The last leg of the journey was from Wall, South Dakota to Gerry's home in Rochester, Minnesota. A long and uneventful drive across sprawling prairie land, only broken by the crossing of the wide river Missouri. I say uneventful, except for a cracked windscreen one hour from home - thank god for belts and bracers insurance cover!

We returned the car to Hertz after 3,600 miles on the roads of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, South Dakota and Minnesota. Coincidentally, I can add another 3,600 miles of railroad travel on the Empire Builder from Chicago to Portland and the Coast Starlight from Portland to Los Angeles (plus the Grand Canyon Railway - Willams to Grand Canyon Junction and back). The trains took me through Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Arizona.

It has been a great experience and something I have always wanted to do since first visiting the USA. Business and family travel have frequently taken me to Pennsylvania and Minnesota but there was so much more I wanted to see. This trip covered the Midwest and West but its a big place so there's another trip to do the Southern states. (Perhaps next year?)

Almost everyone I met was friendly and very helpful. However, it is true to say that our shared language does continue to separate us. On a number of occasions, there were exchanges of blank looks as each party tried to decide if we had misheard or were dealing with an idiot.

I invariably struggled with food portioning at restaurants and fear for the children of America. For many, there will need to be concerted dietary education or the fitting of wheels on heavy duty suspensions.

The magnitude and variety of the scenery was constantly grabbing my attention and I have lots of memories to take away with me. I'd like to thank Annie for letting me loose for a month and Gerry for finding the time to travel with me.

So end of the trip...................but only a week or so before I head off for Ireland, land of my forefathers and home of the hangover!

Cheers for now