Boston Day 2

It was hot today and we set off to book our bus tickets to Washington. We got on the tourist bus and off at the Bus Terminal. After booking our tickets we went exploring Chinatown, not much to see at all. Apparently it is the fourth largest in America, if that's the case it was unimpressive and it's nothing like Sydney's Chinatown. We did have a lovely Korean meal. We walked some of the Freedom Trail and visited the the site of the Boston Massacre, the Old State House. It was then back to Harvard and MIT. Impressive universities, they have right to be proud. But I really fell in love with Beacon Hill and Charlestown. Beacon Hill has the original streets dating back to the early 1800s. Apparently there have been a number of fires that have destroyed many of the older buildings i.e. late 16 hundreds and early 17 hundreds. They still have the original gas lights burning, last night at dusk it looked great. Charleston also has many older buildings and wonderful streets and markets. The theatre area looks impressive with many productions being advertised. Lots to do in Boston, a really beautiful city. I am so pleased we come to visit. Off to Washington in the morning-not sure what we will do then. We will stay 3 nights and then either hire a car and drive down the coast and inland to fly to New Orleans.

Boston

We arrived in Boston about 3pm, the bus ride was uneventful and we got to see the local countryside. We found the partment without any trouble but were disapointed that it was up 59 steps! We decided on an apartment as the hotels were so expensive, although at $160 a night the apartment was not exactly cheap. It did have a small kit hen but was nothing like Paris Kate. So we were a le to but some breakfast for the next few days. We had a walk around and Copley Square is nearby. There is a wonderful circular fountain and lots of families had gathered to cool off. They did this by running under the water and it looked inviting. It was hot afternoon. We are staying in south Boston and it has many old brownstone buildings. It is very beautiful.

Next day we set off to do the Freedom Walk but found a similar deal as in New York-a bus where you could get on and off and a commentary. It was great. We also did a harbor cruise and had a lovely lobster meal for lunch/dinner. It was delicious! We made our way back to the apartment as the sun was going down-Boston is a very beautiful city, I could live here.

Last day in New York

Still so much to see and its our last day! Well we had such a good run from the bus it was now time to tackle the subway. We set off after buying a $20 metro card (explained to us by a fellow iPad user) to Stratton Island on the ferry. It's free and well worth the effort. On Stratton Island we went to the local museum and strolled the streets. Much less busy than Manhattan. On the way back Robert got talking to a woman who lives on the island but was on site at Ground Zero, she explained the horror of the days following. She also told us her life story, how she married an Arab taxi driver 17 years her junior who was from Morocco. By the end of the journey it seemed our next overseas trip would be Morocco staying with this woman! Don't think so Robert but her description of the Sahara and the Moroccan food was inviting so maybe? After getting off the ferry we walked to Customs House which now contains a native American Museum. The building is impressive and I did learn quite a bit and wasn't aware that the horse was not part of Indian culture until the 1700s. After the museum we walked through Wall Street and yes Robert had his photo taken at the rear end of the bull! Ground zero is still in disarray, so much for New Yorkers to consider when reconstructing. Back to the subway and onto Greenwich Village. We walked around trying to find the main drag, we were told to go left, then right and it seemed we would not find the action. So time to have a beer and gather our thoughts, also to get some accurate directions! So we set off again and found the main drag, so much variety but not dissimilar to King Street Newtown. We choose a Mexican Restaurant and I had a refreshing Margarita(Kate introduced them to me in LA). We had a lovely meal and then went back to the hotel (that now seemed like home) to pack for our trip to Boston in the morning.

New York Day 5 and soul food day

We started the day with a trip to the top of the Empire State building. Amazing views of New York but we had to line up for a long time and we had pre purchased tickets. Not sure it was worth the effort. Then it was off to visit the John Lennon memorial in Central Park. It is a across the road from the Dakota Hotel where he lived and was killed. What a loss and so unnecessary. The memorial is not very impressive but there were a lot of people showing that they still care deeply. We moved on into the park and walked for about 2 hours. What a place, so lovely and around every turn there is a delight. I can see myself living on Central Park and strolling through the park of a morning, Shame Robert doesn't have the same vision. It was time to go back to Harlem and wander the streets. Well it was unimpressive, although I did think of buying a 'I love Harlem' T-shirt. A bus driver had given us two restaurants to try. The first one was a bit grotty but the second was a more up market one and lovely. I had Sylvia's southern fried chicken, collard beans and garlic mash potatoes. Robert had the port spareribs. We sat under an awning on the sidewalk and watched the people of Harlem pass by, bit different from our first impressions. Sylvia started the restaurant 46 years ago and when she turned 80 the Mayor of New York made it a public holiday. Her family now runs the restaurant. We were fortunate to meet and speak with Sylvia and her daughters. A great afternoon and some lovely well cooked, tasty soul food.

