Escape from Alcatraz.

Before I tell you about Alcatraz, I'll just quickly fill you in on some other stuff we've been up to. We saw Milk, which is easily one of the best films I've seen this year (we both may have shed a tear for Harvey), and was great to see San Francisco on film while we were there to explore it. Hence, we looked around the Castro, which seems to be less about political activism now and more about eateries called the Sausage Factory and jewellery stores named Rock Hard. We looked around the Mission, which as well as being home to most of the Hispanic citizens, also seems to be where the homeless women hang out (by the way, there are a lot of homeless people here. I've never seen as many as I did in Vancouver, but this is close competition). We also visited around the Museum of Cartoon Art in SoMa, which included a very cool Watchmen exhibition, including a lifesize Rorshach statue. We joined every other tourist taking highly original photos of the Haight-Ashbury sign and even rode the famous Cable Car down Nob Hill (tee hee).

Then on Saturday, we looked around Fisherman's Wharf and the piers, which is a tourist tackfest, but Musee Mechanique and the Sea Lions on Pier 39 are worth a look. Then it was time for the Alcatraz night tour; I would definitely recommend taking the night tour over the slightly cheaper day tour - you get a great audio tour, plus loads of interesting talks and programmes. Unfortunately my view of the island from the boat was slightly obstructed, as you can see below.

Anyway, if you go to San Francisco, make sure you go to Alcatraz. Learn about Al Capone and the Birdman, see how tiny their cells were, find out why the American Indians 'invaded' it in the late 60s and step inside a solitary consignment cell to feel what that is like...

Afterwards, we went for dinner in Hooters (I promise this was Liz's idea). All I will say is I can't wait to stay in a Hooters hotel on Monday in Las Vegas!!! Hopefully I can post on the blog from Vegas more often, although I'm not sure if we have internet access at the hotel. Plus they do say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

Aaron

I biked the Golden Gate Bridge and all I got was this lousy band-aid.

So after enjoying a 6 mile cycle ride seeing the sights of Vancouver's Stanley Park, we couldn't wait to get pedalling again. We planned our route through the Presidio, across the Golden Gate Bridge and back, before making our way back via Golden Gate Park. We knew this was around 26 miles long and may be a little hilly, but we were confident...

Of course, this is San Francisco, so it's very hilly. Very hilly. Which makes us very silly. There's nothing like seeing a Lance Armstrong lookalike speed past you when you're walking your bike up a slope. And then I fell off.

Elizabeth insists I post this photo up. We were crossing the bridge (which is pretty amazing by the way) and it's rather narrow in parts trying to pass pedestrians. As I've just gone past one couple, my foot seemed to slip off the pedal, my leg gets caught in the framework, and I'm done. I go down shoulder-first and I'm in agony at first. That pain is soon replaced by embarrassment as a group of macho workmen help me up and give me a plaster for the gashes that have opened up. Luckily I also have Nurse Fisher, who was very lovely looking after me.

After a much-needed rest, I rather bravely (if I do say so myself) fought through the pain and we went onwards with our mission. Secretly, I think Elizabeth was hoping I couldn't carry on. Hill after hill after hill. Seemingly nowhere in sight serving food and we only had a paltry Hershey's bar for sustenance. Sweating our way around the Japanese Tea Garden (made only slightly celebratory when a genuine Philly guy pointed out my Clubber Lang T-shirt to his kids). We thought it would never end.

But it did, and never have we deserved a huge Ghiradelli sundae more than we did that day. Of course, since then I have been forced to keep my ankle elevated all day in an effort to keep the swelling down. God knows what will happen when I have to ride a horse.

Aaron

Walk on the wild side.

Apologies for the lack of blogging recently, but the sun finally came out in San Francisco and we've been making the most of it! However, we will keep this updated as much as possible.

Anyway, to catch up - we took a tour to Napa and Sonoma valleys to quaff the local wines - from now on, expect me to swirl round any glass of wine for at least half an hour before I even think about tasting it. Fun day out and we even got chance to have lunch with two retired couples from Toronto - I felt like my friends San and Fran on one of their cruises... (By the way, I think San and Fran should have a child called Cisco - not because I'm a fan of The Thong Song, but because then their names would spell San-Fran-Cisco... genius.)

We went to a cool restaurant in Chinatown called House of Nanking, where they tell you what to order - and they're right to do so. Jamie Oliver had been in recently so we're in esteemed foodie company. Was also surprised to find out our waitress was a keen Top Gear fan - who would think James May would translate to SF's Chinatown?

And the pictures above are from Yosemite National Park - we were up at 5am to take the minibus to this amazing place. It may have been sunny down in SF, but we were soon trudging around the snowy peaks, staring at Half Dome and Yosemite Falls. The photos can't really do it justice (unless Ansel Adams took them, rather than me on my Sony Ericsson).

Aaron

Rain rain go away.

Apologies for lack of 'blogging' - we've had a busy couple of days in San Francisco. Proper entry on the way very soon, but you'll be pleased to hear the rain has finally died down after 3 days of solid downpour. You'd think us Brits would be used to rain, but this was something else... Anyway, posts on Wine Country, Yosemite, Milk and more on the way...

It never rains, it pours.

