Sat Nav and San Francisco don't mix. I set off early to beat the rush and had gone one block before the sat nav told me to "return to route". For some reason it lagged at least a couple of blocks behind and wanted me to turn left all the time. (something the City authorities seem to have banned as it just wasn't possible).I switched it off and used the man method .... I just drove with a rudimentary street plan. A mere 14 miles later I ended up heading north over the fog shrouded Golden Gate Bridge. It may be a lot shorter than the Humber Bridge but it is way more impressive.
The journey up to Reno was fairly uneventful with no wrong turnings and yet more spectacular mountain scenery. I turned off the interstate a few times to have a look at stuff including the "Donner Lake Park" near "Truckee". There I found a pine cone as big as my shoe.
The scenery and scale is so vast that it takes your breath away. I am beginning to get an understanding, I think, of why Americans are the way they are. I can only guess it has something to do with the sheer size of the place.
Man cannot live by juice alone. If I don't get some vegetables inside me soon I may end up like Elvis. This diet is playing merry hell with the internal economy. I had a salad when I arrived which admittedly contained lettuce and tomatoes; however it was sabotaged by blue cheese, bacon strips and a very heavy dressing.
There is an ad here, which is very funny, for a lite beer which applauds the "genius who invented...". It goes something along the lines of "The taco salad; a 12,000 calorie feast of ground beef, cheese and a few sorry scraps of lettuce....is it healthy? It's a salad aint it?!"
Now its time to be a high roller ... or more likely a low roller as I have never been a gambler. I hope don't get a taste for it....
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2
12 comments:
Greetings Dark Lord ...... sounds like a Taco salad is on the menu .... after all it is a salad ... dont forget the fries !!
Hiya oh Dark Lord! Last time I was in San Francisco, in fact the only time, was in '78 I think, on exercise in Canada when I was in the Army (British type you understand), and we had a week off and I flew down to SF. I arrived on Halloween and unbeknown to me that is the big big day in the Gay calender! Me being a young, fit soldier with a 'tache, I attracted some glances from Village people types.....you be careful!!
the american theory: meat is concentrated vegtables cut out the middle man.
just don't let the scenery turn you american.
matt
I know what Alex means about the salad, when Mel and I were in Vegas we went to the ala carte restaurant in the Luxor, I chose a prawn cocktail which turned up in a pseudo brandy glass like the size your mum had on the sideboard. HUGE! We also went to the Treasure Island buffet-'All you can eat $15' and you've 2 hours to do it in!
Hi Alex,
Glad to see you have made it to Reno. How did you manage with the time lag? It gets worse when you come back to the U.K.. You'll probably sleep a few days.
Missing the real ale? I hear the U.S. has a few exciting micro breweries. As for salads, I think you will have to call into a Wal-Mart and buy the ingredients to make your own.
Have you tried any of the "greasy spoon" cafe's yet? Coits is recommended by me and the missus.
Missing you!
Enjoy your stay in the U.S. of A.
Way to go Dark Lord.Std Greetings. I did the MGM Grand Reno once & walked away up $10. If i remember rightly the railroad runs through it. I wouldn't rely on the say nav.
Ceva Johnny.
Hi Alex,just a word to the wise on the beer front, steer clear of the Bud and hook into the Miller Genuine Draft ( MGD ).It goes down like lolly water and won't bloat you out or give you heartburn.Take it from someone who knows! Keep on truckin'
Keep on truckin!
Hi Alex,
Hope you didn't lose your shirt, especially as you're tavelling light.....Gambling! ... remember it's just a tax for people who aren't very good at maths... ;) Roll em: but just for fun cowboy!
On on my hols too, so will catch up with you next Monday when I get back home.......
Try "Indian Style Salad"... if you come across it, there's all sorts of good stuff in that, including beans...
Bon Appetit!
Keep smiling
Rachel
xxx
have a great trip dark lord.all the best.roy
Alex, there are bears in Yosemite,believe me. I saw em. Got bitten by a racoon there...my own fault..was feeding the criter. Try rolling trousers up & standing in the freezing river & tickling trout under the gaze of El Capitan..
Alex,
Finally caught up with your blogs...you can get a real salad...just not at fast food places! Don't even try Wal-mart, yuck. Whilst you are in the USA I have another week here in the UK, great weather until the downpour today..I have even been able to find salads, tee hee hee. cheers!
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