The famous Billy Goat Tavern.
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5th August 2024 at 00:08 - Damian
Yesterday morning we walked from our Airbnb to Logan Square, bought a couple of paper day passes each and took the blue line into Washington Station.
8 lines converge of the centre of Chicago with 5 of them running a loop around the heart of the city above the street. Our blue line was deep underground.
The rail network is called the "L" for "elevated" (even though not all of it is aboveground).
Beneath the "L". Definitely early game GTA IV vibes here.
4th August 2024 at 03:10 - Damian
We're staying in an Airbnb in the Logan Square neighbourhood in Chicago.
Last night we were knackered so we went to a nearby place called Monster Ramen for some comfort food and some shaved coconut ice on the way back.
The ramen was exquisite!
Today we're going to walk into Logan Square, buy some day passes and do an architectural walking tour in the city.
Spicy ramen! 🍜
4th August 2024 at 03:03 - Damian
Before we left NZ we purchased a couple of T-Mobile SIM cards. Each with 10GB data and unlimited calls and texts. They're valid for 30 days each and we've offset their start and end dates to cover the 32 days we're here.
We got the cards online from Australia-based SimCorner. $106.50 all up. They were fast to deliver and have comprehensive instructions.
Which I didn't read.
My Nokia G21 isn't compatible with T-Mobile's 4G LTE bands so we're constantly hot-spotting from Sally's phone.
T-Mobile prepaid SIM card from Simcorner.
4th August 2024 at 02:54 - Damian
In Chicago they have the Ventra app which is geo-locked to US-based phones only. We hoped the app would become available once we were on US soil but no.
So if you want to get around you can each buy a physical card for US$5 and top them up or you can buy paper single ride tickets or day passes from vending machines at train stations.
We've opted for paper tickets because US$10 initial fee is a lot of NZ rupees and a waste of plastic.
A paper Metra ticket. Not compatible with the Ventra rail and bus tickets.
4th August 2024 at 02:46 - Damian
In Denver you can download the RRD MyRide app to get around on public transport. It was easy to top up and use with multiple tickets.
We only ever bought $5.50 day passes and used them to go as far afield as Boulder.
We only used it on busses where you scan each ticket as you board. Day passes that include the airport are more expensive.
A screenshot of the RTD MyRide app.
4th August 2024 at 02:39 - Damian
In San Francisco the main way to get around by public transport is with a Clipper card.
You can add it directly to an Android phone with Google Wallet and top it up from there directly. Then use your phone.
Except you can't. We found out when we went to use them. It just kept failing. Their readers aren't coping with RFID on phones yet.
So we each bought a physical card (costs US$3 initially) and you can top it up manually from machines or online.
A physical Clipper card. Currently a better option than an Android phone.
US$10.50 from the airport to the CBD. US$8 to ride the cable cars. US$2.50 short hops around town.
4th August 2024 at 02:30 - Damian
On Thursday we left Denver at 1900 and arrived at 1430 the following day in Chicago. Once again, not a great sleep in coach class. Sally managed to sleep a bit but the seats are awkward and there are PEOPLE. America people. Sartre said it best.
The scenery through Iowa and Illinois was fields of corn that went on forever. Lush but what do you do when you're not combine harvesting?
We really enjoyed Denver. It felt cleaner and safer than SF.
Denver Union Station from the platform.
Chicago Union Station from the great hall.
1st August 2024 at 04:30 - Damian
Another early start today to get in line for a free tour of the Denver Mint. Unfortunately no phones allowed so no photos. Pretty interesting though.
Spools of metal are stamped into blanks, the blanks are heated and then run through dies to stamp the coins. They mint something like 7,000,000 pennies per day but can do much more. It costs 3c to make 1c and 11c to make 5c but that's made up for in the dimes and quarters.
The raised ridge on the edge of the coin is to reduce wear.
Souvenir blank and penny from the Denver Mint.
31st July 2024 at 05:49 - Damian
Set the alarm for 0430 in order to catch the bus to Boulder for a hike and beat the heat of the day.
11km walk along the river and up the Anemone Trail with good views over Boulder and Denver in the distance.
Incredibly dry. Apparently only 7% humidity which, as an Aucklander, I can't compute.
Along the trail.
View from the top. A bit boring but it's always nice to be up high.
Back down near the river that flows through town.
The trail.
31st July 2024 at 05:28 - Damian
Lunch in Boulder at the Bohemian Biergarten. Rabbit and rattlesnake sausage. Actual rabbit and actual rattlesnake 🐇 🐍.
Rabbit and rattlesnake sausage with sauerkraut, fries and pretzel bread.
30th July 2024 at 10:41 - Damian
We tried out the app GPSmyCity as an alternative to a traditional walking tour. They have a 3 day trial but it costs US$19/year subscription. We'd be happy to pay that if it was any good but it was stale and dry. The self-guided tour we sampled of downtown Denver missed some quite interesting features (such as the Big Blue Bear) and tried to take us through a construction zone. Uninstalled.
30th July 2024 at 10:35 - Damian
Self-guided walking tour of Denver today. A bit hot out so we cut it short and went to a pub.
I thought these were sausages from afar but they're supposed to be water balloons.
I don't know what this building is but it was near the Civic Centre Park. (edit: it's a new hotel designed to look like the bark of an aspen tree)
Denver Art Museum.
Big Blue Bear outside the Convention Centre.
29th July 2024 at 00:49 - Damian
It's 0630 mountain time and we're passing through a little town called Helper somewhere east of Salt Lake City on our way from San Francisco to Denver on the train. Although the coach seats are huge we both didn't sleep well. Couldn't get comfortable. 20 hours in and only 12 hours to go to Denver.
A Union Pacific logo on the side of a freight train.
Sunrise in Utah.
28th July 2024 at 05:01 - Damian
Yesterday our bus from Yosemite to Merced was rescheduled which meant we missed our connecting train by 30 minutes. Which also meant we had to wait for four hot (40°C) hours in Merced for the next train. No biggie; we're on holiday.
We stayed in a hotel in Emeryville last night near the train station in preparation for the California Zephyr trip to Denver this morning.
Little Oven Pizza in Merced. Top notch!
28th July 2024 at 04:56 - Damian
On our last day we chilled out and walked to Yosemite Village, the Yosemite Falls (with many tourists) and took a loop bus down to the foot of El Capitan to swim in the Merced River.
A crowded Yosemite Falls.
View of El Capitan from the Merced River below. I recommend the documentary, Free Solo which is about climbing this face!
28th July 2024 at 04:50 - Damian
Here's where we didn't stay in Yosemite. The Ahwahnee hotel. Flash as.
The Ahwahnee hotel.
25th July 2024 at 06:47 - Damian
11km flattish valley walk yesterday. Today a 13km hike up to Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls. Early start at 0530 to beat the heat and to get through a section of track they close at 0700. 950m climb.
Half Dome on the left. Liberty Cap and Nevada Falls on the right.
Yosemite Valley loop including Mirror Lake.
Mist Trail and John Muir Trail including Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.
23rd July 2024 at 13:58 - Damian
Our accommodation for the next four nights. There have been bears hanging around so it's strictly no food in the tents. There are bear-proof lock boxes outside each tent.
Our tent at Curry Village.
23rd July 2024 at 13:56 - Damian
Yosemite! We arrived here mid-afternoon. It was 43°C in Merced (where we changed from train to bus) today and low 30s up here. We're going to have to start hiking early tomorrow to avoid the heat.
Someone had set up an easel in the meadow near our camp. Half Dome in the distance.
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