Day 37 -26 May - Gettysburg with the Hickok-Barstows. Peter turned up complete with large people moving van and off we went to Gettysburg - about a 45min drive. It was a super well organised National Park (as all US Nat Parks are)- commemorating the battles that were the turning point of the America Civil War. We meet our guide Fran at 9.30 and then spent the next 5 hours going around the battlefield. It sounds like hard work and yet the hours flashed by - this ...

Day 36 - 24 May - one full day in NYC. We weren’t really interested in a deep dive into NY - just a quick skim before our road trip starting tomorrow. We started with a great breakfast at a nearby Deli - pancakes, sausage and eggs over easy plus lashings of maple syrup for me, corn beef hash and eggs for Seft, Anna had a bagel. (Lit of gym time coming for me) So then we did the HopOn- HopOff bus trip to get an overview - and it was good. We stopped off down...

Day 35 - 23 May - logistics day getting to New York City. Up at 5.30am (easy in Scotland at the moment as it gets light around 4.30am) and off to Edinburgh Airport - 3 hours before take-off - required because of the anxious American approach to homeland security. It all went smoothly enough although I got pinged because the liquids in my toilet bag were in 2 plastic bags - not 1 bag as required! The flight with United was good - although the plane, an old Boeing ...

Day 36 -25 May - road trip time in an OTT American beast- a 6.6L V8 GMC Denali (see pic) - called a “full size SUV” by the locals. It was up early again , off for an early pancake and sausage at the Broadway Bagel again. brush teeth and taxi out to La Guardia to pick up the beast. More excess charges, money changed hands and we were away, driving on the wrong side of the road in a way too big vehicle, in crazy fast NY traffic. Somehow we made out the other si...

Day 33 - 21 May - rest day. Did the washing then went to greet Seaton and Anna when they turned up on the train from London. They got set up in their hotel, rested up then came round and met John and Kristina. As expected, the repartee was sizzling and there were plenty of laughs. A few drinks later we were off the ‘Dulse’ - a new French seafood restaurant within walking distance. We tried a tapas type menu with wine to match the 6 courses. It was V good! W...