Historic Savannah

Wake up in Savannah GA with no fog, and only five hours of driving ahead of me.  That means if I get my butt out of bed quickly, I can take in a trolley tour.  A number of trolleys (many of them refurbished from days gone by) tour the city driven by knowledgeable guides, following specific routes and stopping at specific points, and they run at 15 minute intervals.  You can hop on and off, take in the sights, shop in the market, take photos, have lunch, then jump back on the next one and continue the tour.  Fabulous, and reasonably priced.

The tour I take is Old Town Trolley Tours, for two reasons.  The first is that they have a nifty GPS tracker system, just scan the QR code on the tour map you get, and it connects you with a schedule for the next trolley at your location, even gives you updated changes to the route.  This was important today as the City Market got blocked off for traffic for this evening's New Year's Eve festivities, and the tour route changed by a block or two.  The second reason is that they also operate tours in a number of other cities, many of which I would love to visit some day (and almost did on this trip).

The tour guides are very entertaining, and provide great details about this very old city with a rich history.  Rich for sure.  Historical, wow.  And I finally get some decent photos of some of the historical and Victorian homes of the south (note that all of these are SOOTC).

  

  

There are so many other wonderful pieces of the city, and if it wasn't for the cars, it might seem like you were stepping back in time, with the brick roads, cobblestone streets, old cotton warehouses, markets, and parks.

      

   

After a light lunch on a patio (how did I manage to find a patio table?) on the riverfront, Blackened Tuna Bites with a chipotle sauce and avacado mash, I finish the tour and fire up the GPS to take me to Winston-Salem, NC.

The first leg of the journey takes me over a very high, very long suspension bridge - of course I can't grab pictures because I'm driving - that is gorgeous.  Here's a stock photo from waymarking.com to give you an idea of what it was like:



Once on the other side, I find that I am no longer in Georgia, but in South Carolina.  Thank goodness I bought this GPS - it is talking me through the entire trip.  If I'm hungry, I ask it for restaurants, it remembers the ones I choose for faster navigation later, and tells me important things like to slow down in school zones.  It shows me little icons where gas stations are, including what brand (if it knows it).  Love it.

The drive is easy all the way to Davidson, NC, just north of Charlotte.  There is a large lit sign by the highway indicating an accident ahead at exit 30 that is blocking both lanes.  Traffic slows to a crawl a couple of miles later, and after about 20 minutes, a tow truck and ambulance passing on the right, and no change to the crawling pace, my trusty GPS suddenly announces that I-77 has been closed and that it was calculating a new route for me.  Love it.  So I inch across to the right lane and take the next exit (which is before the accident), and little Miss GPS guides me around Davidson to the second exit after the accident and I'm on my way.  I tried giving the GPS a high-five but it just kind of bobbed on it's little stand.

Arrive in Winston-Salem, and it's much bigger than I expected.  There's a very tall building with a rounded shape on top that is brightly lit.  It will be interesting to find out what it is (Wells Fargo Center).  The hotel that I booked is really a conference center, The Hawthorne, and it's quite nice.  After the last couple of nights, my fondest hope is that I get decent wi-fi,  My wish comes true when I see that the WAP unit is attached to the ceiling in the hall - right above my room door.  Wonders never cease.

Tomorrow is a long drive up to Grove City, PA, and tonight is New Year's Eve.  Tomorrow is the beginning of a New Year, one which promises to bring many wonderful opportunities.  I hope that I am able to see them all, and grab all of them and make the most of each one.  I hope that more travel is in the future, and more photography, and more precious time with children and grandchildren, family, friends, love and life.  

Fried Green Tomatoes

After an awesome night's sleep, I awoke to... wait for it.. pick your jaw up from the floor after reading this...  Fog.  No shit.  Couldn't see much out the window, and had really hoped to go for one last walk on the beach.  However, it might be gone by the time I'm dressed and ready to go, so a quick shower and pack up (have to leave today :(  ), yup, the fog has lifted.  It's still very hazy out, although it has been since I've arrived.  After a couple of miles, a few more pretty blue jellyfish, some sand and surf between the toes, and feeling enough warm sun and breeze and water to hopefully last a few months, I head back to the hotel and check out.

First stop is... Starbucks.  Since I "lost" (ahem) my Miami Beach Starbucks mug, hopefully I can get a Daytona Beach one.  But no luck.  They are even sold out of the Florida ones, and never made a Daytona one.  That's ok, I can at least get a good cup of coffee, then it's off to find the Daytona International Speedway.  Ever since taking the course to become a race marshall (the people that wave the flags at races), I've thought it would be cool to see what a "real" world-class racetrack is like.  I was completely unprepared.  The sheer size of the place is something that you can't imagine until you see it.

It takes almost 20 minutes to drive on the ring road that runs around the perimeter.  You can hear the cars whining as drivers practise (I guess), and although it's very difficult to find a place to stop and get a photo, I manage to get a couple that at least (although not very photographically interesting) show sort of how big it is.  Unfortunately, due to a very slow connection here this evening, I will have to upload the pics later.  Although I missed the morning tour by about an hour, I find the gift shop, and need to find a few trinkets for my daughter, husband and grandkids.  Val and Chad are huge race fans, so this will be great.  

Next, off to Savannah, GA.  On the way south, I had skipped this in the hopes of getting to the Beach early enough to have dinner.  This time, I'll stay for a while and hopefully catch a bit of the historic area.  The traffic isn't nearly as crazy coming north along I-95 as it was (and is) southbound.  Nice, makes for a much easier drive.

