Monday 31 December - Universal Studios

Philip stayed at home today to rest up a little after feeling a bit run-down and allowed Jessica and Alison to go off to Universal Studios without him. The girls organised themselves the previous night and made an early start to beat the traffic and outdid themselves by arriving at the parking lot within 15 minutes! By paying a little extra they managed to get "preferred parking" which allows the vehicle to be parked much closer to the venue than general parking. Way to go!! However, you MUST remember the name and number of your park. The Ford happened to be in Spiderman and with a quick phone photo it was recorded for later in the day.

After quite bit of a walk and travelling on travelators the front gate appeared before them and THERE WAS NO QUEUE which was a miracle of Christmas. The operator gave a tip about the queues lately in the park and so Fast Passes were purchased for the day. This allowed a shorter lineup time and early entry to rides. The park map had planning marks on it as the day unfolded.

First stop was the Shrek theatre and this was fun with shaking seats, squirting water and some fans blowing until the part in the story that used spiders, LOTS OF SPIDERS, and suddenly there were things touching legs and clothing and the whole theatre erupted in screaming and shrieking! Hearts and pulses were pounding and soon after the ride finished with both girls thankful to make their way into the sunshine. Yesterday was an icy day with a really chill wind blowing at Epcot and today there was little breeze at all and the sun was shining beautifully. Both the girls discussed the possibility of wearing shorts or light clothing tomorrow. Let's hope it works out with excellent weather. Philip could do with a nice day out.

OK back on track for the fun stuff...next on the list to do was the E.T. ride which was just lovely. Of course the public rode bikes, just four in a row and four rows! But out the front was the basket and when the ride began up popped ET to guide the way. No really scary bits just laughter and fun. This is where the day nearly came unstuck. Jessica took her mother to the Simpson's ride. Sideshow Bob was the mean dude trying to disrupt everything and hurt Marge, Homer and their family. The ride consisted of a drive-in style double row of cars that all violently jiggled, swerved, jolted, tipped and banked their occupants as the ride unfolded on the screen before them. Alison needed a break after that ride concluded and she threatened to quit. Jessica then went on the MIB ( Men In Black)  ride alone!

The Animal Actors show was a wonderful break and the wide range of animals that did their tricks for treats was great to watch. One golden retriever had seen a squirrel and was not paying attention to the trainer and had to be continually refocussed. Happens to everyone who works with animals and children. The otter made an appearance and a pleasant surprise was a grey persian cat. It was required to do a lengthy run and complete a number of tasks before reaching its reward dish of treats. The pig " hogged the stage" and the pug from MIB was very cute in his little costume. Marley, from Marley and Me, was there as were a number of other dogs that Jessica could rattle off from their respective claims to fame.

The day wouldn't be complete without a trip to the candy store, in the New York section of the park, where Jessica reacquainted herself with her old faithful buddies the gummy bear family. She loves them and has been without any for quite a while. Back on the ride trail it was straight out the candy door and into the Disaster ride. Much like the movie world ride where the audience participates in the making of a short clip that is added to a storyline and then played during the final stage of the ride. While scary it was screaming fun with flames on one side and floods of water on the other plus a semitrailer hurtling towards the carriage before erupting into flames, it all ended well and plenty of chatting and laughing on the way out.

Despicable Me was a happy ride for kids and adults alike. Again the simulation theatre with the jiggling and jolting but not as violent as the Simpsons. From here it was up the road to the Twister ride. The movie intro told of the difficulties of making the movie and then after watching some clips from the movie the audience got the experience the full effect of a Twister. Rain and wind and sparking electrical cords all helped to make the scene very realistic. SO good the girls went straight out and got back in the line to do it all again! The rides ended with another ET trip and then it was outside to find a spot to watch the parade.

The parade was made all the better by the nice young couple who, together with their two year old son, all decked out in his best clothes, sat with Alison and Jessica. Watching this little boy stare at the characters and high five the ones who came up to him made the whole event delightful. A park bench to sit on and the fact that for about five minutes the whole parade stopped in front of our spot while the drummers and dancers and acrobats did their thing was the icing on the cake for the day!

On arrival "home" the Hotel provides a hot meal for in-house guests Monday to Thursday, so Alison and Jessica were able to participate in dinner. Philip had a restful day and all are ready to hit the Universal Islands of Adventure tomorrow.

Sunday 30 December - Epcot at Disney World

Today the three adventurers left their comfy lodgings earlier than usual in an attempt to beat the crowds, firstly to the carpark, and secondly to the entrance gate of EPCOT. With Philip at the wheel again and Jessica acting as navigator, since Alison stepped down to allow Jess to get her NavCert III, the mission was accomplished. The morning temperature was low and the wind was brisk. The girls had themselves sensibly attired but poor Philip left his cap in the car and his big jacket back at the hotel, after a warm day yesterday. So Alison gave over her pink scarf and Jess gave over her spray jacket and the intrepid trio went forth to find warmth.

After choosing the wrong line at the admission gate and finally line hopping entry was theirs. This line dilemma is a bit of a family joke! Jessica had a fine tuned list to help the day "flow"! At a fast walk all headed towards a ride known as Test Track to try to obtain a fast pass which allows fast access to the ride rather than joining the general queue. From here they headed back to look into the huge dome at the front of EPCOT to take in Spaceship Earth. Here they listened to the lovely voice of Judy Dench take them on a journey through time and important developments in our world. Philip and Jessica were a little concerned about some important omissions stemming from the Asian side of the world. During this ride the little cars carrying the journeyers made full use of the inside of the globe, passing by important times in history, through American eyes, with wonderful animatronics and props and lighting.

