Wednesday 27th/Thursday 28th May
Well finally the day had arrived to make the long journey back home to the UK.
It would be a very long day indeed as my flight was not scheduled to leave Charlotte until 10:30pm, giving me practically another whole day.
The staff at breakfast had gotten to know me by now as I had been at the hotel for 5 days. One of them asked what my plans were for today, to which I told them 'I'm heading home unfortunately.'
I enjoyed an American breakfast for the last time before heading back to the room to check the case and make sure everything was packed properly. Check out time was as 12pm so there was no need to hurry.
Figured that to kill time today I would just head back over the road to the NASCAR Hall of Fame again, because I enjoyed it so much the first time around and I didn't really want to go that far out of town knowing that I had to be at the airport later.
So at around 11:30 I left my room (sorry, suite) for the last time and headed for the lobby. The hotel staff were kind enough to tag my luggage and keep it in the office for me until I needed to head to the airport.
Spent the afternoon then in the hall of fame museum, actually found a couple of sections in there that I hadn't looked in on Monday. The museum was less busy today with it being a normal work day and not a holiday so I didn't have to fight my way through crowds of people to get to some of the exhibits.
Had another go on the simulator, this time they put me in the #24 Jeff Gordon replica!
Led most of the race but for taken out by a car running a few laps down! Finished 3rd...ah well only a bit of fun.
At around 4pm I decided to head back to the hotel and gather all my belongings... The long trip home started here.
The hotel Managed to get a cab to the airport withing 5 minutes of them ringing for me... That's service! I really cannot fault the Hilton Garden Inn at all. They were friendly, helpful, the room was great, more than I needed, food was great, everything worked as it should, awesome location. 10/10 from me!
Enjoyed chatting with the cab driver on the short drive to the airport, was interested in my racing trip, he was also telling me how he is a big fan of soccer, particularly our Premier League.
Arrived at the airport at just after 4:30pm but my flight wasn't until 10:30pm! Still, with nothing else to see or do in Charlotte I figured I may as well head to the airport, at least that way I would be checked in, free of my case etc.
Charlotte airport has quite a lot of shops, restaurants and cafes all spread out at different ends of the airport so I think by the time I boarded the plane I must have walked pretty much all of it.
After choosing Bojangles chicken over carolina pit bbq for dinner I headed to gate D12 where our plane would be leaving from... Or so it was meant to be.
There seemed to have been a mix up with a lot of flights that day as a Boeing 777 docked at the gate at 7:55 there were passengers on it that were supposed to be catching a connecting flight that left at 8pm. As they disembarked a lot of them sprinted down the concourse towards their next plane, hoping to make it in the nick of time.
Fortunately, although our gate was moved along to D11 it was on time. Still, when in line to board the plane one American guy asked me 'This is going to Providence (Rhode Island) right?' Good job he asked! I told him no its going to London and you most certainly don't want to go to London.
Boarded the plane on time, our flight wasn't initially full but a lot of people had been messed around with delayed flights, cancelled flights etc to destinations in the UK and Europe, including the guy next to me in the plane. He had been at the airport for 10 hrs. He was due to fly to Brussels on an earlier flight and then on to Gothenburg but his first flight was cancelled so he was now flying to Heathrow and then on to Gothenburg. It was his first long haul flight as well.
Just as the aircraft doors were shut and we were ready to go, some more passengers came running on.. It as chaos.
Anyway the flight itself, 7hrs duration, actually went quicker than I expected, got stuck into a movie and then watched a few programs on my tablet. Before I knew it they were coming round serving breakfast, if you can call it that, still not quite sure what it actually was.
After circling for a while we landed about midday. A Cloudy and cold day outside... Welcome back to England.
Baggage claim took forever but passport control was fast now they have these self service passport checkers for UK citizens.
Finally about 1 hour after landing I reached the arrivals hall where my parents were there waiting for me.
Luckily this time they knew which level the car was parked on, not that it mattered because my feet were fine... Blister free. I was feeling rather shattered though having missed a nights sleep and with the 5 hour time difference.
Enjoyed telling the parents about my trip in the way home and giving them some pointers on New York City as they will be visiting there in a few weeks.
Just about crashed out when I got home. What a holiday though! Saw everything I wanted to see, ticked all the boxes.
Made lots of new friends and unexpectedly bumped into familiar faces. Really enjoyed spending time with Sam in New York as well.
Everyone was so friendly and helpful wherever I went, their customer service is second to none!
Even the weather cooperated most of the time apart from the fog in New York.
It will be nice to have some proper food once again though, I don't want to see another chip (or fries) for while now!
Back to reality now, a shame holidays can't last forever but then again that is what's special about them. I do come home with many fond memories though, ones that will last a lifetime.
Until next time... So long and take care.
Saturday, 30 May 2015
Wednesday, 27 May 2015
The lost day
Tuesday 26th May
Today was a 'rain out' day. An insurance day should the race be postponed due to rain.
I noticed a few more race goers at breakfast so at least a few opted for this option to.
Obviously the race for done on the Sunday, the next question would be, what to do in Charlotte today? It is not exactly a city that is known as a tourist hotspot.
After glancing at the maps I had picked up nearly all the places of interest were outside uptown Charlotte, which is the area I was pretty much restricted to. I figured there may just be some hidden gems in the area so I ventured out and explored.
The streets sure looked different now the speedstreet area had been cleared up.
It was a very warm, humid day and walking about after a while required lots of water. I checked out the EpiCenter which I had heard was full of shops and eateries etc. This didn't live up to expectations, a CVS and a few bars that was all.
I thoughts about looking for the Levine Museum Of The New South which was a small museum about the history of Charlotte from cotton fields to the financial hub that it is today.
This was not where the map suggested it was however and I did not relish walking around trying to find somewhere that I wasn't really interested in seeing anyway.
Charlotte sort of reminded me of New York, all the executives rushing about in their work suits, phones strapped to their near, dining in restaurants over lunch.
After stopping for lunch myself in a nice cafe I came across the bank of America stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers NFL team. What a magnificent stadium, I managed to get a peek inside.
About 3:30 I got back to the hotel and repacked my case, which needed doing looking at the state of it. Had to try and fit all that nascar merchandise in somehow.
Determined to make something out of my day, and as tonight would be my last night in the US, I decided to head out to Buffalo Wild Wings adjacent to the NASCAR Hall of fame for a meal. It was a lovely evening so I sat outside, enjoyed a few budweisers and a nice meal.
A fitting way to end the day.
Today was a 'rain out' day. An insurance day should the race be postponed due to rain.
I noticed a few more race goers at breakfast so at least a few opted for this option to.
Obviously the race for done on the Sunday, the next question would be, what to do in Charlotte today? It is not exactly a city that is known as a tourist hotspot.
After glancing at the maps I had picked up nearly all the places of interest were outside uptown Charlotte, which is the area I was pretty much restricted to. I figured there may just be some hidden gems in the area so I ventured out and explored.
The streets sure looked different now the speedstreet area had been cleared up.
It was a very warm, humid day and walking about after a while required lots of water. I checked out the EpiCenter which I had heard was full of shops and eateries etc. This didn't live up to expectations, a CVS and a few bars that was all.
I thoughts about looking for the Levine Museum Of The New South which was a small museum about the history of Charlotte from cotton fields to the financial hub that it is today.
This was not where the map suggested it was however and I did not relish walking around trying to find somewhere that I wasn't really interested in seeing anyway.
Charlotte sort of reminded me of New York, all the executives rushing about in their work suits, phones strapped to their near, dining in restaurants over lunch.
After stopping for lunch myself in a nice cafe I came across the bank of America stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers NFL team. What a magnificent stadium, I managed to get a peek inside.
About 3:30 I got back to the hotel and repacked my case, which needed doing looking at the state of it. Had to try and fit all that nascar merchandise in somehow.
Determined to make something out of my day, and as tonight would be my last night in the US, I decided to head out to Buffalo Wild Wings adjacent to the NASCAR Hall of fame for a meal. It was a lovely evening so I sat outside, enjoyed a few budweisers and a nice meal.
A fitting way to end the day.
Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Hall of Fame
Monday 25th May
Today was labor day in the US.
After two fantastic days at the races it was time for an activity closer to home, the NASCAR Hall of Fame was the one attraction that I still had on my list to see. Built in 2010 this magnificent unique building is situated right across the road from my hotel so the location couldn't be better.
There was a long queue for breakfast which turned into a farewell party as I bumped into my adopted family from Louisiana. They were flying back today and said how lovely it had been to meet me. She said she felt like I was her nephew. I was deeply touched!
Then as I tucked into my bacon and eggs Mary, the lady from Montana whom I had become reunited with on this trip, walked past me to go and check out, she was also flying home today. I mentioned to her that I would be visiting the hall of fame museum, she had been and thoroughly recommend it. We wished each other well and she headed off.
I also said goodbye to a couple of other guys on the trip, wished them a safe journey home. They really were all a great friendly bunch of people.
Later that morning I wandered over to the hall of fame. The ticket came with my race weekend package.
As you walk in you have your picture taken against a green screen and they map that against a picture of a race track, you can the buy this of you choose at the end of your visit. A bit cheesy I know.
The first thing you do is watch a short film which gives you a great insight into the history of NASCAR. This sets you up perfectly for exploring the museum.
