Q is for quirky: images of America

Billboards!

A cafe!!

And a petting zoo!!

Oh, my goodness, if they've got those wonders, who knows what else they could have to entice the wandering tourist!!!!

Not that Australia doesn't have billboards, but somehow, being in a different country, these were positively screaming out and demanding we take notice and STOP!


Yeehaaaa! (Shouted loudly in my feeble attempt at an American accent which fools no one, but is fun to try) We weren't disappointed. The tree house was fantastical, amazing, unbelievable and oozed gingerbread, wicked witches, dreams and nightmares, and all the fairy tales combined, in one glorious, indulgent, over the top razzle-dazzle and with frosting as well! It was HUGE, oh how I'd have loved to go inside and wander into those entrancing rooms on different levels and dream. Sigh....

There was old, sometimes frayed, tatty and broken ... stuff ... from days gone by. Some was so familiar, not only from my own childhood, but from old tv shows and movies. I could have spent hours, oohing and aahing over the extraordinary collection of memorabilia.

Not only that, but there was a shop - no surprises there! Tourist stuff, kitsch, trinkets, junk, plastic things, cheese and wine and an ... interesting ... selection of reading matter, some of it well thumbed.

Then placed carefully back on the shelf.

Did they find what they were looking for, some inspiration, belief or prayer that fitted the moment,  or was it all a bit too wishful and airy fairy and they walked scratching their head?

Most useful of all, there were also extremely helpful staff who directed us to a supermarket with clear, turn by turn directions.

"Yeehaaa" again ;-)


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P is for plastics - images of America

One of the many joys of travelling is seeing how other cultures do normal everyday things. The tendency is not only to look for similarities and differences, but to wonder if they're doing whatever it is better!

Whilst I would love to have taken a tent and camped, it didn't seem particularly friendly. No doubt there were ravenous BEARS roaming around all over the place who'd just woken up and would be looking for a tasty meal - oh, and it was pretty cold as well!

So, motels it was.

In Australia, it's common for motel rooms to have a frig, kettle, either fresh or dinky containers of long-life milk, tea bags, coffee, sometimes cocoa and mostly there'll be small packs of sweet bikkies. Often there'll be a toaster and microwave as well! And there are china cups or mugs and generally real glasses for your water, juice or wine.

So it was with some surprise that we discovered this was not the usual custom in the US, at least where we visited. Plastic, polystyrene and paper were common not only in the rooms, but also where breakfast was included.

I've never seen such huge mounds of plastic after a meal. Large bins were strategically placed and full to overflowing each morning. This was presumably happening in motels all over the country as well as in fast food places everywhere. What an environmental disaster.

Is it because water is so scarce or is it a labour saving strategy? If there are no plates to wash, you don't need to employ anyone for the task, and also don't use water - which makes sense on a small scale, but country wide I'm not so sure.

Someone, somewhere may have done a comparison of the amount of water and cost required to extract oil, transport it to be made into the plastic pellets, then possibly somewhere else to be made into the plastic item, then ship it to the end user. I wonder if it uses less water over the life of the item? And of course, that's not including the environmental problems of disposing of plastics and their enormous role as a pollutant. There's more about plastics here: P is for Plastics and Pollution.

I'd never eaten a meal from a polystyrene bowl or plate before, and can't recommend it, there's an extraordinary amount of waste, polystyrene isn't biodegradable, and it's an unpleasant experience eating from them.  It's horrible stuff however you look at it. The wibbly plastic knife and fork weren't anywhere near capable of the demanding rigours of slicing through a waffle, even though it was freshly made.

 Great beer in a plastic container, just doesn't work ...

Honestly guys, paper plates, made from reliably sourced, sustainable timber must be better! See here for Info about the Sustainable Forestry Program. Some places are doing it really well! I'd love to see all the motel chains follow suite.

