Roadtrip – The Back Road Chronicles

Plettenberg Bay… SA trip part 4

Posted on 7 July 20209 July 2020 by the-back-road-chronicles

(Note: this trip was made just before Covid-19 travel restrictions)

Let’s pick up where we left: leaving Tergniet and Mosselbaai the next destination on our South African Garden Route trip was hip and trendy Plettenberg Bay, or Plett (as said by those hip and trendy).

When doing a roadtrip though, the driving to your destination is half the fun. The road we took from Tergniet to Plett (N2) lead us via Herolds Bay to Wilderness and yes, the name says it all. When passing through, do not miss the ‘Map of Africa’ viewpoint and ‘Kaaimans River Railway Bridge’. The bridge crosses the mouth of the Kaaimans river and when it was built, in 1952, it was the very first curved bridge in SA. However, Kaaimans River is known for something truly unique: as the river winds and wends its way through this land, it makes the unmistakable outline of the African continent around the foot of the hill. You can only really appreciate this wonderful twist of nature when viewing bird’s eye perspective, so, when nearby, do not skip this lookout point. If you need a coffee stop head to ‘Green Shed Coffee Roastery’ for excellent coffees and lunch or brunch treats.

‘In the backwoods of nature’s soul, I left my wild true heart‘

First things first, we had to check in into our new home for the next three days and wow, did we end up in heaven! Park House Forest Suite is without any doubt a top ranked Airbnb, and prime location! https://www.airbnb.be/rooms/27122099?source_impression_id=p3_1591795536_eLkNDj2DFXMDH%2FM8&guests=1&adults=1

By the way, if you’re curious about all other sleeping accomodations feel free to take a look here The Big Trip – South Africa part 1.

Just down the road is a KWIKSPAR where you can stock up on beverages and snacks and they have a wonderful small breakfast corner with (according to hubby Bert) sublime Lavazza coffee.

Visiting this region, hiking the Robberg Peninsula (or part of it) is not to be missed. This nature reserve and marine protected area offers great ocean views and, in season, whale watching opportunities.

Always make new friends when travelling…

Plettenberg area has plenty of beaches and nature on offer, one of the main reasons why we, ourselves, preferred it to nearby Knysna, which is slightly more touristic; though I am aware that’s a very personal thing. Just combine the two to have best of both worlds! Both towns also have an abundance of shopping and restaurant facilities so either one of them is surely an excellent choice.

We spent most of our evenings with a cocktail in hand by the beach and if you’re lucky, like we were, you’ll fancy yourself on the ‘Baywatch’ set, with local coastal rescue team having practice.

We loved the beautifully located Bramon Wine Estate where we enjoyed a Valentine lunch with lovely accompanying wine. The estate overlooks the Tsitsikamma Mountains and you can even spot some elephants. The restaurant offers some fine (and vine, ’cause litterally in the vines) tapas-style dining and award winning wines. Their emphasis is on freshness and flavour and the location makes their story and picture complete. The Plettenberg wine route is definitely worth discovering! (and an alternative if you don’t have time to visit that other wine region Stellenbosch-Paarl-Franschhoek)

Now that we are talking food and drinks, as for restaurants, we can highly recommend ‘The Fat Fish’ with predominantly seafood based menu and ‘Barrington’s’. Barrington’s is home to the first Craft Brewery situated within Plettenberg Bay, as well as a magnificent kitchen garden, restaurant, bar and small hotel. And go to ‘Mobys’ to enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner with ocean view.

In a shopping or souvenir hunting mood? Head to City’s downtown centre and Main Street, the Market Square Shopping centre or Old Nick Village for the more creative and eclectic shops. (And if that’s not enough you can always head to Knysna city centre and Thesen Island). If all that shopping makes you hungry or thirsty we can recommend ‘Café Pure’ in Plett Main St with its healthy breakfasts and lunches (We went twice, because there is just too much yummy food to order when only going once)

Time for some monkey business as we’re heading to local Monkeyland. It is the world’s first free-roaming multi-species primate sanctuary. Its overall mission is to educate and foster larger understanding of our primate (cheeky) cousins and the threats and challenges they’re facing.

