Livin’ Las Vegas Loca

Anyone who doesn’t know I am not into gambling doesn’t know me. And boy at this stage have I missed it!! I love a flutter on the dogs, the football, the poker, roulette, blackjack…you name it I will throw a cheeky few quid on. And having gambled once (Ottawa) since leaving home, I was game for Vegas!

My Flight Into Vegas, Full Length View Of The Strip!!

P-p-p-poker face in hand (love me a Gaga reference), I wandered into my accommodation after much time travelling (bus to Dallas, flight to Vegas) then sat down on a machine. Ten dollars later I went to rest and recuperate for a full day on the games the next day.

My Hotel, The Excalibur. I LIVED IN A CASTLE!!!

I met up with some friends in Vegas, who had come down for the exact same reasons as I, and made the trip all the more enjoyable! For introductions, see my Wisconsin blog.

My first full day in Vegas was dominated by a visit to the original Las Vegas! We hit up Binion’s to see the “Million Dollars” and got a typical touristy photograph, then went to see the Golden Nugget…in, well, the aptly named Golden Nugget casino. Don’t know which name came first, and frankly, “ooh slot machines” took over so I didn’t ask.

Myself And Leslie Living The Dream With $1,000,000

The World’s Largest Golden Nugget.

The most enticing (good word, eh!? Those Americans haven’t rubbed off on me yet 😉 ) part of the Old Town was the ceiling. Despite all the flashing lights and noise that comes as standard in this part of Nevada, the hourly rock show which takes place on the roof of the indoor Old Strip was amazing. We spent approximately eight minutes every hour watching performances from Heart, Bon Jovi and The Who.

Watching those, I was effectively Livin’ On A Prayer. Made me so happy that It’s My Life, but hey, travelling, that’s My Generation!

Bon Jovi Singing On The Fremont Street Ceiling

The following day the highlight was something I would recommend for everyone!! A show in Las Vegas! The show I took in was Rock of Ages, due to a cut-price ticket..well I wasn’t going to pay full price, was I? I am me, after all.

Rock Of Ages In Las Vegas, Unbelievable!

It was truly fantastic, though, and I had an absolute blast. Having seen the film I knew I loved all the songs featured, and given that it is centred around 80s rock, if I didn’t know the songs I would have been outcast from the family upon my return home, probably…

The show took place in the Venetian, so we explored inside there, and watched the volcano at the Mirage – all made me lost for words. I met Matt and Nick, two friends of Leslie’s, and we had a beer or two. Always a pleasure to meet new folk, and these boys were true gentlemen. They found me funny, too. So that brings that count to, well, two.

Having explored the rest of the strip, there was eventually time to explore the area we lived. To name drop, we hit up the Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur (my residence), the MGM Grand, and New York, New York. NYNY is famous for its rollercoaster, but when I think back on how it was to ride, I have mixed feelings. Could say it made me feel a little up and down. I did have a pull on the world’s largest slot machine, though!

Look At The Size Of The Slot Machine! (I Didn’t Win)

Having been offered a ride over to Hoover Dam for free with the Wochos clan, I took advantage of the opportunity to relax and take photos in my own time, despite having paid for the pleasure the following day also. We also got a quite wonderful “family” photo…one of my many surrogate families on this tour!

It was dam good. Hoo-va thought it?

Hoover Dam View, Such A Hot Day For It!!

Selfie On Hoover Dam! Background – O’Callaghan-Tillman Memorial Bridge.

My Wonderful Wisconsin Family. Love Them, Miss Them!

The views were something else, the crystal clear water and the concrete structure made famous in Transformers (I mean, nobody had heard of it before then, right?) provided a wonderful day out. Sadly, it was the final one I had in company, and following a fantastic few days, I bode an emotional farewell to some of the nicest and most hospitable people I have had the pleasure to meet all tour. Prior to their departure, we entered the profit zone in Vegas for the first time, winning $60 on blackjack between myself and Leslie. I felt like a King! Ace.

The most apt way to spend my day alone was to do the activity only I wanted to…Grand Canyon trip. A stop off at the Hoover Dam on the way justified my decision to go the day previous, as we hadn’t the time to walk across or take many photos. Which is important, as I decided to tour the world simply to take pictures to show people at home, of course.

On to the Grand Canyon, and I met Meochia, an inspirational and stunning lady who shared the bus ride, and entire Grand Canyon walk with me. Travelling alone, meeting people prepared to share stories and conversations is what keeps you going. So I thank her for her time.

As for the Canyon, I had a 2 hour walk along the rim, and took some pictures, which do not remotely do it justice. I genuinely thought it would be smaller than it was…anyone who hasn’t been must go. No doubt. It is truly a wonder of the world. Grand does not do it justice.

Pictures Don’t Do This Justice…

…So I Will Keep Them To A Minimum.

Having had the time of my life in Las Vegas, closing it out with a visit to the Grand Canyon was the best thing to do. I arrived back, and went straight to the bus station to begin my next adventure. San Diego, here we come!

LA – Louisiana, Not Los Angeles…I Don’t Have That Much Money!

