17th - Skiing! Having read that Squaw Valley USA is one of America's best skiing terrains, we were very keen and anxious to get on the slopes - so keen we even set the alarm to get us up at a more normal time than usual. We got all the equipment and bought our lift passes ($232 - ouch!) which we thought worked on a rather old-fashioned system. Rather than giving you a proximity card that you slip into a pocket which opens the lift turnstiles when you get close enough, here (bearing in mind this is a top resort that has hosted the Winter Olympics) they give you a sticker that you attach to your jacket and have members of staff hole-punch your pass and ensure you have one before allowing you onto the many lifts and cable cars numerous times a day - very backward and costly. Apart from that the place is great. Wide open runs and no queues at the lifts with great views down to Lake Tahoe meant that this was possibly as pretty as some of the European resorts we've been to. The runs are graded a little differently, with US black runs being a little easier than European ones and I decided I was going to attempt one this year (I did attempt one in Lapland last year, but only because Kirsty tricked me onto one - I cursed her foul, all the way down that slope!) I really hope the photos do this place justice because it is beautiful. Kirsty was as good as ever and spent today perfecting her tight turns and traversing on one ski, while I thought I was doing really well because I spent most of the time in front of her. All in all, a pretty low 'falling-down count' for both of us, but we did catch the sun rather badly on our faces. Our hotel has a Jacuzzi which is great for working at all the aches and pains and has a beautiful window onto Lake Tahoe and the mountains, and it was really nice to finish the day in there.

18th - Day two on the piste. Not such a good day for me. Kirsty was still doodling about on the slopes and we sort of sauntered down the easy and moderate runs together but I was having a few wobbles and, if I was going to get an injury, it would have been today. I was very off-par and few things went right. However, after a great Italian meal in the late afternoon in the village, we decided we would check out the runs that were still open (Squaw Valley USA leaves one cable car running after 4pm for a 3½ mile floodlit intermediate run) and things started to click again. Unfortunately, because of the clocks going forward last week it doesn't get dark until about 7.30pm so we went down the same run about 3 times before it got dark enough to experience its floodlit glory. This cable car is a pain in the arse as it only goes every 20 minutes and uses only one carriage at a time, so you spend 10-20 minutes standing around waiting and then jostle to get one of the few seats in the car so you're not standing around for another 10 minutes while you ride to the summit. Very uncomfortable in ski boots.A few more falls for me and none to Kirsty today, nothing serious, just humbling.

19th - Today Kirsty reminded me that she rules. After a few days sauntering and slowly practicing her more advanced techniques, she took the brakes off and, to be honest, I don't know how she didn't get another speeding citation! I was having a much better day today and getting really confident on the advanced runs, but Kirsty was so much faster and had to wait a good while for me at the bottom of each slope. I was aching quite a bit today and Kirsty was suffering from the cold (which has bitten her nose rather badly) so we only spent about 5 hours, out of a possible 12, on the piste and returned to the warmth of the soothing Jacuzzi. A much-reduced fall count today - things are getting better.

20th - Final day skiing and we were determined not to get hurt - it would be Sod's Law to be 2 days from coming home and get a broken leg. However, by this time Kirsty was really pushing me to have a go at some expert terrain and after a few warm-up runs, we leapt (well, shuffled in my case) like lemmings from the advanced plateaux onto the seemingly sheer mountain walls and it was great. Kirsty was clearly in her element now, looking every bit the consummate professional giving an occasional glace back at her ill-balanced embarrassment of a husband. In all seriousness though, it was great to get the experience of these black runs and I think I did okay - stayed upright and never had to resort to the dreaded 'snowplow' (a technique used by beginners to control speed and stability - but embarrassing for more advanced skiers to have to resort to). Kirsty tried to coax me into upping the pace a bit but I was sticking to my medium pace that I'm comfortable and safe with - I've got quite a bit quicker just these past few days though. I know my problem is balance, when I was learning I struggled with the proper technique I was being taught and developed my own that worked quite well but I don't lean forward enough which means I lose stability at speed - so I don't go fast or I die! Kirsty goes so fast that she either has perfect technique or doesn't care whether she lives or dies - which I put down to five months uninterrupted in my company! The Jacuzzi beckoned and the rental equipment needed to be returned. The fall count was really low today, we finished the week (and the USA leg of our adventures) on a real high and we have no injuries other than aching muscles, a bit of frost bite and a couple of bruises.

21st - Admin day. We had to pack all our things up that have been scattered around the seats and boot of the car, and organise them into our 3 suitcases, clean out the trusty V8 Interceptor and regretfully return her to the hire company in San Francisco. We arrived at the hire car place at 2pm as arranged to find that the sole owner was at a funeral and would not be back until 3, so we checked into our nearby hotel (a lovely and modern Sheraton) and checked-in at the airport to save time tomorrow. Retuning back at the hire car place at 3pm, the owner hadn't, so we waited another half an hour before we could hand the keys in and get a lift back to the hotel. It was a bit sentimental leaving the Ford Taurus in the car park (no tears or owt like that, you understand!) We have been 18,000 miles together up snowy mountains, through deserts, cities and gorges with only one breakdown on day 2 of 165. We have flogged the life out of her, loaded her down with far too much luggage, neglected her oil changes and subjected her to the god-awful radio stations you get in some states, and she hasn't complained a bit (after day 2, of course). But now we are in a hotel without any transport, tons of luggage and two flight tickets to take us to a snowy and cold country, where petrol costs 3 times as much and service doesn't come with a smile. But we couldn't care less because we're coming to a place that has Cadbury's, fish and chips, curry, money with the Queen on it and most of all friends and family. We loved America, but we're glad to be English and to be coming home. You can get the Brussels sprouts out of the freezer now Janice!

22nd - We were up early to get our flight from San Francisco to Manchester via Chicago. It's a shame all we will get to see of Chicago is an aerial view and the airport, but it is time to come back and we are more anxious to see England than Chicago so we're not too disappointed. The flights were on time and, bizarrely, not too tiring despite spending 14 hours in the air and crossing 7 time zones. But, best of all, we found the flight from Chicago to Manchester was in the Premium section - which really surprised us as we paid so little for it - which meant we had huge reclining armchairs with an on-board chef cooking the meals and bringing us all the beer we could cope with. We did have a little wait getting out of the air at Manchester because snow had delayed the airport's opening. After half an hour circling the runway we came in to land before the plane throttled up and shot back into the sky. The pilot said that there was too much air traffic and he felt he was too close to another plane so aborted the landing! When we did get down we had another half an hour wait because the swing arm exitway had malfunctioned and couldn't attach to the plane. By the time we got out, our luggage was already waiting for us and so was a smiling Uncle Barry to take us to Barnsley. Thanks very much Baz for collecting us, it was great to see a smiling familiar face.

We will be in the UK for about a month before heading off on the European leg of our World Tour in Kirsty's Micra - we have faith in the old girl (that means you can have your garage back now Dad!) We will continue to do a weekly blog because we have so much stuff to cram into the month - including a trip to Wem-ber-ley with the Reds - but it will probably be shorter with fewer photos until we cross the seas again. So please keep checking it out, we really love your comments on the blog and with just another 6,000 hits per week we have a chance of making it onto the STATravel blog of the week!