At Monkeyland you can enjoy a guided tour of the hidden forest during a a monkey safari on foot which allows you to spot, photograph and/or observe the various species of primates that call the sanctuary their home, such as capuchin monkeys, ringtail and black-and-white ruffed lemurs, buff-cheeked gibbons, squirrel monkeys and black howler monkeys.

If you want some additional wildlife experience you can also combine this with neighbouring Birds of Eden sanctuary.

I believe it’s fair to say Plett has it all: beaches, forests, vineyards, plenty of recreational activities, shops, restaurants, etc…they all contribute to that ‘Plett Feeling’.

‘Die son trek water’
(the sun turning to water, meaning it’s getting late)

Did YOU get it? That Plett Feeling? Hope you’ll join me next time as our route continues to Addo Elephant Park.

Ingrid

xxx

https://www.plett-tourism.co.za/about/

https://thejunctionhotel.co.za/pure-cafe/?fbclid=IwAR36O4U3LC1w-pWidMf3QmEnsxTkGuQnE4CYl6qDXu01Ui6Tk_oMGT4fP44

https://www.bramonwines.co.za/restaurant-plettenberg-bay/

https://www.facebook.com/greenshedwilderness/ Coffee and lunch in Wilderness

https://www.thefatfish.co.za/

https://barringtonsplett.co.za/

http://mobydicks.co.za/

Roars and waves…SA part 3

Posted on 9 April 202012 May 2020 by the-back-road-chronicles

(Note: this trip was taken before Covid-19 travel restrictions)

We left lively Cape Town behind us (Missed that post? Read about it here https://the-back-road-chronicles.com/2020/03/26/cape-town-touchdown/), heading for Mosselbaai area, which is the start, or end, depends on how you see it, of the Garden Route.

The drive from CPT is around 400 km and many interesting stops are possible along the route. We took a coffee and sweets break (Trends Cafe) in charming Riversdal and had a late lunch in Mosselbaai at trendy Blue Shed Coffee Roastery…

Had booked us a 🔝 Airbnb accomodation in seaside Tergniet. You can check out all our accomodations here…https://the-back-road-chronicles.com/2020/03/02/the-big-trip-south-africa-part-1/

Lovely seaside and beach walks were in very short distance and together with a glass of local wine and some snacks on our outside porch thé perfect way to end first day of our stay here.

Day two and time for some action and see some wildlife.

Reason for choosing Tergniet was actually its proximity to Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. Alternatively you can also opt for a luxurious stay inside the reserve and enjoy its spa facilities, but Tergniet was only a 20’ drive and for us a more budget-friendly option. (Though must say pricing seemed reasonably fair compared to other game reserves)

The 4500 hectare reserve is home to four of the big five (no leopards) and offers a wide range of activities, also for day visitors like us. We opted for a 3 hour guided game drive, where guide Silas safely drove us around and gave lots of intel on the local wildlife.

Sadly no lions showed up that day, but we saw plenty of zebras, giraffes, elephants, springbok (one of SA’s national symbols), the rare black impala etc…… ( there are about 26 different species to spot and over 200 resident bird species).

Had booked a picnic after the drive, which was served on the border of the inner lake, with comfy seating and great views the perfect spot to relax and kill the appetite.

Sleeping outside the domain has its advantages, like in daytime safari-feel, night-time ocean-feel…best of both worlds!

Time to continue this roadtrip! Next stop on our Garden Route discovery will be Plettenberg Bay. So keep an eye out for the next posts! See you then, and in the meantime: stay home, stay safe and above all, stay dreaming!

Ingrid

Xxx

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Coffee-Shop/Trends-Caf%C3%A9-384765985724788/

https://bestofmosselbay.co.za/blue-shed-coffee-roastery/

https://www.sa-venues.com/attractionsgr/tergniet.php

https://www.botlierskop.co.za/

https://www.airbnb.be/rooms/23246842?location=Tergniet%2C%20South%20Africa&adults=2&check_in=2020-11-01&check_out=2020-11-02&source_impression_id=p3_1586432431_IyAB%2FI5loroOTl72

Cape Town, touchdown…SA part 2

Posted on 26 March 202028 April 2020 by the-back-road-chronicles

(Note: we made this trip early Febr, when world was not yet in this tight paralyzing grip of scary Corona, stay safe everyone!)

