New Mexico, July 2011

After a much-needed week of slowing up the pace and enjoying the local flavours in San Francisco, we headed for New Mexico - but not before an overnight greyhound to Los Angeles, and a sunny day there with the lovely Natsuko and Amy Jo. Amity reuniting with her old sisterhood was a sight to behold and doubtless as if a day hadn't passed since they were fairy Princesses in Seattle...

Out of L.A. - we'd return soon enough - and onto the Amtrack, which would eventually deliver us to New Mexico; but not before the best part of a full day on board, which (relatively speaking) was blissful luxury and then some. We finally cracked (or decided to proactively rescue our collective sanity, depending on how you look at it), and blew a couple of hundred dollars on train tickets, and thank the gods we did.....

.... comfort, periods of sleep, working air-con, no especially overpowering aromas, space to walk around, a cafe car - none of which turned out to be hallucinations. Better still, ringside seats through the wilds of California, Arizona and NM from the sci-fi observation carriage, from where we watched the golden sunset and sunrise over the desert and steppe. Truly beautiful.

For the next week, we enjoyed a perfect mix of the best of the state, courtesy of our fine hosts Charlie and Alice. Based at their place in Eldorado - in the semi-desert about 15 km south of Santa Fe - we ventured near and far, although to have stayed within walking distance of the back door still would've made the trip worthwhile.

Plenty of time was spent in nearby Santa Fe, a wonderful city (with arguably the planet's greatest cuisine), and here's hoping we've good reason to return before too long; otherwise, we visited Native American historical sites, indoor and outdoor museums, local sites of natural beauty (not hard to come by), long drives along the Rio Grande, up into the mountains of the north, the badlands of the west, and plenty more besides.

more birds and wildlife from New Mexico can be found here

San Francisco, July 2011

From Portland, via the limpin', rabid 'hound, to San Francisco - one of the weirdest, most entertaining, and most trying journeys of the trip, but that's another story, for another time. Upon arrival in a cold, foggy, nigh-on invisible SF, we cleared the station with sanity still pretty much intact and found our way to our next base near Golden Gate Park, in the heart of the city.

The ruins of Sutro Baths on the coast down the street (and the effects of Pacific weather patterns)

our street, from Golden Gate Park (with the bridge in the distance)

Another case of the generosity of friends vastly improving our lot, this time we'd the run of an apartment in a perfect location - right on Geary, three blocks from the park, a short bus ride to the shore, and an easy link-up with the bay area. So we'd the much-needed opportunity to kick back and slow down for a few days; which is what we did, enjoying the park, the nearby coastline (Land's End, Sutro Baths, the beach), Berkeley / Oakland, and thanks to our dear friend and SF resident Miya, the redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument, over the bridge.

Vancouver Island, Canada - July 2011

Horseshoe Bay from the ferry (complete with snow-capped mountains)

After a wonderfully rich and varied fortnight in the Seattle area, we finally bade farewell to our brethren there and greyhounded north, across the border into Canada, via Vancouver City, Horseshoe Bay and across the Salish Sea, and into Nanaimo - our basecamp for the next three days, where our dear friends Dave and Susan awaited with a pleasantly full itinerary.

We got to know them a good six, maybe seven years ago, when Dave co-promoted the legendary Gilded Palace of Sin in Brighton, and booked a fledgling Morning Bride on the strength of our first, self-released single (a man of fine taste, it goes without saying). Much water under the bridge since then, and for the last few years they've been residents of Vancouver Island's second 'city'.

Before dark on our first evening there we'd enough time for a walk around Piper's Lagoon and the surrounding coastline and pine woodland; plenty of birds, beautiful evening sunshine and a millpond-still sound between us and the mainland.

Anna's Hummingbirds back at the apartment

Our second day dawned sunny and mild, with pit-stops including a hike to a high look-out point, a native American petroglyph site and a while downtown before much of the day on Protection Island, an idyllic and beautiful island a short boat ride out into the bay.

Smuggler's Beach, Protection Island - a geological jewel hidden behind the woods....

Warm sunshine, barely another soul and the special side of the island pretty much to ourselves, we outstayed our welcome as long as we could.

Nanaimo Bars - oh yeah

Day Two involved stop and go's at a host of sublime (and occasionally ridiculous) spots along the island's eastern flank, utilising Highway 4, VC's only main road, to the fullest. First up, the beautiful Little Qualicum Falls, a procession of waterfalls nestling in the forest; then onto the only remaining section of virgin forest on the island, Cathedral Grove - 800 year-old Douglas-Firs up to nine metres in circumference, and a suitably humbling sight.

From there, a picnic lunch along a lakeshore; a head-spinning wander around Coombs, a surrealist and uber-trashy shopping outpost / resort; a visit to the wonderfully-run North Island Recovery Centre (eagles to bears and plenty more besides); and finally, a fine birding session at Buttertubs Marsh on the outskirts of Nanaimo in the evening sunshine.

The following morning and we were on the road again, at least after once more negotiating the beautiful Salish Sea, and back south of the border via the 'hound and, briefly, to Seattle; a late dinner and a hook-up with comrade Erin, a singalong drive southbound with her to Portland, Oregon, a night and day there, and on the road once more, this time southbound into California.