Stuart Smith
Welcome to my travel journal.StuartSmith
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Stuart Smith and I am a 23 year old Law Graduate and Qualified Barrister, who, in recent months, has deviated from the intended career path and has ended up working in IT.
I plan to embark on a 2-month journey to the United States of America before returning revitalised to England to pursue a career in the legal arena with rejuvenated vigour.
The journey begins at 4am on Thursday 13th April as I leave my home in Southampton destined to arrive in LA, where I will meet up with my travel companion Ben, who is currently travelling Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
Although not set in stone, the plan is take in a variety of experiences across the length and breadth of the country. The journey itself can be divided into 5 distinct sections:
1) ‘Grandiose America’ which includes LA, San Diego, Tijuana, Joshua Tree Park, Grand Canyon National Park and Las Vegas. - All larger then life locations providing once in a life time experiences where America can show off its extravagance and brashness.
2) ‘Historical America’ which includes Washington DC, Philadelphia, Niagara Falls, Toronto, and Boston. - Key locations in the fight for American independence, the democratic epicentre of American governance, plus the magnificence of the great falls.
3) ‘Cultural America’ which includes Miami, Dallas, Houston, St Louis, and Chicago. Everyday American cities. Each city culturally diverse from the next, each alike in illustrating how everyday Americans live.
4) ‘Tranquil America’ which includes Fraser, Salt Lake City, Deadwood and Yellowstone Park. An opportunity to see rural America at its most wonderful. From the breathtaking ice capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the erupting geezers at Yellowstone. Travelling the length of the California Zephyr railroad plus a 10-day road trip this is a real highlight of the trip.
5) ‘Diamond America’ Two gems in the American crown to conclude the trip; San Francisco and New York City - so good they named it twice. San Francisco with its trams, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. New York City with the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and Central Park. Made all the more special with Zoe and Nicky, Ben's and my partner, joining us to share 6 magical days in New York. Can’t think of a better way to end the trip!
So the journey begins! Watch this space for updates, photos and diary entries. See you when I get back. Godspeed!
Map link http://www.travelblog.org/gmaps/map_V6.html
Travel Blog Posts
June 15th 2006
So the end of a spectacular unforgettable journey. The flight home to London was a time to reflect and to think about what the future holds. The plane arrived at London Heathrow just after 8am. We cleared customs with the usual degree of ease and collecting our bags before taking the taxi home. As with any foreign travel, I was hit with a sense of relief, Im back in a place I understand, my country, my home. As I stepped into my house and the door closed behind me, the journey was officially over and it almost felt like it hadn't happened at all. Ben and I now both faced the harsh realisation that the journey was over, and that real life now beckoned. We knew that decisions had to be made about our futures and ... read more
New York
Published: November 12th 2006North America » United States » New York » New York » Manhattan
June 9th 2006
Due to an administrative error on my behalf Ben and I were booked in on separate flights to New York. Ben’s flight departing an hour before mine meant that he would arrive at JFK in time to meet the girls. My arrival into New York was in the evening and I had the most spectacular of views as we flew around Manhattan Island to make our approach into JFK airport. The lights of the city and the tall skyscrapers were magical. During my journey I had spent my time talking to two New York City businessmen who were kind enough to write me a list of all the must sees in the city. They were even kind enough to offer a lift into Manhattan. Already I had a feeling that this city was going to be ... read more
June 5th 2006
We departed the motor coach deep in the heart of San Francisco at World Famous Fisherman’s Wharf. With no accommodation booked we headed to the pay phone on Pier 39 to make some calls. After calling 5 or 6 fully booked hostels we came across a hostel with some availability for all 4 nights. Following instructions we boarded a tram and headed into downtown. Immediately after leaving the waterfront followed the plush hotels and the high-rise towers of the business district. Following that we slipped through a crack in the space-time vortex and entered hell! In the space of one block the area changed from spotless city slickers to squalid city slums. Drug-driven hoboes and the mentally ill literally lined the streets. High street shops turned into DSS welfare centres, pawn shops and porn shops. As ... read more
Grand Teton National Park, Jackson Hole, Salt Lake City (the return) and California Zephyr Part III
Published: August 26th 2006North America » United States » Wyoming » Grand Teton National Park
June 3rd 2006
