Goodbye 2010!

We're in Sydney, staying with Ronnie & Paul.... it's New Year's Eve and we're ready to party!!!

Home again and so the story ends...... for now!

These are the last photos taken, last Wednesday morning in LA. Went to Uncle Bill's for a last brekky of pancakes and Dave had a 'Denver Omelette'. He was most impressed as it was topped with a slice of fresh pineapple, grilled. We walked along the pier looking again for the dolphins - but they were hiding. It was a beautiful sunny morning!

Checked out of our hotel at 7pm (late check-out) and waited for the shuttle. We were the only ones on it. Our driver was friendly, turned out he was from Costa Rica and so we had a little chat with him in spanish. Lined up at VAustralia to deposit bags and then off to gate 34 to wait until 11.15pm to board. Felt like we were on the 'Disney' flight home - lots of families with small children who were all on some sort of 'sugar high' - racing around the terminal.

13 hr flight home - wasn't too bad, not a lot of turbulence. We landed in Brisbane at 6.30am on Friday morning - it was overcast and a bit showery.

So that concludes our wonderful holiday for 2010 - planning for our next trip will begin immediately!!!

Tuesday

Had a big sleep in today! Not much to tell - just hung out at Manhattan Beach for the morning. (Uncle Bill's Pancake House!) ;-)

Decided to walk around and have a little bo peep at what the locals were up to. Walking down to the beach, Dave spotted some dolphins in the waves - it was just too hard to get a pic - and they refused to pose for us, said they were 'too busy fishing'! Not as hot today, overcast for part of it, but no rain. It was 'Taco Tuesday' at Whole Foods so we participated and ordered soft tacos and a glass of red for lunch! Bonita!

Took a photo of our hotel - with its spanish style bell tower at the roof! Courtyard Marriott LAX.

Jetset Scarlet

We rose early and were at Orlando International Airport by 5am. Returned the hire car and checked in for our flights to LA: 5 hrs to San Francisco with about a 1hr lay-over, then 1.5hr flight to LA. Arrived about midday - had to turn our watches back 3 hrs for the coast-to-coast time difference. So we gained 3 hours!

Collected baggage, waited for shuttle, took hotel shuttle and checked in to our hotel. Very hot weather - but dry heat. Heard tonight on the tv that downtown LA set a new record temp. today for this time of year: 113℉ (45℃) and the same is forecast again tomorrow..... Whilst the east coast is now experiencing heavy rainfall - weren't we lucky to dodge that?

Dave and I jumped aboard the red trolley (pictured) and went down to the plaza to eat lunch and pick up a few things... Dave ordered a beer for lunch (24oz) and then realised that his "drinkin' buddy" was nowhere to be seen.......

Don't really have any plans for tomorrow - we need to catch up on some zzzz's first.....

Super Sunday

This morning we went for our last breakfast together for this visit - of course we went to our favourite place, 'IHOP' (International House of Pancakes).... Here's evidence of the 'feast' - Chocolate Chip pancakes on the left, New York Cheescake pancakes on the right..... Of course, Lesley and I are just 'looking at them'......!

On the walk back to the house, I noticed that Jim was wearing another of his 'colourful' t-shirts (I just don't know WHERE he finds them.... he must be a good shopper!).

He tells me that the '3 Twisted Sisters' are actually three state roads in Texas, which are good motorcycle riding because of the twists and turns.... That'll have to be another trip - we want to check 'em out for ourselves! Sounds like FUN!

Tomorrow we say farewell to the east coast and travel back to the west....

Saturday

We spent Friday & Saturday in Daytona Beach with Lesley and Jim at their house. David went to help Jim with hardware shopping as Jim replaced their front door! David and I left at lunchtime, drove to St Augustine for another quick visit to the outlets!

Saturday night, we all went out for dinner and Jimmy came too! We went to a fantastic mexican restaurant called 'La Fiesta' - it was packed! Food was superb, service was superb - I'm going back there if I get another chance!

Forgot the Camera!

