Monday, May 30, 2016
Today, we said goodbye to Judy and continued on to Virginia Beach, Virginia. This has been the day with the most rain on the trip so far. We hadn't gone too far on State Highway 17 when there was such a gully washer that we pulled over and stopped in a parking lot. Stella was driving and the windshield wipers weren't even remotely carrying the water. After 10 minutes or so, we started up the road again. We had intermittent rain showers and it was raining heavy when we got here.
That highway is a good road that takes you through small towns and showed us "the real south", as Becky told us. We came past a lot of cornfields and what we decided was tobacco. There were a lot of fields that had plants in full bloom that we could not identify. We are staying with Becky, a friend who used to live in Idaho, but moved back to her hometown when she retired. The three of us spent a lot of time looking up plants to find out what these were but never came to a consensus. In hindsight, I should have taken a picture.
It was late afternoon before we arrived, and rainy, but after dinner, Becky took us on a drive around the area showing us where she grew up and the state park that is virtually right in town, and where the entrance to the military base is so we can go see the lighthouses. The sentry at the gate wouldn't let us in because it's closed to tourists after 4:30 pm.
Military jets fly over a couple of times a day, going from aircraft carriers to the base. And with the mouth of Cheseapeake Bay (probably misspelled that) just down the road, there are a number of container ships out on the ocean. I would get absolutely nothing done if I lived where I could watch all this.
After a dinner of crab cakes and the drive, we watched Hart of Dixie on Netflix. I don't do Netflix so all these are new to me. We hope for good weather the next few days because we are planning on going out on Cheseapeake Bay Wednesday and doing a little fishing.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
This morning, we took a trolley tour of Wilmington, North Carolina. Every house in the historic district has a plaque outside the door telling the history of the house. The homes are well taken care of, and the foundation for the district has restored some.
The guide pointed out where President Woodrow Wilson grew up and told us that he was known as Tommy Wilson as a boy. Another resident here was the actress Linda Lavin. Quite a number of movies have been filmed in Wilmington and the surrounding area. I forgot to mention that in Savannah the guide pointed out locations that featured prominently in Forrest Gump.
Next, we did a boat tour/cruise on the Cape Fear River. We went downriver and saw the big blue cranes that were in the Iron Man 3 movie. We also got to see a tug boat guide a container ship into the dock for unloading. The concrete piers along the river are being removed so the "turnaround basin" (I think that's what he called it) can be large enough for larger ships to come in and then turn to return to sea. Judy said the city wants to be able to have cruise ships come in.
They dredge the river every few years to keep it deep enough for cargo ships. The USS North Carolina is permanently docked here and open for tours.
We then went to the Airlie Gardens. We had not sat down on the tram for more than 5 seconds before the skies opened and a downpour began. It does not rain in the west like it does here. It passed after a few minutes and we walked around the gardens seeing an oak tree that is more than 500 years old and a small house made from bottles honoring a local woman. That tree was beautiful, very full and very tall. It stands near the large area where they have concerts and other events. A beautiful garden that was great to see.
We went to a restaurant on the Wrightsville Beach for lunch. We had the fish and chips and have decided that we have been ruined for life with the fresh fish we've had. The beach was crowded and the waves were big, we thought, but there were body surfers and others out in the water. The lifeguards were glued to the scene, as they should be.
Another great dinner with Judy that evening. We watched Grace and Frankie, the show with Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson on Netflix after dinner. I hadn't seen it before but enjoyed it.
This morning, we took a trolley tour of Wilmington, North Carolina. Every house in the historic district has a plaque outside the door telling the history of the house. The homes are well taken care of, and the foundation for the district has restored some.
The guide pointed out where President Woodrow Wilson grew up and told us that he was known as Tommy Wilson as a boy. Another resident here was the actress Linda Lavin. Quite a number of movies have been filmed in Wilmington and the surrounding area. I forgot to mention that in Savannah the guide pointed out locations that featured prominently in Forrest Gump.
Next, we did a boat tour/cruise on the Cape Fear River. We went downriver and saw the big blue cranes that were in the Iron Man 3 movie. We also got to see a tug boat guide a container ship into the dock for unloading. The concrete piers along the river are being removed so the "turnaround basin" (I think that's what he called it) can be large enough for larger ships to come in and then turn to return to sea. Judy said the city wants to be able to have cruise ships come in.
They dredge the river every few years to keep it deep enough for cargo ships. The USS North Carolina is permanently docked here and open for tours.
