We are Helen and James, a couple of ex pat early retirees, slow traveling the world full time. Stay tuned as there's more to come....
My name is Helen and there's really not much I love more than taking a trip. I love it all, researching where to go, which airlines to fly with, planning the trip, reading about what exciting places I can visit and the people I will meet and the culture that exists. My second love is sharing my travels with everyone and hopefully making you feel as though you could be there too. Although my work a
nd budget mean I don't get to travel as much as I would like, I wanted to use this platform to share my experiences with you and hopefully inspire you to get up and go too! I hope you will enjoy travelling from your armchair, through cyberspace and the wonders of social media with me. Along the way I'd like to share experiences of airlines, hotels and places of interest and maybe offer some tips for your future travel.
Drove to the west side of Glacier NP to check in to our next hotel before we explore this side of the park. It’s another rustic chalet style hotel again with no AC or TV. Took a more scenic route over highway 89 and a cliff side ride on highway 49 and enjoyed breathtaking views and saw a Grizzly bear!
Big day today! Still cold and windy but we saw our first bear, some big horned sheep, a pair of groundhogs, chipmunks, deer and a lot of beautiful mountains and glaciers!
Dining options are limited here at the Many Gacier hotel with just 2 restaurants on site. Last night we tried the fine dining option the Ptarmigan Dining room. It’s located in a spectacular dining hall with soaring vaulted ceilings and offers commanding views of Swifcurrent Lake and Mount Griffin. Tables are laid with cloths and upon being seated water and bread service was offered.
The menu is reasonably varied and should offer something for everyone. James opted for the minestrone soup to start which was lacking in both broth and seasoning but was welcome on the particularly cold, windy and rainy day we were having. I opted for the pork belly which was deliciously sweet and salty and paired with the sauerkraut. For our main course James went with the Primavera pasta, which I didn’t photograph as it looked so terrible. It was literally cheap elbow pasta with melted butter, not a cream sauce, and diced veg on. I had the chicken breast, which was moist and very flavorful with a deliciously buttery sauce. It should have been served with the brown rice but came with potato, which was also buttery and seasoned vegetables. We declined dessert as we were full! Overall it seems your choices make a huge difference in the overall enjoyment. I found my dishes quite enjoyable but James’ choices much more disappointing.
We finally arrived! We were supposed to drive the 2.5 hours from whitefish yesterday but the weather had other ideas! Got here today, still not pretty weather and it’s freaking snowing again! Hopefully will clear up tomorrow! We are at the historic and very rustic Many Glacier hotel. No TV and limited WiFi but stunning views!
Eastbound again ans we overnight on Amtrak Empire Builder as we head to Glacier National Park.
Enjoy the view of the Seattle skyline from the rotating bar at the top of the Space Needle
If you are a little bit of an Av geek like me, or even if you’re not, a trip to the Boeing factory is well worth the short drive from Seattle. (Cue the did you bring a spanner (wrench) jokes)…..seriously we got to visit the largest manufacturing building in the world, the doors to each hangar are the size of a football field, and see the production line of the 777 and the Dreamliner (see the first pic). The scale of the operation is phenomenal and to see first hand how they imagine, manufacture and test the planes is fascinating. You aren’t allowed to take phones or cameras so these are the best pics we could do! We also saw a dreamlifter, there’s only 4 in the world so we were lucky, and see the test area with a plane in undergoing pre flight testing to flex the wings etc. well worth a visit and I got some swag that is carry on only friendly! The Boeing Company
Home for the next 35 hours, on Amtrak Coast Starlight, as we traverse the west coast of the USA up to Seattle.
Checked for our overnight stay and they had some in room reading….i guess they knew we were coming with a gin book! No collectible bear to add to the collection though 🥲
Leaving a dull and overcast San Diego on Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner and headed to our next quick overnight stop in LA, before another train tomorrow to head north to Seattle. After being given a snack box and drink the sun made an appearance as we neared LA and enjoyed the coastal route.
Yesterday we took a boat ride 10 miles out to search for whales and dolphins. I was skeptical that we’d see anything but saw not 1 but 3 blue whales, the largest animal on the planet! At one point one headed for the boat before diving last minute letting out a huge breath and going right underneath our boat. Truly amazing! We also saw common dolphins. The onboard naturalist estimated there to be around 100 dolphins around the boat. An amazing, memorable afternoon. San Diego Whale Watch
After an exhilarating drive up and through the mountains, we made our way to our next stop in San Diego. Great views from the 37th floor room!
We took a ride 8500 feet up on the Palm Springs Aerial tram
Take a drive through Joshua Tree NP with us….
Took a drive out to Joshua Tree NP where the Colorado and Mojave deserts meet. Initially the Colorado desert is much more dry, arid and flatter looking and once through the meeting point the Mojave gives way to mountains, of course Joshua trees and boulder formations. We headed up to Keys view which, at just over 5000 feet, offers commanding views of the Coachella vallley below.
After our convoluted trip by car, plane and train, we made it to our next stop here in Palm Springs where there is NO SNOW! Hurrah! We also have the full time travelers holy grail….an in unit washer and dryer! Hear the angels sing! 😂 this is a vacation club so a little dated but we got a VERY reasonable price and have a patio with a great view of the golf course and did I mention in unit washer and dryer! A full kitchen to cook and even a walk in closet!
