Tour Managers Tales

We are now back in the UK at least the sun is shining, nearly as warm as it was when we left LA. The last day (Wednesday) seen us heading to Hollywood, most of the group went off with Redline Walking Tours for an insight into the Hollywood "life", after lunch we travelled through Sunset Strip and Beverley Hills before arriving at the airport for the flight to London with Virgin. Alas it was time to say our farewells and hopefully take home some great memories of the 2, 493 miles that we travelled since arriving in LA on the 9th June, just a quick recap, San Diego and its old town, Phoenix and its heat, Sedona with its beautiful red stone rock formations, to the Grand Canyon and the memorable flight, to the glitz and glamour that is Las Vegas, through the desert to Calico the old silver mine town, and not forgetting the afternoon stop in Tehachapi, for that wonderful cream pie !!! next it was off to Yosemite to walk among those old sequoia, and marvel at the scenery and of cou

Hello, from Anaheim, arrived here on Sunday after a lovely drive down the Pacific Coast from Santa Barbara, staying at the Clarion Hotel in Anaheim, nice and easy for Disneyland, Monday I took the group to Universal Studios for the day ... some got wet !!!! and it had nothing to do with the weather which was a nice 75 F. Today everyone is free to head to Disney whenever they please, it is open until midnight, so lots of time, another nice weather day today (Tuesday) again in the mid 70's. Another paperwork day for me today get everything finished, and ready for home tomorrow evening on the wonderful Virgin .....

Hello, had a great day off in San Francisco, really had a quiet day, got my haircut and just done a load of paperwork, it was good. Today (Saturday) travelled south from San Fran through to Monterey, I think this is a lovely city, would love to spend a few days there, later we went to Carmel and then travelled down Highway 1, Big Sur and a stop to view the elephant seals at San Simeon, then arrived at our Hotel in Cambria, have had Crab Cakes and a Ceaser salad for dinner they are wonderful... off to Solvang an old Danish town in the morning no doubt will have to try out the Danish Pastries !!! then its on to Santa Barbara for lunch and down the coast towards LA and into Anaheim for Disneyland.

Hello from San Francisco, arrived this morning from Sonora, a busy day, dropped the group at Pier 39 for lunch, then I went up to the hotel dropped off the luggage so it would be in the bedrooms by the time we arrived later, went back to Pier 39 picked up the group and the local guide, Craig, and went off on a city tour for 3 hours, and checked out all the great sights that this city has to offer, arrived at the hotel at about 16.15, got everyone in, and had time to wash my face, and it was off out again on an evening tour. First we went over to Sausalito for dinner, everyone just made their own arrangements, there are some nice eateries there. I settled for a delicious, BBQ chicken burger ... cooked fresh in front of me ...  We left and then headed back towards San Fran, and took a drive through the city to see the nice lights !!! went up Nob Hill, and down California Street, I thought some of the group were going to die when we started to come down (its a very steep street) the

Well we left the glitz and glamour and all that is Vegas behind on Tuesday and started the journey through the Mojave Desert to Calico, an old silver mining ghost town, had some really good chilli for lunch ... then it was on to Tehachapi, where we stopped at the fantastic Kelcy's for cream pie ... is it to die for ... then it was on to Viasalia for an overnight before heading into Yosemite today (Wednesday) the weather was fantastic, started off at Mariposa Grove, where there are hundreds of old Sequoia trees, then it was down to Tunnel View Point, for a great view of the Bridal Veil Falls, Half Dome and El Capitan..... thats the photo, tonight we arrived in Sonora, went down to the bar to check on my group, the entertainment tonight is "karaoke" well I was surprised they were all there, none singing though ... but I decided that they should so volunteered them all to sing so we did a boys and girls song "Summer Loving" from Grease ... it was a laugh,  that got

It has been a couple of days since I last posted sorry ... been busy and really tired.... no excuse I know. Have been up at the Grand Canyon where it was a really cold and miserable wet day with an occasional lighting storm, was actually quite pleased to get away from the place, stayed overnight in Flagstaff at the Radisson Woodlands nice hotel ... but it was reported that Flagstaff had just had its coldest summer day since records begun !!! mind you it was still warmer at 55 F than when I was there on Christmas Eve when it was minus - 19F, that was cold. Well now away from that cold weather and have been in Vegas for the last 2 days, where it is a little warmer at 95F ... had a great night tour last night (Sunday) managed to see 2 shows at the Freemont Street Experience which was great, the fountains at Bellagio another great sight, this is a great city I love it. This morning we had a quick visit to the Hoover Dam, and was back in Vegas by 12 noon.... had a lazy afternoon, caught up

Hello, greetings from San Diego, California, arrived last night (Wednesday), flew into Los Angeles, with Virgin from London, uneventful flight, but it did however remind me how much I like flying with BA  or any other airline if it comes down to it... !! had a not so pleasant crew, none of them smiled, and if they did it was probably wind, which I am sure they are all full of. Git everyone together and managed to get out of LAX by 16.45, which wasn't bad, but of course managed to get all the rush hour traffic, but the weather was nice a bit cloudy but low 70's, by the time we got to San Diego it was down to 67.... Today have a city tour this morning and a relatively quiet afternoon, try and catch up on some sleep, never stopped for 3 days since coming back from Seattle on Tuesday, it was a rush but I made it.... Early start tomorrow (Friday) as we head though the desert to Phoenix, Arizona.

Well home at last, for a few hours anyway to get the washing done, have had a change of work schedule this week, should have been going to Calgary and the Rockies on Sunday but now its California here I come ...... tomorrow morning .... been a hectic day getting paperwork finished for the last tour and getting the paperwork started for the new one .... but hey ho its all work... only downside, flying with Virgin to LA .... then the drive to San Diego .. for 2 nights, that should be nice, hopefully !! catch up again from San Diego, California.

Hello, well back once again on dry land in Seattle, had another excellent week in Alaska on the Norwegian  Pearl, the weather was a bit up and down but on the whole was not too bad, Glacier Bay was excellent, it was great to see the glaciers up close, to hear and see them calving was exciting, will try and add a picture, also managed to get an up close picture of an American Bald Eagle, okay it was in a sanctuary but still managed to get close. At Seattle airport now for the BA flight back to London, yet another flight that the crew have turned up for .. you know what is the point..... its not about the crew its all about the union, a power trip.Enough of my rant about them, grateful to the BA crew for turning up for work ... thanks again.