Hitting Savannah before 4 p.m. means I can chill out a bit, figure out where I'm at, and book my next two nights hotel, which could be just as tricky as Christmas even and Christmas Day/night. Check the weather, which so far is holding at no more snow and ice for a couple of days at least.  Check the driving times and hotel availability, and it looks like tomorrow will be Winston-Salem, NC, about a five hour drive.  New Year's Day is probably a good day to just drive, so my next stop after that will be Grove City, PA so I can do a bit of shopping at the outlet mall on Saturday morning before heading home (a four-hour drive).

Anyway, now it's time for dinner.  My friend Myra has recommended two places that she and her husband love when they come to Savannah, the Olde Pink House, and Pirate House Restaurant.  However, neither have any reservations available.  So I check the hotel lobby for flyers, and find a couple that seem like they have good food, reasonably priced, take walk-ins, and are casual.  Perfect.  My trusty GPS gets me to the riverfront, and I'm already excited to come back tomorrow for a trolley tour.

The restaurant I pick is Savannah River House, which seemed to have a fairly extensive menu and lots of southern food (when in Rome...)  I'm really getting to like this southern food, maybe a bit too much.  The drink of the area is the Chatham Artillery Punch.  Which is pretty much what it sounds like.  And I get to take the glass home - like I needed another brandy snifter?  Appetizer is Fried Green Tomatoes, which I've never had before because frankly, it sounds kinda yucky.   But here they are not super greasy, and are served with a paella onion relish and goat cheese - and I'm hooked.  Entree is Pecan Bourbon Salmon, served on a bed of sweet potato mash over sauteed collard greens.  Sooooo yummy!

After that it's time for a walk.  The streets are full of happy people, and live music drifts from a couple of restaurants and bars.  The streets themselves are cobblestone or brick, and you can see the old buildings that are now the eating establishments and stores are very old.  The streets come down to the riverfront down very steep hills, and there are long steep stairs for those brave enough to walk back up.  Hopefully I'll get some good pictures tomorrow.

Beach Days

A couple of days of slowdown.  Charleston appeared to be getting hit with a t-storm, so did some checking and discovered that most of FL would be getting sunshine and warmer than usual temps.  Sounds great, but no longer had the ambition required to drive down to the bottom end of the state, so a compromise, Daytona Beach, where I've never been, but have heard much about (mostly related to March break or Reading Week shenanigans and college students marauding the beaches).  This time of year seems safe enough, so a room is booked for a couple of nights.

Leaving Charleston, I realize that I didn't stop at Starbucks.  The last few trips have netted me some pretty cool Starbucks coffee mugs, and it seems appropriate to look for a Charleston one.  Unable to find one that says "Charleston" on it, like the ones I got from England and Bahrain, at least I was able to find one that was very Charleston-like - it has camelias on it!  Even better, it's 50% off in price.  Score!

The drive to Daytona takes me down the I95 for most of the way, and lo and behold, (I know this is a shock), it rains a good part of the way.  But it's not the kind of downpour I saw through VA and NC.  And somewhere halfway through Georgia, it stops, and the sun starts to appear occasionally through the clouds.  Traffic is very, well, interstate-ish.  Heavy, slow at times, constant watch required but not difficult, as most drivers appear to be quite courteous, not the kind of craziness that I'm used to on the 401.  Jacksonville is pretty busy with road construction everywhere, and then I'm in the home stretch.

Although I had booked a room at The Shores Resort and Spa in Daytona Beach Shores before leaving Charleston (actually, the night before), there was a bit of a glitch in the reservation system, and I arrive to find them scrambling to find rooms for more guests than they have places to put them.  I am asked if I could please stay at their sister property for one of the two nights that I have booked, and since it doesn't really seem like I have a choice I agree.  Not the best decision, not the best hotel, but that's part of going on an unplanned road trip - you don't always get what you expect.  Actually, it was a bit like an old, poorly maintained highway motel room, twin beds, chipped tub, an iron but no board, pretty basic.

The Shores is a 4-diamond VIP (hey, I'm on vacation, I'm worth 2 nights at a good place!) and went out of their way to compensate me, by providing a gratis dinner in the original hotel's very fine restaurant, valet parking, and the first night was on the house.  So all in all, it worked out, just last night wasn't the most pleasant surroundings.  But the room tonight is fab!

This morning I woke up early and took a long walk along the beach, had no idea it was so wide, and so soft.  The surf is pretty high, and there are signs warning of a rip current.  But the water is crazy warm and the air is already hot and humid.  A gorgeous breeze makes it lovely though, and I can't wait to get settled in the Shores in a proper room so that I can have breakfast and enjoy the sand and sea.  On my walk, I find some Tidal Treasures, and set them aside, but it seems the tide is still pretty high, so hopefully later in the day I'll find a few more.

Keeping in mind an earlier experience - Myrtle Beach many years ago - when we were warned to not step on the jellyfish that buried themselves in the sand to stay wet, I had worn my beach shoes.  Good thing, too, because I did find a couple - that I found out later were actually very poisonous, although very beautiful.

After a large, southern breakfast, I learn that my room at The Shores is ready, and I spend the rest of the day lolligagging about on the beach, enjoying the sand and surf and sun and soft warm air.  It may be a few months before I experience this again.  Can't help but think how great it would be to have my brothers and sisters and family with me so that we could splash about like we did when we were kids, swimming and running, and making sand castles and throwing frisbees and not wanting to ever go home.

