Trains, Planes and Automobiles (and a Fast Craft)

Up at 0530hrs Tuesday (Baltimore time), and make my way by taxi to Baltimore Penn station for the train to Newark Airport ($96 one way). Arrive at Newark airport and contact BA via phone as desk closed. £0 minutes later I am told that my booking has been successfully changed and that I am on the 1805hrs flight from JFK to Manchester. Whoopee, I'm on my way home!.

Shuttle from Newark to JFK has been booked for midday but just as I phone in at 1120hrs the driver appears and I am on my way to JFK. 1 hour later I am checking in at the airport and getting rid of my bags (not to be seen until Manchester). A few hours to kill, so a meal, a look around the duty free shops (glad I bought my daughters DigiCam from Walmart as they do not sell cameras at duty free) and a relax reading my book before being called for the flight.

I had the same emergency exit seat that I had coming out so plenty of legroom (it pays to check in early). The plane pushes back spot on time at 1805hrs and takes off 45 mins later - there was a hell of a queue in front of us for take off. The flight was trouble free with a fantastic in flight entertainment selection, and I even managed an hours sleep at some point.

Landed Manchester on time at 0600hrs UK time and after baggage reclaim I made my way to the rail station for the 0724 train to Liverpool (calling at almost every station en route). Into Liverpool Lime Street just as it starts to rain, typical, so grab a taxi down to the Pier Head, well, I did have 2 heavy bags!

Got myself booked onto the 1115 crossing to Douglas and sorted out the First class lounge for a bit of quiet, stuck on the ipod and grabbed a couple of hours shuteye before arriving in Douglas to be greeted by Chris. So that is it, trip done and dusted and behind us. Its great to be home and it already seems like a distant memory. Places like New York (first week), Glacier Park, Seattle, Crazy Horse, Mount Rushmore, Cody and Yellowstone seem an eternity ago, and no doubt Niagara and Gettysburg will quickly follow suit, but it is nice to get home.

Just got to get Blackie home now and this chapter will be complete and closed. The new rectifier is already on order and will be fitted as soon as I get down to Southampton.

So that's it folks, the end of the trip and the end of this blog. Jed is already studying maps and planning his next instalment as he says he has got the travel bug, where will he be off to? - we will just have to wait and see.

Thanks for taking an interest, and thanks for the comments YOU made to the blog. It was nice to have some feedback and to know that the blog was being read by someone!

See you all soon (and no doubt bore the pants off you)

Love to all, Nick and Jed x x x