The crowd was still building and Jessica was working her way through THE LIST with a determination that is well known in this family! The Land centre, which was designed to allow folk to understand better the benefits of greenhouses and aquaculture, was a real eye opener. The inevitable snaking of people through twists and turns in subdued lighting until eventually being directed into a vehicle generally takes about 30 minutes. If a person is VERY lucky the vehicle has no small children in it. This allows the riders in the vehicle to take in all the information clearly and to enjoy the journey. To be able to see the ingenious methods trialled for growing veggies up strings using hydroponic methods and even suspended over fishtanks to allow the plants to absorb nutrients directly from the tank water was truly amazing. White eggplants, huge pumpkins of all kinds, capsicums (known as peppers in the US), lots of different herbs and finally pots of flowers. Philip could be going home to install a greenhouse or plant a tomato tree.

Watching the clock carefully it was noted that the "fast track" time had come and so the three buzzed back over to the Test Track ride. There is a distinct look of annoyance on the faces of the general crowd all waiting politely, or not so politely, as the fast track folk briskly walk past and disappear up the line pathway. Into a test room where plastic cards were then used by each rider to select an attribute that was most important to the test, for them. Philip and Jessica chose "responsiveness" and Alison chose "efficiency". This attribute was then matched to a prototype and at the conclusion the results would be revealed. The ride began tamely enough and Alison was heard to make a comparison to the Lightning McQueen ride at Disney that she and Philip had taken with Jenny. That ride was fast, furious and in a racetrack racing another car and was screaming good fun!! Alison was a bit quick to judge because no sooner had she finished telling Jessica when the whole mood of the ride changed into a speed swerve hook affair! What a blast it was listening to all the girls scream their lungs out while the men in the vehicle remained calm, cool and under control! Well that is what they want the girls to believe anyway! With heart racing and pulse up something calmer was needed in a warm environment.

The park is set out with the globe at the front and the selection of participating countries spread around a large body of water in a semicircular format. So heading off they wandered along in the sunshine, as the temperature inched its way up slightly from very very cold to very cold!! Mexico was first followed by Norway, which had a ride on the list. Vikings are a favourite in this family so the Viking ride was a must. Maelstrom is a journey around Norway in a viking long boat and showed off the history and culture of the country. Philip felt a powerful urge to have some family photos here and Jessica was able to snap him trying to chat up a huge viking and also a troll with a very big nose. It was here in the Kringle Bakeri Og Kafe that one of those quirky things happened and they met a familiar face from home! How improbable is it to be at the centre, in the Kafe, at the same time as another Aussie that you happen to know from where you live and work?? Yep it happened. Sue, from Jessica's school was there with her daughter and the daughter's friend, who then gave tips on what NOT to miss.

While meandering along through China and then Germany a stop was made into a special shop selling caramel popcorn, Werthers Popcorn to be specific! It is very special and the family are hoping that it is sold other places as well with hands dipping into the bag for the rest of the day. On past Italy, Japan and into Morrocco for a bit of lunch. Good decision because all enjoyed the mixed plate of food selected. France was an eye catcher with the line at the pastry shop so long it was hard to believe that people would queue for that long to get a vanilla slice and a drink. Up to 30 minutes or longer. The next country was the United Kingdom and after a brief visit to the Twinings Tea shop the gang headed for Canada, the last country on the route. Now things began to hot up a bit both with sunshine, dropped breeze and a fantastic band playing called Off Kilter. They were a celtic rock group with the lead singer playing bag pipes as well. Poor Jessica had to wait for some time while the oldies got their fill of uptempo music and toe tapping. Boy it was good! Loch Lomond never sounded so good and the audience were encouraged to join in.

Philip soldiered on throughout the day joining in with activities when he felt up to it and holding the bags when he needed a rest. Jessica and Alison survived a journey to Mars in a simulation ride and that concluded an eventful day.

Saturday 29 December - Kennedy Space Center

Breakfast eaten and off to the Kennedy Space Center. Some problems with our navigation resulted in the need to pay some coin only tolls as we left and returned on intermediate ramps - Philip learned that not only are cars left hand drive but that the driver should be left handed to drive as he missed the coin bin with at least one of the coins on each occasion!

Finally reached the visitor centre and paid for parking (we're now used to this) and lined up for our entry tickets.

Alison and Jessica at KSC entry fountain

Alison and Jessica in front of the "Rocket Garden"

All the special encounters were listed as sold out on the ticket booth monitors but Philip asked anyhow and we scored a 3.40pm guided bus tour which would take us to the actual launch pad for the manned lunar launches and the space shuttle launches.

Alison with Jessica's travelling bears - Chris and Noel

Launch Pad 39A and ramp for rocket/shuttle mover

The tour also included a stop in the blast pit where the gas, heat and flames at lift off are directed.

Looking into the blast pit

Eventually made it back to the visor centre after a stop at the Apollo Mission display which includes a Saturn V rocket suspended in the building.

Lunar landing module

Moon rock

Thank heavens for this stop as Philip's stomach and other parts were "revolting" and he desperately needed a rest room. The main visitor centre was still 15 minutes away by bus!

Darkness had set in but there was one last ride that needed to be enjoyed. Alison and Jessica lined up for the Shuttle Launch Experience while Philip sat in a room watching the action and their reactions on a closed circuit monitor.

Other highlights of our day at Kennedy had been a very entertaining talk from a shuttle astronaut, seeing American Bald Eagles and their huge nest on the way to the launch pad,

Bald eagle on power pole and nest the size of a Queen Bed in tree to the right

seeing alligators in the wild right near the launch pad,

visiting the astronaut memorial and an iMax film about the Hubble Space telescope which inspired Philip to purchase three beautiful cosmic prints.

Back on the road and some mis-navigation by Jessica (can't blame Chuck the GPS this time) had us make a detour towards Miami which added 20km extra to our journey back to Orlando. Finally got "home" - now that we have mastered the 90B exit from the I-4 East! Alison and Jessica got takeaway from Applebee's again and the sick driver went straight to bed. Hence the one day delay in the posting of this blog entry.

