Travelling in the US and Canada

[margaine]

I think I'll be able to refrain from comparing Quebec City to Europe too much...it'll be the first French-speaking city I will have travelled to It looks very pretty and interesting, and we should make it there.

it IS pretty. It's touristy too, but in a friendly way. (I think I talked to shopkeepers more in Quebec City than practically anywhere else I've traveled)

[Star_Anise]

So far...I think stopping in LA just long enough to get over the jet lag was a good idea. Not a whole lot to hold my interest here. Off to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow, so that should be fun.

The flight over was fine (with Delta, actually, not Virgin Atlantic as we thought), but arriving six hours before we left pretty hard to come to grips with! We found a phone service provider that not only does prepaid sims, but with unlimited calls, international text, and data! It's keeping me in a style I'm accustomed to. Looking forward to moving on from LA.

[margaine]

So far...I think stopping in LA just long enough to get over the jet lag was a good idea. Not a whole lot to hold my interest here. Off to the San Diego Zoo tomorrow, so that should be fun.

The flight over was fine (with Delta, actually, not Virgin Atlantic as we thought), but arriving six hours before we left pretty hard to come to grips with! We found a phone service provider that not only does prepaid sims, but with unlimited calls, international text, and data! It's keeping me in a style I'm accustomed to. Looking forward to moving on from LA.

Kinda my general response to LA too. But then again, you should hear how people from LA talk about NY so maybe I'm just one of those crazed New Yorkers who doesn't understand what's so great about LA.

I can't imagine experiencing that kind of jet lag! I hope you enjoy the zoo. Did you know that Duke University in Durham, NC has a Lemur Center? I just learned about it - too late to convince you guys to come to this neck of the woods!

[Star_Anise]

Kinda my general response to LA too. But then again, you should hear how people from LA talk about NY so maybe I'm just one of those crazed New Yorkers who doesn't understand what's so great about LA.

I can't imagine experiencing that kind of jet lag! I hope you enjoy the zoo. Did you know that Duke University in Durham, NC has a Lemur Center? I just learned about it - too late to convince you guys to come to this neck of the woods!

I imagine anyone who's keen on movies, celebrities, etc., might find LA more interesting, but it just wasn't my kind of vibe. The zoo was fantastic - and we only saw about 70% of it! No lemurs though, so I won't be getting to see them this time round:-(

Since LA, we drove up to Santa Barbara along the ocean, then took the inland route through the fantastic scenery of California. Mountains like I've never seen before, it was fantastic. We stopped at Monterey, which is a lovely sea town, and I got to see seals for the first time:-D

Then we managed a whirlwind tour of the Sonoma and Napa Valleys - cellar doors are so different over here. Such grand buildings, and so many wineries packed into the one place - although paying to taste is new to us. Some great wines (and good cheese!) and such a beautiful part of the state.

We're now settling in to San Francisco, only having a brief stroll and dinner before turning in early. Got a good vibe so far, but we'll get into it tomorrow. And it's daylight savings time tonight...

A number of things have struck us as different here, one of the difficult things being the very visible homeless population in the cities. The most I've seen anywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, the size of food servings here can be a bit alarming. We both often have to leave food on our plates because it's too much. We got a small serve each of frozen yoghurt after dinner, and realised we could have easily shared one. Food is cheap and there's so much of it. I also find reading ingredient lists on packaged food a little alarming - there really do seem to be a lot of additives. I don't eat much in the way of packaged foods as a general rule, but I am suspicious even of the tubs of cream cheese you get with bagels.

...that being said, I've already developed a fondness for handmade saltwater taffy!

[margaine]

A number of things have struck us as different here, one of the difficult things being the very visible homeless population in the cities. The most I've seen anywhere. On the other end of the spectrum, the size of food servings here can be a bit alarming. We both often have to leave food on our plates because it's too much. We got a small serve each of frozen yoghurt after dinner, and realised we could have easily shared one. Food is cheap and there's so much of it. I also find reading ingredient lists on packaged food a little alarming - there really do seem to be a lot of additives. I don't eat much in the way of packaged foods as a general rule, but I am suspicious even of the tubs of cream cheese you get with bagels.

I will be interested to see your thoughts on the visibility of homeless in non-California cities. There is certainly a visible homeless population in NY, for example, but it always seems somehow less visible to me than the homeless population in Californian cities. But maybe it's just me. Then again, the weather is more mild in most of California than in many other parts of the US - I'm not sure if people living on the streets consciously choose it for that reason, but it's got to be better than somewhere like Chicago or Boston . . .

Oh man, I am used to those large portions. I almost always clear my plate - haha. After traveling deeper into North Carolina in the past week, though, I don't want to see anything fried again for a very very long time.

I've never done the wine touring thing, since I don't drink alcohol. So it's interesting to hear about it from you.

[Winifred]

I've never been west of Boulder, Colorado, so it's interesting to hear your impressions, Star. Re the food additives, I've been doing some reading, and Americans have a really embarrassing amount of unfood in their packaged foods....good to hear that Australia has not succumbed.

Article on additives: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...-products.aspx

[Star_Anise]

I've never been west of Boulder, Colorado, so it's interesting to hear your impressions, Star. Re the food additives, I've been doing some reading, and Americans have a really embarrassing amount of unfood in their packaged foods....good to hear that Australia has not succumbed.

Article on additives: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...-products.aspx

I wouldn't say that we haven't succumbed to any food additives, but it does seem less prevalent. It's also likely that I am more exposed to packaged foodstuffs when travelling, as I'm relying more so on restaurant and convenience foods than I usually would be. But...the ingredient lists can be so long!

San Francisco's highlights have included Golden Gate Park, including the California Academy of Sciences (so big! We didn't have enough time for it all), although the de Young was closed. We made it out to the redwoods at Muir Forest and it was fantastic. Such beautiful trees. We also had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory on top of the Macy's at Union Square, a very popular spot. Not sure it lived up to The Scientist's Big Bang Theory-influenced expectations, but I suspect it's atypical of the chain!

At SF airport now, waiting for our flights to Vancouver. It kind of took me by surprise to find we're already ofv to Canada!

[margaine]

I love hearing about your trip updates, Star! I feel as if I'm traveling along with you.

[Star_Anise]

I love hearing about your trip updates, Star! I feel as if I'm traveling along with you.

I'm wary of spamming everyone with everything I do, but it's been pretty great so far. I'm trying to share the key things :-) I'm glad you are enjoying hearing about it!

[Winifred]

I'm wary of spamming everyone with everything I do, but it's been pretty great so far. I'm trying to share the key things :-) I'm glad you are enjoying hearing about it!

Do NOT worry about spamming! Bring it on!