The dullest road in Britain

This week I think I may have driven along the dullest road in Britain. York to Norwich and back is not the easiest of journeys as there are no motorways going in the right direction. This is made worse by the A17 which is just so dull. Sixty miles of single carriageway through bland flat fields and more often than not following slow tractors or trucks full of farm produce. Too much traffic to overtake and no interesting surroundings to take your mind off it. Bored, bored, bored, bored, bored. I did end up at a pleasant office just outside Great Yarmouth to catch up with a customer though. Not bad looking for a Water Treatment Works.

The perfect lunch for an imperfect day

About three miles from the main office I travel too once a week is a truckers cafe. It's on the A5012, Via Gellia Rd if you ever want to find it. It's called the Woodside Cafe and as well as being in a fairly decent location within the Peak District it serves the best value fry-up I have found. Bacon, egg, sausage, beans, fried tomato, fried bread, two slices of a bread and butter along with a cup of tea, all for £4.30. On a busy day with plenty of frustration, the oppurtunity to sit down for half an hour and eat something that is pure indulgence is just wonderful. It also has very poor mobile phone signal, which on some days is a definite bonus.

One of those weeks

Normally I try and post in here on the same day as a journey, or at least the morning after. This week has been one of those weeks where tiredness, lack of sufficient internet signal or lack of willpower have all come together and so you get a summary post instead.

Monday was a trip from York to Burnley and back again. Not a bad journey up and across the hills and only a 120 miles. However I expected to back by 2 and instead the meeting took a lot longer and I got back at 5.30. Kind of annoying.

Tuesday was a trip to the office and back. 175 miles in total, but feels longer as I know the journey too well and it always top and tails a long day, leave at 7am and return at 7pm.

Wednesday was the interesting one as that involved a journey 220 miles down to Essex to see a new customer. Stopped and ate my lunch in a Sainsbury's car park as could not for the life of me locate the services I was after. Turns out that were directly behind the car park I was in, oops!! Once the meeting was done I went 120 miles cross-country from Chelmsford to Northampton for my hotel for the night. Sat-Nav thought I should go via the M25 at the top of London, I thought I should go cross country again. turns out the Sat-Nav was most definitely correct. Damn it hurts to say that. My hotel for the night was the Northampton West Holiday Inn. I think that hotel will go down as the worst Holiday Inn I have ever stayed in. The description on the website suggests features such as 'Spacious guest rooms' (Nope), 'high speed internet' (worked only briefly and was definitely not high speed), 'power showers' (rusty), 'fitness suite' (one rowing machine plus one jogging machine). The place is in dire of a re-furb and some more attentive staff.

Thursday involved a short journey to the NEC in Birmingham to attend Sustainability Live 2013 and then back up the road to home. I believe the highlight of the day was amusement at my own stupidity for walking straight into the wrong exhibition hall simply because that was where we were last year, maybe next time I should read the signs? I did get a free laser pointer but other than that exhibitions freebies were very disappointing.

On thing I did notice on the week is how many wind farms are popping up by the side of the main roads. Lets just hope they are  making enough to compensate for the build cost.

Today I am working from home. I like working form home, I always get more done than in the office or anywhere else. No interruptions and less distractions, playing catch-up on the week and just about there.

Slow and steady

Todays journey was a grand total of 4.64 miles. Not far I admit but I was on the bike rather than in the car and the aim was a Sunday morning cycle for some fresh air rather than  actually needing to get somewhere. Down to the river, along one side into the city centre, over the bridge, down the other side and back home. All details calculated and recorded on the MapMyRide app on the iPhone. Got to love a bit of technology that does nothing but provide statistics you really don't need, but are fun to have. Saw the Mayor of York plus wife and dog whilst cycling along the river. I always expect a mayor to look pompous and austere, not a random windswept bloke in jeans and a jumper just enjoying the fresh air as much as me.

New York to Old York

The good news is that I made it home safe and sound. The bad news is I am no longer on holiday. Pity really, I liked being on holiday. So, we changed the original plans for the last night and moved to a hotel in New York city, just off Times Square. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express - Times Square and though the rooms were small and simple the locations was great and the staff were most attentive I have ever known. Simple things like moving our room to be on the same floor as some friends and having fresh lemonade available in reception after spending far too much time traipsing around the hot city. Wonderful people.



On the final morning we walked the High Line and then booked out of the hotel. A bit of brief mall shopping got us those last few mementos of the trip and then off to JFK for a flight home. Nice airport is JFK, but the food is ridiculously expensive and the gates get far too hot when the sun is on them. Flight home was uneventful and thankfully I managed to sleep about 4 hours meaning I was at least part human by the time we landed at 7am. A four hour drive home was not nice and involved two stops and two changes of driver but we made it home in time for lunch. New York to Old York in about 13 hours, not bad!!

New York, New York

So good they named it twice? I am not to sure about that, but certainly a lot better than previous experiences, though the main reason might have been because it was sunny? Have I mentioned the weather on this holiday, the weather was awesome!! I know that myself and other English folk have a preoccupation with the weather but England so far in 2013 has been cold, a fair amount of snow has fallen and though the sun has turned up on occasion it has been a cold and fairly useless sun. The American sun appears (unsurprisingly) to be much bigger and warmer. Our day in New York (Monday 8th) was the warmest of the holiday and topped out at a mighty 25 degrees Celsius, that's a full 20 degrees more than anything at home. Anyway, I digress somewhat...