But tomorrow, it will be time to start heading north again.  There has been a lot of snow and ice there in the past couple of days, so hopefully I will not have to drive through too much yucky stuff, but it will be another day or two I think before I have to worry about it.  Think I'll take a different route back.  First stop, Savannah.  I think.

Downtown Charleston

The day dawns - not foggy!  And a forecasted high of 78, and lower humidity.  So, shorts and a tank top, pack everything in my new camera gear knapsack that I need for the day, and hop in the hotel shuttle (that way I don't have to find parking, and it's free).  The shuttle drops the passengers at the Market, which looks very interesting. The market is open till 5, the horse-drawn carriage tours are only available till 4 and book up quickly, and the hotel shuttle runs till 9:30, so I decide to walk around a bit, then get a carriage ride, then walk some more, eat, drink and be merry blah blah blah.

Map in hand (yup, doing it the old-fashioned way) I make my way down Market St., and find the carriage company that had been recommended by the hotel.  Ride booked for 2:30, so I have a couple of hours to explore and have some lunch.  Walking down Meeting St., and I spot what looks to be a great place for lunch.

And I get a spot at the chef's table - perfect.  The menu looks fantastic and it takes me a while to decide on the blue crab salad plate, with a pear and ginger sangria (yes, it was even better than it sounds).  Starting with warm, real southern cornbread served with soft butter, it just kept getting better.  

After this, I wandered for about an hour through the French quarter, hoping that the guide on the carriage ride would explain some of what I was seeing.  When I got to the barn for the tour, I asked if I could be seated at the side or the front so that I could get lots of pictures.  (Single person advantage - almost always get the best seats because it's easy to fit in).  Yup, got a front seat at the end.  Perfect.  And I am now officially in love with Charleston.  Not just the historical and beautiful architecture, the southern charm, but the smells of southern spruce and whatever flower it is (magnolia?) that gently touches your senses and then disappears, leaving you wanting more.  The quiet streets, the gracious grandeur, the way complete strangers nod and say "har ya doin'?" when they pass you.  This is definitely a place I could become very accustomed to.  Charleston, I don't think I'm done with you yet.  

   

  

After the carriage ride, the market beckons.  According to the carriage driver, it used to be a slave's market - where the slaves would come and buy things, not where the slaves were sold.  Although almost everything in it can be found elsewhere, the sweet grass hand-woven baskets, from a West African tradition, are beautiful, and this is the only place you can get them.  After watching a couple of people making them, and seeing the craftsmanship, I pick one out, bargain with the vendor for almost half off, and tuck it away.  

Supper is beef chimichangas in a little Mexican restaurant that has mostly Mexicans as patrons, and it's quite good and not too filling.  But it's a little noisy, so off to a rooftop bar for a mint julep and to browse through the photos I've taken today - boy do I ever need a lot of practice! - and rest my somewhat tired feet.  Then it's back to the hotel to rest up.

Tomorrow the weather is supposed to get cooler, so I'm off to warmer climes.  It's supposed to be sunny and warm in Daytona Beach, hopefully I can get a decent room for not too much moolah.

The scent of Magnolia

In the true spirit of a journal...

Dec. 26, 2015 - Charleston SC

7 a.m.  - Awake feeling refreshed and ready to explore.  Great bed for a hotel, and that's what matters when you're traveling, not whether the wallpaper is peeling in the bathroom.  The fog has once again taken over (what's with me always managing to find places with poor visibility when I travel?) but it's supposed to clear.  Hope to get out to one of the plantations.

9:30 - finished breakfast, still so foggy that the "riverview" restaurant on the 15th floor shows only pure white outside.  Plantation tours run all day, so will take some time now to clean lenses, backup SD cards to the laptop, and recharge batteries.

10:30 - fog starting to lift, so I make a reservation for one of the plantation tours.  20 minutes later the swamp on the other side of the road is visible from the hotel room window, and I can see several ibis grazing in the marsh grass.  Another 10 minutes later and the sun is shining, the fog should clear completely soon!  I get down to the lobby to meet the driver, and step outside into - omg I should have worn shorts and a tshirt!  It's very humid so good thing it's only about 75 F.  But wow does it ever feel great to be in the warm sunshine.

12:00 - At the Visitor Center, downtown Charleston, getting on a shuttle to the Magnolia Garden Plantation.  My pass includes a tour of the house and a train ride through the Audubon Swamp, where hopefully we will see a couple of alligators and other wildlife.  It's about a half hour's drive, and the driver promises I will get lots of pictures.  On the way, I see the odd small tree loaded with large red or dark pink blooms, but the driver does not know what they are.  The other shuttle passengers think it might be camellia, which I've never seen before to my knowledge.  Gorgeous.

12:30 - Arrive at the Magnolia Plantation, 500 acres of the original 2000, where the Drayton family (who still owns it, the only original owner left in the area) to explore.  I start in the garden as my ticket for the train tour is for the 1:30 train, and the house is at 2:30.  Yes, they are camellia and there are several varieties here at the plantation garden.  And other flowers blooming too, azaleas and magnolias (I think, they smell wonderful!), pansies, snapdragons, sweet william, those are just the ones I recognized.  If I let myself daydream for a few minutes, I could easily be a southern belle walking through the garden with my beau, with a parasol on my shoulder to keep the warm southern sun off my delicate face.  Bahahaha!  Ya right.  Ok, back to reality.  Camera comes out, and catches this little beauty, among others.

There are probably an hour's worth of pathways through the garden, plus a conservatory, but have to get back to catch the "train".

