#womenover50 – Page 4 – Over 50 Aussie female solo traveller USA road trip and beyond

Day 1 United Kingdom – Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio

I imagine most people would choose something very different for their first day in the UK. But, I am a little different. I took the Number 8 bus down the road from my airbnb, into Watford Junction (£3 one way and found out later that I can get an all day pass for £4), where a Harry Potter shuttle bus takes you to the studios.

Entry is £49.95 and seems a little steep, although the sets are very elaborate.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the people who dressed up in their favourite characters. Their joy at being at the studio was a pleasure to experience.

This gentleman oozed delight at being here

I spent 4 hours enjoying all the displays. It is fascinating to see how much work is involved to produce something like Harry Potter. Some of the memories of Harry Potter brought on tears. I remember going to the first movie with my friend Sue Biber. We were worried that the movie would not live up to the book. When the doors of the Great Hall opened, tears started in my eyes as they had captured the Hall exactly as I had expected. Today, walking into that Hall brought on those tears of joy once again.

This scared a few children

The photos do not do it justice. If you get a chance, go.

I got the Harry Potter shuttle back to Watford Junction where I purchased a day bus ticket and went exploring Watford High Street.

Is it just me or does an old English style building look wrong for a Taco Bell?

I am happy to ease myself into this culture but tomorrow I will go into London and see what history I can find.

United Kingdom

I left Sydney with some apprehension. The Russian war on Ukraine is worrying and the East coast of Australia is being ravaged by floods. I am a volunteer for the Red Cross Emergency Services and had received requests to assist in evacuation centres or in the Public Information Centre and felt guilty I was going away on a “holiday” while people are suffering. I don’t think my travel insurance will cover my guilt though. So with a couple of farewell dinners with the too much Sambucca I kissed my family and dear friends goodbye for 6 months.

My Singapore Airlines flight included a 2.5 hour stopover in Changi. The 8 hour flight was comfortable. After a 14 hour second flight, I arrived in London on 2 March 2022 for the first time. Had a giggle when propositioned by an airport worker who thought I was an American. Getting through border control was quite easy although it took 40 minutes. I was expecting Covid to have made it difficult but completing the passenger locator form before flying made the process of entering the UK very efficient.

To get to my airbnb at Watford, I had the choice to take an Uber or start my adventure testing my skills with the public transport system. Adventure won and I walked to Heathrow Central to get the 724 bus to Watford Junction at a cost of £12. Unfortunately my UK SIM card did not yet work and I didn’t have any wifi to get an Uber from Watford Juntion to the airbnb so I took a cab for £9. I did pretty alright. An Uber from Heathrow to Watford would have cost £67 and although 20 minutes longer, the bus and taxi trip saved me £46 or $AUD92. I think I will be ok with UK public transport.

Airbnb – my home for the first 7 days to get my bearings

I chose this place in Watford as it was well priced, had a separate granny flat with a garden in case I got Covid I didn’t want to be stuck in a hotel room in London with no window. Watford is known for Elton John purchasing their football team many years ago and the Harry Potter Studio which I am going to tomorrow.

Kimba South Australia

Driving back to Adelaide for New Years Eve I found a night stopover in Kimba. What a cute little town. It claims to be the the town in the Middle of the Australian east and west coasts. First had a rest stop in a place called Wirulla, population 104.

They have a “secret”. A dry jetty which was erected as a joke but is the 5th tee on the Nullabor Links golf course. Said to be the longest golf course along 1365 kilometres of the Eyre Highway across Western Australia and South Australia on the Nullabor Plain.

Wudinna is the home of a granite sculpture celebrating the spirit of farming life communities ” The Australian Farmer”. 17 years in the making by a father and son team Marijan and David Bekic represents the sun, grain crops, sheep farming and commemorates the early settlers.

Kimba from the aboriginal word for “bushfire”. Population around 600. Has “The Big Galah” which marks the halfway point between East and West coasts of Australia.

The town also provides low level Radioactive Waste storage. The facility provides 25 ongoing jobs for the community.

Lovely silo art.

Local art

Edward John Eyre was an English explorer, the first to cross Australia from Sydney to Swan River in Perth Western Australia. The sculptures located at Whites Knob Lookout represent Edward Eyre and his indigenous tracker Whylie.

Mallala has a population of around 900 and is home to an impressive World War 1 Memorial in the centre of town

It also has an international Motor Sport Park.

I arrived in Adelaide on 30 December and the previous evening I was notified the Masquerade Gala to be held in Glenelg was cancelled due to COVID19. So, after another marathon drive for 6 hours, I returned my hire car, went and had a rest at a friend’s home before getting an 8pm flight back to Sydney to celebrate New Years Eve in my home town. May 2022 bring the world some normalcy and better health.