The impressive display of cars from the early days right up to the present day cars dominates the first level, the cars sit on various degrees of banking to give us an idea of just how steep the banking is on the various race tracks they run on.
The interactive part of it is great. You get given a 'hard card' (looks a bit like a credit card) which you place on different touch screen activities around the museum where you answer trivia questions, learn how to set up a race car for race day, how a car passes tech inspection and much more, it is so informative.
About half way around there is a racing simulator where you can qualify for a race, in this instance it took place at Dover racetrack in Delaware. Your lap times are then stored in a database and this then puts you on the grid for a race in a proper race simulator, which you can then have a go at. Of course, being a seasoned sim racer I just had to have a go.
Qualifying did not go well, I expected more from myself, but we were sat in the most peculiar seating position for driving!
I could have had a go at the pit crew challenge but the queue for this was stupidly long. Instead, after viewing some more exhibits, I headed for the iracing simulator where you climbed into a replica of a real nascar and raced 12 others on a PC simulation.
Whilst in the queue for this I heard 3 English voices chatting in front of me.
I asked one of them if they had come over for the race weekend, to which they said they had. We got talking about nascar and racing back in the UK when one of them happened to mention his friend Paul, who was with him, used to race pickups around Rockingham in the UK. Then I realised I knew him and had watch him race regularly... Paul Poulter was his name!
When our time for the simulator arrived I was assigned the #2 miller lite ford of Brad Keselowski.... Ugh!
Needless to say I did extremely well finishing 2nd of 13.
In total I spent about 5hrs here.... And got a free lunch as I was. Told my ticket included a free sandwich, drink and packet of potato chips (crisps)
A truly fascinating place, took it all in and really enjoyed it.
Registered my hard card as I left and was told I had the 5th best points score of the day, not bad considering how busy it was. Lots of other race goers from the weekend also took the opportunity to visit today as well.
After taking the short 30 second walk across the road I chilled out in the hotel for a while before enjoying a nice meal in the hotel restaurant later in the evening.
Now to find something to do for tomorrow, Charlotte is not known for being a tourist trap and the Uptown area is certainly limited in terms of attractions, but 2 days to go so we'll see what there is.
Today was labor day in the US.
After two fantastic days at the races it was time for an activity closer to home, the NASCAR Hall of Fame was the one attraction that I still had on my list to see. Built in 2010 this magnificent unique building is situated right across the road from my hotel so the location couldn't be better.
There was a long queue for breakfast which turned into a farewell party as I bumped into my adopted family from Louisiana. They were flying back today and said how lovely it had been to meet me. She said she felt like I was her nephew. I was deeply touched!
Then as I tucked into my bacon and eggs Mary, the lady from Montana whom I had become reunited with on this trip, walked past me to go and check out, she was also flying home today. I mentioned to her that I would be visiting the hall of fame museum, she had been and thoroughly recommend it. We wished each other well and she headed off.
I also said goodbye to a couple of other guys on the trip, wished them a safe journey home. They really were all a great friendly bunch of people.
Later that morning I wandered over to the hall of fame. The ticket came with my race weekend package.
As you walk in you have your picture taken against a green screen and they map that against a picture of a race track, you can the buy this of you choose at the end of your visit. A bit cheesy I know.
The first thing you do is watch a short film which gives you a great insight into the history of NASCAR. This sets you up perfectly for exploring the museum.
The impressive display of cars from the early days right up to the present day cars dominates the first level, the cars sit on various degrees of banking to give us an idea of just how steep the banking is on the various race tracks they run on.
The interactive part of it is great. You get given a 'hard card' (looks a bit like a credit card) which you place on different touch screen activities around the museum where you answer trivia questions, learn how to set up a race car for race day, how a car passes tech inspection and much more, it is so informative.
About half way around there is a racing simulator where you can qualify for a race, in this instance it took place at Dover racetrack in Delaware. Your lap times are then stored in a database and this then puts you on the grid for a race in a proper race simulator, which you can then have a go at. Of course, being a seasoned sim racer I just had to have a go.
Qualifying did not go well, I expected more from myself, but we were sat in the most peculiar seating position for driving!
I could have had a go at the pit crew challenge but the queue for this was stupidly long. Instead, after viewing some more exhibits, I headed for the iracing simulator where you climbed into a replica of a real nascar and raced 12 others on a PC simulation.
Whilst in the queue for this I heard 3 English voices chatting in front of me.
I asked one of them if they had come over for the race weekend, to which they said they had. We got talking about nascar and racing back in the UK when one of them happened to mention his friend Paul, who was with him, used to race pickups around Rockingham in the UK. Then I realised I knew him and had watch him race regularly... Paul Poulter was his name!
When our time for the simulator arrived I was assigned the #2 miller lite ford of Brad Keselowski.... Ugh!
Needless to say I did extremely well finishing 2nd of 13.
In total I spent about 5hrs here.... And got a free lunch as I was. Told my ticket included a free sandwich, drink and packet of potato chips (crisps)
A truly fascinating place, took it all in and really enjoyed it.
Registered my hard card as I left and was told I had the 5th best points score of the day, not bad considering how busy it was. Lots of other race goers from the weekend also took the opportunity to visit today as well.
After taking the short 30 second walk across the road I chilled out in the hotel for a while before enjoying a nice meal in the hotel restaurant later in the evening.
Now to find something to do for tomorrow, Charlotte is not known for being a tourist trap and the Uptown area is certainly limited in terms of attractions, but 2 days to go so we'll see what there is.
Monday, 25 May 2015
This is what we came here for!!!
Sunday 24th May
So the big day was here, time for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series coca cola 600. The longest race of the season.
A beautiful fine morning started with a healthy breakfast for a change, only 2 rashers of bacon instead of 4! I jest, I actually opted for the fruit bowl option.
Anyway, less about food, after breakfast I managed to watch Mercedes throw away the Monaco Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton then watched the first half of Hull vs Manchester United.
At 11am it was time to board the bus for the short ride back up to Charlotte Motor Speedway. On the way up Shane, our tour guide got us in good spirits for the day ahead and invited us all to play a sweepstake game where we would each pick a drivers name out of a bag and if the driver we picked went on to win the race we would win a prize. I picked out Ricky Stenhouse Jr so wasn't expecting much there.
We arrived at the track extremely early because some other guests in our party had also booked garage tours, pit passes and other pre race activities.
I took the time to just mooch around the facility again, watch the crowds arrive, each person wearing caps and t shirts supporting their favourite drivers, lots of things going on, the smell of hot dogs, burgers and Turkey legs wafting through the air, the whole area was buzzing.
Stood and listened to Aric Almirola doing a Q&A session for a while and then came across Joey Logano signing autographs at his merchandise trailer.... of which there were looong queues.
A couple of hours before the race the pre race festivities got going. Z Z Top were playing a concert buy I didn't catch any of this, just heard the racket. Instead I decided to watch the end of the Indy 500 on one of the many TV around the stadium that were showing the race. Juan Pablo Montoya hung on to win.
Following this I found my seat in the stands. I was sat next to a couple from Louisiana who I had become friends with during the trip. My seats were a few rows further up than yesterday, the views were great. Nothing will beat that moment when you walk out from underneath the stands and see the race track in all its glory in front of you. Cars lined up on pit Road glistening in the afternoon sunshine, fans on the infield enjoying the pre race ceremonies. I watched as one kid and his dad walked up towards their seating section, the boy was awestruck at what he saw, his face lit up, mouth opened in amazement, he turned around to his dad who smiled back as if to say.... Welcome to NASCAR.
The pre race ceremonies were a fitting tribute to US soldiers serving their country, it is labor day weekend here in the states.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric, everyone well up for the race. Popular drivers were cheered passionately when introduced to the crowd, (Dale Jr) hated drivers booed even more so (Kyle Busch).
The race got going in the late afternoon sunshine and Matt Kenseth led the early going. The lead changed numerous times in the race but Martin Truex Jr looked to have the best car all night. The sun went down and the floodlights came on which made everything look even more spectacular. Was treated to a mid race funnel cake courtesy of my friends sitting next to me. Carl Edwards won the 400 lapper by managing to stretch the fuel mileage in his #19 Toyota. A sense of deja vu as I saw him win at Texas a good few years ago in similar circumstances. Fireworks were let off as he crossed the line, he came around to the front stretch and did his customary back flip much to the joy of the crowd. Was hoping Jeff Gordon could have done a little better than his 15th place finish as this is probably the last time I'll see him race.
Then came the mass exodus... Thousands and thousands of people leaving the track at the same time, stayed with my fellow tour friends who were equally confused as to where we needed to get to. Somehow in the melee I needed to return my scanner as well. Managed to do this after fighting through the crowds.
In the end it all worked out well, got back to the bus in good time, and we were soon on the road and moving quickly. Enjoyed chatting with people on the way back about the race. It was sad to say goodbye to them when we got back to the hotel, they have been so nice and friendly. Wished them all a safe journey home and joked to Mary, the lady who was on my last tour as well coincidently, that I would probably see her on the next tour.
Got back to the hotel just before midnight so not bad going. Thoroughly enjoyed the last few days and I look forward to exploring the nascar hall of fame tomorrow.
So the big day was here, time for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series coca cola 600. The longest race of the season.
