USA - 28th June to 5th August 2009 (first entry)

Introduction  

WOW! What an incredibly diverse, beautiful, passionate, gorgeous and welcoming country – in spite of itself and a series of miraculous dichotomies! It's a wonderful place for a journey and encompasses a vast array of magnificent scenery, but the land of the free appears to be the land of the wealthy that control under the disguise of democracy. We felt terribly policed in the ‘richer' states like California and close to tourist attractions, and those with any authority, the pawns in this game, ensure you are aware of the privilege to view a land they just recently settled.

Background and History

Indigenous peoples have always lived on this continent which they called ‘ Turtle Island ', but the western view is of Asians migrating over the Beiring land bridge 20000 years ago. The earliest Paleo-Indian cultures identifiable lived here from 10000BC (end of the Ice Age) and a complex mix of societies developed, some nomadic hunters and some settled farmers. Europeans first disturbed this balance in 1492 when Columbus found the Caribbean and more Spanish explorers followed, mainly in the continent's south. The French and English explored the north eastern seaboard and in their wake left behind diseases that decimated the native population. The English established the first settlement in Jamestown in 1607 and over the next 2 centuries European powers competed for territory in the new world, with the colonies developing a slave-based society. After the 7 years war and France 's defeat, Britain controlled the area east of the Mississippi from 1763. But the colonists protested this control, resulting in the July 4 th , 1776 declaration of Independence and the revolutionary war. France allied with George Washington, forcing the British to surrender in 1781 and 2 years later the Treaty of Paris formerly recognised the ‘ USA '. The 19 th century saw commerce surge with industrialisation and the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon doubled US territory expanding west to the Rockies . War against Mexico added Texas , then California and 1853 the continental expansion west ended. The threat of federal limits on slavery resulted in 11 southern states (the confederacy) seceding from the union and forced Lincoln into a civil war in 1861 that ended in 1865 with slavery officially over and the union saved. But the southern states enacted endless laws to segregate the races and effectively disenfranchised blacks. Racist's laws were only swept away with civil unrest and the resulting civil rights act in 1964.

In 1893 a group of US business men overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy and the US annexed Hawaii in 1898, but it only became the 50 th state in 1959. Over the last 2 centuries the US broke over 470 treaties with the Native Americans, hounding many tribes until the end of the Apache wars in 1886. The continent's ‘first peoples' were the last to become ‘citizens' in 1924. The 20 th century saw the US develop ‘dollar diplomacy' and used commerce to access international markets, with their military acting as the ‘paternal' policeman -– but morality-minded Americans still bicker over wars, the economy and social healthcare!

Our Experience

Crossing Chief Mountain Border post into the states was the shortest and friendliest to date – our apprehension about customs stripping Tipperdee and ourselves, evaporated in the 2 minutes it took!! Continuing south we first obtained an $80 annual National Parks pass at Glacier National Park as our route through this massive country centres on the beauty of nature. But it was late in the day and by 10pm we were camped up near lower St. Mary Lake just outside the park – then Dane saw a mouse in the van! After an hour of planning an approach to our second mouse invasion, it all ended in chaos with the little mouse scurrying off out under the dashboard, despite Danes brave attempts to catch it with huge plastic gloves – quite a hilarious ordeal!!! We are still in doubt as to the identity of the rodent – Thai, Canadian or a local!!??? So with the hope of it finding a way out, we settled into a restless sleep.

The kids did another junior ranger program at St Mary's visitor centre the next morning and we hit the ‘Going-to-the-Sun' road west through Glacier National Park , stopping at numerous viewpoints with short walks to glacier overlooks, canyons and cedar forests. At Logan Pass we attended a ranger talk on Glaciers and our role in climate change and how it affects wildlife. Although already just gorgeous, the scenery just got ridiculously beautiful as we snaked up and down narrow mountain passes past weeping walls with waterfalls literally falling on Tipperdee and big mountain goats mock charging us if we ventured too close. At Avalanche Creek we bumped into the umpteenth friendly folk (Jeanne and company) who prayed for our safe onward journey, with Dane surprising us as he joined in with a prayer or two for their onward safe journey! Skirting around Lake McDonald we exited at the west glacier entrance and wild camped near the hungry horse dam 25km on. We had to back track to the Apgar visitor's centre the next day for the kids to get their rangers badges as we had passed around 10pm due to the long daylight hours.

Then a long 520km drive through Montana 's national forests and miles of open country side with cattle ranches. We stopped at the state capital of Helena to fill up on groceries and by 10:30pm we spotted a rest area near Bozeman , our home for the night. The 1 st July dawned and we briefly stopped in the town to visit the Pioneer Museum housed in the old jail, before continuing south to the north entrance of the world's first National Park (1872) – Yellowstone NP . Here we camped for one night in Mammoth Campground while scouting for grizzlies and geysers in this geothermal wonderland with rivers, canyons and alpine lakes.

On the first day we did a late afternoon drive checking out a 50 million year old petrified tree, before a leisurely supper overlooking herds of Bison in the Lamar valley at 2000m. The next day was 12 hours of the renowned diversifying landscape – all as a result of volcanism. A lot of the scenic driving was at altitudes of 2500m with us looping around the massive caldera formed when the central portion collapsed and filled with magma. We exited Yellowstone's southern gate straight into Grand Teton NP where it was impossible to stop gawking at the jagged peaks of the Teton Range sculpted by earthquakes and glacial erosion. All of this beauty reflected in Jackson Lake on the drive south to Jackson Hole . Towards the end of the day we left Wyoming with Tipperdee puffing up Teton Pass , as we headed west to wild camp at Pine Creek in Idaho .

Halfway to our destination the next day we visited Craters of the Moon national monument, a volcanic showcase of lava flows, tubes, caves and cinder cones – formed when lava erupted from fissure across the snake river plain known as the great rift from 15000 years ago. A ranger led hike and talk on the seemingly barren lava fields helped us understand the geology, plant and animal life as the kids received another junior ranger badge. Ex South Africans Chris and Anne Reeve, who we met in Canada , had invited us to their cabin in the Boise National Forest . An awesome drive via Anderson Dam and river and up canyons near the little village of Prairie had us arriving at nightfall with the cabin totally deserted but left open. To us it looked as if their departure was a hasty one and we immediately suspected the worse – could they have been in an accident and had to leave suddenly? We decided to settle in the van and wait it out. A couple of hours later, Anne, Chris, Avril and Eugene returned with squeals of delight on finding us there. Lots of laughs later as we explained our concerns and they reminded us that we were not in South Africa !!!

We spent 2 nights at the cabin with the kids swimming in the nearby stream and in paradise as Tomby, their border collie, couldn't get enough of playing ‘fetch'. It was also the 4 th July weekend and we attended a rib supper and hotdog lunch with impressive choices of salads and desserts with typical rural folk – cowboy hats and the American flag everywhere! Chris also took us up a hectic trail to the top of the area's highest mountain for a picnic with awesome 360 degree views of the valley encircled by huge folds of mountains. The drive to Boise was like being back in the Eastern Cape with Chris keeping us informed on the geography and tough pioneer days. We spent the next 3 nights camping on the their property with the Reeve's and Eugene assisting with repairs to our side mirror, sorting out propane and stocking up with other odds – but the nights were for great chats, food and too much vino!! A great farewell supper was held for Avril and Eugene and they spoiled the kids with $20 each and 2 much needed water bottles (we had lost our only one!) for the hot days ahead. How Avril managed to pack all the gifts into their suitcases is still mind-blowing! Our last day we spent teary-eyed, watching the 5 hour long Michael Jackson Memorial service on TV! We were really blessed to have met the kind Reeve's whose friendship put Idaho on the map for us. After another sad good-bye on the 8 th July at the Reeve's impressive knife factory, we continued south west through part of Oregon and into Nevada, where we wild camped at one of the well laid out rest stops after the town of Winnemucca.