Friday 28 December - Orlando

Up early (7am) to get out and about in theme park heaven! This inspire of Philip having developed a new head cold. Jessica wants to know how he knows that it is a new one and not just the original. Philip's response - "It's different that's why!" Sunny sky and temperature of about 7 degrees when we set out but a balmy 21 forecast.. You have to pay for parking at SewWorld so we paid $20 and got preferred parking right near the entry gate so that was worth the money. The temperature did reach the forecast and resulted in the removal of coats while we wandered around a busy SeaWorld. Mind you we weren't like others from cold climates who were getting around in short shorts and t-shirts. Really enjoyed all the shows that we watched. The dolphin show was more about the human artists than the dolphins but was enjoyable just the same.

We loved the Caribbean flamingoes which are just near the entry and after marvelling at the Killer Whales and their size we were finally really blown away when a walrus came on stage in another show. He was truly a huge amount of blubber!

Jessica was the only one brave enough to tackle an actual ride - Lost City of Atlantis - which involves a flume ride towards the end. Fortunately, she had her spray jacket on.

Did some additional driving on our return to find a Best Buys outlet for another go at getting the filter removed from Philip's camera. While Jessica and Philip were enquiring about it, a customer overheard them and told them of just the photographic store that was needed and so after dropping Alison at the Homewood Suites, the two intrepid explorers headed off to "downtown Orlando". Suffice to say that once again Chuck, the GPS, failed his job and with Jessica's attempts to orienteer, the driver and passenger ended up in the dark in a very African American neighbourhood with a narrow street to drive down, chairs and bbqs being set up on the footpaths and loud music. Jessica preserved with Chuck and finally they arrived at the photographic store and even though the service section had closed some 30 minutes before one of the workers was able to locate the required tool and remove the cracked filter. Cost - a new filter which Philip insisted that the salesperson should not fit to his camera!

Dinner for all from Applebee's and planning for the next stage of theme park visits under way.

Thursday 27 December - Monticello to Orlando

Our B & B was unexpectedly full last night and so we waited for the others to be fed at breakfast time before enjoying our breakfast of fruit soup, blueberry pancakes, fresh scrambled eggs and fired ham and a hot cup of tea! Then on the road to Orlando was supposed to take about 3 hours 40 minutes but took longer. Philip was driving and he was lucky to hit bumper to bumper traffic as we got closer to Orlando - result of a bingle. With some cross words between us and the GPS we managed to find our accommodation - Homewood Suites by Hilton and moved all our luggage in before heading back on to the roads - now busy with late afternoon traffic to visit the Titanic Exhibition. This was an enjoyable glimpse into the ship's voyage and also the chance to see actual relics that have been brought up from her final resting place. 

Then it was to the Premium Outlets for some serious shopping - only problem was that every other tourist and most locals must have decided to do the same. The traffic was horrendous on the roads but in the car parks was even worse. Jessica insisted that God always looked after her when she needed a park and that we should preserver. Philip who was driving and also not feeling well did not think that this was a reasonable expectation of our heavenly father!!! But Jessica was proved right a spot appeared directly in front of the entrance. Jessica and Alison quickly planned their attack, circling the outlets which needed to be visited, on the centre map. Philip was more interested in the strategic location of rest rooms for quick visits! Shopping and rest room visits completed including a visit to the Disney Outlet shop to purchase sour DisneyWorld passes and it was pack into the traffic mayhem and a return to the Homewood Suites.

Alison and Jessica then dropped into the adjoining Appleby's Fast Food restaurant to purchase some dinner to go while Philip headed back to the room to eat crackers, vegemite, banana and tea. 

After some quick planning whilst dinner was eaten Alison and Jessica have just returned from the hotel's business centre where they were able to download and print discounted on-line entry tickets for us for SeaWorld tomorrow.

Wednesday 26 December - Thomasville GA and Macon FL

Slow B & B start again today with home cooked breakfast including grilled local sausages. Then on the road to Thomasville back in Georgia  (and spotted a large vulture on the road feasting on some road kill) to visit the Pebble Hill Plantation. Thomasville was a popular holiday spot for northerners who would spend the winter months from November to April in the area. Many bought or built large homes. Apparently Jackie Kennedy escaped to Thomasville to avoid the press and people after her husband's assassination.

Pebble Hill was bought by a wealthy Cleveland family and expanded and then totally redesigned and rebuilt after a fire destroyed the majority of the original house in the early 1930s. There was even a log cabin school built so that the children of the family and visiting children could continue their education whilst the family took the long winter vacation. The photo below shows the main entrance of the home which strangely does not have a drive or major pathways leading to it. The carriage entrance is at the rear and the main vehicular entrance is at the left hand side.

After our tour of the house - no photos allowed inside and no touching of anything  (Alison was almost smacked by the guide for touching the marble bench top in the pastry kitchen), we walked around the grounds to look at the gardens, family cemetery and various buildings.

Then into Thomasville proper to enjoy lunch at Jonah's Fish and Grits Restaurant which had been recommended by our B & B host. Unfortunately, lunch was only served until 2pm and we arrived at 2.15pm. We have got into the habit of eating one main meal in the day which depending on where it falls with regards to the clock is called "linner" or "dunch". Disappointed we headed back to Monticello and instead opted for traditional comfort food of buffalo wings and pizza from the local Pizza Hut. We had very friendly staff and the restaurant to ourselves. Large pizza, 15 boneless chicken wings with dipping sauce and bottomless sodas for just over $20!

To work off the lunch we dropped our valuables back at at our abode and then set off on a walking tour of the local Monticello historic area. The first public building of note was the Jefferson County High School which was built in 1859 - quite an impressive building and it is no longer the school but is being renovated.

Monticello Court House which sits in a round-a-bout in the middle of the town

We were lucky to score a look at the Monticello Opera House which opened in 1890, seats 600 and is located on the second floor of the building in which it is housed. (The brick building on the right of the photo above.) Ended our walk with a visit to the old cemetery with a section for Confederate soldiers killed in the Civil War.

