bt3.com/Baz's 2000 USA Holiday
Southern Spectacular/USA's Scenic Heritage.
Or, Dulles to Dallas, 2000.

Where and how?

What?

The USA. As I mentioned at the time you clicked the link to this page?

To be precise, a fully escorted coach tour, starting in Washington D.C. ... and overnighting in: Arlington, VA, just across the Potomac from the Nation's Capital, thence to Williamsburg VA, Charleston SC, Atlanta GA, Montgomery AL, New Orleans LA, Houston TX, San Antonio TX ... and leaving from Dallas TX.

Marvellous.

No, better than that.

Do yourself a favour, and navigate through this holiday using the hyperlinks scattered throughout the text. If you want to go back to the start, or feel a need to go to my site homepage, well, by now you should know what to do? :o)

Day 1. Wednesday September 13, 2000

So, where is this car taking me? Rochdale Town Hall, that's where. Hardly the most glamorous of places to start a holiday, but impressive enough architecturally to allegedly warrant interest from a certain WWII despot (tiny moustache: clue enough?) Anyway, I'm being picked up from the town centre for the journey down to London's Heathrow Airport.

And boy, am I excited? Silly question, you just know I am!

05:20 The transport is already here! All I've got to do is pay the taxi driver, get my case and shoulder bag thrown in the back of the people-carrier, and we're off!

It's still dark and oh so quiet on the roads on the way out of Rochdale. First off, we (Paul, the driver and I) set off down to the M6's Knutsford Motorway Services to pick up a couple from the northwest. Titan Hitours, a Redhill, surrey, UK tour company, has this excellent policy of picking one up from any one of 1500 local departure points in the UK. Heck, they even have their own fleet of vehicles!

05:50 Ah. This fuel shortage is exerting more of an impression on me than I thought it would. Naturally there's quite a few vehicles queuing for the stuff on the access road to the Service Area. Eventually, after a little manoeuvring, we get to pick up the couple who haven't been waiting for too long. Well, they look happy enough to see us. Well, they're going on holiday! Luckily, it's the same holiday as I.

06:15 We leave Knutsford. Look, I know this is hardly exciting reading so far, but would you think less of me if I didn't put every detail I can recall in an account such as this?

Ah. Look, you didn't actually have to think about that!

08:10 Breakfast, at a services on the M40. I reckon I've been here before, but reason that all these places look alike anyway on this road. Look, you don't actually need to know what I ate, ok?

08:40 Back on the road.

09:40 My heart is pounding, because we're almost here! Whoo-hoo! Heathrow Terminal 4. Actually, we're a little early, and have to circle the block once to wait for a Titan representative to come out of the building. Well, one would hardly want to be left alone at an unfamiliar airport, would one?!

Checking in, security formalities over, I spend a bit of time sitting and people watching before heading, via a roundabout route, for Dixons (a UK electrical retailer) to see if I can buy myself a modem for my pocket computer. I can! (Ok, it didn't actually work for me once I arrived in the 'States, but hey, I got it duty free!) Next, a little wander about before the gate number is displayed on the monitors. Gate 1b. Now, both I and the people I'm along with misread this. So we head down to gate 16. Big mistake. Well, the moving walkway heads TO gate 16, but NOT the other way. No matter, I see it as a chance to stretch one's legs before the monotony of the plane journey. We finally arrive at gate 1b. Marvellous.

11:30 We begin boarding. Well, not exactly. Actually, it's a walk down a winding ramp to street level, and boarding a bus. We're being driven there?! Ah, it's taking us to the aircraft! And we've got to climb stairs! Whatever happened to modern technology and those wonderful, adjustable, gate access mechanisms? Dunno. So ...

11:50 We board the aircraft (wow, but those engines are big!) and settle in. It's a Boeing 777-400, registration G-VIIC. I used to be a plane spotter. But I'm alright now, honest! I'm in seat 29C, an aisle seat on the left of the plane. I'm sat next to two ladies who I find out are also doing the same tour as I, so at least that's an ice-breaker.

12:27 I remember the days when so many BBC Radio 4 weekday programmes used to start at this time, but hey, none of us are getting any younger, are we? Yes, back to the plot, we start to move. According to a marker along the side of the taxiway, it appears we're taking off from Runway 27L. I should know which way that's pointing. (It's either east or west, and, as I'm supposed to be heading in the general direction of 'west', that's the one I'll go for!)

12:41 OOOOoooo-oooooh! We're airborne! Hmmmmm ... then a bit of an anti-climax once we're up. Still, time for a movie or entertainment now!

