Message from America

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.

More Letters from America please, Nonu

Nonu.

I will change my comment.

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

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

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!

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

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

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 I'm thoroughly enjoying your 'travels in America' posts - refreshing and interesting. Continue to enjoy, as I know you will!

I'm a bit like that when travelling, nonu – too busy looking and enjoying to take photographs. Sounds like a busy time you're having

one day ago in Knoxville Tennessee, where we found a Vietnamese Restaurant, for ou favourite 'pho' sort of noodle soup . The proprietor was very charming and told us his life story of how he escaped from Vietnam on a boat when he was 20 ended up in Hong Kong and eventually ended up in Utah. Then on to Pigeon Forge where Dolly Parton has a theme park, we didn't go in but the town has expanded hugely since we where their last 7 years or so . Then on to Great Smokey State park through the great smokey mountains. Watched agreat film about S.M , how it was developed into a national Park and the Cherokee Nations were driven out to Athens N.Carolina - known as the 'trail of tears' -- verry sad. Tonight at Greenville , South Carolina . Everything is going great , lots of sights and good times . Weather still in 80's Butternut and Bags thanks for thoughts , we don't take a lot of pictures as we don't find our camera really does them justice . Happiness and

I'm glad you're having fun, nonu. I quite envy you seeing the lovely autumn colours. The eastern USA is renowned for its autumn colours. Are you taking photographs?

Nonu Lovely that you're having such a great time - the National Parks sound fabulous.

We saw Kentuck Knob, it was g reat as all FLW properties are, strangely enough it is owned by Lord Palumbo and has been for the last 25 years , they used it as a family Summer home then decided to open to the public . It also had a good sculpture garden with works by English sculptors , Andy Goldsworthy and Sir Antony Cro , among many others . Yesterday saw us in West Virginia where we had a lovely drive through Monongahela National forest [beautiful leaf colours] and then on through the Allegheny Mountains [different part to the forest as when we were in PA] to our nights stop . Today off to Kentucky to see the 'Kentucky Fried Chicken ' Colonel Saunders Museum , supposed to be quite atmospheric , We then go to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park , a natural passageway used by migrating deer and bison, it also served as a gateway to the West for Daniel Boone and other pioneers . Mr Nonu is obviously quite pleased as he is able to watch the Ryder Cup . This is quite quick as I can onlt post where there is a computer as I didn't bring my laptop . Happiness [smile and sunshine ]

thanks Glam.
u a poppet , one final thing , the weather is great 80d. every day

Nonu So glad you are enjoying your trip it sounds fab.

Since I last poted we drove through North Pennslyvania through the Allegenteny forest, so beautiful and the colours of leaves asre as good as in New England any day . We ended up at Gettysberg where the civil war ended and Lincoln gave his famous speech . Itis a State Park which are always good value and put for me the Civil War into perpective . We toured the battlefields this morning , but I think they would be more meaningful to the Americans to see if their State was mentioned . We then headed for Hersey where the chocolate is made , we thought it might be be a bit naff but it wasn't at all , it was very tastefully done . Tommorrow we are off to Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands where we will be seeing a FLW property Kentuck Knob , one of the few we haven't seen Happiness ,

Hello from sunny Phoenix (or Scottsdale if you want to be pedantic).

I can't believe that we only have until Friday and then we will be flying home. We are having a fantastic time; wonderful weather, lovely people - what more could you want?

Sometime today I am having to search out a present for my 3 and a half month old GD - her mum wants me to get something called a wubbernuck (that might be the wrong word, but it is something like that). Evidently it is a dummy with a toy attached! There is a little bit of friction in my DS's household as he hates dummies and my GD uses one (he is sensible in that he doesn't say too much, just pulls a face!). I think the idea of this thing is that they start off with the dummy but then go on to use the toy - anyway, my DIL has sent me the addresses of several stores where I can buy it, so that's today's job (after the pool, etc.)

Bye for now.

Are we related ??? My cousins will all be at their lovely house on Barnagate Island, NJ - for Thanksgiving, lovely people - but politics

Lillian, several of us live in France, Margaret lives in Germany, Juragran is Swiss and lives back in Switzerland, several members are 'Down Under' (I will be joining them in a few years). There may be others I have forgotten, or some who haven't posted their whereabouts.

hello all , just finishing wih 'pure Michigan' as they call it. What a beautiful State , air so clean and fresh . Headiing now for Pennsylvania and Gettysburg. take care

It would, wouldn't it lillian. That's what so great about the www (and GN) - it brings cultures and lifestyles together in a way that was previously unheard of.

Do we have any American Grans that belong to Grans Net or even European Grans??it would be good to hear about there lifestyles and there family issues...Lillian

YankeeGran - I know the Jersey Shore well - particularly Cape May. The grandkids love Wildwood !

As for the politics - I know exactly what you mean, best not to go there. Just enjoy your big family reunion.

Hello again - found my way back to the computer. We are here until Friday and then driving to Scottsdale in Arizona for a week. We just love California and Arizona. We know that we will have a drive up to Sedona whilst we are in Scottsdale - and have lunch in the Coffee Pot.

Nonu - that's a part of the States I don't really know - but how I envy you.

YankeeGran - I hope you can avoid the politics. Big news this morning here is the American Ambassador's death and how Romney is handling it. I do wish they would keep politics out of things like this.

Oh well, the pool is calling me (yesterday it was cloudy so we went for a drive up into the mountains). Today the "marine layer" has burned away the cloud, so it's lovely again.

Bye for now.