Message from America

Nonu - we really enjoyed South Carolina when we went a few years ago - we also went through the Smokey Mountain range. That particular trip we drove/sailed down the Outer Banks which was a wonderful experience and then drove back inland. Do be careful if you drive back through Virginia: they have a road rule that if you see a Police car at the side of the road with flashing lights you either have to stop or move over into the next lane, if it's safe. Two people we meet in Arizona had fallen foul of the law - one ended up in court with a $600 fine (and $600 in lawyer's fees), and the other person had to pay $180 fine. Evidently it is the only State which has this rule (my informants seemed to think that it was a great way for Virginia to raise money!).

I almost wish I was back in the States, except that if I was I would miss our trip to Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Nonu Are you visiting Savannah, S.C.? I've always wanted to visit.

When I travelled to the Carolinas with my sister, we went to Savannah and visited some beautiful houses which were like smaller versions of our stately homes, lined up on quiet streets. Very genteel, with exquisite embroidery and quilting made by the ladies of the families, and lovely gardens with white picket fences on tree lined roads. We sat in one garden sipping mint juleps in the hot sunshine, and listening to crickets chirruping around us. Great way to spend your afternoon

We loved Savannah - I can remember that we went on one of those hop on/hop off bus tours which was excellent until there was a huge thunderstorm and everyone wanted to hop on!

hiya we may well be down on the Carolinas, will have to see , tommorow we going to Jimmy Carter presidential museum the 6th now , they are our new passion after FLW. then Martin LUTHER kING MUSEUM. we were in atlanta about 5 years ago and saw the CNN headquaters plus COCA cOLA MUSEUM were we are now is the the Stone Mountain so we will go go to see that also , so I guess we will be here in this area for may be 3 days . give the car chance to rest its tyres !!! Truth be told I suppose we are road warriors , love that expression , on a road trip . rained a little this morning , but we wern't that bothered as we were on the interstate 85 so it it just cruising along at a nice steady 70 mph. I love these holidays so much, I dare not tell you how many miles we have covered so far , oh go then , 3,000 and as you who have been here , will tell you it feels like nothing . Happiness and [sunshine ] to you all

Nonu.

I will change my comment.

Lucky, lucky, lucky devils. Have a safe time.

More Letters from America please, Nonu

Nonu I am really enjoying your road trip and am really it sounds fabulous keep us up to date I am really looking forward to your next post.

Hi, ya'all , yesterday we went to Jimmy Carter Museum, very interesting . Didn't go to Martin Luther King HOuse as it is quite small and only allows 15 people in at a time , and the queses were 'long'. The fun then started, we had located a Vietnamese restaurant , but could we find it , hell no , Atlanta is not on he square grid system that most American Cities are , we drove and drove and in the end we found it , won;t let things beat us . was excellent , then the drive back to Stone Mountain and our hotel.

This morning we went to Stone Mountain , Gutzon Borglam had a vision to carve the three main Southern hero's of the civil War , President Jefferson Davis, Generals Robert E Lee and Thomas J. Stonewall Jackson . The figures measure 90 x 190 feet , surrounded by a carved surface , that is larger than a football field. It was truely stupendous . However, it took nigh 55 years to finish what with the depression and ww2. Also Borglum fell out with association in 1925 so Augustus Luckerman was hired . Borgman moved on to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota which he is probablt best known for , which we saw several years ago , also pretty dramatic going round the 'pig tail bridges ' Great !!!

Tonight we have pitched up in Macon , tommorrow we are going to see Ocmulgee National Momument and as we have decided to stay here 2 nights , I will post and tell you about it . This hotel is a drive up , which are our total favourites , what happens is , you drive up to the room , unload luggage , go straight to room .

nonu, . Postcards are nice, even virtual ones.

Nonu Another great Letter from America. Keep 'em coming!

This morning saw us at Ocmulgee National momunent. There was a very interseting film and the usual sight information . Two grassy mounds still survive from 900 and 1100 AD , still survive , one of which you can go in and shows the seats and bird shaped alter . It was first opened after much , much digging and research , to the public in 1936, I love all this soo much , in fact it is quite humbling. Sad to say they also were marched to what is now known as Oklahoma , 1200 miles , 3 months 350 died on the way . !!!
Lunch was a curry , very tasty , but not quite like in England , not Balsall Heath !!!
In the afternoon we went to the Hays house , a marvellous 8 story house which took to build from 1855 to 1859 , it was nicknamed The Palace of the South , it was really beautiful. We then went to Gateway Park , where there was a statue of Ottis Reading and benches where you could sit and listen to his songs. [ he was a native of Macon].
Tommorrow we are off to Tallhassee, then down to Pensacola , our final destination before we start heading back to to Detroit . We still have 2 more weeks here . One other thing , because we are in the Choice Group every hotel we stay in , we get points , which build up , so , so far we have had 4 free nights which is worth 200 POUNDS to us , so can't be bad eh !
B"NUT we were in Savannah maybe 5/6 years ago , loved , such a pretty city .
HAPPINESS TO YOU ALL 0

Nonu Walked with an American friend this morning, and for once didn't talk politics - we discussed FLW architecture!
Glad to read you're still having a great road trip.

Butternut, you are in the States at the moment, I didn't know that , when you were chatting with your friend did it come up that FLW designed the Guggenheim Musuem in New York, commissioned in 1943 not finished till 1959.
In TALHASSE capitol of Florida , we watched the first Presidntial Debate , quite interstesting - we will see what we will see . The comments from CNN and FOX weremixed, they seemed to think Romney did better then expected.
We then went onto Pensacola , Florida , weather not a lot of cop .