The Confederate Soldier section is under the tree in the centre draped in Spanish Moss

All rooms at John Denham House are to be occupied tonight so we will pray that none of the other guests feels disposed to turn on the central heating for the second floor. Las night, after our first night of extreme hot flushes, we had the heating off and slept with one of our windows open and still felt the need at times for only a sheet as cover. Clouds have cleared today and the breeze has come up so the air may be a little cooler and less humid.

Christmas Day - Monticello and Tallahassee Florida

After a very warm night as we did not know how to control the central heating on the top floor, we had a leisurely start to the day with home cooked breakfast in the dining room at 9am. Fresh Florida pink grapefruit, followed by a very tasty omelette stuffed with cheese, ham and portobello mushrooms and croissant with fresh strawberry conserve. Then some time to send Christmas greetings to family and friends

and a check on the location and service time for the Christmas Eucharist - oops Philip had not been careful with Google Search and the service he had found at 11.00am was actually at the Episcopal Church in Monticello, New York!!! The local church only had services on Christmas Eve. Change of plans and some accurate research by Jessica had the family heading into Tallahassee to the 11.30am screening of the new Les Miserables movie which opened here on Christmas Day. We all thoroughly enjoyed the movie and Philip and Alison were pleased to see Eddie Redmayne (they had enjoyed acting in Pillars of the Earth) and Samantha Barks who had missed out on one of the roles that were cast from a competitive show with Andrew Lloyd Weber.

After the movie to a popular Tallahasse restaurant (Sculas) for our Christmas lunch. No Christmas fare on the menu but we enjoyed our meal none the less. Philip and Alison ordered crab cakes and Jessica pecan crusted salmon. We certainly believe that we can no longer eat large meals. All three of us balked at the idea of some dessert afar our entrees (main courses for you Aussies).

We are now back at John Denham House and all settling down for a traditional Christmas arvo nap. Pat, our host, has returned from family lunch and she too is following the nap tradition.

Christmas Eve - Macon Georgia to Monticello Florida

Farewelled a wet Macon after breakfast. We are becoming a little tired of the sameness of the complimentary motel breakfasts. There is a limit to the number of powdered egg scrambled eggs that one can eat and the grey/ white sauce called gravy that is meant to accompany the biscuits (an American version of scones) is not too appealing. We look forward to what we might eat at our next stop which is a real B & B. Arrived at Monticello ahead of the time that we had advised but fortunately, Carol, who helps at the house had not finished her work and was able to let us in and introduce to the John Denham House and our rooms.

Alison in the Magnolia Room!

The house is in the middle of town (a small town) and is surrounded by trees which like all the trees in the area are festooned with Spanish moss. We feel like we should be in the Everglades. There is a cupola at the top of the house and it is accessed  by some narrow steep stairs from the landing opposite our rooms. The photos below show the trees with the moss and also the staircase.

We freshened up and then headed into Tallahassee to try to locate a camera store so Philip's lens filter could be removed. Stopped first at the Super Wal-Mart on the way in to the city and gave Jessica her first taste of Wal-Mart shopping.

Had a quick lunch at the instore McDonalds and then had no luck at the camera section. With some advice from a Wal-Mart assistant and the use of the GPS we located a very large shopping mall but unfortunately there was not a camera store to be found. Not even the Macy's department store had a camera section. 

Back to Monticello and time to change, with Philip and Alison, putting on their Disney Christmas shirts and down for Christmas evening dinner with B & B hostess Pat and some of her family and friends. The three of us had a lovely evening and especially enjoyed talking with the young people who were part of the gathering and were so keen to learn about Australia. Philip had to keep saying the word photo because Daisy, one of the teens, just loved the way he pronounced it. She told the others that if she could speak like us there would be no shutting her up.

Finally to bed and plans for church and then late lunch in Tallahassee on Christmas Day.

Sunday 23 December - Macon

Philip woke up still feeling miserable with congestion and Alison looks like she is heading in the same direction. Hopefully Christmas Day may bring a reprieve. After breakfast we headed back towards Atlanta for about 40 minutes to Locust Grove to hit the Tanger Outlet Centre. Alison and Jessica managed to snare some bargains but the one thing that Philip was chasing - new underwear from Jockey was not obtainable. They have changed their styles and country of production since the last visit to USA. Lunch of a hot dog from a vendor at the outlet and then back to Macon to visit another grand old house built in the mid-19th century. The Johnston-Felton-Hay House was quite an eye opener and we are sure that Jessica will have covered all the splendid detail in her blog which you can access from the link on the right.

Home to our motel and a visit to Kroger Supermarket to pick up some sweets and then Taco Bell for dinner to go. Still unable to remove the shattered filter from Philip's camera lens so we are hoping that we may find a camera store in Monticello or Tallahassee on Christmas Eve. The lady who owns the B & B at which we are staying for Christmas has kindly found us a place for a late Christmas lunch or early dinner at a hotel in Tallahassee. It is a steak restaurant so we are not quite sure about how Christmassy it will be.

Saturday 22 December - Charlotte NC to Macon GA

Up and out of the Hilton this morning without breakfast and the car was still inane piece after our night of worry with all the signs in the car park warning of leaving valuables in the car. Headed on to the I-77 with Alison and the wheel and Chuck, the GPS, trying to have us exit for about 20 miles. Eventually he conceded that we knew what we were doing and so allowed us to continue. Philip was feeling miserable with his cold so it was good that Alison was driving. We found a McDonald's in South Carolina just in time to take advantage of the breakfast menu.

Continued our drive through South Carolina and into Georgia and heading towards Atlanta before leaving the main Interstate and heading cross country through farmland. The day has been perfect with clear skies and sunshine and the outside temperature in the mid-50s F. We reached Macon in time to complete a tour of the "Cannonball House". A colonial town house which was hit by a shell fired across the river by the Union forces during their attempt to take the town of Macon. It was the only residential building that was damaged.

