Hartman Travels - USA 2013
Plans
Plans were underway early for a trip to the USA in April 2013. We were booked to depart Perth on 29th March (Good Friday) and return on 4th May. One of the highlights on the agenda was seeing Bon Jovi in Salt Lake City on 17th April.
Flight Schedule:
- Friday 29 March 2013 23:05 Perth – 06:20 (Sat) Sydney QF568
- Saturday 30 March 2013 14:00 Sydney – 09:40 Los Angeles QF011
- Thursday 2 May 2013 22:10 Los Angeles – 06:10 (Sat) Sydney QF012
- Saturday 4 May 2013 08:10 Sydney – 11:05 Perth QF575
29th March 2013 – Perth to Sydney
Worked Good Friday shift from 5:00am to 1:00pm. After work, Ryan and I had a cricket net session, even though the season was over. Rayls did some last-minute packing and laundry, while I did backyard maintenance, including cleaning the spa (which we never use!).
Ryan drove us to the airport. Sad saying goodbye to our 12-year-old Jack Russell, Hunter, who’s been around since our first USA trip in 2001.
No real issues at Perth Airport. Bags were checked through to LA, which made things easier.
Qantas QF568 to Sydney (A330) was a good flight.
Rayls - On the Way
30th March 2013 – Sydney to Los Angeles
We had six hours in the Qantas Club Lounge at Sydney Airport. A very comfortable experience — great view, food, internet, and space. Rayls spent her time sewing tiny half-inch hexagons for a purse project (125 of them needed!).
There was skywriting visible outside — likely for Easter. We also had a view of planes constantly taking off. Rayls and I both had short naps in our chairs before boarding.
Qantas QF011 was on an A380 — VH-OQA, the same aircraft involved in a serious engine failure over Batam Island back in 2010. I told Rayls this just as we taxied out… she was not impressed.
The 13-hour flight went as well as expected. Rayls watched Django Unchained and This is 40. We both got some sleep.
Landed in LA at around 9:30am Saturday morning (still 30th March). Immigration took 30 minutes. We watched an Immigration officer take 15 minutes to start his shift — fascinating in the slowest possible way.
Our checked wine didn’t survive the trip — a bottle of Margaret River red was bleeding through the bag. Thankfully, airport staff helped quickly with a plastic bag and clean-up.
At Alamo car rental, a pushy agent tried to upsell us on a larger vehicle (Chev Impala) for $20/day. We declined — only to find several Impalas in the mid-size section. Took one for no extra cost.
Headed to Torrance for our two-night stay. Lunch at Arby’s, then a detour to AT&T to sort phone access. Rayls lured me there by saying it was near a Jo-Ann’s… she spent an hour shopping while I dealt with AT&T.
Checked into our hotel around 2:00pm. Nap until 6:00pm, then out to Walmart for supplies and dinner at Outback.
31st March 2013 – LA (Easter Sunday)
Very quiet day. Partly due to jet lag, partly because much was closed for Easter.
Slept in — didn’t get up until after noon!
Light breakfast at Denny’s. Tried to visit the Apple Store in Manhattan Beach — closed. Drove down to Long Beach for a look around, stopped at Albertsons for groceries, and returned to the hotel around 6:00pm.
Easing into the trip slowly and recovering from the long flight.
1st April 2013 – Big Bear Lake
Today we drove about 200 K’s up to Big Bear Lake.
We started out at 9:00am and headed via the 405, 101 and 91 to Cerritos where I checked out an Apple store. Then onto Corona where Rayls checked out Stars and Scraps Quilt Shop, followed by Subway for lunch and a Jo-Ann stop for Rayls.
The drive up the mountain was tough — winding roads and we’re now at 7,000 feet. A very scenic area with beautiful lake and mountain views.
We had a look around and planned to explore more tomorrow.
Dinner at Sizzlers.
Big Bear Lake
2nd April 2013 – Big Bear Lake
Jet lag still has me bad — slept very little last night and then didn’t wake up till 11:00am. Such a waste of precious time here in Big Bear.
We had lunch at Denny’s and then drove around the lake. It’s probably a 20-minute drive, but it took us a couple of hours checking out all the spots.
Rayls loves the carved wooden bears that are everywhere here, though they’d be hard to ship home. Lots of photos taken.
It was a perfect sunny day and Big Bear is just such a beautiful place.