So how to manage when you're travelling? We purchased refillable traveller mugs, refilled the water bottles I'd brought from home with tap water, and mostly ate breakfast in our room using one container each that doubled as a bowl. It was sturdy enough to survive! We mostly used our own knives, forks and spoons at the provided breakfast and took a spoon with us when we purchased a drink and wanted to stir it. It mightn't have made a huge difference to the amount of plastic that was disposed, but ... well, it's a start.

Some information about being a responsible traveller is here

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O is for oil - images of America

Oil comes from deep underground

 from vast areas of land

to feed our addiction,
to power trains, cars and trucks

vying for space with agriculture: vineyards

and orchards of oranges, plums and olives in the fertile valley where sometimes the air is clear and mountains visible.

More often resulting in toxic air,

and problems we don't seem to be either willing or able to solve adequately (see N is for noxious)

The high Sierra Nevadas can't always be seen through the dense haze, the magnificent snow capped peaks are hidden, yet you know they're there ... somewhere.

From the valley floor, you drive through mile upon mile of orange groves, the sprays and fertilisers adding to the toxic potion rising up into the mountains when the conditions are right (or wrong depending on how you look at it).

The geography and climate cause an inversion layer to form over the valleys, trapping the air and concentrating the pollutants in it. A high proportion (10%) of the US population lives in California, and whilst air quality has improved over the years, more will need to be done to ensure the survival and health of the plants and animals in the surrounding peaks as well as the health of the people on the valley floor.

A 2013 interactive map by the California Environmental Protection Agency showing assorted data including pollutants can be found via this link.


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N is for Noxious: images of America

N could have been for nightmare, describing the nerve-wracking experience of driving on the wrong side of the road. A "character building" experience from which I'm still recovering!

Or N could be for "No".  The kind of long, drawn out "No" one utters when stuck for words after having seen something surprising or unexpected. A bit like "Nooooooo, that can't possibly be real."

"No!" in the sense I've described above, could refer to the close relationship some US citizens have with Aliens, the extraordinary landscape of Death Valley, the giant Sequoia trees, the weird Joshua trees or the strange fibrous golden floss on the tree below:

"NO, that can't possibly be real" is also how one friend reacted when I told her of the warnings I'd read about becoming ill as a result of visiting the Sequoia National Park.

But unfortunately it's true, so N is for noxious. An unpleasantly accurate word for poisoning the air so badly beneath the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks that tourists are warned that during the Summer months they may feel light headed and ill and are advised when it's unsafe to hike. Job applicants are warned that the workplace can be unhealthy. Your lungs can be blistered by the pollutants surging up from the valley below.

Visiting the Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Parks can make you ill. That deserves an extremely loud NO - this should not be allowed to continue. Surely it's time to invest heavily in addressing the pollution problem at the source, increasing funding to the responsible agencies and supporting the National Parks Service rather than continually cutting back!

National Parks are traditionally places where people come to become rejuvenated, they paint, contemplate, exercise and delight in the wonders of nature.

Wikipedia informs us (here) that:

On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that mandated the agency [ie the National Park Service] "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." (my bold)

But in less than a hundred years from that mandate, trees which can live for over 2500 years are being damaged by airborne pollutants. The generations in between have allowed an appalling situation to arise ... continue ... and get worse.

The noxious air is a combination of fertilisers, PCB's (which affect wildlife reproduction, intelligence and behaviour as well as leading to cancers and mutations) pesticides from the sprays used on fruit trees in the highly productive valley as well as pollutants from factories and vehicles.

The beautiful, majestic forest of giant Sequoia trees are suffering from the noxious air. Seedlings are stressed and some trees have yellowing, dropping needles. Of course, it's not just the awe inspiring Sequoia trees, but other varieties as well.

Their worth is beyond a dollar value, our entire environment is priceless and unable to be replicated.

For now tourists can stand in awe at the base of these amazing trees, to muse and wonder as they gaze upwards with delight.

Where will they and we be in another hundred years?


A 2013 interactive map by the California Environmental Protection Agency showing assorted data including pollutants can be found via this link.

