I’m a little embarrassed to be using a John Denver song as the title for the last post from the USA … but it seems appropriate anyway.
We disembarked off the cruise at 8.30 or so this morning, and caught an Uber to pick up our hire car.
What a crock!
“Thank you Mr Taylor … here are the keys to your vehicle. It has just under a quarter of a tank of fuel, so please return it with just under a quarter of a tank of fuel.”
We had a brief, robust discussion about that, and I was given another vehicle with “about three quarters of a tank of fuel”.
This one is a black Chevy Malibu, with Arizona plates, no less. The Arizona plates probably just gave all of our fellow road users another reason to expect that we had no idea where we were going.
Very similar to the black Chevy Impala that we had, but with less features, less cylinders, and less grunt. Other than that, it was exactly the same.
No heated seats this time, but then we arrived in San Francisco to about 18 degrees C, and it just got hotter from there … up to about 28 degrees.
Our first stop was just north over the Golden Gate Bridge.
We took a spin up to the Napa Valley. It was in the opposite direction to anywhere else we had been since we first arrived in San Francisco.
The area is very wine-focussed, quite flat and quite dry.
The Napa Valley Fire Department have really cool fire engines. We felt it was photo-worthy.
After a quick bite of lunch, I had yet another of my lifelong dreams fulfilled – we went to a Walmart. Lucky my expectations were fairly low 🙂
TOTIL found another outlet on the way back so we stopped and picked up some more things.
I’ve spoken previously about the infrastructure, highways etc in California.
Google Maps gives some really good directions to travellers like us. Check out all of the lane arrows!
Then we took the long way back to San Francisco – around towards Sacramento and then south towards San Jose, and back up through Mountain View.
We cruised the I-680 South, switching over to the I-880 and then others.
I also found something that is scarier than having someone blast past you doing 80 mph … having someone with “STUDENT DRIVER” written across the back of their car blast past you at 80 mph!
We stopped briefly at our local Safeway for a bite of dinner and a few other items that we needed to take home, then back around to the airport … and here we sit.
A quick freshen up and I’ll be ready for the flight home.
I do have some bad news though … we leave here tonight (Sunday 23/09) and arrive in Sydney Tuesday 25/09.
Monday 24/09 simply will not exist for us this year, so if that’s your birthday, sorry, you’ll have to wait until next year for birthday wishes.
It’s been fun. I don’t feel like I am ready to leave the USA, but it is time to go home 🙁
Ciao
#G&KTAKEUSA
Safe travels. I have certainly enjoyed tagging along with you.
Have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of your posts!!!