Baghdad By The Bay

San Francisco

I was hoping for great things from San Francisco after hearing so much, and first impressions? Feels like London, smells like Amsterdam. Or at least the commercial bits do anyway. When you get out to the piers, London doesn't have quite so many sea-lions. And speaking of sea-lions, we can briefly bring back the wildlife list which has taken a bit of a break since New York or somewhere as all the wildlife has been the same. But now, much further south and on the Pacific Ocean, we can add sea-lions (have I mentioned that I've seen some sea-lions?) and also some pelicans (bit more of a natural setting than the ones in London). I saw some bison too, but they weren't wild.

Pacific Ocean

For a city that I don't think is very photogenic, somehow I managed to take over 125 pictures which is a lot for me. I went on a walking tour with Wild Wes, went round the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), but I spent most my time walking around the shoreline or Golden Gate Park as they are massive. Quickly back to SFMOMA and my comparisons of art museums that seems to have become a substantial part of this trip. The Columbus Museum of Art is still easily the best I've seen. SFMOMA like so many other places has an amazing building, a fairly large collection, but being modern art so much of it goes straight over my head and nothing really stood out as being exceptional. I did however manage to complete a game where you have to find clues hidden in pieces of art and then decode the message to find some result. The result in this case was a phone number and with such a crappy phone I didn't find out what that was about. But with a different result, it could be a really good activity to make people more involved in such obscure art.

Some quality scenery to be seen walking around underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and then following the headland for my first proper view of the Pacific Ocean. One hell of a long walk though. There's also a hill on Moraga Street which is less well known than the Twin Peaks, but still some stunning views across the entire city, and when I was up there really shows the strange weather systems that the city can experience.

Looking over San Francisco, Golden Gate Bridge is hidden in the clouds somewhere

Top of hill on Moraga St.

Back on the bus for a relatively short overnight trip down to San Diego. No crazies. No overwhelming smells. Just an absolutely rammed bus. And with it being an Express coach (kind of like 1st class for Greyhound) I thought I'd be able to get some decent sleep. But with the guy next to us encroaching on my seat space (think of when you share a bed with someone, the girl always takes the middle half) and some strange seat design that makes it impossible to rest your head without straining your neck, I got pretty much no sleep. The lack of suspension and the prevalence of bumps and potholes didn't help either. Neither did the condescending driver turning on the lights at half 1 in the morning to wake everyone up for the stop at Burger King.

Golden Gate Bridge

Being driven down the West coast, I've seen a number of places that I would have stayed at had the cycling continued, and from the "comfort" of the bus those places are horrible. Having seen that, and not having a mission to distract me, I really want to come home now. I don't really want to deal with motels, hostels or couches. Once you've seen a place and taken some photos, with nobody to share it with it quickly becomes mundane and the whole experience becomes even more lonely. Hopefully I can see some familiar faces soon and in just over 3 weeks I'll be home again. Cannot wait!

Finally, for anyone adventurous enough to have a Google account and venture into Google+, I've posted a load more photos on there, up to and including San Francisco photos. Link on the right takes you to my profile, and then you should be able to get to my photos from there.

Windy City

Sue, Field Museum Chicago

Arriving in Chicago I headed over to the hostel to get meself a bed for a few nights. Yeah, didn't go so well, but at least I had something for one night. Without a bed I had to spend the evening trying to find a couch to sleep on so I couldn't really relax and enjoy the city. Next morning I headed off to the aquarium as I've not been to one for a while. Hour and a half queue? Field Museum instead will have to do instead. Fairly decent, but has the kind of normal museum set-up where I just get bored after a little while. Also, for a natural history museum, having a toy of Belle from Beauty & The Beast as an example of a human ("not lifesize") is a pretty poor show.

Went to meet my first host, Andrew, and managed to accomplish a few things. First of all, I got a post onto Craigslist to sell my bike. Second, I got directions to a department store where I could buy new pants, new socks, new shorts, and a new shirt. Finally, I booked a flight home (landing in the not-so-fair city of Manchester on 2nd September). That new sock feeling is just incredible, but to be able to wear clothes that don't hum makes a good change. The bike had interest and was effectively sold within 20 minutes to a guy called Igor who wanted to swap a couple of things round, but the bike itself will be continuing to tour around the States at various times so it's a happy new beginning. With Andrew and my new clothes we headed out to go drinking. $10 for an open bar and 3000 miles to celebrate.

