There’s been a problem with the Blog and I think some of you may not have received notification telling you that we are back again for another American Adventure commencing on Monday 3rd June.

Look forward to ‘travelling’ with you all once again!

A creaking door opens and dust flurries hit the air. Well, it’s been a while since we were last here! Hope I can remember how to do this!

Welcome to our 2019 American Adventure.

This blog will be a little different as we are not visiting lots of different places as we’ve done in the past. We will actually be doing what I guess would be called a ‘two-centre plus’ holiday. We will be starting off in Las Vegas before travelling via Salt Lake City to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park before driving back, again via Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.

We’ve been to all these places before but never grow tired of visiting them. Vegas is like coming home to an old comfy pair of slippers whilst the Tetons and Yellowstone are beautiful places to visit with spectacular scenery and wildlife. There’s always something new to see and discover.

I hope I can make the first part of the blog interesting enough for you all. It’ll be difficult to make pool lounging, eating and shopping sound very exciting but I’ll do my best! To pass the time you could of course, always check back on our previous adventures.

Problem with this type of holiday is choosing what to pack! Vegas will be very hot whereas it’s going to be a lot colder when we reach the Tetons and Yellowstone. In fact it’s been snowing this week in the Tetons and more is forecast. For someone who finds it difficult anyway trying to keep packing to a minimum, this will be a challenge!

Now I know that Las Vegas to many is like Marmite ……….. you either love it or hate it! We’ve been visiting Las Vegas since 1988 so I guess you could say we kinda love it. Mind you, when we first started coming here it was a whole different ball game. Not at all like it is today. Lots of families visit now and there are many great restaurants, good shows and fabulous shopping.

Also, back in the 80’s of course there was no such thing as the internet. Back then you had to write to or telephone the local tourist office and they would very kindly post you a ‘Visitors’ Pack’ consisting of a hotel booklet, local information and a trusty road map! We weren’t able to visit Trip Advisor to read people’s thoughts and criticisms of the hotels, restaurants, things to do or to make bookings way in advance. You just had to make a choice and hope it was the right one. Either telephone ahead for a hotel reservation or just turn up and hope to get a room.

Funny story here! I remember on one visit to the west coast of the U.S. one of our stops was going to be in San Francisco. Well, armed with our trusty paper guide we decided on a hotel and telephoned ahead to book a room. There was a vacancy but thought it strange when we were not asked for a credit card to guarantee the room but didn’t ponder on that for too long.

When we rolled up and parked outside the hotel we started to have our doubts. It was in a rather dubious neighbourhood and didn’t look very welcoming. It turned out that it was the kind of hotel you book by the hour!!! Needless to say we didn’t bother to get out of the car!

We headed instead for the local tourist office and a very kind lady made us a booking at a motel next to the Golden Gate Bridge so it all turned out okay in the end. It was a lesson learned.

When we arrived at the bridge it was lovely and sunny and Simon said about stopping to take photos. In my wisdom, I said we could do that the following day! Well, anyone who has visited San Francisco will know about the famous fog that rolls in over the bridge. Needless to say, the next day and for all the days we were there we never saw the bridge again!

Also, back then it was a case of take your trusty camera, together with lots of rolls of film and cross your fingers that once you returned home you would end up with a few good ‘snaps’ of the jolly holiday.

I guess you could say it added to the excitement back then but I say “thank goodness” today for the internet, mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras!

So, we look forward to ‘travelling’ once again with family, old friends and hopefully a few new ones too, on this year’s adventure. It all kicks off on Monday 3rd June.

Welcome to our 2019 American Adventure!

(commencing 3rd June)

Yesterday – Monday 25th September 2017:

It’s always sad when we come to the end of a great holiday and today is no different!

After having breakfast at the hotel we headed for the Gettysburg Museum of History and what a great place that is. As it was just a stop-off for us on the way to the airport we only had about three hours to enjoy it all. We shall definitely put it on our schedule for the future and spend a good two days exploring everything.

The next time we visit I think we will need to come much earlier in the year as today was 100℉.  and much too hot to be getting in and out of the car. It was our intention to do the auto tour but as time was against us we only did a small part of it.

Sand and Abe!

While we were waiting for a film about Gettyburg to begin we checked out a few exhibits at the Museum, they have one million artefacts of the Civil War! We found this one quite moving.

Drum used by Henry Mayo at the Battle of Gettysburg!

Civil War musician’s wooden snare drum. The drum measures 13 1/2″ high x 16 5/8″ diameter overall, the front of the drum features a brown spread eagle with a red, white, and blue federal shield at the center and a red banner in the eagle’s beak that reads “REG. NY INFANTRY”. This drum was carried by Henry Mayo of Company F, 147th NY Infantry at Gettysburg and he was killed on July 1, 1863. The drum was returned to the Mayo family some three years after the Civil War when it was initially picked up on the 1st Day’s Field at Gettysburg. Thirty-year old Henry B. Mayo enlisted as a Private at Palermo, NY on August 23, 1862. On September 22 he was transferred into Co. F, 147th NY Infantry. He was killed at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. The 147th NY fought near the Railroad Cut on July 1 and fell back to Culps Hill on July 2 and 3.

We then watched the film, narrated by Morgan Freeman, setting out what happened at Gettysburg.

The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. After a great victory over Union forces at Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee marched his Army of Northern Virginia into Pennsylvania in late June 1863. On July 1, the advancing Confederates clashed with the Union’s Army of the Potomac, commanded by General George G. Meade, at the crossroads town of Gettysburg. The next day saw even heavier fighting, as the Confederates attacked the Federals on both left and right. On July 3, Lee ordered an attack by fewer than 15,000 troops on the enemy’s center at Cemetery Ridge. The assault, known as “Pickett’s Charge,” managed to pierce the Union lines but eventually failed, at the cost of thousands of rebel casualties, and Lee was forced to withdraw his battered army toward Virginia on July 4.

Pickett’s Charge took place here!

Alexander Hays (July 8, 1819 – May 5, 1864) was a Union Army general in the American Civil War, killed in the Battle of the Wilderness

Between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers from both armies were casualties in the three-day battle, the most costly in US history.

On November 19, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address.

The Battle of Gettysburg painting also known as the Gettysburg Cyclorama, is a cyclorama painting, a type of 360° cylindrical painting, by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux depicting Pickett’s Charge, the climactic Confederate attack on the Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. Four versions were painted, two of which are among the last surviving cycloramas in the United States.

The intended effect is to immerse the viewer in the scene being depicted, often with the addition of foreground models and life-sized replicas to enhance the illusion. Among the sites documented in the painting are Cemetery Ridge, the Angle, and the “High-water mark of the Confederacy“. The completed original painting was 22 feet (6.7 m) high and 279 feet (85 m) in circumference. The version that hangs in Gettysburg, a recent (2005) restoration of the version created for Boston, is 42 feet (13 m) high and 377 feet (115 m) in circumference.

Just a small piece of the Cyclorama!

The Civil War lasted four years from 12th April 1861 until 2nd June 1865.

If you are a lover of history as I am, then if you are ever that way then make sure it’s on your list of places to visit. You will not be disappointed.

After our visit to Gettysburg we drove to Newark Airport, the trip was quick and easy. Made easier in fact by listening and singing along to The Walker Brothers! A lot better than our nightmare of a drive the day before!

Here are a few pics of that we saw along the way ……………….

Perry T. they named a road after you!

Reminded us of that ‘huge’ snake we saw at Corolla!

Goodbye Pennsylvania, Nat, Terry and Ty!

Denise and Desiree, do you have a family member in the chocolate business?

I’m sure a lot of you remember the Boston Tea Party, a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773 when tea was thrown into Boston Harbour and the saying of  “No Taxation Without Representation” was born.

Now it’s “Taxation Without Representation” which refers to the fact that the people of Washington DC have no representation in the United States Senate. In the United States House of Representatives, the District is represented by a delegate, who is not allowed to vote on the House floor but can vote on procedural matters and in congressional committees.

Then, it was off to Newark Airport. We actually arrived before check-in opened but when it did we were given priority called ‘TSA Pre✔️’ which is expedited screening through Passport Control and Security! We didn’t have to take anything off (shoes, belts etc I mean!) because we were highlighted as being part of the programme. News to us at the time but I’ve checked it out and it seems that it all ties in with certain airlines. Excellent for us as were through in a jiffy. My first thought was that it was all because we were British!! 😀 🇬🇧

Mind you, I was having a series of little mishaps at the time in that I dropped our Airline ticket and didn’t notice until someone pointed it out to me and then I dropped my boarding pass at Security but luckily Si was behind me and picked it up! 😔

Today – Tuesday 26th September 2017:

The flight was good and uneventful. We were told originally that the flight time would be 7 hours 5 minutes but once on board it was amended to 6 hours 5 minutes, I guess due to the tail winds. However, we were delayed 45 minutes so arrived back at Heathrow at the original time anyway. Then we couldn’t get on our designated stand as it was already occupied so we did a circuit of Heathrow until the stand was vacated, finally we get to Baggage Reclaim where our bags should have been first off, they came off almost last!!

Finally, we decided to go through the automatic gates at Immigration and my passport wouldn’t work, I was referred to a real person!! Si of course sailed right on through and was wagging his finger at me!

Luckily, our driver was waiting for us so once on the road we were back home in 30 minutes.

Here we are then! Back in good ‘ole blighty. 🇬🇧 We’ve arrived home in sunshine and it’s really quite warm.

Yet again, our ‘adventures’ in the USA have not disappointed. We’ve had a fabulous time, albeit a short one. We met up with good friends, Nat, Terry, Ty, Denise and Desiree. Chatted on Face Time with those we couldn’t get to see. Dot, you and JB are on the top of our list for next time. We are so sad that we didn’t get to see you on this trip. 😔  We met some lovely people on our travels.

We drove 2362 miles in ‘the beast’ a vehicle intended for eight people (at least we had plenty of space for the luggage!) and very comfortable it was too and saw lots of interesting things along the way. Margaret (sat nav) was on the whole okay although she did have trouble finding her satellites at times!

So, once again I say “many thanks” to those who travelled with us, read the blog and sometimes left comments. As I’ve said in the past, it’s always good to know that it’s not just us reading the Blog.

Before we go, I would just like to leave you with this rather wonderful song, ‘Four Winds’ sung by Neil Young together with some beautiful scenery.

So, until we all meet again, we would just like to say, as always, ………………..

arrivederci, adeus, hejdå, 再见, zoi geen, zai jian, tot ziens, au revoir, tschüss, shalom, ciao, じゃね, anyeonghi gasyeo, poka/Пока, adios, hejdå, tạm biệt, vΘleft, farvel, ya sas, tókša akhé

and see you all next time. Bye! 👋

Today’s post will be a little late as we are now at Newark Airport and they are only willing to give me 30 minutes free wi-fi!! Cheap or what!! 😒

Check back tomorrow folks when I’ll post today’s ‘adventure’ from the UK and the comfort of our own home with free wi-fi!!

See you ‘across the pond’. ✈️ 🇬🇧

Another beautiful sunny day in Cary. We were ‘up with the lark’ this morning as it was our last day here with Denise and Desiree. We decided against breakfast in favour of brunch later as we were meeting up with Desiree and then travelling to Jordan Lake Dam and Cove to meet up with Denise to see one of her favourite photography sites and possibly some wildlife.