On the far side of the lake is the town of Fawnskin. There’s a cool park there — I threw my first ever horseshoe and, wham, it wrapped right around the peg! Had a fun run-in with a cop, a wagon ride, and saw a 9/11 remembrance area featuring a girder from the World Trade Center.
Rayls explored the village centre and we even found a quilt shop — Patchworks — for her to browse.
A memorable day all round.
Big Bear Lake
3rd April – From Big Bear to Buena Park
Another poor night’s sleep, thanks to noise from the room next door and the patchy internet at the Black Forest Lodge. We set the alarm for 9:00am and were on the road by 10:00am. Despite the drawbacks, Big Bear really was a lovely spot—when I mentioned this at checkout, the lady at reception told me it only snows about eight days a year, and the other 360 are sunny. Sounds like the perfect climate, just two hours from the chaos of LA.
With no decent internet at the lodge, yesterday’s update went out courtesy of McDonald’s Wi-Fi. This morning we had breakfast there so we could eat and also book our next hotel. Ordering was amusing: I asked for a bacon and egg McMuffin, and the server wanted to know—bacon or Canadian bacon? Apparently “Canadian bacon” is just ham, so why not call it ham? Weird. Anyway, I booked us into the Days Inn we stayed at last November—great price, even if it is right on the Interstate with heavy traffic noise. I asked for a top-floor room in a quiet spot, so fingers crossed.
We topped up with fuel—$50 for 12.3 gallons, which works out to about 93 cents a litre back home. Locals still complain about the cost, though! The GPS is behaving itself now, thanks to my new “GripGo” mount—though it kept falling off until I fixed it with two elastic bands. Works like a charm now.
The drive back towards LA was exactly as Paul McCartney (or maybe Lennon) put it: a “long and winding road.” It was tougher going down than up—more than 7,000 feet over a 20km stretch of hairpin bends. Midway, we passed through Arrowhead, where the main attraction seemed to be the “Deer Lick Car Wash.”
Once back on flatter ground, we stopped at Michaels, then I checked out Kohl’s and Barnes & Noble. Another hour on the road—spotting two more Wal-Mart trucks along the way—and we were back at Buena Park. The Days Inn is directly opposite Target, so no highway noise, and the internet is strong. Good deal all round.
After a rest, we finished the day with dinner at Applebee’s and a quick Wal-Mart run for supplies. On the way, I spotted an old school bus, a real clunker—it reminded me of some of the buses at work!
4th April – Long Beach, Quilts & Kings Hockey
5th April – A Day of Quilts, Breakfast Battles, and a Movie
Another good night’s sleep. We had tickets for a taping of the sitcom Hot in Cleveland tonight, but an email arrived advising that the production office had invited an unusually high number of guests. That meant far fewer seats for ticket holders, and while we could have gone to the studio very early, there was no guarantee of getting in. We decided to give it a miss.
Instead, we started the day with a new mission: three quilt shops. First stop was breakfast — aiming to beat the Burger King 10:30 a.m. cutoff. We pulled in at 10:27 a.m. and asked for breakfast. “Breakfast is finished,” said the server. I asked what time it finished. “10:30.” We both looked at the clock on the wall, which still said 10:27. After a slightly awkward pause, we got breakfast.
Our first quilt shop was in a town called Placentia (and I thought Fawnskin was a weird name). The shop, The Calico House, comes highly rated by Rayls: “nearly as good, if not better than, Keepsake Quilting.” High praise indeed. While she explored, I wandered into a nearby supermarket, spent five minutes hunting for a healthy cereal, and then thirty seconds picking out some chocolate bars.
From Placentia we drove to Tustin and The Flying Geese Quilt Shop. Tustin turned out to be a very nice town, with a country feel and plenty of colourful trees. The final stop was The Quilter’s Garden in Anaheim. By then it was nearly 4:00 p.m., so we headed back to the hotel for a short rest.
In the evening, we went to the AMC 20 theatre in nearby Fullerton to see Olympus Has Fallen. We both enjoyed it. After the movie finished around 8:20 p.m., we stopped at Walmart for a few supplies, then continued on to Garden Grove to visit our friend Lidia, who works at Denny’s. A nice dinner, a pleasant chat, and we were home by 10:30 p.m.
Quilt Run
6th April 2013 – Four Seasons
We went out to Temecula for a look around — very nice out there, and of course, we had to stop at a quilt shop for Rayls. In fact, we managed to do three quilt shops in total, and along the way we spotted seven Walmart trucks — so things are clearly moving along!