Interesting tour by a lady with a very southern accent who is a proud member of the Daughters of the Confederacy. Two pictures below - one of a crazy quilt in the servants' quarters for our friend Jen H to see and also a picture of the dining table set with pewter tableware. We had eaten off similar tableware at Gadsby's Tavern in Old Alexandria.

If you look carefully you may see
a ghostly Alison in her red Christmas Shirt in the glass!

After we had finished our tour we headed to our motel out of town where we have two king suites so there will be no complaints from Jessica for the next two nights as she has her own KB and doesn't have to sleep on the sofa.

Visited the Kroger supermarket near the motel and became proud holders of a Kroger Card (gives discount!!!), bought some staples - water, Pepsi next, colby jack cheese, tuxedo cake, strawberry shortcake and cherry fruit bites. Then on to Taco Bell and bought our dinner. Now watching television, a movie that Alison and Philip have not seen before - "Something Borrowed".

Friday 21 December - Midlothian VA to Charlotte NC

Short entry today - it could be titled "Another Day Another State". Philip thought it was apt after his recent Facebook post about a certain Evita song that he should include the picture below in today's blog entry.

Another suitcase in another hall!

The only reason that the suitcase is actually appearing is that there are warnings (including ones from the Charlotte Police) about leaving valuables in cars here in the Hilton carpark. We had planned to just carry up our cabin bags and leave the rest in the car which Philip, Alison and Jenny had done elsewhere without any problems. With all the signs we didn't feel confident so up cam the suitcases to our room. Alison and Jessica did it in one trip as Philip is felling miserable with his cough and after driving all day with Alison saying when will be there because the cough is driving me mad.!!!!

Stopped at a Denny's for lunch along the way and we think that our stomachs are definitely shrinking as we have trouble finishing meals - Denny's is very obliging with take out boz=xes to pack the left overs. Won't breakfast at the Hilton in the morning as there is no complimentary breakfast so we will eat on the way. The hotel room (suite) is great so we should have a comfortable night. Hopefully the sofa bed will prove to be okay for Jessica when we unfold it.

Thursday 20 December - Colonial Williamsburg

Early start this morning to meet Kai, Fen, Moli and Nai Nai (Kai's mother) for our drive to Colonial Williamsburg. Alison's turn to drive and we tailed Fen as she drove and all safely arrived at the visitor centre in good time. A long day of walking and touring old homes and other important buildings. Philip and Alison had visited this site on their last trip and Jessica was keen to see the history on display. It was great to have the Chen family along with us for the day and Alison did get some turns at nursing Moli who is absolutely beautiful.

It was Kai's mother's birthday today so after we left Williamsburg we headed into a spectacular Chinese buffet restaurant to celebrate the event. Then out to the car and the rain had arrived for our drive home in the dark. Once again Fen led us on our way and with one detour at a Pharmacy we are now home at the Sleep Inn. Philip has a cough and wooly head and ended up with the shivers and shakes at the end of the day in Williamsburg. He has dosed up with some honey based cough mixture so hopefully will get a decent night's sleep.

The other downer for the day was that Philip discovered that the polarising filter on his camera lens has been cracked and the whole family has been unable to unscrew the filter so there will be no more photos with his Nikon for the time being.

Wednesday 19 December - Alexandria to Richmond

We let the morning peak traffic clear from Van Dorn Street before setting out this morning. Had to head to a "gas" station (Philip has learnt to not ask where he can find a petrol station!) and ended up filling the tank with Premium Unleaded which still only cost $45 for 3/4 of a tank. Then on to our old favourite I-95 and south we went. Jessica nodded off as we have discovered she is prone to do so that leaves Alison and Philip able to talk about her without her hearing!!! She awoke in time for our detour into Fredricksburg. Philip and Alison had visited the Sunken Road battlefield on their last visit and Jessica was keen to see it and experience the history. It was a beautiful day for the walk through the battlefield and associated cemetery.

Wall along sunken road with red and white carnations placed for the 150 year anniversary memorial  last week

Back onto the road and a stop at Subway for lunch - love the $5 footlongs! Easy drive then into Midlothian where we are staying in the Sleep Inn and Suites for the next two nights. Yummy gooey chewy cookies in the lobby.

Over the car park is an Arby's Restaurant so Jessica and Philip investigated the menu and we all headed there for dinner. Whole chicken and four sides with muffins for $14.99 was a pretty good bargain.

We had phoned our friends here in Midlothian before dinner and organised to rendezvous at their home in the morning before we all head off to spend the day at Colonial Williamsburg. After dinner Alison and Philip decided that they would head off in the car and pay a surprise visit on Kai, Fen, daughter Moli and Kai's mum. Easy drive to their home and they were thrilled to have us call in. Kai's mum had cooked some special sticky rice balls for us so those were enjoyed with a cup of tea whilst chatting. Alison and Philip had met Kai in Shanghai on their second visit to China and then were honoured to be invited to attend Kai and Fen's wedding on Chongming Island in the Yangtze River. They also had been able to visit them in Richmond on their last USA trip.

Tuesday 18 December - Alexandria

Decided to take a slow start to the day this morning to allow the peak traffic to be out of our way before heading off. After our use of the Metro and hotel shuttle yesterday, we decided that we would head to Old Town Alexandria today and use the car. It is fairly direct using the on ramp near the Comfort Inn on to the I-95 and off at Alexandria in about 10 minutes maximum. Parked in a parking station just off King Street (the main street of the Old Town) at $10 for the day. It was lovely to walk non-crowded streets with lovely colonial buildings along the way.

Looked out on the Potomac River at the bottom of King Street and it was high tide so the river was actually flooding the road and park on the bank of the river.

