North America

Copyright © 2003 Kevin O'Rourke

The site is a work in progress, the 'Album' page in each section contains some photos but only some sections have much text.

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May-July 2000

Some kind of North American trip was part of the South America plan right from the start. Initially I wanted to travel overland all the way to California but I didn't want to spend that long getting home.

I kept a diary up until Vancouver using my shiny new PDA. Then some bad person broke into our car in Vancouver and nicked it, along with our CDs. After that I lost interest in diary-keeping until New York.

I've had to trace the route by a combination of bank statements, odd scribbled notes and memory. If anyone remembers seeing a wild-haired Scot in a silver Chevy Blazer get in touch.

There are some photos on the album page, but not much else in this section.

The Route

24/5/00

Arrived in Miami, overnight at hotel near airport.

25/5/00

Picked up hire car, drove down to Key Largo. Dinner at the Cracked Conch Cafe. Overnight at mosquito-infested campsite in unbearable heat.

26/5/00

Drove from Key Largo back up to Miami. Did a bit of shopping along the way. Spent the night in a hostel in Miami Beach.

27/5/00

Drove from Miami to Kennedy Space Centre. Overnight in the car at the side of the road nearby.

28/5/00

Spent the day at Kennedy Space Centre (fantastic). Overnight at the side of the road again.

29/5/00

Drove from KSC up through Georgia to Opp, Alabama. Overnight at Frank Jackson State Park.

30/5/00

Drove west from Opp to New Orleans (note that Rand McNally's idea of a scenic route may involve refineries). Overnight at India House hostel.

31/5/00

Spent the day in New Orleans, another night at India House.

1/6/00

Drove from New Orleans across Texas. Overnight in interstate rest area near Fort Worth.

2/6/00

Drove to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Excellent lunch at The Diner, Tres Piedras ( photo). Overnight at Storrie Lake State Park.

3/6/00

Drove from Las Vegas, NM, to the Valley of the Gods, Utah. Went through Monument Valley (photo). Overnight at the side of the road.

4/6/00

Drove from the Valley of the Gods to Kaibab National Forest, Arizona. Lunch at a diner in Tuba City, Arizona. Quick look around the Grand Canyon. Overnight offroad in the forest.

5/6/00

Hiked part of the way down into the Grand Canyon (photo). Overnight back in the forest.

6/6/00

Drove to Las Vegas, Nevada. Part of the way along Route 66. Overnight in hostel in Las Vegas.

7/6/00

Drove from Las Vegas to Bakersfield, California. Through the Mojave Desert ( photo). Overnight at the side of the road in the hills above Bakersfield, off state highway 178.

8/6/00

Drove from near Bakersfield to Bass Lake, California. Lots of windy little country roads, lunch in Camp Nelson at Nelson's Place bar. Overnight at the side of the road just outside Bass Lake.

9/6/00

Drove from Bass Lake towards San Francisco. Went through Yosemite National Park and wandered about a bit there. Overnight at Carnegie State Vehicular Recreation Area

10/6/00

Drove to San Francisco. Wandered around the city, open air festival thingy in North Beach neighbourhood. Overnight at (very noisy) hostel.

11/6/00

Drove north from San Francisco, through the vineyards of the Napa Valley and then west to Highway 1. Stopped off at the Petrified Forest. Overnight parked on the beach.

12/6/00

Drove further up the west coast, into Oregon. Overnight at campground in Oregon, one of many. It was probably Horsfall, part of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area.

13/6/00

Further north and into Washington state. Overnight at Twin Harbours State Park.

14/6/00

Drove to Seattle. Wandered around the city. Overnight at Green Tortoise Hostel.

15/6/00

Crossed the border into Canada, drove to Vancouver. The Cambie hostel has a pub as part of it. Didn't bother looking at the city, just sat in the pub and drank with a crowd of Aussies.

16/6/00

Wandered around Vancouver. Found out that car had been broken into. Another night at the Cambie.

17/6/00

Drove back down into the States. Lunch at a diner in Concrete, Washington (photo). Overnight at Klipchuck campground.

18/6/00

Headed east to near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Overnight at the side of the road.

19/6/00

Drove east into Montana and then south back into Idaho. Passed signs for the U.S. Sheep Experiment Station. Overnight in Targhee National Forest.

20/6/00

Drove over the Teton Range, through Jackson, Wyoming, and into the Grand Teton National Park. Looked around the park a bit. Overnight at a campsite in the park.

21/6/00

Drove up into Yellowstone National Park ( photo). Dropped my camera and broke the lens. Overnight off road just outside the park.

22/6/00

Drove across Wyoming to Devil's Tower National Monument. Overnight at a cheap campground beside a gift shop nearby (forgot the name).

23/6/00

Can't remember much about the route for the next few days. I know that I got cash from an ATM in Luverne, Minnesota, on the 23rd. We also visited Wall Drug along the way.

24/6/00

Following I-90 east...

25/6/00

Still driving, a very long day. Couldn't find anywhere to stop before Chicago, just made it to the Chicago International Hostel before it closed.

26/6/00

Wandered around Chicago, visited the Field Museum of Natural History.

27/6/00

A short drive from Chicago east to Port Clinton, Ohio. Overnight at one of the State Parks nearby, I think it was East Harbour.

28/6/00

Heading for Washington, DC. Overnight in a Maryland State Park, not sure which one but it might have been Greenbrier.

29/6/00

Drove in to Washington, DC, booked into India House Too hostel. Got the Metro into town and went straight to the National Air and Space Museum.

30/6/00

Wandered around the Mall, there was a big multicultural festival on. Back in the car, started heading north. Overnight at Cheesequake State Park. Last night in the car.

1/7/00

Drove into New York and was dropped off at the George Washington Bridge Bus Station. Discovered that the hostel I had a reservation with no longer existed. Found a space at Big Apple Hostel, near Times Square.

2/7/00 - 7/7/00

In New York, then flew home with Icelandair to Glasgow.

journeys/NAmintro.html last updated: Fri Feb 29 14:17:19 2008