Have decided to move on to Montgomery , Alabama , might dodge the rain band . So althogh we missed out in Atlanta about Martin Luther King, Momtgomery is quite imporant , hope to let you know more.

Having more more fun than a human being should be allowed .

Hapiness an sunshine xx

Love your appreciative, penultimate sentence, nonu, and I'm glad your trip is going so well.

Nonu - No, not in the States, at home. For such a tiny hamlet and surrounding area, we have a surprising diversity of ex-pats, which makes life very interesting at times.
Good to hear you're still enjoying yourself.

Tnanks Bags, heard it on the radio , and thought it great also . Butter , I get it now, thought for a moment , we were in this good ole country and not having a cuppa together . LOL .

Happiness to all

This morning toured Montgomery , Alabama , it was a wonderful city , capitol of Alabama . It was where the telegram was sent to start the civil war . Then saw the Civil Rights Memoril Centre - Martin Luther KIng, that was very moving , there was a circular black granite table , with water emerging from the top and washes across . You can run your hands across the various names.
We then had a 'pHO ' for lunch , very tasty as always wish they were more available in England.

Set off on Interstate 85 to Tupelo Mississippi , birthplace of Elvis , where we were a year ago . There seems to be a precipitation over the U.S. as there was in England a few months ago , it is not affecting our trip at all , I love everything here so much

[sunshine and flowers]

Another great postcard Nonu - they are refreshing.

Left Tupelo, weather not brill . but hey ! travelled along back to Alabama on our way to to our nights stay . We came across the Natural Bridge, it is longest rock arch bridge in the Rockies . It was formed by an underwater river over 200 million years ago. Creek Indians originally lived in this area .
There are 27 varities of ferns and hemlocks dating back to to the ice age I t was run run by two old people , 79 and 85 , they were great , had run it for 14 years and no intention of giving up . It was a privately run thing .which can happen in the U.S.
They were amazed 2 English people had showed up and talked at length about Diana , the Queen and Olympics and how they loved it all .
We stopped at a gas station for our lunch and they also were amazed that 2 English people should be in their neck of the woods , Ithink we can take it that English are a rarity.

In fact we were sitting outside munching on pizza and fried pickles and this chap came out and said 'i 've heard you are English' and proceeded to tell us that the deer hunting starts Oct. round to Feb. Only allowed one deer a day.

Off to Jim Beam distillery tommorrow , then on to our nights stay . xx

Presumably you've ventured off the Interstates, then.

Frequently my accent is mistaken for Australian by some Americans and when I met a Maine lobster fisherman he said "Wow, that's some accent". again.

Butter , we have well , I say that , we tend to vary our pattern , depending how far we have to travel ,want to make good time or just amble along on scenic routes .

Yes , that happens to us they sometimes can't make up their mind , I suppose because it is quicker to get there from there !

well , off now , '" Have a good one " ! Do you also notice they never say good bye , we think it comes from when they used head off , on their horses and didn"t know if they would ever see the people again . Well, thats our theory !!!

[smiles and sunshine]

The FLW house, Westcott House , Springfield , Ohio, was truly great , it has had a five million renovation , it was on the verge of being pulled down.
In the afternoon we went to Amish 'yoders ' home in Walnut Creek , Ohio . This is the largest Amish community in the USA. the one's in Penslyvania are a different group , it is fairly complicated .

It was different ! we saw the barn with horses , chickens , goats , pigs , hens , sweet ! Then the house , the guide was okay , but did not tell us of the Amish today , seemed to dwell in the past .

This morning passed through Vermillion, a delightful lake side harbour on Lake
Erie , charming

This afternoon saw us in Milan , Ohio , the birthplace of Thomas Edison , the inventor of the light bulb and phonograph . It was not a large property . Milan in 1840 was very important, it"s position on the Huron River facilitated the building of a canal by the citizens of Milan, which ran at the end of garden of Edison property.

The leaf colours are tremendous now, as they have had their overnight frosts. What I also love is how they decorate their front porches and lawns with hallowen stuff.

Happiness , smiles and

Arrived in Detroit in good time , so made our way to the Henry Ford Museum, it was quite amazing covered 12 acres under a single roof . There was everything , the chair Lincoln was assignated in, the Rosa Parks bus , Kennedys limousine , he was assignated in in 1963, furniture , hero's of the sky - early flight , locomotives everything it was as if someone had said we will show you how a museum should be done . They didn't show anything of his life however,. Took 4 hours in all , memorable !
We wanted to go to his estate but it is closed for renovation until 2013 , so we didn't learn anything of his life .
Today we had a 'chillin' day, up late , breakfast , watched a little tv then out for a good curry buffet .

Tommorrow we were off to see the Motown Hall of fame but have learned it closes Mondays , so will come up with a new plan .

For those of you who live in Scotland , reading an article in 'USA TODAY" , newspaper, about the dark sky association which certifies areas that have minimised light pollution . Galloway Forest Park , close to Edinburgh is the only one in Europe to get a mention . In fact saw the number of visitors jump by 17% after it won it's designation .

That remark about the Galloway Forest Park being "near" to Edinburgh, made me , nonu. In Scotland, we don't think of Galloway as "near" Edinburgh . But thank you for the US-generated . I'll chuckle about that all day.