Ceduna/Nullarbor/Head of the Bight

I had a marathon day today. Drove over 600 km exploring a place I did not imagine I would drive alone. The Nullarbor means treeless in Latin. Although I found the changing landscape not as barren as the name suggests but is ever changing. Although I am aware this is the Eastern part of the Nullarbor and it gets more and more arid further west.

Leaving Ceduna I stopped off at Penong for the windmill museum.

Along the way I snapped some cute Christmas decorations at the entrance of several properties.

Roadsigns and you know you are in the outback

The Great Australian Bight. I had no idea the Bight would be so turquoise and violet. Breathtaking. At the bottom of the centre of Australia.

Nullarbor Roadhouse

would not be the Nullarbor without a roadtrain

Ceduna

What a pretty place!! A population of around 2000 friendly people. Great feed at the Ceduna Foreshore Hotel Motel Bistro. Lovely beach. Only problem is that it is soo windy at this time. I understand that it is not normally this windy. Walking along the jetty is very scary. There is a railing on only one side and down at the end, there is no railing at all and I was too worried I would be blown into the ocean. Taking photos I thought my phone would blow out of my hands. The water is so clear with changing colours.

Some indigenous pavement art

Fossiking for treasure for my daughterinlaw

What a sunset!!

Adelaide to Whyalla

On my way to Port Lincoln for Christmas and I have broken up the trip a little. First stop was Lochiel to see the Pink Lake (Lake Bumbunga). Lochiel has their own legend or a sense of humour with their own Lochness monster known as the Loch-Eel.

Next stop was Port Germein to walk what was once the longest wooden jetty. I had a blustery 3 km walk on a very hot day. I should have stayed overnight in this quaint fishing village. Perhaps on the way back to Adelaide.

View from the Sea end looking back to shore 1.6km away

On to the Arid Botanical Gardens. I had a very quick stop here as I didn’t have much time but the gardens had a very particular scent I would liken to herbs and pine trees.

On the way the Port Wakefield tank art required a short stop.

Overnight stop at Whyalla. Very, very windy but the cabin I am in is very warm. I am too tired to check the new jetty in town but I did capture this pretty sunset.

Port Lincoln to Ceduna

The decision to drive to Ceduna came about as this would be the closest I will get to seeing the Nullarbor Plain. The road runs along the Great Australian Bight stretch of land on the southern part of Australia which is flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia with the Great Victoria Desert to its north.

The drive from Port Lincoln to Ceduna is 4 hours but it took me 7.5 hours with some stops along the way.

Lake Hamilton Eating House. I cannot imagine the adventurous people who stopped by here to rest in the 1800s. I am exhausted driving from Port Lincoln to here with air conditioning.

Cummings Monument. I parked my little Yaris at the carpark 500m from the monument. Luckily I did. The holes on the way up would have ripped my chassis off. There are warnings not to get too close to the edge and I was too frightened to look over to see the wreck, if you could see it, as the wind was blowing a gale, as it has been since I got to Port Lincoln. Hoping the wind will die down.

Sheringa Roadhouse reminded me of Route 66.

Lochs Well Beach. Bumped into some lovely Colombian people.

This spot has a very safe wooden stairs down to the beach. The beach is very treacherous and not recommended to swim.

Elliston is another lovely beach stop well known for salmon.

Murphys Haystacks are a unique form of pillars and boulders dating back 100,000 years ago. How does something like this end up in such a landscape?

Eyre Waterhole is a free rest area for campers. It is the historic site where early explorer Edward Eyre camped. The Eyre’s Waterhole was an important water supply for the explorer and the local aboriginal people. It’s also known as Cooeyanna Well. The water doesn’t look too refreshing at the moment.

Streaky Bay on the western side of the Eyre Peninsula. Another lovely seaside village.

Smoky Bay population 200. Beach, bay, oysters and quiet place for relaxation.

Left Port Lincoln at 9:30am and arrived at Ceduna at 5:00pm. Resting tonight. Contemplating what my plans will be over the next few days. The South Australian government have implemented restrictions. 10 people permitted in a home, no dancing or singing in indoor venues. Waiting to hear if the masquerade ball in Glenelg will be going ahead on New Years Eve. Watch this space.

Minnesota

14 June 2018

Leaving La Crosse, Wisconsin I crossed the bridge to Minnesota. Again, the changes of scenery astonish me. The speed limit on the road was 80kph (50mph) and I wanted to go slowly to take everything in. To my left there were stunning valleys that met the sky and to my right the majestic Mississippi River.

As this will be the last time on this trip that I will see the Mississippi, I decided to stop at as many towns as possible on the Great River Road.