New York Day 4-iPad day!

Time to check out uptown New York. So diiferent from downtown, Central Park, 5th Avenue,very beautiful tree lined streets with lovey brownstone mansions. The tour also went to Harlem which was not as I expected at all. Apparently there has been a move to also gentrify Harlem. So it looks great, wide tree lined streets. We drove passed the famous Apollo lounge where Ella Fitzgerald was discovered and others like Michael Jackson. We noted some good soul food restaurants and intend to go back for dinner. We hopped off in uptown and went shopping for an iPad. I was lucky to get a 64G wifi, 3G iPad for $600. I couldn't resist another gadget, a litepro the size of an iPhone that is also battery and wireless. The projection quality is very good. Thinking of the classroom of the future. Then we discovered a problem as in the US you can't buy a rechargeable 3G card-we were told that I would to have an American credit card to set up an account. Disappointing as free wifi in New York was hard to find. When we returned to our hotel I tried logging on at MacDonald's and used our address in Boston and it worked. So we have 2G for $25 for a month. It's heaven and I love my iPad, just have to get to another Apple store to buy the accessories! We had dinner at a steak house and an early night-well not for me I played with the iPad. I have to add also how disappointing it was with some of the sales people who questioned my knowledge of iPads(I did do extensive research before deciding to buy one). It's because I am an older woman and they treated me as if I had 2 heads, so they didn't get my sale! It turned out that I knew more than most of them about the iPads and it's uses! I am now a happy woman, yes older but connected!

New York Day 3

We decided to go to Brooklyn again in the day so set off on the bus. Much better guide and we saw a different aspect than last night. Brooklyn is much quitter than Manhattan and now gentrified with lots of rich young couples moving back to bring up their families. Very nice brownstone terraces, that are charming and we saw the Garden View apartment where Barbara Streisand grew up, just of Flatbush Avenue. Our next stop was the docklands area to buy cheap theatre tickets. Well not so cheap but we wanted to get tickets to West Side Story and we were successful. Next stop was Chinatown where we had a very late lunch and we bought bus tickets for Boston-$15 each. We then did another tour downtown as each guide has a different story to tell. We returned to our hotel and changed, it was nice to dress up. We then walked to Times Square and Broadway. The show was great and apt as we had learnt about Hells Kitchen and the gang wars that day on the tour. The show was in the Palace Theatre which is very famous and beautiful. We had good seats and really enjoyed the show. After the show we strolled back through Times Square-another American marvel. It is so exciting with thousands milling around, lots of bright lights and flashing signs. We stopped for a pizza snack on the way. We seem to have reduced our intake of food to twice a day. Not sure it is making difference to our waistlines though!but there is so much to see that food seems unimportant.

New York

On our way to breakfast we bought a 2 day pass on a city sightseeing bus. This included a ticket to the Empire State building, New York Museum, a boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, a trip to Brooklyn and a night tour. Great value for $145 for two. So we set off and did downtown and the boat trip. Love NY. Then we did the night tour which also went to Brooklyn. It was raining and a bit cold but it was great to see NY at night. We were on the go for 10 hours so after a quick pizza we called it a night.
The people in NY are very helpful and the bus tour great value, you get orientated and learn heaps about the local area. Ground Zero is still a very painful memory and they speak of it with sadness and with great respect for those who lost their lives. What a truly horrible event in the history of the world! But they also talk with such pride about their city and welcome you to come and live here. Bit different to Tony Abbot! Manhattan is not very big and the way the streets are designed very easy to navigate-although we did go around the block twice looking for our hotel!