After doing 430km, we managed exactly the same mileage the following day going south via Reno , the world's biggest ‘little' city and Lake Tahoe to another gorgeous rest stop at Walker River Canyon in the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains, just inside California . But although the mountains around Lake Tahoe are green and high, the drive through western Nevada 's Great Basin Desert is through parched valleys of sagebrush, textured with ranges and rather haunting towns along lonely highways. The potent cocktail of scenery continued as we travelled south to ice blue Mono Lake with its unearthly Tufa towers which rise from its alkaline waters like drip sand castles – all from underwater springs rich in calcium.

Then we headed west into Yosemite NP via the Tioga Pass at 3000m. Yosemite is a landscape of dreams with an outstanding concentration of alpine meadows, groves of ancient giant sequoia tress, waterfalls and massive granite formations – nature at its creative best. Thank god for continental shift, glaciers and the power of erosion! With all electronic capturing equipment snapping away we suddenly discovered we were out of video tapes – and this in the most fantastic of all National Parks!! After crossing the park on the Tioga road, the kids attended a ranger program on endangered species for another junior ranger badge and we had to head out of the park to wild camp on the banks of the Merced River on highway 140. The next morning we continued to Mariposa in desperation for video tapes for the return to Yosemite Valley – we just could not miss capturing the sheer granite walls that seem to touch the sky and prominent formations like El Capitan and Half Dome as they rise from the valley floor. But the crowds were just too overbearing and by late afternoon we descended the Sierra's and headed west through fruit orchids, towards the Pacific coast, a day of 400km in Tipperdee!!

Just past Oakland we checked into a local motel in the university town of Berkeley , in desperate need of showers and some TV. On the 12 th July we crossed San Fransisco Bay to the windswept Marin Headlands and across the Golden Gate Bridge to beautiful San Fransisco . Its hilly spread-out topography resulted in us spending the day on a driving tour along the bays, beaches, Fisherman's Wharf, into its financial and civic districts, through Chinatown to Coit Tower and to view the world's most crooked street. Even though we knew Tipperdee could do it, we decided not to attempt the drive down the street as the sign clearly stated ‘No RV's' and heaven forbid if we broke the law!!! As the day started slipping away we scouted for a ‘home' driving through downtown and Golden Gate Park and up to Land's End which showcased gorgeous views of the orange setting sun over the Pacific and the famous 1937 bridge. A local guy, Zach, joined us for sundowners and information about South Africa as darkness put an end to yet another day. But at 1am we were rudely awakened by cops who insisted we move from the State Park! We spent the rest of the night one street back in Ocean Beach 's residential area!

Breakfast at Bakers Beach and a gorgeous day quickly dissolved the hours away as we walked around the touristy pier with loads of stalls, restaurants, musicians and mimes entertaining the crowds en route. We used the last 4 hours of daylight for the scenic coastal Highway 1 that led us south via Santa Cruz to Monterey and sunset ocean views where we tucked in for the night. Again after we had settled in, we were knocked up by the cops who instructed us to move on because ‘turnouts' close at midnight!!! Safeway's parking lot sufficed for the night until we could do the scenic 17 mile drive around the peninsula's coast which meanders past exclusive mansions in the community of Pebble Beach . Scenic Highway 1 continued along the Pacific coast clutching the cliffs at Big Sur with its redwood forests. In an attempt to reach Pfeiffer Beach in the States Park, we had another taste of the bureaucracy's ‘use of power' when a park ranger rudely ushered us on because ‘she' did not give us permission to stop where we did – even though it was safe and out of the traffic! So the drive continued south to Ragged Point – a highlight! The sight and sounds of a huge elephant seal colony, nesting seagulls and frolicking pelicans had us in awe for hours.

The remaining drive south via Morro Bay thus had us arrive in Goleta , Santa Barbara well after dark. A great reunion with Jo-Anne's cousin June and Richard Colvin had us up late into the night as we chatted away! This fabulous Mediterranean styled beach town epitomizes the ‘ Golden State ' with its affluent air! We spent the next six nights with them, our base for some R&R, much needed socialising, feasting and the comforts of a ‘warm home'. The next morning Dane was in heaven when he discovered June's jar full of quarters. He had been collecting these and now had 49 states coins with Junes help. The 50 th state coin was found at a garage sale when June bought him the States Series Quarters Collection Kit! Now his life was complete and he was beaming from ear to ear! June gave us the royal tour of the area that even included visiting gorgeous million dollar show houses, garage sales and attending a Jehovah's Witness service that was really an in-depth study of the Bible. Richard took us for a drive in his 1963 Dodge Dart, listening to 50's music via the Danish town of Solvang to Michael Jackson's ranch, Neverland , where we could pay tribute to the king of pop at the ranch's gates. Thereafter they treated us to a great Chinese buffet before heading home! Thanks June and Richard (and the cats that kept the kids busy) for a wonderful time spent!

We also had the good fortune of having another of Jo-Anne's cousins, Frederick Backman and his wife Anita there, who took us around to sample the local wines at the wooden Stearns Pier and the nightlife at Soho, where a rusta band called the ‘Mighty Diamonds' performed. While we visited the Pier, Anita quickly whipped out her cell phone and organised us a special 2 night deal at the only 5 star/5 diamond hotel ‘The Wynn' in Las Vegas!!! Curry had to be cooked for Frederick and Anita and a lot of ‘chattering' progressed into the night! – Thanks Fredrick and Anita for a taste of the nightlife amongst ‘other' things!!!

Monday the 20 th July we eventually continued south on the pacific coast highway to the famous beaches of Malibu , Santa Monica and Venice . Malibu was less posh that we expected and Venice beach a human zoo, with a rather seedy feel – bikers and roller skaters amidst fake snake charmers and drugged-out hippies – as Dane put it, it was rather weird! That night we made our way to Mark and Michelle Christians' home in Agoura Hills , just west of LA . They had invited us via email upon hearing of our journey and troubles with bush camping in California . Originally from Kimberley SA, they ended up knowing Jo-Anne's family from that area – what a small world! They had us going to bed in the wee hours, chatting and laughing away in Afrikaans with other ex South Africans! Hopefully the neighbours did not complain too much! Late starts to the day, but we managed to squeeze in Hollywood and its walk of fame, Ripley's Believe it or not, Beverley Hills, Rodeo Drive, Downtown area with the Staples Centre (where MJ's memorial service was held) and even a brief visit to the great Science Centre! We spotted no stars in Rodeo Drive so Jade and Jo-Anne decided to be the stars as they pranced down the drive while Gary and Dane snapped and videoed them!!

