As part of a conference trip we were traveling through Salt Lake City in Utah so we took the chance to spend half a day there, before carrying on up into the mountains.

Our half day there was a Sunday morning - not the best time to look round town as everything was shut. Everyone was at home as well so the streets were completely empty, to emphasis this the streets are all in a perfect grid system so you can see for quite a distance. Our first sight was the State Capitol building which was completely deserted, there wasn't even a security guard there.

We did swing by the Mormon church but had missed any services (apparently they've got a very good choir), so our timing really was bad! Maybe Saturday would be the best time to visit.

After Salt Lake I traveled over to San Francisco with a couple of friends. It was a great few days and we saw most of the main attractions: Pier 39, Alcatraz, riding on the cable cars, the chocolate outlet and China town.

We were lucky that one of my friends had an uncle living in town who took us out one night for a curry (which was pretty good) and a walk around.

I encountered my first hi-tech restaurant where you'd get a 'buzzer' to take away with you after ordering, when your food is ready you get buzzed and know to go to the counter. Apart from that I tried out clam chowder for the first time - very good!