U.S. trips

Last October I went on a road trip to Monterey and Salinas. I wanted to go see the Salinas Air Show (www.salinasairshow.com). My travel buddy Diane & I took turns driving up. We stayed at the hotel in Salinas since we couldn’t find any affordable lodging in Monterey. We took a quick tour of the downtown Salinas, stopping by Steinbeck museum & Steinbeck House (the restored Victorian that was author John Steinbeck’s childhood home). Diane and I arrived in Monterey around 4:30 pm. We walked around Cannery Row and beyond to discover the sea lions at Coast Guard Point. We went to Blue Moon Restaurant for dinner. On our way back to Salinas, we got lost on the dark highway. We felt like we were in an episode of “Twilight Zone” (don't trust mapquest). Luckily, we finally found our way back to the hotel. The next day, we enjoyed the Air Show. It was such a thrill to see pilots perform “death defying” stunts and to hear the sonic boom of a jet airplane as it approach Mach 1.

Last October, I visited New York. Since I was on a budget, I stayed in a hostel located on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The weather was gloomy with occasional showers. Still, I went for a walk in Central Park. I also went to Century 21 (www.c21stores.com/NYC.asp), a great place to find bargains.