The story begins at the tail end of Missouri. I could have made a witty pun about tale/tail but that joke writes itself, so envisage it and chuckle mildly. Or more realistically for my jokes, don’t.

After arriving at the greyhound terminal and saying my farewells, I went to check in for my bus to find out it was overbooked. the news got worse, in that I was then to spend the night in the greyhound bus terminal in order to catch a bus the next morning. This meant I missed my flight also, and given my trials with Megabus just 48 hours previously, this was not a welcome problem.

But there was hope – hope in the form of customer service. Which is rare, these days. Greyhound organised a new flight for me, free of charge, and rebooked my bus for free also. Incredible. If anyone reading this is going to take buses around the USA, go Greyhound. The extra money provides this level of care and consideration. Big shout out.

I was joined in this predicament by three individuals. The first engaged in conversation and asked what I did for a living. Upon response, I enquired about his occupation, to which he replied, “Oh, I just got out of prison this morning.”

It was at this point I realised Missouri, for all it had to offer, maybe wasn’t supposed to be visited given all the trouble I had had to get there. Worthwhile, though, and I learned a big life lesson – this guy was a really lovely man, gave me an insight into a world I have never strayed, and he was determined in himself to do right from now on. Kudos. I had judged this bloke unnecessarily.

Louisiana

Landing in New Orleans was a huge relief. I was tired, ten hours late, but I was there. Tyler picked me up from the airport and our bags had barely made their impression on the floor of the hotel than we were out to make the most of Bourbon Street. I had high hopes given the name of it – a street named after booze must be good. Just imagine, Jack Daniels Close, Absolut Avenue…but then you’d need to make do with Fosters Field. Perhaps best just stick to this one!

Bourbon Street Was A Quiet Night, For Once

We crawled along (for those unfamiliar with the term, we weren’t so drunk by this stage that we couldn’t walk, it effectively means bar-hopped) until we found a lovely back room place with duelling pianos. This was a key component to our night. I’m note joking.

We also went to America’s Oldest Pub*.

*Not verified, but that’s what I was told…and boy was it old!

I’d heard of a candlelit dinner, but this had no lights and you drank under the warm glow of small candles. I’d make a candle joke but I’m not q-wick witted enough.

We explored the city the following morning, taking in landmarks and the riverside, and tried some food from Cafe Du Mond, which is a famous bakery apparently. But the atmosphere in the city was rather French. I’ll leave you to judge if that’s a good thing or not. Some of the buildings were spectacular, though, and the architecture of the city was very European.

A Stunning Building In New Orleans

Upon leaving New Orleans, we drove across the longest bridge in the world*.

*Not verified, but that’s what I was told…and boy was it long!

So long, in fact, that part way across we drove through a storm, and we had driven out the other end of the storm before we were even off the bridge. Pretty unique.

We headed on to Tyler’s house and en route stopped off at Abita Brewery, which was A-Bit-A alright. In fact, it was excellent. An hour of free drinking, a ten minute tour, then a further half hour of free drinking. The kicker – it was all free of charge!! So I made the most of that.

Enjoying Free Beer At Abita Brewery

The flying visit to this state concluded with a  visit to Baton Rouge, where we went up the steps of the Capital Building, and took some photos of the riverside. Not as nice a place as I had thought New Orleans was, but being a University dominated place I hadn’t seen the true side of Baton Rouge, so I would love to go back.

The Capital Building, Baton Rouge, LA.

A Cool Photo Of A Bridge.

M.O. Normally Modus Operandi – Now, Missouri!

Still riding on the euphoria of seeing the wrestling, I was surprisingly upbeat for my 29 hour road trip which would take me to Springfield, Missouri – a place the friend I was due to visit reminds me is the Springfield most like the one in The Simpsons.

It wasn’t long until the not-so-reliable Megabus sent me crashing right back to reality. The bus I was on lost two hours in transit, meaning I was due to miss my connecting bus. I contacted them and they said it was my fault.

I’m not a one to get angry, but let’s put it this way – I wasn’t my cheeriest.

I was forced to re-book through Greyhound, which cost me $50 – but it was the best $50 I spent the entire trip. Their customer service was exceptional, their buses were very comfortable, and the journey turned from a nightmare panic as to how to make it to Missouri, into a lovely relaxed one. Thank you Greyhound.

If anyone is planning on doing a trip like mine, avoid Megabus at all costs!! Anyway, now I’ve earned myself a small wage from my Greyhound plug, I will continue…

My time in Missouri began properly the day after I arrived, with a lunch out with my very welcoming hosts, Tom and Julie Webster. It is their daughter, Aubrey, who labelled ‘her Springfield’ as the one most like The Simpsons.

That afternoon, I had an experience of a lifetime. I drove down part of Route 66!! While old and worn, it is still beautiful and something I have always wanted to do. I was there for five minutes only, but that was enough. I was there!!

Me With A Bonnie And Clyde Car On Route 66

The Famous Saying…Here It Is!

I then hit up this incredible place – totally unheard of in the UK. Named Bass Pro, it is for sure the best shop I have ever been in. As well as being enormous and having a lot of outdoor gear, there were live animals in there too.