Cape Town touchdown…what better way to start our South African adventure than eploring the Mother City! Welkom in Suid-Afrika!

We landed in Cape Town around noon and after installing ourselves in our comfy Airbnb some leg-stretching to ease the back and muscle pain after the long flight was more than welcome! We spent our first day on African soil strolling CPT’s streets with impressive Table Mountain as perfect backdrop.

Table mountain is a flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town and is a huge tourist attraction. The highest point is 1,086 meters (3,563 ft) above sea level. It is often covered in cloud which is know as the ‘Table cloth’. By the way, it only looks flat from one side, the overlying mountains to the south west are known as the Twelve Apostles…

Another day, other scenery. On our second day we took a sightseeing bus tour…The red tourist busses, hated by some, loved by others, though a relatively cheap way, at least in SA, to cover more ground. The red city line brought us, among other stops, to Castle of Good Hope, Table Mountain and Camps Bay.

Camps Bay with Twelve Apostles, one of the stops of the red line city bus tour

…and we used the blue Peninsula line to get to Kirstenbosch Gardens where we spent almost whole afternoon.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world. Showcasing Cape flora in all its beauty and the garden’s jaw-dropping setting, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain, make this a must see.

You can do the lovely tree canopee walk, several theme gardens, like the fragrance or medicinal garden and multiple walks to choose from, even a braille walk.

For us Kirstenbosch definitely was one of the highlights during Cape Town visit and only a short bus or Uber ride from city centre.

Day three started slowly as that night I had a major back pain attack and needed upto noon to recuperate. As it was Saturday that day we decided to take an Uber to lively Woodstock area and market. Setting for this was The Old Biscuit Mill, and old red-brick factory that was transformed in 2005 into trendy co-work spaces, workshop venue and designer stores. Add the daily artisan and fashion stalls and every Saturday a neighbourhoods market and you’ve got a hip and trendy hub for fashion/designer/foodie lovers.

‘One of the very best things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating‘

Foodies without a doubt will enjoy what Cape Town has to offer on culinary and gastronomic level. Favorite breakfast spot was Origin Coffee Roasters at the Waterkant, just a short walk from our Airbnb and most of our evenings were spent at the vibrant V&A Waterfront, it’s see and be seen there with lots of restaurants and bars, live performances, start of boat excursions, local artisan stalls at the Watershed, etc. We had some lovely dinners at Si Cantina Sociale, Ginja and Sevruga.

Day four and already our last day in Capetown and time to test-drive our rental car before the real roadtrip began! We drove upto Kalk Bay for breakfast and some shopping. Salt and also Lekker are great spots for a coffee and or light snack.

then onwards to Boulders Beach and spot the local penguin colony.

Did you know when African penguins are on land, their black and white ‘tuxedo’coat may seem a cool fashion statement, but that it also serves a practical camouflage use when in water? Known as “countershading” the black coat on the penguin’s back hides the penguin from predators swimming above them, while the white belly ensures that predators swimming below the penguin have a difficult time noticing its prey when they look up.

About 2100 penguins call Boulders Beach home, but make no mistake, they are still an endangered species. Do not disturb them to get close and rather observe from a little distance.

…Further south to Cape of Good Hope. We did a lovely hike there with jaw-dropping views.

Beware of the baboons! Bought something to drink and snack and before I could put it in backpack one of the cheeky bastards ran off with my pack of chips. They would make master pickpockets, fast as hell!

Moenie bobbejane voer nie!

Would have liked to spend some more time there but a challenging drive back to city awaited with famous Chapman’s Peak Drive. (Chappies for the locals and among one of world’s best coastal drives)

The road winds through steep coastal cliffside linking Cape Peninsula with Cape Town city. Breathtaking views guaranteed! When driving, eyes on the road though, there are plenty of viewpoints along the drive where you can stop and admire the view.

Sun was already starting to set when we drove back, truly magical.

Another last night and lovely dinner at the Waterfront and then onwards to more adventures. Next stop: Mossel Bay with first safaritrip, but that’s for the next post!