Orange country's beaches then entertained us all the way to San Diego . From Long Beach we drove in and out hugging the white sands to sample the Riviera-like lifestyle in Huntington and Laguna Beaches . By nightfall Shireen Agherdien (also from PE) welcomed us with an assortment of goodies from the local SA shop – biltong, boerewors, steak and kidney pies and the acclaimed ‘Pronutro', the highlight for Gary! We spent the next day at the awesome SeaWorld, shuttling between shows, exhibits and rides – 12 hours of fun with Shamu the killer whale leaping and gliding his way into our hearts. On our final day here, Shireen took us around to the picturesque enclaves of La Jolla and Mission Beaches (where we again visited a couple of show houses) and via downtown's harbour and Gaslamp quarters to Balboa Park and spoiled us with a Greek lunch!! Another sad farewell after some great ‘bonding' with Shireen, and we were off north-east into the vast California Desert . Thanks Shireen for a great short stay, the steak and Kidney pies you packed for our supper were great – hope to see you in South Africa next year!

By nightfall we wild camped just outside Palm Springs which appeared a hot, sleepy desert city in the Coachella Valley surrounded by millions of wind turbines. Then Joshua Tree National Park surprised us on a detour – tree sized yuccas in a stark granite boulder strewn landscape, just beautiful! Continuing north east we joined the famous route 66 (the old road connecting LA and Chicago), but it belonged to a bygone era with abandoned little towns. The heat just went up a degree as we crossed back into southern Nevada and our brief detour to Hoover Dam soon ended with us in the glitzy pleasure palace, neon-clad desert oasis of Las Vegas . We lost ourselves in the 5-star Wynn Hotel for the next 2 nights (Thanks Anita!) – if not in the opulence of our room, we were at the decadent pool setting where the rich overlooked the rest in their exclusive luxury private booths fully equipped with flat screens and soft couches. With complimentary tickets from the hotel we donned our best and made an attempt to gyrate in its A-list ultra lounges – XS, with outside pool lounges dipped in the adjacent Encore Hotel's pool area, and the next evening we tried the more intimate club ‘Blush'. With corkage starting at $250 and bottles from $450 we decided to skip the drinks! Just too chic with too many beautiful people dressed to kill. But Sin City had our number and we then booked into the cheaper Circus Circus Hotel for the next 2 nights. Desperate to find a phone to wish Jo-Anne's mum a happy 82 nd birthday we hit the blistering heat in search of a public phone but were unsuccessful with an international call. We resorted to phoning that evening from the hotel room instead. The kids loved the free performing artists and gaming area while we longed for the luxury of the Wynn …….. By night we'd visit the fabulous hotels along the strip, timing our visit to coincide with the short free entertainment provided by the hotels – Treasure Island's Sirens, The Mirage's Volcanic eruption, the Bellagio's dancing fountains and the Wynn's magical lake spectacular. Downtowns' Freemont experience was another highlight with the canopy of lights across a 4 block pedestrian mall transforming into a 3D type show to the tunes of Queen. We also just had to see a show (adults only!!!). Fantasy at the Luxor made Gary 's stay in Las Vegas complete! With the $20 gambling chips provided to us by the Backman's we tried our hand at the Venetian, but unfortunately we did not reap any rewards despite of dreams of winning millions of dollars!!! Despite the relentless heat of Las Vegas , we had a great time!

On the 30 th July we left this glitzy madness via Lake Mead to southern Utah with its dazzling display of rugged geographic grandeur – colourful towering mountains and plunging canyons. First was Zion National Park , where we took a free shuttle bus along the Virgin River with its pink and red rocks towering above us to the ‘ Temple of Sinawana ' for a riverside walk that ended in the dark! We headed back out of the park to wild camp in a the great spot along the river just outside Rockville and by late afternoon the next day, we were back for more of this overpowering beauty, hiking up to the Emerald Pools. At sunset we made 25km further east when we found a nice spot in an abandoned RV park in Carmel Junction, our base for the next 2 nights. Bryce Canyon NP was next on the agenda and now we were at 2700m looking into crimson and pink formations. Erosion and the Paria River carved an array of fantastic hoodoo's in this plateau, casting a spell on us with its ridges called fins which erode into pinnacles and spires. The Paiute people believed that these colourful hoodoos are the ‘Legend People' whom the coyote had turned to stone. We followed the plateau's rim road for all of its 30km to rainbow point, stopping at the numerous stunning overlooks – our favourite being Inspiration Point with a panorama of the amphitheatre.

The 2nd of August we headed on the Kaibab Plateau with green meadows and mixed conifer forests sustaining mule deer to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park , Arizona 's showy jewel. It's massive - a mile deep, 10 miles across and snaking its eroding course through 277 miles is the mighty Colorado River . We had our best views from Bright Angel Point as a fire had closed the road to the viewpoints south of Point Imperial, so most of the day was learning about the biggest flying bird, the California Condo at a ranger program so the kids could earn yet another junior ranger badge. We decided to buy the kids Junior Ranger Hats at the park and having their hats adorned with all their badges they proudly wear them to receive more badges!

As the sun set we drove back up via Marble Canyon to spend the night in Page with Stan Burman whom we had met in Canada. Stan gave us one of his beautiful pictures of Coyote Wave and loads of tips on the area as we washed clothes and ourselves in his beautiful cosy home – thanks Stan!

The next day we were all sorted to learn about Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell as the kids earned another badge. We visited viewpoints of the dam and the Colorado at Horseshoe Bend (after a 2.5km hike). The highlight of the day was a rather expensive $70 tour through Antelope Canyon , a stunning narrow curved sandstone slot within the Navajo Indian Reservation. To the guitar tunes of the guide we went crazy snapping this orange golden whirling wonder!

Continuing south east we decided on a little detour to Navajo National Monument to visit the Anasazi Puebloan ruins of Betatakin. A lovely free campsite had us staying here for 2 nights, but the 8km hike down into the steep canyon to get close to their abandoned 13 th century dwellings in 36 degree heat is what forced the extra night – Jo-Anne needed to rest horizontally for the rest of that day!! Our Navajo guide, Jim Black even provided informative lessons on the use of local trees and plants as he guided us through the Hopi and Navajo cultures.

The 5 th August we were back on Highway 163 , after replacing a slow puncture in a thoroughly worn tyre, to Monument Valley Tribal Park , home to soaring flaming red butts and impossibly slender spires – the backdrop of Hollywood 's western movies. Back into Utah we then did a scenic drive via Mexican Hat to Goosenecks State Park overlooking the San Juan River and canyon. With a good feel of the USA 's southwest, we then headed east via Bluff to Colorado and back into the Rocky Mountains overnighting in Cortez 's KOA campsite.

We plan on making our way back up north-east to Canada and then south over the next six weeks, so keep tuned in for the second episode of the ‘ USA '!

6th August to 2nd September 2009 (second entry)

Our Rocky Mountain odyssey started in Colorado ' s south west. After the cleaning ritual at Cortez ' s KOA campsite, Tipperdee climbed the heights to Mesa Verde National Park , a high altitude canyon landscape where ancient ancestral Puebloans lived more than 700 years until they mysteriously vanished in AD 1300. There were primarily farmers who used baskets, then pottery as they progressed from living underground in pits or kiva's to complex cliff dwellings. We spent most our time learning about their civilization at the Chapin Mesa Museum then hiking down to Spruce Tree House (a cliff dwelling settlement that housed about 100 people) and driving mesa loop road with views of different cliff dwellings and excavated mesa-top sites. The highlight was an hour long ranger-led tour of the magnificent Cliff Palace site in an alcove. By 7h30pm we were back in Cortez at the Cultural Centre to attend a traditional Indian dance programme where a Navajo family performed dances of the different tribes in North America – and we had to join in!!! Later a talk followed by a Navajo code talker on their part in WWII. Quite a day full and by 11pm we found a wild camping spot 40km east in the San Juan National Forest.