Not just fish, either, but gators, rays and a whole host of other creatures. It was like a free version of Seaworld, only without the rollercoasters. But you can’t have everything, right?

Some Gators Chillin’ In A Shop – America Is Crazy!

Some Gator-Fish Cross. Looks Weird…

That evening I had a lovely walk with Aubrey, her boyfriend Dylan, and the rest of her family. Some spectacular views of the area, gorgeous countryside. No jokes can be made about these sights, they’re just to be admired. (Also, I saw my first lizard in the USA!)

The Wondrous Countryside In Missouri.

That evening we went out for food to this amazing place which did a whole range of free sides – and unlimited, too! My kinda place!

The most fascinating thing, though, was you put your hand up for a bread roll, and instead of it civilly being marched over and placed in front of you, it is launched like a rocket through the air. There is somewhat an assumption you can catch, but thankfully I did. Most of the time…

The first time I saw this I thought, “Crumbs!”, but dough-n’t worry, I got over it.  I was born and bread to catch these things. Okay, I’ll stop with the buns. Puns, I meant puns.

I also finished my meal that evening, which is apparently an impressive feat for that place.

We also went for a yogurt-y ice cream custard thing, but I have no idea what it was as there are so many different names for the same thing in the States. What matters is it was nice and I had good fun meeting new people.

Sadly I didn’t catch a flying bun on camera, just in real life.

The new day began with another new experience – I was invited into an American high school. I felt like I was in some kind of movie, a good old High School Musical set, or Glee for that matter. Sadly for me and much to the relief of everyone else, there wasn’t near as much singing.

I did spend a few hours discussing the UK with staff and students alike, before actually doing what I was there for – talking to journalism students about all things journalism. To me and them it was interesting (if I do say so myself), but to anyone else it may not have been, so I’ll move swiftly on.

Dylan kindly picked me up from the school so I wasn’t subject to my first full day of lessons in high school since I was 15, and we went into Springfield’s downtown. What was there you ask? The pubs, I answer.

Though having left the school at 11am, we arrived 15 minutes before they opened, so who knows what people driving past were thinking, as we sat on the bench outside the locked establishment staring inside.

We eventually got our drink on, though, and that set the tone for the rest of the day. Eight hours later, and it was sadly time to begin to depart from Missouri, having been there a whirlwind 48 hours. But a new adventure awaited in Louisiana.

Gun Fun and Clarion

Firstly, I would like to apologise for the length of time it has taken me to publish this part of my blog. I am so much further on with my trip than I would like to be, but I endeavour to catch up, so please persevere.

Second, I apologise for the lack of puns and funny (self-proclaimed) jokes – I have slept approximately 12 hours in the past 72, and it is currently 2am local time.

Now, to begin…

I returned from Wisconsin and launched straight into new activities. I was invited to a hunting camp with Kat’s dad, affectionately known as Lord Captain Steve. No real reason, just he is a hero among men.

We had no sooner arrived than we spotted our first deer of the week. This was shortly followed by a bear, though I didn’t capture that on camera, so a deer will have to do. Deal with it. Want to see a bear, visit a zoo, though that could be expensive.

To see a doe, at least, you don’t need lots of bucks (I’m trying…)! Oh dear. You’re lucky, I doe-n’t know any more. I did see one that was wet, though. Guess it was a rain-deer.

Oh Deer – Wandering Through The Field At The Lodge

It was special to see some wildlife though, as I had spent so much time in cities, the taste of countryside was a special touch.

The first night at the camp was spent going to see the fabulous Clarion ladies soccer team play their only preseason friendly – more to come about those guys soon. Patience.

My favourite activity from being at the hunting camp was undoubtedly my second experience as a marksman. This time it was over a much further distance, too.

Loaded Up – Ready For A Target Practice!

We began by loading up a target 100 yards away and taking shots at that. I hit it a good few times, and I was awfully proud that the countless hours on COD (Call Of Duty, for the seniors reading) had paid off for something – or that’s my excuse to play it so much in future, at least!

A little clay pigeon shooting followed, and despite hitting it with my first shot, I missed with every other. Harder than you might think, actually. I guess my problem is when things move. If only enemies were so considerate as to stand still, I’d make a decent soldier. Sadly, it doesn’t work like that, so I guess I’ll stick to journalism!

The final challenge was to step up to shooting at 200 yards. With 5 bullets I hit the target 4 times, including the best shot of the day from either of us (sorry Lord Captain Steve but I showed you up here) and hit it dead centre. It is easier from further away I find. Don’t know what the big deal about distance making things harder is…

BULLSEYE! From 200 Yards, Too!

My next adventure was to Clarion University in Pennsylvania, where I was due to stay for two weeks.

One of the first activities we did there was to visit an abandoned railroad track. There was a bridge remaining unused which crossed the Clarion River and provided some spectacular views. It wasn’t much climbing to reach so I didn’t need train-ing, I just listened to a few tracks and didn’t run out of steam. (I wouldn’t even give myself 1/10 for those abysmal efforts, sorry!)