It was a really beautiful place and we were very lucky to see eagles, black vultures, turkey vultures, herons and an egret.

Jordan Lake Cove

Jordan Lake Dam

Three ‘non-feathered’ birds!

Black Vultures

Brunch followed at The Mayton Inn, food excellent once again and we then had to say a very sad farewell. 😔 Our time together was short but memorable and filled with joy and laughter.

Until we meet again dear friends …………………… even though “there’s nowhere to go!!”

We left Cary for our onward journey to Gettysburg which should have taken us 5 hours 30 minutes but sadly, some things never go to plan!! Our journey turned into something akin to a nightmare …….. it took us 7 hours 15 minutes! The traffic was nose to tail for about 120 miles. By the time we arrived at the hotel we really needed to lie down in a darkened room with a wet cloth on our foreheads. Instead, as it had been a few hours since brunch we made a quick visit to the Appalachian Brewing Company for fish and chips for me and a shrimp and scallop flatbread for my dearest. All was delicious!

Simon at the Appalachian Brewing Company – you don’t really think that’s his drink do you?

Some other photos we took along the way …………..

These two have special significance, one for Desiree and one for our favourite UK spinning instructor, Bex Charker. 😀

Tomorrow we make our way via the Gettysburg Civil War site to Newark, New Jersey for our flight home.

More from Gettysburg tomorrow.

The day started sunny and hot again today but the humidity was not as bad as yesterday when it was an absolute shocker!!

In the Inn today there’s been two birthday celebrations, one 70 year old gentleman and another who was 90 and there’s been a wedding. Being such a lovely hotel it’s very popular for celebrations.

Desiree came and met us for brunch this morning. Denise was unable to join us as she was going to be taking a charity spinning class. We would have joined in but alas we didn’t have our cycling shoes!! That was our excuse anyway!

Brunch was delicious. Si had shrimp and grits(!!!) whilst Desiree and I had the goats cheese and fresh herb omelettes. We were all set for the day!

After collecting Denise we headed out for Duke College in Durham. Duke University is a private research university. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James Buchanan Dukeestablished The Duke Endowment, at which time the institution changed its name to honor his deceased father, Washington Duke.

Duke students often refer to the campus as “the Gothic Wonderland,” a nickname referring to the Collegiate Gothic architecture of West Campus. The stone used for West Campus has seven primary colors and seventeen shades of colour. James B. Duke initially suggested the use of stone from a quarry in Princeton, New Jersey, but later amended the plans to purchase a local quarry in Hillsborough to reduce costs.

The buildings are magnificent. Unfortunately, the Chapel was closed today for a wedding so we were unable to take a look inside but Denise tells us it’s just wonderful. Note the blue North Carolina sky in these photographs.

Sandra, Denise and Desiree

During our tour of the campus we came across Sara and her Service Dog, Leo. What a great pair they were.

Our next port of call was to Historic Stagville. Those who know me well know that there’s nothing I like more than to spend a view hours soaking up some history and that’s just what we did this afternoon.

Stagville Plantation with buildings constructed from the late 18th century to the mid-19th century, was part of one of the largest plantation complexes in the American South. The entire complex was owned by the Bennehan and Cameron families; it comprised roughly 30,000 acres and was home to almost 900 enslaved African-Americans in 1860.

The remains of Historic Stagville consist of 71 acres, in three tracts, and provide a unique look at North Carolina’s history and general infrastructure in the antebellum South. Among structures on the Stagville site are several historic houses and barns, including the original Bennehan House and some of the original slave quarters, which were in an area known as Horton Grove.

The Bennehan House was built in 1787 with a large addition in 1799, and Horton Grove, an area of two-story slave residences were built in 1850. The slave residences are well preserved and are the only two-story slave quarters remaining in North Carolina. Significant archaeological finds around the quarters have given archaeologists and historians a glimpse into the lives of the many enslaved people who lived and worked at Stagville and throughout the Bennehan-Cameron holdings.

We took a very interesting tour of the Bennehan house below, Horton Grove and the Great Barn.

Bennehan House

One of the slave houses in Horton Grove

The bricks forming the chimney to the right of the house were all hand-made in 1850 and  one of them bore the thumb print of the maker and one the fingerprints of a small child.

The Great Barn

An old stool in the Great Barn

The Great Barn was built in 1860 and stands today as a testament to the enslaved who built it.

The Bennehan-Cameron family sold their final holdings in the property in the 1950s and in 1976, Liggett and Meyers Tobacco Company, which had owned and worked the land for decades, donated some of the acreage to the state of North Carolina, which now operates the property as Historic Stagville State Historic Site, a historic house museum which belongs to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

At the start of the tour we noticed something very strange on the way to the house! Had someone been playing tennis? No, these are actually Osage oranges. Osage orange is a small deciduous tree or large shrub, typically growing to 8 to 15 metres (30–50 ft) tall. The distinctive fruit, is roughly spherical, bumpy,  8 to 15 centimetres (3–6 in) in diameter, and turns a bright yellow-green in the autumn. The fruits secrete a sticky white latex when cut or damaged. Despite the name “Osage orange”, it is only very distantly related to the orange and is instead a member of the mulberry family.

The earliest account of the tree in the English language was given by William Dunbar, a Scottish explorer, in his narrative of a journey made in 1804 from St. Catherine’s Landing on the Mississippi River to the Ouachita River.

Osage orange

After all the walking and learning we were just about ready for dinner and Denise and Desiree thought we should be introduced to real North Carolina BBQ and so we headed off to a restaurant called Picnic.

On the way we stopped off to photograph the Catsburg Country Store in Durham, a great favourite of Denise.

This two-story, hip-roofed, frame structure is a well-preserved box-and-canopy store. Built in the 1920s by Sheriff Eugene G. Belvin.

Though no longer open for business, it is still widely recognized as a local landmark. Its renown comes from the large painted image of a black cat on the front parapet above the word Catsburg, which has led to the building becoming a favorite of local photographers and artists. This part of town is called Catsburg as a tribute to the late Sheriff Belvin, whose nickname was “Cat.” Belvin was an extremely popular sheriff in Durham County who earned his nickname through his ability to sneak up on bootleggers and moonshiners in the 1920s. Little to nothing is known of “Cat” but some say that his knack for finding local stills had much to do with him being a Distiller and wiping out the competition.

Well, Picnic turned out to be a great choice for dinner, the food was excellent. They even had Plymouth Gin which some of you will know is my absolute favourite beverage so Picnic scores 10 out 10 as far as I’m concerned. The waitress was very attentive and had a great booming laugh which tickled us all.

All in all, a great day with dear friends.

Our adventure continues with the ladies tomorrow morning and then we are off to Gettysburg before heading to Newark, New Jersey for our flight home on Monday night.

We’d be pleased to see y’all tomorrow!

After breakfast this morning, which included some lively conversation with two other couples at the Corolla Inn, one of which was an English couple who now live in the US, we set out for Cary. It was an easy four-hour drive with the sun shining all the way. It’s been a very hot day here in Cary, up in the 90s.

We are now residing at The Mayton Inn and what another great find this is! This is our home until Sunday. I think we’ll be very comfortable here!

The reason we have come to Cary is to meet up with sisters, Denise and Desiree.

Some of you will know that Si’s a member of Flickr (the photography site) and way back in May 2012 one of Si’s friends on Flickr, Denise, won the landscape picture of the year in the Sony World Photographer of the Year Competition (sorry Denise if I haven’t got that 100% correct!) and together with her sister Desiree, they were both coming to London so that Denise could collect her prize and her photograph was to be shown in an exhibition at the same time so Si and I took the opportunity to go to London to meet them both in person.

We met them both again last year when we were visiting Charleston and they drove down to see us and this year we have come to their ‘neck of the woods’ to meet up again.

After a very pleasant afternoon of drinks and nibbles, we decided to go to dinner at the Academy Street Bistro. We had a lovely time chatting, laughing and generally catching up. We were enjoying ourselves so much that once again, I forgot to take the usual food pictures!! But we did manage a few anyway.

Here are a few pictures that we took on our drive today.

Not sure I know what a Red Wolf is!

Thought the lighthouse was rather fetching and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of a Red Wolf. It’s been a long time since we saw a Piggly Wiggly so thought they deserved a mention.

Note to our dear friend Dot …………………. saw this on the way into Corolla, thought of you and made a mental note to photograph it as we left today. So, there I am camera poised for the moment and what happens? I look away for a second and before we know it the sign’s passed us by! Well, only one thing to do, a u-turn and that’s just what we did.

We have a full day planned with Denise and Desiree tomorrow so hope you’ll come back to share in our day.

Another lovely sunny hot day here in Corolla!

After breakfast we headed for the beach. At 11 miles long there’s plenty of beach to go around, or so you’d think! Why is it that no matter where you decide to sit there’s always someone who decides the best place to settle themselves is in front of where you’re sitting? Yes, it happened to us. We arrived quite early with just a couple of towels and some sunscreen and then I found a very comfortable chair just sitting on the sand waiting for us and we settled in for a couple of hours. After a while along comes two families consisting of four adults and three children and they decide the best place out of the whole 11 miles to park themselves is right in front of us! Hey ho!

The remains of Hurricane Jose is a few hundred miles off the North Carolina coast and it showed in the waves this morning. A few brave souls decided it was just ideal for surfing, we decided it was just right for a paddle and a couple of selfies!!

There were loads of crab holes in the sand but no matter how quick we were the little devils always beat us by scrambling down their holes before we could even focus the camera. We were lucky though, as we left the beach we saw this beauty walking up the steps.

This afternoon we went for a wild ride to see Corolla’s Wild Horses.

The origins of the Wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs date back nearly 500 years, making them the earliest settlers of the Outer Banks, and some of the earliest residents, second only to the local Native American tribes. While historical journals, documents and ship’s logs hint to the wild horses’ origin, it’s hard to determine one specific set of events that led to their presence on the Outer Banks.

It’s possible that the horses were left behind by one of the first explorers to the North Carolina Coastline, a Spanish explorer named Lucas Vasquez de Allyon. In 1521, Vasquez de Allyon commissioned his commanders to explore and colonize the entire American eastern seaboard, and at least a handful of these commanders landed somewhere along the North Carolina shoreline. While many modern historians believe the majority of these initial explorations happened somewhere around Cape Fear, (due to multiple references to the large saltwater river), it’s possible that these expeditions led them all the way to the Northern Outer Banks.

Access to this part of the beach is only possible in a 4WD vehicle.

When Hurricane Jose passed by Corolla last week it didn’t dump much rain but the winds were so bad that 8 feet of sand was lost out to sea.

Every winter, pounding waves ravage the sand along the beach, exposing hundreds of ancient cedar and live oak stumps. It is an annual occurrence here and on other beaches but this year it’s happened early.

Resembling black teeth in the sand, the stumps dot the path of passing traffic along the beach. One of the larger stumps has been outfitted with bright red reflectors to steer travelers from damaging their vehicles – or worse.

It is estimated that a maritime forest existed here some 2,000 years ago but was decimated as the barrier island drifted west toward the mainland, covering the roots in salt water.

We were driven along the beach and through sand dunes in search of the wild horses and were lucky to see at least 20. They are amazing to see, they do not react to humans or noises of any kind. They are just minding their own business. They are magnificent looking horses.

Egrets love to sit on the backs of the horses and feed on the ticks and mites! Lovely!