The 7 th August was for stunning alpine scenery and charming old mining towns with Wild West lore along the San Juan Skyway – 690km of driving. At Durango we headed north, climbing to over 3500m via Silverton and Ouray with mountains embracing us as Tipperdee misfired continuously in the thin air! At Montrose we veered east over more mountains and the continental divide at Monarch pass, descending through canyons to the high plains of south east Colorado. La Junta was the destination for the next 4 nights at the Ballard's home.

Dan, whom we ' d met in Hungary a year ago, invited us over to sample the mid-west culture. His brother Doug and parents Jeff and Jean went the extra mile to ensure we ' d not leave without the real flavour of their rural area. First it was a cowboy breakfast of biscuits and gravy which is a scone served with a white sauce, then a relative ' s birthday celebration en route to see Monster Trucks destroy vehicles and motorcycles do crazy stunts in Colorado Springs . The next day we did a 4 wheeler excursion through the Arkansas River which had us having to wade waist deep and winch the 4 wheeler up the bank on an escape route home! The evening the kids were in heaven when they rode horses that Dan organized with some his friends at the local kid ' s rodeo event. On our final day with Dan ' s family, the kids enjoyed a horse-drawn wagon trip around town and then a trip to Bent ' s Fort for an experience of the pioneer days of the early 1800 ' s when trappers, Indians and Mexicans all did their trading here along the old Santa Fe Trail. Our final dinner was a family affair with Dan's grandparents joining us at a local Mexican restaurant in Rockfort and grandma Jean's interest in our trip re-energized us to push on.

On 11 August we hit the road again going north via Colorado Springs to Denver for an overnight stay at Michelle and Glenton Muller, also from Port Elizabeth (courtesy of Shireen Agherdien ' s network!) but this turned into a 2 night stay! On arrival we were welcomed with home-style PE foods like mutton curry, samosas, braaied ribs and chicken with salads to match, not to mention all the beer!! Our visit here made us wish we had been much more than acquaintances back home – an amazing family. Michelle couldn't ' t do and give enough. The following day we did a 390km loop via the Red Rock Amphitheatre (which is a world famous outdoor music venue) to Rocky Mountain National Park . The Rocky ' s spectacular towering peaks unfolded as we skirted Lake Granby and drove along Trail Ridge road up to 3700m revealing the stunning natural beauty of its alpine tundra. A real treat was to watch massive elk using a tree to scrape the velvet off its antlers! Descending this terrain above the tree-line, where conditions are too harsh for trees to grow, well placed stops helped us appreciate the splendour of the backbone of North America . The return journey took us via quaint Estes Park and yuppie Boulder back to Aurora , Denver . Again we were delighted to the likes of Hong Kong chicken and roast potatoes and enjoyed some Chris Rock with Michelle and Glenton – good thing the kids were asleep in bed!

With more sad farewells (but well stocked) we parted with the Muller ' s on the 13 th August for the 550km north through Wyoming into South Dakota . We were back this far north to view the stony faces of the past Presidents – Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, which really is an impressive educational monument. The beauty of driving through Custer State Park to Mt. Rushmore and the black hills with their ponderosa pine covered slopes faded in comparison to the nights. Jim and Andrea Dahlberg whom we ' d met in Glacier NP invited us to experience their rural lifestyle just outside Hot Springs and the 2 nights that we spent with them were just an unforgettable experience. We arrived at their place at dusk, shared the most incredible supper – succulent white tailed deer and garden fresh veggie kebabs! Jim hunts all his own meat using home-made bows and stone-tipped arrowheads, to processing the hides of the bison or deer he ' d shot. Another late night as we sat chatting and laughing away, sharing our travels and their stories. The following morning we visited Mt. Rushmore for the day and returned to the Dahlberg ' s for yet another delicious supper – this time Singapore spiced Hutterite chicken on the rotisserie - Andrea really gave us some new respect for American cooking! Jade and Dane were kept busy with their dog Timo as they explored the surrounding wooded area. Jade even fitted on Andrea ' s 20 year hide wedding dress.

Time just slipped by so fast and on the 15 th we had to continue east after Jim sorted us out with much needed propane gas that no supplier was able to make work! Gary ' s arm had quite a bruise from the bow and arrow demonstration – definitely needs more lessons! We did follow Jim ' s advice driving through Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and Badlands NP. The Badlands is an other-worldly landscape with barren walls and spikes of banded colours that stab the dry air – it ' s like seeing a waterless ocean bed. But this ethereal landscape also has an abundant of wildlife – we had up close encounters with herds of bison, coyote and prairie dogs which is really like a meerkat but barks like a dog! We explored ancient life with fossils of the Oligocene epoch 30 million years ago, a period that followed when the great plains were covered by shallow sea.

With South Dakota ' s 2 junior ranger badges in the kids collection we continued east, just making it to a rest stop outside Vivian when darkness and the plains notorious summer storms rolled in. Within minutes the sky was black followed by thunder and lightning which painted a dramatic landscape as rain pelted down. A clear day dawned for the drive 600km south east through South Dakota and across the Missouri River into Iowa at Sioux City . Driving across the plains at the 400 – 500m is like being on gentle swells of an ocean with distant horizons and endless fields of corn only interrupted by the odd smelly cattle feed pen. We found a lovely green park just past Rockwell City on Highway 20 for the night – a third of the way into Iowa . A straight road led us further east through the state to Dubuque , where we headed south through rolling valleys of the Mississippi River to Sabula.

After crossing the massive expanse of water we were in the land of Lincoln , Illinois , for the dash across to Chicago . The long day of driving 650km quickly evaporated on arriving at the welcoming home of the Piazzo ' s – ex baainaar Annese (nee Hermanus) and her hubbie Michael. We were very excited to finally meet up, as we had been communicating via Facebook for last year already and it was so great to see the wonderful smiling face of Annese! Yet another great meal awaited us with massive steaks and salmon – needless to say, we chatted until the wee hours of the morning! They were so entertaining that we spent the next 6 nights in their homely 1800 ' s home in the historic River Forest suburb. First we chilled until the amicable Michael took us for hike along the river with the dogs in search of deer carcases – a nature experience right on their doorstep. Eventually Tipperdee was checked in for a long overdue service at Harlem Division Auto Repair which was organised by the Piazzo ' s. The owner Bob Sloan kept her for the duration of our stay in Chicago – not only to do a thoroughly impressive job, but to save on labour costs by doing the job himself (another thumbs up for the Americans!!). Appreciative on saving hundreds of dollars on picking her up, we were blown away with gift bags of munchies for each of us, including rare coins for the kids collection – Thank you so much Bob Sloan!