You can read more about the toxic fumes here, here and here. A quick Google search will lead to many more discussions about the air pollution.


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M is for Marilyn Monroe - images of America

Along with hundreds of other tourists, we came across a gigantic statue of Marilyn Monroe in Palm Springs, in fact she's massive*. She's presented in the iconic pose, laughing joyously; the pose exudes a sense of fun and is eye-catching.
(thanks to Hilary over at Positive Letters ... Inspirational Stories for the massive suggestion)

We heard accents from many different countries, England, Germany, Russia and Ireland along with many locals. Some of the people who queued politely and patiently to have their photos taken standing at Marilyn Monroe's feet may never have seen her in any movies - they were young, possibly the age she was when she died in 1962. (I've noticed my perception of age has changed as they years progress, some people might have perceived them as old!)

People were swapping phones and cameras, taking photos for people they'd never met before, so that everyone who wanted could have a memento as well. I was struck with how polite and orderly everyone was. The British are known for their ability to queue neatly - but they definitely aren't on their own!

It's testament, not only to excellent marketing, but the the allure of this fabulous pose that her legend lives on.

We barely come up to her knee caps!

For overseas visitors desperate for coffee, there are a couple of places opposite the statue (ie opposite Starbucks) which serve a drinkable cappuccino - not brilliant, but certainly better than most!
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L is for Lakes - images of America (and Australia)

A lake, with water in it!

And snow!

For an Aussie to find a perfect lake surrounded by snow capped mountains and with snow receding on a gravelly shore is a thing of wonder and delight!

The morning sun hits the trees, creating lovely shadows and a rich red on the tree trunks at Richardson's Camp, Lake Tahoe.

For travellers who have come from lands where the word lake conjures up images of wide expanses of crystal clear water and delightful wooden homes fetchingly built to make the most of the fragrant breezes, some Australian lakes could come as a bit of a surprise.

Lake Hart - South Australia. Fabulous red rolling hills, greenish tussocky grasses, shimmering water in the lake positively welcoming you to don the bathers, grab a towel and leap in with shouts of glee. Or perhaps what you see isn't what you get!

Lake Hart is called a lake, because sometimes, on rare occasions, flood waters that originated thousands of kilometres way in Queensland, flow across the flat landscape and end up here and taadaa, there's water and huge numbers of birds flock to breed. Mostly though, there's no water, just salt as far as they eye can see. No swimming or fishing, though that would be very welcome! Not only overseas tourists, but many locals are bewildered by the use of the word lake and their hopes are rudely shattered when they arrive. (Here's a post about an unsatisfying visit to Lake Hart.)

 What better place to relax than in the middle of a peaceful lake?

Salt used to be collected here. It was scooped up and brought to shore by train for processing.  It's a long way out along the old rotten tracks before you can find a good spot to relax away from the madding crowds ;-)

There were however, similarities between Lake Tahoe and Lake Hart. There were few people around and we virtually had the shoreline to ourselves to stroll, dream and be absorbed by the beauty, peace and silence. It was also too cold to swim at either lake, even if there had been water in Lake Hart! The desert can be cold too!
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K is for Knobbly - images of America

Fantastic knobbly rock formations at Pyramid Lake 

The colour of Pyramid Lake was extraordinary. It was a rich turquoise, surrounded by a barren landscape with stubbly dead looking grasses and a flat shoreline. Everything seemed coloured with the same drab hue - bland, unexciting, dusty, repetitive and yet mesmerising. The rock formations were surreal and improbable. Some looked like a child's "blob and drip" sandcastle - the kind you can only make with some beach sands which have to be of the perfect consistency to drip and flow without merging into the surrounding sand. In parts they'd eroded and exposed the inner layers which were brain like in appearance, others more like the spine of a long dead animal. Amazing!

As with many lakes and waterways, overuse for irrigation, and general mismanagement since white settlement has seen fish stocks depleted and salinity increase.