Day 10-our last day together in LA

Worried about how Paul will cope with the return trip, he is very sad. Kate and Sarah have a plan so we are keeping our fingers crossed that all will be okay. The rest of the family head into Hollywood for a last look around and I do the washing. This was an interesting experience in itself-not so user friendly but the local Mexicans helped me find my way through washing and drying. Interesting watching them interact, must be a weekly meeting haunt and a catch up. I had a nice peaceful lunch by myself and then we packed up and left for the airport. We were flying out an hour after the kids to New York. Paul had settled and again Kate managed to get them into the Qantas Club. We had a farewell drink and said goodbye. I was really sad but looking forward to NY. The trip was uneventful and we made it to our hotel. The Hotel Pennsylvania was huge, the lobby like Central station. Our room was good but so dark. The position of the hotel is wonderful, right in midtown opposite Madison Square Garden and up the road from Times Square. We were so tired we had a walked around, some dinner and went to bed-traveling is tiring. So good to be in NY! We heard from Kate and Sarah and all was good on the return flight with Paul. Well done! What an accomplishment Paul and thank you Kate and Sarah.

Day 9-LV to LA

Left for LA and yes more shopping, bought Robert and Paul 5 shirts and me a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt for $50. Great value and quality cloths. When we arrived in LA the hotel was really disappointing, great on the outside but really poor on the inside. I have been impressed by the Americans we have met so far, so helpful and gracious-not so at this hotel. Well we managed to upgrade to a suite so it was a little better and got late checkout but it cost us $200 and this hotel was certainly not worth it! Dinner was pleasant though at a lovely Mexican Restaurant. Did I mention how many Mexican Restaurants there are in LA? Lots of Mexicans and this hotel was in an old part of LA which seemed the centre of the Mexican community. Paul is getting angry at the thought of the week ending and going home. I think for Paul having his family together and the fun he has had with Kate and Sarah just fooling around at the end of our busy days has been his highlight. Sorry Paul all things come to an end, you have been delightful, patient and so controlled with your behaviour. This holiday has shown me how much you have grown in the last few years. I am feeling sad too, it's been so nice being together as a family, yes there has been some tense moments as we are all very strong minded people but I will treasure these memories always.

Day 8-last day in Vegas

More shopping on the agenda for today, some great bargains but I think Paul has had enough. He was very patient. We moved to the Hilton as we decided to stay an extra day, it is like a city in itself. It was so hard finding our way in! The hotel was impressive and at last we had connecting rooms. It was such a busy day and Paul was really tired so we had dinner at an all you can eat and drink restaurant, the food and wine was very ordinary! Robert, Paul and I called it a night after losing some dollars in the pokies, Kate and Sarah hit the strip again. Back to LA in the morning. LV is certainly a must see, it is hard to imagine how a place like this is conceived. The Americans are so good at developing fantasy and turning tacky into amazing.

Day 7

After breakfast Paul had his first go on the pokies and won $50. We then decided to buy tickets for Lion King so Sarah and Paul headed for the pool and Kate, Robert and I back to the strip to find the cheap ticket outlet-although nothing is cheap or free in Vegas. We bought the tickets and made reservations at Lupos an Italian restaurant, it was time for some good food! We had a lazy afternoon and got dressed up and had a wonderful meal at Lupos. Lion King was excellent, really innovative and of course we have all heard the music many times. It was a lovely night, as the girls headed off to the casino, Paul, Robert and I headed for bed-this pace is tiring but fun!

Day 6

Time to pack up and move on to Las Vegas with some outlet shopping on the way. Thank God for TomTom-it was a breeze to get out of LA. The girls hit the shops and were gone for a few hours. The shopping is amazing, Paul and Robert did well. We arrived in LV about 4 pm and checked into the Luxor. It is huge and quite comfortable. We walked the strip, tacky but maybe everyone should see it once in their life(once is enough for me and Robert but Kate and Sarah said they are defiantly coming back with Igor and Cain). The Statue of Liberty, MGM lions, Eiffel Tower and people everywhere! We were tired and decided to call it a day after a couple hours, it was very hot as well, about 40 degrees.

Day 5

We picked up our hire car today, it's great, a Kia van with plenty of space for all of us and our luggage. Time to explore Beverley Hills. A quick stop at Pretty Woman's apartment, George Clooney's house and the Playboy Mansion. Not forgetting Rodeo Drive. We then headed to Santa Monica for lunch on the pier. Lovely beach and the pier was interesting but lunch was disappointing. Next was Venice Beach and we had trouble getting parking. Well after all the beat up of this place it was disappointing. I am pleased we didn't decide to stay here. A more relaxing day finished with a nice meal at a Mexican restaurant.