Winona Minnesota

Wabasha Minnesota

Stockholm Wisconsin

On the road at Maiden Rock Wisconsin I stopped to help this turtle. The speed limit here was 80kph (50mph). I put on my hazard lights as I was on a no overtaking part of the road. I was so worried a vehicle would run it over. Did you think turtles were slow and docile. I got the shock of my life with this aggressive one. I had my jacket I was going to use to pick up the turtle from behind and take it to safety in the scrub. This thing started snapping at me, rearing up like a snake and coming at me, it followed my every move with quick sudden moves as I was trying to get behind it but I didn’t get closer than a metre (3′). It scared me more than the snake yesterday. I was avoiding getting hit by trucks and cars to save this damn animal but I got into my car and drove off feeling a failure and shaky. I found on Google that this species of turtle is appropriately known as a “snapping turtle” and their bite is very painful. I won’t be stopping for one of these again.

After that distressing event, I went on to my final Mississippi town, Red Wing Minnesota.

I went across to the marina (in the photo above) across the bridge back to Trenton, Wisconsin to find someone who might lend me a line so I could go fishing in my favourite river. How many of you can say you have fished in the Mississippi River.

Thank you to Brad from the Harbor Bar Restaurant Marinawho lent me his rod, although I think there was something wrong with it because I didn’t catch anything.

Quirky local man, Kevin, invited me onto the houseboat he has built. The boat has a dragon (because he couldnt find a gargoyle big enough) on his houseboat complete with glowing red eyes. (I did say quirky).

I was very impressed with the amount of travel Kevin has done and also the interesting decor of his floating home.

He has an incinerator toilet!! It burns the waste and once a month he removes the tray below the pan and empties the remains which are ashes.

Kevin doesn’t drink alcohol but he collects wine from every vineyard he has been to around the world.

The bathroom

Kitchen cupboards with collectables.

And collection of pubs.

This is the view from the houseboat on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River looking at Red Wing Minnesota and watching the Canadian Pacific go through to Canada. Click here for video

Kevin has party lights all over the boat, inside and out, with huge speakers facing Minnesota across the river on which he plays music including ACDC cranked up like it’s meant to be. I took this photo of his houseboat from across at Red Wing.

He apparently puts his music on at a set time every night and my visit distracted him and people were shouting across the river reminding him he was late with his music show for the locals. This is what it sounds like across the river.

What an enjoyable day on the Mississippi River. I will miss you Old Man River and hope we meet again soon.

Tristates Iowa Wisconsin Illinois

11 – 12 June 2018

The Mississippi River! I get so emotional every time I see it! Interestingly I have been to 5 of these 10 must see towns on the Mississippi without realising till now.

I am in Dubuque (rhymes with The Duke)Iowa listening to the bird song mixed with the sound of the huge freight trains. I am getting accustomed to them sounding their air horns day and night in many of the areas I have stayed. Memphis, Goshen and Dubuque being the most noticeable so far. I am so glad I took a day off from driving and chose this spot to sit and enjoy the river reading and people watching.

The Shot Tower was built to produce lead shot in the 1850s with a brewery next door built in 1898 only to be shut down in 1917 due to prohibition. It reopened in 1933. The building is in the Sylvester Stalone movie FIST and an Art Carney film Take This Job and Shove It.

The Mississippi at night in Dubuque.

A daytime video of the above.

A little foggy today.

Dubuque is a pretty town with hills and some houses which remind me of San Francisco.

Diverse architecture.

Another impressive Veterans Memorial.

I came across these black dragon flies caught in a spider web.

And more Amish. This was just outside of Dubuque.

Nebraska

9 June 2018

I had a very special stay in Mayetta Kansas. My lovely Airbnb host, Rose and her husband Freddie made me feel like family. Freddie allowed me access to his man cave to show me his model electric trains.

I said a sad goodbye to Rose and Freddie and on to Nebraska. I was feeling melancholy and was not sure if the driving was getting to me but later realised that it was because I have not been dancing.

After checking into a cheap hotel in Papillion Nebraska, I drove to the riverfront in Omaha as I heard there was an Italian Festival on.

I had one of the best times on this trip. Not only because I got my hit of dancing but I met several wonderful fun people.

Jan and Frank are retirees who are from Omaha but they spend three months of the year in Arizona when Omaha gets too cold.

Dale from Omaha and Nyon from South Korea met 34 years ago when Dale was stationed in South Korea. What fun we had dancing!

Then Peg and her family joined our table. We had some laughs and danced with Peg’s daughter Angie. Then this kind woman gave me a note and angel token which made me feel so humbled.

Thank you kind Peg. Look forward to when our paths cross again and will definitely keep in touch.

This is the only experience I had in Nebraska but I don’t think I can take any better memories from this place. Omaha, the Santa Lucia Italian Festival, thank you.