Today was a quiet day - my Birthday as well! David and Jim left early to organise repairs on the truck... Lesley and I went to IHOP for brekky then off to Volusia Mall. Thursday night was the official beginning of Fall - and on the tv they were saying that people should start their 'Fall Party' at 11.09pm to welcome in Fall! To coincide with this auspicious occasion, the retail industry started advertising 3-day Sale programs over this weekend. Lesley and I thought we should check a few out - with some success, I might add!

This evening we went to dinner at another of Daytona's delightful Mexican restaurants, finished off at home with Key Limen wine and Key Lime Pie! How could birthdays get any better? (Oh - I forgot to take any pictures today.... sorry!)

Silver Springs

On Thursday, we drove to Silver Springs, just outside the town of Ocala.

Throughout history, Silver Springs has been a timeless oasis and a place of unparalleled beauty, offering respite to early settlers who drew sustenance from its 99.8 percent pure artesian spring waters.

We didn't really know what to expect, but Lesley had checked it out on the internet and thought it had plenty to offer - and that we would see some 'critters'....

Silver Springs’ popularity flourished after Hullam Jones invented the glass bottom boat there in 1878. By installing a glass viewing box on the flat bottom of a dugout canoe, he created a window to an underwater world teeming with fish, turtles, crustaceans and fossils more than 10,000 years old.

Other interesting things we found out:

1973: Silver Springs began a Wildlife Rehabilitation Program designed to rescue and rehabilitate animals injured in the wild.

1990: Jeep Safari, a 35-acre jungle safari, opened to the public. This was the first new expansion at Silver Springs in 12 years.

1995: The White Alligator Exhibit opened to the public.

We really enjoyed the day, and had encounters up-close & personal with giraffe, llamas, alligators and bears! Pictured above is a Kodiak Bear from Alaska!

Further north!

Left Tampa on Wednesday morning. Headed north to Weeki Wachi Springs State Park. Weeki Wachi is an Indian name that means 'Little Spring' or 'Winding River' in the Seminole language.

The park also boasts Mermaids and there is a show and boat cruise. But we wanted to get to Ocala and go to Silver Springs theme park so we decided to keep going. Arrived Ocala in the early afternoon. Decided to leave Silver Springs until tomorrow because there appears to be a LOT to do - so did a little shopping and then headed for the motel's pool to cool off!

Sponge Docks!

Today we went to a place called 'Tarpon Springs', just north of Tampa.

Over 5000 years ago, Florida's earliest inhabitants were attracted to Tarpon Springs because of its abundant waterways. These 'Native Floridians' settled by the shore near the mouth of the Anclote River. The last Indian tribe disappeared during the 18th century and the land was uninhabited.

Then settled in the 1880s, Tarpon Springs became a Winter Resort in the early 1900s with visitors drawn to the 'healing waters' of the Spring Bayou, the charming waterways and fine weather.

John Cocoris was the first Greek man to come to Tarpon Springs in 1896. He introduced sponge diving as the primary method of sponge harvesting. In 1905, he and five other Greek men started a prosperous sponge diving business. Word of their success spread to Greece quickly and the migration of Greek people to Tarpon Springs continues to this day.

We were very pleasantly surprised by what we learned, saw, tasted and experienced at Tarpon Springs today. We went into the 'Spongeorama Sponge Factory' and learned about diving and harvesting of sponges. We walked through the sponge docks and looked at the various shops and tasted some Greek food.

After lunch, we went on an 'Island Beach Dolphin Cruise' - a 90 min fully narrated cruise. We toured the waters of the Anclote River and the Gulf of Mexico. We went out to the beautiful Anclote Island and looked for shells and saw the lighthouse. Both on the way out and back, we saw dolphins - but they were too shy to be photographed! The beer and margaritas were exceptional as well!

Stopped in at Bealls Outlet on the way back to the motel for the girls to do some shopping. Jim and I stopped in at the bar nearby and the bar staff recommended a closeby restaurant La Haceinda for Mexican. Wow, great food and 2 for 1 drinks and great prices. Back to the Rooms, internet, blogs, washing and bed.

Getting Crabs at Frenchy's

We mentioned that we were going to Clearwater Beach for lunch and the lovely ladies at Yuengling recommended going to Frenchy's Rockaway Grill for a seafood bonanza! The sand was so white, the reflection made us sit inside, almost with sunglasses on! A beautiful beach!!! (PS Did I mention - my pictures are small, but if you want to see them bigger, just click on them.) Lxo

Yuengling!