On the way back Si was saying how disappointing it was that we hadn’t actually seen any on the beach when boom, as if by magic two appeared! They just stood there, not moving at all as all the tour vehicles pulled up and people starting photographing them.

After a full day we were ready for dinner and we decided it was time for some ‘fine dining’ and we did just that at Kimball’s Kitchen. I had a potato and caviar dish to start and Si a prawn cocktail (not quite as we know it Jim!!) then he had a 22oz ribeye steak!! while I had a modest 8oz fillet mignon. Everything excellent!

Some of you may recall from previous posts that I’m quite partial to a French 75! A gin cocktail that is made with Plymouth Gin. Well tonight I had a French 85, the difference being that it’s made with Bombay Gin instead and there is no mint in it. We learn something everyday.

This was the view from our table. Quite lovely I think!

Talking of beautiful views, this is one from our room at the Inn last night!

Well, today was our last day at Corolla. It’s been a short but very enjoyable stay and we will definitely be coming back in the future. This is a beautiful place to visit especially at this time of the year when it’s much quieter than in the height of the summer. Everything’s been wonderful.

Tomorrow we move on to Cary in North Carolina and are very excited to be meeting up with more dear friends, Denise and Desiree. Those who follow our blog will remember we met up with them last year in Charleston. This year we are meeting them on their home turf.

Hope you’ll join us there tomorrow!

Si attacked by snake!! …. (almost)! 😱

After yesterday’s grey and rainy day, we awoke this morning, as promised, to brilliant sunshine and then temperatures soaring to 90°F.

After a very acceptable breakfast here at the Inn and an interesting conversation with a poor lady who was telling us how she woke up in the night with a big spider running across her arm and how they couldn’t find it anywhere so she slept on the sofa for the rest of the night and now is worried about what tonight may bring ……………… gulp, lucky for us she’s on the second floor. Plus we had the ‘pleasure’ of a hawk flying past us with a poor little mouse in its mouth, he was having breakfast too, we set out to explore Corolla Light.

First of all some pictures from the hotel pier. This one is of our current abode.

Our first port of call was Historic Corolla Park where we booked a trip for tomorrow afternoon to go and see Corolla’s wild horses. They are the area’s oldest and most beloved residents, the Wild Colonial Spanish Mustangs. Stranded on the Outer Banks for centuries, but still enjoying the laid-back beach lifestyle, these feral and wild creatures are tolerant of the visitors who visit their beaches for the warm sun, cool waves, and miles of space.

We then set out for the Currituck Beach Light Station. After the climb up Absecon Lighthouse last weekend with 228 steps we knew this climb would be a ‘piece of cake’ as it only has 200 steps. The only difference from the Absecon is that when we reached the top it was a case of straight outside, no where to sit for those who didn’t actually want to go outside and admire the view! Also, the rails around the top were not exactly my idea of ‘super safety’. So I became what is known in the trade as a ‘wall hugger!’

On December 1, 1875, the Currituck Beach Light was completed. Unlike its fellows, Currituck Beach Light was not painted, leaving its brick facade visible. In 1939, the lighthouse was automated. Since 1991 visitors have been allowed to climb the original 220 steps to the outdoor gallery. Access to the lens room is not permitted as the first order lens is not only the original lens, but it is still a functioning one. The light comes on every night and shines from 158 feet (48 m) at 20-second intervals to warn ships hugging the chain of barrier islands along the coast.

My hero! Just don’t look down.

The ‘Wall Hugger’ or ‘Cowardly Custard’ as my husband called me!!

We then took a walk along the boardwalk to the Currituck Sound. The Sound is a nature lover’s playground, offering ample access to wide open spaces of shallow, easy to navigate open water, dense thickets of maritime forest, and small, marshy islands that are covered in wildlife.

There’s a reason why some of the Outer Banks’ earliest visitors flocked first to the northern beaches of Duck and Corolla. With miles of soundfront providing a comfortable but temporary home to thousands of migrating waterfowl, the landscape proved ideal for adventurous hunters and provided a gorgeous and wild vacation destination for explorers who liked to escape to a locale well off the beaten path.

It was here as we walked along the boardwalk, Si in front and me five paces behind, I know my place, that my dearest was almost attacked by a snake!! As he walked in front of me, out of the corner of my eye I suddenly saw something rear up! OMG, what to do? “Snake” I screamed! Should I hit it with my bag, jump on it or fall down, grab it round the neck and wrestle with it ………………… or should I just wait and let it slide back into the marsh? Well, the survival instinct kicked in and we stood stock still and waited as it eyed first Si and then me. It eventually decided that neither of us looked very tasty and went on its merry way. What type of venomous snake was it, a Rattlesnake, a Copperhead or a Pygmy Rattlesnake? How does one suck out the poison from a snake bite!? The things that flash through your mind in a moment of danger! 😱

I’m sure you’ll be pleased to hear that we survived and the snake turned out to be a ……… well, we think it was a Ribbon Snake!!!? Ha, ha, ha, and completely harmless. If anyone knows differently please let us know. 😉

It turned out not to be Si’s day! Note to Malcolm T, they seem to have the same problem here in Corolla that you had in Canada!! 😀

On the way to the Sound we saw this rather attractive little bridge!

Well, after the snake scare we decided it was time for lunch and off we went to a restaurant that had been recommended to us by Natalie, who has holidayed here a few times. We went to the Upside Restaurant and after a very enjoyable lunch of fish tacos for Si and a chicken flatbread for me we set out for Kitty Hawk.

Now some of you may know that name as it became world famous after the Wright Brothers, Orville and Wilbur, made the first controlled powered airplane flight at the Kill Devil Hills, four miles from Kitty Hawk, on 17th December 1903.

Kitty Hawk is usually credited as the site of the powered flights because it was the nearest named settlement at the time of the flight. The Wrights chose the area because its frequent winds and soft sandy surfaces were suitable for their glider experiments, which they conducted over a three-year period prior to making the powered flight.

On the day, only five people witnessed that first flight, one of whom was John T Daniels. Daniels had never seen a camera before let alone taken a picture but on the day he was the one who snapped that famous “first flight” photo using Orville’s pre-positioned camera. The picture he took that day, below, was the only one to commemorate the very special event and is now world-famous.

Here we are stood on the very spot where Orville Wright first took to the skies in his airplane and human flight, that we all now take so much for granted, became possible. Note the difference in the landscape now compared with back in 1903 when it was all sand. It was eventually planted by the Army to make the area more tourist ‘friendly’ and stable.

We finished the day with a ‘little shopping’ and were jolly glad to get back to the Inn and out of the heat! Phew! 🌞

Sand and the ‘Beast’ back at the Inn.

I just know what the next question will be ……………… what’s with the blue horse!!??

Answers on a postcard please …………………………

Thanks for ‘travelling’ with us. More from Corolla tomorrow folks.

So we left Palmerton under grey skies this morning for our eight-hour drive to The Outer Banks (OBX). We had sunshine and very heavy rain along the way but we are promised sun for tomorrow.

As we’ve spent most of the day in the car, there’s not been a lot of ‘action’ so I’m afraid today’s post is rather thin on the ground.

The day didn’t exactly start very well when at 2.00 a.m. (US time) this morning I tried to book my spinning class for Wednesday next week at my Nuffield gym back in the UK. Basically, it wouldn’t let me book because booking doesn’t start until 7.00 a.m UK time! It didn’t matter that although it was 2.00 a.m. in the US it was was actually 7.00 a.m. in the UK. Just because my phone was saying 2.00 a.m. (five hours time difference) I wasn’t allowed to book! Crazy or what! I will be having a word with them when I get back, that’s for sure. Don’t they realise that people take holidays outside the UK time zone?

During the long drive here I was mulling over one or two things (well there’s nothing else to do except admire the scenery and eat crisps and sweets!) When I spoke with my two besties, Dot and Nat, this week the first questions they asked were (1) had I ordered my new iPhone and (2) which iPhone was I intending to get? Those who know me well know that I like to have the latest gadgets and usually order a new iPhone as soon as it’s released. Well, the thing is, having been away from the UK during the Apple Keynote speech, I haven’t had time to watch it yet, I’m not fully up to speed about the ins and outs of the three new phones, iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X (or ten as it will be known). I only know the basics but for those who are interested, my instinct is to wait for the iPhone X that will be released in November. I really think I just can’t live without the facial recognition capability! 😉

The other thing I was mulling over was the fact that I was overcharged $5 for a book I purchased in Jim Thorpe yesterday! I don’t think it was intentional, the lady was rather elderly, I just think she got confused. It’s a lesson learned, always check your change folks!

Those of you who have followed the blog over the years will know that we do like a

Cracker Barrel restaurant. Well, they’ve been very few and far between this trip. In fact we’ve only seen one and that was today on the way here. We did the usual of arms raised in homage and shouted “Cracker Barrel” out loud. We never got to actually see the restaurant though so was unable to savour its wares as it was off the Interstate.

We saw many interesting sights on our trip here, one of which was this! Nice to find another Harry Potter fan!

Many of you will will remember that when we do a ‘big’ trip to the US we usually like to play the Licence Plate Game and we usually end up with never having seen a Delaware licence plate! Well, as this is a short trip we haven’t bothered with the game but having driven through Delaware today we’ve seen dozens of Delaware plates. How typical is that? Well, I think when we get home we’ll be turning the little wooden plate over as I feel justified in saying we’ve definitely seen a Delaware plate or hundreds!

For our music pleasure today we listened to Brucie (Springsteen) that is and Jackson Brown. Who wouldn’t sing along to Brucie’s Thunder Road and Jackson’s Brown’s Lawless Avenues? Now’s your chance!

A lot of the places we drove through were named after loads of places from the UK, such as Kent, Sussex, Essex and Somerset to name but a few. We also saw Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight. It’s all very confusing to the elderly! We even saw the Statue of Liberty in Virginia! Sadly, I was too slow to get the photographic evidence. The world’s gone crazy!

We drove over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on our way here. What a magnificent feat of engineering that is! Due to the very high wind and rain the sea was raging and we were only allowed to drive at 45 mph!

For the engineers among you, the Bridge-Tunnel project is a four-lane 20-mile-long vehicular toll crossing of the lower Chesapeake Bay. The facility carries US 13, the main north-south highway on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and provides the only direct link between Virginia’s Eastern Shore and south Hampton Roads, Virginia.

The crossing consists of a series of low-level trestles interrupted by two approximately one-mile-long tunnels beneath Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake navigation channels. The manmade islands, each approximately 5.25 acres in size, are located at each end of the two tunnels. There are also high level bridges over two other navigation channels: North Channel Bridge and Fisherman Inlet Bridge.

We eventually rolled in to Carolla, part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, in the rain and are now staying at The Inn at Carolla Light. What a great find this is! We have a lovely suite that overlooks The Sound. Upon arrival, we were greeted with enthusiasm by JC, a great guy, who very manly carried our two very heavy suitcases up two flights of stairs to our room!

Here are a few miscellaneous photos that we took along the way today!

A ‘friend’ we passed along the way! I just love the wind in my hair!

On the recommendation of JC we dined at North Banks tonight. A small, but lovely restaurant and very busy. Si decided on the full rack of ribs and a beer and I had the Atlantic salmon and a gin julep. All excellent!

We managed to get back to the hotel in time for Si to take a beautiful sunset photo from the deck of our hotel.