A beautiful fine morning started with a healthy breakfast for a change, only 2 rashers of bacon instead of 4! I jest, I actually opted for the fruit bowl option.
Anyway, less about food, after breakfast I managed to watch Mercedes throw away the Monaco Grand Prix for Lewis Hamilton then watched the first half of Hull vs Manchester United.
At 11am it was time to board the bus for the short ride back up to Charlotte Motor Speedway. On the way up Shane, our tour guide got us in good spirits for the day ahead and invited us all to play a sweepstake game where we would each pick a drivers name out of a bag and if the driver we picked went on to win the race we would win a prize. I picked out Ricky Stenhouse Jr so wasn't expecting much there.
We arrived at the track extremely early because some other guests in our party had also booked garage tours, pit passes and other pre race activities.
I took the time to just mooch around the facility again, watch the crowds arrive, each person wearing caps and t shirts supporting their favourite drivers, lots of things going on, the smell of hot dogs, burgers and Turkey legs wafting through the air, the whole area was buzzing.
Stood and listened to Aric Almirola doing a Q&A session for a while and then came across Joey Logano signing autographs at his merchandise trailer.... of which there were looong queues.
A couple of hours before the race the pre race festivities got going. Z Z Top were playing a concert buy I didn't catch any of this, just heard the racket. Instead I decided to watch the end of the Indy 500 on one of the many TV around the stadium that were showing the race. Juan Pablo Montoya hung on to win.
Following this I found my seat in the stands. I was sat next to a couple from Louisiana who I had become friends with during the trip. My seats were a few rows further up than yesterday, the views were great. Nothing will beat that moment when you walk out from underneath the stands and see the race track in all its glory in front of you. Cars lined up on pit Road glistening in the afternoon sunshine, fans on the infield enjoying the pre race ceremonies. I watched as one kid and his dad walked up towards their seating section, the boy was awestruck at what he saw, his face lit up, mouth opened in amazement, he turned around to his dad who smiled back as if to say.... Welcome to NASCAR.
The pre race ceremonies were a fitting tribute to US soldiers serving their country, it is labor day weekend here in the states.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric, everyone well up for the race. Popular drivers were cheered passionately when introduced to the crowd, (Dale Jr) hated drivers booed even more so (Kyle Busch).
The race got going in the late afternoon sunshine and Matt Kenseth led the early going. The lead changed numerous times in the race but Martin Truex Jr looked to have the best car all night. The sun went down and the floodlights came on which made everything look even more spectacular. Was treated to a mid race funnel cake courtesy of my friends sitting next to me. Carl Edwards won the 400 lapper by managing to stretch the fuel mileage in his #19 Toyota. A sense of deja vu as I saw him win at Texas a good few years ago in similar circumstances. Fireworks were let off as he crossed the line, he came around to the front stretch and did his customary back flip much to the joy of the crowd. Was hoping Jeff Gordon could have done a little better than his 15th place finish as this is probably the last time I'll see him race.
Then came the mass exodus... Thousands and thousands of people leaving the track at the same time, stayed with my fellow tour friends who were equally confused as to where we needed to get to. Somehow in the melee I needed to return my scanner as well. Managed to do this after fighting through the crowds.
In the end it all worked out well, got back to the bus in good time, and we were soon on the road and moving quickly. Enjoyed chatting with people on the way back about the race. It was sad to say goodbye to them when we got back to the hotel, they have been so nice and friendly. Wished them all a safe journey home and joked to Mary, the lady who was on my last tour as well coincidently, that I would probably see her on the next tour.
Got back to the hotel just before midnight so not bad going. Thoroughly enjoyed the last few days and I look forward to exploring the nascar hall of fame tomorrow.
Let's go racing!
Saturday 23rd May
This is what we came here for!
The first of two days of NASCAR racing were upon us. Today was the Xfinity series race and at 9:15 we all boarded the coach to make the short 30 minute ride up to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The huge 1.5 mile race track revealed itself just as it did when we drove long this road exactly 10 years ago.
The bus parked up and it was a very short walk to the track from there. Already the car parks were beginning to fill up, the BBQs had been fired up and there certainly was a carnival atmosphere.
We had a few hours to kill before the race actually started so I took the time to walk the merchandise trailers and look at all the other various displays that were there just outside the main gates. Stocked up on too much Jeff Gordon merchandise, well this will probably be my last chance before he retires at the end of the year.
I also got to meet Regan Smith, Driver of the #7 Xfinity series car, and get an autograph to.
Behind the track there were lots and lots of stalls selling all kinds of merchandise, you name it, they sell it.
The race was scheduled to start at 3pm, the weather was perfect, not cloud in the sky. A stark contrast to my last NASCAR weekend at Daytona in which it rained for most of the time.
Before taking my seat in the stands I decided to get something to eat. All the food is vastly overpriced at these places, $5 for a a bottle of water!
There were a while load of choices, very inventive ones as well... BBQ Sundaes (pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw in a plastic cup)! I think I'll pass on that thanks!! Giant Turkey legs... Nope, tried that before! How about a deep fried oreo?
Chicken tenders and fries were the safest option.
Got sat in my seat at 1:30 just in time to see the final practice for the sprint cup series cars as they prepare for their 600 miler tomorrow. Had great seats, right opposite the start finish line. Kurt Busch was fastest.
Now onto the race itself. A 200 lap race (300 miles), the atmosphere was awesome, and what a sight! 40 engines fired up simultaneously at the command, there is no sound like it! Had a scanner so that I could listen to drivers talking on their pit to car radio, and so I could also hear the race commentary.
What a sound these cars make, as they roar down the back straight at 190mph,just breathtaking.
The race itself was dominated by #33 Austin Dillon who had the measure of the field all day. He had to fight his way back to the lead in the late going but he came out the deserved winner.
Got some great pictures of him doing his victory burnout.
Then came the mad rush to get out of the stands, it wasn't as bad as I initially expected and the traffic getting out was pretty good, it will be busier tomorrow for the big race however.
The rest of the party seemed to enjoy their day as well and were in good spirits on the bus, had a nice chat with a few of them back at the hotel.
After chilling out for a while I then headed down to speed Street again to see what was going on... Apart from a band playing music (if you could call it that) and lots of people hanging around drinking bud light... Not very much.
Headed back to the hotel late at night and got some rest ahead of another day of racing tomorrow.... And it's the big one... The coca cola 600!
This is what we came here for!
The first of two days of NASCAR racing were upon us. Today was the Xfinity series race and at 9:15 we all boarded the coach to make the short 30 minute ride up to Charlotte Motor Speedway. The huge 1.5 mile race track revealed itself just as it did when we drove long this road exactly 10 years ago.
The bus parked up and it was a very short walk to the track from there. Already the car parks were beginning to fill up, the BBQs had been fired up and there certainly was a carnival atmosphere.
We had a few hours to kill before the race actually started so I took the time to walk the merchandise trailers and look at all the other various displays that were there just outside the main gates. Stocked up on too much Jeff Gordon merchandise, well this will probably be my last chance before he retires at the end of the year.
I also got to meet Regan Smith, Driver of the #7 Xfinity series car, and get an autograph to.
Behind the track there were lots and lots of stalls selling all kinds of merchandise, you name it, they sell it.
The race was scheduled to start at 3pm, the weather was perfect, not cloud in the sky. A stark contrast to my last NASCAR weekend at Daytona in which it rained for most of the time.
Before taking my seat in the stands I decided to get something to eat. All the food is vastly overpriced at these places, $5 for a a bottle of water!
There were a while load of choices, very inventive ones as well... BBQ Sundaes (pulled pork, baked beans and coleslaw in a plastic cup)! I think I'll pass on that thanks!! Giant Turkey legs... Nope, tried that before! How about a deep fried oreo?
Chicken tenders and fries were the safest option.
Got sat in my seat at 1:30 just in time to see the final practice for the sprint cup series cars as they prepare for their 600 miler tomorrow. Had great seats, right opposite the start finish line. Kurt Busch was fastest.
Now onto the race itself. A 200 lap race (300 miles), the atmosphere was awesome, and what a sight! 40 engines fired up simultaneously at the command, there is no sound like it! Had a scanner so that I could listen to drivers talking on their pit to car radio, and so I could also hear the race commentary.
What a sound these cars make, as they roar down the back straight at 190mph,just breathtaking.
The race itself was dominated by #33 Austin Dillon who had the measure of the field all day. He had to fight his way back to the lead in the late going but he came out the deserved winner.
Got some great pictures of him doing his victory burnout.
Then came the mad rush to get out of the stands, it wasn't as bad as I initially expected and the traffic getting out was pretty good, it will be busier tomorrow for the big race however.
The rest of the party seemed to enjoy their day as well and were in good spirits on the bus, had a nice chat with a few of them back at the hotel.
After chilling out for a while I then headed down to speed Street again to see what was going on... Apart from a band playing music (if you could call it that) and lots of people hanging around drinking bud light... Not very much.
Headed back to the hotel late at night and got some rest ahead of another day of racing tomorrow.... And it's the big one... The coca cola 600!
Saturday, 23 May 2015
Race weekend starts here!
Friday 22nd May
Yet another very early start as the alarm clock rang at 6am and it was time to start the race weekend in earnest. A delicious complimentary breakfast was on offer considering of eggs, bacon, potato, grits, sausage, toast, buns, fresh fruit and more.