Yesterday morning we found the Yuengling brewery in Tampa and went for the morning tour. Yuengling is the USA's oldest brewing company having begun in Pennsylvania in 1829. Last year they celebrated 180 years as a family owned company, the 5th generation son is the current owner. He has 4 daughters who are now working for the company and hopefully they will take over in the future and be the first woman/en to own a brewery in the USA. They only supply the east coast and there are 5 main varieties of beer - which has a mainly craft brew taste. I find it a bit strong, but David likes it, the regular lager is good. Yesterday I tasted a Lite Lager which was nice.
In the gift shop, the ladies were very friendly. I took this picture of a 'Corn Sack' game. I had seen it being played last year, when we were in the carpark 'tailgating' before the Buffalo Bills football game. Teams of 2 or 4, usually with 2 different coloured 'sacks' - stand back about 20m? or so and have to put the corn sack through the hole. It's very BIG here!

Jim and Dave liked the tour so much, that they wanted us to turn up again today for the 10am tour!

North to Tampa

Left Naples around 9am, hit the I-75 north headed for Tampa. A beautiful day, hot and sunny. Just south of Fort Myers, saw on the map that there was a 'Bass Pro Shop' so we pulled in to have a bit of a look. I like the welcome sign - and they had alligator door handles - cooooool! Inside, they have EVERYTHING ever invented for the outdoor sportsman - from huntin' hats to camping gear, watersports, golf, munchies, jewellery and even a cafe! Best of all, they have animal displays (stuffed). Armadillos, black bears (with Linda, in pic), big fish tanks etc. In their advertisement they even have a float airplane parked outside the store. After deciding not to buy anything, we continued north up the I-75 towards Tampa. Lunch at Waffle House (fast becoming Linda's favourite haunt - not for the waffles! but for their scrambled eggs & hashbrown lunch). Made good time and decided to use the Toll Road/Highway to make our way into Tampa. Read the signs for the cash lanes, prepared change and then rounded the corner and the toll booths were closed, bollards all around them with a big sign "Electronic Tolling Started Friday 17 September". Well - that made our day - NOT. So we will have to get a money order from the Post Office and send it to SunPass, ring the car hire mob and tell them about the infringement notice etc etc etc. Note to selves: Avoid all toll roads!

Met up with Lesley and Jim at the Quality Inn. Did a spot of shopping then spent the evening in Ybor City - a Latin American district of Tampa. Fairly quiet for a Sunday night, though.

Relaxing in Naples

Spent Saturday in Naples, Florida. Didn't do a lot - had a slight problem with our computer which David wanted checked out at the Apple store. All ok - then drove to Naples Pier and there was a stretch limo full of a bridal party in the carpark - must have just had photos taken. It was over 90 degrees F in the afternoon, so we spent it relaxing by the pool (my friend, Damien, will be SO impressed) before walking to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner!

'Iguana hold your hand'?

Here's David's view of another iguana from Friday - it's shaky as he was running to get it on video - bear with it and pause it when he gets close up - this one has different colouring!

Is that an Iguana?

We left Key West yesterday morning (Friday) driving north towards the west coast. Driving along the Keys was wonderful - blue sky and different shades of green in the water - like you'd expect from a tropical reef. Lots of motorbikes coming towards us - participating in a 'Poker Run' which was to finish in Key West with a big festival for the weekend. I was looking out the window when I thought I saw 3 big 'lizards' on the grass beside the road - Iguanas??? I asked David to perform another of his (favourite) u-turns - and guess what? This is what we saw!

Roosters in the carpark?

Having checked in to the hotel at Key West, we wandered across the road to the supermarket. Exiting the shop, I looked across the carpark and saw the sight (first pic). I said to David, 'Is that a rooster?' Indeed it was. They're everywhere! We even saw proud momma hen and chicks later in the day.

So I did a little investigating and here's what I found out:

It all began a long time ago when chickens were a part of everyday life in Key West -- a source of food, eggs, and ill-fated recruits for the now-illegal practice of cock fighting. But slowly, as bigger grocery stores came to the island and made chicken and eggs easily available -- and cock fighting was outlawed -- the local nests went undisturbed, and the chicken population increased. And, in its hunt for food, began to spread across the island.

