Wisconsin Dells - Minneapolis

Today, we enter Wisconsin Dells, a popular spot for photographers. We'll take a boat trip in a unique amphibious vessel, then we're off to Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes. Then we'll drive through St. Paul, Minneapolis' twin city, before reaching our overnight hotel in Minneapolis.

Downtown Minneapolis

Chicago

We have a morning tour of the 'Windy City', Chicago. In the afternoon we'll take a cruise on Lake Mitchigan and through the locks of the Chicago River.

Tonight, we'll go up the Sears Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings for some spectacular views.

Chicago

Henry Ford Museum

We begin the day with a visit to the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. We'll also see the 'Automobile in American Life' Exhibition, then drive to Chicago, America's third-largest city, in the afternoon.

Henry Ford Museum in Detroit

Niagara Falls to Detroit

This morning we board the Maid of the Mist for amazing close-ups of the falls. We've been to the falls before in 1970 but never went on the boat, so this time we won't miss the chance.

The Maid of the Mist

Then we travel the Niagara Parkway along scenic countryside on the way to Detroit

Detroit

On the way to Niagara Falls

Having left the USA this morning, we have a scenic day driving north through Pennsylvania Dutch Country, home of the Amish and Mennonite religious sects. Then along the Susquehanna River to Williamsport, the birthplace of Little League baseball.

We'rr driving through Amish Country

Williamstown

Later, we cross the Rainbow Bridge to Canada and arrive at Niagara Falls Ontario for our overnight stay.

USA National Capitol - Washington DC

We have arrived in the USA's national capitol - Washington for a tour of the city.

President Obama's workshop

Philadelphia

We head south through New Jersey to Philadelphia, the birthplace of the United States. We'll visit the Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution was signed.

Doesn't that just look  like Brisbane from Kangaroo Point?

New York, New York

We have settled in in our hotel and are now part of the Cosmos Tour which started last night. So today we go and explore the Big Apple with our Tour Director to see Broadway, the Empire State Building, Greenwich Village, City Hall, Wall Street and Trinity Church.

Los Angeles - New York

After a great time with Sonya, Bernie and little Fox, it's time to fly to the Big Apple, so New York, here we come.

Qantas Flight QF107 from Los Angeles to New York

We're back from Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks

We just returned to LA from a fabulous four days in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, with Diane's cousins, Chuck, Bonnie, Lynne and Chuck's wife Lois.

Diane is surrounded by her American Cousins

One of the many waterfalls we saw in Yosemite NP

We taught cousin Lynne the art of planking

General Sherman Tree. the largest living tree on the planet
It is a Sequoia tree over 22,000 years old and still growing

The Magic Yosemite Falls

So now we're back in LA with Sonya, Bernie and Fox for a couple of days before we fly to New York.

Yosemite National Park

Today, we're visiting Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.

Yosemite National Park

Still Further North

Today Chuck will drive us to Folsom, Sacramento, to meet Bonnie, his sister, another cousin of Diane.

Folsom, Sacramento C.A.

We're Heading North

Today, Diane's cousin Charles will pick us up and drive north to San Luis Obispo where he and his wife Lois live. We'll stay overnight with them before heading further north to Yosemite National Park for the next few days.

San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is located midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. SLO, as it is refered to by locals has been described as 'the happiest city in America' by Oprah Winfrey and the National Geographic book 'Thrive' by Dan Buettner.

Walt Disney Studios

Jim, the son of Diane's cousin Chuck works at the Disney Studios in Los Angeles, as an animatronics designer. he is taking us on a private tour through the Disney Studios.

Meet Salem, the cat from the TV series Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which was designed and operated by Jim on the show. So today, we'll see how it is all done. Can't wait.

More tomorrow....

Don't mess with the LAPD

I had a run in with the Police in Pasedina.

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Visiting San Diego

Today, we're traveling down to San Diego to visit my cousin Gigi and her husband Fredy who have lived there for many years. We last saw Gigi and Fredy in 1970 when they visited us in Los Angeles while we were passing through from New Guinea on the way to London.

San Diego by night

Back to L.A. tomorrow..

Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market

Today, Sonya and Bernie are taking us to the famous Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market. This monthly flea market features more than 2,500 vendors and attracts 15,000 to 20,000 buyers every month. Well, two more this month.

A visit to the Getty Centre

Another very exciting day here in Los Angeles. Today we had a cultural day, visiting the Getty Centre on a hill overlooking the city. It was quite an experience, especially fighting our way through LA traffic. I always thought Brisbane traffic was bad but boy, oh boy, there are a lot of cars here in this city.

 The Getty Centre in Los Angeles

Irises by Vincent van Gogh

Wheat stacks, Snow Effect, Morning by Claude Monet

Portrait of Anthony Valabrescue by Paul Cesanne

The Getty Centre is just full of original paintings too numerous to mention and entrance is free. We also saw the special Cuba exhibition of photos. It was very interesting.

A day at the Discovery Science Centre in Orange County

You can never teach them too young, so with this in mind, we took a trip with young master Fox to Orange County and spent a few hours in this fabulous centre. Fox had a lot of fun pressing all the buttons.

At the Discovery and Science Centre

Tomorrow we're going to the Getty Centre to take in some cultural delights, more of that in tomorrow'spost.

Los Angeles - Here We Are

We have arrived in Los Angeles and are staying with our daughter Sonya, her husband Bernie and grandson Fox at their home in Hollywood. We'll be here a few days before we'll visit my cousin and her husband in San Diego next Monday.

LAX the famous air port structure we first saw in 1970

Let our sight-seeing begin....

Up Up and Away with the flying Kangaroo

Today, we're off on our holidays to the USA, so from now until we get back on 16th July, there'll be a post on this blog most days from the place where we are that day, so if you're interested, you can follow us on or travels in cyberspace. This morning we fly directly from Brisbane to Los Angeles on a Qantas 747-400.

Qantas QF 15 from Brisbane non-stop to Los Angeles

More from Los Angeles, where Sonya, Bernie and Foxy are awaiting us.

Cheers,

Bill and Diane

We're Going On a Trip

We're going on a Trip on Wednesday to North America.

Starting in Hollywood, Los Angeles, where we'll be staying with our daughter Sonya, her husband Bernie and grandson Fox. While in California, we'll be visiting both Diane's and my cousins and traveling to San Diego and Yosemite National Park.

After we leave California, we'll be flying to New York to join a 21-Day Cosmos Tour crossing the continent back to Los Angeles, before flying home in July.

We'll be visiting:

• San Diego
• Yosemite National Park
• Lan Luis Obispo
• Philadelphia
• Washington DC
• Niagara Falls (Canada)
• Detroit
• Chicago
• Wisconsin Dells
• Minneapolis
• Pierre
• Mt Rushmore
• Keystone - Cody
• Yellowstone National Park
• Jackson
• Salt Lake City
• Grand Canyon
• Las Vegas

From Wednesday 8th June, you can follow us every day on this blog which will be updated most days to show where we are and what we're up to.

To see where we are return to this blog

Here is our Tour Map:

Our Tour Map - Starting in New York ending in Los Angeles