We then went to the Airlie Gardens. We had not sat down on the tram for more than 5 seconds before the skies opened and a downpour began. It does not rain in the west like it does here. It passed after a few minutes and we walked around the gardens seeing an oak tree that is more than 500 years old and a small house made from bottles honoring a local woman. That tree was beautiful, very full and very tall. It stands near the large area where they have concerts and other events. A beautiful garden that was great to see.
We went to a restaurant on the Wrightsville Beach for lunch. We had the fish and chips and have decided that we have been ruined for life with the fresh fish we've had. The beach was crowded and the waves were big, we thought, but there were body surfers and others out in the water. The lifeguards were glued to the scene, as they should be.
Another great dinner with Judy that evening. We watched Grace and Frankie, the show with Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen and Sam Waterson on Netflix after dinner. I hadn't seen it before but enjoyed it.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
We continued north on I-95 today, and stopped in Savannah, Georgia, to see the sights. We did a trolley tour of the historic district. Lots of history here, and lots of iron. Iron railings, iron steps, iron fences, more than I've ever seen.
The most interesting fact, to me, is that Savannah is the second largest port in the U.S. Only New York is larger. I can't remember the figure, in tons, that the tour guide quoted, but it was a huge number of goods that pass through here. When we were close to the water, there was a huge container ship going out under the bridge. The bridge is another story. It was damaged by a ship in the last 20 years sometime and the firm that won the bid for reconstruction and redesign was an all woman company. The first time that had ever happened.
Lots of Memorial Day activities going on in the squares that we passed. One place was blocked off by police tape and there were a number of police vehicles there. One of them was the "bomb disposal unit." That made my eyebrows go up, but I think they were just being a presence to deter anything that may happen.
We've decided that the GPS unit should be called "Ranting Ruby" instead of Naggy Maggie. We were not sure about her taking us over the huge bridge here but we did meet up with I-95 again a few miles up the road. Savannah is 9 miles off the interstate, so not too far if we needed to backtrack.
Today was overcast. We didn't run into rain until we were halfway across South Carolina, and it was fairly light. It had almost quit when we came to the "South of the Border" tourist trap on the South Carolina-North Carolina border. Hard to describe if you haven't seen it.
We went just a few miles and turned northeast toward Wilmington, our destination. It was a deluge for a few miles. Everyone slowed way down because the wipers wouldn't carry the water. By the time we reached Wilmington, the sun was out, but the storm is on its way, from the forecast.
We are at our friend, Judy Fuller's house for the next two nights. Seeing as it is Memorial Day weekend, the traffic and weather is not conducive for going to the Outer Banks.
We continued north on I-95 today, and stopped in Savannah, Georgia, to see the sights. We did a trolley tour of the historic district. Lots of history here, and lots of iron. Iron railings, iron steps, iron fences, more than I've ever seen.
The most interesting fact, to me, is that Savannah is the second largest port in the U.S. Only New York is larger. I can't remember the figure, in tons, that the tour guide quoted, but it was a huge number of goods that pass through here. When we were close to the water, there was a huge container ship going out under the bridge. The bridge is another story. It was damaged by a ship in the last 20 years sometime and the firm that won the bid for reconstruction and redesign was an all woman company. The first time that had ever happened.
Lots of Memorial Day activities going on in the squares that we passed. One place was blocked off by police tape and there were a number of police vehicles there. One of them was the "bomb disposal unit." That made my eyebrows go up, but I think they were just being a presence to deter anything that may happen.
We've decided that the GPS unit should be called "Ranting Ruby" instead of Naggy Maggie. We were not sure about her taking us over the huge bridge here but we did meet up with I-95 again a few miles up the road. Savannah is 9 miles off the interstate, so not too far if we needed to backtrack.
Today was overcast. We didn't run into rain until we were halfway across South Carolina, and it was fairly light. It had almost quit when we came to the "South of the Border" tourist trap on the South Carolina-North Carolina border. Hard to describe if you haven't seen it.
We went just a few miles and turned northeast toward Wilmington, our destination. It was a deluge for a few miles. Everyone slowed way down because the wipers wouldn't carry the water. By the time we reached Wilmington, the sun was out, but the storm is on its way, from the forecast.