Ah, no there isn't. The video screen's broken. Marvellous. So, I read, chat, look over the shoulder of the person in front, usually taking more interest of the moving map display than any of the movies. We're taking a route flying over southern Eire. The height we're cruising at varies between 38,000 and 39,000 feet, and the speed is, well, irrelevant really ... we're going to be getting there, so why bother with all the minutiae of the transport details?

I just remembered (ok, was prompted by the stewards/stewardesses bringing forms round) to start completing the green Visa Waiver Forms. It's harder than it looks. If you go, there's only a few things to remember:

• No crossing out. (don't be afraid to ask for two or three forms per person if necessary Ð the immigration people are VERY strict about wrongly-filled forms!)
• If your passport (and you, naturally) are full UK citizens, then the country in which you live is the United Kingdom (UK), not Great Britain, England, GB, or any other part of it.
• Put the name and address of the first hotel you're staying at as the main address which you'll be stopping at, even if touring on a coach)

I managed my Visa Waiver form on the second attempt. There's also the Customs Declaration form, which is rather easier. It's white.

Anyway, just amuse yourself before lunch. Have a read or something?

14:20 Feeding time! Surprisingly good (airline food ain't that bad actually), even though I had to have chicken in preference to my, er ... preference of beef. Well, it would appear row 29 is roughly halfway between the starts of the front and back meal runs. I haven't a clue really. No matter.

Ok, time to change my watch to local Washington D.C. time. That's 5 (five) hours BEHIND British Summer Time. It's known as EDT (Eastern Daylight-savings Time to the uninitiated.) Hey, I've been here before remember. I'm an international jet-setter! (Ahem) [Quashes delusions of grandeur] Naaaaah I'm not!

12:10 EDT (17:10 BST, or 5:10 in the early evening at home) An ice-cream sandwich bar to eat. Mmmm ... ice-cream sandwich bar.

13:45 (18:45 BST, or 6:45 in the evening) Sandwiches, a scone, etc. Fills a hole in my tummy.

14:05 We're passing Boston Massachusetts, flying to the north of the city. It's great being able to look over someone's shoulder to get the details. Well, you know how someone else's newspaper is always more interesting than one's own?! We're just been given our latest ETA (estimated time of arrival).

15:04. Great ... more stuff to be excited about! We're going to get there! Well, I was a little worried, not having my own screen.

15:06 Touchdown. Terribly disappointed that we're late. Going to write to Private Eye about it! Two whole minutes!

15:13 Are you getting tired of this 24-hour clock nonsense? I am. Time to revert to normal 12 hour time then.

3:13 We reach the gate, the plane stops, and everyone seems to breathe a sigh of relief. Well, I do anyway. Don't get me wrong, in the few flights I've experienced, I've discovered I'm a happy contented passenger, but I'm not actually in control of what's happening. Know what I mean? Anyway, as there's nothing I can do about it, I sit back and relax.

Here we go ... American soil at last! No, not really. Almost. It's an international airport, and I haven't actually passed through immigration yet so, I could be anywhere. Brief pause whilst bloke looks at passport, stamps it on a randomly-chosen page, and I pass through and get my case off the carousel after a few minutes of waiting and jockeying for position.

Ah, STILL not on American soil, although I AM in an American airport. It's Dulles, the major international airport servicing Washington D.C., the capital city of the USA. We mill about for a bit, looking for our Titan Tour Manager/Coordinator/Guide/general factotum ... or whatever. Ah, here she is! Hello! Then we're out of the terminal building and on the sidewalk (pavement to the Brits ... the bus is on the pavement [road to the Brits]). Right, everyone gets their cases together in a heap, and the driver places them in the hold of the bus, and we're ready to go!

4:00 We leave the airport. At the start of the journey, the Titan tour Manager introduces herself as Sylvia, and then introduces the driver, Henry. We're in an Academy touring coach (number 576, and if there's any bus spotters looking in, 

the last time I was in the country, 1993, we were in Academy bus 528 (or 529 Ð the photo is a bit poor), and the first time, Protrav bus 1017)

Er ... you'll have noticed there's far too many facts for now about buses, so I'll carry on to mentioning briefly some of the other things that Sylvia mentioned on the way to the hotel. There is the usual (don't I sound like an international jet-setter ? [No, we've done that bit?] talk about temperature/ humidity and drinking plenty of liquids; local customs, especially tipping; the fact that all the US Dollar banknotes (bills) are the same size and colour; the first floor is the Brits' ground floor, etc., etc. I'm not going to mention everything spoken about for the simple reason that, if you haven't been, it's all part of the fun of exploring a new culture ... and if you have been, you know it all already. Perhaps?