We too were ‘ well-serviced ' by the Piazzo ' s – great food, great chats and a special thanks to Annese ' s mom who was visiting and knew the age old South African favourites of vetkoek and mince, mielies and beans soup and split pea soup (this diary is sounding like a menu from a restaurant!!). But we did try to work off all this soul-food load by doing a bicycle tour on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Michigan with Chicago ' s mighty skyline creating a surprisingly scenic setting. Our first experience of the great Lakes also shocked us – they are huge inland seas with beaches, islands and dunes. Annese also took the ‘ adults ' on a drive through the city ' s affluent 19 th century northern suburbs to visit the glistening non-denominational Bahai House of Worship, and through Lincoln Park to sample the Gold Coast neighbourhood ' s grandeur which has the first modern building – Frank Lloyd Wrights Charnley-Persky house. Gary of course had to have his picture taken in front of the first Playboy mansion, which has been converted to condos! We also did a walking tour of downtown ' s ‘ Loop District ' where elevated train tracks lasso the financial areas massive buildings, before heading back via the big O ' s Harpo studios - and we even squeezed in some culture at the art institute! Another day Annese entertained Jo-Anne with a cocktail at her favourite place – it was so great to have a girl on girl, before they headed home with the famous deep dish Chicago pizza with toppings at least 5cm thick, which put all the pounds right back on again! Fabulous dinner parties introduced us to their great circle of friends and the down-to-earth Chicago culture while the kids just had a ball playing with peers from the neighbourhood. We had some freedom for one day when the kids preferred their world to us taking a trip on the metro downtown for a cruise on the Chicago River and to check out home décor and styles at the massive Merchandise Mart.

Our final day here was just perfect! We were awoken by Annese for a cycle tour around the neighbourhood and the adjacent suburb of Oak Park for a breakfast of melt-in-the-mouth donuts at the local farmers market, then a taste of local high school football antics as we popped by Ernest Hemingway ' s home and many of Frank Lloyd Wright's modern creations a century ago. The evening both families, including ‘ ma ' took a trip to Millennium Park for the free nightly performing arts at the band shell. What a setting for outdoor concerts. A green play space between the Lake and the loop is topped by Millennium Park ' s outdoor shell-shaped stage with the city skyline as a backdrop. To get there we walked past Buckingham Fountain, across a Gehry-designed curved stainless steel bridge to a 50ft high fountain that projects video images of locals spitting water. And then the ‘ Bean ' , a massive ridiculously smooth silver-drop sculpture that reflects the city skyline – spectacular at night! Other modern pieces decorate what essentially is an outdoor modern design gallery. Annese had set up a table-clothed picnic table with salami, cheeses, fruit, dips and of course some vino to savour the amazing performances of the Chicago Dancing Festival – from classical ballet to dance theatre, a celebration of dance from America ' s most esteemed dancers.

The 23 rd August dawned and after a sit down formal breakfast of banana and cinnamon pancakes, we had to continue our journey east after many precious moments with the motherly Annese and her wonderful family. Chicago had bewitched us and we had to drive past the cloud scraping city centre again, as we headed to its south and the more derelict Bronzeville en route to Hyde Park where the nuclear age began. A photo stop at the spot of the world ' s first controlled atomic reaction in 1942 was our final sight in Illinois as we continued into Indiana .

The unsavoury town of Gary which is the King of Pop ' s birth town led us into Indiana Dunes State Park on the shores of Lake Michigan past Amish communities – these are descendents of conservative Dutch religious factions of the 18 th century who follow a traditional lifestyle without electricity and travel only in black horse drawn buggies. Secondary roads led us east through clean small towns into Ohio . At Toledo , the bewitching hour forced us to wild camp at a rest stop near Lake Erie .

The next day we skirted her shores and many affluent looking towns, vineyards and farms all the way through a bit of Pennsylvania ' s northern tip into New York State and Buffalo . This was our gateway to Niagara Falls and we first hiked for side views of the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls before crossing the Niagara River and back into Canada for the far superior views of this majestic natural wonder. The town had developed into a rather kitsch Las Vegas style tourist trap, but we found a 24hr $3 parking lot for the night and took a walk to see the falls all lit up at night. The next morning we returned for the obligatory photo shoots and to experience the Fury of Niagara which documents its origins, and then the Maid of the Mist boat trip to the bottom of the falls to get soaked and to feel its awesome power.

With another South African beckoning for our visit we travelled across upstate New York in the afternoon reaching the capital Albany by nightfall and crossed into the USA ' s north eastern corner known as New England . Massachusetts and the rolling hills and abundant forests of the Berkshires was our goal as Ian Backman, Jo-Anne ' s cousin lived in Lenox, the small refined cultural heart of the area! We spent 2 nights here, mostly lazing around with the kids feasting their eyes on cinemax movies. Ian took us around the countryside ' s grand estates, stopping at his favourite coffee shop for a quick cuppa and then into the more blue collar town of Pittsfield to ‘ work up ' an appetite for S.A dishes that Ian requested Jo-Anne to make. So with well worked up appetite ' s we had a glorious time cooking and enjoyed the meal with Ian ' s friends!!!

On the 27 th August we continued south through green country into Connecticut ' s Litchfield Hills and back into New York state for the ‘ Big Apple ' . New York City is big and loud but also one of the grubbiest cities with extremes of everything, a melting pot of the globes cultures. Before we entered this controlled craziness, we were stopped by the NYPD who notified us that we were not driving a registered vehicle. But after he heard our explanation, he softened up and let us go – phew!!!!!! We proceeded into the Bronx and did a drive through the hood past the Yankee Stadium into Harlem and the taxi dominated roads of Manhattan . We then just had to drive through Central Park to Times Square and Broadway, en route to Brooklyn across the East River . June ' s son Chris and his wife Prudence put us up in their cosy apartment in the hood for the next 3 nights as we explored a rather wet New York with local transport and sore feet for 2 full days. The city ' s subway is a mess compared to the many we ' ve used on this trip and it ' s a miracle that it works at all! But we got to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with its hoard of arts from around the world and walked some of the acres of Central Park to Strawberry Fields where John Lennon was murdered. The long trek down Avenue of the America ' s to view Times Square lit up at night ended at Toys ‘ R Us for the kids.

The next day was for lower Manhattan ' s attractions. A free ferry ride to Staten Island gave us a view of the landmark statue of Liberty which was unveiled in 1886 and then walking took us around the financial district to Federal Hall where George Washington was sworn in as the country ' s first president and on to the 9/11 World Trade Centre site where high plastic-covered fences shielded the sites new developed and one could not get within a meter of the fence???!!!!! Shopping was just too frenzied at Century 21 so we headed past City Hall and Chinatown through lively Mulberry Street , an Italian enclave with rows of red-sauce restaurants. But we had to taste the much talked about century old Katz Deli ' s hot pastrami sandwiches in the lower east side, so the trek continued. At nearly $15 a sandwich and with typical brash New Yorker attitude, we just were not impressed – although the heap of meat was delicious, the bread was not buttered and the meat was the only topping! We later learnt about the self service relish!! Rather disappointed and still hungry (as we could only afford 1) we continued to Greenwich Village and the chic Chinatown Brassier where Prudence bar-tends. This definitely made our day as she spoilt us with cocktails and delicious dim sum and the kids went on a tour of the workings behind the scenes in the kitchen.