So we've been in San Francisco over a day now, and it's been non-stop rain. Constant heavy bloody rain. So while I play the O.C. theme tune over and over imagining sunnier times, we spent 8 hours getting drenched walking around Frisco's version of Westfield and Chinatown window shopping. We then climbed the heights of Coit Tower, which has an amazing view of the entire city. Unfortunately I don't have one good photo as it has been sooooo miserable. And I couldn't even find a bar showing Wwe No Way Out! So today's photo is from Capilano Suspension Bridge outside Vancouver - Liz may have been a little nervous crossing over, but it was amazing looking over the gorge and walking amongst the treetops. And beating me at draughts in her first game (don't ask why we were even playing). Anyway, tomorrow we're venturing into Napa Wine Country so crossed fingers it stops raining...

Tipping is clearly not just a city in China.

So tipping seems to be a big deal in Canada, and I hear it's much the same in the US. You have to give 15% to a waiter, unless they're really good they get 20%, or really bad, in which case you only give them 10%. You what?! Surely a bad waiter deserves no tip?

And bartenders get $20?! For serving a drink? Ridiculous. When I worked at the illustrious Red Lion in Egham, I didn't even get a tip for stopping fights.

As for paying the wages of poorly-recompensed waiting staff, is that not what the restaurant/bar should be doing?

Here's the views of Mr Pink in Reservoir Dogs, to back up my argument:

Vancouver.

Finally time to make a blog post from the home of our Commonwealth brothers, the Canadians. It's our last day here and we're nearly over our jetlag, just in time to leave. I've got a sore saddle seat from cycling 6 miles around the Stanley Park seawall, sauntered around the slightly disappointing Canada Place and Gastown, and got vertigo among the Douglas Firs at Capilano Suspension Bridge. I'd say Vancouver's definitely a place for fun outdoors activities rather than a typical city.

We've also been lucky enough to have our friend Maryann to show us around. Maz is studying make-up at the college here, which explains the rather strange photo above! Thankfully she didn't follow up on her threat to do a Carol Thatcher and black me up! Tonight she's going to take us out on the town for some signature 'fun and games' before we move on...

Tomorrow we take the plane to San Francisco so I better go find some flowers to put in my hair...

We're here!

Hi everyone! We arrived in Vancouver last night and I've finally managed to get my WiFi working. Thanks to the well-connected John Palser, we had a upgrade from BA - and my legs are very grateful! Anyway, just wanted to say we arrived... Now time for more sleep...

Things you Must Do in the USA

Right now, I cannot wait to start the trip - so I've come up with a list of things we should do while we're in the US. If you have any suggestions of your own, please post a comment underneath and we'll add it to the list...

Go to a rodeo
Climb the Rocky Steps
Eat a Chicago Deep Dish pizza
Watch live music in Austin
Find your identical hand twin in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
Double down in Vegas
Take a photo in front of the Hollywood sign
Work out at Venice Beach
Ogle at a Hooters
Gasp at the Grand Canyon
Get wet at Wet ‘n’ Wild
Get wild at Spring Break in Miami
Gorge on a Vegas buffet
Chow down on real Texas BBQ
Take a photo in front of the Las Vegas sign
Ride like a cowboy at a Dude Ranch
Cruise on a Missisippi Steamboat
Visit the world famous San Diego Zoo
Watch Jerry Springer being filmed
Take a day trip to Mexico
Throw up at an Orlando theme park
Munch a Philly cheesesteak – and a pretzel
Take a San Francisco cable car
Take a trip to the White House
Take a Creole Friday Lunch in Galatoires, New Orleans
Hike around Yosemite National Park
Tour Graceland
Get sizzled in California Wine Country
Tap your toe to Memphis blues
Hover over the Everglades swamps
Stop a Sloppy Joe dripping on your shirt
Stumble around New Orleans French Quarter
Decide whether Lombardi's or Grimaldi's does the best NYC pizza
Stroll through Central Park
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge
Drink a short in a Texas saloon
Swallow down a chilli dog
Chug a cigar in Little Havana
Cross-country on the Amtrak train
Snorkel at Key Largo
Shoot a gun
Cheer on a college sports team
Order a burger, fries and milkshake in a diner
Be imprisoned in Alcatraz
Cheer on the gunners with a branch of Arsenal America
Be serenaded while consuming Tex Mex burritos and fajitas
Take a St Charles streetcar in New Orleans
Score a strike ten-pin bowling
Go to a Coney Island freak show
Whoop with the cinema crowd US-style
Laugh at the Second City and Groundlings comedy troupes
Enjoy tax free shopping in Philly
Fall asleep next to a hobo on the Greyhound bus
Go down to Chinatown in San Francisco
Listen to Bruce Springsteen as you ride down Route 66
Remember the Alamo
Celebrate St Patricks Day in an Irish dive bar
Enjoy Gospel Brunch in LA
Get the meat sweats at Katz Deli in NYC
Get splashed at Seaworld
Cheer on John Cena watching Wrestlemania in a NYC sports bar
Go to the top of the Sears Tower
Cross the border to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls
Keep out of the tank at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, the best in the US
Chow down on Soul Food in the Deep South
Lick your fingers after eating Buffalo wings in Buffalo

Welcome to the Blog...

Hello everyone

As we're days away from embarking on our travels, this is the blog we're planning on updating on the move. As true tourists, we'll be taking lots of photos and put them up on here, as well as short diary entries telling you about where we are. Anyway, it will be nice to hear from you so please leave comments under the posts for us to read...

See you all in 3 months!

Aaron and Elizabeth