Started with a little bit of shopping with a visit to a souvenir shop specialising in things relating to the presidency and the forthcoming inauguration. Purchased a 2004 commemorative White House Christmas decoration to add to our collection of decorations from various parts of the world. Philip almost purchased a mug for Mike Maclean (a Yank) whom he worked with at OneSchool - the wording on the mug "Don't blame me I voted for Romney."

We started the colonial history lesson with a visit to the archaeology museum in the old torpedo factory which also is a space for artists working in various media. Philip couldn't resist getting a photo of a panda constructed out of recycled plastic - mostly motel size shampoo bottles.

On from the Torpedo Factory for a visit to Carlyle House which was built 1752/3 for a merchant. We enjoyed an informative private tour conducted by a retired biology teacher and also managed to pick up another Christmas decoration for our tree at home from the shop in the basement. Alison also purchased two little holly decorated ceramic dishes which I am sure will be used next Christmas in the Prouten home.

Alison and Jessica at the entrance to Carlyle House

Alison and Philip had not seen this home on their last visit. By now it was lunchtime (actually close to the real lunch time for a change) and so we dined at Gadsby's Tavern. Again somewhere that the founding fathers may have graced with their presence. Then headed back up through the town to Christ Church episcopal church where George Washington and Robert E Lee both worshipped. On the walk again to another historic home which Jessica had found in the guide book - the Lee Home.

Lee Home - Alexandria Old Town

Restored cobblestone street on the way to the Lee Home

Unfortunately, it only open for tours from Wednesday. Headed back to the car and then on the road as traffic started to pick up. Tried to locate a gas station to fill up for tomorrow's departure but had no success in the direction we headed so came back to the motel and all enjoyed an obviously much needed nanna nap. Have dined on "appetising" food from the motel cafe this evening and will be on the road after the traffic eases in the morning. At least the forecast is for a clear day tomorrow which is good for driving on unfamiliar roads with an erratic Navman.

Monday 17 December - Washington DC

Breakfast at our new abode this morning. Jenny would be happy if she was still here - 3 waffle machines to use! Television news channel on with continuing coverage of the Conneticut school shooting. Unfortunately US news reporting seems to reply on continued repetition with no real changes in the angle. It will be interesting to see what comes of the renewed talk of gun control.

Took the free shuttle to the Van Dorn St Metro station and purchased our day passes. Then in to the shopping area near Chinatown so Jessica could return an item and try to find some comfortable shoes. Alison ended up with a pair of bright pink sheepskin slippers and two Godiva chocolate bars from Macy's. She was served by the nicest assistant named Sterling who was a real card as was his lady offsider and their chatter brought a real joy to our morning. Jessica also purchase a pair of sparkly shoes!!!! What's new?

Then back on the Metro and to the Smithsonian stop which exits at the Mall. Forecast rain had not arrived and so we encouraged Jessica to visit the Lincoln Memorial which had not been to on her last visit. While Jessica took a cab to do this Alison and Philip started investigating the Museum of American History.

Museum of American History (behind the trees)

Once again Philip was not impressed with the subdued lighting that they insist on using. Lunched in the museum cafe. Philip and Alison enjoyed sharing two side dishes of macaroni cheese and beans and bacon whilst Jessica built herself a salad including what she thought was fetta but turned out to be tofu!!! After our light lunch we finished ambling through all the exhibits.

Across the Mall to the Metro station with time for a few photos on the way - fog had started to settle on the area and it was hard to clearly make out the Capitol building of the Lincoln Memorial and even the top of the Washington Monument kept disappearing.

Alison and Jessica - Washington Monument in the background

Headed to Pentagon City Fashion Plaza to enable Jessica to continue her hunt for new shoes - by this stage the matter was urgent - her shoes were falling apart as she walked through the mall.

Selfie - Philip in the Macy's Ladies shoe dept

Success in Macy's and then to the food court for dinner followed by Philip heading out of the mall to a nearby supermarket for new water supplies and a special on glazed huge donuts - 6 for $2.99. We eat healthy while we travel! Back on the metro and a call to the hotel to send the shuttle and then a wait and more of a wait and then another call - "The traffic is bad the shuttle will be there soon." Shortly after the shuttle arrived and the girl who was driving responded to Alison that there was no problem with the traffic. We think that the guy on the front desk who took the first call didn't dispatch the shuttle. Anyhow we are safely home and have completed our chore for the night of a load of washing and drying.

Sunday 16 December - NYC to Alexandria (Washington DC)

The morning started off looking unfavourable for our plan to walk our luggage to the subway for our trip to the National Car Rental depot at JFK - overcast sky and the forecast of 80% chance of rain. But after farewelling the Aitken family we headed off from the hotel to the subway station some two long blocks away without any rain falling. Made it to the station and down the stairs to the platform where we were to catch a train to 7th Ave to change for Sutphin Blvd at Jamaica. Oops! There was only a C train and you guessed it it doesn't stop at 7th Ave and to compound the issue we weren't carrying any subway maps. De-trained at 50th Street and Philip approached the ticket lady at the platform entrance who recognised that he was from Australia when he repeated her instructions regarding taking an "A" train! Had to go one station further and cross the platform to catch a Howard Beach train which also connects with the JFK Air Train. Journey was longer than it would have been to get to the Sutphin Blvd station but we did it. Crossed over to the Air Train station to find that the escalators and elevators were out of service and so it was cart all the luggage up the dead escalator. A nice MTA employee assisted Alison as she tried to woman-handle two large suitcases up.

Onto the Air Tain and off at Federal Circle Station and straight down to the National Car Rental depot. Philip suggested that we might need a larger vehicle than the Chevrolet Impala that we had booked to fit our luggage. The man on the desk asked if we would like to upsize to an SUV and Alison mentioned that we had a Ford Edge last time we had used National so we ended up with a bells and whistles Ford Explorer for $15 extra per day as return customers. It is a "little" bigger and wider than the Ford Escape we drove to Chicago but Philip has coped today in wet conditions and with some narrow lanes - lots of roadwork along the main road to Washington.