The 30 th we said another sad farewell and drove via Brooklyn Heights for a photo stop of lower Manhattan ' s skyline, and across the world ' s first steel suspension bridge (1869) into Manhattan . We left New York going under the Hudson River through the Holland Tunnel (as the NYPD shouted ‘ No video taping ' to us!) into New Jersey . Highway 1 then took us south via Trenton and into Pennsylvania , home of the nations original capital, Philadelphia . Philly was unfortunately just a midday stop to visit the Independence National Historic Park where delegates of the 13 colonies met to approve the declaration of Independence and first publicly read it on 4 July 1776. On the way to the Philadelphia Museum of Art we also drove past Penn Square with the world ' s tallest Masonry construction without a steel frame – The City Hall. But the Rocky video was on and we couldn ' t wait to get to the museums' grand stairway where Sylvester Stallone raced up during his training session! The boys just had to do likewise! The bronze sculpture of Rocky really exists too and was a perfect picture stop for Dane!

Across the Schuykill River Philly ' s neat chic look evaporated as we headed west via Lancaster and Gettysburg to the little town of Waynesboro . By 9pm we were with Beranese (nee Cuddumby) and Warren Nel (also from PE), enjoying braaied lamb chops, chicken and boerewors from Walmart, not forgetting the mouth watering ‘ Summer Cake ' and chatted up a storm until 3am! We couldn ' t leave as planned the next day and rather caught up with schoolwork, diaries and computer based essentials. At sunset we took a drive up to flat rock for views of the 4 adjacent states – also the site of ‘ Camp David ' and the ‘ secret ' underground safe haven for the president. The little detour west to link up with Beranese and meet her great husband and family was well worth the experience, chats and exuberant laughter – amazing how easy it is to bond with some people.

On the 1 st September our short sweet visit was over and we were back on the road south over the Mason-Dixon line into Maryland and into the nations capital, Washington in the District of Columbia . We had a moment in Philly were America was born (the revolution) and travelled across where it came of age during the Civil War. We were truly now in the USA ' s heart and soul, where she runs herself and honours her past with memorials and museums. We first paid our respects at Arlington National Cemetery which shelter the remains of over 320 000 veterans from every war conflict in the USA ' s history as well as prominent politicians, academics and sport personalities. This is where JFK ' s eternal flame burns and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (servicemen killed in WWI) is honoured hourly with the changing of the guard. The rest of the day was for memorials to America ' s great leaders by walking around the beautiful National Mall. The inspiring words around FD Roosevelt ' s memorial to the marbled Jefferson and Lincoln Memorial had us captivated. In the centre of this strip we went up Washington ' s obelisk memorial for a bird ' s eye view of the city and ended the day with the Vietnam veterans, WWII and Korean War Memorials – a lot to take in for one day!!!

With aching feet we managed the critical pose in front of the White House (almost impossible for foreigners to get in!), then elected to drive around the city ' s lit up landmarks, downtown and glitz neighbourhoods at night. Unfortunately we could only watch the huge commotion when the secret service blocked off all traffic for the vice president while cops on cycles, in black sleek cars and heavily armed police in black trucks raced by near the White House as we were hoping to visit with Obama! By 11pm we gave up trying to find a reasonable spot to overnight and headed out of the city into Virginia for about 20km to park at McDonalds in a quieter suburb – it's almost impossible to find wild camping in the USA !

The next day was for museums and to tour Capitol Hill where congress writes the country ' s laws. This impressive building is not only where the House of Representatives and Senate meet, but paintings and statues recall a lot of America ' s history. We had a peek into the Library of Congress, the world ' s largest library and where a scene from the movie ‘ National Treasure ' was shot – quite a beautiful baroque interior filled with symbolic art relating to man ' s achievements in literature, science and philosophy. The free multiple Smithsonian museums were just too much, so the kids settled on a few hours in the National Museum of Natural History with its enormous collection of dinosaur skeletons, animals from the ice-age and before, fantastic archaeology and anthropology collections, minerals and crystals (including the 45 carat Hope diamond) and everything else natural under the sun.

We were due in Richmond , Virginia that evening, so at 5pm we crossed the Potomac River , passed by the Pentagon and gridlock traffic on interstate 95 accompanied us for the next 160km south to Anil and Rochelle Purmasir ' s home.

On our third leg through the USA we hope to cover its southern states, from Virginia through north Carolina, Georgia, Florida and back west through Mississippi, Louisiana and finally through Texas before we cross into Mexico towards the end of September.

USA - 3rd September to 2nd October 2009 (last entry)

Our Experience  

Over the past 9 weeks we covered 14000kms through the lower 48 states – from the Rocky Mountains to its west coast, southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes , North Eastern corner down to the Capital region. The next 4 weeks through the country's south proved to be an interesting mix of cultures and landscape where the musical way of speaking stretched our understanding of the English language.

We spent the nights of the 2nd to the 4 th September with Anil and Rochelle in Richmond, Virginia, feasting on dhal, mien, pilau rice, and our SA favourite - cabbage bredie, while lubricating with red wine!! It was a long awaited reunion with Jo-Anne's ex VWSA colleague and we felt as if we were back home, a reprieve from the hectic driving and sight seeing and also a chance to catch up on other duties. But after a day, we were back to our routine to learn about Virginia 's turmulous history as Rochelle chauffeured us around Richmond . We did a tour through the former capitol of the Confederacy, visiting State Capitol and Monument Avenue lined with revered Southern heroes of the Civil War. After Anil joined us, we drove east to Williamsburg , the states original capital, now an open air living history museum where colonial-period costumed townsfolk enact the revolutionary days. A great display especially as Anil and Jo-Anne were drafted into the army as the colonists fired their weapons!! Before we departed Rochelle gave Gary a deep tissue massage that had him groaning and shouting indecencies as Anil and Jo-Anne were literally on the floor screaming with laughter! Jo-Anne got spoilt rotten as well with curves walking sandals, a host of much needed facial products and the kids each received a handshake with an embedded $20 note!

After waving the Purmasir's goodbye from their home (they were taking a short break to New York and Atlantic City), we packed up and headed west again to Appomattox Court House National Historic Park where costumed civil war soldiers interpreted events that led to General Lee surrendering to General Grant. Quite surreal to walk in the fields where thousands died and in the restored buildings like the McLean house where they signed the documents. Continuing west the drive took us along the green mountain vistas of the Blue Ridge Parkway and at dusk we headed for the quicker interstate highway 81 in search of an overnight rest stop. At 11pm we eventually found one and crashed after a day of sights and driving 610km. The next day was rainy, yet perfect for the drive south west through really beautifully manicured countryside and back into the Appalachian Range. Gatlinburg was our gateway into the Great Smokey Mountains NP and a real Bavarian flavoured theme park type town lined with souvenir shops. What a gorgeous drive through what the Cherokee called ‘Land of the blue smoke' due to the mist that hangs over the ancient range covered with cool deciduous forests.