Ingrid

xxx

Want to know our itinerary and where we stayed? You can read all about that here

https://www.southafrica.net/nl/nl/travel

https://www.capetownmagazine.com/

https://www.waterfront.co.za/business/leasing/watershed/

https://www.sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch/

https://theoldbiscuitmill.co.za/

https://www.sa-venues.com/game-reserves/wc_capeofgoodhope.htm

https://originroasting.co.za/v3/

https://sicantinasociale.co.za/

https://www.waterfront.co.za/food-and-drinks/ginja/

https://www.sevruga.co.za/

https://www.facebook.com/saltkalkbay/

http://lekkerkalkbay.co.za/

The Big Trip – South Africa part 1

Posted on 2 March 20202 March 2020 by the-back-road-chronicles

We just returned from our South African roadtrip and already a lot of you, through my IG acount or personally, asked me about the places we stayed at.

So before starting sharing some of our favourite photos and stories a quick overview of the route we followed and places we stayed at.

First things first, I was lucky to win 2 return tickets to South Africa through an IG-challenge I entered last year. (Contest #beinsouthafrica @meetsouthafrica @divimovenl that was only open to Belgian residents). South Africa had always been on our bucket list, more later than soon; winning the tickets was of course like a gift from heaven and no excuse anymore to postpone our plans.

And this is how it all started…with a fun photo shoot in Plantentuin Meise. Photo credits ©edandhiscamera

With only limited travel days this year, we had to choose our route wisely. Based upon the shortlist of things we absolutely wanted to do and see, I planned out a route and started my search on Airbnb and Booking.com for suitable accomodation for the two of us.

Route: Cape Town 4n / Tergniet 2n / Plettenberg Bay 3n / Addo 2n / Oudtshoorn 2n / Franschoek 2n / return to Cape Town International

Accomodations: of the six places we stayed at, five were found through Airbnb, and one through Booking.com. All gems in their own unique way, we fellt at home in each and every one of them and were always warmly welcomed.

1/ Airbnb Trendy Loft Apartment Cape Town, De Waterkant, contact Luigi

Perfect location, view on Table Mountain, spacious, lovely trendy interior, shower and separate bath. All that CPT has to offer on foot or short Uber-ride distance.

2/ Airbnb C-the-C, Tergniet, contact Diana

We chose this apartment on ground level of private home (though completely separated and with private entrace) for its proximity to Botlierskop Private Game reserve and the ocean. The owners have a lovely eye for detail and decoration and the outdoor terrace just invites you out to hear the waves crashing, enjoying the last sunrays of the day while sipping from a lovely local wine. Beach and ocean for a romantic sunset stroll easily reachable by foot (or car) Perfect address to exhale!

3/ Airbnb Park House Forest Suite, Plett Bay, contact Paul

What a true find this one was! Doesn’t get much more perfect than this: in both private and shared spaces (kitchen, swimming pool, lounges) you could feel and see the owner’s (who live next door) passion for interior design. the house could easily feature in a magazine and yet, still felt very cosy. oh, and our room even came with a private outdoor shower! Plett offers an excellent starting point to explore all the lovely nature reserves in the neighbourhood and some excellent restaurants too. We, personnaly preferred it to busier Knysna.

4/ Gerald’s Gift Guest House, Addo, Booking.com

Offers multiple rooms, included breakfast and even on site dining, so if you want to just put feet up after exploring Addo Elephant Park the whole day, and mingle wth the other guests, search no more! Lovely garden to stroll in and of course also a swimming pool.

5/ Airbnb Karoo Country Style Guest Suite, Oudtshoorn, contact Sharon

Another gem if you are looking for an apartement with homely feel. Very spacious, again spotlessly clean, lovely outdoor seating porch and terrace and large pool and comfy chairs. If you love reading, you’ll appreciate all the lovely books on various topics in the hallway. Kitchen has everything you need to prepare a quick meal, though plenty of great restaurants, ask Sharon and she will help you make a choice and/or booking.