The whole walking on the trestle/bridge at such a height, especially with old wood beneath your feet, was not of concern to me as it was to my companion. However, to reach this amazing place we had to clamber through a fallen tree and brush. I’m the first to admit that I don’t enjoy walking where I can’t see what is beneath my feet, and low and behold, my fears were justified. For the second time in two months I was bitten by a spider. Fangs for making me do that, Kat!

But this was worth it:

At The Trestle, An Abandoned Railway Bridge.

View From The Rail Bridge, Looking At The Clarion River

I was fortunate enough to have a surprise organised for me within my first week of being in Clarion. A friend, who I had not been able to visit this trip, dropped in to see me. Entirely unexpected but very much appreciated, one of my best evenings was spent socialising with Hannah Buessler from Massachusetts.

It always amazes me the lengths people go to to organise surprises and to see me – I am unbelievably fortunate to have such a collection of friends, and I can’t thank them all highly enough for their company.

Proof I Met Hannah Buessler Again!

And now, the thing that occupied almost every day of my time in the small university town – football!! More specifically, women’s football.

I was lucky enough to be invited to help coach the Clarion women’s soccer team, albeit temporarily. This was a privilege I shared with Thomas Hummell and head coach Sean Esterhuizen.

Never have I met such a hard working and inspirational group of young ladies. I can genuinely say that these couple of weeks were some of the most fun, because not only was I playing the sport I love, it was with people equally as passionate.

They were attentive, friendly, and most of all, talented.

There aren’t many tales to tell from my time with them, other than to say that they looked after me as if they had known me and worked with me for years. I wish them the very best of successes because each and every one of them deserves it.

Coach Sean took me and Thomas out for pizza to say thank you for the help, and me and Thomas had a night in Clarion to celebrate the first victory of the season. Great to know my help was appreciated, and I’d happily work with these guys again.

Clarion Soccer Ladies Warming Up

My Buddy Thomas.

My final hurrah in Pennsylvania came somewhat unexpectedly. Just two days before I was due to leave, Susan Warner entered a radio competition to win two front row tickets to the WWE for the night I departed. She won, and mercifully, I was able to see the show before I left for pastures new.

This was a childhood dream come true, and to be sat front row was incredible. The following paragraph will not interest some, so feel free to skip ahead if bored.

The wrestlers I saw on show were Goldust and Stardust, Los Matadores, The Uso’s, The Great Khali, The Wyatt Family, Sin Cara (in a dance off with…), Heath Slater, Titus O’Neill, Paige, Natalya, Cesaro, Sheamus, Kane, and my personal favourite – John Cena!!!

One of the highlights of the night came as I high fived a number of the wrestlers, including Natalya and The Uso’s. I also got to high five The Great Khali, but given his size and stature, for him it was more waist-height than “high”, with a hand double the size of my own. Easily. I’ve never seen anyone so big outside of Ripley’s Believe It Or Not books/museums. Incredible.

Finally, as if the night couldn’t get any better, I caught Cena’s ringside towel as he threw it out to the audience. It was a special moment, and will be treasured. Judge me if you like, I’m proud to be sad!

That concludes my tales from Pennsylvania, which I must say is a beautiful state and I would recommend a visit. The countryside is amazing, and while I am happy to move on and see other places, I wish I could have spent so much longer here. Especially training the team – I miss you ladies already.

Thanks for reading. Alex.

At WWE Live – Childhood Dream Completed!!

Sheamus And Cesaro Preparing To Go Head To Head

Cesaro Has Sheamus In A Submission

The Big Red Monster Approaching The Ring

John Cena Giving A Talk Before Kicking Ass

Never Give Up – I Caught John Cena’s Towel He Threw Out!!

In Wiscon – Or Should That Be ‘Wisconsin’

A reasonably early morning (once again) by my standards, saw us (myself and Kat) embark on the long drive over to Chicago. Now the keen-eyed readers will notice this post is about Wisconsin, and Chicago isn’t in Wisconsin, it is in Illinois. But be patient. I’m storytelling, chronologically and everything! None of this time travel mumbo jumbo. Just the normal travel mumbo jumbo.

Chicago seemed a good place to stop off for a night on the way to Wisconsin – it left us a couple of hours to drive the next day, and meant we would arrive and be ready to experience – and believe me it was an experience – all that was planned for us upon arrival.

We were due to meet a couple of friends in Wisconsin, some who were travelling via a night stay in Chicago too – though we didn’t realise that until we were in Chicago itself. Jackie and Liv were exchange students in Edinburgh at the same time as Kat, Leslie and Tyler, all of whom were meeting in Wisconsin. We met up for dinner that evening, and the following morning went to visit the Chicago Bean.

Dinner In Chicago – Left To Right, Jackie, Liv, Kat, Me.

It is a reflective bean-shaped object which sits in downtown Chicago and seems utterly pointless other than serving as one of those touristy things I seem to have been suckered into doing while being a tourist.

