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Date last updated: 29 July 2002

It's nearly here at last - our big American holiday. For any of you who are remotely interested, you can follow our travels (technology permitting) as we do a Bill Bryson around Canada and the USA. Not only does this give you something to while away a few idle moments, it also saves us from having to write to everyone individually, send copies of photographs and buy lots of stamps. What's more, it's a good excuse to buy a laptop and digital camera.

On 25th August 2000 we fly to Vancouver from Gatwick, via the little known but very cheap Canada3000. Definitely looking forward to the in-flight waffles with maple syrup.

After a day's recovery we start a Rocky Mountaineer ten day rail tour of the Canadian Rockies which is something we've both always wanted to do and seems a nice relaxing way to start the trip. Part of the tour is on the super-duper GoldLeaf service with observation dome coach, hot and cold running waiters, and waffles with maple syrup served on silver platters. The only problem is if the jetlag catches up with us and we sleep through it all. With luck, we'll see some brown bears and maybe a Mountie.

Next we fly to Boston and dump ourselves on two sets of old friends - Liz and Geoff, and Hilary and Ron - who now live out there. (Note that the first thing which greets you on the City of Boston web site is information on how to pay your parking tickets. This is not a good sign.) After a bit of intensive culture we'll be buying a car or possibly pickup and a travel trailer - caravan to you - and setting off to see New England in the fall. This involves lots of dead leaves, but I'm sure must be more impressive than it sounds as everyone talks about it.

When the novelty of the leaves wears off and the weather starts to get chilly we'll be heading south towards the sun, overwintering in the southern states (y'all), going up the west coast in the spring, and back into Canada to see it close up next summer. That's as detailed as the plan gets - it may all work out completely differently if we decide that we either love or hate all things American more than we anticipate. Watch this space.

Please keep in touch with us while we're away via the gift of email. American camp sites are supposed to be becoming very internet friendly nowadays, so we should be able to pick it up regularly and, with luck, respond. Just click here:

mailto:woodhead_david@hotmail.com

mailto:houghton_christine@hotmail.com

Christine and David