Drive was fast with only showers and no slowing down until close to Washington - ended up missing a correct exit so did some detours which took us into the central part of Washington and along the Potomac behind the Jefferson Memorial. Safely reached our destination and renogiated the rate we had been originally quoted and then had time to drop of our luggage and phone friends here in Alexandria who had invited us for Sunday night dinner. Out to the car in rain, entered our destination into the Navman and headed off. Finally found their street but could not work out where their house was - the navigator would not accept that there was a 200 in the street. Phoned Patrick who gave us easy to follow instructions and lo and behold we were parked behind their car in a very narrow one way street within minutes.

Enjoyed a lovely dinner and great conversation with Patrick and Hester and also time with their daughter Hattie (Alison felt really special when Hattie agreed that Alison could read her bedtime story). Alison did a great job of kookaburra impersonations as part of one of the stories that she read! We were listening on the nursery monitor at the dining room table. We also enjoyed patting Patrick and Hester's dog Leo and Maddi a pug whom they are minding at the moment. Had great conversation around the table about the political and education systems in our two countries.

Set "Chuck" the navigator for our return journey and fortunately the rain was not too heavy so we made it safely back to our abode at the Comfort Inn where we are now settled for the night.

Saturday 15 December - NYC

Started the day with breakfast at a local cafe with the Aitken family and then headed off to visit the New York Historical Society museum near the AMNH. Enjoyed a well made multi-media film presentation about the history of New York city and the special exhibit on New York during WWII. Then off to the downtown area to visit the Merchant's House Museum. This house was home to the one family from the mid-1800's and on the death of the last daughter in the 1930s the home was turned into a museum preserving much of the original layout and furnishing.

The next plan was to visit a display at the museum at Central Station but there was quite a queue so we decided to give that a miss and head on foot to Fifth Avenue and up to Tiffany & Co to pick up a previous purchase that Jessica was having engraved.

Alison picks up a younger man at Tiffany & Co. Note how her jacket and scarf match the Tiffany colours.

Fancy Christmas snake decoration at Bulgari across the road from Tiffany

 The shopping crowds in Fifth Avenue were horrendous and Alison and Philip both came to the conclusion that their time in NewYork was ready to end. Thankfully we are scheduled to pick up our car and head to Washington tomorrow.

Late "dunch" or early "linner" of salads from the same cafe where we had breakfasted and then a nanna nap for Jessica and Philip while Alison re-packed for tomorrow. Tonight Alison and Jessica have headed off to Broadway to attend a play starring with Katie Holmes while Philip watches television.

Friday 14 December - NYC

Plans for today entailed a trip on the subway to Washington Heights to enjoy a visit to the Cloisters which is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We found ourselves in a very Hispanic neighbourhood when we exited the subway and headed off on foot to the Cloisters. The building itself is set on a high ridge in a park on the banks of the Hudson River.

View towards the Cloisters Park

On our walk up Alison's eagle eyes spotted a bright coloured bird in one of the leafless trees and we were able to capture a photo of a Red Cardinal.

The path up to the Cloisters was quite steep and as a result Philip has a bit of tendonitis now!

Once we reached the actual building and looked at the time and entry fee we decided that we did not have the time to justify the expense as we needed to be back for the 1pm show at Radio City. We did take a short walk to the back of the building and captured some lovely vistas across the Hudson River.

AP and JP with the Hudson in the background

Then we took our first bus ride (after two attempts to board buses which were not picking up passengers). We also saw a school excursion group arrive in a Yellow School Bus and we were all surprised at the dress of the main teacher in charge - black tights and a tight top with no bra and (to put it politely) a large frame had our jaws on the ground! Took the bus to 190St Subway station as if we had stayed on the bus to get to our destination it would have taken 2.5 hours!!!

Reached the Radio City Theatre after a stop for some expensive cheesecake and coffee at a nearby cafe and all thoroughly enjoyed the show. Philip and Alison for the second time.

Radio City Foyer

Headed back to the hotel to change and leave cameras behind then back to the bottom end of Manhattan for dinner at Fraunces Tavern. The oldest tavern in the town and George Washington frequented it. It was flooded as a result of Sandy but has just re-opened some of its bars. We enjoyed our meal and very large beers in the case of Philip and Alison.

The beers were 1 litre and Philip was particularly worried of the impact that might happen sometime during the performance of Evita that we were heading to after dinner. Thank heavens for the rest rooms at the Rockefeller Plaza near the theatre district! Side note Alison stopped and bought a bargain pair of ankle boots on the way back to the theatre.

Enjoyed Evita. We had been worried by some reviews of the lady playing Evita but Jessica and Philip thought she fitted the role well but all agreed that at times the words of the songs were hard to understand because of her accent. The role of Peron was played by an understudy and he did a marvellous job. Can't believe that people applaud singers who come on stage just because they are a big name - in this case Ricky Martin. 

Thursday 13 December - NYC

Philip and Alison awoke this morning as the only people in the hotel room - having farewelled Jenny yesterday and Jessica not yet arrived. Philip had been tracking the flights for both the departing and arriving tour group member on Flight Tracker during the night.

Breakfasted and dressed P and A went down to wait for Jessica's arrival on the Super Shuttle. She arrived in good time from the airport and wanted to hit the shower straight away after the long journey. But true to her word as soon as that was done she was ready to hit the footpaths and subways, so off we all went. First stop to refill our met or cards which had expired at midnight on Wednesday and then downtown to the 9/11 Memorial and following that to Century 21 Department store! Jessica was in town and the shopping could begin. Great value buying perfumes for all three members of the family which then gave us store money to use on other purchases. Philip ended up with a new "bum" length grey wool coat and a pair of Crocs slippers. After this initial bit of retail therapy it was then off to Fifth Avenue via Columbus Circle where Philip was disappointed to be told that if he purchased a new Microsoft Surface Tablet from the Microsoft store it still would not have any warranty coverage in Australia. Visited the Plaza Hotel Food Court - to use the restrooms and then walked down Fifth Avenue marvelling at the Christmas decorations on the buildings and in the shop windows.