6/ Airbnb Klein Dauphine Estate, Mountain View Gardens Suite, Franshhoek, contact Debbie

The estate comes with million dollar views. As for accomodation, again very spacious, clean kitchen with filled fridge to provide for breakfast, etc…and lovely outdoor seating areas to enjoy that view. Indoors some tiny points of attention could easily lift this to the same level as the view. ( Was not a fan of rather old-fashioned and noisy airco and living area has floor mats with curled up ends, which for someone like me who has to take care not to trip are not that great, but am sure if we would have asked housekeeper she would have rolled and stored them)

Last but not least some facts and numbers:

We flew Lufthansa. The 11and a half hour flight out of Germany was, no sugarcoating it, true hell for me as major back pain sufferer, even with the pain medication and muscle tranquilizers and downloaded Netflix to distract.

We hired a rental car through Sunny Their service in general never disappoints.

We spent 15 nights at an average of EUR 78/night and drove aprox. 1600 km, that is solely the above tour, without excursions, I guess grand total it was almost 3000km. All accomodations had secured, on site parking facilities.

In retrospective, would I change something? To the accomodations? No. Would however, if we had had more time, spent an additional third night at the last two stops. In overall this tour gave us what we expected and for us, as first time Africa travellers, a taste to verify if, like the cliché says, Africa gets under your skin…and yep, it did, does, 100% affirmative, so hope in my lifetime to discover some more of what this continent has to offer!

Join me next time when we start off our trip in vibrant Cape Town

Ingrid

xxx

Discovering Puglia: part 2 Lecce and Salento region

Posted on 19 August 201911 December 2019 by the-back-road-chronicles

Ready for second part of our recent Puglia discoveries? Andiamo!

That means leaving beautiful Bari and Matera and heading towards region around baroque town Lecce.

We stopped around noon in Taranto: industry and port acitivities rule in this city that once was found as a Greek colony and now, at first sight, seems ruled by shipyards and factories…At first sight that is, because when you head for city centre, you’ll get a glimpse of a vibrant city trying to find a balance between its economical character and cultural past.

…a day at the city beach and port traffic jams

Taranto Puglia — …bit of ‘Welcome to Miami’ vibes

Highlight definitely is the Aragonese castle: it is located at the turning bridge where old town meets new and where Mare Grande meets Mare Piccolo. Btw, don’t let the industrial aspect fool you, dolphins made the water and islands in the Ionian see facing the city their home and town delicacy are locally-grown mussels.

Time to drive towards Lecce and check in at the Agriturismo we booked ahead and which is located just outside Lecce, in quiet Novoli countryside. We enjoyed three nights at Li Calizzi amidst fruit and olive trees and fully enjoyed the warm welcome and peaceful location. Thumbs up for the lounge and pool area, yummy al fresco dinners and host Ravi!

Time to set our teeth in exploring the region: Lecce lies in Salento, the southern tip of Puglia and just breathes culture. Famous for its ‘Pietra Leccese’, a soft limestone that has a very unique way of reflecting light and gives the local monuments a natural warm glow. Besides the history lots of shops and restaurants and bars.

Another town within easy reach of our accomodation was Brindisi, which can also serve as airport destination when visiting this part of Italy. Again lots of shops and a ‘stroll, explore and enjoy’ destination. Pier side offers multiple fine dining and passeggiata options while admiring the passing yachts, in all sizes!

Highlight, for us, in Salento was trip to nearby Gallipoli, again an acient Greek settlement. Lots of shops and dining facilities and alleys to get lost in, though turquoise water of Ionian Sea is never far off, so perfect town to explore on foot…

…and/or just sit and relax …

You can choose to explore the small alleys of centro storico or do the Riviera walk all way round with picturesque sea views guaranteed. You can gaze at the cathedral or hit the shops and definitely don’t miss Blanc, truly thé most wonderful café & living store and for a wonderful lunch with amazing view head to Il Bastione.

Gallipoli definitely has it all, don’t miss out on this gem!

Join me next time for the final part of our trip where we stayed in Conversano and explored both seaside and Trulli-countryside.

Ciao, alla prossima!

Ingrid

Li Calizzi Agriturismo

On the road again: recap of our Southwest USA road trip

Posted on 31 July 201731 July 2017 by the-back-road-chronicles

Hard to believe it has already been a year since we returned from our Southwest USA road trip, a trip that took a lot of planning (and saving) ahead and rewarded us with unerasable memories of magnificent landscapes and road adventures.