Piece by Roy Lichtenstein

Another day and another host. Met Zach after selling the bike and buying me Greyhound Discovery Pass. One authentic Chicago Deep Dish Pizza later we headed back to his, a little North of Chicago, to meet his cat, dump me bag and then head out to a street festival and to meet a couple of his friends. Grabbed some beers and played a fairly complex game about farming where myself and another newcomer to the game were well and truly trounced despite our more diverse and prosperous farms.

Time for another art museum comparison, and this time it's the world renowned Art Institute of Chicago. Incredible building, great collection, still not as good as the Columbus Art Museum. Maybe it's just the size of the collection and the need to show it that takes precedence over coming up with ways in which it can be interacted with?

After a spot of rock climbing (my phobia of heights is just getting worse) a few more beers, and being woken up at 6:15 am it was time to leave Chicago. Coming up soon: The Greyhound Diaries.

IN Indy

Listening to: Human Fly performed by Brown Bottle Flu

State Capitol, Indianapolis IN

Three achievements to report here: 14 State capitals, 2500 miles and 3 months in the States. From here on in, I'm making use of the B2 visa.

Following on from things going randomly right in Richmond, my public request for a couch in Indianapolis was answered by a teacher called Brandon who has an entire summer off with nothing to do other than party. Events were started with a trip to a brewery where they do tastings much the same as they do in wineries. Great concept, but a fair amount of beer to get through in one go and by the time you get to the last beer you can't taste anything nearly as well as when you started.

Original LOVE sculpture, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Another day, and another art museum - the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Decent collection of art, and home of the first 'LOVE' sculpture, but not as good as the Columbus Museum of Art. The IMA has a better collection but just doesn't inspire the same connection with the art. There are some good quality gardens that are well worth the look around though. The best thing to cure a day of culture? A bar where you turn up with your own giant goblets for cheap beer (cheap crappy beer anyway).

Canal District, Indianapolis IN

After a little confusion I met up with my second CouchSurfing host, Becs, and do I fancy going to see a band? Of course I do! We were driven down to Bloomington IN by one of Becs' friends after we picked up her previous CouchSurfer, a crazy German guy by the name of Axel. Arrived at the venue and nothing. Band haven't shown up. Bit of berating on Facebook over dinner and the gig's back on! First time I've seen a 3 piece punk band play with only 3 bass strings, playing to an audience you could count on your fingers, but quality version of Human Fly. The guitarist and bassist were both in separate bands in a battle of the bands playing across town. We did the groupie thing and headed over where there was a crowd so big you'd have to take at least one of your socks off to count the number of people. 1 beer, 1 hairy bear, 1 share of a fishbowl, 5 bands and home at half 3 - decent evening.

I think I now know what my next plans are. I've been cycling for 3 months and I've covered a significant distance, but if I carried on cycling I'd have to really bump up the distance cycled per day and I'd still miss a lot of sights. The massive three people who answered my question on Facebook have confirmed that stopping cycling and doing a bit of sightseeing is the right thing to do. The plan then is simple: cycle to Lansing MI for capital number 15 and follow the lake round to Chicago IL. Sell / give away / abandon the bike and continue the journey by train or bus most likely in some kind of loop going to Seattle, San Fransisco, Utah, New Orleans and work my way back to New York to fly home again. If anyone has any suggestions for places to visit then leave comments, send messages, Skype, email, etc. etc.

America - Fuck Yeah!

(Sorry Granddad, it's a reference to Team America. You won't like it.)

Everyone is wearing: Short shorts.

4th July fireworks

Columbus Ohio - State capital number 13, over 2300 miles covered. I arrived in Columbus on 4th July, an important day in America celebrated with quality foods such as burgers and hotdogs, and by blowing shit up. Independence Day celebrates America's independence from British rule. A key influence in this was the raising of taxes on the Colonies without representation in Parliament.

