Alive and well in the USA

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Everyone.

Well, Mary and I have been in the USA for a week now.

The first few days we spent in San Francisco. What a place!!! We were staying right in the hub of the downtown district and had a tram right outside the hotel. The streets were alive with people, the homeless and beggars. New Zealand has a population of 4 million people and I'm sure there were 4 million people right outside our hotel. We've never seen such a sea of moving faces. San Francisco is a very beautiful city full of interesting things to see and do and the architecture is stunning. Of course we are the typical tourists and went to Alcatraz and Muir woods etc to see the giant Redwoods. Alcatraz was a very somber place to visit. No wonder the prisoners tried escaping!!!! Whenever someone asked my name they thought I said "Angel" instead of Andrew so there is still the language thing happening. Marys been getting complete strangers coming up to her saying they love her red hair!!!

We are at Rod Camerons now in the wee coastal town of Mendocino. What a truly beautiful place. Right on the coast and yesterday we went walking along the clifftops and saw a pod of whales frolicking in the water. About 20 of them........what a truly wonderful sight. Rod has a fabulous workshop that we are staying in.

In a few more days it's off to Reno and the FEGA show.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Sandy]

Andrew,
Glad to here that the plane trip did not blow your mind. See you and Mary in a week.

Sandy

 

[fegarex]

Why does the movie Crocodile Dundee come to mind when I hear about your tour Andrew???

Sounds like you are having a great time! Save some energy for Reno and see you soon.

 

[Peter E]

Sounds like you're having a great trip so far Andrew. And the best is yet to come!

I hope to experience the Reno events at some point in the NOT too distant future.

Peter

 

[jlseymour]

Andrew there's so much to see in California you and Mary could spend many weeks and not see everything...
That may be the only state that has such a diversity of thing to do and see from north to south...
See ya in Reno...
Jerry

 

[Weldon47]

Andrew,

Will miss seeing you in Reno. Hope to see you sometime soon,

Weldon

 

[Big-Un]

Andrew, once you finish seeing the sights in the "fruit bowl," come and take in the sights in the "Old North State", North Carolina. This place is full of good ole' down home people and plenty of bluegrass and flat-footin' (a mountain dance, like clogging). They didn't name this place Eden for nothing!

Looking forward to seeing you in Reno, with my wonderful Mary beside me also.

Bill

 

[JJ Roberts]

Andrew..Welcome!
I hope you and Mary have a wonderful time here in the USA, and if you ever do decide to get out East..do look me up. Keep up the good work...love what you are doing with the FEGA's newsletter.

Yours truly,
JJ Roberts
Manassas, VA

 

[Abigail]

Hi Andrew,
Glad ya'll are having a good time in California. It's been YEARS since I've been there.
I can't wait to meet Mary.
Abigail

 

[msar24]

Andrew,

Have fun in California and see you in Reno. You could come and visit in Bakersfield...never mind. There's much, much better places to visit in California.

Kevin

 

[Andrew Biggs]

Hi Guys

Thanks for all that.
We are having an absolutely fabulous time here. The weathers great and the people fantastic. Yesterday we visited up in the hills somewhere some good friends of Rod and Kathleen's that make Japanese flutes.............just delightful and beautiful people as well as being highly skilled artists. We were also right in the middle of Mountain Lion country. For us Kiwis it makes you look over our shoulders a bit

In the evening we gathered with some more friends in a really cool old hotel in Mendocino and had a wonderful night of laughter while we fixed the worlds ills. Today was "workshop day" catching up on some much needed laundry and engraving talk and we were treated to Rod and Kathleen's playing and singing. That was a real treat.

We have taken to having breakfast in a really neat local cafe and experiencing the delights of a Danish and coffee for breakfast while chatting away to the locals and enjoying their company.

Tomorrow is another day and we will start out for Reno as the Donner Pass is looking a bit dodgey. Needless to say Rod is packing some musical instruments.

Really looking forward to seeing you guys in Reno.

Cheers Andrew

 

[Ron Smith]

Okay Andrew, tell Rod not to play the quitar while he is driving. ;D That is assuming you are comming down to Reno with them of course. See you guys in Reno....Ron S

 

[autumnwinds44]

Hey Andrew, my other half is a 5th generation Californian, he has a list of must see places for Northern Cal. if you are interrested.

 

[Dave London]

Hi Andrew
Humm the Donner pass has Rod told you how it got its name, Have a Great time in Reno