Along with the multiplication of chicken residents, more and more human residents came to Key West, and a running feud began to develop between, shall we say, the Chicken Huggers and the Chicken Muggers -- those who love the chickens and feel that they add to the atmosphere of the island and belong there-- and those who say they are annoying pests and belong in a barnyard (or a stewpot). Of course, visitors to the island find the chickens charming and photogenic. After all, chickens abound in the towns and residential areas of all the other islands in the Caribbean.

Key West, Florida

We began this morning with a trip in the
shuttle from our hotel to downtown. Boarded the City Views trolley for a 90min fully narrated city tour (hop-on, hop-off) but we decided to do the whole circuit first. The sun was shining and there was a lot to see! We walked the length of Duval St (the main street) which has the unofficial honour of being 'America's longest street' because it runs from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean! I am standing on Duval St in the first pic. David is standing at the Southernmost Point marker at the end of Duval St - the very 'end' of the USA - next stop: Cuba, 90 miles away!

Key West is certainly a 'fun' town and we really could spend a week here and still not do everything we would like to do.... but we had a great day, ate a HUGE lunch (again, by accident - we'll have to learn to order half serves, or share a meal), met some lovely people and felt quite at home.

Daytona!

Spent Monday night with Lesley and Jim, they took us down to the beach - where else? - to dinner at a restaurant on the pier! Took a photo of how wide the beach is at the moment - complete with designated traffic lanes for people who drive onto the beach!

Ate yummy seafood for dinner, whilst feeling the pier moving as the waves were slamming in to it!

Tuesday - we 'hung out' with L & J before leaving in the early afternoon to drive further south... arrived in Fort Lauderdale (4hr drive) at around 7pm (just as it was getting dark). Found a 'value for money' highway motel but then discovered it had no free internet... :-(

Left at 4.30am this morning (Wednesday) to drive south to Key West - the very southern most place in the USA! We had very little traffic and took the toll road from Ft L around Miami to Florida City/Homeland (4 x $1 tolls). Miami traffic is notoriously horrific - a place to be avoided at ALL costs. Jim hates going there. Hence the early departure time (no, we weren't that keen!)...

Arrived in Key Largo (1st island) at 6.30 in time for breakfast at Waffle House (mega-Yum!). The sun was only just beginning to rise. Only one 'scary' time - driving through a thunderstorm (yep - another morning one - where am I? The tropics?) where we couldn't see in front of us. The other cars all had their hazard lights on, we followed suit. At least we could keep moving (in the dark) - nowhere safe to pull over either.

Had a rainy morning but a lovely afternoon! Having a little recovery time...

Will be here tomorrow to do the touristy 'stuff'! Hopefully will have better photo opportunities with the sun shining and not all this rain....

Saint Augustine

On Monday we went exploring the historic quarter in St Augustine, America's oldest city. Populated by the indigenous Indian tribes before being founded by the Spanish in 1565, St Augustine and the state of Florida grew and prospered under Spanish, British, French and American rule. There is too much to see in one day. Lesley took us in 2004 and we saw the Castillo de San Marcos and the Fountain of Youth... this time we wandered through the Colonial Spanish Quarter - 'Step back in time to the 1740's - visit with the blacksmith, carpenter or leather-maker as they go about their daily activities in the area's only living history museum'.

We also saw 'The Oldest Wooden School House in the USA' - picture with me outside the building, built prior to 1763.

After a few hours, we drove south, arriving at Daytona Beach at Lesley and Jim's house!

South again!

Departed Charleston this morning about 10am. I was woken at 4.30am by a thunderstorm! Haven't heard one at that hour in the morning for years... Drove south on the 17 for part of the way, then joined the I-95 (interstate). Max. speed 70mph in some places - 4 lanes wide - beauuuutiful! We drove past Savannah, Georgia; then crossed the border into the state of Florida. It was the best part of 5 hours to get to St Augustine.

These photos are just two of the interesting sights along the way - the RV towing a pretty pink car; and a Fire & Rescue vehicle - with a canoe on top - marine rescue???