1:30 - The "train" is a tractor pulling a couple of trolley cars typical of tourist attractions.  Find a seat and we pull away.  The driver is chatty and informative, and it isn't long before we start seeing some critters, including large turtles (too far away to get a good shot), ibis, great blue heron, ducks (cinnamon teals), and alligators.  Lots of them.  By the end of the train ride, the driver admits he has never seen so many alligators in one tour.  A couple of dozen at least, all sizes, all sunning themselves on little platforms provided, or swimming about lazily.

   

This one was pretty chill.  A couple of turtles joined him on the platform, although smaller turtles are sometimes gator gourmet.  All in all, a lovely ride, although we didn't stop very often, nor long enough when we did, to get many decent pictures.  

2:30 - House tour.  Interesting, but this isn't a true plantation home as I was expecting.  The current home was the third on the property, and the first one was 13000 sq ft.  Now that's a mansion!  The second was only 11000 sf.  The current one was probably less than half of that.  Very historic, and beautiful, but the wraparound porch probably makes it look twice what it really is.  Still, you could have a party on that porch...

4:00 - back at the hotel, trying to find a decent restaurant that has "southern" or at least local food and that I can still get a reservation for at the last minute.  Stars Rooftop and Grill Room looks awesome, and has availability.  And it's only a 5 minute drive.... score!!!  Reservations at 6:45 so better go clean up...

7:00 - 9:00 - Dinner.  Unbelievable.  Must go back, Stars is amazing, fantastic food, impeccable service, perfect atmosphere (for me), great wine...  As usual, I try to eat local and drink the house specialty.  So, started with a cocktail called an Aviation (how fitting) and it was ah-mazing.  Gin, lemon, maraschino cherry liqueur.  However, this place also added a bit of lavender cordial.  It was actually really good.  Appetizer:  Baked Oysters, with sauteed spinach, Asiago cheese, fresh garlic and brandy.  Phenomenal.  For the main course I chose another appetizer and a sharing plate which was actually exactly the right amount.  The appetizer was "Bacon Tater Tots", so, fluffed potatoes and bacon bits coated and deep fried (like croquettes) and served with a bacon aioli.  The sharing plate I selected was more like a small entree, so perfect.  Rare grilled bluefin tuna, crusted with pecans, served with a spicy mustard, a honey-almond sauce and a mixture of vegetables like heirloom carrots, purple cabbage and mild radishes in a wonderful creamy sauce - they called it Vegetable Slaw but it was the best Slaw I've ever had.  Then dessert, which was Smoked Chocolate 'Smore Pie.  Words do not do it justice.

Fog and rain - better than snow!

Started the day with an odometer reading of 313969.  Umm, "my" numbers are 1, 3, 6, and 9.  Wonder what this day will bring!

When I first wake up and check the weather, Harrisonburg is getting a "Dense fog advisory", but I look out the window, and the sun is out, so it can't be that bad.  5 minutes later, I understand, because I can no longer see the end of the parking lot.  Better be on my way and take it easy.

In the hopes that the fog will clear, I opt to take Highway 11 down through the Shenandoah Valley, rather than the busy interstate that runs parallel.  It might be possible to stop and take some pictures?  However, the fog only lifts a little ways, and doesn't provide any interesting fog, just haze and of course when it clears a little, the shoulders of the road are too narrow to pull over.  I really must come back down here again some time though, because there are signs everywhere for interesting things to see and do, like caverns and historical landmarks and antique shops....

It strikes me that I am driving through the Bible belt on Christmas Day when I pass by a beautiful country home with a life-size nativity scene on the front lawn.  I snicker when I see the next house adorned by a much larger-than-life-size inflatable dachshund in a Santa suit on the front lawn.  Seriously.  Or maybe not so seriously...  The roadside signs identifying points and locations of historic interest are also intriguing, although many of the references are to events with which I am unfamiliar.  One or two jump out, such as the site of Sheridan's last raid, and the Original African-American Cemetery (no stones are visible from the road however).

Finally, as I approach the point where Hwy 11 will merge with the interstate, I start seeing signs towards a village called Natural Bridge.  I have to wonder if there is indeed a bridge formed by nature in some way, thus the name.  Cool, the hwy actually passes right through there, and the fog has mostly cleared!  And there is a large building with a huge parking lot, boldly announcing the Natural Bridge Park.  So of course, pull in and get out to read the plaque and see what I can see from the parking lot (nothing).  As I'm reading, I hear a vehicle pull up beside me, and a gentle voice with a dontcha-just-love-southern-drawls-kinda-drawl saying "Hi there!".  A kindly gentleman explains that there will be admission to the site in about 20-30 minutes, and he highly recommends that I stay.  He suggests I go over to the historic hotel and get a complimentary coffee while I wait, convinced it will be worth my time to hang around.  What the heck, it's a chance to stretch my legs and maybe get some cool pictures.  Here are a few, please note these are not the best ones photographically, but I haven't had time to do any touch-ups yet.  It really was worth my time.

And.... that was the end of the clear skies for the day, until sunset.  As I headed down the rest of the Valley, the fog rolled in yet again, and there was a sign indicating "fog ahead, adjust speed according to the weather", and yes, drove across the top of the mountains with fog and cloud below and above and all around.  Shortly after coming through the fog, the rains started coming down heavy enough that I was glad I was on the mountain and not in the valley.  Everyone was slowing down and putting on their hazard lights, it was really hard to see.  Like a snowstorm.  Sort of.  And it didn't let up until I was almost in South Carolina.

