DONE4,USA & Italy-ver long.

[drron]

I do not travel for the flying,it is a means to and end and that end is the land travel.However this trip has seen me reach AA Platinum and by years end Explat.It has also served as a defacto mattress run ensuring hhonors diamond for another year.This will be an ongoing saga.continue at your own peril!
Another early start from the Sunshine Coast for Brisbane.As always the limousine pickup.I still can not understand those whose only object is saving a few dollars.The limousine costs $120 as against $90 for 2 on the bus however we can leave an hour later which is well worth the extra dollars.
No problems with checkin and off to the QF lounge.Flying out on the AA codeshare so the 2 of us will complete the platinum challenge.Brisbane is not one of the worlds greatest lounges but still quite comfortable.
Off to the plane.Have 11J & K upstairs.Good crew.Meal a little better than I last remember QF.Pork is done extremely well.Having reached retirement I have rediscovered the art of sleeping on planes and drift off after the meal.Awake long enough for 2 movies.Borat is certainly a thinly veiled attack on the American values.Glad though i didnt pay money to watch it.
Arrive into LAX a little early.hardly a queue at immigration and are out in no time.Off to Hertz and even though in gold line at general checkin(having prepurchased booking as cheaper than through Hertz) the wait is much longer than Immigration.Had stopped off in LA as mrsdrron wanted to buy some pearls there but she changed her mind.No matter a couple of days to chill out suits us fine.
Drove up the coast road to Oxnard to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn.Very good value and you know what you are getting with a large room,microwave and fridge and free internet access.Went out to do a little shopping.For those who say why Oxnard the answer is the Camarillo premium outlets.Mrsdrron can tell you about every outlet in the states.Great value for Aussies as you get the coming seasons fashion at great discounts.Then off to Red Lobster for lunch and those wonderful Maine lobster.Back to HGI for a little sleep.Awake about 9pm.Turn on telly and find someone has ripped the aerial lead out of the wall.No problems with reception.Someone sent up to check and moved rooms.Pantry and movie coupons given as compensation.
Next day first call is Fedex to ship off everything to son in NYC so that there is more room for shopping.Generally chill out in the afternoon ready for next days drive back to LAX.No problems going back down Hway 1.Normally use 101 where traffic can be horrific.Always remember though in the states if there is an HOV lane it can be used if just 2 of you in the car-never many others in this lane.
Once again no problems at LAX and through checkin and into Admirals club in about 20 minutes.Why people pay a lot of dollars to go to the AC and pay for drinks and food at prices higher than on the general concourse certainly intrigues me.No worries the QP gets us in and our drink chits.A grimace when told the premium chardy is Little Boomer with a boomerang on the label.So the pinot grigio it is.Not long to wait until off on AA1458 to Denver.Although we leave on time and arrive in Denver airspace early are put into a holding pattern for 40 minutes as thunderstorms over Denver.
I liked the airport at denver.Easy to get around with a train between terminals.Once again off to Hertz and once again they impress with lenghy wait.Impressed even further when they offer me a midsized car when full size paid for.The coupon even says a Ford Mustang or similiar car-always have got a Ford Taurus in past but now they are not Ford owned you can get anything.But a Chevvy Malibu is similiar to a mustang!Told we will be upgraded to an Impala but thanks for nothing.Now the drive up I25 to Loveland.Why loveland-you guessed it another outlet but also close to the rocky Mountains NP.
Next instalment-Colorado and Utah.

[drron]

Now for Colorado.Stayed at Hampton Inn.Usual reasonable standard and got the water and snack although also extra points as per my way.Dinner at Johnny Carinos.A chain serving large portions of Italian food at reasonable prices.
Next morning off to Rocky Mountains National Park.Just after the entrance were a few elk.a lot more further in.Spectacular certainly is appropriate.You go from approx6000 feet to 12150 in not a great distance.First drama the smart car says check the left rear tyre and here we are at the summit.After coming down 6000 feet on the other side check tyre and everything Ok but car keeps telling me to service tyre monitoring system.Now along hway 40 to Steamboat springs to another Hampton stay.A word of warning this property has the highway on one side and the railroad on the other.Plus given room next to lobby so not that much sleep.This place is set up well with free transportation around.a lot of work going on around ski transportation centre at moment.Dinner at Riggios an Italian restaurant downtown with great mussels.
Next day a drive down route 131 to Vail.A pleasant drive passing a few old coal mines.Vail again well set up and in summer with free parking.Nice public golf course and a good selection of restaurants.a place to return to.Next down route 24 and up rte 82 to Aspen.The highlight is going over Independence pass again reaching over 12000 feet,again spectacular.Aspen however costs,nothing free.A place for the rich and famous and not for drron.So continue on up 82 and on to Grand Junction and another Hampton.Upgraded to a spa room and once again water and snack as well as points.Dinner at the Rokslide brewery.As in before 6.30 the tasting of their 6 beers cost the princeley sum of $3.75.
Next instalment Utah.