Tonight we went to the Cerritos Theatre for the Performing Arts to see The Hit Men, a group made up of incredible musicians and performers. The Hit Men are the hit-makers of the 60s, 70s, and 80s — former performing and recording members of legendary acts like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Tommy James and the Shondells, The Critters, Carly Simon, Jim Croce, Cat Stevens, Barry Manilow, Elton John, and Kiki Dee.
This brotherhood of musicians shares friendships that date back nearly 50 years. Now reunited, they’re touring again to relive the magic they created on stages around the world and in recording studios decades ago.
Two members of The Hit Men were part of Frankie Valli’s Four Seasons in the 1970s: Lee Shapiro and Gerry Polci. Lee became one of Valli’s Four Seasons as both arranger and keyboardist, touring the world with the band, performing classic hits, and serving as musical director and arranger on songs including “Oh, What a Night” and “Who Loves You.” Gerry joined the Four Seasons in 1973. His recordings with the group became worldwide hits, most notably “Who Loves You,” “Silver Star,” and “Oh, What a Night” — the latter of which he sang lead on.
We were lucky enough to meet both Lee and Gerry after the show, and they fondly remembered Perth and performing there back in 1977. That was a great show!
7th April 2013 – Las Vegas
We have safely arrived in Las Vegas. OK drive, Rayls did half of the driving.
We left Buena Park around 9:30am and headed up I-15 to Victorville where we detoured to a quilt shop in Apple Valley. Probably 10 miles out of our way — shop was there but the people inside said they were closed — so we headed back to I-15. Went past a big warehouse with hundreds of Walmart trailers outside — obviously a Walmart distribution centre. One truck was leaving as we went past so another to the list!
It was around noon when we got to Barstow and refuelled. Then on to Yermo and Peggy Sue’s Diner. We didn’t eat there, just checked out the sixties gift shop.
Rayls drove us to Vegas, we are in the Days Inn on West Tropicana. Not the Bellagio — TV is useless, WiFi just hangs in there and no fountain. However, it is much cheaper on a day where most Vegas hotels seem very expensive — must be a big convention on or something. We were a little early for check-in so we killed time at a Walmart. Eventually checked in and had a nap before dinner at a Black Bear Diner.
Mt Charleston — about an hour’s drive from Vegas.
8th April 2013 – Las Vegas
Raining for much of the day — never seen it rain in Vegas before.
After brekkie we headed up to Mt Charleston — about an hour’s drive from Vegas. Mt Charleston is at 7,000 feet and the temperature dropped from 18°C in Vegas to 0°C. It was snowing there and a cool place.
We then drove down to Henderson and to the Clark County Heritage Museum. Interesting place, lots of Vegas history. It was a $2 entry for adults and $1 for seniors — seniors being 50 or over so it was just $1 each — excellent value.
It was back to the hotel via a Walmart. Arby’s for dinner.
Utah tomorrow.
We’ve been to Vegas many times before so no driving down the Strip or checking out other Vegas sites.
Clark County Heritage Museum
Vegas to Cedar City – 9 April
We’ve arrived in Cedar City.
Left Vegas at 9:00am and fuelled up – $50 for 13.444 gallons, bringing the total fuel cost to $190 so far. We planned to have breakfast in outer Vegas but instead made it to Mesquite on the Nevada/Arizona border. Maccas breakfast hit the spot.
I-15 takes a scenic route through the Virgin River Gorge – just 47 kilometres through Arizona but spectacular. At St. George we met Amy at, of course, a quilt shop. Lovely to catch up – it’s been six months. After another quilt shop and a Subway lunch, we headed the final 85 kilometres to Cedar City. Temperature dropped from 14°C in St. George to -1°C in Cedar City with some snow on the ground.
We’re now settled in Amy and Steve’s house. Steve’s home too, and we’re watching the news. Dinner at Sizzlers (very nice), then Lins for groceries and a few episodes of The West Wing – perfect end to the day.
Virgin River Gorge - I15 Arizona
St George, Utah - Two Quilt Shops for Rayls and Amy
Cedar City – 10 April
A quiet, relaxing day – the holiday within the holiday.
Rayls and I both slept badly, and apparently I slugged Rayls in my sleep – she’s banished me to the teddy bear room tonight.
In the afternoon the four of us saw the movie Admission – not bad. Then it was Sizzlers again for dinner and more West Wing at night.