Then the sun went down, the rain stopped, the roads were dry, the full moon came up, and it was about 22C.  So the sunroof opened up, the tunes went on, and the rest of the drive to Charleston was largely uneventful.  Except for almost running out of gas.  But I didn't, I probably could have driven another 8 - 10 miles before going completely dry.  (Phew)  The forecast here for the next two days is partly cloudy and high of 73 F, which to me sounds like it's time to stop for a day or two and take in the sights in this area.  I'll see what's on the nightside table...

Highlights of the day:
1. Driving through Staunton, VA, and see a whole bed of yellow pansies in full bloom, on Christmas Day.
2.  Interesting road names, like "Rockin Way" and "Possum Hollow".  For real.
3.  Several log cabins that appeared to be still habitable, and inhabited.

Christmas road trip 2015 - Day 1

What a boring title.  Too tired to think of anything else, but it's a good tired.  Guess I should start from the birth of the idea for this trip.

In the past few years, I've learned that it's really a good thing to take a trip in the winter, somewhere warm preferably.  The one year that I didn't do it, was just not a good scene.  I was completely dragged out until the spring weather allowed more outside time.  Of course, that's somewhat weather dependent.  If it's snowy out, there are lots of opportunities, but rainy soggy winters can be a complete drain on someone with SAD.  So, nuff said, every year the Peter Pan Getaway Boots come out.  So far, I've been to New Zealand, Mexico, Miami Beach, Bahrain, and London, UK.  Not bad, although two of those were only long weekends (Miami Beach and London).

This year, I couldn't decide where to go.  I have 10 days or so, including Christmas eve, which gets me back with a day to spare to do laundry.  Thought about Costa Rica, Peru, Galapagos, Panama, Caribbean cruise, Belize, everything sounded somewhat, well, not quite right.  I was ready for an adventure, one that enabled me to see many things, stop if I wanted or go far, with nothing really planned (a real adventure).  Started looking at National Geographic Adventure Tours, and started noticing the number of cool places closer to home, and within driving distance.  Aha!  Road Trip!!!  Booked the first couple of nights to make sure I had a room for the busy holiday nights, and after that, well, wherever the sun shines is where I'll go, with tons of ideas and possibilities.

So here I am, after less than 10 hours of driving time, in a modest but comfortable and clean hotel room at the Country Inn in Harrisonburg VA, on my way to somewhere south, with my camera equipment, camping gear (in case I get to the Everglades, which will definitely be one for the books!), a couple of credit cards, and the baby lion is tucked neatly away in the kitty cat hotel (Catnap Cottages) back home.  Love it.

Yes, I already had Christmas dinner with mom and dad, Val and Chad and the kids, and my sisters and brother-in-law.  So I don't really feel like I'm missing the holiday.

So, to capture the essence of the day, it started like the first day of vacation usually does.  I wake up feeling like I have tons of time to get everything cleaned up at home, get everything packed up, and be on my way in time to get to my first destination in time for dinner.  Ha!  Also as usual, I grossly underestimate the time required to pack to my level of satisfaction.  I started three days ago to get ready, you'd think I'd have it down!  But no, even with all of the planning (what planning?) and my experience with travel, I almost forgot my passport, had to take the cat to boarding and then come back and finish packing, and didn't leave home till about 11:30 a.m. (instead of 9:30).

But once I got going, it didn't take long to relax into the drive, the weather was stunning - sunny and warm enough to have the sunroof open even before I hit the border - and I was focused only on getting to Harrisonburg, where I had a room already booked.  With the new Garmin GPS on my dash guiding my way after crossing the border, it feels like I haven't a care in the world.  Even maintaining a constant awareness of what's going on around me, it's a relaxing drive, almost easy, even coming through the mountains of Pennsylvania, normally treacherous with snow this time of year, completely dry this year.

Highlights to remember:
1.  A billboard reading "Not all rehabs are the same" (there's a competitive market for rehab centers?  What does that say about the state of the States?  Social commentary expected...)
2.  The full moon - first one at Christmas for a couple of decades, last one for another 19 years - rising through clear skies over the Allegheny mountains on one side of the car while the sun set graciously through turquoise and pink skies on the other side.  Driving most of the rest of the way with the moon providing almost as much light as streetlights would have - thankfully, since the GPS took me through some pretty quiet countryside.
3.  Some beautiful, well-kept little towns, and some very industrial, sad little mining towns.
4.  A new appreciation for those willing and able to work in order to provide numbskulls like me who want to travel on this holiday, with food, accommodation, service, gas, and a friendly smile.  It's not just the essential services, but those that we take for granted to always be available.  It seems that society has lost it's ability to "do without".

Looking forward to a leisurely drive through Shenandoah Valley tomorrow, and down through to Charleston, SC, where I have a room booked on the river.  Hopefully, I'll have a chance to take some good pictures.  Or at least, some pictures.  

Playing tourist... and partying

The last couple of days in Bahrain seem like a blur, and all the rest that I had caught up on at the beginning of the week was spent on walking and dancing.

Friday, the first day of the weekend, we sleep in a bit, but there's so much to see, and some of it Alex wanted to see as well.  The first stop was the King Fahad Causeway, which is a series of very long bridges connecting Bahrain and a couple of small islands (one is manmade) to the mainland, Saudi Arabia.  The manmade island, about halfway between the two countries, hosts the border crossing itself, so I am able to "see" Saudi, even if I can't actually enter the country.

It's fun to see that the MacDonald's here is open 24 hrs, just like the ones at the Canada/US border.

