September 19 2019 is the date that the iconic 555 ft high obelisk that is the Washington Monument will reopen to the public. Operated by the National Park Service tickets are issued on a first come first served basis from the Monument Lodge. Hours of operation are 09.00 – 17.00 daily except for 4 July and Christmas. If you book in advance it will cost $1.50 per … Continue reading Washington Monument – Open Again!
Currently I am looking for a new role and was contacted by a company to complete a competency test to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process. I thought it pertinent to do some research before proceeding. I best not identify the company publicly but they have offices in the UK and in USA and offer visa service for almost all visa combinations between … Continue reading ESTA or ETA – DO IT YOURSELF
Held every July for 10 days this enormous celebration of cowboys, horses, cattle and agriculture was hugely exciting and basically huge. It wasn’t as I imagined at all. I always assumed that the iconic Saddledome was where the rodeo takes place but in fact it was the venue for a show during Stampede. I was in possession of a two day thrill package which gave … Continue reading Calgary Stampede – The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth!
It was a very early start and we had to be downstairs by 05.50 to take the coach to the station. Luggage is left in your room and is transported to your next hotel, in this case to Banff. We parked up waiting for one more coach to arrive and like a well oiled machine each coach in order pulled along side it’s train car … Continue reading Rocky Mountaineer – Day 2: Kamloops to Banff
Rocky Mountaineer is a privately owned rail service that operates on three different routes. This journey is on First Passage to the West Eastbound from Vancouver to Banff. Important to note about Rocky Mountaineer and settle some misconceptions There are no overnights on the train – it is not a sleeper service The days are long and can be between 10.5 and 14 hours with … Continue reading Rocky Mountaineer – Day 1: Vancouver to Kamloops
I made a reservation online and decided that the 14.30 tour on 5 July was my preferred choice. Tickets cost $12.50 plus booking fee. I arrived at King St Station Seattle almost on schedule at 11.00. The surrounding streets were from an older period and there was an open air pedestrianised area called Occidental Square that was very lively. I wandered up towards Pike St … Continue reading Seattle – Mariner’s Stadium Tour
Judging by the surprise of the guard at the border Mount Vernon isn’t generally visited by tourists. It was a small town snuggled up along the banks of the Skagit River to one side and the Cascade Mountains to the other. The scenery is beautiful, amongst the farmland and back drop of the mountains. I planned to take it easy whilst there and apart from … Continue reading Mount Vernon & Cascades Amtrak
A free shuttle leaves every 15 minutes from Canada Place to Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver. Rising to 1,250 meters and only 20 minutes from Downtown Vancouver, Grouse Mountain is Vancouver’s playground. It offers the nearest skiing to the city and in the summer you can hike, zipline, tackle ropes etc. Take the Skyride to the top from the ticket booths. Grouse Mountain is part … Continue reading Grouse Mountain – Vancouver
My decision to visit both Capilano Suspension Bridge and Grouse Mountain was made much easier with the lure of a free shuttle between Vancouver Canada Place and the attractions. Using modern and highly liveried vehicles they were easy to identify and board. You don’t need to have purchased a ticket in advance which was also good and both were equipped with lines to the ticket … Continue reading Capilano Suspension Bridge Vancouver
On the road back from Whistler is Squamish and Shannon Falls. Both are on the wrong side of the road and the GPS insisted that I do a U-turn. I pulled into the Shannon Falls car park and lined up waiting for an available space with the intention of walking to Gondola. After about 10 minutes I gave up and turned right and headed back … Continue reading Squamish – Sea to the Sky Gondola
USA Road Trips by Max 
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