I had to be down in the lobby for 7:15am to meet our tour guide Shane who would be taking us on our tour around the Charlotte area to view the race shops and factories for many of the big NASCAR race teams who are based in the area.
Got chatting to some really nice people whilst waiting, it was great to be in the company of like minded people. Had a nice chat about drivers we liked/didn't like and and other races we had been to.
There would be a coach load on the tour today. After a few minutes we saw some others head out to the roadside where the coach was parked.
As I stepped onto the coach I was looking for a place to sit where I saw this woman sitting near the front... I thought hang on a minute I recognise her, I am sure she was on the tour that I did last year at Daytona. I thought to hell with looking like an idiot so I asked her 'were you on the Daytona tour last year?' Low and behold she said 'Yes I was... Hey, I recognise you, you're the guy from England right?'..... What a coincidence... That we should both pick to go to the same race, with the same tour company and at the same hotel! Felt like a bizarre dream. Speaking to my mum she suggested that I invite her over to use the hot tub but bearing in mind she is probably the same age as my mother I do not think that will be happening thank you very much!
Anyway back on topic. We were on the road at 7:30am and soon up to our first stop, Joe Gibbs Racing. This was a fairly small place which is quite suprising considering they are one of the top teams in the sport. They had show cars for Carl Edwards, Denny Hamiln, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. We could also watch the team preparing race cars for upcoming races. Each team will have several race cars they are preparing for different tracks that they go to.
Like all the race shops they are very much out of town and in a countryside setting, all within a 50 mile radius of Charlotte.
Next we moved on to Jr Motorsports, home of Dale Earnhardt Jr's race team. We were lucky enough to be given a free guided tour of this race shop which means we got to go onto the shop floor and get a great insight into the procedures the team goes through to get each car prepared for a race weekend. We saw the area where they set the card suspension settings, do their engine tuning, make the body panels and even saw the paint booth where they spray the cars with their chosen colours. We saw them preparing cars for Chase Elliott, Regan Smith and others. As we left we saw crowds of people queueing outside, we later established that it was because Dale Earnhardt Jr (the sports most popular driver) was in the building and would be signing autographs. Our tight schedule meant that we had to move on however.
From there we headed to Penske Racing, home of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. More of the same here, they had a gift shop together with a great view of their race shop from an upstairs walkway where you could look over the whole shop. These spaces are huge... And spotlessly clean, so clean that you could eat your dinner off the floor!
Next stop was a NASCAR themed BBQ restaurant for lunch.
Lancasters was packed with memorabilia from Yesteryear. Had a nice lunch and thoroughly enjoyed chatting to the other guests on the tour. The roof of the building was covered in bonnets (or hoods) as my American friends say from various cars throughout the years, we were playing a game trying to work out which one belonged to which driver.
3 shops down, 3 more to go and the first stop of the afternoon was to visit Stewart Haas Racing, home of current NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick. They had the very car he won the championship with at Homestead last year, still with the confetti all over it! Not a very good view of the race shop itself but people seemed more interested in splashing their cash in the gift shop.
Once we left here we headed for our penultimate stop of the day, Roush Fenway Racing. Such a powerhouse in the sport up until recent year where they now seem to have faded a little.
There was no race shop to see but they did have some cool things in display in their mini museum to look at.
Finally came the one we had all been waiting for. With their being a lot of Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon fans on the bus we eager to head to Hendrick Motorsports, by far the biggest and most impressive race shop facility of them all. In fact it is not a race shop, it is pretty much an estate. One huge building is the race shop for Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon and features cars that have raced many years ago and won races /championships. It also holds many of the trophies won over the years. From here you can also view the crews working on the cars, setting them up and preparing them for upcoming races.
Next door is the race shop for 6 time champ Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr, obviously this one was packed with other visitors.
A short walk down the road takes you to the museum/gift shop which features Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon's Daytona 500 race winning cars. A gigantic walk display holds yet more trophies. Being a Jeff Gordon fan I had a browse around the gift shop, had to be done, stocked up on some merchandise as well! We were at this shop for more than double the length of all the others.
After a great first day of Nascar themed activities it was back to the hotel for a chill out, nice to have time to relax after the last few days. Later on in the evening I headed into speed Street festival again but was a little disappointed by it. The only main attraction was the main stage playing live music from 5pm till midnight all through the weekend, which I can hear clearly from my hotel. After grabbing some food from one of the catering stalls and having a mooch around I headed back to the hotel.
A 9:30 start tomorrow as we leave for the track for the first of 2 race days at charlotte motor speedway... Let's go racing!
Yet another very early start as the alarm clock rang at 6am and it was time to start the race weekend in earnest. A delicious complimentary breakfast was on offer considering of eggs, bacon, potato, grits, sausage, toast, buns, fresh fruit and more.
I had to be down in the lobby for 7:15am to meet our tour guide Shane who would be taking us on our tour around the Charlotte area to view the race shops and factories for many of the big NASCAR race teams who are based in the area.
Got chatting to some really nice people whilst waiting, it was great to be in the company of like minded people. Had a nice chat about drivers we liked/didn't like and and other races we had been to.
There would be a coach load on the tour today. After a few minutes we saw some others head out to the roadside where the coach was parked.
As I stepped onto the coach I was looking for a place to sit where I saw this woman sitting near the front... I thought hang on a minute I recognise her, I am sure she was on the tour that I did last year at Daytona. I thought to hell with looking like an idiot so I asked her 'were you on the Daytona tour last year?' Low and behold she said 'Yes I was... Hey, I recognise you, you're the guy from England right?'..... What a coincidence... That we should both pick to go to the same race, with the same tour company and at the same hotel! Felt like a bizarre dream. Speaking to my mum she suggested that I invite her over to use the hot tub but bearing in mind she is probably the same age as my mother I do not think that will be happening thank you very much!
Anyway back on topic. We were on the road at 7:30am and soon up to our first stop, Joe Gibbs Racing. This was a fairly small place which is quite suprising considering they are one of the top teams in the sport. They had show cars for Carl Edwards, Denny Hamiln, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. We could also watch the team preparing race cars for upcoming races. Each team will have several race cars they are preparing for different tracks that they go to.
Like all the race shops they are very much out of town and in a countryside setting, all within a 50 mile radius of Charlotte.
Next we moved on to Jr Motorsports, home of Dale Earnhardt Jr's race team. We were lucky enough to be given a free guided tour of this race shop which means we got to go onto the shop floor and get a great insight into the procedures the team goes through to get each car prepared for a race weekend. We saw the area where they set the card suspension settings, do their engine tuning, make the body panels and even saw the paint booth where they spray the cars with their chosen colours. We saw them preparing cars for Chase Elliott, Regan Smith and others. As we left we saw crowds of people queueing outside, we later established that it was because Dale Earnhardt Jr (the sports most popular driver) was in the building and would be signing autographs. Our tight schedule meant that we had to move on however.
From there we headed to Penske Racing, home of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. More of the same here, they had a gift shop together with a great view of their race shop from an upstairs walkway where you could look over the whole shop. These spaces are huge... And spotlessly clean, so clean that you could eat your dinner off the floor!
Next stop was a NASCAR themed BBQ restaurant for lunch.
Lancasters was packed with memorabilia from Yesteryear. Had a nice lunch and thoroughly enjoyed chatting to the other guests on the tour. The roof of the building was covered in bonnets (or hoods) as my American friends say from various cars throughout the years, we were playing a game trying to work out which one belonged to which driver.
3 shops down, 3 more to go and the first stop of the afternoon was to visit Stewart Haas Racing, home of current NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick. They had the very car he won the championship with at Homestead last year, still with the confetti all over it! Not a very good view of the race shop itself but people seemed more interested in splashing their cash in the gift shop.
Once we left here we headed for our penultimate stop of the day, Roush Fenway Racing. Such a powerhouse in the sport up until recent year where they now seem to have faded a little.
There was no race shop to see but they did have some cool things in display in their mini museum to look at.
Finally came the one we had all been waiting for. With their being a lot of Dale Jr and Jeff Gordon fans on the bus we eager to head to Hendrick Motorsports, by far the biggest and most impressive race shop facility of them all. In fact it is not a race shop, it is pretty much an estate. One huge building is the race shop for Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon and features cars that have raced many years ago and won races /championships. It also holds many of the trophies won over the years. From here you can also view the crews working on the cars, setting them up and preparing them for upcoming races.
Next door is the race shop for 6 time champ Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr, obviously this one was packed with other visitors.
A short walk down the road takes you to the museum/gift shop which features Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon's Daytona 500 race winning cars. A gigantic walk display holds yet more trophies. Being a Jeff Gordon fan I had a browse around the gift shop, had to be done, stocked up on some merchandise as well! We were at this shop for more than double the length of all the others.
After a great first day of Nascar themed activities it was back to the hotel for a chill out, nice to have time to relax after the last few days. Later on in the evening I headed into speed Street festival again but was a little disappointed by it. The only main attraction was the main stage playing live music from 5pm till midnight all through the weekend, which I can hear clearly from my hotel. After grabbing some food from one of the catering stalls and having a mooch around I headed back to the hotel.
A 9:30 start tomorrow as we leave for the track for the first of 2 race days at charlotte motor speedway... Let's go racing!