Had an interesting lunch stop at Exit 94 when we went to 'Waffle House' and a lovely, young African-American man served us, with increasing curiosity until finally he asked, 'Where y'all from?' When we said, 'Australia,' he was full of questions and ever so hospitable!

Charleston, SC

Our hotel is in the historic downtown district. This morning (Saturday) we walked down to the market area, which used to be the Slave Market before the Civil War. The Pinckney family donated the land for it to be used by the city as a market as a reminder of the city's beginnings. We looked in particular, at the sweetgrass baskets for sale. Sweetgrass is now being grown especially for weaving. These baskets are hand woven by African-American women who learned this skill as part of their heritage. They are not cheap to buy because of the hours taken to weave them and perhaps will become a dwindling produce because the ladies' grand-daughters are not interested in learning or selling the baskets. We did buy one and hope we can get it back through customs!

We lined up to do a horse drawn, fully narrated city tour. There are 5 companies offering 1hr tours! I took a photo after we had finished of 'Henry' and our carriage. It was very interesting and informative! The motorists were very patient around the horses. We were very interested to hear about the houses in the historic district - the second photo is one of the houses at 'The Battery' on the Cooper River - these are very expensive and worth a few million dollars!!!

Charleston is the oldest city in the in the U.S. state of South Carolina and is currently the second largest city in the state. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location (Oyster Point) from a location on the west bank of the Ashley River in 1680; it adopted its present name in 1783. In 1690, Charleston was the fifth largest city in North America, and remained among the ten largest cities in the United States through the 1840 census.

Crossing the Border

Mid afternoon continued on down 17 South.

Crossed the border into South Carolina! Just over the border, we stopped at the tourist information centre. The lady there was ever so helpful and phoned a hotel in Charleston for us to arrange accommodation for Friday and Saturday nights! Off we went!

This is a supermarket chain in a few states on the east coast. Just love the name! Stopped for a few supplies en route to Charleston. Arrived at 6pm - they do welcome wine & cheese from 5-6.30 so we were just in time!

USS North Carolina

Left New Bern on 17 South headed for Wilmington, NC. This is the home of the battleship USS North Carolina! Spent about 2hrs doing a self-guided tour! This battleship was active during WWII in the South Pacific. We have a new respect for the brave sailors who served on her during that time - it was 'no picnic'.... very hot below decks, especially the engine room - and we were there on a mild day, not in the heat of the Pacific! It was very interesting seeing the kitchen/galley where 2000 hots meals were served in less than 2hrs, 3 times a day!

USS North Carolina (BB-55) (nicknamed 'Showboat') was the lead ship of her class of battleship and the fourth in the United States Navy to be named in honor of this U.S. state. She was the first new-construction U.S. battleship to enter service during World War II, participating in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theater to become the most decorated U.S. battleship of the war with 15 battle stars. She currently rests as a museum ship at the port of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Friday: New Bern, NC

A little more about New Bern that we learned in the morning:

We decided to stay the night in a place on the map called 'New Bern' - and there was a coupon in the Roomsaver book - so we keyed the address in on the GPS. Driving in to town, we spotted a big sign: 'Welcome to New Bern - home of Pepsi-Cola' - what??? we said....

New Bern is the second oldest town in North Carolina and served as the capital of the North Carolina colonial government and then briefly as the state capital. It is the county seat of Craven County. Originally a Swiss settlement, the city is named after the capital of Switzerland, Bern and has a similar flag. The Swiss connection (just as the Dutch in New Amsterdam, and German immigrants in Pennsylvania Dutch) with England was established by Marian exiles and marriages of the Royal House of Stuart, important people in the history of the Calvinism. New Bern is commonly known as the birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

We found the pharmacy where Brad mixed up a concoction to assist with stomach pains - hence the 'pepsi' part of the name (peptic ulcer) and the historical sign is outside the Pepsi-Cola gift shop. The second photo is of a Swiss Bear - these bears are EVERYWHERE around New Bern, on the side of streets - all decorated differently but in bright, sometimes funny, colours! Dave's favourite was the 'High Vis(ibility) Bear' outside the safety clothing shop! (Driving past too fast to get a photo.... :-(