We are at our friend, Judy Fuller's house for the next two nights. Seeing as it is Memorial Day weekend, the traffic and weather is not conducive for going to the Outer Banks.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Wednesday, we went to the Edison-Ford Estates in Fort Myers. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were fast friends. Thomas Edison happened on Fort Myers in the early 1900's and decided to make it his winter home. The population was only 350 people at that time. When Henry Ford visited, he wanted to stay there as well.
Thomas Edison built a large house, a study, a research lab, and a gatekeepers house on the grounds, along with a swimming pool and a 1500 foot dock. His wife was instrumental in the planting of tall palm trees lining the street that leads to their estate. A trusted friend and employee of Edison's built a home next door but when Edison realized he was embezzling he forced him to sell the house to him.
Henry Ford paid $20,000 for the house and land that he built next to Edison's. It had, and still has, a "friendship" gate between the two properties. We saw a Model T and a Model A from his company, and a truck from the same era. We happened to be there when they started the Model A, which supposedly only happens once.a week. The man who takes care of the vehicles went into great detail about all the steps it takes to start one up. I decided that no women (or the vast majority of them) would ever be able to start one after hearing that.
The museum here is excellent. I didn't realize how many things Edison invented. He holds more patents than any person or corporation does. We listened to his first phonograph. It used cylinders instead of the flat round records we all knew, and the sound was scratchy but it worked.
There was a group of students there that looked like about fifth graders. They were in a room where an employee of the museum was doing experiments and demonstrating Edison's inventions. The kids were having great fun. What a great program they have for kids here. They also sell herbs and flowers and plants. All in all, it was great. We did the hourlong guided tour.
Oh, I forgot this. Edison died in 1931 and Henry Ford never came to Fort Myers again. He just couldn't come without his best friend. He sold his property in the 1940's for what he paid for it, $20,000, because he said he did not want to profit from his friendship with Edison. There is a nonprofit entity that oversees the properties today. The Edison family signed it over to them and have loaned them all the furnishings and personal belongings on display.
Then we went to a donut shop that is locally famous for maple bacon donuts. They have maple frosting with square inches of bacon, four of them, embedded in the frosting. And they have cold pressed coffee. I'm not a coffee person but the others really liked it.
Thursday, we went out fishing in the gulf for half a day. Stella and Phil caught sharks. Phil's friend, Don, also caught one but it bit through the line before it was in the boat, so no luck there. I caught a number of grouper that were less than 20" long so were too small to keep. I also caught a couple of small snapper. There were 2-3 foot swells so no one was seasick. We were all kind of disappointed when it was time to come back, but we were windburned and hot so it was time to get out of the sun. We had a great time, though, and ate shark and snare for dinner.
Nothing beats fresh fish for flavor. It was flaky and mild. Yum. Yum.
This morning we said goodbye to Phil and Carol and started north again. To avoid Orlando and the holiday weekend traffic, we went east around Lake Okachobee. Phil and Stella had discussed various routes last night and it was decided that this one was best. Our destination was St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Phil said it would take a little longer but the traffic would be a lot less. We would meet up with I95 and head up the coast.
Sounded good so we set off. We went on two lane state highways for 3-1/2 hours before finding I95. Through small towns, down country roads, putting along with a 45 mph speed limit a lot of the time. We think that Naggy Maggie, the GPS, took us on a circuitous route to say the least. It seemed she either wasn't talking to us or she was sending us down back roads.
Anyway, we didn't get to St. Augustine until almost 3:30. We decided to skip it and continue on so we wouldn't be going through Jacksonville at 5 pm on the Friday before a three day weekend. Our plan is to use the time we would have spent in St. Augustine in Savannah tomorrow, so we are spending the night in Brunswick, Georgia, tonight.
Georgia is our 9th state. We loved our time in Florida. We will see what this area offers.
Wednesday, we went to the Edison-Ford Estates in Fort Myers. Thomas Edison and Henry Ford were fast friends. Thomas Edison happened on Fort Myers in the early 1900's and decided to make it his winter home. The population was only 350 people at that time. When Henry Ford visited, he wanted to stay there as well.
Thomas Edison built a large house, a study, a research lab, and a gatekeepers house on the grounds, along with a swimming pool and a 1500 foot dock. His wife was instrumental in the planting of tall palm trees lining the street that leads to their estate. A trusted friend and employee of Edison's built a home next door but when Edison realized he was embezzling he forced him to sell the house to him.