Cedar City, Utah - The sights and Pickle Ball
Cedar City – 11 April
Up earlier to join Amy and Steve for some pickleball – a mix between tennis and table tennis, played on a smaller court with paddles. Great fun and quite the workout! Won a few, lost a few – I’m definitely slowing down.
Rayls went to Joann while Amy got her hair done. I had a quiet time at home, mixing naps with some cricket admin.
Lunch at the Market Grill, iHop for dinner. Sadly, Market Grill didn’t have their famous banana cream pie, so I settled for coconut cream. I’ll be back for the banana version.
Weather permitting, kayaking might be on the weekend agenda.
Scott and Shannon leave Perth for LA tomorrow – hope to see them in LA later this month.
Cedar City – 12 April
National Grilled Cheese Day in the USA – but no grilled cheese for us. Instead, a Walmart trip, a Joann visit for the girls, and a movie. A very pleasant BBQ dinner at home.
Weather is cool but lovely. Perth is copping some rain.
Scott and Shannon are currently mid-Pacific and should land in LA tomorrow.
Cedar City – 13 April
Creative day today. Amy made a table runner and Rayls continued working on her beloved hexagons.
Steve and I tackled some yard work – a council pickup is coming, so branches and clippings had to be piled on the verge. Not easy on a sloped block at 6,000+ feet altitude.
We played Five Crowns after dinner – a card game with five suits and no aces or twos. Great fun. Steve won, Amy came last! Planning to bring a set home.
Scott and Shannon arrived in LA tonight and went to an LA Kings game.
Cedar City – 14 April
Another visit to Joann – big sale on. As Amy said, “we bought enough thread to choke a horse!”
Lunch at Subway, then off to the Lake of the Hills. Amy and Steve took the kayaks out while Rayls and I spectated lakeside. Rayls even tried to sunbathe – the lake is beautifully located right in the heart of Cedar City.
Dinner at Denny’s and a Walmart stop where Rayls went in for a jacket and came out with two pairs of pants. Evening movie: Safety Not Guaranteed – a quirky time-travel flick.
Enjoying the Sun on Cedar City Lake
Cedar City – 15 April
Another restful day.
We received a call from Amy’s daughter Katie in Boston before we’d even heard the news – there had been a bombing. We spent the afternoon glued to the TV.
A trip to Ace Hardware (fabric!) and Walmart rounded out the day. Snow forecast for tomorrow.
Cedar City – 16 April
So cold in Cedar City today – maxed at 2.2°C, heading to -7.2°C tonight. Snow all day. Our car sat unused and buried under the white stuff. Beautiful if you’re not used to it!
We played pickleball in the morning, then Rayls and Amy drove to St. George. At one store, Rayls was asked if she was from Canada!
Steve and I stayed back – Market Grill for lunch. We all braved the cold at 4pm and went to the movies to see 42 – a great film. Dinner at Applebee’s. Steve’s steak dinner ended up in his lap, thanks to the waitress.
Forecast for Salt Lake City tomorrow is 7°C and partly cloudy.
Cold Day in Cedar City
Salt Lake City – 17 April
Cleared 5 inches of snow off the car before heading to Salt Lake. Steve smartly wore gloves – I did not.
Snowed most of the drive, but roads were fine. Once in Salt Lake, we parked at the hotel just 350 metres from the arena.
Had a snack at Barnes & Noble across the road. The EnergySolutions Arena (formerly Delta Center) seats over 19,000 – home of the Utah Jazz and tonight, Bon Jovi.
Security lines were long, so the show started 40 minutes late. A great concert – most of the hits. Could have had more songs, but still awesome. Short walk back to the hotel, ears ringing and smiles all around.
Cedar City to Salt Lake City - Bon Jovi - back to Cedar CIty
Back to Cedar City – 18 April
Left at 9:30am after breakfast at Maccas and a quick look around Ikea. Interesting to see priority parking for fuel-efficient cars – a new one for us.
Drive back was easier and used much less fuel – downhill, I suppose. Back by 2:30pm. Dinner at the Pizza Factory and quiet night of TV.
Cedar City – 19 April
Morning TV coverage of events in Watertown, near Boston. Amy’s daughter Katie works there – she’s staying indoors and is safe.
Rayls and Amy worked on “flowers” in the studio. I helped Steve with a bit of yard work, then did some cricket work.
Rayls has started packing her “stash”.
Scott and Shannon go to Bon Jovi in LA tonight – hope it’s as good as Salt Lake. Tempted to go again ourselves – they’re in Vegas tomorrow!