Friday, 22 May 2015
New York to NASCAR
Thursday May 21st
6am the alarm clock rang this morning and after only a few hours sleep I felt quite knackered, especially from all the walking over the last few days.
I had just enough time to grab a quick coffee and a Danish pastry before the shuttle bus arrived to take me to JFK airport.
Reflecting back I have to say that I knew I would enjoy New York because there was so much to see and do but I must say that enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It was a bit of a rush at times to get things done but I didn't mind, in the end I saw everything that I wanted to see. The city has a fantastic vibe about it, walk around times square at midnight for example and the streets will still be packed, a lot of shops still open, and restaurants. Then throw in the contrast of an area like Central Park which is so peaceful, away from the crowded streets, the city really does have it all.
The way the city is set out in its grid format makes it very easy to get around, and all the major stops are accessible via the subway.
I felt totally safe at all times here as well, there used to be some really dodgy areas (and probably still are) but it has certainly cleaned up its act now.
So yes I was rather sad to be leaving but I was leaving for a very good reason...
No trip to the US would be complete without a NASCAR weekend!
Time to fly down to Charlotte, NC and let the fun begin.
Arrived at the airport way ahead of time and after figuring out the self service check in at the 153rd attempt I dropped off my bags, passed through security and waited for the flight.
Lots of English people on the flight but a lot of them were flying down to Atlanta on a connecting flight... They didn't look like they were heading down for a NASCAR weekend.
The short 2hr flight arrived at 2pm, a pretty smooth flight all the way down, I had a window seat over the wing.
I was surprised at the transportation, or lack of it to uptown charlotte from the airport. There is not shuttle/shared ride service it is $25 for a cab to the hotel door or a cheaper bus ride that stops about 7 or 8 blocks down from my hotel. Not knowing where I would end up if I took the bus option, I decided reluctantly to get a cab. You could tell that race weekend is here, there is checkered flag bunting, NASCAR themed items around the terminal building.
In any case I arrived at the hotel safely just after 3pm and checked in. Much to my amazement I found out that my room had been upgraded to a suite free of charge.. .. I thought.. Great. The concierge was very helpful, telling me about the area and what there would be to do in my free days here.
When I got to my room I was knocked back... It included a big spacious room, a living room with couch and armchair, a microwave, fridge, HD TV and.... Wait for it.... A hot tub!!! I also have the nascar Hall of fame just over the road from me. Result!!!!
You can tell there is a big event happening here this weekend as there is such a party atmosphere in uptown charlotte. Coca Cola speed Street is a street party (obviously) that is taking place over the whole weekend with live music playing, although the main stage is right opposite my hotel room, a stage where a lot of the drivers will be appearing for Q&A sessions, various eateries and other interesting things to look at.
After chilling out for the rest of the afternoon I watched the live NASCAR sprint cup practice and qualifying in TV which was a novelty because we don't have that luxury in the UK.
After meeting up with Shane, our tour guide for the weekend, and collecting my tickets, I headed down the the restaurant for a bite to eat in the evening before heading to speed street which was buzzing with race fans.
Conscious of the time, I did not want to stay out too late tonight as tomorrow I will be heading up with our tour party to see the various race shops for a lot of the top teams where we will get to see them preparing the race cars for upcoming races... But 7:30am start.
So I headed back to the room and took. An early ish night.
6am the alarm clock rang this morning and after only a few hours sleep I felt quite knackered, especially from all the walking over the last few days.
I had just enough time to grab a quick coffee and a Danish pastry before the shuttle bus arrived to take me to JFK airport.
Reflecting back I have to say that I knew I would enjoy New York because there was so much to see and do but I must say that enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. It was a bit of a rush at times to get things done but I didn't mind, in the end I saw everything that I wanted to see. The city has a fantastic vibe about it, walk around times square at midnight for example and the streets will still be packed, a lot of shops still open, and restaurants. Then throw in the contrast of an area like Central Park which is so peaceful, away from the crowded streets, the city really does have it all.
The way the city is set out in its grid format makes it very easy to get around, and all the major stops are accessible via the subway.
I felt totally safe at all times here as well, there used to be some really dodgy areas (and probably still are) but it has certainly cleaned up its act now.
So yes I was rather sad to be leaving but I was leaving for a very good reason...
No trip to the US would be complete without a NASCAR weekend!
Time to fly down to Charlotte, NC and let the fun begin.
Arrived at the airport way ahead of time and after figuring out the self service check in at the 153rd attempt I dropped off my bags, passed through security and waited for the flight.
Lots of English people on the flight but a lot of them were flying down to Atlanta on a connecting flight... They didn't look like they were heading down for a NASCAR weekend.
The short 2hr flight arrived at 2pm, a pretty smooth flight all the way down, I had a window seat over the wing.
I was surprised at the transportation, or lack of it to uptown charlotte from the airport. There is not shuttle/shared ride service it is $25 for a cab to the hotel door or a cheaper bus ride that stops about 7 or 8 blocks down from my hotel. Not knowing where I would end up if I took the bus option, I decided reluctantly to get a cab. You could tell that race weekend is here, there is checkered flag bunting, NASCAR themed items around the terminal building.
In any case I arrived at the hotel safely just after 3pm and checked in. Much to my amazement I found out that my room had been upgraded to a suite free of charge.. .. I thought.. Great. The concierge was very helpful, telling me about the area and what there would be to do in my free days here.
When I got to my room I was knocked back... It included a big spacious room, a living room with couch and armchair, a microwave, fridge, HD TV and.... Wait for it.... A hot tub!!! I also have the nascar Hall of fame just over the road from me. Result!!!!
You can tell there is a big event happening here this weekend as there is such a party atmosphere in uptown charlotte. Coca Cola speed Street is a street party (obviously) that is taking place over the whole weekend with live music playing, although the main stage is right opposite my hotel room, a stage where a lot of the drivers will be appearing for Q&A sessions, various eateries and other interesting things to look at.
After chilling out for the rest of the afternoon I watched the live NASCAR sprint cup practice and qualifying in TV which was a novelty because we don't have that luxury in the UK.
After meeting up with Shane, our tour guide for the weekend, and collecting my tickets, I headed down the the restaurant for a bite to eat in the evening before heading to speed street which was buzzing with race fans.
Conscious of the time, I did not want to stay out too late tonight as tomorrow I will be heading up with our tour party to see the various race shops for a lot of the top teams where we will get to see them preparing the race cars for upcoming races... But 7:30am start.
So I headed back to the room and took. An early ish night.
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Empire State of Mind
Wednesday 20th May
The alarm clock went off way too early again today and after the last 2 days I felt like a zombie this morning. Nothing that a good breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast) with a few mugs of coffee couldn't sort out! Chilly start again today but I was out early. To avoid a delay in getting down to Battery Park on the bus I opted for the subway. I had never used the New York subway before so here was my next challenge. Luckily my journey to south ferry station was straightforward, no changes required and it was the last stop on the line. Helped some German tourists out with directions and headed to board the ferry. The view was much better today. The statue was clearly visible.
After a bit of a wait to get through security I boarded the ferry right away. Everyone was keen to get a view of the statue as we approached liberty island so cameras /phones etc were in the air.
Fortunately the sea was not choppy and miraculously I did not feel sea sick at all... Usually just the sight of sea water does it for me. It was bitter cold over on the island and there was a stiff breeze but it was well worth it for the views of Lady liberty, one of the most iconic symbols in the whole of America. Of course it signified freedom and a new beginning for many immigrants years ago as they would be greeted by the statue
I walked around the island twice to get good views over to lower Manhattan and of course to get some stunning close up pictures of the statue of liberty. Acted as photographer for a few people, I must look like I have a nack for that kind of thing.
Before heading back to the ferry which was a short walk away I grabbed some quick lunch in the park and just enjoyed the views.
It was like hearding cattle when boarding the ferry, as everyone wanted to get back on the same one, despite there being one every 25 minutes. On the way back the ferry stopped at Ellis island, where new immigrants were first sent when they arrived in the US.
Back on dry land I then headed for the last attraction to check out on my to do list.... The empire state building!
I took the tube back up to Penn station and could see it as I left the station.... Still I couldn't find it. How can you lose sight of a building that big? I hear you ask! Quite simply Because all the other skyscrapers block your view. Fought my way through the crowds on fifth avenue, there was a new H&M store opening that lots of people were queuing to get into.
Once inside this grand building you have to queue to get through the security checks, then queue again for the elevator to take you to the 86th floor. There was as small display to look at on one of the lower floors beforehand but we were being waved on by the attendants.
The views from the top were breathtaking, it was great to get a view of the city at night and day. I would say that personally the Rockefeller center viewing deck probably just edges it for me because you can see Central Park a lot better but my goodness are the views still great at the top of the empire state building.
The wind was incredibly fierce on one side of the platform to the extent it was hard to stand up. I took to refuge inside for a bit and looked over towards lower Manhattan, the freedom tower and statue of liberty where I had been this morning. It was here that I was listening to a mother explaining the 9/11 attacks to her young son who of course would have not been born then. It went something like this... I'm going to tell you a story... Once many years ago there were these 2 really tall towers over there but one day some bad guys flew some planes into them and knocked them down. The good guys then built this one to replace it.
Took lots of photos and admired the view of the city before heading back to the hotel for a breather.
