Posts Tagged ‘lists’

The Guardian has published its Readers Travel Awards 2009 – of the 5 winners in the Best Overseas Travel Destination:

1. Iguazu Falls
2. Macchu Pichu
3. Ankgor Temples
4. Grand Canyon
5. Great Barrier Reef

I’ve been to 3 of ‘em in the last year.

My Top 5 is, in approximate order:

1. Macchu Picchu, Peru

2. Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia

3. Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia

4. Monument Valley, Arizona

5. Ilha Grande, Brasil

The great US roadtrip has such a romantic image, and whilst not entirely the case (I’m sure Kerouac never got stuck in roadworks on the I-80), it is proving to be quite an experience. I’m currently St George, Utah (and won’t be returning after backing gently into somebody’s car earlier and driving off like a coward) and have two more days until the car has to be back in LA. I’ll write up some stuff later but for the time being here are some jontyjago roadtrip stats:

Miles driven so far: 2,245
Days since leaving Seattle: 8
National Parks visited: 5
People who have asked if I’m Australian after hearing me speak: 7
Most miles in one day: 526
Nights spent under canvas: 4
Nights spent warmly under canvas: 3 (nobody told me Yellowstone would be below zero in sumertime)
Favourite beer: Moose Drool
Favourite sign: LOTTO GUNS AMMO BEER
Favourite town name: Smoot, Wyoming
Times stopped for speeding: 1
Tickets for speeding: 0
Breakfast of choice: 2 eggs up, hash browns, english muffin & coffee
Best meal: A fresh Garden Wrap and soup in San Juan River Cafe, Bluff, UT
Worst meal: Packet of Doritos
Bears seen: 2
Elk seen: 15
Bald Eagles seen: 1
SUVs been tailgated by: 4,327 (approx)
Hottest temp according to the car: 101F (somewhere in Arizona)
Coldest temp according to the car: 26F (Yellowstone)
Times been over the speed limit after being stopped for speeding: Only a couple
Longest stretch of straight road: something like 12 miles in Arizona
States visited: 6 (Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona)
States left to visit: 2 (Nevada and California)

Biggest “Holy Shit, look at that!” moment: Coming over the hill and seeing Monument Valley