A soup lunch in the park on the Tennessee - North Carolina border at 1600m, then we were off south through a bit of N. Carolina and into Georgia – our destination at the Ah Chow's just outside Atlanta in Alpharetta. Tony, another of Jo's VWSA work colleagues, together with Linda opened up their magnificent home on a golf estate to us. For the next 6 nights we were wrapped in the arms of pure luxury and their caring natures. Our kids were the same age and for a brief moment they could lose themselves in their world. Dane slept in Justin's room and Jade in Tasmin's – they were in kiddie heaven! Needless to say the array of Chinese foods that awaited us on arrival was simply sumptuous and we spent many hours chatting away! The nights in the cinema room was a regular draw. South Africans are just everywhere and we met their friends, Lila and Michael Ah Chong and their 2 boys who joined us for a trip to Stone Mountain , the world's largest piece of exposed granite. This massive dome has a memorial carving depicting three important confederate civil war figures – Robert Lee stands as tall as a 9 story building, it's the largest high relief sculpture in the world! We all took the sky ride to the summit for the dramatic views of Georgia and hiked the 2km down, building an appetite for the Chinese spread at a restaurant that the 2 families spoiled us with. Continental tyres delivered our 3 rd tyre change on the 9 September. South African owned Butler Tyres and Wheels did the change for free, a real professional outfit. Ready for the trip south, we first did a day trip, courtesy of the Ah Chows, to the peach state's capital downtown through pretty suburbs which are really a sprawling mix of neighbourhoods that are like small towns. Sweet Auburn was our main destination to pay homage to Martin Luther King Jr, where he was born and preached at the Ebenezer Baptist Church . The Historic National site taught us about the life and legacy of this civil rights leader – no wonder he earned a Nobel Peace Prize!

Unfortunately on the 13 th September we had to leave the lovely Ah Chow's and all their comforts for life in the van as we made our way south east to Savannah, a grand historic colonial setting amid low country swamps and mammoth oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. After a lunch stop next to century-old mansions along one of the many squares, we continued south to the exclusive refuge of millionaires of the late 19 th century, Jekyll Island . One of the barrier islands off the USA 's east coast, with an unusual blend of beaches, wilderness and historically preserved buildings, was a special stop on our agenda. Ron and Mary Stock, whom we had met in Turkey in 2008, had invited us for a few days and yet again a great supper awaited us with starters of Mary's special Bell Pepper frittata (a kind of mini quiche) followed by a spicy baked shrimp (Cajun-like prawns).

Our overnight stop ended up into a 2 day stay as this retired couple shared our passion for travel. So naturally the words just flowed with the wine as we chatted into the early hours of the morning. The following day Mary and Ron took us on a delightful walking tour of the island with Mary filling us in about the history of the historic homes that culminated in a sumptuous buffet brunch at the posh Jekyll Island Club where Rockefeller frequented – and we even tried the grits, a rather tasteless coarse mealie-meal! The kids enjoyed the visit to the Turtle Centre where we were educated about conservation and the turtle hospital activities, but they really enjoyed the Stock's playful dog, Francesca. Ron then drove us around the island's perimeter, stopping at different beaches with scenic, cinematic or historic significance – this is where the last ship, The Wanderer, illegally deposited surviving slaves from Africa in 1858. A truly refreshing visit where we could enjoy the passionate travel tales of someone else for a change!!

On the 15 th September we left this impeccably manicured island and a short drive later we were in the sunshine state of Florida . A short thunderstorm greeted our arrival into the state which has a constant barrage of beaches and giddy delights of man-made attractions. Before Orlando and the Disney experience, we skirted the Atlantic coastline popping in at St. Augustine's (the oldest permanent settlement in the US which the Spanish founded in 1565) historic district and Daytona Beach. Celebrations World Resort was the ideal base for the next week of fun. A comfortable 1 bedroom studio with full kitchen, lounge and a jacuzzi bath welcomed us every evening of our stay – all we had to do was attend a 2hr long timeshare sales pitch! This little escape from our usual lifestyle on the road was not just fun, but long 10+ hour days of fitting in as many attractions and rides as possible. Despite it being the quiet season, the pilgrimage draw to the oodles of family loving theme parks was quite amazing. The Disney 4 day pass and 2 day Universal totalling $1287, plus a $15 a day parking fee almost broke the bank!!! Thankfully we could take our home made sandwiches, fruit and drinks into the parks as food or any refreshment was just exorbitant, but we had to try the massive smoked turkey legs at one of the Disney Parks. Our first stop was Epcot Centre, an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow which has 2 sections, future world where you experience journeys through technology in space, life, transport and the second section is the World Showcase where you toe-dip into cultures of 11 different countries. The ‘Soarin' ride was the winner where you soar like a bird through the sky over the state of California – brilliant especially as we could recognise all the places!

Day 2 was for Magic Kingdom , the centre piece of Disneyworld and home of Cinderella's castle. Fully adorned for Halloween, the park was a spectacular showcase to WOW anybody's imagination! The mix of 4D movies, simulated or interactive rides, full scale production shows and roller coasters at the different sections were just amazingly well done – our favourite was the thrilling splash mountain train coaster at Big Thunder Mountain . Well, Gary didn't see much with his eyes shut and his head on everyone's lap!

Then Disney's Animal Kingdom, a recreated ‘natural' environment with safari's and more interactive shows – the highlights being the high-speed railway through the Himalayas at ‘Expedition Everest', the Kali River Rapids ride and the spectacular Lion King show.

The last Disney park was Hollywood Studios and this gave us a glimpse of the action behind the movies. The most exciting were the spooky hotel elevator in the Tower of Terror and the Rock ‘n Roll coaster through dark L.A, a ride that Gary point blank refused to go on when he saw the force at which the ride took off and when he learnt that the ride turned upside down – this was Dane's favourite!

The last 2 days were for Universal Studios. Again an incredible mix of movie making and rides with Shrek 4D, the 3D Terminator, The Simpson's and the Mummy ride – just WOW factors!! Jo-Anne was the star at the Universal Horror make-up show where they attempted to cut off her hand with blood spurting everywhere! Islands of Adventure was mainly about thrill and again only the females tackled the mother of all coasters – The Incredible Hulk, while we all enjoyed the amazing 3D Spiderman Adventure ride twice!! The Jurassic Park River adventure had us screaming wildly, especially when the Rex appeared to grab us as we sped down the coaster only to be soaked completely!! We had to experience this ride twice as well!

Our timing for Disneyworld/Universal worked out brilliantly as we waited for all USA schools to start resulting in fewer visitors – our queue waiting time was never more than 15 minutes and most of the time we just walked straight onto the rides!

On our final day we managed to squeeze in some time at the resorts pool and on the 22nd September we were back on the road again, first east to the Space Coast and the Kennedy Space Centre. But the hefty entrance fee's and recent conversion to more Disney-type attractions (we'd already been in space twice at Disney!) with simulated rides convinced us to just ogle at the rockets and space shuttles and continue south to our overnight rest stop along I-95. The 30 degree Celsius temperatures and 90+ humidity made sleeping in the van a rather ‘long' night plus the kids both developed fevers, probably some kind of virus. The drive along the coast through Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale was quite scenic – all about mansions, yachts and towering hotels. Amazing how man has created their ‘perfect' habitat with manicured gardens, waterways and huge buildings moulding this low-land beach wilderness. Miami Beach , famous for its gorgeous people along south beach and Art Deco district, was our afternoon stop, but parking problems and expensive accommodation directed us across Biscayne Bay downtown for an overnight stay at Days Inn.

The 24th September we visited the Mexican Embassy to get an idea of the visa requirements, then drove the suburbs of Coral Gables and Coconut Grove en route to Little Havana. This area has the most prominent community of Cuban Americans and the perfect place to learn about the ill-fated Cuban invasion by 1500 soldiers of the 2506 brigade in 1961. The Bay of Pigs museum was a little run down and portrayed a rather right-sided view of Castro's idea of communism, depicting it as a dictatorship.