In the evening I met up with Sam who was spending his last night in the states. We took a night bus tour which took us all around the city giving us some great views of it just as the sun was setting. Had the most wacky tour guide ever who kept quoting lyrics from the Frank Sinatra song New York New York and even broke out into song! Great tour though and a fitting way to end my time in the city.
Rounded off the day with a trip to Applebees for a nice meal before heading back to the hotel to pack the case and ready myself for my travel day tomorrow... We're North Carolina bound.
The alarm clock went off way too early again today and after the last 2 days I felt like a zombie this morning. Nothing that a good breakfast (eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast) with a few mugs of coffee couldn't sort out! Chilly start again today but I was out early. To avoid a delay in getting down to Battery Park on the bus I opted for the subway. I had never used the New York subway before so here was my next challenge. Luckily my journey to south ferry station was straightforward, no changes required and it was the last stop on the line. Helped some German tourists out with directions and headed to board the ferry. The view was much better today. The statue was clearly visible.
After a bit of a wait to get through security I boarded the ferry right away. Everyone was keen to get a view of the statue as we approached liberty island so cameras /phones etc were in the air.
Fortunately the sea was not choppy and miraculously I did not feel sea sick at all... Usually just the sight of sea water does it for me. It was bitter cold over on the island and there was a stiff breeze but it was well worth it for the views of Lady liberty, one of the most iconic symbols in the whole of America. Of course it signified freedom and a new beginning for many immigrants years ago as they would be greeted by the statue
I walked around the island twice to get good views over to lower Manhattan and of course to get some stunning close up pictures of the statue of liberty. Acted as photographer for a few people, I must look like I have a nack for that kind of thing.
Before heading back to the ferry which was a short walk away I grabbed some quick lunch in the park and just enjoyed the views.
It was like hearding cattle when boarding the ferry, as everyone wanted to get back on the same one, despite there being one every 25 minutes. On the way back the ferry stopped at Ellis island, where new immigrants were first sent when they arrived in the US.
Back on dry land I then headed for the last attraction to check out on my to do list.... The empire state building!
I took the tube back up to Penn station and could see it as I left the station.... Still I couldn't find it. How can you lose sight of a building that big? I hear you ask! Quite simply Because all the other skyscrapers block your view. Fought my way through the crowds on fifth avenue, there was a new H&M store opening that lots of people were queuing to get into.
Once inside this grand building you have to queue to get through the security checks, then queue again for the elevator to take you to the 86th floor. There was as small display to look at on one of the lower floors beforehand but we were being waved on by the attendants.
The views from the top were breathtaking, it was great to get a view of the city at night and day. I would say that personally the Rockefeller center viewing deck probably just edges it for me because you can see Central Park a lot better but my goodness are the views still great at the top of the empire state building.
The wind was incredibly fierce on one side of the platform to the extent it was hard to stand up. I took to refuge inside for a bit and looked over towards lower Manhattan, the freedom tower and statue of liberty where I had been this morning. It was here that I was listening to a mother explaining the 9/11 attacks to her young son who of course would have not been born then. It went something like this... I'm going to tell you a story... Once many years ago there were these 2 really tall towers over there but one day some bad guys flew some planes into them and knocked them down. The good guys then built this one to replace it.
Took lots of photos and admired the view of the city before heading back to the hotel for a breather.
In the evening I met up with Sam who was spending his last night in the states. We took a night bus tour which took us all around the city giving us some great views of it just as the sun was setting. Had the most wacky tour guide ever who kept quoting lyrics from the Frank Sinatra song New York New York and even broke out into song! Great tour though and a fitting way to end my time in the city.
Rounded off the day with a trip to Applebees for a nice meal before heading back to the hotel to pack the case and ready myself for my travel day tomorrow... We're North Carolina bound.
Concrete Jungle
Tuesday 19th May
Day 2 in new York was much the same weather wise, a chilly 62 Fahrenheit and I started it in much the same way, with a hearty breakfast to set me up for the day.
Today the plan was to head down to lower Manhattan area of New York, with the highlights for me being statue of liberty, ground zero and Brooklyn bridge.
Made the short walk up to times square to catch the hop on hop off bus. The downtown tour took us past some of the iconic buildings in the city such as Macys, down to the financial district with great views of one world trade center, or as it is better known, the freedom tower.
The New York traffic, which is notoriously chaotic, meant that the journey down to Battery Park took longer than initially expected.
My plan for this morning was to take the short ferry trip over to liberty island to take a closer view of Lady liberty herself. I obtained my ticket and began striding down to the ferry port, expecting to catch a glimpse of the iconic statue all I could see in the distance was fog, fog and more fog!
So, time for a change of plan again, my ticket was valid for use any one time in the next 30 days so I made an executive decision (in the financial district) to head to ground zero and view the 9/11 memorial and museum. There is still a great deal of construction work taking place in the area surrounding the memorial, with the freedom tower pretty much complete and dominating the lower Manhattan skyline there are a couple of other buildings, being built on the site that will all be part of the world trade centre.
The first thing I came across in the area was a plaque, dedicated to all the firemen that lost their lives trying to save others.
Next I arrived at the memorial pools, North and south which stand in exactly the same place as the twin towers once stood. Although this area was packed with tourists, like most of New York there is a certain sense of peace and tranquillity in this area as the gushing waterfalls can be heard over anything else. A fitting tribute.
Around the edges of these pools are the names of all the people who lost their lives that day, inscribed into the marble . One or two of these would have a single white rose attached to them. I later learned that this is done when one of the victims has a birthday on that day.
Standing in the area now you try to imagine what it must have been like for everyone on that day, the workers going about their daily business, how they reacted, how far the debris and smoke spread, remembering the images we all saw on TV that day. I remember hearing about what had happened whilst walking home from school and switching on the TV when I got home, it was like watching a disaster movie.
After spending time here I then joined the queue for the memorial museum. It wasn't too long before I was through the airport style security and into the museum itself. The main area is actually located where the foundations of the twin towers once stood, and these can be clearly seen as you move around the museum. There are lots of fascinating exhibits on display, all stark reminders of that day.
Just when you think you have seen the whole museum there is another room which tells the story of how the events of the day unfolded, we hear eyewitness accounts, see news reports and footage etc. A crowded place as expected but everyone mesmerised at what they are seeing.
Whilst standing at one of the exhibits I was listening to an elderly lady telling someone how she was sitting in Central Park when it happened and could smell/see the smoke nearby.
Later in when I exited the museum the weather had turned from Cloudy and cold to bright blue skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.
Had a quick stop for food nearby, had probably one of the best burgers I have ever tasted before deciding to take a walk over Brooklyn Bridge. Got a bit lost getting there but ended up walking through wall Street past the new York stock exchange. You always know when you are near a tourist hotspot, just look for hoards of people and even more cameras.
I could see the bridge but could I get to it?! The walkway was badly signposted and it was only by chance that I came across a makeshift sign pointing me to the right down a dark alley! I thought.... We'll here goes... Fortunately it brought me out to some steps which lead right onto the walkway. The bridge itself was packed with everyone wanting pictures of the lower Manhattan area with the statue of liberty in the distance, a picture postcard if ever there was one. After nearly getting run over by speeding cyclists and keen runners I made it over to Brooklyn. So what did I do when I got there? That's right... I walked back!
The view going back was stunning, empire state building could be seen off to the right, lower Manhattan off to the left.
Once back over the other side I took the bus tour back into midtown. The plan had been to head back to the hotel for a breather but time was not on my side. Dusk was starting to fall and tonight's plan was to visit the Rockefeller centre observatory named 'Top of the rock' where one can get a great view of the city.
The bus tour took us through Chinatown, Soho districts which was interesting. Arrived at the Rockefeller plaza about 7:40 pm. This place is a maze in itself. Full of cafes and shops along many alleyways, took me a while to find the observatory entrance but realised I had found it when I saw the queue. As my bus tour packages included a ticket for this I redeemed mine at the ticket office. Each ticket had an assigned time for the observatory. Mine was 8:30. After a short wait I took the 47 second elevator ride to the 67th floor...... And wow! By this time it was almost fully dark and stepping outside the view almost knocked me back as much as the wind! New York City sparkled. The view was amazing, heading to the top deck (there were 3 in total) if you looked North you could see Central Park, south and you could see lower Manhattan, look down and you could see times square all lit up. It was also fascinating watching all the planes flying into La Guardia airport as you could see them stacked up way over in the distance.
I was up there just admiring the view for well over an hour, so peaceful standing there and watching the hustle and bustle of the city below.
Very satisfied with my days sightseeing I headed back to the hotel for an earlier night, an early start again tomorrow as I head down to Battery Park once again, the weather is set to be clear so that should set things up perfectly for the statue of liberty and empire state building!
Day 2 in new York was much the same weather wise, a chilly 62 Fahrenheit and I started it in much the same way, with a hearty breakfast to set me up for the day.
Today the plan was to head down to lower Manhattan area of New York, with the highlights for me being statue of liberty, ground zero and Brooklyn bridge.
Made the short walk up to times square to catch the hop on hop off bus. The downtown tour took us past some of the iconic buildings in the city such as Macys, down to the financial district with great views of one world trade center, or as it is better known, the freedom tower.