Not much chance of getting lost, especially since we're on an island...

Next stop is the Bahrain National Museum.  One of the coolest museums I've been to.  Although it's fairly small, the large hall has an aerial photograph of the entire country as it's floor, so you can walk around the whole country, and discover what it looks like from the air.  Alex is very knowledgeable about the history of the area, which of course goes back thousands of years, and the artifacts are really interesting.  The artwork and sculptures outside the building also hold my attention, and I learn so much.  Now I really want to know more about this whole region of the world!

Footnote - Just noticed October 2015 that I never published this!  Nor did I even finish it!  Will use this as subject matter for tomorrow's blog...

Life is a journey. Step 1. Done. Next.

This morning, as I perused Facebook whilst sipping java, a shared post from a friend struck a chord.  It was a quote from Ian Lawton, someone with whom I am mostly unfamiliar, but whose writings I really need to look into.  "Be kind today... to yourself, remember to be a good friend to yourself, accept that you're doing your best...be mindful of what you need and give it to yourself". Excellent advice.

So, on a somewhat damp, late October Saturday morning, after Skyping with someone very special to me, albeit way too briefly, I found myself thinking of my previous plans that had consisted primarily of the things I needed to do today, as is usually the case with me.  Filling my day with seemingly required tasks helps me to feel needed, even though if I look at those tasks, the only real requirement to complete said tasks is a little voice in the back of my head, that has been there since I was a small girl.  It sounds a lot like my mom, and it includes things like "you need groceries, and do the laundry, clean the floors and bathroom, make a big meal for dinner, practise singing, study and read for work"... etc. etc.

However, what I really wanted to do was just hang out all day, as I've been working my butt off lately, and not really taking the time to enjoy any of it, just doing things because the rest of the world expects a "normal" person to do those things.  It seems that I have temporarily misplaced my sense of purpose.

So, what to do but to consider this sage advice noted on facebook (after all, if it's on the internet, it must be true), and be kind to myself today?  What does that mean?  What would make me happy?

Well, I'm a pretty easy-going person, all things considered, although there are many who might at times disagree, especially when someone says something with an apparent lack of any thought.  Or when I'm extremely frustrated because my brain is racing way too fast with ideas or following a line of logic and others haven't quite reached the same point at the same time.  So really, when I say easy-going, what I mean is that I have many interests, and am usually in pursuit of several hobbies or ideals that interest me at any given time.

But the tag in the quote - trustyourjourney.com - intrigues me.  Lately the thought has been nagging me to pull out the Peter Pan Getaway Boots.  That could be due to the time of year, when the amount of available natural light is waning quickly, or to the weather as it cools down, or the stresses of work - year-end planning and hurrying to meet current year goals - or upcoming events.  But what if the journey I need to take, the one that require Peter Pan Boots, is one that I'm already on, each and every day?  What if all I need to do is follow the advice, instead of a trail?

Ok, wait a minute, my brain says to my body.  You have just way too many things to do right now.  You have to save for retirement, and see as much of the world as possible, and get better at photography, and brush up on your French and Spanish, and cherish your grandchildren, and continue renewing friendships that have not been well-enough nurtured, and keep a clean house, and get that promotion, and learn a bunch of new music, and get to the gym more often, and finish knitting those seven projects that you've started, and play with the cat a bit more, and put up the blinds in the living room.....  STOP BRAIN!!!

Sigh.  No wonder I'm so tired all the time.  And never seem to actually get anything accomplished (although in reality, I do accomplish a great deal, just not everything I plan to, but that's largely because as soon as I discover something, or a new idea pops into my head, or someone says something that triggers a desire to learn something, then I add another hundred things to the list).

Back to the whole "be kind to yourself" idea.  What does that mean?  Does it mean I allow my silly brain to take over and just try to stop worrying about never finishing anything, as long as I'm enjoying the moment, and if a squirrel happens by, follow that, and not think about money or what I will live on when I retire or lose my job because I've stopped following through on promises....?  Or does it mean I should try to shut my brain off more frequently, and take it easy?

That's probably step 1.  "...be mindful of what you need...".  Figure out what I need.  Figure out where I'm going.  Remember that the journey is not completely within my control, and that for whatever reason, things will happen and sometimes I should just accept those events.

Wait,  what was that first part?  "...accept that you're doing your best...".  Huh.  How about that.  I totally forgot that all I really need to do is just be myself, and not worry so much about what anyone else thinks of me as long as I'm okay with me.  Not worry about what anyone else does, because all that matters is how I let them influence me.  Not worry about anything, just do what makes me happy.  Ok this is really weird, because I know all this shit.  So why do I still question myself?

Because I'm still on step 1.  Every journey starts with a single step.  Yup, got that one down.  What might be confusing me is that I keep thinking that I already took that step and yet I never seem to get anywhere.  But all along, I've been missing something, and as I write this, I think I know what it is.  For me anyway.  And it's this.

As soon as I've taken that one step, the journey changes.  With each step, there is a new journey.  The potential for a new journey.  Every step IS a journey.  An adventure.  Every step brings into view a new perspective, even if it's only slightly different.  I continue to grow, and change, and discover, and each step and each day is Step 1.  And at the same time (this is the real part that I've been missing), each step completes the journey I was on before.  Every day, every step, every moment.  It's really not about the destination, it really is about the journey.  Every step of the way.  I can trust that it's the right journey for me.

And this is one helluva ride!