The Bean Before We Learned To Go To The Other Side…

It wasn’t until our friends arrived to meet us beside the bean that we realised its true purpose – you can see the entire cityscape in the reflection. It was actually pretty fascinating when you acknowledged it had a purpose, other than making me crave a good old tin of Branston’s baked beans from Aldi (I was a student, I couldn’t afford Heinz…or Sainsbury’s).

The Correct Side This Time (Notice The Skyline)

 

A Cool View From The Underside Of The Bean – Actually Taken From The Ground!

It wasn’t long before we hit the road once more on to Wisconsin.

The first stop was the Milwaukee Brewing Company, located, strangely enough, in Milwaukee. We met with Leslie, who was the host in Wisconsin, and she had arranged a brewery tour for us to kick off the experience in the only way we know how…drink!

The highlight of the trip, aside from the obvious, was the addressing, by the tour guide, of my recent birthday (which was two days previous). I was proclaimed the ‘bung queen’ which is a tradition of the factory – to give luck to the beer that is brewed – and I was allowed to keep the bung…which entitled me to a further free beer. Kerching. Birthdays are good for something, at least…aging isn’t so bad after all.

Being Toasted As ‘Bung Queen’ For My Birthday – Cheers Leslie! Photo Cred: Jaclynn McKay

Our First Evening All Back Together. L To R: Jackie, Leslie, Me, Liv, Kat, Tyler.

The following day was another first, and no surprise here, given that I was in America. I shot a gun. A few, actually. I shot a pistol, a rifle, a sniper-style weapon, and a magnum. Yes, I thought a magnum was an ice cream, but turns out it is also a gun! I wasn’t a bad shot from twenty yards either, though the cups and bottles we shot at were less than appreciative of my accuracy.

Shooting My First Gun – Photo Cred: Jaclynn McKay

The nights spent in Wisconsin followed a similar format – we drank until we slept. So I’ll leave you to fill in the gaps between days and proceed with the interesting daytime activities.

Playing Beer Pong – Don’t Ask Who Won! Photo Cred: Jaclynn McKay

Living on a lake, it is no wonder Leslie and her family had a boat and jet ski, and we got the chance to ride in/on both. Great fun to cruise around the lake, and even more fun to be thrown off the jet ski by banking so heavily round corners. Now is where I stop mum from worrying…All at low speeds, and safely. I did make sure when I went for a swim I took my host down with me though – that’ll teach her!

Bracing Myself For A Bumpy Ride…

That evening began with a game of bean bag toss which I was unsurprisingly bad at, before another nice event. My cousin – or as good as – who I believed to be in Florida, turned out to be in the same town as I, in Wisconsin. Of all the places, same time and place, it must have been meant to be. So we spent the evening catching up, which was great given that I’ve only seen that part of my family a couple of times in ten years since they emigrated.

Enough of the sentiment. Back to the interesting things.

We took a group decision to try our hand at golf the following day. I donned a freshly (NINE) ironed shirt, arrived at the course courtesy of a DRIVER and putt the golfing wheels in motion, rather eagle-y (eagerly…I’m trying, Ok!?). A par 3 course was more of a par 7 for us amateurs, but it was great fun to smash the balls around. From a recommended par 27 course, I scored an impressive 60+. The bigger the score the better, right?

And yes, there is a video of me doing a Happy Gilmore shot. Be patient, it will arrive.

That evening was another true American experience. Horseshoes. Some pegs in the ground and some horseshoes (ironically in hand) and you’re good to go. The aim is to get a horseshoe around the peg, and failing that, within a horseshoe’s distance.

Tossing A Horse Shoe – I’ll Not Show Where It Landed!

The final, typically Wisconsinite, thing to do up there was a minnow shot. I’d agreed to it initially, and incorrectly, believing it to be a nickname for a specific type of shot, like you have Bloody Mary drinks and all. I was wrong. It contained an actual fish. It was different, to say the least, but the trip is all about trying new things and local delicacies.

My final day was spent with an early afternoon visiting Madison. A beautiful city and being the capital of Wisconsin, some of the architecture was lovely. We visited the capital building which was so majestic, before my bus departed from there – but I’ll save the journey stories for another time.

The Capital Building, Madison, Wisconsin.

I’d like to thank everyone I met in Wisconsin who welcomed me so well, especially those barmen who gave me free drinks for being English. The accent has its perks for sure. Also a big thanks to all friends who I got to meet there. Last, but by no means least, an enormous thank you to the Wochos clan for your immense hospitality.

(Most Of) My Wonderful Host Family

Cruising With Lauren – Much Safer Driver

Finally, The Best Driver – Ken!

Boat On The Lake Selfie!

Our Final Night All Together – Until Next Time!

My Few Weeks In Pennsylvania

For those who didn’t gather from the title of this post, I am writing about my number of weeks in Pennsylvania. It has no main plot, and doesn’t particularly lead anywhere, so just be thankful I am writing a blog and not a novel.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to stay with a family for a couple of weeks, where they showed me the area surrounding State College.

