State ...more...

The start of our deep south trip. Flew into Atlanta, much improved since 2010, with the new International terminal. (Pity it is the opposite end of the runways from the old terminal and ground transportation.) Overnight at an airport hotel, then picked up a hire car and drove to Chattanooga (Choo-choo Hotel). Stayed over the weekend then on to an AirBnB in Nashville and a few days of real country music. Then on to Memphis, visited Gracelands, dropped off the hire car ...more...

A solo excursion, apart from the other 15,000 Rotarians and partners attending the international convention in São Paulo, Brazil. I stayed at the Matsubara Hotel (now closed) and used the subway or host coach to the convention centre. Spent the day time at the convention or in the house of Friendship. Walked around the city, attended a special carnival event arranged by the Host Organising Committee at the Anhembi Sambadrome, enjoyed a Brazilian ...more...

The 4th and final part of our West Coast and Rockies holiday, this section picks up as we leave Lake Louise and explore the Icefields Parkway, before crossing the Rockies again (this time in a hire car) via Kelowna and Whistler (2 nights in each) to Vancouver, for our flight home ...more...

Part 3, and we leave Vancouver for the second time, now on the Rocky Mountaineer to Banff via Kamloops. Stayed in Brewster's Mountain Lodge for 3 nights, then up to Chateau Louise on the lake of the same name. ...more...

Part 2 of our Northwest journey. We arrived in Prince Rupert on an Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Ketchikan, and spent the night there before catching the Canadian ferry for the 12 hour crossing to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island. An overnight in Port Hardy, then searched for our bus to Victoria. No bus. Turned out we were the only two passengers booked, so they sent a driver and 4*4 as a private taxi for the 8 hour journey! We spent 3 nights in ...more...

The start of our west coast epic - flew to Vancouver then got a shuttle flight to Seattle, where we had 2 nights in an airport hotel. Took the train into Seattle centre on the free day and visited the Space Needle, Pike Place market, the first Starbucks and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation museum. Then a dawn flight to Juneau for 3 nights, and used the Alaska Marine Highway (ferry system) to get to Skagway for 2 nights. From Skagway we took a dawn ferry ...more...

This USA Trip started in Atlanta, Georgia, staying in the Buckhead suburb.  We then drove down to Jekyll Island, where we met up with Chris & Paul and Terry & Judy.  After that we drove up the East Coast, spending time in Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington, before heading for the Outer Banks via the Ocracoke ferry.  Here everything went wrong - with a leg infection seeing Ian confined to hospital and eventually being shipped home  from Charlotte. ...more...

A short US visit to Los Angeles, staying initially with Janet & Glen in Simi Valley. Then drove to Las Vegas across the so-called 'Dry Lake', which was full of water, to a very wet Las Vegas. Rain is infrequent there, so there were minimal preparations - roofs leaked, marble floors became wet ice rinks and the streets flooded. After a day or so we decided to decamp to the Grand Canyon (via the Hoover Dam) where we spent one night, rising ...more...