Stonehenge - ancient mystery

Ever since I first heard of it, I thought it would be cool to see Stonehenge, although I didn't really ever put it on the bucket list.  It was one of those, if I happen to be in the neighbourhood, I'll probably drop by, but not sure what all the fuss is about.  Just a bunch of big rocks in the middle of a field, yes?  So when my friend, London, said, "Do you want go and see Stonehenge?" I thought sure, I'm kind of in the neighbourhood.  Didn't realize that a 2-hour drive (half of that trying to get through a few miles on the M25) was "in the neighbourhood" in England.  Problem here is that none of the roads go in a direction that makes sense, they all go in circles.

Anyway, we finally get there, the sky is mostly cloudy (what?  in England they get cloudy skies?  Note the extreme sarcasm), and somewhat dreary, but it's not raining nor windy nor cool.  So hopefully I will get some good pics.  I had spent a fair bit of time on the plane coming across the big puddle reading through the manual for my "new" Nikon D7100 that I've had since Xmas and not really taken the time to figure out how to use.  Now is a great chance to try my hand at some manual settings, especially some of the cool, built-in special effects.  If things don't go well, I can always go back to Auto.

First, I want to make note that English Heritage has done an amazing job of protecting this amazing site while still providing an opportunity for the masses to view it and wonder.  Free wi-fi allows for the download of a free audio guide to a smartphone or tablet, An Exhibition area displays video of the history of the site, the skeletal remains of a man found during one archaelogical excavation, and reconstructed Neolithic huts similar to what might have been used by people working on the building of Stonehenge.  They have completed a major landscaping project that has restored the terrain surrounding the stones to grass, Although no one is allowed to go near the stones, and therefore my one wish, to be able to stand in the very center to see if there is truly a magic there, is not to be granted, it is still an enchanting place.

There is a bus that takes visitors every 5 minutes throughout the day along the 3-mile route from the visitors' center to the area of the stones, although there is also a walking path for those that choose.  We opt for the bus simply because we have arrived later in the day than expected, and we wish to have more time viewing the stones and taking photographs, listening to the audio guide and learning what is known about this mysterious structure.

The bus arrives at the site, which is atop a hill.  Every direction you look, it appears that you are looking down or across.  Which makes sense if the stones were indeed used for the purposes of measuring time by the sun, although the purpose of it remains a mystery to all.  Perhaps it was intended to be a compass for alien air traffic control, or a spaceship landing site?  Maybe it was a giant gathering place, like the Colisseum in Rome, for the myriad of Druids that lived in the area.  Maybe it was simply intended as a permanent shelter, a neolithic condo, that was never finished because the original intention and design was lost when whoever designed passed away. Whatever the purpose, it was important enough to the people that died in the construction of it, to risk their lives.  All comments, thoughts and ideas are welcome here.

At any rate, walking around the stones, marvelling at how they came to be here, why, and by whom were they transported here and assembled, was quite the experience.  The gray matter is still working on it, and probably will be for quite some time to come.

After returning to the visitor center, the gift center called to me, and we wandered about, looking for treasures that were not just cheap souvenirs.  I find a lovely silver charm of the stones, and then we notice a display of local wines and liqueurs, samples of which were being offered.  Never one to turn down the chance to try something new, beverage or otherwise, we learn that one of the offerings is something neither of us have heard of - damson gin.  Now, gin I know of, it goes great with tonic.  But what is the meaning of damson?  As we learn, the gin is soaked in damson plums (now it rings a bell), and the gin takes on the unique flavour of the fruit.  We try it, and instantly two bottles find their way into our possession.  It is divine!  And of course, all the more desirable since it is unlikely to be found anywhere else.  Easily, anyway.

A final selection, yes I know, a bit cheesy, but it's hard to turn down a t-shirt that reads "Stonehenge Rocks!"  Another wonderful day!

Back in England

Wow, so here I am in England.   For the weekend.  Yes, I know, it's crazy to fly over the puddle for three days, but I have a friend there that I've been dying to see, and I don't get a ton of holidays, so a weekend it will have to be.  Besides, you could say that he's more than just a friend, nudge nudge wink wink, and worth spending two days getting there and back.  Let's just call him London.

Arrive Thursday evening, fairly late, and Air Canada still hasn't figured out that feeding some breakfast at the beginning of a long day flight, and then a tiny sandwich at the end of the flight and dropping off the passengers at 9:30 p.m. doesn't work.  So, London makes me a fantastic salad and a plate of antipasti, with buffalo mozzarella, salami, pancetta, and ricotta stuffed peppers.  No wonder I find him irresistable!

Friday morning dawns, the sun is shining, it's not supposed to rain much, and we decide to go to Windsor.  I don't even know what's there, but London says there's a castle, and I've never seen a real castle, so it sounds good to me.  Windsor the town is a beautiful, Olde English towne (have to spell it that way, sorry), with narrow streets, old brick homes with tile roofs and large chimneys, and the quaintness I expected.  It's so like the movies that I almost feel at home, and that it's nothing special.  Yet in some ways, it feels like I'm in a James Bond movie.  Except for the fact that I'm a passenger in a Mitsubishi, and I'm pretty sure James Bond never drove a Mitsubishi.

The terrain is much more rolling than I expected, and the castle sits atop a hill.  The climb goes past a small Italian restaurant so we stop for a lovely lunch of calzone (him) and spaghetti (me), then up we go to see Windsor Castle.  I am awestruck.  The closest I have ever come to such magnificence was, well, never.  Never have I seen such a beautiful place.  Suddenly, I understand the magnitude of wealth that the Royal Family and the history of England lays claim to.