[drron]

Now off on I-70 to Utah.Took route 128 to Moab and this is reccomended.Spectacular scenery following colorado river through a series of canyons.A lot of rafting-arranged from Moab,plus a lot of people fishing.
Into Moab and on to the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.These lose nothing when compared to the more frequently visited southern neighbours such as Zion and the grand Canyon.Stayed overnight at a Comfort Inn in Blanding-should have stayed in Moab,much more choice.
Early morning start for drive through Monument Valley and this is a great time to see it with the rapidly changing light patterns.from ther off to the 4 corners where you can have a bit of yourself in Colorado,Utah,Arizona and New Mexico all at once-and that is the only exciting bit.it is on Navajo land so you pay to do this and there are mny stalls with Indian jewellery.Probably these places are the only places where they sell knockoffs of their own work.
from there back into Colorado to Durango.On the way stopped off at Mesa Verde NP.This is worth a visit with well preserved cliff dwellings which yoiu can go down to.
However whilst there noticed the passenger front tyre of our rental had developed a pronounced bubble so a slow trip into Durango.Mentioned it to the front desk of the hampton when checking in and before I had signed they had Hertz on the line and the Durango office had been notified of the problem.The road assistance guy told me I would have to fill out a tyre incident report but when i got to the hertz office at the airport the woman handed me the keys of a replacement car noting that this happens several times a year due to the altitudes you get to.The staff of Hertz at LAX,DEN and ATL should be sent to Durango to learn good customer relations.
Durango is a town that has got its tourist act together.The main summer activity is a train ride to silverton which we didnt do but will be back to do later.the shops downtown stay open until the last train returns which was after 7pm on the Sunday night we were there.Had dinner at the Mahogany grill downtown and it was great.Shared a dish of quail for appetiser and I had elk and mrsdrron the crab stuffed trout.
The next day drove north on 550 and once again altitudes in excess of 11000 feet.once again truly magnificent scenery including old gold and silver mines.Stayed that night at the garden Inn at Meridien just south of Denver.Half the price of places closer to the airport and very close to the tollway that runs past the airport so spent $5.75 in tolls but saved$80 on the hotel.Standard very comfortable Garden inn.
This now set the scene for my 9/11 trip-Aa1032 DEN-DFW and AA474 DFW-ATL.Denver airport impressed me again.Easiest rental return ever.Virtually empty AC.Friendly staff.The AA crew on both flights were exceptional and worked togther as a team something i had not experienced on AA before.Jon from Dallas made our flight to ATL very enjoyable.Howeverdont expect luxury on AA first domestically.From DEN we got a snack-2 very small cookies.From DFW lunch-either a turkey wrap or a chicken pasta salad.about the standard you would buy on DJ.A warm glow though as this was the first time our boarding passes were stamped AA platinum.
Next from Atlanta to Washington DC.Dont ever say the war was lost.

[drron]

In contrast to Denver the airport at ATL has seen better times and is a shambles.Hertz were no better.Wouldnt allow us on Hertz shuttle as our booking did not appear on list.produced our email and let on.At least no long lines but told virtually no cars so was a midsize or nothing.so into our chevy malibu and off to gadsen Alabama.Another stay at a hampton and dinner at Logans Roadhouse where the waiters dont do no singing or dancing so if any special occasion it is a YEE HAA.After dinner to the local Walmart to get some water as at hamptons i now choose the extra points.Sat down as mrsdrron went to look at the makeup and a good ole boy sat down and started talking.Knew I was not from round those parts."Youre not a northerner are you." No mate I'm a real southerner from Australia."Well i'll be darned never met an australian in Walmart before."
Next day travelled up alongside the Tennessee river-a beautiful drive.To Scootsboro because mrsdrron had heard about the unclaimed baggage store on Oprh and Getaway.The BBC were there that day when we arrived.forget it.Just a big overpriced Op-shop.Then on the way through Georgia to commerce and another Hampton with dinner at the Longhorn Steakhouse.The steaks were superb tender,juicy and great flavour.After another night at Concord Mills-you guessed it another outlet shopping mall.A good pair of Brooks Brothers jeans for $17.Now we are off to Charlottesville NC.A Hilton Garden Inn this time,on the way stopping at Appotamax to see where Robert E Lee called a temporary halt to the war.Started off the next day visiting Jefferson's home Monticello-very worthwhile.Will be back to visit Ash Lawn and Montpellier-Homes of the 4th and 5th Presidents.On the way into DC stopped off at Manassas(Bull Run to those damn Yankees).There is history all around here.
Staying in DC at the Doubletree Suites at Foggy Bottom.A little away from the action and my conference location but half the price of other hilton properties in DC.Was not too hard a walk to the Smithsonian complex and a short walk to historic Georgetown.Good meals at the Thai Coast on L street and Miss Saigon on M street in Georgetown-absolutely best soft shell crab i have had.
Tomorrow off to the Atlantic Coast for the slow trip back to Atlanta.

