St. James Parks and Recreation

Took a little trip down to the city center and went Buckingham Palace and St James Park. Turns out they were filming 'Parks and Recreation' right where we were standing. Kinda cool. That's all the film crew behind us.

Dog friendly

The pubs all let you just bring your crazy dog right in. So this is Albert in his first pub.

Thames tide

"Hello, Honey? Yeah, the tide came up again and we're stuck in the pub again. Yeah. We're stuck in here for at least a couple hours. Be home soon as I can. Cheers." Nuther round please.

Way ahead of the potato chip flavor curve

Pretty close to getting a flat

This is her looking out the front of what we think will be our new London apartment. Put in an offer and it was accepted.

We made it!!!

Here's Mo meeting Albert after his loooong plane ride in a crate.

The funny thing was after this was that we had 300 lbs of baggage, a large dog kennel, a dog and two people and they sent a Prius to pick us up.

We're on our way!

After what seems like weeks worth of packing and repacking, one vet visit after another, we are finally on our way.

Sitting at an airport bar with a drink before we board for London.

View from atop Mount Chocorua

This one reason we came right to Ossippee

And......scene.

Santa Clara CA to Ossippee NH
3946.2 miles.

Central Park

After a lovely stay at the Walmart Inn, went back into my and walked around Central Park. Watched this fella swoop down and eviscerate a squirrel. Walked up and down Madison avenue and Park Avenue and Got ourselves an NY bagel that was just meh, and a couple giant slices of pizza that were pretty good. Drove to New England where we stayed on the side of route 95 in the parking lot of a truck stop. Rich on free.

Good morning!!

Baby Hulk and a Jersey Walmart

Got up early in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley VA, drove to the capital and reenacted some scenes from Forrest Gump. After we toured the mall for a bit, headed up to NYC for dinner in Little Italy. Had some penne, chianti, cannoli, tiramisu, and espresso all with thick Italian accents and this mural looking over our shoulder. Mille Grazie.

Our dinner wrapped up around 11 and we still had not figured out a place to stay. So we did what any homeless couple with a crazy dog would do. Slept in a New Jersey Walmart parking lot. I sure know how to show a girl a good time in the big apple.

Little Italy

Lincoln memorial

Ok history buffs, where are we?

Lets play where in the world are Jon and Mo...

Hurrah! hurrah for Sheridan!

Hurrah! hurrah for horse and man!

And when their statues are placed on high

Under the dome of the Union sky,

The American soldier's Temple of Fame,

There, with the glorious general's name,

Be it said, in letters both bold and bright:

"Here is the steed that saved the day. By carrying Sheridan into the fight,

From Winchester--twenty miles away!"

Give you a hint, we're not in Winchester. Craig, you should get this. 

 - jgt

To God Be The Glory

We were making good time through TN with the intention of making it to Cherokee or Jefferson National Forests for free "dispersed camping". There was an accident on the road up ahead that we could see was backing up traffic for miles and miles. Mo pulled off (with much chiding from me) an awesome 180 on the highway, driving down the on ramp to escape the mess. Fortunately, they had room at the inn, and we found a spot at the Christian RV park. We are camped right next to the RV parks church amphitheater ready for Sunday's bluegrass sermon.

Jack Daniel's old number 7

Took the scenic rout from Nashville to VA today by way of Lynchburg TN. Took the Jack Daniel's distillery tour. Pretty pisser.

Graceland and other racists

Two stories from today...

We went to see Graceland today. Fantastic. But, because we had Albert we couldn't go on any tours. So we walked around a bit. Mo took Albert for walk near the gate out front. There was an awesome Elvis impersonator there who got a little miffed at Mo. This guy probably trekked a thousand mile pilgrimage to the Elvis shrine only to watch Albert piss on it. BAD DOG! NO! No peeing on Graceland.

The second story...