Jessica's main target in the area was Tiffany's and she managed to give her credit card a workout - some of the purchases for others back in Oz. Alison and Philip also managed to pick up a 30th birthday present for Jessica - she will have to wait until April for that one. Quick lunch of vendor hot dog each before we headed back to the Beacon to drop off the purchases.

Shopping loot from today

Jessica had pre-booked a tour through the Lower Eastside Tenement Museum for 6.30pm so we all headed down into Chinatown and Little Italy and when we arrived discovered a new tour being offered called the Store Tour so Alison and Philip bought tickets for that one and were the only members of the tour party with their own personal guide. All were happy with the 1 1/2 hours spent on hearing and seeing this fascinating history and then decided it was now too late to head to Fraunces Tavern for dinner.

We have returned to the Beacon and purchased pizza slices around the corner from the hotel and have dined on that with a bit of bourbon and  coke thrown in for good measure.

Alison and Philip have shown Jessica what true New York stamina is and she is ready for a good and long night's sleep.

Wednesday 12 December - NYC

Slept in this morning before we all headed down 72nd Street with Jenny's cases in tow to catch the B Train and then a transfer at 7th Ave to the E Train to reach the JFK Air Train station at Jamaica. Managed to do it smoothly in spite of a few sets of stairs.

Will be more fun on Sunday when we take the same journey with a few more cases to get to JFK to pick up our rental car.

Reached Terminal 7 at JFK, handed over $70 for Jenny's second checked suitcase and she received her boarding passes for all three legs of her flight home. There were a few tears shed as we left her entering the security check line into the departure lounges. Have seen from Flight Tracker that her flight left a little late but is on schedule to get her into LAX in about 5 1/2 hours.

As Philip and Alison left Terminal 7 they received a text message from the next member of the tour party. Jessica had safely arrived in Hawaii where the temperature was hotter than at home but she had a good flight with two seats to herself. While P and A were digesting this news they boarded the first Air Train that came into the station and ended up on a circle train that simply goes around the 8 terminals. They got suspicious when they saw Terminal 7 come up through the door! They escaped this train and managed to get on the correct one back to Sutphin Blvd and changed to the subway.

Alison was fancing a burger for lunch (time now heading to 3pm) so they changed trains at 50th St and headed further uptown to the 5 Guys outlet that they had found yesterday. Very tasty burger and fries and free peanuts in shells to nibble on while waiting. After the late lunch walked down Broadway to 10 3rd St to have a look at Humphrey Bogart's House - found the building or at least think they did but there were no plaques or signs. Alison stopped in a pet shop on the way and struck up a conversation with an old lady and her three year old Samoyed. He had a bit to say to Philip when they came out onto the footpath.

Back onto the subway and home to the Beacon. The plan had been to walk down to the park on the Hudson river but by this stage the light was fading so the hotel room looked more inviting.

Tuesday 11 December - NYC

Jenny's penultimate day in the Big Apple and she had plans to take it easy at the hotel and pack. Alison and Philip had other plans. We started the morning with a FaceTime session with Jessica and the dogs and Jessica searching her mother's cupboards and drawers for a Disney Lanyard that Alison had purchased on her last visit to Disneyland. Then breakfast of poached eggs on toast - it is great having a kitchen. Following this we caught up with the Aitken family from home who arrived on Monday and are in a suite just across the hallway.

Philip, Alison and Jenny (not under duress) boarded the subway for Rector Street and then a short walk to Battery Park and boarded a boat for a one hour cruise of New York Harbour. Cruised past the lower end of Manhattan - it was interesting to see the new Freedom Tower at the WTC site from a different angle,

past some of Jersey on the banks of the Hudson River. Got an up close look at Ellis Island and Lady Liberty

and then across the harbour to come back up the East River, past Governor's Island and under the Brooklyn Bridge

before turning back to our set off point. Cruise was enjoyable and the commentary added to our knowledge of the city.

Time for a light lunch of hot dogs from a street vendor and Alison only got to eat half hers as she was attacked by a very large marauding seagull which swooped from behind and knocked the hot dog out of Alison's hands. Unfortunately or fortunately Jenny and Philip had their hands full clutching their own hot dogs so no one was able to catch the moment on a camera.

Back to the 9/11 Memorial Visitor centre for Jenny to do some last minute shopping and back on to the subway for a trip further uptown than Jenny had previously been to visit the Cathedral of St John the Divine. The stained glass windows in this cathedral are absolutely beautiful and throw a pink glow along the nave.

Headed back over to Broadway

Christmas tree stall on Broadway

and spotted a 5 Guys Burgers and Fries outlet so went in for an afternoon snack of fries and ketchup for dipping. The store actually has a sign up saying from which farm the potatoes for today's fries were sourced and in the eating area is a pallet of bags of fresh potatoes. They were yummy the fries that is!!!

Home to the Beacon to freshen up and then out to Ellen's Stardust Diner for dinner with the Aitken clan. After dinner Jenny managed to do a little more shopping for souvenirs and a new luggage label to grace her new suitcase. Some pastries from Duane Reade store for supper and then home for Jenny to begin the sorting and packing.

Philip and Alison have visited the guest laundry and put on a load of washing. Jenny is packed and ready to weigh and then we will all settle down for a good night's sleep. Alison mentioned that we had not taken Jenny down 5th Avenue, Philip suggested we go then and there and Alison countered with a suggestion for a 6.00am rise. Jenny quite categorically stated that she could cope with missing the shops on 5th Avenue and would rather sleep in before her mammoth flight which starts tomorrow afternoon at JFK and takes her home via Los Angeles and Auckland!