We really don't have a good track record of looking after our food or water supplies sustainably.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Lake_(Nevada)).

J is for Joshua trees - images of America

These interesting tree shaped plants were in flower when we visited.  The story is that they were named by Mormon settlers, and being steeped in stories from the bible, they named them after Joshua holding his arms up in prayer.

They have a strange beauty and I imagine on a moonlit night some could look very like a tall person, looming out of the darkness.

Watching me running around trying to get my phone high enough above my head to get a photo of the flowers must have been amusing for any onlookers! I really needed a ladder or telephoto lens (I wonder if they'll eventually make them for phones?)

Thankfully there weren't many people around, which is probably just as well as I'd decided to take the plunge and try driving through the Mojave Reserve. My logic went that it would be relatively safe - there were few animals around, and plants can be reliably trusted to stay where they are and not take it into their heads and run across the road!

We survived! The hire car survived! I managed to park on the side of the road in a very respectable manner. The big challenge was driving into a town ... with stoplights ... and daydreaming pedestrians with skittish children ... and needing to turn a corner - thank goodness there weren't any roundabouts!

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I is for Insignificant - images of America

Tiny, almost insignificant spring flowers managing to survive in the desert

H is for Huge - images of America

I discovered the word small seems to have evaporated from the American vocabulary. When I asked for a small cup of coffee and indicated the size I wanted with hand signals I consistently received what I would refer to as huge. This is perplexing for a tourist. How does one order something in the line of food and beverages which is small?

There are enough chips in the meal below to feed a small army, and the burger, whilst scrumptious (even if there was no beetroot) would have been more than adequate for two hungry adults!

 Some trees are huge!

I'm the small figure behind the fence!

Huge fire scars

... the landscape is also huge

as are some strawberries

Cans of Aussie beer were not only larger than at home, in fact they were huge, and cheaper than is Oz. How can that be? Mind you it was Foster's which isn't one of our best ;-)

There is even a HUGE Marilyn Monroe, but she'll appear when we get to M!
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G is for Guns - images of America

Gotta love my friends!

What's the first question I'm asked about my recent trip to the US?

I'd have expected something along the lines of "How was the training?"

or

"Did you have a good time?"

or even "How's the jet lag?"

But nooooooo, so far it's been "So, did you see lots of guns?"

Coming from a relatively well regulated country in regards to gun ownership, where in theory you need to be licensed to own one, it's difficult to relate to the passion surrounding gun ownership in the US. The perception here is that there guns are dropped carelessly into handbags, propped casually on the back seats of cars and generally left lying around ready for the nearest person with an anger issue to use at will. To be followed of course with an honest and wide eyed statement along the lines of "Gosh, how did that mass shooting happen?"

I've been told, "You need to understand, it's related to our rights." Hmm ... don't rights and responsibilities go hand in hand? However, in the spirit of attempting to bridge the gap I brought the subject up at dinner with some locals one night. I was introduced to the concept of hunting for food - not for pleasure. This man had been taught, as a child, to hunt and butcher a deer to supplement the family's food supplies - that I can understand though it's not common in Australia.

However, when we discussed if some restaurant patrons would have guns in their bags, the answer was a long, convoluted "yes". I don't pretend to understand the need for carrying a lethal weapon to dinner, I doubt I ever will. If you want to live dangerously, try the fugu! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugu)

I've often found that Terry Pratchett covers complex social topics in his books, and is able to explore the issue without an emotive overtone. In Men at Arms he introduces the first and only handheld firearm to Ankh-Morpork. The gonne has a strange allure and appears to have a mind of its own, there's the attraction of power. It wants to be used. It wants to kill ... not so dissimilar to what happens to some humans when they get their hands on one as far as I can see. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_at_Arms)

The only store we went in to where I felt distinctly uncomfortable and unwelcome was a small sporting goods store. Our binoculars had broken and this store had been recommended as the spot to replace them. The belligerent,  scowling owner was leaning heavily on a cabinet of guns, and displayed prominently on the wall behind were posters advertising assorted fundraising events for the NRA as well as slogans along the lines of "proud to be a gun owner,""my rights, my guns" etc etc etc.