Taxation without representation is tyranny.

A tyranny that Americans fought against and upheld the principle as a cornerstone of their democracy, unless you live in the nation's capital, Washington DC, in which case you get taxed as much as anyone else and only have one guy in the House of Representatives who can only listen to what's happening and not vote and that's it as far as representation goes. Independence Day is a reminder that America is free from British rule. That Britain no longer has any say in its direction or development. That Britain can claim no responsibility for America's growth and rise to superiority as a global superpower. That Britain can no longer claim any responsibility for America's foreign policy, warmongering or crippling debt. That Britain is free!

Fine pair of beards

My stay in Columbus began with meeting my WarmShowers host for a few nights, Josh. Got to say - he has one luxurious beard. 4th July in America wouldn't be 4th July in America without a cookout and fireworks and I've been fortunate enough to experience it. We headed out to a friend of Josh's for burgers, hotdogs and beers with an impressive collection of beards on display. On the way to the park to watch the firework display, we were surrounded by kids with glowsticks. Looked like something out of Avatar and not something to be tried on a bad acid trip. The fireworks came complete with patriotic soundtrack that everyone claimed not to like or listen to and yet they all knew the words. We missed the start of the fireworks as they were set off a little early to miss the approaching storm (another one - this 40 C heat with 60% humidity is just crippling; the dew point was 25 C the other night) which we just about avoided on the way home.

Mobiles constructed by visitors to Columbus Museum of Art

In COSI, yup, another science museum, I thought I had a new favourite museum. The first exhibit about the ocean was just incredible. There were water jets and games and fun things all over the place in a space that looked like a cave with a giant statue of Neptune looking over things. After that though, somehow I just couldn't connect with the rest of the exhibits. There seemed to be too many things that were for kids and just there for the sake of fun and the educational aspect didn't really come across, or there was just displays of things that were a bit boring and didn't inspire. So, Connecticut Science Center remains my favourite museum for now. Honourable mention for the Columbus Museum of Art though. Not the biggest collection, but with post-it notes and set questions all over the place, materials to make sculptures and tags with emotions to make you find a piece that conveys that emotion, the museum engaged visitors with the art better than any other museum that I can remember. Any place that has a collection of shapes and holes and tunnels and asks kids to make a quality fort with supplied sheets and cushions has got to be doing something right.

Oh say can you see...

The sun in a scaled distance model of the solar system

I left Annapolis in blazing sunshine again an immediately got lost looking for a bike trail to take me most of the way to Baltimore. After several miles a scaled distance model of the solar system began with Pluto. About 3 miles later I found the sun. I'm just the nerdy kind of guy that would think that was a good idea.

The trail took me to Baltimore/Washington International Airport where there's another trail going around the perimeter. Blatantly I have to take the long route round adding 10 miles to me journey, but was nice. And once off the trail, I got properly lost. I think I've found somewhere with worse traffic signposting than Warrington. Had to ask several people for directions and was still lost until I was on the far side of the harbour and could see Baltimore clearly. I tried a couple of students for a sofa but got nowhere so went to find the hostel. $30 a night - done! When I woke up, with a bit more to see in Baltimore, crappy weather and several aches and pains I thought it'd be an idea to stick in Baltimore for a whole day and get an extra night in the hostel.

American Visionary Art Museum

Baltimore is home to the National Aquarium. I always seem to end up in aquariums or zoos for some reason (maybe because I like them) so why stop now? Met a guy from the hostel (Dev) in there and so we stuck together for the next adventure - American Visionary Art Museum. Some crazy things in there - some visionary, some just bad. Particular highlights were a sphere made from 18000 bras and a multiple ping-pong ball run made of matchsticks depicting numerous iconic scenes of San Francisco. Final trip was to Walters Art Museum before relaxing with me Kindle for the evening.

I've made a couple of updates to the progress page and feel as though I need to clarify the injuries received so far. The first was getting scratched by a kitten using my head as a springboard across a sofa. The second was cutting my finger slightly while trying to get keys out of me over-packed bag.