The south road leading out of Yellowstone linked directly into the Grand Teton National Park. An American tourist at Old Faithfully told us, “the Grand Teton Mountains come straight out of the ground”. Ben and I laughed at this, “of course where else do the mountains come from?” When we got there however I understood exactly what he meant when he said it. Unlike most mountains ranges, which gradually build with little mountains and hills first, the Grand Teton’s just appear with no preliminary accumulation. The mountains do just appear to come ‘straight out of the ground’. We slowly drove through the Grand Teton National Park, making a brief stop for lunch and of course at the gift shop. As we drove through the park, the sheer beauty of the mountains astounded me. Sharply cut into ... read more
Yellowstone National Park
Published: September 24th 2006North America » United States » Wyoming » Yellowstone National Park
May 29th 2006
Unlike other National Parks we have been to Yellowstone is by far the most remote. Set predominantly in the Northwest corner of Wyoming with parts of the park crossing into both Idaho and Montana. The nearest major city was Salt Lake, which was back in Utah some 350 miles away. However the seclusion and remoteness only added to the mystery and tranquillity of this place. Entering at the Southeast entrance it was still a further 27 miles before we hit the main 167-mile loop road. Along the way there we spotted a Bison and desperately stopped the car in order to take a picture, not realising that Bison are in abundance all over the park and that this was one of many that we would eventually see. The road, lined with snow in places and at ... read more
California Zephyr Part II, Salt Lake City, Deadwood and Mount Rushmore
Published: August 12th 2006North America » United States » South Dakota
May 26th 2006
The second leg of the train journey took us from Fraser-Winter Park to Salt Lake City. Starting in the Rocky Mountains the scenery was instantly stunning; the track weaved its way through canyons and between mountains throughout what has to be the most attractive State, Colorado. After hours of glorious rugged snow-capped mountains we started to descend and once again follow the path of the river. This eventually led us through to Glenwood Canyon, an amazingly beautiful canyon that soared high above us on both sides. The wonderful golden colours in the rock contrasted well against the lush green tree line beneath it. In the river were rafters, canoeists and fishermen. Glenwood Springs station, shortly after the canyon, looked idyllic and both Ben and I wished we had the time and money to explore this region. ... read more
California Zephyr Part I and Fraser
Published: August 12th 2006North America » United States » Colorado » Rocky Mountains
May 23rd 2006
The California Zephyr is the 2,422-mile train line that connects Chicago and San Francisco it is the most picturesque rail journey in the States and is marked by contrast. Travelling out of the suburbs of Chicago it heads through the Great Plains and then winds its way into the Rocky Mountains in the heart of Colorado before finally heading out to the Pacific coast. The journey takes some 53 hours in total and there is only one train per day. To break the journey up and to provide ourselves with a fabulous opportunity to explore some of these remote yet beautiful landscapes, we planned to stop at Fraser-Winter Park, a ski resort village high up in the Rockies, and Salt Lake City, our gateway to Yellowstone Park, Deadwood and Mount Rushmore. We boarded the train at ... read more
May 19th 2006
The first thing I noticed about Chicago was its sheer size it took 40 minutes on the train to get to downtown from the airport. The second thing I noticed was how friendly the people were, everyone was eager to help, and people showed a genuine interest in our trip what we had done and what we were doing. It was a real positive and happy atmosphere. The third thing I noticed was after I came up to street level, and it was how beautiful the city was. The various styles of architecture gave Chicago a sense of identity different from any other US city. Its position next to lake Michigan acted as a stunning backdrop to the glorious high-rising towers & skyscrapers that fill the Chicago skyline. The city, which burnt down in 1871, attracted ... read more
May 14th 2006
Houston is the 4th largest city in America and it showed, unlike LA however it did have a convenient tram and bus network. We were staying in Houston’s one and only hostel and it was the first genuine hostel we had been to. It was basically a converted house with your basic amenities. Guests were expected to assist with daily chores and the price was extremely cheap, we were later told this was to avoid having to pay hotel tax. After spending some time on the internet we went to bed. The following morning we headed into downtown. When we got there we found it to be extremely quiet with very few people around. We later learnt that there was a large complex system of underground tunnels beneath us; all Houstonians use these tunnels to get ... read more
May 13th 2006
We promptly arrived at Dallas, or the ‘Big D’ as it likes to be known. I know what you’re thinking the D stands for Dallas, well… your wrong it stands for Disappointment, Dogshite and Debt! The plane touched down at 2pm, 5 hours before the Arena football game (AFL), between Dallas Desperados and New York, was due to start. I previously had to reschedule this flight back in the UK, especially so we could go see this game. Optimistically, I thought the ordeal with Expedia double charging me for the change in flight and the proceeding two months trying to get my money back would be the end of my troubles. How wrong I was! The airport was set between Dallas and Fort Worth and served both cities. Public transport to the cities was practically non-existent. ... read more
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