We were clearly unwelcome even before we'd opened our mouths, and his attitude became more negative when we asked to see his meagre range of binoculars. Presumably, something in our looks or dress offended this man, but ... UGH. May Australia forever maintain strict laws regulating gun ownership! Our laws aren't perfect, people still get killed, but in my mind they're great.
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A gift from my training buddies

G is also for Gambling which has nothing at all to do with games or fun and seems to be a way to anaesthetise the zombie-like people who stagger in and allow themselves to get super-glued to whatever they've sat on.  Nobody ever looks happy ... there must be some strange attraction that I'm missing.

G is also for Grow-suits, the practical little all-in-one garment for babies and toddlers. Here's some cute ones in camouflage patterns - which seems kind of odd - surely parents don't want their kiddies to blend into the undergrowth? Wouldn't it make them harder to find if they wander off? Wouldn't day-glo be safer?  I'm not convinced this is the best marketing idea out there, but presumably there's a market for them or there wouldn't be racks and racks of them.

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F is for Flying - images of America

Travel to the United States aboard the flying kangaroo (aka QANTAS) isn't for anyone who gets twitchy after oh, around 7 hours cooped up next to coughing, farting, irritated adults, cuddling whinging, coughing, farting, screaming and/or vomiting toddlers. By the time you're nudging 10 hours it's become quite tedious. And at the 14 hour mark you've either entered a Zen state or ....

It's not fun, not even mildly entertaining, no matter how many movies you can watch without going stark raving mad. It's amazing how long you can make a meal last and how you can entertain yourself with the dinky pre-packed items before even that loses its appeal!

.....

Flying flags on private properties is something that is relatively rare in Australia. A few businesses might have an Australian flag out, the local council could have the state flag, the aboriginal flag and possibly the Australian, or a local flag flying, but you sometimes wonder if it's simply so they can have something to lower to half mast on sombre occasions.

Sometimes you'll see the flags of different countries flying, and know that the occupants of that home were born somewhere else. There could be a pirate flag on a beach hut, a footy team flag, but more commonly, nothing at all.





In the United States, flag flying appears to be the norm, not the exception. Some flags are large and attention grabbing, some small and tucked discretely into verandah posts. In my more jet lagged moments, I imagined some confused people could use the flag to remind themselves where they live. They might wake up in the morning and say, "Now, let's see, where am I?" "Hmm, I'll look out the window and see what flag is flying." "Oh, yes, of course, silly me, it's the United States! Thank goodness I had the forethought to put the flag out!" Or could it be along the lines of "Whew, thankfully I'm not in .... (insert name of undesirable country here), what a relief!"

As a patriotic expression showing that you're proud of your country, it's really rather lovely .... unless that is, if you choose not to have one fluttering in the breeze and some people assume that means you're not proud. That wouldn't be good at all.

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E is for Emergency supplies - images of America

E is for emergency supplies, but it's also for energy, the kind generated from the thousands of wind turbines we saw in the Tehachapi Pass. Oh how I wish our government wasn't so antiagonistic towards these wonderful inventions. They make far less noise than a coal fired power station, create less pollution and illnesses (more about illness related to coal extraction and coal fired power stations here) and are strangely beautiful arrayed throughout the hills and valleys.

Watching the blades turning and seeing the shadows cast on the ground is mesmerising. Not good for a driver trying to concentrate on driving on the WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD, but fine for a passenger desperately attempting to relax in what should be the driver's seat!

As for the Emergency supplies ... what else would a dinky-di Aussie tuck into her pack, but a few little sachets of Vegemite.

When foreign food has lost its charm, there's nothing like a cheese and vegemite sanga to warm the cockles of the heart, soothe the frazzled nerves and put all right with the world again!

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