In the months after our return I managed to sort out the insane amount of photos taken and composed an old-school photo album with the highlights and ‘best of’ moments however somehow a blogpost on the entire trip seemed not feasible: so many stories, so many interesting places we’ve visited, so many angles…where to start?! Well, I guess at the beginning…

After a very long flight including stopover at Chicago airport we landed in San Francisco. We chose SF to be at the beginning of our tour for several personal practical reasons: doing a road trip is rather exhausting, positioning a citytrip at the end wouldn’t be wise. Exploring SF needed us still fit in body and mind! Then there is the issue of ‘Karl’, Karl the Fog that is…Summer weather in SF can be tricky and for me, it’s just not that much fun ending the holiday in chilly and cloudy weather after spending two weeks in the sun and heat…

Lombard Street SF — on top of Lombard Street

We spent four nights in SF and still wasn’t enough to explore all the city has to offer though we got an excellent taste of its variety: we did a cable car ride, explored Chinatown, Fisherman’s Wharf and North Beach, did a hop-on/hop-off tour, crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, walked Lombard street, did some shopping, joined an Alcatraz night tour,… more on that here Off to prison with a smile…only in San Francisco!

Time to say goodbye to SF and pick-up our rental car…adventure awaits with a drive along the Pacific Coast Highway leading us to Bixby Bridge, the wonderful scenic 17 mile drive and the historic coastal towns Carmel and Monterey where we spent the night.

Bixby Bridge, Pacific Coast Highway — Bixby Bridge

Strongly recommend, if you can, to spend more than one night here, wish we had too, however our next destination was already in mind and required quite a distance to cover, next stop…Yosemite NP!

Our hotel was located just outside the park, only a short drive to the Park’s entrance immediately rewarding us with jaw-dropping Tunnel View…

Tunnel View Yosemite NP

Lovely walks in Yosemite Valley, exploring the Falls, a ranger sunset talk at epic Glacier Point overlooking Half Dome…

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Shuttle

Half Dome, Glacier Point, Yosemite NP — overlooking Half Dome at Glacier Point

Leaving Yosemite for our next destination came with a bonus as we had to cross Tioga Pass, with its lovely viewpoints and magical Tenaya lake.

Tenaya Lake, Tioga road, Yosemite NP — Capturing the beauty of Tenaya Lake

and bonus number two with enchanting Mono Lake being on our route!

Next stop…Death Valley NP!

Furnace Creek Ranch Death Valley

Death Valley

Devil's Golf Course Death Valley

We have only spent one afternoon, night and early morning here, (taking in mind the high temperatures it is best to plan your sightseeing late afternoons and early mornings) however did give us time to explore some of the highlights the park has to offer: the dunes upon entering, lovely Artists Drive, sunset at Zabriskie point, Badwater, Devil’s Golf Course and the wonderful overview you get from Dante’s View…

…off to thé city of lights…(and noise, every minute, night and day)…viva Las Vegas…though must admit, for us, looking back on the trip now, not really our thing: the contrast when coming from nature’s overwhelming power and beauty is huge and my senses went on overdrive with the combination of heat, noise, lights, hustle and bustle,…we stayed two nights, however one would have been better! Still would leave ample of time to visit some of the casinos of choice, shop and eat!

We did enjoy the tour with the High Roller ferris wheel and the Bellagio fountain show!

High Roller Las Vegas

As you can guess, we were glad to escape LV madness and submerge ourselves again into nature’s grandeur and boy, we were rewarded big time! Our route to Zion NP allowed us a little detour to Valley of Fire State Park…do not miss this one if you get the chance, you will not regret!

Valley of Fire State Park

Elephant Rock Valley of Fire State Park

Zion NP to me had it all: the easy walks for those taking it slow (that’s me) the challenging ones for daredevils, water, rocks, green, it is thé perfect combination, everywhere you look, nature plays its dominant and bewitching role…oh, and I got to celebrate my 45th birthday there!

Zion NP

We got some more of the same magic visiting our next destination Bryce NP…hoodoos in all shapes add to the enchanting vibe hiking here, trails for all fitness levels, luckily!