The New York traffic, which is notoriously chaotic, meant that the journey down to Battery Park took longer than initially expected.
My plan for this morning was to take the short ferry trip over to liberty island to take a closer view of Lady liberty herself. I obtained my ticket and began striding down to the ferry port, expecting to catch a glimpse of the iconic statue all I could see in the distance was fog, fog and more fog!
So, time for a change of plan again, my ticket was valid for use any one time in the next 30 days so I made an executive decision (in the financial district) to head to ground zero and view the 9/11 memorial and museum. There is still a great deal of construction work taking place in the area surrounding the memorial, with the freedom tower pretty much complete and dominating the lower Manhattan skyline there are a couple of other buildings, being built on the site that will all be part of the world trade centre.
The first thing I came across in the area was a plaque, dedicated to all the firemen that lost their lives trying to save others.
Next I arrived at the memorial pools, North and south which stand in exactly the same place as the twin towers once stood. Although this area was packed with tourists, like most of New York there is a certain sense of peace and tranquillity in this area as the gushing waterfalls can be heard over anything else. A fitting tribute.
Around the edges of these pools are the names of all the people who lost their lives that day, inscribed into the marble . One or two of these would have a single white rose attached to them. I later learned that this is done when one of the victims has a birthday on that day.
Standing in the area now you try to imagine what it must have been like for everyone on that day, the workers going about their daily business, how they reacted, how far the debris and smoke spread, remembering the images we all saw on TV that day. I remember hearing about what had happened whilst walking home from school and switching on the TV when I got home, it was like watching a disaster movie.
After spending time here I then joined the queue for the memorial museum. It wasn't too long before I was through the airport style security and into the museum itself. The main area is actually located where the foundations of the twin towers once stood, and these can be clearly seen as you move around the museum. There are lots of fascinating exhibits on display, all stark reminders of that day.
Just when you think you have seen the whole museum there is another room which tells the story of how the events of the day unfolded, we hear eyewitness accounts, see news reports and footage etc. A crowded place as expected but everyone mesmerised at what they are seeing.
Whilst standing at one of the exhibits I was listening to an elderly lady telling someone how she was sitting in Central Park when it happened and could smell/see the smoke nearby.
Later in when I exited the museum the weather had turned from Cloudy and cold to bright blue skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.
Had a quick stop for food nearby, had probably one of the best burgers I have ever tasted before deciding to take a walk over Brooklyn Bridge. Got a bit lost getting there but ended up walking through wall Street past the new York stock exchange. You always know when you are near a tourist hotspot, just look for hoards of people and even more cameras.
I could see the bridge but could I get to it?! The walkway was badly signposted and it was only by chance that I came across a makeshift sign pointing me to the right down a dark alley! I thought.... We'll here goes... Fortunately it brought me out to some steps which lead right onto the walkway. The bridge itself was packed with everyone wanting pictures of the lower Manhattan area with the statue of liberty in the distance, a picture postcard if ever there was one. After nearly getting run over by speeding cyclists and keen runners I made it over to Brooklyn. So what did I do when I got there? That's right... I walked back!
The view going back was stunning, empire state building could be seen off to the right, lower Manhattan off to the left.
Once back over the other side I took the bus tour back into midtown. The plan had been to head back to the hotel for a breather but time was not on my side. Dusk was starting to fall and tonight's plan was to visit the Rockefeller centre observatory named 'Top of the rock' where one can get a great view of the city.
The bus tour took us through Chinatown, Soho districts which was interesting. Arrived at the Rockefeller plaza about 7:40 pm. This place is a maze in itself. Full of cafes and shops along many alleyways, took me a while to find the observatory entrance but realised I had found it when I saw the queue. As my bus tour packages included a ticket for this I redeemed mine at the ticket office. Each ticket had an assigned time for the observatory. Mine was 8:30. After a short wait I took the 47 second elevator ride to the 67th floor...... And wow! By this time it was almost fully dark and stepping outside the view almost knocked me back as much as the wind! New York City sparkled. The view was amazing, heading to the top deck (there were 3 in total) if you looked North you could see Central Park, south and you could see lower Manhattan, look down and you could see times square all lit up. It was also fascinating watching all the planes flying into La Guardia airport as you could see them stacked up way over in the distance.
I was up there just admiring the view for well over an hour, so peaceful standing there and watching the hustle and bustle of the city below.
Very satisfied with my days sightseeing I headed back to the hotel for an earlier night, an early start again tomorrow as I head down to Battery Park once again, the weather is set to be clear so that should set things up perfectly for the statue of liberty and empire state building!
Monday, 18 May 2015
New York, New York
Monday 18th May
Woke up at 7am this morning to find New York shrouded in fog and a chilly 62 Celsius, not much warmer than back home but at least it was dry.
Time to rethink the itinerary as I had planned to visit the Empire State Building observation deck which is supposed to provide fantastic views of the city but I can't imagine the views from the top would be much to write home about today so this little venture would have to be put on hold for now. Wednesday looks like being the best day of my stay so that looks to be the best opportunity.
After enjoying some banana filled pancakes with maple syrup it was time to put the Jeff Gordon baseball cap on, ready the shades (although I wouldn't need them) and head out onto the streets.
To start the trip off I decided to head for Central Park which forms a very large part of upper midtown. To get there I opted for a hop on hop off bus tour which covers many routes around the city, stopping off at all of the major tourist attractions. This deal also includes passes to many of the tourist attractions themselves, allowing me to skip the queues.
After nearly heading into maddame tussauds by accident I eventually managed to purchase my ticket and jump onto the bus. This tour would circle central Park, Harlem and other districts, the guide was very good, knew all her stuff.
The transition in the architecture of the buildings was amazing as we headed into different districts. Nearly got my head chopped off by low hanging branches on the top of the bus but it was a really enjoyable tour.
Once this was over about 11:30 I decided to head into central Park and explore it for myself. It is such a peaceful area with beautiful lakes, footbridges and areas where people can just sit and relax and watch the world go by. You can see why so many New Yorkers come here to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
The rest of the city is very organised in terms of its grid system layout it is very easy to get around however it is incredibly easy to get lost in central Park, which I kinda did, though it's a nice place to get lost in.
After enjoying the scenery for a good few hours I came across strawberry fields, famous of course for the John Lennon 'imagine memorial'. Took a few photos of course and sat in this area for a while as tourists of all nationalities came and went. There was a man sitting get on a bench near the memorial playing Beatles songs on acoustic guitar which gave the area more of an atmosphere of reflection.
From here I walked across the road to central Park West to the outside of the Dakota Building which was perhaps best known for where John Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 but is now famous for the place that I got ripped off for a chicken kebab (or just a limp piece of chicken on a skewer as it was) for $7. Avoid those Street vendors!
Having covered most of Central Park south that I wanted to I headed back towards times square to meet up with my friend Sam who had also flown out here yesterday. After a loooong walk back to his hotel we finally met. As this was my Central Park day we headed back up there this time via a yellow cab and covered the northern part of the park. Enjoyed the views, especially of the Jaqueline Kennedy memorial reservoir which looks awesome with the new York skyline as its backdrop. After getting lost again and doing 2 laps of the reservoir we headed back towards south Central Park again to catch a cab back to times square.
About 6:30 I headed back to my hotel for a quick freshen up before it was time to head out again.... Just as I had got my breath back!
This time Sam and I headed to a nice little Italian restaurant where I had a nice pepperoni pizza and a budweiser.... Day 2 on this trip and still no burgers and chips.... Must be a record!
After managing as much of the huge New York style portions as we could the 3 of us (Sam, his friend Bella and myself) headed to a comedy show in Times Square, something random and totally different but it made for an interesting evening.
By the time it finished it was midnight and still the area was packed with tourists, shops still open etc, well they call it the city that never sleeps! Took some amazing photos of times square all lit up at night, lots of street sellers trying to flog tickets to shows and other events in the area but I am always skeptical about these so just ignore them. Heck we even bumped into out good old friends trying to sell their homemade rap CDs..... Sorry... I'm wise to that trick!
Before we knew it the time was 1am, and time for me to head back to the hotel... Write this blog entry and get some sleep after a very hectic day 1...but definitely making the most of my time so far... Who needs sleep anyway.
Woke up at 7am this morning to find New York shrouded in fog and a chilly 62 Celsius, not much warmer than back home but at least it was dry.
Time to rethink the itinerary as I had planned to visit the Empire State Building observation deck which is supposed to provide fantastic views of the city but I can't imagine the views from the top would be much to write home about today so this little venture would have to be put on hold for now. Wednesday looks like being the best day of my stay so that looks to be the best opportunity.
After enjoying some banana filled pancakes with maple syrup it was time to put the Jeff Gordon baseball cap on, ready the shades (although I wouldn't need them) and head out onto the streets.
To start the trip off I decided to head for Central Park which forms a very large part of upper midtown. To get there I opted for a hop on hop off bus tour which covers many routes around the city, stopping off at all of the major tourist attractions. This deal also includes passes to many of the tourist attractions themselves, allowing me to skip the queues.
After nearly heading into maddame tussauds by accident I eventually managed to purchase my ticket and jump onto the bus. This tour would circle central Park, Harlem and other districts, the guide was very good, knew all her stuff.
