Fifth time is the charm.

My customary blog sat in the departure lounge of Boston Logan airport, heading home, which will be finished at home. I am waiting for my flight home after two hectic weeks in America, my fifth visit in three years. We smashed it, again.

I visited seven actual states and passed through two others. New Hampshire, Portsmouth Massachusetts, Boston New York, New York Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Tennessee, Nashville and Lynchburg Alabama, Birmingham Vermont, Burlington and Colchester Connecticut (pass through) Rhode Island (pass through. I need a holiday to get over this one! Leaving to come home is always tough, I hate saying bye to Sam and this time I had to add Annie and Murphy to my goodbyes. I write at the departure lounge out of tradition, but also as a distraction from the enormity of leaving to go home. Now, a small part of me is ready to go home, I have a superb autumn and winter lined up with gigs, theatre and rides with the lads, but there is that larger part that loves it over here and of course being closer to Sam. We did a whistle stop tour of New York, which was as I expected, a massive city. There is so much to explore, that a month would never be enough, but I saw the sights I wanted to, Ground Zero, Central Park, Empire State, Flat Iron and including the Ghostbuster building! Hook and Ladder No. 8, and they have the sign on the outside! Total geek off! Instagram Philadelphia was another amazing city and one that I have had in plan for some time, so we took the train from Boston (hence the two pass through states) and I had a good wander around, Sam and I did the War of Independence Museum, the Liberty Bell and Constitution House, such history and a difficult one for a Brit to read and digest... But the icing on the cake! The Rocky Steps and his statue. Locals hate us tourists calling it that (as we found out in Rotten Ralph's bar) as it is actually their art gallery steps, but pfftt to that, I want Rocky! Instagram Nashville was nuts, in a good way, considering we did Vegas last year, I can gladly say Nashville tops it by a long way. Every bar was vibrant, proper live bands, superb atmosphere and just so welcoming. Broadway is party central and was rammed, but not to the point of feeling overcrowded or restrictive, just bloody great fun!

I will be back. We took a trip to Lynchburg to the Jack Daniels Distillery tour and where they make every drop of JD and it's variants. It is much smaller than you imagine, but steeped in history. It is also situated in a dry county, no bars, no off licenses, go figure. True to form, I hired a Mustang and took a good road trip through Alabama to meet up with a friend, someone that I have only known 'digitally' as he is the creator of the Amity Jaws Group Facebook page I am an avid member of. Amity Jaws Group | Facebook A native Brit who has been stateside for over twenty years and is married to an American lady. Over the years we have struck up a friendship and as I knew I was going to be near (well 200 miles each way, near) I asked if I could come say hi. Drop top Mustang 5.0 V8, Interstate, sunshine! Think many billboards for Jesus and guns and numerous dead Armadillos on the roadside. It was the best day, honestly, as much as I was nervous about 'imposing' on someone I only know through a Facebook group, from the moment I arrived at their home to the moment I left it was simply perfect. We just clicked and it was so easy to be around them. I saw his Jaws room, now I thought I was geeky about that film, but oooosh, he smashes me out of the park. The bonus is they have an amazing pooch called Lindy, she loves the fuss and I am more than willing to give it. Their home town, Birmingham, is gorgeous, great vibe and the food we had was sublime. M&C I will be back and for longer, I promise and I also promise to not steal Lindy. Maybe.

Vermont was next, I rented another car, this time they gave me a Mercedes GLE 350 and I hated it! I know, I know first world problems Paul. It was simply over engineered, the steering wheel has more buttons than the whole of my Jaaaag and the driving position was strange. Big thumbs down. But Vermont, early Fall (autumn to us non US natives) is superb. I know we have that over here and we see the awesome colours too, but the sheer volume driving through the Green Mountains is something to be seen. Paul Getty - Vermont, you are very pretty, especially so this time... | Facebook Back to Boston and I used the last day of having the car to go and see some filming locations, wait who shouted Geeeek really loudly? Own up, I know at least ten of you did.

Look at me expecting over ten readers to ensure I get ten Geek catcalls, ha ha.

Grown Ups, Grown Ups 2, The Departed and The Town were some locations I went to see, I love that shit, ha ha. I took a Duck Boat tour as well, driving around the city and on the river, they are such good fun, again I took some ribbing for my heritage, but all in jest. Home - Boston Duck Tours I was on the Fenway Fanny and S.P.L.I.S.H was our guide and I got to drive the boat and was given a sticker as proof! On my last full day the three of us went Whale watching and saw humpbacks, so amazing, a truly superb experience and resulting in my most favourite photo of me and Sam. Facebook Paul Getty - Heading off Whale watching last Saturday | Facebook I ate many Wendy burgers, three IHOP breakfasts, more wings than I can count, tried to clear their beer cellars and survived without a gout flareup! There it is, my seventh time in total to the USA, but fifth in the last three years since Sam moved over there. Not my most riveting post, but I should come up with a suitable ending, my usual ellipsis finish, something to draw you in, now what would my ever faithful reader want? Hmmmm. I have a date on Saturday, with a lady...