4:45 We arrive at the hotel, the Hyatt at the corner of Wilson Blvd and Fort Myers Drive, and waited whilst Sylvia gets off the bus and collects the room keys. Actually, throughout the holiday, we never see a single old-fashioned key ... it would appear that modern security concerns mean that credit-card sized electronic passkeys are the norm. Certainly in the hotels we stopped in, the initial fiddling about with the uncommunicative things causes mild amusement until one became accomplished at the 'swipe'.

5:00 Finally get in my room. Crikey, this is cold! Air conditioning means that whatever the temperature outside, it's a balmy 30 below in hotels. Either carry a light jacket or cardigan, or turn the thing onto 'fan only' for a while until the temperature becomes acceptable. Easy huh? If you're on a fully escorted coach tour, like I was, don't forget the standard practice of tipping the person bringing your baggage to the room has probably already been taken care of in the cost of your holiday! If you're in any doubt, ask the tour manager. Naturally, the time at home being [adds 5 hours] only 10pm?!, the first thing I do, not being as young as I once was, is to flop onto the bed and ZZZZZzzzzz..... Eh? Wassat? Ah, time to get ready for the following day. I have this new philosophy on travelling out of a suitcase. The preparation for the leaving for places new used to go something like this:

AAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHhhhhhh..... it's time to go!

Anyway, nowadays adequate preparation, the night before, is the key. Make sure that at the very least there are all the clothes you'll need for the following day at the top of the case. Ah, and that all your toiletries are arrayed on the washbasin ready for the attack on the tired body, skin, eyes, and those other, unmentionable, bits one pampers first thing. AND that there's space for everything to live whilst in transit in either the case of the shoulder bag. Makes for a stress-free departure? Close enough.

I find time before bed to separate my British money from the American.

• US Dollar notes. Did I mention they're called 'bills' and are all the same size yet? Be careful when counting your change!
• US Dollar Traveller's Cheques. I haven't had a problem yet in shops or hotels either purchasing with traveller cheques, or, for that matter, changing them for smaller denominations in hotels. When buying stuff, treat them exactly like cash, and expect all your change. When changing the things in hotels, I always give a little tip ... it's not necessary, but sure smoothes the way when you spend the $50 or whatever and have to go to the desk again! Oh, and when you countersign the thing, remember to write the date as month/day/year, the American way.
• Credit Card. This also includes Debit Cards as long as they are one of the popular ones. Mine's a Visa Delta. You can have the number if you ask nicely. I'll expect, oh, say a house or car in return though. Even if there's no money in my account to debit.

Ah, finally on the subject of currency, don't take huge denominations like $100. Don't be tempted to skimp on the time it takes to sign the things in the bank or travel agent. $50s are plenty big enough.

You'll need, and that IS need, some $1 notes, possibly for the baggage trolley in the airport, but certainly for tipping people. That's certainly, by the way, not an idle threat, there's an outline of tipping practise below. $10 bills should encompass the cash you'll need before you get there. If you've got coins from a previous holiday, you'll probably recall they're not much good as anything other than, er ... loose change for tipping, etc. Vending machines almost invariably accept dollar bills. Finally, keep the larger denominations for $50s and $20s in traveller's cheques. You might be interested what I wore today? No? Black jeans, green ribbed t-shirt, trainers. Well, you never know, you may have seen me without realising? Yeah, right!

11:00 Bed. Nighty-night everyone! ZZZZZzzzzz.....

Ah yes, tipping and taxes:

... a little subliminal information for you whilst you sleep: 15% is the magic number.

Fast food places, you don't tip, even if you sit down to eat. That's not to say you can't do though.

Diners, cafes, restaurants and bars, tip the regular 15%, or more if service is especially good.

I never remember whether the convention is to add the 15% before the local tax is taken into account, or after. On the safe side, I add a little more than 15% to ensure if I visit the place again, I get reasonable level of service. Local sales tax varies, certainly by state, possibly even by city. The price you see does not include tax.

Back to tipping: as for swanky hotels' bellboys, and taxis, I haven't a clue, not yet needing to use a taxi, other than to say: do more research. Er ... when you awake of course! ZZZZZzzzzz..... Well, if you've got this far, it'd be a shame to miss day 2, wouldn't it?!

How's about a look at day 2?

Or would you rather go back to the introduction?