Located between two major cities, it is not the first place on a tourists list, but it is very much worth a visit. First on the list was Penn’s Cave. A cavern tour, which is amusing and informative, it was a great way to spend the morning to learn about the formations of rock which carved out such a beautiful state. The views were nice, even if the rock formation stuff sounds as bland as…well…a rock.

Gorgeous Picture Inside Penn’s Cave.

Another Site Inside Penn’s Cave

As far as discovering things to do, I don’t leave a stone unturned. Okay, that joke hit rock bottom. Cave jokes!

Shaver’s Creek was also an interesting adventure. It offers a chance to see various forms of wildlife, including wild birds that visit Pennsylvania, as reptiles and amphibians. If you’re lucky, which I was (dad calls me salmon because I could “fall into the Tyne and come out with a salmon in my mouth”) you are able to hold and touch some of the creatures. Such as one-day-old baby snakes.

A Beautiful Golden Eagle, Shavers Creek, PA.

My New Friend, Photo Cred: Kathleen Warner.

I was fortunate enough to be invited along on a boat cruise along a river – with free alcohol!! The condition was there was a limit of four shots. I took that to mean, in typical Alex fashion, that that was four shots per round! Cocktails were included, and the boat cruise and company were great. Highly recommended. Aside from the hangover the following day.

Enjoying A Bucket Of Cocktail On The River Cruise

That weekend I did something magical (and almost unheard of to the modern generation) – I went to a drive-in ‘movie theatre’. The principle is as follows. You drive there, tune in the car radio to a certain frequency, and watch two films back to back. It is cheaper for two films there than for one at the cinema, and the food is actually reasonably priced! The only drawback is that the films are pre-determined, but the selection of Muppets Most Wanted and Guardians Of The Galaxy are exactly what I would have gone for anyway.

Awaiting My First Ever Drive-Through Movie

For the thrill seekers, it isn’t too far from Hershey Park. Hershey Park is a theme park with some fantastic rollercoasters, overpriced theme park food, and shows you want to go to but don’t attend because you spend too much of the day waiting in line. But nothing beats the thrill of sitting on that rollercoaster and letting the wind sweep past you, and pin you to the back of your seat.

My favourite had to be The Great Bear, a 61mph looping extravaganza, where your feet hang loose. Many a flip-flop have fallen victim to the thrill ride, which gives you such a rush it justifies the queue.

State College is home to Penn State University, the very same which operates Shaver’s Creek. They have fantastic sports facilities, and depending upon the time of year, it is worth catching some college sports there too. Sadly, I was unable to due to my visit being off-season.

I have had a great time just exploring the area. There are spectacular views and countryside, and plenty of eateries which are all worth a visit. The people in the area are lovely, too. It is undoubtedly a place to visit, and is a great insight into the North-Eastern American way of life.

On a personal note, it was rather interesting to see the volume of Amish around. They are a faith we do not have in the UK, or if they exist they are very hidden. To see a horse and cart riding along country roads, hay piled up as opposed to machine-constructed into bales – fascinating to see that there remain people in Westernised countries who choose to live without any mod-cons.

I’d like to thank the Warners for their hospitable nature during this period of my travels. This was a different style to my usual posts, but I felt it necessary as not everyone is as fortunate as I to have been hosted by some wonderful people. They accommodated me during my birthday, and threw a party so I wasn’t missing home too much. They epitomize the lovely people in the area I mentioned earlier. My next post is back to the same old style, detailing all I have done, and will be centered around Chicago.

Thank you for reading.

Philly-n Up Some Time

Let me rewind a number of months – I had no concrete plans for anywhere to go or anything to do for a week. All I knew is where I would be. I jumped on Megabus and looked up a bus from State College (where I was going to be) and back to Philadelphia – a city located about a 5 hour bus ride from here.

The price of $5.50 for two people return pleased both my bank account and my inner cheapskate, so I went ahead and booked.

Now fast forward those couple of months.

Long bus rides really don’t bother me, especially as I content myself with the knowledge I saved a bucket load of money in taking them. Though the thought I saved money could console me through most things!

A View Of The Art Museum From the Bus

We disembarked in Philadelphia, and having just two and a half hours to see things in the city, we power walked as if participating in the Commonwealth Games, and made it to City Hall for a stereotypical tourist photo opportunity. Taking a picture on the run, we then went to the ‘LOVE’ fountain (some tourist targeted fountain which says LOVE in fancy letters, pictured below because I was THAT tourist).

City Hall in Philadelphia, Very Picturesque Building

The LOVE Statue, Accompanied By Random Tourists, Doing Tourist Things

The next journey was to the Rocky Steps. I had two aims in Philly:

1) Run up the Rocky Steps and pretend I had a body as good as his.

2) Rap the Fresh Prince rap whilst walking through Philadelphia.

So on the way to #1, I tackled #2 – cue the disappointed looks as I announce that I didn’t record or document that moment.

We arrived at #1, which is located at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and before recreating the iconic scene, I paused to have my photograph taken with a statue of the legend. Fairly sure I am a body double, right?