The New York day started with a surprisingly easy journey in from Cos Cob until we got to about 500 yards from the hotel (more about that separately) and then traffic hell ensued for the next 40 minutes. After dropping off our bags and having the required recovering cup of tea, we went to explore, Times Square, Grand Central Station and the UN building were all good in their own way but the highlight of NYC has to be Central Park. Estimates of the value of the land alone is closing on a trillion dollars but it is worth it. Such a wonderful oasis of calm amongst the bustling chaos around makes it feel like it is in a separate world. I have to admit though I would consider selling a tiny bit of the park if someone would invest that in some cleaners for the subway. It is possible that NYC subway is the grimiest in the world?

For a change we went out for tea, though only a few doors down to the Tir Na Nog Irish restaurant and bar. Good food, very friendly waitress staff and a great atmosphere. Makes for a pretty damn good New York day.

A busy few days part 2

Saturday felt manic, Sunday was totally different. A lazy start, breakfast at 9 instead of 8 and didn't leave the house till 11. Went with our friends to the Stamford Museum and Nature Reserve in Stamford, CT. Considering a large amount of time was spent in a very good playground and observing some 'Notters' then I think I can safely see that this is very good for children. The only downside was the exotic animal building. Interesting creatures but in enclosures that really are far too small :(. Lunch was had at a genuine American diner. Cant recall the name but the club sandwich was very filling and great tasting. 

A busy few days

It's been a busy few days but finally I have a cup of tea to hand, free Wi-fi to use and time to put my thoughts on screen.

Saturday was a hectic drive from Harrisburg. PA via New Jersey and New York and on into Cos Cob, CT where we were staying with some friends for a couple of nights. The journey had a couple of highlights, the first being the Delaware Water Gap, seeing the break in the mountains where the river had broken through, beautiful scenery considering it was just of the interstate. The second notable bit of the journey was as a result of having got stuck in delays on the I95 after the George Washington Bridge (by the way, awesome bridge with great views). We decided in our infinite wisdom to divert through the Bronx. Next time I do that I need a much better map. The Bronx is a very unnerving place and anyone driving around their needs nerves of steal and a willingness to push the car into gaps that may not entirely exist.

Finally and only an hour late we arrive with our friends in Connecticut. Their is one thing I will say about Americans is the ones I have met are friendly and trusting once they get to know you. I am not sure how willing I would be to have people I have only met once before stay at my house, but our friends were and to be honest their is much that most Englishmen should learn from that. 

An inferior York

Todays trip began in Hagerstown, MD and finished in Harrisburg, PA via Gettysburg, York and Lancaster County. An informative trip that taught me many things:
1. York, PA is not as nice as York, England. To be honest it is one of the grottiest US towns I have driven through.
2. Gettysburg is a nice place to wonder round even if you don't know what the Gettysburg address is or who lived at that address. :)
3. The Kettle Village in Lancaster County is a great place to spend a few hours looking at the shops and having a drink and cake.
4. A village called Intercourse is amusing. I don't care how childish that seems, it is still amusing.
5. Having now stayed at a Marriott Residence Inn, a Hilton Homewood and a Holiday Inn Staybridge in three consecutive nights (three chains catering for an identical market with almost identical facilities), I prefer the Marriott.

Odd things in the road

The journey continued yesterday up into the Appalachians.  120 miles driving along the Shenandoah trail where it varies between 2000 and 4000ft above sea level and the scenery was breath-taking again. Owls flying in the tress, deer by the side of the road, sweeping valleys, majestic mountains an somewhat scary tunnels. Significant temperature change up on the tops made for impressive ice waterfalls and stalactites in many locations.

It's nice when the world puts some effort in.

Most of the people who know me, know that I like America. I like the people, I like most of the cities, the national pride and the big open spaces.

Of all the bits if the USA I have seen, Washington is my favourite for many reasons and this morning I found a new reason having been to the great falls national park around half an hours drive north and west on the Potomac from the centre of DC. I think the view from there is truly one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever seen. The expanse of water rushing past such a serene environment was just wonderful and something to refresh the most tormented mind.

After that the journey along the interstates down to  the hotel in Waynesboro, VA seemed a bit dull. Tonight's hotel is a Marriott Residence Inn and better than expected. Never stayed in a Marriott before, might just have to do it again.

Almost my favourite city

I like Washington, D.C., I mean really like the place. It shows what can happen if you plan the city in advance instead of just letting it evolve from whatever was there before. Wide open spaces, elegant buildings, logical and clean underground system. It's like sim city after you have spent a couple if weeks optimising the game to make it 

 just right. I have been to a fair few cities over the years and I think Washington is the only one I would like to move too one day. It's not home so it's not perfect, but it takes a dam good second place.

Customs, cars and timezones

First up I have to say that I love holidays, I like the exploring, I like to see all the new places, the different people and here the different voices. However their are a few things I don't like.

1. I don't like flying. my stomach dances, my head hurts and it means far too much sitting around in cramped conditions. Great views out of the window through of the ice flows many thousands of feet below.
2. I hate travel based disorganisation and yesterday was terrible for that. 2 hours at US customs in a very short but very slow moving queue, followed by nearly an hour waiting for a rental car to be ready.
3. I am not fond of changing time zones. Both myself and the little un woke up at 4.30am local time. going to regret that later today I expect!

On the plus side, I am on holiday, sitting in the reception of a nice Holiday Inn Express in Pennsylvania with free breakfast when I get that far and free Wi-Fi to write this on. Today will be a better day, but I think I might have to schedule in a nap or two.