The transition in the architecture of the buildings was amazing as we headed into different districts. Nearly got my head chopped off by low hanging branches on the top of the bus but it was a really enjoyable tour.
Once this was over about 11:30 I decided to head into central Park and explore it for myself. It is such a peaceful area with beautiful lakes, footbridges and areas where people can just sit and relax and watch the world go by. You can see why so many New Yorkers come here to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
The rest of the city is very organised in terms of its grid system layout it is very easy to get around however it is incredibly easy to get lost in central Park, which I kinda did, though it's a nice place to get lost in.
After enjoying the scenery for a good few hours I came across strawberry fields, famous of course for the John Lennon 'imagine memorial'. Took a few photos of course and sat in this area for a while as tourists of all nationalities came and went. There was a man sitting get on a bench near the memorial playing Beatles songs on acoustic guitar which gave the area more of an atmosphere of reflection.
From here I walked across the road to central Park West to the outside of the Dakota Building which was perhaps best known for where John Lennon was shot and killed in December 1980 but is now famous for the place that I got ripped off for a chicken kebab (or just a limp piece of chicken on a skewer as it was) for $7. Avoid those Street vendors!
Having covered most of Central Park south that I wanted to I headed back towards times square to meet up with my friend Sam who had also flown out here yesterday. After a loooong walk back to his hotel we finally met. As this was my Central Park day we headed back up there this time via a yellow cab and covered the northern part of the park. Enjoyed the views, especially of the Jaqueline Kennedy memorial reservoir which looks awesome with the new York skyline as its backdrop. After getting lost again and doing 2 laps of the reservoir we headed back towards south Central Park again to catch a cab back to times square.
About 6:30 I headed back to my hotel for a quick freshen up before it was time to head out again.... Just as I had got my breath back!
This time Sam and I headed to a nice little Italian restaurant where I had a nice pepperoni pizza and a budweiser.... Day 2 on this trip and still no burgers and chips.... Must be a record!
After managing as much of the huge New York style portions as we could the 3 of us (Sam, his friend Bella and myself) headed to a comedy show in Times Square, something random and totally different but it made for an interesting evening.
By the time it finished it was midnight and still the area was packed with tourists, shops still open etc, well they call it the city that never sleeps! Took some amazing photos of times square all lit up at night, lots of street sellers trying to flog tickets to shows and other events in the area but I am always skeptical about these so just ignore them. Heck we even bumped into out good old friends trying to sell their homemade rap CDs..... Sorry... I'm wise to that trick!
Before we knew it the time was 1am, and time for me to head back to the hotel... Write this blog entry and get some sleep after a very hectic day 1...but definitely making the most of my time so far... Who needs sleep anyway.
Sunday, 17 May 2015
An Englishman In New York
Sunday 17th May
A bright and sunny day greeted me as I pulled back the curtains this morning. Packing done, everything ready for another big adventure to the USA. Flight departure time to New York JFK was 14:35 with a flight duration of 7 hr 5 min. Had just about enough time to catch the nascar all star race from the night before on TV but then it was time to head to Heathrow Terminal 5!
Arrived nice and early thanks to no hold ups on the M25. Dropped my luggage off swiftly and not too much of a wait at security. Then some time to grab a drink and a snack and explore the shops... this is where the fun started.
Walking along the busy terminal floor I Tried to help someone retrieve their boarding pass which fell out if his pocket and went skimming across the floor to be trampled on by the oncoming stampede.
Nearly witnessed a fight break out at the checkout queue in whsmith
Acted as technical assistance for an elderly gentleman at the self service checkout as he had never used this before.
Then at the gate I went running after a lady who I thought had left her mascara wand behind when she got up to get in the queue for boarding, only to be told 'no its not mine!' aaaah slightly awkward moment there, if only the ground could have opened up for me right there.
And all this happened before I had even boarded the plane!
Boarded our Boeing 747 after being subjected to a random search.
The flight itself was rather smooth and uneventful. I had a spare seat next to me so didn't feel as squashed up as one normally does on those things.
The plane landed bang on 5pm Eastern time but didn't get to the gate until 40minutes later due to a problem with the jet bridge. From here the queues continued as it took an age to get through immigration and to get my transport.
Eventually boarded the shuttle bus at around 7:40 pm.
Got a lovely view of the lower manhattan skyline in the sunset and by the time we reached midtown district it was fully dark. You can already sense the hustle and bustle nature of the city and certainly gives off the vibe that lives up to its reputation of the city that never sleeps. I already have a stiff neck from looking up at all those skyscrapers!
After receiving a guided tour of midtown new York I was the last to be dropped off at around 9:40!
A rather nice hotel, even if the rooms are a bit small.
I had originally planned to head out for a while once I reached the hotel but after such a long day I felt knackered and decided to conserve my energy for my first full day of sightseeing.... Watch out New York... Here I come!
A bright and sunny day greeted me as I pulled back the curtains this morning. Packing done, everything ready for another big adventure to the USA. Flight departure time to New York JFK was 14:35 with a flight duration of 7 hr 5 min. Had just about enough time to catch the nascar all star race from the night before on TV but then it was time to head to Heathrow Terminal 5!
Arrived nice and early thanks to no hold ups on the M25. Dropped my luggage off swiftly and not too much of a wait at security. Then some time to grab a drink and a snack and explore the shops... this is where the fun started.
Walking along the busy terminal floor I Tried to help someone retrieve their boarding pass which fell out if his pocket and went skimming across the floor to be trampled on by the oncoming stampede.
Nearly witnessed a fight break out at the checkout queue in whsmith
Acted as technical assistance for an elderly gentleman at the self service checkout as he had never used this before.
Then at the gate I went running after a lady who I thought had left her mascara wand behind when she got up to get in the queue for boarding, only to be told 'no its not mine!' aaaah slightly awkward moment there, if only the ground could have opened up for me right there.
And all this happened before I had even boarded the plane!
Boarded our Boeing 747 after being subjected to a random search.
The flight itself was rather smooth and uneventful. I had a spare seat next to me so didn't feel as squashed up as one normally does on those things.
The plane landed bang on 5pm Eastern time but didn't get to the gate until 40minutes later due to a problem with the jet bridge. From here the queues continued as it took an age to get through immigration and to get my transport.
Eventually boarded the shuttle bus at around 7:40 pm.
Got a lovely view of the lower manhattan skyline in the sunset and by the time we reached midtown district it was fully dark. You can already sense the hustle and bustle nature of the city and certainly gives off the vibe that lives up to its reputation of the city that never sleeps. I already have a stiff neck from looking up at all those skyscrapers!
After receiving a guided tour of midtown new York I was the last to be dropped off at around 9:40!
A rather nice hotel, even if the rooms are a bit small.
I had originally planned to head out for a while once I reached the hotel but after such a long day I felt knackered and decided to conserve my energy for my first full day of sightseeing.... Watch out New York... Here I come!
Monday, 11 May 2015
5 days and counting!...
Well, I can hardly believe it. It seems like only yesterday that I booked this latest US adventure, it seems only last week that I was over there enjoying an extended break having just finished uni.... But in just under a week I'll be back out there again, this time roaming the streets of New York City!
A shorter trip than in 2014 due to time and money but hopefully just as enjoyable and I will be sure to pack in as much as I can in the 10 days that I am over there.
This year's trip kicks off with 4 nights in the big Apple, a city I have wanted to visit for a long time and one of the only must see destinations in the USA that I have not visited in my 13 visits prior to this one.
I aim to visit all the main tourist attractions of course so my schedule is looking pretty hectic but who says holidays are for relaxing! I am not quite sure what to expect from the city, I am told it is very cosmopolitan, detached from other US cultures and seems more European than anything but it is also incredibly diverse. One thing is for sure, I just can't wait to get there.
Following this city break I fly down to Charlotte, North Carolina for yes, you've guessed it.... A Nascar weekend! A US visit just wouldn't be the same without one!
Here I'll get to go to 2 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (please, no rain!!!), visit the new nascar Hall of fame which is situated right next to my hotel in uptown Charlotte, and visit the workshops and museums for all the major race teams as they are all based in or around the charlotte vicinity.
It is set up to be an 'awesome' trip (as the yanks say) and I can't wait to touch down in the US of A once more next Sunday evening!
A shorter trip than in 2014 due to time and money but hopefully just as enjoyable and I will be sure to pack in as much as I can in the 10 days that I am over there.
This year's trip kicks off with 4 nights in the big Apple, a city I have wanted to visit for a long time and one of the only must see destinations in the USA that I have not visited in my 13 visits prior to this one.
I aim to visit all the main tourist attractions of course so my schedule is looking pretty hectic but who says holidays are for relaxing! I am not quite sure what to expect from the city, I am told it is very cosmopolitan, detached from other US cultures and seems more European than anything but it is also incredibly diverse. One thing is for sure, I just can't wait to get there.
Following this city break I fly down to Charlotte, North Carolina for yes, you've guessed it.... A Nascar weekend! A US visit just wouldn't be the same without one!
Here I'll get to go to 2 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway (please, no rain!!!), visit the new nascar Hall of fame which is situated right next to my hotel in uptown Charlotte, and visit the workshops and museums for all the major race teams as they are all based in or around the charlotte vicinity.
It is set up to be an 'awesome' trip (as the yanks say) and I can't wait to touch down in the US of A once more next Sunday evening!
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