More tomorrow from Corolla Light! Night folks.

Well, what a difference a day makes!

Yesterday, hot and sunny this morning it was raining, windy and the waves were really quite high and breaking on the shore creating white water. Good job the Ironman was yesterday and not today.

We were told yesterday that the bar at The Claridge Hotel was the original from when the hotel opened in 1930. Just imagine the people who have sat there! Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra to name just two.

These are photographs on two the lift doors, remembering Atlantic City how it used to be.

After breakfast and with our pockets a little lighter than when we arrived in Atlantic City on Friday, we headed out on our relatively short trip to Palmerton, Pennsylvania. Straight away we discovered we had trouble with Margaret (sat nav) again in as much as she kept wanting to take us the long way to our destination just as she did when we were travelling to Atlantic City. Our trip this morning should have only taken us 2.5 hours whereas Margaret was saying it would take 4.5 hours. What could possibly be wrong with Margaret!!??

Well, suddenly a lightbulb turned on in my head and I knew what the problem was! Click on ‘Settings’ and there it was! Whoever had been using the sat nav before us had programmed it to avoid all toll roads!!!!!! Hence, why she kept trying to either get us to do a u-turn or keep asking us to turn right or left off the Interstate. As soon as I turned ‘no toll roads’ off everything was right again with Margaret. Hooray!

By the time we arrived in Palmerton the weather was sunny and hot. If you read yesterday’s post you will know that we were meeting up with our good friends Nat, Terry and Ty today.

We spent some time this afternoon with Nat visiting the town of Jim Thorpe. Nestled in the breathtaking Lehigh Gorge, this Victorian town originally known as Mauch Chunk was changed to Jim Thorpe in honour of the Olympic champion.

James Francis Thorpe, (May 22 or 28 1887 – March 28, 1953) was an American athlete and Olympic gold medalist. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation. Thorpe became the first Native American to win a gold medal for his home country. Considered one of the most versatile athletes of modern sports, he won Olympic gold medals in the 1912 pentathlon and decathlon, and played American football (collegiate and professional), professional baseball, and basketball. He lost his Olympic titles after it was found he had been paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball before competing in the Olympics, thus violating the amateurism rules that were then in place. In 1983, 30 years after his death, the International Olympic Committee restored his Olympic medals.

The town has been called the “Switzerland of America” due to the picturesque scenery, mountainous location, and architecture.

Sandra with Nat in Jim Thorpe with the biggest lump of coal Nat had ever seen!

We all had a lovely dinner together but unbelievably we were so busy enjoying ourselves that we forgot to take a group photograph!! I know I have one from the last time we all got together so I’ll dig that out and post it instead!!

Tomorrow we head to The Outer Banks in North Carolina, a 200-mile-long (320 km) string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, on the east coast. Somewhere in the US that we have never visited before!

See you there!

First of all, let me apologise in advance to all our readers if you find parts of this post do not make sense or have rather a lot of spelling mistakes. Si and I have been taking advantage of the ‘Happy Hour’ at the rooftop Vue bar and lounge on top of the hotel. It was such a beautiful afternoon and as all the cocktails and small plates only cost $5 each (£4.00 a pop) it seemed very rude not to!! 😉

Si took this great picture from the rooftop of our hotel reflecting next door in Ballys exterior.

Before I forget, I meant to say yesterday that it had come to our attention that the ‘maids’ looking after our room are male! Never really thought about it before but this is the first time we haven’t had females looking after us. Guess that’s a sign of the times!! 😉

The day started sunny and hot again and after a very special FaceTime call with our dear friend Dot in Upstate New York for a catch-up, we had breakfast in the Twenties Restaurant. We were told today that the bar area is all original dating back to when the hotel was built in the late 1920s early 1930s. I had the healthy option again and Si the Western Omelette. Both excellent. So, nicely full we set out to do some of the ‘touristy’ things in Atlantic City.

First port of call was the Absecon Lighthouse. It’s a coastal lightbouse and at 171 feet (52m) is the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey and the third-tallest masonry lighthouse in the USA. Construction began in 1854, with the light first lit on January 15, 1857. The lighthouse was deactivated in 1933 and although the light still shines every night, it is no longer an active navigational aid.

It was designed by George Meade and still retains its original first-order fixed Fresnel lens. The lens is made of lead glass and weighs 12,800 pounds (5,800 kg). As the light was fixed (non-flashing), it does not have a landward segment allowing visitors to look up in the lens where the keepers entered it for maintenance.

We climbed the 228 steps to the top (after six weeks with no real exercise, my poor knees paid the price!) and there was a great view of the whole of Atlantic City.  We were greeted at the top of the stairs by a man called Bayard Moran, a very pleasant elderly gentleman who gave us a signed card in acknowledgement of our achievement. It turned out that he was an Anglophile having spent time in the UK when he was in the Service and also his son studied at Cambridge and so he had holidayed in the UK as well.

As we left the lighthouse we met Buddy. Now Buddy has been a volunteer at the lighthouse for eight years and has lived in Atlantic City since 1956. He will be 90 years old on 24th September and various events are being held to celebrate his birthday. He climbs the 228 steps to the top of the lighthouse every Friday and often on one other day as well!!! He is described as a volunteer treasure and a true keeper of the light. His aim is to reach 105 years of age as that’s the age his oldest relative reached before dying.

After the lighthouse we visited the aquarium. They had many species of fish, lizards, tortoises etc. I don’t know but keeping any wild animal in captivity doesn’t sit right with me!

Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragon

Yesterday I mentioned that an Ironman triathlon was happening here today, well it turned out to be a half Ironman, that’s Ironman 70.3. The “70.3” refers to the total distance in miles (113.0 km) covered in the race, consisting of a 1.2-mile (1.9 km) swim, a 56-mile (90 km) bike ride, and a 13.1-mile (21.1 km) run. Each distance of the swim, bike, and run segments is half the distance of that segment in an Ironman triathlon. Well, you learn something everyday! It was a very hot day for such activities!

Looking after everyone was the local Police in some of the strangest vehicles we’d ever seen!

Tomorrow we leave Atlantic City for Palmerton, Pennsylvania. It’s a very special day for us as we will be meeting up with our other dear friends Nat, Terry and Ty! 😀

It was Ty’s birthday today, he’s nine years old. So, “Happy Birthday Ty” hope you’ve had a great day. See you tomorrow. 🎂🎉

More from Palmerton tomorrow!

Good day loyal followers!

A strange thing happened at the hotel last night that I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post. I was sat here writing the blog and suddenly there was a ‘ding dong’ and a buzz and a man’s voice flowed into the room saying “regarding the emergency, don’t worry, the Fire Brigade 🚒says there’s no fire so no need to worry!” What the …. , what emergency, we hadn’t heard a fire alarm? Si called down to the front desk to ask what that was all about and they repeated what we had already heard. About an hour later, the guy came over the speaker again telling us not to worry as there was no emergency and we should just “carry on.” 😱 We meant to have a word with reception this morning to tell them we didn’t hear an alarm …… but we forgot. Must do that as we leave for dinner this evening. Scary!

We ate breakfast in the Twenties Restaurant here in the hotel this morning. Service was a little slow but as we are holiday and not in any particular rush we didn’t really mind. Si had the Crab Cake Eggs Benedict while I settled for the healthy option of Homemade Granola Parfait with fresh strawberries, blueberries and strawberry yoghurt. Both were magnifico. What do you think Si’s intentions are with that knife!! 😱

Alas, the restaurant does lose one star because they do not serve camomile tea! Now back in the 1980s when we first started visiting the US they couldn’t even serve a decent cup of tea, it was always made with lukewarm water but over the years things have improved dramatically and my experience for some time now has been that tea is usually served with boiling water and most places serve herbal teas. Luckily, I always carry my own supply of tea bags so I asked the waiter to just bring me hot water instead. He was most bemused by my request. All I can think is that the hotel is still serving the tea they were serving back in the 1930s when the hotel first opened!!

When we awoke this morning thick fog was covering the Atlantic Ocean but the sun soon burnt it back and it’s been the most glorious hot and sunny day. Having been born near the sea but having moved away long ago, it’s always a great joy to soak my tootsies whenever we are near the ocean and that’s just what I did this morning.

We explored the hotel this morning recalling whose footsteps we were following in. It really is beautiful. Note the lift (elevator) says ‘Car Up’ as it would have done in days gone by. There’s also a tribute to Frank Sinatra that includes his piano.

Frank Sinatra’s piano

We did a walk along the Boardwalk and visited the Tourist Centre where a very helpful lady recommended places to visit and very kindly pointed out where the Outlets were!! Si grimaced and thanked the lady for pointing that out to me!

Well, what would you expect me to do!? Of course we got the car out and made a visit. I wanted to check out the Pandora shop anyway. I’d bought myself one charm in Boston to remind me of our visit there and so it seemed a good idea to see what the local store had too. It was well a visit and I managed to find two lovely charms to adorn my bracelet. Also, one of the shoe stores was having a Sale on Vans Trainers so it seemed like a good idea to check that out too. We both managed to find some we just couldn’t do without!

There was a Zumba class on the Boardwalk this morning. Oooooh, if only I’d had my Zumba shoes I would have given the old hips a good shaking!!

We decided that we would try Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant at Ceasar’s Palace for dinner tonight but sadly, it was not to be. We arrived and were seated straight away, so far so good but alas, when I sat down the seat was so low that my chin was resting on the table. Ridiculous! Obviously, I couldn’t eat my meal like that so we asked to be reseated. Well, we waited, and waited and no-one returned to move us and in the end the waitress said it would be a good idea to go and stand at the reception area. Well, long story short, we left. An appropriately worded complaint will be going to Gordon Ramsey’s team and nil points will be going on Trip Adviser. Terrible, terrible customer service.

In the end we ate at the Twenties Restaurant again. It was us and six other people. As this is a non-casino hotel most people were out in the casinos eating dinner. Let’s say it was a very quiet affair.

I have been asked for pics of Si not eating ………………………… well, here he is drinking instead! He said that this little pinot noir is now his favourite wine! 😀

A little bird has told us that the weather back home is not quite as lovely as it is here so we’ll be doing all we can to send a little sunshine your way! 🌞

There’s an Ironman Triathlon here tomorrow so that should be interesting to watch. Si was thinking of entering but he didn’t want to embarrass all the contestants!! In his dreams!!

Before I tell you about our day, I remembered that I’d forgotten to add two things to yesterday’s post. One was photos of the covered bridge, the weir and the river at Taftsville just up the road from the Inn and second was a very short, quick video of the apple pressing at Cold Hollow Cider Mill. I’m  starting to get forgetful in my old age! 

This morning before we left the Inn we had a lovely breakfast with four new guests, a couple originally from Scotland who now live in East Sussex and an American couple from Guilford (I thought they said Guildford but apparently not!) in Connecticut. We had a very lively discussion about Scottish independence, Brexit and Donald Trump!!

The American couple, Ken and Naomi, were on their way to Stowe to partake in the 27th annual ‘British Invasion’ which is a weekend celebration and salute to the Great British motorcar and British lifestyle. They own a Jaguar and last year won first place in the Jaguar Sedans (1955-87) MK I/II, 420, S-Type, XJ6, XJ12, XJ6C section with their 1962 Jaguar Mark II. Fingers crossed they managed another win this year too.