Dinner at Denny’s and a quiet night watching news and a movie.
Cedar City – 20th April
From all accounts Scott and Shannon had a great night at the Bon Jovi concert. They had excellent seats and managed to get some great photos.
Today we did a WalMart run and pottered around the house. Amy and Steve are getting ready for their kayaking trip to Lake Powell – they head off tomorrow. We’ll be looking after their 12-year-old dog, Carson. They’re only about three hours away, so not too far if anything goes wrong – but really, what could possibly go wrong?
Rayls and Amy went to a small Craft Fair, and of course, another trip to Joann’s.
Dinner was at iHop, and then we voted on a DVD – Frequency won the day.
Cedar City – 21st April
Amy and Steve left around 10:30am for their kayaking and camping adventure. Their set-up is amazing – they’ve packed just about everything, including the kitchen sink.
Carson was a little unsettled today – being 12, mostly blind and deaf, he’s not used to having other people around.
We went out to Big Lots, Home Depot and WalMart, then had dinner at Sizzler’s.
Daniel asked Rayls for advice on a sewing project – a gift for a friend. Rayls ended up in the studio for three hours creating a “snuggly” (a blanket with sleeves).
Watched some TV. Another quiet day.
Cedar City – 22nd April
Scott and Shannon arrived mid-afternoon – great to see them again!
Earlier in the day we set up their room, including hauling a mattress upstairs.
Weather is perfect – low 20s°C – but Shannon is disappointed there’s no snow. There should be some in the mountains, so we’ll go exploring.
Cedar City – 23rd Apri
Scott and I played golf at the beautiful Cedar City course, nestled between the town and the mountains. Lovely day with blue skies and low 20s°C temps. Prairie dogs were everywhere – cute little things!
We played alright – some good shots and some dreadful ones. I’m not a big golf fan, but these were easily the best conditions I’ve ever played in.
Amy and Steve have been battling wind at Lake Powell and have moved to a different location.
Another relaxed evening. Dinner at Sizzler’s. Watched the LA Kings on TV – sadly, they lost. Playoffs start next week, and Scott and Shannon will be at the LA games. Rayls and I might join if timing and tickets work out.
Vegas on Sunday, LA on Monday.
Golf Day at Cedar City Golf Course with Scott and Prairie Dogs
Cedar City – 24th April
Lunch at Market Grill. No coconut cream pie for Scott, so he ordered an entire one for tomorrow – $11.97 well spent.
After lunch, we drove the scenic Highway 14 up toward Cedar Breaks National Monument. The Monument itself is still closed due to snow (reopens late May), but the drive was great.
Back in 2011, a million cubic yards of rock and debris slid down and buried the road – it took 8 months to clear.
Scott and I had a quick snowball fight – always fun.
Dinner at Panda Express – first time, and it was very tasty. Watched the LA Kings vs Detroit game on TV.
Fun on Highway 14
Cedar City – 25th April
Anzac Day – a special day of remembrance for Australians and New Zealanders.
Scott and Shannon left today – we’ll miss their company. Scott’s humour is possibly sicker than mine!
Rayls made another “Joann’s excuse” and we both bought shoes on Main Street. Visited Bulloch’s Drug Store with its “Happy Days”-style soda fountain – very nostalgic.
They have an unusual pedestrian crossing outside – grab an orange flag, wave it as you cross, and leave it in the bucket on the other side.
Rayls visited Stitchin’ It Up (again), and I had a beard trim at the classic old-school barber next door.
Dinner was Arby’s drive-thru – always entertaining trying to place an order in Aussie-accented English.
Daniel helped with the bins – Thursday is trash night.
Watched the sun rise this morning and a full moon rise this evening. I love this place.
Cedar City
Cedar City – 26th April
Hello to my much older sister Cath who emailed to say she’s following our travels. This time last year she and Chris were here with us in Cedar City. Our mum would’ve turned 98 today.
TV ads for prescription medication in the US are crazy – the side effects often sound worse than the condition! (Suicidal thoughts? Tumours? Blurred vision? Yikes!)
Rayls and I drove out past the golf course to the base of the mountain and found a nice red rock to bring home.
Amy and Steve returned around 3:00pm – they had a few hiccups on their trip but overall enjoyed it.
We rented This is 40 and Parental Guidance from Redbox. Dinner at iHop.
Cedar City – 27th April
Our last day in Cedar City. Tomorrow – Las Vegas. Monday – Los Angeles.