Snagged a deal on an upgrade to domestic first class for $30 each! As a plus size traveler I try and upgrade where I can using points but this was a great deal!
Arrived in San Francisco and headed to our hotel for the night. The Doubletree SFO. We have stayed at tens of Hilton group hotels over the last 25 years, many repeatedly, and this is the first time we’ve ever walked out of one.
Firstly, the front desk failed to explain there were 2 towers and 2 sets of elevators so we spent 10 mins trying to find the room. On entry to the room the bedside lamp was literally hanging off the wall, there was a blood stain on the wall, bathroom mirror spit marks and stains on, curtain off hooks and hanging down and bed improperly made. I seriously thought I was at a Motel 6.
We do have elite status, irrelevant as they shouldn’t be treating anyone this way, but when we called down to the front desk instead of offering to try to resolve issues or send housekeeping said we could leave and they’d cancel our stay. So we did and are now in the very nice Hyatt Regency in an upgraded room and thanked for being an elite member.
It saddens me that many Hilton franchises have fallen so far and the customer service has sunk to such a low level. Hilton corporate don’t seem to care that their franchise owners are letting their properties fall in to disrepair and treat customers as an inconvenience.
Remember the doubletree in Redington beach it was amazing, then the following week had a housekeeper shout at us in an Embassy suites in Melbourne. Literally never had that happen at a Hyatt branded hotel only issues at US Hiltons. Hilton brands outside the USA are typically excellent but customer service has sunk to an all time low in the US. In short avoid this doubletree at SFO at all costs.
Long couple of travel days as we head to our next stop….up at 4am today for our flight from Jackson to Salt Lake City. When we were here last weekend it snowed, so we took an earlier flight, rented a car and headed out to Antelope Island today. Bison, deer and tons of birds with lovely scenery. Day room at the Hyatt before we catch the train at 11pm to arrive in San Francisco tomorrow evening. Overnight in San Fran before early flight weds am to Palm Springs. A convoluted way to get there but a way to see some more of the country by train.
And remember….don’t pet the fluffy cows!
I wish I could really show the beauty and expanse of these mountains, they are magnificent!
We came across this huge herd of Bison as we drove back to Jackson Hole from Grand Teton NP
Enjoy the view from Pacific Creek in Grand Tetons
As we travel full time with a carry on case and backpack we don’t have room for souvenirs, so I bought myself this sticker to put on my water bottle instead!
Last nights solar activity gave us a rare opportunity to experience the northern lights across much of North America. This was our view from outside our room in Wyoming.
Today was Elk day! After visiting the Mormon barn we came across this huge herd of Elk migrating north to Yellowstone. Watch the short video to see them cross the road in front of us! We stayed a respectful way back, unlike others……then a visit to a spectacular frozen Jenny Lake, a moose sighting, a chipmunk (video) and a couple of nesting Ospreys.
The snow finally stopped and made way for a stunning day at the park with snow capped mountains and dusted roads. We were able to see Elk, Moose and birds of prey and enjoy the crisp air.
We hadn’t had a chance to eat all day so grabbed an early dinner at the onsite restaurant at the hotel. I enjoyed chicken roulade with some herby and cheesy mashed potato and vegetables, while James opted for the tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. We shared a delicious crème brûlée cheesecake to finish!
Our cabin at the snowy Rustic Inn in Jackson Hole. A lovely, cozy setting to enjoy views of the creek on the edge of Teton National Park.
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Enjoy the view of the Seattle skyline from the rotating bar at the top of the Space Needle
After an exhilarating drive up and through the mountains, we made our way to our next stop in San Diego. Great views from the 37th floor room!
We took a ride 8500 feet up on the Palm Springs Aerial tram
Take a drive through Joshua Tree NP with us….
I wish I could really show the beauty and expanse of these mountains, they are magnificent!
We came across this huge herd of Bison as we drove back to Jackson Hole from Grand Teton NP
Enjoy the view from Pacific Creek in Grand Tetons
Bumpy flight here and just waiting to check in! Yes that’s a lot of snow!
May 5th and this white stuff keeps following us! It’s coming down much heavier than this now too!
California Zephyr arriving in to Green River UT
The not so glamorous side of full time travel! Laundry day! No facilities here so sink and travel washing line it is! Next week our hotel has real laundry facilities! Yay!
A tour of our Roomette on the California Zephyr on our way to Denver. I didn’t break the table it was just stiff!
Our Amtrak Roomette on the California Zephyr for the next 18 hours to our next stop in Denver, CO
Take a tour of the Presidential Suite at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport. I’m not often speechless but I think I am now….we used a free night award from our World of Hyatt credit card and with that and our Globalist status got upgraded to the presidential suite! This is possibly the biggest upgrade we’ve ever had! It’s 1200 sq feet with a separate bedroom, dining room, living room and kitchen with 4 balconies overlooking both runways! We’ve stayed in this hotel many times as it’s conveniently located inside the terminal at what was our home airport, but this has blown us away!
The new high speed Brightline rail link is situated in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach.
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