#17 Choo choo train

Last weekend we went to the Roaring Camp railroad, for the dual benefit of our visiting friend Elliot, and also Ruth, who are both are obsessed with choo choo trains.  They have an impressive hundred-year old steam engine which takes people up on a trip up through some beautiful redwood trees.

Ruth was a bit scared on the way up the mountain, because there was a lot of noise and steam.  But she soon recovered to sing her favourite train song all the way down.  We had a really nice picnic afterwards, with Ruth continuing to shout "choo choo train!" urgently whenever a train went past.  And this was pretty often as the organisers had struck upon the brilliant idea of not just regular trips up the mountain, but also a steam train shuttle to the car park to keep kids happy.  The icing on the cake was the fact that Thomas the Tank Engine - yes, the Thomas - was visiting this week.  Ruth doesn't know who he is, but hey, another choo choo train has to be good news, right?

(more photos here http://picasaweb.google.com/gawley/108ChooChooTrain#.  All photos taken by Elliot - thank you!)

#16 - Flying

I started learning to fly in January.  It's something I've always wanted to do, and to do it out in California felt like a good idea - it's a lot cheaper than the UK, and the countryside around here is spectacular.  There is a little airport at the end of our road, and there are lots of similar little airports close by - probably about 30 within a 90-minute flight.  This adds up to lots of potential for fun weekend trips.

I have been learning in a Cessna 152, a tiny two-seater single-engine propeller plane which I find more comfortable than my 6'4" instructor.  I've found the experience incredible - I love the feeling of flight, and seeing the ground from the air.  I finally went solo and passed my written test in June, and I am hoping to take the practical exam to get my licence in the next month.

Here are some photos from my first solo flight:

Until I get my licence, I can't take up passengers.  But I can if my instructor is also in the plane.  In May, I took Dad up for a tourist flight around the Bay, and last weekend I was lucky enough to repeat this with our friends Elliot and Julie (of toilet roll video fame).  They took some great photos of San Francisco and the Bay:

The financial district and the Bay Bridge

The salt flats on the east side of the Bay

The mudflats and estuaries near the airport (and our shadow)

I'll keep you posted on progress!

(More photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/gawley/108Flying#)