USA Oct/Nov-2005, by Hire Car, West to East and return.
					Map and Finger in Pacific, West Coast
Introduction		Having done a North-South trip from California to Alaska and return, via the
Alaskan Highway in 2003, we were looking forward to a West-East and return trip in 2005.
Having experienced some of the magnificent National Parks in USA and Canada before, we were
determined to see as many more of these as possible on this trip. We planned to head East in a
northerly sweep, touching Canada at Niagara Falls, then heading to New York and Washington via
New England in late October, to see the "autumn" colours in the trees.
Returning from the East Coast in a southerly sweep, but avoiding recently flooded areas.
Car Hire, Alamo		The Alamo car rental service from California (LAX) was superb.
We had organised a mid size sedan from Australia, and qualified for an intermediate by early
booking. We could take our pick of some 50 odd "near new" cars available in the yard. We chose a
Pontiac Grand Am, 3.4 lt V6 automatic with air and 24 hour roadside assist. The total cost of hire
was :-	$2,346	AUD, for 6 weeks or 42 days =			$56	AUD per day, average, including
all insurances, taxes, fees. Based on previous experience, we were expecting several extra
charges on vehicle pick-up, but NO surprises. The vehicle return took about 2 minutes !! On arriving
at the Alamo depot at LAX, a staffer walked around the car and read all the details with a remote
scanner which read all the instruments and hire details and told us "OK" to leave, good stuff !!
Pontiac Grand Am, 3.4 lt. V6 auto.					Plenty of room and zoom !
Roadside Motels
The roadside motels
were $80-$120 / nite.
We used Holiday Inn,
Super 8, Best West'n
or similar. The food &
beverage costs were
comparable to Oz.We
never booked ahead
except as below.
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	NewYork & Washington hotels			We were strongly advised to book these from Australia
as availability could be a problem in October / November ! These were the only accommodations we
pre-booked, taking what was convenient and available elsewhere. While I was checking prices and
availability on the InterNet, in Australia, you could see vacancies disappearing on the screen.
Our Travel agent found us some hotels in good locations, but very expensive !!
Nat'l Parks Pass.		The National Parks pass at AUD $70 ( for 1 year) was extremely good
value and convenient. Once purchased, all you had to do was show the card at park entry gates.
We reckon we saved at least AUD $100 on individual park entry fees on the trip.
The following are a selection of photos from the many National Parks.
				<--Death
				Valley,Cal.
				Grand
				Canyon
				Arizona-->
				<-Petrified
				forest
				Arizona
				Cliff ----->
				dwellings
				Canyon
				De Chelly
				Monument
				Valley
				<--Arizona
				Pikes Peak
				14,100 ft
				Col.------>
Devils tower, Wyoming						Mt. Rushmore, Sth Dakota
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Niagara Falls, from ferry, Maid of Mist.					Niagara Falls, from Canada
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				<--Finger
				in Atlantic,
				East Coast
				Great
				Smokey
				Mtns
				Nat Park->
				<--Chatt'ga
				choo choo.
				Guadalupe
				Mtns
				Texas----->
				<--Salt
				pans, New
				Mexico
				Saguaro
				National
				Park
				Arizona-->
				<--Joshua
				National
				Park
				Hwy 101
				back in Cal.
				Again--->
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	The Cities scenes, New York, Washington, Los Angeles and others,
				Rockfeller
				Centre
				New York
				<------
				View from
				Empire
				State.New
				York ----->
					Times Sq.
					New York
					----------->
				<---Statue
				of Liberty,
				New York
				Verrazano
				narrows
				<---bridge
				Reflecting
				pool
				W'gton-->
				<-- Capitol
				Washington
				Jefferson
				memorial->
				<--Dole
				queue in
				Roosevelt
				memorial
					Iwo Jima
					memorial->
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				<--Bisbee,
				Arizona
				Tombstone,
				gunfight
				about
				to start-->
						Back to Los Angeles
OK corral gunfight site.			Tombstone cemetery
				Coronado
				hotel, San
				Diego
				<------
				USS Nimitz
				San Diego
				harbour-->
				<--Salton
				Sea, Cal.
				Tehachapi
				wind
				farm---->
				Mounties
				always get
				their
				<-- man !
				The East
				coast,
				Atlantic
				ocean--->
	Some views from the many magnificent Museums in the USA.
				Ellsworth
				airbase
				Sth Dakota
				<---B1
				The old
				Sabre--->
				<---Me 262
				Wright
				Patterson
				field
				The mighty
				Me 109--->
				V 1 & V 2
				at Smith'n
				Wash'n
				X 15-->
				<--SR 71
				Alabama
				US space
				centre
				Various
				space
				rockets-->
				Yollie with
				Saturn 5
				<--engine.
				Challenger
				on
				booster-->
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	Some views of Natural History museums plus some wildlife.
				New York
				Natural
				history
				museum
				<-------->
				<--Which
				is the
				N'derthal->
				Smiths'n,
				W'gton
				<--Puddy
				cat
				Which is
				the
				cent'n ?-->
				<--Bunny
				wabbit
				Squirrel
				in Central
				Park, NY->
				<--Fox in
				Smokey
				Mtns
				Prarie
				dogs
				Wy'ming-->
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