Steven Stone
I'm just a guy who decided to do what he wanted and take the risk. After 17 years of formal education and a forray into the world of work, with no significant ties, took the plunge and booked flights to Canada with a plan of making my way round a good section of North America.Walkindude
Born in Australia, moved to the UK in 1996 and now ready to travel solo for the first time...The plan is to head into Canada, then down into the USA, round there, nip into Mexico, back up to the USA, all the way up again and returning to Canada then going cross country to catch my flight back.
I fly out on the 20th August and will get back on the 14th November. So the trip is about 3 months. I can't drive so its gonna be buses and trains for me I reckon. I aim to hit a lot of the cities, a few of the towns, check out the 'real' america, meet new people, take lots of pictures, represent my countries well and generally have a great time.
I will keep this blog updated as best I can, though with the fun I hope to have it may be a bit sparse lol. I am new to this travel blog site tho bare with me.
Any support you wish to give will be apprcieated. Send messages (nice ones) and I'll let you know how I am.
Take care all!
Travel Blog Posts
February 4th 2008
Toronto!!!!!! Back at the beginning!!!!!!! Well as I said in my last blog, it was grey and rainy. Very grey and rainy. I rode the bus untill I got to my hostel, luckily this time with having some knowledge of the city I got there easy and also luckily my room was on the ground floor this time so no lugging my case up the stairs. I got in and despaired that there wasn't ensuite like before....then found that it was and went to sleep. I woke up after a fair while, and didn't really do much besides have another wander round the city for a good while, going in shops and having McDonalds to which by now I was addicted to. I got my coat zip stuck and after struggling in vain for ages had ... read more
February 4th 2008
Hello!!! Well you might guess that I am not actually in Sylvan Lake and Camrose now so why the long delay? Well I was doing my thing and staying with relatives and while I did have a computer there, I was catching up on the blogs I hadn't done. So when I had done that I had done several blogs and wanted a break. By the time I left it was the end of the trip and I had other things to do like sleep, last minute shopping and drinking and then making sure I got my plane home ok so the blogs took a back seat. I then get home and had catching up to do and then by the time I was ready to write the blogs, I couldn't load the pictures so thought ... read more
November 5th 2007
Banff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I set off from Vancouver in the evening, still a bit ill from the cold but looking forward to Banff. As my departure date is looming near though, I only spent 2 nights here. I arrived in the daytime, almost missed the stop as I was dropping in and out of sleep and the drivers don't always announce the stops in canada!!!!! So a quick dash to get off the bus and I head to the terminal to see if the free shuttle is available - as my 3 years out of date guide book says there is one. Nope no shuttle so a cab up but its not so bad a price. The area is STUNNING. I could see the Rocky moutains on the bus ride up, mostly at night but could tell ... read more
Vancouver!!!!!!!!!!
Published: November 6th 2007North America » Canada » British Columbia » Vancouver
November 5th 2007
Back to Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I return, this time to the West side!!!!!!!!! We crossed the border with relative ease. No real queue unlike when I went from Canada to America, although we did take a while to set off as a few people got addtional questioning by immigration and one guy got denied entry due to his previous DUI conviction. Those canadians have hasrh border controls!!! Least I didn't get hassled this time :-) The bus ride to Vancouver was pretty cool, some really great scenery and the station they have there is one of the nicest I have seen on my trip, if not the nicest. I got a cab to my hostel, was touch and go if I could afford it as I only had my left over Canadian money from Toronto and the ATM ... read more
Seattle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Published: November 6th 2007North America » United States » Washington » Seattle
November 5th 2007
Seattle!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once again I took the greyhound and it was actually pretty cool as we went through some nice places, including Olympia and then the appraoch to Seattle itself was amazing as it was raining and becoming drak so you had the lights of the city and the cars, while listening to music it was very atmospheric. Once I got in tho, the rain became a nuiscence as I was walking to my hostel. I got to where it was supposed to be and saw the sign on the corner but go there and its not there, no entrance! So I am looking around and this beggar guy calls me over and I say I am fine but then names the hostel I am looking for so I go over, thinking he will give me directions ... read more
November 5th 2007
Portland!!!!!!!!!!! In the green state of Oregon. Once again another long greyhound ride to get here, though got there without incident. This place was cold!!!!!!!!! I had to put my jumper on for this place, first time in a couple of months lol. I trek my way up to the hostel, on long straight road uphill which I eventually found and checked in. I was informed when I arrived though that a party high school students were checking in that day and would be in my room and using the facilites in the area my dorm was in, I take a rest and these high schoolers show up....they are german!!!!! So I got me and a bunch of german guys in my dorm. Fun.....not. Anyway, I don't realy do much that day but run into a ... read more
San Francisco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Published: November 6th 2007North America » United States » California » San Francisco
November 4th 2007
San Fran!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long bus ride to get here, not helped by the fact we was stuck in LA traffic for like an hour and then went out into the middle of nowhere for no reason - missing out on highway 1 and its great views. Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!!! So I get into San Fran around 9:30ish at night. Try to find my way out of the place and this shifty dude asks where I am going, I quickly avoid him and find my way downstairs trying to figure out how you get of the place. I couldn't find a taxi rank, had to ask a woman at a bus stop. Turns out the place is many levelled so had to go down and out to get one. I get there and am hoping to meet up with a ... read more
LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Published: November 6th 2007North America » United States » California » Los Angeles
November 4th 2007
LA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I start off on a sad note for me.....I didn't get to go to Newport or Laguna Beach :-( It seems greyhound doesn't go to Laguna beach and there is no direct way to it. I was supposed to be driven to LA via Laguna and Newport by my cousin but he overslept on the day so we couldn't drive up and I had to get the greyhound...grrrrr Anyway, I was in big time LA. The greyhound took my to the downtown station first, I did not like it there and got on the first bus going to the hollywood station (they have a few stations for LA), got there and after some confusion of directions (bus driver said I was going the wrong way even tho it was the only way to get out ... read more
November 4th 2007
Hey!!!! Well I am not in Riverside at mo inf act I am probably several hundred miles away but this is the first chance I have had to do my blogs so here we go!! So after San Diego I went to Riverside to stay with relatives. Its a town in California about a couple of hours or so from LA. This was my chance for a slice of Americana, see how an american family lived. Now I have to say this was a few weeks agao now, maybe near a month in fact so my memory is hazy but I'll do my best to recall the interesting parts for you. So I am staying with cousins, one of which is in high school and its there homecoming which is a big deal here. These schools ... read more
October 4th 2007
California at last!!!!!So from Vegas I went to San Diego to stay with the guy that I drove to New Orleans with. I think I told you the greyhound story of the delay then non delay so will swiftly move on.Got into San Diego and its a big place, but I think its because its spread out, it has multiple areas and reckon its split a bit between the suberbs, the city and the beach. I got in at night so didn't do too much besides watch a DVD and sleep. San Dieog was gonna be my rest stop, recharge for Mexico and LA and save some money so this blog may not be too exciting.The next day I went walking, through the Hillcrest area and down into Balboa park which is quite large and has ... read more
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