I said as we crossed from New Mexico into Texas that I was interested to see if i was going to hear some overt racism. Took a couple days but I got it. At a rest stop this kindly old couple in there 80s were stopped next to us. They had Virginia plates so I asked "What should we do up there in VA?" They said "Go up to DC and find out what the hell our tax dollars are working towards. We used to live up there but there are too many foreigners." I fibbed, "That's interesting. We're both foreigners From Canada. We should Fit right in." "Oh, not those kinda foreigners. You know the kind I mean."

Not so much this morning.

Wikid weather. Glad we got a hotel last night. Camping would have been awful in this.

Sun setting over the mighty Miss last night

Beautiful weather this last night...

Mayday, mayday!!!

Can't see it real well, but this was a
Crop duster that went down in a field.

Oklahoma KOA...

We almost didn't sleep last night, 100 degrees and 99% humidity and sleeping in the back of a pick up truck. Rough. But we're back on the road and happy for AC. Next stop, Memphis.

This is the requisite Long Horn at the Oklahoma campsite.

Texas don't mess around

Shackled inmate and a corrections officer stop for a soda.

Just when I say we've got no good pics for the day....

...this little fella comes walking round the corner. Apparently out for a pack of cigarettes.

New Mexico

Despite traveling about 600 miles today, across some of the most beautiful landscape, we don't have many pictures to show for it. This will have to do

We're camping on the border of New Mexico and Texas for the night. 98 degrees at 9:00 pm.

Grand Canyon

Albert and I checking out the view.

"El Burro" in the windswept desert sunrise

Meanwhile, someplace in the Mojave Desert...

Thanks Claire

After checking this map our friend Claire made for us, we decided to take 5 south to Barstow.

And we're off!!!

This is the last shot of our now empty apartment as we make our drive off into the sunset. Ok, sunrise, since we're heading east.

Thanks to our whole California family for all your help and support through our move and through the years. Love and miss you guys already.

And we're back

My two favorite quotes from the trip:

At the Indian restaurant in Glasgow, the waiter brings by a free appetizer of some type of spicy chicken wings.

Mo: "mmm, these are delicious. What do you call them?"
Waiter: "we call them spicy chicken wings, madam."
Wiseass.

In a pub in Cardiff we met a bunch of locals that we were chatting with. We're introducing ourselves.

Guy from Cardiff: "Andy"
Eric: "I'm Eric."
Andy: "I know you're American. What's your name?"

Say it fast.

Last day in the UK

Spent some time in the pubs last night, chatting to the locals. Trying to get a handle on the Welsh accent.

Today we're going to check some history, like the Cardiff Castle.

Glasgow

The view from our Glasgow hotel is the same as our condo back home.

Got up early in Scotland, had lunch on the road in England, and had dinner in Cardiff wales. Tomorrow, probably see the Cardiff castle.

More of the cliffs

VIDEO OF THE CLIFFS

Fingal's cave on Staffa

"How ewe doin?" at closing time.

"How ewe doin??"

Sunset over Oban Harbour

Mo on the second floor of Dunollie Castle

Dunollie Castle

Iona Abbey

Eric and Mo atop the cliffs of insanity

Oban

Came to Oban yesterday. Raining and cold, got here late. Just got a hotel and some dinner. Did find a bar doing trivia last night. Good times.

Today we took a ferry early out to the Isle of Mull, where we caught a bus to the southern end of the island and took another boat out to Staffa Island. An entire island made of natural hexagonal rock formations. Like the Devils Postpile, but 1000 times bigger.

After that another ferry to Iona Island, where the Iona Abby stands, birthplace of Christianly in the UK.

Crail crab traps

Crail

Rented a car and took the coastal route out of Edinburgh and headed to the little fishing village of Crail. Walked around the harbor for a bit, found some fish n chips, checked into The Golf Hotel, and made our way to the only pub in town.

Picture is of the top of the sea break water that protects the harbor.

St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh Castle

The oldest building in Edinburgh (1110), built by King David I to honor his mother, St. Margaret, who died in the castle in 1093.

Took some photos along the racecourse

This palace was the turn around point.