So, it’s “goodbye” Vermont and “hello” New Jersey!

Now then, as we spent most of the day in ‘the beast’ I’m afraid there’s no ‘action’ to speak of but just what we could see out of the car windows as we hurtled along.

We departed lovely Vermont and headed out for Atlantic City. The drive was scheduled to take 6.5 hours but allowing for stops on the way ended up taking seven. It was a much easier drive than we were anticipating and arrived in brilliant sunshine and not the rain we had been expecting. To smooth our passage we listened and sang along to the tunes of John Denver. All together now, one, two, three:

We needed a smoothing tune or two because Margaret (sat nav) didn’t want to take us on the route to Atlantic City that we preferred (i.e. away from New York as we knew it would be too busy on a Friday afternoon), instead she insisted on trying to turn as around at every exit en-route! It’s not like Margaret, she’s usually so co-opertive!

A long drive like this one can be rather boring but a few sights along the way made it interesting including this rather pretty picture as we left Vermont of Echo Lake in Tyson and one of the Fall colour ‘in progress’.

At one point on the drive I began to wonder if I’d had a drink or two, albeit it rather early for a drink, because I realised that I was indeed seeing cows and a moose(!) standing on a roof!! Luckily, on closer inspection I realised they were not real after all.

I felt really at home when I saw this sign. My name before I married my dearest was in fact Weston! Pleased to see I was offering ‘luxurious accommodations and fine dining”, definitely my kind of place.

When we saw this one we were rather confused ………….. had we been transported back home and didn’t realise it!

It was very kind of the good ‘ole folk of New York and New Jersey to lay on a welcome for us!

and boy were we pleased to see this sign!

We are not staying at a casino but at The Claridge Hotel and Brighton Park here in Atlantic City. It has a very interesting history as it stands on the site where the founder of Atlantic City, Jeremiah Leeds, built his family settlement in the late 1700’s. The hotel opened in 1930 during the great depression and some of its famous guests included Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Princess Grace of Monaco, Al Capone and Nucky Johnson who was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss, Atlantic County Sheriff, businessman, and racketeer! Some of you back home in the UK may have seen Sky Atlantic’s Boardwalk Empire in which the character Nucky Thompson was actually based on Nucky Johnson. Great show!

Tomorrow we’ll take some photos of the hotel, I know, the excitement is just too much, but in the meantime, this is the view from our hotel room looking over Brighton Park and out to the Atlantic Ocean. Is that the UK I can see, I’m waving, 👋are you all waving back?

That’s all for now folks, see you tomorrow!

We were woken in the night by very heavy rain and thunder! But by the time we had partaken of an excellent breakfast here at the B&B the rain had stopped. This morning we were treated to a very delicious cheese and ham scone (no, not like a British scone, this was a flat cheese scone with the ham inside) together with poached eggs on top and tomatoes completed with a lovely red nasturtium from the garden on the side. There were also homemade raspberry turnovers, fruit and cereals. We were the only two for breakfast but more guests are arriving today so it will be interesting to see who those other guests are and where they are from tomorrow morning.

After breakfast we left to drive to Waterbury. The rain had left mists everywhere, curling round the mountain tops it was a stunning sight.

We saw various warning signs along the way …….

but alas the only ‘wildlife’ sighting we saw today was a little bunny rabbit!

One thing that is always obvious to us as we speed along the Interstates is how well kept they are. Grass nicely cut and no rubbish at all.

Being in this part of the country always feels like home as a lot of the towns are named after places back home i.e. Manchester, Portsmouth, Windsor, Essex and Middlesex to name but a few. It’s pretty obvious who settled this part of the USA!

By the time we arrived in Waterbury the sun was out and it was lovely and hot. Waterbury is home to the original Ben & Jerry’s ice cream factory. This is where the whole B&J story really started. From a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, to far-off places, the journey that began in 1978 with two guys and the ice cream business they built is as legendary as the ice cream is euphoric. We decided to do the factory tour but were not really impressed as we had chosen the day production had been stopped to clean the machines ready for a new flavour run!  Anyway, we were given free ice cream to try so not everything was lost!

They have an ice-cream graveyard on site and that’s where all the retired flavours go to ‘rest’. Each retired flavour has its own headstone. Here are just a couple.

As Si’s into cider at the moment we felt that a trip to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill was in order. We were able to go and see how the cider is made and this turned out to be very interesting as we had it explained about how our cider is known as ‘hard’ cider in America (i.e. alcoholic) but American cider is just pure apple juice with no additives whatsoever and confusingly enough, in American you can also buy apple juice distinct from cider because it does have additives and flavourings! Confused ………… we were. There’s a wonderful store in the Cider Mill too filled again with all those goodies we just have to have! I picked up a jar of Apple Cider Jelly (jam to the Brits) to bring home with us but sadly it didn’t make it to the counter as I dropped it, boom, glass and jelly all over the floor. They also make cider doughnuts and of course we just had to try them! They were fabulous.

Tonight we went back to The Mill at Simon Pearce for dinner and once again, it didn’t disappoint. We don’t eat lamb at home but Si decided that as we are in the USA it’s somehow okay as the lambs are American …………….. so that’s what he had for dinner!

I think someone somewhere wasn’t happy with his choice because as we tried to leave the restaurant the heavens opened and the rain lashed down! It was running in rivers down the car park. We had neither coats nor brolly! That’ll teach him!

Tomorrow (Friday), we leave the lovely Applebutter Inn here in Vermont for quite a long drive down to Atlantic City for the weekend. Just a little history note for all those historians reading the blog, the Inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as in 1854 it was the home of Edwin C.  Emmons and he fought in the American Civil War for the Union.

By the way, that’s our ‘beast’ of a car on the drive. I can just about manage to climb out of it without falling but getting in is not a very lady-like affair as I have to put one foot in and then heave myself in by pulling on the armrest!! Hey ho, the perils of being short!

See you on the shores of the Atlantic ocean tomorrow folks.

We leave Boston today to travel to Vermont but before we do that let me tell you about last night’s ball game, Boston Red Sox versus Oakland.

We toyed with the idea of getting a taxi to Fenway Park as it seemed a lot easier than walking to the station and working out how to buy tickets. Our last experience of train travel was when we wanted to travel from New Jersey into New York City to go and see Ground Zero. Now we are quite intelligent folk and as some of you will agree, I’m quite a techie (Sandra that is, not Si, no tittering from anyone thank you!) but it really was a bit of a nightmare. We had to purchase them from a machine that really didn’t speak English, I think it had been imported from the planet Krypton! Anyway, we had to enlist the help of a very pleasant guard who explained it all to us. It wasn’t possible to buy return tickets, had to be singles. Alas, I ended up using the inbound ticket to travel outbound, the guard on the train didn’t notice and I was lucky that the inbound train guard didn’t either! Duh!

Anyway, I digress …………. last night’s ticket purchases was extremely easy, even though it was from a machine and only cost us $11.00 for two returns to travel anywhere. Now that’s what I call cheap. So we jump on board, packed like sardines in a can (we’ll never complain about the London Underground again!) and off we shoot to Fenway Park.

It was a great game and the Boston Red Sox won by 11-1. The whole thing about baseball is that it’s such a family event. Everyone having a great time. There’s no swearing and shouting of abuse like we have at football (soccer for our US followers) matches. At football, once the game starts everyone is concentrated purely on the game. No-one speaks or usually moves until half-time whereas at baseball there’s people on the move all the time but not in a distracting way. There are dozens and dozens of snack vendors going up and down the isles selling hot dogs, pizza, peanuts, candy floss and drinks. No need to go hungry or thirsty there.

First Ball! Can you spot it? Not bad considering I took it on my iPhone!

They were having a special event last night in aid of children’s cancer and they had families affected who came on to the pitch.

We had great seats just up from behind the batter. We were under cover and there was also a fine net so that no-one would get hit with the ball if it came behind. Sadly, there was a very small area where the net was not attached to the roof and we couldn’t believe it when a ball came through that small space and hit an elderly gentleman on the head! 😱 🤕 He had a little cut but seemed okay, the medics however insisted he went out with them to be checked over. He was very reluctant to go though and miss the game.

All in all a great experience. 👍

As we needed to go to the Post Office this morning and it was just along from the Paramount Cafe we decided we would go in there again for breakfast. As we entered the waiter welcomed us back which was a nice touch. Another great breakfast consumed, Si had the Avocado Surprise while I just had scrambled eggs on toast.

Just one side note regarding Boston ….. we were told this morning that there were gangs of young men on Boston Common last night with guns and one was critically injured!!

Now, onwards to Vermont!

Sadly, didn’t see any!

It was a lovely three-hour drive to where we are staying, in Taftsville, just outside Woodstock, at the Apple Butter Inn. An 1850’s farmhouse bed and breakfast and our hosts are Jill and Don together with Ginger a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

The B&B is absolutely lovely. We are in the King David room and it even has a sleeping porch all screened in so that we can sit there in comfort with a nice glass of wine and some cheese. In fact, Si’s already been down the road to the little local store and purchased said items! 😀

As we had arrived rather too early for check-in we decided to go into Woodstock to take a look around. It must be at least 20 years since we were last there. It’s a wonderful little town with those gorgeous little shops that are always full of things we can’t possibly live without!!

There are a couple of lovely covered bridges locally that have been restored to their former glory.

On the drive into the B&B we crossed over the Ottauquechee River with its covered bridge and waterfall. Next to it stands a building that for centuries served as a woollen mill and is now home to Simon Pearce Glass and The Mill restaurant. We are booked there for dinner this evening. We are told no-one who eats there is ever disappointed! I shall report back later this evening on our experience. In the meantime, this is the setting!

Well, we’ve returned from The Mill at Simon Pearce and what a find that turned out to be. It was voted one of “America’s Most Romantic Restaurants” and we could see why, everything was magnificent. We were advised to book early and turn up about ten minutes ahead of time as we wanted a table by the window and it’s first, come first served. We did as we were told and bingo, we had the best seat in the house.

We may go back tomorrow evening. We both started with mashed avocado and lump crab on toast then Si had the fillet mignon and on a lady’s recommendation who eats there regularly, I had horseradish crusted cod, it was magnifico!! We shared Bakewell Tart to finish and the waiter was keen to know what we thought of their English pudding. We reassured him that it could easily have been made ‘back home’ so that pleased him.

For those who follow Si’s daily intake, here’s tonights!

Quechee Weir at sunset

Well, it’s been a long old day one way and another so it’s off to bed we go. Tomorrow we continue our tour of Vermont!

Night everyone! 😴

PS: Note for Sue P ……………. the gin and tonic lip balm is working a treat! 😘

“Turned out nice again!”

So the day has indeed turned out to be a very lovely one, sunny and very hot. It was an early start because we were awake at 4.30 am, not being acclimatised yet to the time difference!

We decided to have breakfast away from the hotel so sought advice from one of the ladies on Reception. She directed us to The Paramount Cafe on Beacon Hill. It’s a small cafe that’s been in business since 1937. All the food is cooked to order in front of you and it was excellent. I’m sure some of you would like to know what we had for breakfast! We had omelettes, Si the Western consisting of ham, onion pepper and American cheese and for me the tomato, mozzarella and basil.

We first visited Boston about 25 years ago and it’s now a lot busier with many more tourists but it’s still a lovely place to visit.