Day 4

Time to slow down today, we are all tired. Slept late and then made our way by bus to the Farmers Market for lunch. Paul and I had gumbo and he thought it was delicious and so did I.we walked around the markets and then Paul and Robert headed off back to the hotel for a swim and the girls and I went shopping. We found Bloomingdales and Macys. We managed to get some bargains. Next was another trip into Hollywood and Sarah got to pick where we would have dinner. Guess what she chose Hard Rock. Robert was not impressed with the loud music but the rest of us loved it. The technology is great-interactive tables to play on while you wait to be seated. You can choose a song and it's voted on as to whether it is played or not. Guess Billy Joel is not popular with the Hollywood crowd? Kate arranged for Sarah to have the complimentary birthday sundae and the staff sang happy birthday with the patrons joining in-it was fun and Sarah enjoyed it. Paul was in his element! Another full day.

Day 3-Sarah's 24 birthday and Disneyland

Sarah wanted to go to Disneyland for her birthday so we set off early. Again we were able to get a special pass for Paul that meant we did not have to wait more than bout 10 minutes to get on a ride. Sarah also got a badge that said it was her birthday and the staff at Disneyland were suppose to wish her happy birthday-some did but most ignored the badge. Robert and Paul had the first ride in a car, Paul had a ball but Robert almost had a nervous breakdown getting Paul in and out of the car. Next was Tomorrowland - not much and they hurried me through the technology enhanced house-the family that is, next was Fantasyland. Disney certainly knows how to export you into a different space. I haven't been able to get "...It's a small world after all" out of my head since. We went on so many rides and visited all the worlds. Splash Mountain was so scary, I will scan the family photo went I get back-it's a classic!. After many hours we left and had a quick dinner before heading home. Such a big day, I think Paul was overwhelmed. The rest of us were pleased we had fulfilled the dream to bring Paul to Disneyland. It is so unreal and it's uplifting to think that such a place of delight and amazement exists in this world.

Day 2 in LA

Off to Universal Studios via the subway. Sarah sorted out a pass for Paul and it was so good, we didn't have to wait in line for very long-we were fast tracked and some rides had a car which allowed us to take more time to get Paul in and out. Our first stop was Waterworld, it was a great show but Paul didn't like the airplane landing and blowing up. Next was the studio tour, the 3D Godzilla display was amazing. I think this tour is the best part of Universal-so good. We went on most rides and it was a great day. After about 8 hours we skipped dinner because we were so exhausted and went to bed soon after getting back to our hotel. We all had a great day and Paul's highlight was the Simpsons ride, and meeting Maggie and Marge.

Day 1 in LA

We arrived in LA without any issues Paul was great on the flight but it is so long! I caught up on all the movies I have missed over the last 6 months. Paul watched the last 6 months of the Next Generation TV show and Mr Bean. Sarah and Kate sat with him and were great managing him, although it was up to Sarah to do the toilet run. LAX is quite unimpressive but it was easy to get out and find a Taxi. The customs people were great with Paul.Our hotel was interesting, just like the moves and painted with stars on the outside. Clean and right next door to a subway station. We couldn't check in so walked up the road and found a Pizza place for lunch. Kate and I ordered 2 large pizzas for us-they were huge! People were walking out with pizzas the size of a dinner table! After lunch we had a sleep-think Paul would have liked to stay in bed until morning. We then made our way via the subway to Hollywood. Walked the street of the stars, checked out some of the stores and had dinner at Hooters(the girls were amazed that I had never heard of Hooters). It was then time for bed, we were all exhausted.

@the Airport

Well the day has arrived and we are sitting in the Qantas Lounge (thanks to Kate) sipping Champagne and nibbling on some cheese and bikkies. Paul is subdued, I  think he is tired as he was so excited this morning when we got into the taxi and arrived at the airport. Paul is very settled, he may think you always get free wine, beer, food etc when you travel. Robert is worried I will want to join the Qantas Club.....not a bad idea. Time to back up and get ready to board. More later....