A squiz through downtown, and highway 1 led via Florida City to Key Largo, the furthest south we decided to go as we previously visited Key West about 18 years ago and the 350km return trip just wasn't worth it. Key Largo was just a sleepy island with a lot of mobile homes, typical US shops and with the kids out of sorts we couldn't snorkel the continental US's only living coral reef (which also costs quite a penny!!). So back up over the overseas highway and into our final NP, the Everglades . This ‘wet prairie' preserved for its ecological importance supports a lot of birds, gators, manatees and fish amid the mangroves, cypress, hardwood hammocks and miles of saw grass – but just barely, as draining, development and chemicals used by the surrounding agriculture has seriously threatened this subtropical wilderness. We camped inside the park at Long Pine Key with just mosquitoes and bugs as company as this was the hot wet season. Another long sweaty night disturbed by feverish kids needing medication or water finally gave way to the light of another hot day.

We managed to do the ranger led walk on the Anhinga trail spotting alligators with their month old little hatchlings, anhinga birds and even a turtle. With the kids feverishly working on their last junior ranger badge, we drove 60km through the park to the coast and the Flamingo visitor centre for their final swearing in.

As Florida Bay was the end of the road, we started the big trek back north after a sudden thunderstorm cleared, stopping for views of the ponds and lakes enveloped by this wet wonderland. Just as the sun set we squeezed in a short boardwalk trail across the glades to a sub-tropical island at Mahogany Hammock and headed out of the park continuing north and along the Tamiami Trail west. By about 10pm we found a near deserted campsite in Cypress National Preserve for the night, but sleep was impossible in the ‘sauna' and by 7am we were back on the road north. We passed through neat Fort Myers and Tampa , just making it by late afternoon to Weeki Wachee Springs – the girls were lured here by the kitsch siren song of longhaired mermaids who performed the Little Mermaid in an underwater grotto. Rather bushed after 460km of driving and poor sleep the past few nights, we scouted for a good deal in Crystal River . The pool at Quality Inn with HBO and a free breakfast for $60 hit the spot and what a relief to have air-con. The road up to Florida 's panhandle was through more marsh-like forests of pine or hardwood until we hit the emerald coast with its white fine sands. The heat and humidity also lifted and we decided to wild camp in Panama City Beach but we were out of water which proved nearly impossible to get. We tried campsites, parks, gas stations and drove around residential areas hoping to spot someone to ask, but no luck – you have to know someone or pay to stay somewhere! So we settled for a cheap non-descript $35 Motel for the night and presto we could also fill with water. On the 28th September after some schooling we first frolicked in the Gulf of Mexico 's warm emerald water before hitting the road. We did about 460km west hugging the coast to Pensacola and into Alabama , famous for Rosa Parks who sparked the fight for racial equality when refusing to budge on a bus. Then a similar coastal stretch through the home of blues, Mississippi and we were in Louisiana . The birthplace of jazz and famous for its Cajun-Creole food, this bajou state knows how to eat well and let loose – especially New Orleans , our destination for the next 3 nights at the home of Hedaaya and Nadeem Abdol.

The Abdol's being the 17 th family we stayed with in North America are also originally from our home town. Again we were warmly welcomed and made to feel as if we've been in this bawdy city forever. Our first duty was to get our Mexican visas which turned out to be a friendly, free and fast process – we were smiling by lunch time! We celebrated this at The ‘Gumbo Shop', which was a perfect introduction to Creole cooking – tasty seafood okra gumbo (a soup like stew), jambalaya (spicy rice with chicken and sausage), rice and red beans and shrimp etoufee were all a treat for the palate. The rest of our first day was for a driving tour through the CBD, Warehouse District and the lush mansions of the Garden District. We also had to see the ‘project' areas just north of Treme where Hedaaya teaches at a charter school and St. Claire Adriaan (also from PE) is principal. Amazing and inspiring to learn of their struggle to educate and uplift the children of these impoverished and drug-torn communities using the strong South African schooling principles - Big respect to all of them!!!

A lot of the hardships were exacerbated in 2005 by Katrina and post hurricane flooding and evidence of the damage to roads and homes are still evident everywhere. Our final day was for the iconic historic district, the French quarter with its cobbled grid-patterned streets and cast iron tracery giving it a 19 th century feel. A free 9am ranger-led walk taught us about New Orleans ' history and the pivotal role the Mississippi River played in its location. We then explored interesting spots in the French Quarter after savouring beignet's (a rectangular doughnut doused in castor sugar). An interesting route took us through the above ground tombs in St. Louis cemetery to Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park where enslaved people could congregate and play music. A stop at Priestess Miriam's voodoo spiritual temple was a must and then Bourbon Street, Jackson Square and a stroll through the open air French Market ended the day, but not the night!! With the Abdols and St. Claire we returned to debauched Bourbon Street where unbelievably free, live sweet jazz, R&B and Blues beats lured us to really get down! Taking our drinks as ‘take-outs' we strolled down the street and hopped from bar to bar! By midnight the aromas emanating from the cafes led us to a po'boy joint – the juiciest and thickest of sandwiches!

Rather worn and weathered the next morning and after a quick visit to the school to say our goodbyes, we eventually hit the road by noon, only managing 250km through a world of plantation homes with sugar-cane that dot the banks of the Mississippi River, then through swamps and bayous to Lafayette. This is the heart of ‘Cajun' country, a term morphed from Acadiana, the mid 18 th century French exiles from Nova Scotia . Their cuisine is legendary and it would have been scandalous not to drop by Prejeans, a barn like restaurant with live accordion-driven zydeco music that completed the taste sensation of our cayenne-rich crawfish etoufee (a spicy stew) and a chicken / spicy sausage gumbo. Stuffed, we caught up with diary duties and settled in at the $40 Royal Inn for the night.

Our final day of full travel in the USA was the toughest – 800km west into Texas , our 30 th state. Along the way we attempted fixing the exhaust supports and splicing in a fan to the battery of the van, but as usual the states is a rather tough place to have anything done and very few people are willing to think ‘out of the box' especially if you don't have an appointment and have a non-american product! At least we managed to do some laundry. After passing through Houston , we veered south and by midnight we ended up at our usual rest stops outside Corpus Christi . But sleep was rather patchy as the night was a terribly hot and sticky affair and the next day we realized that Texas does have sub-tropical south east vegetation! Continuing south we did the final 150km of a 20 000km USA odyssey to the border town of Brownsville on the Rio Grande River .

Summary

Our 19 week rendezvous in North America has been a fascinating experience which took us from magnificent Alaska with Mt McKinley standing the tallest and an outstanding Inside Passage cruise to impeccable Canada with her jaw dropping scenery through the Rocky Mountains, and then the USA, a country so diverse that it is understandable why its citizens never travel the rest of the world as it encompasses deserts, wetlands, glorious coastlines, pristine national parks, tropical wonders and man made magnificence! Our journey took us through 30 of the 50 states, educated us in 21 National Parks where the kids proudly earned their Junior Ranger Badges, numerous National Historic sites and State Parks and the 17 families we visited spoilt us rotten adding a hefty 5kg to our frames. It seems as if we've been on a ‘visiting' holiday for all this time as these families willingly and excitedly opened up their homes and lives to us, proudly showing off this country. By sharing our tales and listening to their stories, we have been truly inspired.

We look forward to some more relaxed 3rd world environment as we head further down south into the America 's.

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