A quiet day. Rayls packed. Amy also packed – she’s coming to Vegas with us and then flying to Michigan to help her mum move to San Francisco.
Steve spent the day cleaning up after the Lake Powell trip. The wind made the cleanup extra tough.
Thanks to Amy for the camping photos!
Dinner at Sizzler’s again. Then we watched Parental Guidance.
To Las Vegas – 28th April
Up at 7am, finished packing, and said goodbye to Steve.
Amy drove the whole way to Vegas with a stop at Mesquite. Nice drive, great music and company.
We started in Utah, cut through Arizona for 20 minutes, and into Nevada – gaining an hour.
In Vegas, Rayls and Amy went to a quilt show in Henderson. I browsed around PetSmart, Ross, Marshalls and Target.
Checked into Sunset Station – this time just two bags, no need for a porter. Rayls and I are in Room 927 – a huge master suite with bar, lounge, dining area and a massive bathroom. Amy’s in a normal room (1219).
Scott and Shannon arrived around 4pm and are in Room 1220.
Sadly, no LA Kings home game this week – they’re headed to St Louis for the playoffs.
Dinner at the buffet – Scott’s shout. After dinner, Scott went to the casino, won back his $40 and covered our meals. I gambled $1, got up to $1.10, then lost the lot.
Played cards back in our room. Early start tomorrow.
To Los Angeles – 29th April
Police action
Up at 5:15am to take Amy to the airport – her 8:11am Spirit Airlines flight to Detroit went fine. Sad farewell to our best friend.
Back to the hotel for a nap, then on the road to LA around 9am – 420km drive (like Perth to Geraldton).
Quick stops at Lee’s Liquor and a Post Office, then lunch at Maccas in Barstow.
We hit 100 WalMart trucks on this drive – Ryan remains champion guesser.
Stopped in Long Beach to pick up bobbins at SewVac.
Arrived in Carson to stay with Maria and Charlie, Shannon’s parents – such lovely people.
Not long after we arrived, the peace was shattered by sirens and police cars. A suspect had crashed and barricaded himself in a house just up the road.
SWAT teams, helicopters and flashbangs all night. The guy surrendered around 3am.
Dinner at Olive Garden. Watched baseball back at the house – LA Angels lost in the 11th inning.
Harley the dog continues to entertain.
Police Action Close to Home in Carson
Carson (LA) – 30th April
Final full day of the trip.
Breakfast donuts from Circus Donuts (thanks, Maria!).
Scott and Shannon took us to San Pedro. Bought lunch at Busy Bee and took it to Point Fermin – the spot where Scott proposed to Shannon. Beautiful location with views out to Catalina Island.
Then on to the Korean Bell of Friendship – a massive bell gifted from South Korea to the US. Stunning views again.
Visited Redondo Beach, then BevMo, then back to the house to watch the LA Kings’ first playoff game vs St Louis.
Rayls, Gaz, Scott and Shannin in San Pedro
Carson (LA) – 1st May
We visited Silver Lake and walked Scott McKenzie’s old neighbourhood in his memory. A meaningful moment.
Afterward, we visited Forever Hollywood Cemetery and saw the graves of Mel Blanc, Don Adams, Estelle Getty, Jayne Mansfield, and others.
On the way back we called into a mall with a JC Penney and Sears.
Back at the house, Maria and Charlie treated us to a top-notch BBQ dinner. Sat around the firepit with everyone – very relaxing.
Harley the dog continued to keep us amused.
Carson (LA) – 2nd May
Final day in the US – we fly out tonight.
Lunch at Lucille’s Smokehouse in Torrance – delicious. Lots of laughs.
Tried to buy a Home Depot gift card to thank Maria and Charlie but ran into ID problems. Ended up buying a Lowe’s gift card instead. Charlie was fine with that – even declared he’d never shop at Home Depot again.
All packed, car returned, security cleared. Ready for QF12 – an A380 to Sydney.
Home – 4th May
Back in Perth!
Flight was smooth. Spent two hours in Sydney navigating immigration, baggage and security. Just made our flight to Perth.
Ryan met us at the airport and Hunter seemed glad to see us.
It was a fantastic trip. Wonderful to reconnect with Amy and Steve, spend time with Scott and Shannon, and be welcomed so warmly by Maria and Charlie. And as always, it was special to share the adventure with Rayls.
There it is – another one done and hopefully more to come. Thanks for reading
Gaz