Saturday, October 27, 2007

32 States, 13618 miles, 64 days - The end has arrived...

***********************************************************************************
Top 50 pictures (20-50):
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177905&l=76aa1&id=61205739

Top 50 pictures (1-20):
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177906&l=44a45&id=61205739
***********************************************************************************

It's surreal to be back at the hotel we left from all those days ago. I remember Philip, our Trek Leader for the northern part of the trip, stopping the van for a brief second on leaving and saying, "take a look cause you aren’t going to see that for a little while." In the 64 days since we've covered 13618 miles, driving the equivalent of England - Bangkok, then back again, or another perspective is in terms of the distance being a van journey around MORE than half of the world.



Arriving back at the Holiday Harmon Meadow earlier today (above and below).



We've been to 32 of the 50 states, despite a week of our trip being outside of the States visiting and travelling through two Canadian states (Alberta and British Columbia.) From cities of over 10 million to the wilderness of Wyoming which has the sparsest population of any US state - even over Alaska! Just an unbelievable journey:



New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, (CANADA), Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia (DC).

Just some of the big cities: Chicago, Vancouver, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington, New York.

National Parks: Badlands, Glacier, Yoho & Banff (Canada), Yosemite, Windy Cave, Yellowstone, Redwood, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Carlsbad Caverns, & the Everglades.

May be the best way to look back on the trip is to pick the top 50 pictures - below are the top 20 (of the top 50). To see 20-50 click on the 20-50 link at the top or bottom.

******************************* TOP 20 PICTURES! ******************************



Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada. Top of Mount Fairview. 9001ft.



Alex, sunset at Grayton Beach State Park, Florida.



Times Square, NYC, New York State, by night



The Apple Store by night, Chicago, Illinois.



Grinnel Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana.



Grinnel Glacier Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana.



Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana



A squirrel at 9001 feet high above Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada.



Percy, same place, same height.



Banff, Banff National Park, British Columbia, Canada.



Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada - just before whitewater rafting the Kicking Horse



Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California



The gap between freedom and jail. A 12 inch metal door. Alcatraz, San Francisco, California.



San Francisco Bay sunset cruise, California.



Half Dome, 8000+ feet, that's a 4000+ feet drop. Shear. Yosemite National Park, California.



Fancy dress on the Vegas Strip - Nevada



High octane. The top of the Stratosphere, Las Vegas, Nevada.



Takako on Miami Beach, Florida.

Now not sure about these last two, think they could be top 20...?



Glacier National Park, Montana



Grayton Beach, Florida



***********************************************************************************
Top 50 pictures (20-50):
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177905&l=76aa1&id=61205739

Top 50 pictures (1-20):
http://dur.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2177906&l=44a45&id=61205739
***********************************************************************************

No comments:

First stop: Trek America

First stop: Trek America
64 days - 31 states! I start my travels from New York on the Trek America Trailblazer (http://www.trekamerica.co.uk/tours/tl.html). Can't wait!

Second Stop: Hawaii!

Second Stop: Hawaii!
Then 2 weeks in B-E-A-utiful Hawaii!

Third Stop: Kiritimati (Kiribati)

Third Stop: Kiritimati (Kiribati)
Kiritimati receives just one flight a week. The pacific atoll is only 138 square miles in area - but 70% of that is lagoons! It is 2,015 miles from Tarawa, capital of the Republic of Kiribati; 1,335 miles from Honolulu; 4,000 miles from Sydney, Australia, and 3,250 miles from San Francisco. It lies between longitude 157 degrees 10' west and 157 degrees 34' west and latitudes 1 degree 42' north and 2 degrees 3' north. It is 145 miles north of the equator.

Fourth Stop: Fiji

Fourth Stop: Fiji
Then a couple of weeks island hopping around Fiji...