Kill Devil Hills First Flight

After leaving Williamsburg and doing many U turns we ended up at Kill Devil Hills on the Outer Banks where Wilbur and Orville Wright flew the Wright Flyer for the first time on December 17, 1903. It has always been my (David) wish to visit this sight ever since I learned about the Wright's efforts as a child and the self funded/low cost ($1000 for four years of testing including the powered flyer)/ and logistics fact of it. I know it is only a spot on the ground but something I have always felt very strongly about. So now I/we have been there and I was very moved by being there. The National Parks run the site and it is exceptional. Enough about that. By the end of the day we made it by back roads to an off the track place called New Bern in North Carolina which, by the way, is where Pepsi-Cola was invented/conceived. A long day on the road and nice to enjoy a beer or two after. Much further South to go tomorrow. PS we went to the Outback Steakhouse nearby (Genuine Aussie Tucker apparently including Kookaburra Wings and the Alice Springs Cheese Quesadilla - a mexican dish!-) and made Sean our waiter's night with giving him 5 kangaroos, on a coin that is. D.

Monsters!

The drive south from Williamsburg took us part way along Highway 17 (also known as 'The RV Route') usually frequented by the 'Grey Nomads'. We liked it because we saw more of 'everyday' America, not just the concrete of the interstate.

Two interesting sights along the way: the Monster Truck repair garage with this 'beast' proudly displayed out front; and the hazard warning sign showing a bear.... My lovely husband became very proficient at performing u-turns - so that we could go back, have me hang out the window with camera at the ready, before continuing. The lovely lady at the Tourist info stop a bit further down the road told me that they had tagged over 200 black bears in the swamp land, and that underneath that road we were travelling on, were tunnels for the bears to use to cross the road safely. However, she did say that sadly, this year, there have been 5 accidents caused by bears on the road. I don't know what I would have done if I'd seen a bear on the loose!

Pancake House!

Rose this morning and ventured off to the 'Pancake House' for brekky - had read about it (& many more) in the Williamsburg tourist mag. I'm wondering if the locals don't have some sort of addiction to pancakes given the number of pancake houses reviewed in the 'Places to Eat' section. Further still - maybe I should move in to this town - I love pancakes too!

Check out my breakfast!!!

The reason I look shocked is because there are two pancakes which completely COVER the plate! I was wondering how I was going to eat it all! David was very sensible with his choice of ham & eggs....

PS I couldn't eat it all - only ate half... :-(

Virginia!

Not much to report today really.... left DC and headed south on the crazy I-95 (interstate) - lots of traffic. Stopped at Potomac Mills (outlets) - couldn't possibly get to all 164 stores!!! Arrived in Williamsburg, VA this afternoon for a stop-over. Headed to Kitty Hawk tomorrow!

A Day on the Bus!

Tuesday we ventured into Washington, DC (District of Columbia) - capital city of the USA. It was a strategic effort - we drove to the train station, navigated the multi-storey carpark, walked down to the station proper. Asked the station attendant (through the security glass) for instructions on how to buy a ticket from the machine - ie definition of peak, non-peak and special tickets - he was an Afro-American with dreadlocks and as I started speaking, he became quite animated and said, 'Wait right there!' He leapt up, opened the back door of the booth and came rushing around the side toward us - I thought I was in trouble for doing something wrong! No - he wanted to meet us - shook our hands - was ever so helpful - took us over to the ticket machine, helped me put my 3 x $1 bills in and get my ticket!

Took the train to L'Efant station and joined the 'Hop On Hop Off' double decker bus to see the sights on their tour. First photo above is of Pennsylvania Avenue:

Pennsylvania Avenue is a street in Washington, D.C. that joins the White House and the United States Capitol. Called "America's Main Street", it is the location of official parades and processions, as well as protest marches.

You can't quite see the White House from that end of the street.

The tour was excellent, took 2 hours and gave a total round up of the capital.

Second photo is taken of the street in Georgetown, home of 'Go-go' music:

Go-go is a subgenre associated with funk that originated in the Washington, D.C., area during the mid- to late-1970s. It remains primarily popular in the area as a uniquely regional music style. A handful of bands contributed to the early evolution of the genre, but singer-guitarist Chuck Brown is credited with having developed most of the hallmarks of the style.

An enjoyable day!