Sylvester Stallone Has Nothing On Me

The Rocky steps really aren’t as difficult as I imagined. they are actually quite short and there aren’t that many. I suppose after a full movie running montage, the steps become a little more challenging, but due to time constraints and a lack of financial backing, a full style Hollywood sequence around Philadelphia has been postponed.

Just time for one more thing in Philly before heading on the bus back – a Philly Cheesesteak. Whoever thought bread, steak and cheese could taste so different in this particular city to anywhere else in the world? It was amazing, though, and I would recommend it to anyone who isn’t a vegetarian. Or gluten and/or lactose intolerant (sorry sis).

Me And A Cheesesteak – Sorry It’s Sideways

The entire trip cost approximately $10 for two of us, and it filled an entire day. Lesson learned for the future – book things so far in advance that it is cheap enough that you don’t have to do it when you get there and you don’t lose out on a lot.

The only negative was I missed out on the Liberty Bell – but then, that’s just a reason to come back to this beautiful city.

Some other photos from the trip:

The Philadelphia Skyline, Free Advertisement For Frank’s Cleaning Services

A Bridge With Some Of Philadelphia Behind

The Museum of Art Atop Rocky Steps

A View of Philly From Rocky Steps

THE COOLEST THING EVER!!

On the way back from Ottawa, where I left my last post, I was taken for a not-so-surprise surprise. We went to Brockville Speedway.

For those international readers who do not know what Speedway is, I was equally as clueless, other than being told that it was a bunch of cars driving round a track. And that’s exactly what it is. Only they are the most awesome of cars driving around the dirtiest track you will ever see.

The evening begins with trial races – cars qualifying against each other for positions in the final, large race. This gives the audience an opportunity to see the cars in smaller races, and gives the drivers a clearer run to get the maximum out of each car. This allows for quick times, and generally means cars will slide off the track in small-scale ‘crashes’.

By crash, I simply mean leaving the track – it looks amazing, but there is no risk of anyone being hurt, as the cars stay on all four wheels.

We picked the correct day to attend as the sprint cars were racing. These are very small units which travel at up to 120mph, meaning they do laps of the track in 13 seconds. With the speeds they travel, there is a large chance of crashes…and that’s exactly what happened…

It was the beginning of the large, final race, and just a mere two laps in, one of the sprint cars hit the inner barrier. Bouncing off the tyres, it ricocheted into the middle of the track, directly into the path of three oncoming sprint cars. One flew off the track toward the area the cars are repaired, and vanished from sight.

Following a half hour stoppage, the racing resumed and a fantastic night continued. The positive news came over the PA system that all the drivers involved in the big crash walked away with minor injuries and were lucky. Such is the nature of the sport that crashes do occur, and it makes it all the better that no drivers were seriously injured in the incident.

I felt this deserved a post of its own because it is a sport which remains almost unheard of, in the UK at least. And yet it was well attended here. I’d like to apologise, I was going to upload some videos of the Speedway, but I am unable to do so on WordPress. Instead, I will post the videos on my Youtube account in a couple of days – look out for updates.

Thank you all for following my blog, and I will resume in a short while with my next couple of posts – Toronto Take 2 and my visit to Philly.

Entering My First Ever Speedway Stadium

Watching The Sports Cars Fly Round The Track

And Now The Turn Of The Sprint Cars…

Kingston-wards

I closed my last blog as I was finishing my first visit to Toronto. Proceeding, I visited a family who hosted me a couple of years ago, who live in Kingston, Ontario – The Bucks. And boy what a treat they had lined up for me when I came to stay this time round.

For those who have not heard of Kingston, it is the former capital city of Canada, and is located a few hours from Toronto. It was stripped of its capital status due to its vulnerability from attacks by people from overseas. And rightly so, too, I mean, I just walked right in there and nobody batted an eyelid!

And we began our time together by participating in an age-old, world-wide tradition. A pub crawl. Though this came with a bit of a difference…it involved food too. Each and every location we visited, we had to feed at, picking an appetiser at each place. And Canadians, well, they eat like Americans. I soldiered on, but that challenge didn’t half put the ‘ ‘ell’ in ‘belly’. Don’t mistake that for a complaint – it was amazing.

That was, aside from one or two things. Firstly, I was bought my first ever – and last ever!!! – spiced cocktail. It was a glass of putrescent liquid designed, I can only assume, as a method of torture in the wartime days Kingston faced.

The second poor encounter was with a small shelled creature. I’m not normally a fan of the beach, and by association, shells and the like, but this oyster served with horseradish was…not particularly nice is the mild way of phrasing. A picture, taken a full minute after the first tasting of the oyster, does not capture my facial expression, as it was at the time, but it does enough justice to the less than adequate description I provided.

The evening as a whole was fantastic, though.

The following day we arose early (for me, it was actually 7a.m.) and embarked on a brief fishing trip. I had only one previous encounter with fishing, and it did not end on the best of notes. A brief recap would be this:

“Myself and my father set out with the intention of starting ourselves a new hobby. We concluded fishing wasn’t it.”

The reason? Well, we caught no fish and ended up accidentally throwing half of the rod into the reservoir – surely a sign it wasn’t meant to be? Well, I decided to give it another go, with somewhat a more positive outcome.