Henry Ford paid $20,000 for the house and land that he built next to Edison's. It had, and still has, a "friendship" gate between the two properties. We saw a Model T and a Model A from his company, and a truck from the same era. We happened to be there when they started the Model A, which supposedly only happens once.a week. The man who takes care of the vehicles went into great detail about all the steps it takes to start one up. I decided that no women (or the vast majority of them) would ever be able to start one after hearing that.
The museum here is excellent. I didn't realize how many things Edison invented. He holds more patents than any person or corporation does. We listened to his first phonograph. It used cylinders instead of the flat round records we all knew, and the sound was scratchy but it worked.
There was a group of students there that looked like about fifth graders. They were in a room where an employee of the museum was doing experiments and demonstrating Edison's inventions. The kids were having great fun. What a great program they have for kids here. They also sell herbs and flowers and plants. All in all, it was great. We did the hourlong guided tour.
Oh, I forgot this. Edison died in 1931 and Henry Ford never came to Fort Myers again. He just couldn't come without his best friend. He sold his property in the 1940's for what he paid for it, $20,000, because he said he did not want to profit from his friendship with Edison. There is a nonprofit entity that oversees the properties today. The Edison family signed it over to them and have loaned them all the furnishings and personal belongings on display.
Then we went to a donut shop that is locally famous for maple bacon donuts. They have maple frosting with square inches of bacon, four of them, embedded in the frosting. And they have cold pressed coffee. I'm not a coffee person but the others really liked it.
Thursday, we went out fishing in the gulf for half a day. Stella and Phil caught sharks. Phil's friend, Don, also caught one but it bit through the line before it was in the boat, so no luck there. I caught a number of grouper that were less than 20" long so were too small to keep. I also caught a couple of small snapper. There were 2-3 foot swells so no one was seasick. We were all kind of disappointed when it was time to come back, but we were windburned and hot so it was time to get out of the sun. We had a great time, though, and ate shark and snare for dinner.
Nothing beats fresh fish for flavor. It was flaky and mild. Yum. Yum.
This morning we said goodbye to Phil and Carol and started north again. To avoid Orlando and the holiday weekend traffic, we went east around Lake Okachobee. Phil and Stella had discussed various routes last night and it was decided that this one was best. Our destination was St. Augustine and Jacksonville. Phil said it would take a little longer but the traffic would be a lot less. We would meet up with I95 and head up the coast.
Sounded good so we set off. We went on two lane state highways for 3-1/2 hours before finding I95. Through small towns, down country roads, putting along with a 45 mph speed limit a lot of the time. We think that Naggy Maggie, the GPS, took us on a circuitous route to say the least. It seemed she either wasn't talking to us or she was sending us down back roads.
Anyway, we didn't get to St. Augustine until almost 3:30. We decided to skip it and continue on so we wouldn't be going through Jacksonville at 5 pm on the Friday before a three day weekend. Our plan is to use the time we would have spent in St. Augustine in Savannah tomorrow, so we are spending the night in Brunswick, Georgia, tonight.
Georgia is our 9th state. We loved our time in Florida. We will see what this area offers.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thursday, May 26, 2016
We went fishing today out in the gulf. It was such fun, I am so glad we did this. Stella and Phil caught sharks! There were four of us and we came back with shark and snapper. Stella and I also caught probably 10 grouper between us but they were too small to keep. They have to be 20 inches and ours ranged from 8 to 12 inches. It was fun nonetheless.
We were windburned and tired after being in the sun but no one was seasick or queasy which was good. We were in 2-3 foot swells, maybe a little less.
Tomorrow we are saying goodbye to our hosts, Phil and Carol Arnold, and heading for St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida. Phil showed us how to avoid going through Orlando. With this being the start of Memorial Day weekend, the traffic around Orlando will be worse than normal.
I need to update yesterday on this blog. I'm going to do that tomorrow.
We went fishing today out in the gulf. It was such fun, I am so glad we did this. Stella and Phil caught sharks! There were four of us and we came back with shark and snapper. Stella and I also caught probably 10 grouper between us but they were too small to keep. They have to be 20 inches and ours ranged from 8 to 12 inches. It was fun nonetheless.
We were windburned and tired after being in the sun but no one was seasick or queasy which was good. We were in 2-3 foot swells, maybe a little less.
Tomorrow we are saying goodbye to our hosts, Phil and Carol Arnold, and heading for St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida. Phil showed us how to avoid going through Orlando. With this being the start of Memorial Day weekend, the traffic around Orlando will be worse than normal.
I need to update yesterday on this blog. I'm going to do that tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)