Here comes the history ‘bit’ ……….

The history of Boston, the capital of Massachusetts plays a central role in American history. In 1630, Puritan colonists from England founded Boston and helped it become the way it is today. Boston quickly became the political, commercial, financial, religious and educational center of the New England region. The American Revolution erupted in Boston, as the British retaliated harshly for the Boston Tea Party and the patriots fought back. They besieged the British in the city, with a famous battle at Bunker Hill in Charlestown on June 17, 1775 (which was lost by the colonists, but inflicted great damage against the British) and won the Siege of Boston, forcing the British to evacuate the city on March 17, 1776. However, the combination of American and British blockades of the town and port during the conflict seriously damaged the economy, and the population fell by two thirds in the 1770s. The city recovered after 1800, re-establishing its role as the transportation hub for the New England region with its network of railroads, and even more important, the intellectual, educational and medical center of the nation.

We walked the city today stopping off at the Old Granary Burial Ground. It is Boston’s third-oldest cemetery, founded in 1660. It is the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots including Paul Revere, the five victims of the Boston Massacre, and three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. The cemetery has 2,345 grave-markers, but historians estimate that as many as 5,000 people are buried in it.

One of the most popular places to visit is Quincy Market. Built between 1824 and 1826 it is now a food court serving just about anything you could wish for.

Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1743 and is today’s Government Centre in Boston. It was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others encouraging independence from Great Britain. You can see from these two images that not a lot has changed.

Other images from today are The Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the citizens of Boston from the front balcony on 18th July 1776 and the Massachusetts State House which is the State Capital and seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Old State House

The Massachusetts State House

We came across some very friendly locals on our walk. This one was very interested in what we were up to. I think he was worried that we would be watching where he was going to hide that nut!!

Then on to the seafront and thought it only fair that we show you a photo of our yacht that is tied up in the harbour!!!!!!! Compared with the other yachts ours is just a little rowing boat but it was all we could afford at the time!! 😉

Here’s one of me telling Si that he needs to get himself a job so that we can buy one of those other yachts!!

We are off to see the Boston Red Sox tonight, lovely evening for it, so decided we should eat early. I know, I know, all we seem to do is eat! We decided on a place called Joe’s right on the harbour. It was very hot so decided we would take shelter indoors where Si tried the one cider they serve called Angry Orchard. He was impressed. It went well with his half-rack of ribs. As for me, as we were sat overlooking the ocean, I decided on the fish and chips washed down with a Ginger and Lime Rickey. I’ve heard of a Rickey but have often wondered why it’s called a Rickey. Well, I know have the answer ……. I think!

Si at Joe’s with his ribs!

The name Rickey is an English baby name. In English the meaning of the name Rickey is an abbreviation of Richard ‘powerful; strong ruler’.

I think I’ll start a book entitled, ‘Simon’s Eating Habits’, could be a best seller!!

A report on our visit to Fenway Park will follow tomorrow. I bet you’re all really excited to read it!!! 😱

See you tomorrow!

Welcome back blog followers, lovely to see you all again!

Well what a day!!

So, the day dawned, the chauffeur in his Jaguar was on time, the same driver as last year and we headed off to Heathrow Terminal 3. The weather was a bit iffy, heavy rain, wind and sunshine.

As we had checked in on-line on Sunday, it was a simple job of just dropping the bags off and on to Security. No queues at all so we were both through in a jiffy. No need to worry about anyone seeing my lumps and bumps, we didn’t have to go through the body scanner!

Next it was off to Duty Free for the perfume purchase of the year and it was a lovely surprise when the lady at the checkout told me I had £15.00 on my Heathrow Rewards card!! I had no idea as I never check my account. Wonder if that bodes well for the visit to Atlantic City!! Fingers crossed.

The necessary goodies for the flight were purchased. Just wouldn’t be the same without Cheddars, some kind of chocolate for me, soft mints, Starbursts and a bag of  Haribo for Si. We shall eat our way across the Atlantic. 👍

Talking of eating, it just wouldn’t be the same if we didn’t start off the 2017 blog without a photo of Si’s first holiday meal ……….. so here it is! It was something healthy for a change! Smashed avacado, poached eggs and tomatoes on toast. I had something healthy too, the Pilot’s salad which consisted of flavoured(?) quinoa, creamed goats cheese and various minuscule vegetables. It was delicious. Probably all down hill from here. We ate in the Pilot’s Lounge (not literally of course, it’s just called that) and very pleasant it was too before heading to the Aspire Lounge to wait for the boarding of our flight. I know, it sounds crazy to eat before going to the Lounge but that’s what we do!!

So, next stop Boston where the temperature is currently in the low 80’s so if that keeps up we’ll be quite happy. 🌞

Will finish today’s post once we’ve arrived in Boston. See you ‘across the pond’.

Well, here we are ‘across the pond’.

First of all, we flew on a new Virgin Dreamliner 787-9 called Mystery Girl. Lovely plane, food excellent. We were called to the gate at 4.25 pm with take off scheduled for 5.25 pm. The plane wasn’t full and they had us all boarded so quickly that were ready to go at 5.10 pm, fifteen minutes early. The captain came on the intercom and said how good it was that we were all aboard and ready to go but then a minute later he came back on and said that there was a plane jam due to the weather. We had had intermittent heavy rain showers  and we would have to wait twenty minutes before we could push back. Well, we all know what that means! We took off an hour late!!! One good thing was that we were originally told the flight would take 7 hours 5 minutes but now would only take 6 hours 38 minutes. We saw a rainbow just before take-off and that cheered us somewhat. Alas, that was the last piece of good fortune we were going to have for the remainder of the day!

In all of our 30 years of visiting the US our arrrival last night will go down as one of the worst we have ever experienced!! 😱

We landed literally with a very big bang as we hit the runway rather hard. We de-planed very quickly and headed for the Immigration Hall. Well, we couldn’t even get in the hall, we were stopped and separated into red rows and a blue row i.e. US citizens and those who had been here before and non-US citizens.  While most of our travelling companions were whisked off down the red row, because we had to renew our passports and ESTA this year, we were pushed in to the blue row. We had to wait for about twenty minutes before there was even room for us to fit into the hall. When we did manage to get in it was like a scene from Wembley Stadium, thousands of bodies everywhere. What a nightmare! We could see twelve gates of which eight were closed leaving only four to process the whole hall. This is allowing for about 30 automated gates that the red row people were using so you can imagine what it would have been like if they were not there to speed the process! We had passengers from two other flights in front of us and more coming behind. Talk about lack of organisation. If anyone ever hears me say we’ll fly into Boston again, please smack me round the head!!

After 90 minutes of standing, we just got to the head of the queue and they opened up four more gates and we were lucky enough to get moved to one of those and be processed.

Given the amount of time we were held in Immigration we didn’t have to wait long for our bags because the carousel ours was on had by know ‘given up the ghost’ and had stopped so any remaining bags had been dumped in a corner awaiting collection.

After leaving the airport we got a bus very quickly to the Car Rental Center. Now you know what happened next ……………….. all those who were in front of us in Immigration are now in front of us at the Avis rental desk!!!!! I’ve got to say all the other car rental desks (Hertz, National, Budget etc) were empty, it was just Avis that had the huge queue with only three people serving! By now I’m ready to lay down and die!!

The guy who eventually served us was very good and efficient. The car had already been booked and paid for (of course, the car we had ordered wasn’t available so they did the usual and upgraded us, so we are now driving a monster truck, a Chevy Treverse) so all that was left was for us just to ‘do the business’ regarding the sat nav, fuel option and now the EZ-Pass too! Massachusetts has decided to introduce non-cash toll roads and tunnels so we had to have the EZ-Pass. Doesn’t matter that we are only here for a couple of days, we’ve had to pay for the whole time we will have the vehicle, although the guy at the desk did set a maximum charge limit on it for us. Thank you Kenny!

The sat nav (for those who have followed us before on the blog, will know that we call it Margaret) was rather slow to connect but eventually got us slightly out of the airport when we went through the Ted Williams tunnel for about five miles with various exits along the way, but of course Margaret is not speaking to us as we’ve lost the connection so don’t know where we are supposed to be exiting!

Eventually, we rolled into the hotel very late and slightly worse for wear. At least the room’s lovely!

So, that’s why we are rather late posting our first day and only have two photos to show for it. Simon did want to take a photo of the Immigration Hall but decided it probably wasn’t a wise thing to do!

It’s now rather early Tuesday morning and we have a full day planned, including going to a Red Sox baseball game this evening (travelling there by subway!) so hopefully things will improve. The weather’s forecasted to be in the 80’s so can’t complain about that at least! 👍 😀

The year has just flown by and on 11th September we will be jetting off on our next American adventure!

It’s a late visit for us this year as we are hoping to catch some Fall colour. Holiday clothes are ready and waiting to be packed and even the Dollar rate improved slightly for a while! Fingers crossed it manages to climb a little higher before we jet off.

Hope you’ll check back next week to travel with us on our next journey!

Well, we have arrived back at our abode and are now enjoying a good old cup of tea for Si and a cappuccino for moi. I only had one the whole time we were away!

Atlanta Airport is very nice but it’s huge and was extremely busy. Our flight was, once again, completely full. We arrived back at Heathrow an hour ahead of schedule but they wouldn’t let us land and so had to circle for about 45 minutes, eventually arriving on the stand one minute before our original scheduled time!

At least we were very quickly through Immigration, because we have the bio-metric passports so we can use the e-passport gates. You just put the passport on the glass and hey presto you’re through. Even our cases arrived quickly. We met our driver and where home within about an hour.

I am pleased to report that for the first time in like ages, our suitcases had not been opened and checked by U.S. Security! Hooray!

The one bad thing about holidays is having to unpack the suitcases and get all the washing on the go. A good lesson there not to take too much in the first place!

We’ve had another great time in the good ol’ U.S. of A, met some wonderful new people and connected again with some old friends, namely Denise and Desiree. We saw some memorable things, suffered in extreme heat and humidity but it was all worthwhile. We  drove 1416 miles this year, so not many compared with previous holidays.

It’s time to say ‘farewell’ once again, to sign off the blog for another year and to thank you all for travelling with us and for the comments you posted. It’s always good to know that it’s not just us reading it!

So, until we all meet again, we would just like to say, as always, ………………..

arrivederci, adeus, hejdå, 再见, zoi geen, zai jian, tot ziens, au revoir, tschüss, shalom, ciao, じゃね, anyeonghi gasyeo, poka/Пока, adios, hejdå, tạm biệt, vΘleft, farvel, ya sas, tókša akhé

and see you all next time. Bye!

(I do not own the video or its contents)

Surprise, surprise, I didn’t think I’d get to write the blog today but as we arrived at the airport in plenty of time and there’s free wifi I thought I would make use of the time and get it done.

We checked out of our hotel this morning at the latest time we could 12.00, because our flight tonight isn’t until 10.10 p.m.

It was another glorious day and the drive was very pleasant. We decided that we would stop for lunch once we found a Cracker Barrel (CB). We had to drive a couple of hours before we found one but I saw the CB sign from way, way down the road and shouted at the top of my voice ‘Cracker Barrel’. I shouted so loud that Margaret (sat nav) asked me to speak my instructions. It was so funny!

Cracker Barrel!!

Sadly, this one was not ‘up to scratch’. The service was awful! With CB you can be in eat and out in a jiffy but today it took well over an hour.