Bryce NP

Upon entering state Arizona we had a bit of weather change, lots of clouds, not the best of timing or condition with Antelope Canyon being on the programme, however we were lucky to catch a little glimpse just upon leaving the canyon!

Upper Antelope Canyon

Rain and thunder clouds packing above Horseshoe Bend as if life on the edge isn’t drama enough!

Horseshoe Bend, Arizona

Unstable weather accompanied us the rest of our trip with blue sky one minute and dark thunder clouds and strong sudden winds approaching the next, having only one night to spend in Grand Canyon NP, we weren’t able to check off all the highlights marked on our list, however exploring the West Rim is already a treat for the eyes.
West Rim Grand Canyon

Last stop before flying home…Phoenix…no worries flight home was with a normal airplane!

Hot Air Expeditions captain

Hot Air Expeditions

Well…it’s a wrap…time flies when you’re having fun!

First time we did an overseas road trip of this length in time and distance and overall feeling was more than ok. We did the planning ourselves and took our complete plan and budget to Eric of Inforeizen, who specialises in overseas travels to the US and Africa and tried to match our desires and route as much as possible. Made it easy for us as he handled all the bookings and we had therefore only one contact person in case of questions or problems.

Curious where we stayed? Will list up all the hotels at the end of this post.

Anything we would do differently looking back? Would spend an extra night in Monterey area, extra night in Yosemite, skip Las Vegas as a destination, though it might be interesting as an airport arrival or departure point, if more time and budget include Monument Valley, pack less bagage!

Hope you enjoyed this little tour…going through these photos again, am already planning and dreaming of future adventures, great and small!

Ingrid

xxx

‘ I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me’

Hotels:

San Francisco: Union Square Hotel

Monterey: Pacific Hotel

Yosemite: Yosemite View Lodge

Death Valley: Furnace Creek Ranch

Las Vegas: MGM Grand

Zion: Majestic View Lodge

Bryce: BW Plus Ruby’s Inn

Page: Courtyard by Mariott

Grand Canyon: BW Premium Squire Inn

Scottsdale: the Phoenician

travel agent Inforeizen

Stay on these roads

Off to prison with a smile…only in San Francisco!

Posted on 12 September 201627 August 2018 by the-back-road-chronicles

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Not just any prison of course, talking about Alcatraz, the Rock, limitless source of inspiration for writers, moviemakers, travelers, etc…bottomless frustration for those who ended up there, most of them already serving a life-long sentence.

Normally offenders couldn’t be sent off to Alcatraz directly by jurisdiction or court, they were transferred to this ‘super max’ institution from other prisons, due to bad behaviour, not complying with the prison life system or being a danger to other inmates, guards, themselves or escape risk. Needless to say some of America’s most notorious criminals called this place ‘home’ before it was shut down in 1963. After closing down the penitentiary this place stayed abandoned for several years as no one came up with an actual plan or great idea to re-use the facilities. In 1969, and this up to 1971 the island was occupied by American Indian activists. Each year, members of all different tribes still return to Alcatraz to remember this occupation. Many Indian people now consider the seizure of Alcatraz to have been a new beginning, a kind of reawakening of American Indian culture, their traditions, identity and spirituality.
Since 1973 Alcatraz falls under the National Park Service and the number of visitors just keeps growing year after year. Just to give you an idea, every year, more than 1.3 million visitors travel to Alcatraz Island!

Need I say that during the planning of our recent road trip and visit to SF this ranked top of the ‘must visit’ list?! On advice we decided to go for the night tour, adding just that extra mystery, also the experience is more intimate due to lesser crowds, there are additional programs and guided tours and don’t forget the bonus skyline by night on the ferry ride back! Consider that ferry ride a treat on its own, if you’re a bit like me, nose and hairs in the wind!

Do make sure to book as soon as ticket sale starts, which is three months in advance, especially in high season! Do take the English narrated audio-tour and not your native tongue as otherwise the original voices of inmates, guards, etc will be overspoken and that spoils the fun, at least to my opinion! And do take a look in advance at the chalk board mentioning the theme presentations and programs that evening/day because some of them overlap. Wear comfy shoes and enjoy! Choices will have to be made! In total, ferry ride, audio tour, personal time, taking photos, following one or more guided tours will give you about three hours of fun! Go to Alcatraz Cruises for all info and booking tickets.