I can't imagine what it would have been like to live in such a place, and then we go inside and it's even more incredible.  The courtyard is the size of a football field.  From the entrance, we can see how high up we truly are, and I marvel at what the landscape might have been like 200 years ago.

Upon entering, London mentions that the last time he was here, he was not impressed with Queen Mary's Doll house, but since it only takes a couple of minutes to see it, we go there first.  I find it fascinating, but that's because the dollhouse that I had when I was small was approximately two feet by three feet, made of metal, and had pre-cast plastic furniture, and all the decorative features of the house were painted on the walls.  Queen Mary's dollhouse, on the other hand, was a miniaturized castle.  Complete with electric lighting, chandaliers, art on the walls, dishes on the table, absolutely incredible.  My favourite was the staircase to the main hall, where two suits of armour stood guard.

From there, we enter the main display of rooms, from the king's bedroom where the closet is bigger than my living room, to St. George's Hall, where the Coats of Arms from over 1000 knights are displayed.  We notice that Prince William was the 1000th name on the list, but couldn't find his Coat of Arms.

The artwork, decor, furniture, displays of china, swords and other armaments, spaciousness, opulence, ostentatiousness, splendour and timeless beauty are truly overwhelming.  Still I can't get through my head that people have lived here.  Unfortunately, we're not allowed to take pictures inside, which I understand.  Still, it would have been nice to have something more concrete than memories to take home with me.  So, in one of the gift shops, I purchase a couple of keepsake items.

The first item I find is keychain crowns - for my quartet, Nuance, that is working towards becoming "Queens of Harmony".  The next is something I've been looking for a long time, a silver charm for a charm bracelet that I've had for ages, but no charms to add.  The charm is a replica of the round tower.  Last but not least, my favourite fragrance in a hand cream, and hand wash - White Hyacinth.  A beautiful flower with a beautiful scent.

On our way back to the car, I spot another view of the castle, and in the setting dusk, it helps me imagine what it might have looked like centuries ago, complete with the moat.

Desert storms

Jan. 8

Thursday morning spawned a dust storm - it is winter here after all, and the past few days have been unseasonably warm (but thankfully so!).  At home, I hear there have been super cold temperatures and piles of snow, but here, up till now, it's been gorgeous, almost too hot to go outside on the upper level and tan (for me anyway).  But today, the wind has kicked up, the air is cooling off to a more seasonable 16 C, and with the wind, the dust and sand from the desert of which this island is made blows freely.  Even the Weather Network shows current conditions as simply "Dust".

The air is quite hazy, but we have planned to go out anyway to see a couple of the local sights - my friend's friend will drive us south into the desert to see the Tree of Life, the first oil well, and then when we return we will hopefully see the Fort or the Grand Mosque.  Timing will be the key, since Lisa has a client appointment later in the day, and we'd also like to have some lunch together.

But first stop, the Tree of Life.  Many cultures and countries make reference to a Tree of Life, this one is called that because it has been growing, seemingly miraculously, in the middle of the desert for over 400 years, with no apparent source of water.  We must park a fair distance from the tree and walk across the windy, dusty desert to get up close.  Although an iron fence at one time protected it from vandals, there appears to be no protection from anything right now, and I was able to touch it (for luck?) and marvel at the wonders of nature, to see green leaves in the midst of such an expanse of arid sand.

Nearby, they have put a very cool "human" sundial, so that if you step on the current month, your own shadow will point to the correct time (it's hardly accurate to the minute, unless you're Twiggy).  And yes, it was about 12:10 p.m. when this pic was taken:

As we drive back towards town, we pass by several oil wells, most of them quite a bit smaller than I envisioned, less than 2 stories tall in most cases.  They are, essentially "portable", since the smaller pockets can dry up within a couple of weeks, so the drills are then simply moved to a new location.  It's too windy and dusty to leave the car for very long, so I just quickly grab a couple of shots of drills and the pipes that carry the crude to the nearby refinery, as we stop briefly.

Closer to town, we see a delivery bike (food is delivered here by motorcycles with large boxes on the back, as they are more easily maneuvered through the constant traffic), and the wind is so strong that the driver must lean into the wind just to stay upright.

The sand blows across the road, just like the snow does here in Canada.

 Traffic is horrendous, since it's almost the weekend (work weeks here are Sunday - Thursday), so we opt to do the Grand Mosque today, and leave the Fort till tomorrow.  I am forced to admit I remember little of what I had learned in high school about the Muslim faith, and feel inadequately knowledgeable about the current state of affairs in this area of the world.  Fortunately, my hostess and friend has been living in the Middle East for the past few years, and is able to guide me toward keeping a neutral tone.  Our tour guide, while knowledgeable, seems intent on not just providing information about the Mosque itself, but also about the Muslim faith.

It seems only fair to listen, since they have provided a "loaner" abiyah and hijab (gown and head covering) so that we can enter the temple.  No women are allowed to enter without covering, and it feels odd in some ways and familiar in others.  I recall as a child in the Mennonite church, that women were expected to wear "head coverings" to church, which were really just small caps made from a thin mesh and bobby-pinned to the hair.  Symbolic at best, but the similarities between Muslim and Mennonite symbolism and a loose interpretation of the culture kept revealing themselves.

The Mosque itself is huge, and beautiful without being grandiose.  The chandelier in the great temple is made from Austrian crystal, and the marble floors are mostly provided by Italy.  While Daya and I tour the Mosque, Lisa (a Muslim) makes a run to the liquor store.  Somewhat ironic....