The food was good though. Si had his shrimp and I decided that as it was the final day of our holiday that I could ‘let myself go’ a little and I had a burger with cheese and fries! It was just fabulous. We ordered an apple dessert but the poor young waitress who was under great stress got all flustered and delivered us a cobbler with cream and ice-cream. It was huge and we didn’t manage to eat it all.

Si with his shrimp

Sand with her naughty burger!

On the table they have a little game that customers can play while they wait for their food. It’s a form of solitaire!! We both had a go but of course after a few tries Si managed to win the game. Well he would, wouldn’t he!! Bless!!

Si’s success

It was more or less a straight drive here to Atlanta Airport but at the last moment dear Margaret (sat nav), rather let herself down and started giving us instructions in all the wrong direction. Luckily, the signage was very good so we were able to follow that instead.

Road to Atlanta

Saw this interesting water tower along the way!

Town of Effingham!

When we arrived at the Avis Car Rental Returns we were met by a very pleasant young man who found great delight in telling us that his first foster Mum was English and how he loved our trifle, roast beef and yorkshire pudding and what fantastic cooks the British are! Crumbs, that’s a first, most Americans think our food is just awful.

It was a quick trip on the bus to the airport terminal and we waited anxiously whilst they weighed the cases!! I’m very proud to say that both cases weighed in just under our allowance!! Hooray!

For the regular blog followers you’ll know that whenever we come on holiday we usually end up purchasing an extra suitcase to accommodate all the purchases we’ve made during our travels. Well, we didn’t buy a suitcase this time but we did buy a back pack instead to take the extra load. I’ve made a note that the next time we come on holiday to remember to pack a back pack for all those ‘little extras.’ We must have six at home already!!

Thing is, the backpack is quite heavy and poor Si’s ended up carrying two, the new one and his camera bag! Hey ho!

After the bag weighing we made our way to Homeland Security and there was the biggest queue we’ve ever seen at an airport. It must have taken us 30 minutes just to get through. They use the full body scanner here. I made sure to hold my stomach in so as not to give the poor person watching the scanner a shock!

So, we’ve purchased all the nibbles to take on board. Although they give you things to eat and drink there are times when one just needs a few of their favourite things.

The flight coming out from Heathrow was an hour shorter than expected so we are hoping that the 8 hours 10 minutes back will just be 7 hours 10 minutes instead.

The weather forecast for tomorrow looks good so fingers crossed we won’t need the wet gear!

I suddenly remembered a couple of things I forgot to write in the blog yesterday!

First, do you know what they call peanuts in South Carolina? Answer: Goobers!

Secondly, there’s a house in Savannah called the Juliette Gordon Low (JGL) house that is open to the public. The owner was a very interesting lady and I wanted to tell you about her.

JGL was born in Savannah in 1860 and died in 1927.  She was the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA. After her husband died she travelled to Scotland and met Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouting Movement. They shared a love of travel and support of the Girl Guides. In August 1911, JGL became involved with the Girl Guides, an offshoot of the Boy Scouts for girls that was headed by Agnes Baden-Powell, Sir Robert Baden Powell’s sister. JGL joined the Girl Guide movement, forming a group of Girl Guides in Scotland in 1911.

In 1912, JGL and Baden-Powell took a trip to the United States to spread the scouting movement. She hoped to spread the movement to her hometown, Savannah, as a way to help girls learn practical skills and build character.  She formed the first American Girl Guide troop in Savannah, Georgia that year. In 1915 the United States’ Girl Guides became known as the Girl Scouts and JGL was the first president. She stayed active until the time of her death.

Thought that was all rather interesting.

Must close now as we are due to board shortly.

Speak to you again from ‘across the pond.’

First of all let me just say that some of you may have noticed the blog is missing its sidebar! Why, goodness only knows. I’ll work on that when I get home. I think the humidity has affected it somehow!!

Well, goodness, gracious, I’ve just published this post and the sidebar’s back!! Who knows how long it will stay!?

So, today was our final full day here in Savannah. As the day was forecast to be hot and humid again we decided to spend the day visiting the  Savannah History Museum and then the Georgia State Railroad Museum Historic Site rounding off with a walk back to our hotel to make sure Si had as many photos as possible and then finishing off for dinner again at The Olde Pink House.

We walked to the Museums and along the way we came across this brass statue of Johnny Mercer. In 1961, he wrote the lyrics to “Moon River” for Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Sand and Johnny Mercer

The Savannah History Museum allows you to walk through the city’s history from 1733, spanning the American Revolution and Civil War, all the way to today! It was very interesting with one item in particular being of great interest, that was ………………. the bus bench from Forrest Gump.

The Georgia State Railroad was constructed in 1853 by the Central of Georgia Railway before the outbreak of the American Civil War and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976.

The complex is considered the most complete antebellum railroad complex in the United States. The historic railroad structures at the site include a partial roundhouse with operating turntable, partial machine shop, Tender Frame Shop, Blacksmith Shop, Boiler House, Storehouse and Print Shop, Lumber and Planning Sheds, Coach and Paint Shops, and a partial Carpentry Shop.

Train Depot

Turntable at the museum. We rode on the train!

Sand on the train at the museum

Si on the train too – looking thoughtful!

After that we stopped for lunch at The Six Pence Pub again and this time I tried their Cottage Pie. It was very good, just needed a little more gravy. Si had crab cakes.

On the way back and as it was rather hot, we jumped on the tour bus again to take us to Forsyth Park so that Si could photograph the famous fountain. The fountain was added to the park in 1858 and is reminiscent of fountains in the Place de la Concorde in Paris and in Cuzco, Peru.

Sand in Forsyth Park

We arrived at our stop to get off and who was getting on the bus but Forrest himself!! Well, obviously not the real one but a guy just like him. He was so funny.

Forrest Gump on our tour bus!

Sand with Forrest

For those who have seen the film, right at the start it shows a feather falling from a steeple. This is the steeple it is supposed to have fallen from.

Steeple from Forrest Gump

One of the carriages showing people around Savannah

Around Savannah we’ve seen a lot of these fish downpipes on many mansions, they are supposed to be considered good luck!

Fish downpipes

So, we had dinner at The Old Pink House again! They sat us in the ballroom but it was packed and so noisy we couldn’t hear each other so they moved us to a much smaller, quieter room. The meal was lovely. Si had fillet mignon and I had pecan-crusted chicken breast followed by blueberry pie and ice-cream.

Si with his fillet mignon

Sand with her pecan-crusted chicken

Si with his blueberry pie

And Sand with her’s!

Tomorrow we drive back to Atlanta and then fly home to Heathrow so there will be no post tomorrow. The next time you’ll hear from us will be ‘across the pond.’ See you on Friday!

Well, we thought it would never stop raining but it did! The day started grey and overcast but in no time at all the sun came out and it was hot and humid again.

Brief history of Savannah coming up!

The city of Savannah, Georgia, was established in 1733. It is known as America’s first planned city and attracts millions of visitors, who enjoy the city’s architecture and historic structures. Savannah’s downtown area is one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States (designated in 1966).

The Yamacraws, a Native American tribe, were the first known people to settle in and around Savannah. In the 18th century, under their leader Tomochichi, they met the newly arriving European settlers.

In November 1732 the ship, Anne, sailed from Britain carrying 114 colonists, including General James Oglethorpe. On February 12, 1733, after a brief stay at Charles Town, South Carolina, Oglethorpe and his settlers landed at Yamacraw Bluff and, in an example of some of the earliest “Southern hospitality”, were greeted by Tomochici, the Yamacraws, and John and Mary Musgrave, Indian traders. The city of Savannah was founded on that date, along with the Province of Georgia. Because of the friendship between Oglethorpe and Tomochici, Savannah was able to flourish unhindered by the warfare that marked the beginnings of many early American colonies.

The city was laid out in 1733 around four open squares, each surrounded by four residential  blocks and four civic blocks. The layout of a square and eight surrounding blocks was known as a “ward.” The original plan (now known as the Oglethorpe Plan) allowed for growth of the city and thus expansion of the grid; additional squares were added during the 18th and 19th centuries, and by 1851 there were 24 squares in the city. In the 20th century, three of the squares were demolished or altered beyond recognition, leaving 21. In 2010, one of the three “lost” squares, Ellis, was reclaimed. Most of Savannah’s squares are named in honor or in memory of a person, persons or historical event, and many contain monuments, markers, memorials, statues, plaques, and other tributes.

Here ends the history lesson!

So, this morning after a quick visit to the Post Office we visited some of the squares and one of which was Chippewa square. The square was named for the Battle of Chippewa and is famous for Forrest Gump’s bus bench. The bench was actually a Hollywood prop and has since been moved to the Savannah Visitor Centre. Also, this diner is where Jenny was working when she heard about Forrest’s run across America.

Forrest Gump at Chippewa Square

Jenny’s restaurant

Live Oak

River Walk

Brown Thrasher (thanks to Desiree and Denise)

Denise and Desiree, can you name the bird?

The Owens-Thomas House is a historic home and museum is on the northeast corner of Oglethorpe Square and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976, as one of the nation’s finest examples of English Regency architecture.

Owens-Thomas House

We also walked down to the water front and saw this huge container ship. At one point we feared for the bridge of the ship as we felt there was no way he was going to make it under the bridge, but of course he did!

Container Ship

Sand on the river walk

On our travels this morning we came across two lovely children with their Mum selling homemade lemonade in aid of a cat charity. We purchased two glasses and told them we would include them in today’s blog. The lemonade was just what we needed, cold and very refreshing. So, Rafi, Lila and Mum Michelle, here you are!

Michelle, Lila and Rafi selling their homemade lemonade!

Today, I think for the first time on our trip we had lunch!! We happened across The Six Pence pub, together with the red British phone box outside, so decided that was the place to eat. The food was delicious. Listed on the menu was ‘Shepherd’s Pie (Cottage Pie) made from beef! We felt it our duty to point out that actually ‘Shepherd’s Pie’ is made from lamb and Cottage Pie from beef. I think they had probably been told that a few hundred times from visiting Brits! To make up for a lack of food photos recently Si took this pic.

Sand at The Six Pence Pub (do you like my crown?)

After lunch we decided to do a bus tour and spent a couple of hours being driven around the historic squares by our tour guide, Anna. She’s only been doing the job for a couple of weeks but she was very good and had us all in stitches.

Anna our tour guide

This evening for dinner we went to The Olde Pink House, Savannah’s only 18th Century Mansion which just happens to be situated next door to our hotel. It’s one of Savannah’s most popular restaurants, offering new southern cuisine in a sophisticated, yet casual setting. The food was excellent and we enjoyed it so much we are going back again tomorrow night for dinner!

The Olde Pink House restaurant

Si with his soft shell crabs

Sand and her flounder!

Si and Sand with their puds!

Tomorrow is our last day in Savannah before we head back to Atlanta on Thursday for our flight home. The weather is set fair so please join us again for our last day’s adventures.

Another hot, humid day ……………….. this morning it was about 95º with humidity supposed to be at 99%. I can certainly confirm about the humidity, we were all drenched during our walk around Charleston.

We met Denise and Desiree for breakfast and then headed into Charleston. It’s such a beautiful city and the historic houses/buildings are magnificent.

