I had a bad accident in July 1989 and almost lost my leg. I promised myself that, when it was all over, I’d treat myself to a trip of a lifetime. I lost my walking stick on the bus between Toronto and Niagara Falls and have been walking unaided since then.

The meat of the matter will be the subject of a longer entry sometime later (I took a diary during the trip). Meanwhile, here’s a list of where I and my two travelling companions visited:

• 24 June – Toronto
• 28 June – Niagara Falls
• 29 June – Buffalo
• 30 June – New York City
• 3 July – New Orleans
• 7 July – Miami
• 14 July – Las Vegas
• 15 July – Grand Canyon (Utah)
• 17 July – Zion Canyon (Utah)
• 18 July – Bryce Canyon (Utah)
• 19 July – San Francisco
• 22 July – Yosemite National Park
• 25 July – Sacramento (to see The The)
• 26 July – Santa Cruz
• 28 July – Winnipeg
• 1 August – Seattle
• 2 August – Vancouver

We stayed in Vancouver for two weeks, topping and tailing our trip in Canada. It was indeed the trip of a lifetime and I have many happy memories of it. I’ve since visited the USA several times, but the first trip was the best. I love North America, truly. It’s just so bloody big!