Now you see me…

…now you don’t!

Hospital room

yummy!

Choices, choices!

More than some people have these days, not that I would want to trade!

Laundry room

Not the medical attention we have in mind, right?!

aaaaah, the key!

After the audio tour we ourselves opted for the presentation on Robert Stroud, better known as Birdman, what a great tour guide we had, natural born story-teller! We got there ten minutes early and could chat with our guide a bit about our road trip, the itinerary, etc…Yosemite NP would be our next destination and guess which one happened to be his favourite Park? So we got a lot of tips on which hikes to do etc,…guess the sweet man just didn’t realise we where not that hardcore hikers and we didn’t have a whole week to spend there, but we loved him and were thankful for it nevertheless!

During the tour we walked from site to site but never long distances and always in the open air so we had perfect views on Golden Gate Bridge , SF skyline and Bay Bridge the whole time.

Definitely must rewatch that movie now that we have so many inside details on the intriguing person Stroud was!

He was imprisoned after committing a murder but due to several severe incidents with other inmates and afterwards stabbing a guard to death, he got sentenced to death by hanging. Later on this death sentence was changed into life long imprisonement in Leavenworth in a segregated unit, due to his violent character and outbursts. Apparantly Stroud had developed quite an interest in ornithology after finding a baby sparrow and inmates were allowed to have a canary as company in their cells, so that’s how the ‘Birdman’ story begins. He wrote several books on bird and diseases topics and even got the attention of J Edgar Hoover, …rings a bell? He was the director of the FBI…well he ordered a canary with Stroud…only it wasn’t a canary, Stroud had used a sparrow which he had painted! Ah well, make no mistake, this was no nice guy in the end…he was considered a psychopath with an IQ of 134 who manipulated and knew when to stay under the radar. He was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942, none of his birds allowed there, he spent his days in segregation and afterwards in the islands’s prison hospital. He later was moved to a medical prison centre in Springfield. Stroud never saw the movie that made him famous by the way, he died in hospital prison the day before JFK was murdered. This is just a short version of the little bits and anecdotes I remember the guide telling us, if you want to know more on the Birdman or other famous inmates of the Rock, just go to Alcatraz History and Alcatraz Cruises History.

San Francisco Bay Alcatraz

No Visit to Alcatraz without the ferry ride, if you’re lucky to have clear skies, enjoy the wonderful views on the bay, SF skyline, the bridges, Angel Island and of course that thrill when approaching the Rock and on your way back, if you had the night tour like we had, well it’s enjoying with a Big Bonus ✨

and let’s not forget the most important thing: the taste of freedom…we escaped!

Alcatraz Cruises night tour experience with a smile!

Hope you enjoyed! More stories and pics of our trip to follow, so stay tuned and if you ever visit SF, hope this has inspired you to put Alcatraz on your ‘to visit’ list, you won’t regret it!

Ingrid

xxx

Stay on these roads

Posted on 24 August 201614 September 2016 by the-back-road-chronicles

It’s like that quote “it’s not about the destination, it’s the journey”.
Some of you already know we just did an amazing three week road trip through southwest USA, starting in San Francisco and ending in Phoenix. Will definitely post some stories and pics of the wonderful places we’ve visited but today it’s all about hitting the road, literally!

As a chronic back-pain patient the miles to cover between each of our destinations had worried me a lot in advance…was not really looking forward to spending four, five and sometimes more hours in the car…but you know what, the driving part, or co-driving in my case, was so much more fun than I could have ever expected! We stopped a lot, we just had to, not only to stretch legs, back and neck, just too many jaw-dropping moments on our routes…many of those stunning views will be imprinted on my retina forever!

Here are some of my favourite road related pics of our trip, hope you enjoy the ride!

Ingrid

State Route 1, Pacific Coast and Big Sur

Our son Nick, Tioga Pass Road, Yosemite NP

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Artist’s Drive, Death Valley NP

we all need to refuel sometimes, even cowboys!

must be wildhogs then if the sign says to watch out for animals!

well, there may be something to tell about the balloon hanging here above the motorway in Sonoran Desert, Phoenix…another story 😉

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