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".