Larry (Mr. Buck) caught two fish, and allowed myself and his daughter Mandy to reel one each in, so we had the experience of doing so. After a few cruises up and down the lake, we cast out for what was almost the final time and I got a bite. It was a fair sized one too, the biggest of the day, and I pulled it in with such excitement that was only matched the last time Newcastle United beat Sunderland (August 2011).

We opted not to keep the fish, though we kept it long enough to have a photo-op. Naturally.

It was a REELy worthwhile experience. I CODn’t recommend it highly enough. A few hours and a few catches was rather e-FISH-ent going, too!! (Apologies for that paragraph, do know that I am holding my head in shame. I know this wasn’t the time or PLAICE for jokes like that.)

That evening we dined at a steakhouse with friends Arnold and Suzanne, who are a lovely couple I had the pleasure of meeting when I was last in Kingston. They accompanied us as we went for drinks at a bar which was host to a live 70s band. Despite being a full on cougar hall, we had a great night and I didn’t attract anyone my mum’s age…though I am not so sure if that’s an insult or not!

We did conclude the night by having a drink with the highly intoxicated Paul Langlois of the Tragically Hip, though what he will recall of that is anyone’s guess!!

Next on the list was a venture up to Ottawa. Traditionally, a new city would warrant a new post, but our time up there was so brief it barely warrants a paragraph. I’ll write one anyway, though.

We decided to spend our time in Ottawa constructively. At a casino. So we endured the hardship of having to gamble for an hour or two, sadly with no profit forthcoming, and journeyed into the city to grab some food. I must remark, the city did look rather nice from the car window as we drove past all the landmarks, and I would like to experience it properly one day. No regrets about going to the casino, however, it was a fabulous day out.

The Pièce de résistance of Kingston deserves a separate post of its own, so I will conclude this with the best quote from my time in Kingston…

[Driving past the Rideau River, Ottawa]

Me: Hey, Mandy, did you know there’s an older, male version of that river?

Mandy: Yeah?

Me: Yeah, it’s called the Senior-Rideau.

 

Crystal Clear Waters Ready For Fishing

Catch Of The Day…The Fish, Not Me!

Can’t Turn Down Casino Adventures

Proof That We Did Go To Ottawa, Even Though It Is Just A Signpost

Our Captain For The Day, Larry, Ready To Set Sail

G-Oh! Canada.

How does that saying go? You wait for one blog then three come at once…or something like that.  Well, I apologise, but I have not had access to a laptop to do any kind of proper writing. Alas, I am here now *mass celebration*.

On the back of New York I ventured over to Pennsylvania with Kat, where her family graciously welcomed me into their home. Shame the bloody dog didn’t. You’d think I was Count Dracula the evil looks she gave me from half way across the room. I’ve seen trees, but this dog can bark!

I hasten to add, she is lovely, just protective and uncertain when there is a new face around the house. The most notable thing that took place in this visit to State College, central PA, was a journey to an Arts Fest. We walked around and saw some lovely things – hot dogs, pizza, dirt pudding, ice cream – very nice. Also there was some expensive crafts stuff I didn’t really pay attention to.

We then ventured up to Grimsby, Ontario, where we met up with one of my former lecturers from Ryerson University. Jagg, eccentric in name and nature, kindly housed us, and alongside her husband Pete, drove us around the local area and took us to some very pleasant eateries.

We also walked down a part of The Bruce Trail, and saw the Decew Falls, pictured below.

Following a short trek up to Toronto, where Jagg had also offered up an apartment for accommodation. We arrived just in time for a brew (beer) before the Toronto FC game. Great tickets, great spectacle, great result. 2-0 down after a half hour, 4-2 to TFC come full time. For MLS, they have a tremendous singing fan-base.

A visit to old haunts brought back many memories, though are relatively uninteresting to anyone but myself, so I will skip that trash and get on to the cool stuff. We did have a chance to catch the World Cup Final – in a cinema!! FOR FREE!!! This day couldn’t get better, so I skipped onto the next…

A ferry from the waterfront in Toronto takes you over to the island. The ride across wasn’t too choppy, and was rather short. I suppose you could say it was a ferry good journey.

A nice wander around, lovely pictures, and much petting of farm animals made for a relaxed morning. If you ever do go to Toronto, visit the island, as it is very peaceful. A beautiful haven from the inner city buzz. A view of the city from the island is included.

Beyond that, I caught up with more friends, explored the city with people from both home and abroad, and saw another Toronto FC game. It was great seeing old colleagues, although it doesn’t make a great post. What does, though, is my favourite quote from my first visit to Toronto:-

Kat: “I am probably being a pest.”

Me: “Everyone needs a pest.”

Kat: “Especially Buddha.”

Me: “Buddha?”

Kat: “Yeah, Budapest.”

 

More to come in the following days.

 

Canadian Border, Hoping I’m Allowed In!!

Decew Falls, Bruce Trail, Ontario

Not Far From Toronto, 2 Years Since I Left

 

View Of Dundas Square, Toronto.

A View From The Island