Charleston, the South Carolina city founded in 1670, is defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel pre-Civil-War-era houses, particularly in the bustling French Quarter and Battery areas. The Battery promenade and Waterfront Park both overlook Charleston Harbor, while Fort Sumter, a Federal stronghold where the first shots of the Civil War rang out, lies across the water.

We’ve had another lovely day full of laughter, fun and lots of photo-taking. We were so pleased to be able to soak our feet in this lovely fountain, it was very cooling.

Charleston Fountain

Sand and Desiree cooling their feet!

Here are some of today’s photos:

Si and the Gals

Charleston Market

Weavers at the Market

Historic homes in Charleston

King Street, Charleston

Kids cooling off

When we first visited Charleston some 20-odd years ago we stayed at a hotel called The Omni, it was lovely. The hotel is still there but under a different name now but we re-visited it just to take another look at its magnificent staircase and chandelier.

The gals are on their way home now to North Carolina. Safe trip ladies and we hope to see you in good ‘ol blighty very soon.

At last some food pics! We decided to eat early today so had Sunday brunch at the hotel.

Si with his roast beef! Makes a change from shrimp and pork belly!

Nothing quite like a good Sunday roast!

Tomorrow we move on to Savannah, another very historic city. See you there!

Well, we were told today was going to be hotter than yesterday and boy, were they right!! It’s been a scorcher  and very humid. It felt as though we’d done a three-hour spin class, the humidity was so bad. But hey, we are British, we can cope with just about anything!

Si had us up and out early to visit Charleston for him to take photos and me to ‘do a little shopping.’

Charleston

Charleston

Sand at the U.S. Custom House

Si managed a few photos, including accidentally wondering into a fashion photo-shoot for a magazine that was taking place at the U.S. Custom House. The lady in charge wasn’t happy about Si taking pics and actually put her hand over his camera! What! I don’t think so. Si pointed out to her that we were in a public place and he could take whatever photos he liked and he did. This is one of them ……….. very nice too!

After our photo and spending expedition we headed back to the hotel to meet up with Denise and Desiree. We’ve had a fantastic day together.

First of all we visited Middleton Place, which is a plantation built in several phases during  the 18th and 19th centuries. The plantation was the primary residence of several generations of the Middleton family, many of whom played prominent roles in the colonial and antebellum history of South Carolina. The plantation is home to the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States.

Middleton Place

In 1865, toward the end of the U.S. Civil War, Union soldiers burned most of the house, leaving only the south wing and gutted walls of the north wing and main house. An earthquake in 1886 toppled the walls of the main house and north wing. The restoration of Middleton Place began in 1916 when Middleton descendant John Julius Pringle Smith (1887–1969) and his wife Heningham began several decades of meticulously rebuilding the plantation’s gardens.

Middleton Place

Denise at Middleton Place

Desiree at Middleton Place taking that perfect shot!

The plantation is home to various animals including horses, goats, pigs, sheep and lambs, water buffalo (newly discovered records show that Middleton Place imported water buffalo  from Constantinople in the late 18th century, the first in the United States), beautiful peacocks and a guinea fowl. We also saw a small alligator in a pond and a gecko. Animals in abundance today!

Alligator at Middleton Place

Gecko at Middleton Place

Goat at Middleton Place

Water Buffalo

Peacock at Middleton Place

Peacock’s rear!

The peacock display was amazing. It occurs to me that I have never seen a peacock, feathers extended, from behind! Well that was a wrong put right today and I have to say what a magnificent view it is too. Also, when feeling threatened he did a magnificent job of vibrating his feathers!

This evening on the recommendation of one of Desiree’s friends we went for dinner at The Glass Onion just down the road from our hotel. The restaurant describes itself as ‘Upbeat spot serving refined, locally sourced soul-food favorites in charming environs.’ Well, it was lovely and the food was great. For some reason and for the third day running, I forgot to take photos of our food! What on earth is going on? I think I’ve become a little too laid back. I send my apologies to some of our blog readers who consider this an important part of the blog.

Desiree, Denise and us two at The Glass Onion

Luckily, Desiree was ‘on the ball’ and brought this oversight to my attention. She saved the day by taking a photo of Si and I eating our bread  pudding dessert. Thank you Desiree. I will endeavour to get ‘back on track’ tomorrow.

Me and Si with our bread pudding …. delicious!

For the record, this evening Si and I had fried green tomatoes to start, whilst Denise and Desiree had the water melon salad (we tried that too and it was delicious), Si then partook of ribeye steak and I had Spanish mackerel, followed by us sharing the bread pudding. Denise had shrimp and grits, well she’s a southern gal, whilst Desiree had a ribeye too and both then shared key lime pie.

Some of you will remember that earlier in the blog I was asking what all the fuss was about grits! Well, Denise was telling us that we should be ordering shrimp and grits as they are a totally different ‘kettle of fish.’ We are still not convinced but she’s going to send me the recipe so that we can give them a try.

It’s a miracle that this blog is being written today because after wine with dinner and then Disaronno with my coffee I’m feeling a trifle fatigued!

It’s been a lovely day and tomorrow after breakfast we are all heading into Charleston for some site-seeing and photography. Fingers crossed it will be a little cooler than today! See you all tomorrow!

Boy, was it hot and humid today! I felt sure we would expire in the heat. The day started well but didn’t finish as we had expected!

For our first full day in Charleston we decided to visit Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. It is one of America’s oldest working, living plantations and has been continually growing crops for over 320 years.

More history coming up!

The earliest known reference to the site is of 1681. It originated from a land grant given to Major John Boone. The land grant of 470 acres was given by Theophilus Patey as a wedding present to his daughter, Elizabeth, and Boone. The original wooden house was constructed in 1790. The house was a two-story, wooden house with a one-story front porch.

The house that stands now was built in 1936 by Thomas Stone, a Canadian who purchased the land in the early 20th century. He wanted a “grander style” home than what was there, so he built the Colonial Revival-style house.

Boone Hall

On the grounds today, besides the house, sit nine of the original slave cabins which date back to 1790-1810, a smoke house dating back to 1750, the Cotton Gin house 1853 and the grand Avenue of Oaks that was created in 1743 by Major Boone’s son, Captain Thomas Boone. He planted two evenly spaced rows of trees and it has taken 200 years for the trees to meet overhead to form the present-day scenic corridor. He was a man with great vision as he knew that he would not be alive to see his work come to fruition. In fact he died just three years after planting the trees. The live oak trees run 3/4 of a mile long from the entrance to the front house gates. Boone Hall Plantation today spans 738 acres. The oldest oak on the plantation is 600 years old.

Slave cabins

Cotton gin (under restoration)

There have been many owners over the years including English, German, Georgian, Canadians and Americans. Mr Harris M. McRae and his wife, Nancy Thomas purchased the property in 1955 and opened the plantation to the public in 1957 and have made great efforts to preserve the original structures and gardens.

Boone Hall and gardens

Avenue of live oaks planted in 1743

Si and Sand at Boone Hall

Sand at Boone Hall

There are various tours and presentations on the plantation but one of the favourites of visitors is the one called ‘Exploring the Gullah Culture’ a unique culture adapted by African slaves.

Gullah presentation

“Gullah” is a term that was originally used to designate the variety of English spoken by Gullah and Geechee people, but over time it has been used by its speakers to formally refer to their  language and distinctive ethnic identity as a people.

Singing a Gullah song

Boone Hall has appeared in a number of films and TV programmes, notably the film, The Notebook, TV series North and South and Alex Hayley’s Queen. Also, the avenue of oaks at Boone Hall were used for the oak trees at Twelve Oaks, the Wilkes family in Gone With The Wind.

Boone Hall holds on average three weddings a week and they were preparing for one today. Also, another newly married couple came to have their wedding pictures taken there too.

The bride and groom!

The wedding venue by the river

We left Boone Hall in beautiful sunshine, but just ten minutes down the road drove into another storm the same as yesterday’s. Jet black sky, torrential rain, thunder and lightening. To make things worse, we suddenly had a notification in the car that there was a fault with the engine and service was needed now!!!! Charming, here we go again!!

Luckily there was an Avis facility close by so we drove there to discover it was a Sears Auto and not an actual Avis Rental office. They said the car would have to be changed over. The only problem was they had two cars of similar type but they were of a lower spec to the one we were driving so we turned both of those down. Eventually, they offered us the only other vehicle available which was a Nissan Infinity of a very high spec. I don’t think the guy was particularly happy giving us that one but he agreed to. Fingers crossed we don’t have any further problems or Avis will be receiving a very strong letter from us.

So, a very stressful ending to a lovely day. Tomorrow we meet up with Denise and Desiree and we are told it’s going to be even hotter than today!! Where’s that cool towel to mop my fevered brow!!??

So, some days you just don’t know how things are going to pan out and today was just one of those days!

Today was a driving day, from Gatlinburg to Charleston, with the drive scheduled to take about five hours. However, that five hours turned into eight hours due to a slight diversion!

I’ve been meaning to post a pic of the current ‘beast’ and this is it.

The ‘Beast’ – at least I can get in and out of this one without the need for a ladder!!

It all started when we had been driving for about an hour when I happened to pick up Si’s mobile and noticed that he had an email from a lady called Denise. Now who’s Denise you may ask and I will tell you!

Some of you will know that Si’s a member of Flickr (the photography site) and way back in May 2012 one of Si’s friends on Flickr, Denise, won the landscape picture of the year in the Sony World Photographer of the Year Competition (sorry Denise if I haven’t got that 100% correct!) and together with her sister Desiree, they were both coming to London so that Denise could collect her prize and her photograph was to be shown in an exhibition at the same time and Si and I went to London to meet them both.

Now both ladies live in North Carolina and when they knew we would be visiting this part of the world said they would drive down to meet up with us here in Charleston and I’m very excited to say that this will be happening this Saturday.

Well, back to my story. The email this morning was from Denise and as she knows I’m a movie buff, was telling us that if we didn’t mind a little deviation from our planned route to Charleston, that we would be within driving distance of ………………….. heads up you Hunger Games fans …………… the location that was used as District 12 in The Hunger Games!! Well, what were we to do, of course we deviated from our route and went immediately to Hildebran in North Carolina to check it out. I am pleased to report that I am now the proud owner of a District 12 Tribute t-shirt! Am I a happy bunny or what!!??

Sand at Peeta Mellark’s Family Bakery

Sand at Peeta’s bakery

House in District 12 of The Hunger Games

House in District 12

Thank you Denise.

The drive from Gatlinburg went through the Foothills Parkway, a very lovely area.

Foothills Parkway

We’ve been a little worried about how the weather was going to be as Tropical Storm Bonnie touched down here earlier in the week and caused flash flooding. Fingers crossed, it all seems okay now although on the way here we had a scary ten minutes as we drove through the most horrendous storm. There was thunder, lightening and the rain was so heavy and hard that cars were pulling over until it passed. However, our British bull dog spirit endured and forced us to carry on regardless! Thankfully, the rest of the trip was dry and sunny.

We are now ensconced in our hotel and looking forward to exploring Charleston over the next few days.

We were up and out early again today ………………… I’m so looking forward to a lie in tomorrow! Today was our last here in the National Park.

We were saying how we hadn’t seen any wildlife during our stay here, well today that all changed! We’ve seen some wild turkeys, an elk and a groundhog, although we couldn’t get a photo of the groundhog.

Turkey crossing!

Elk enjoying a meal

– Eastern Bluebird