[simongr]

Great stuff drron - I love the casual way you are happily just driving and flying across Amercia - although highly concerned about your outgoing baggage limits

[littl_flier]

Thanks for the TR drron. Sounds like you're having a great time. I notice you and Febs are both driving accross the US at the moment. He's just doing the opposite way to you. Enjoy the rest of your trip!

[QF009]

Nice TR drron! Looking fwd to more.

[turtlemichael]

Great read drron! Even more interesting to me as, during the LOTFAP leg of our DONE4 in April, we have 3 weeks driving from PHL via Gettysburg, DC and Shenandoah Valley to Richmond visiting Civil War sites then another week driving from Charleston to Atlanta via Savannah. So our routes will cross. Look forward to more reports!

[drron]

Now for the trip back south to Atlanta.Down I-95 a short way to another of those outlets.This time Potomac Mills-huge.Here though you can leave the significant other for 2-3 hours and head 15 miles south to Fredericksburg and the nearby Stonewall jackson memorial.As I have been told before if he had survived the South would not have lost.Here we found a gas station that did not accept cash.
Continuing on and switching to I-64 to Williamsburg.This is an area steeped in history.This year is the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown.Nearby is the battlefield of Yorketown where the British were finally defeated.The old centre of Williamsburg is preserved as an historical theme park.A word of advice,instead of paying $30+ for a days admission ask for a museum pass costing $9 allowing you to walk around with entrance to 2 galleries and the Rockefeller house.The restoration of williamsburg was started during the depression and funded by the Rockefellers.Spent the night at a Hampton and once again given a larger room with a spa bath.
The next day continued down I-64 to Newport,a large naval base with several military museums and General Mc'Arthurs grave and museum.very informative.
The bridges here are amazing and all combined with a tunnel so nothing to impede the navy.Heading straight for a naval vessel and then you go under it.4 aircraft carriers in today.
Head south on route 168 to Kittyhawk.once again the National Parks annual pass pays for itself getting you into the Wright memorial.The rest of Kittyhawk is very forgettable though a very reasonably priced lunch of crabs at Dirty ****s crabhouse.
Now turn west and head out on route 64 to get to our overnight at Washington,NC.Pas through bayou country and fields of baccy,cotton and peanuts making you feel very much in the south.Pulled off at a rest area at Plymouth,NC to find it a civil war battlefield site when the South retook the town in April 1864.The same we found also at Washington.The downtown historic area of washington has a lot of antebellum buildings and for the night we were there a festival with live music in the streets and a parade of muscle cars.
This time our Hampton let us down with an ordinary room and their wifi down for the night.To be continued.

[drron]

Leave Washington,NC on 17 south.Soon after starting the only heavy rain of our driving tour but by the time we reach New Bern after 30 minutes it has gone.Having done my research I realise New Bern was important in the Peninsula campaign and Abe Lincoln visited the troops there.But I was wrong.New Bern is known for Brad's drink,known better today as Pepsi Cola.As this was a Saturday was able to go to their farmers market-liked the chocolate coated pecans.
Continued south and once again found out that in the USA your reseach doesnt come up with everything as at Wilmington,NC there is the battleship North Carolina open for tours.Overnight at Mrytle Beach where again the Hampton recognised status by giving us a larger corner room.That night off to Greg Normans Australian Grille for dinner.Figured he needs the money now.Amazing though what the staff thought was typical Aussie dishes.
From there south to Hilton head Island via Charleston.Had stayed there before but if you are into the civil war you must do the Fort Sumpter tour where the hostilities began.Also to the north of Charleston is the old Aircraft carrier Yorketown.A visit to one or two of the old plantation houses also reccomended.We have been to Boone Hall and the Magnolia Plantation Gardens.The Hampton at Hilton Head is old.All small rooms.Coffee in lobby cold and no delivery of morning paper.
Final day of driving is now just a drive to Atlanta.Pass close to Savannah where again we have stayed before and it is well worth a visit.Just off I-95 though was the fighting eighth air force museum.Unfortunately again our Hampton at South Lakes let us down and am forced to go the heavy.Arrived about 2.30pm(lots of repacking to do) and given as usual a key packet with our name typed on it but getting to the room find it is 2 doubles not the king room booked.down to the desk and told this is what was booked and there are no king rooms left!Pulled out the hilton.com screen shot showing a king room was booked in October 2006 and my profile says king bed.Told sorry but nothing we can do.OK I am diamond and someone who is arriving later is going to go without their king bed or you are goinfg to call the diamond desk for me.Suddenly a king room is available all be it next to the lifts when profile says away from lifts.Diamond desk is going to hear about this anyway.