The cliff-hanger we left you with was whether we were going to get into the State Park on the Florida Keys… Bahia Honda…. Oh the suspense.  The answer was NO!  they were completely full.  So, for the first time we were in Reg with nowhere to stay… (drama building).

Best thing to do in that situation is stop and have some lunch which we did at a place called Island Grill on Islamadora.  Matt had the messiest fish tacos ever – he needed a wet suit to eat them.

Our fall-back position was to drive 120 miles back into the everglades and stay at the Flamingo campsite.  They had spaces without electric or water hook-ups, but we can be self-sufficient for a few days – so we went for it.  Flamingo is really interesting as it is in the part of the park that was closed to the public for three years after Hurricane Katrina and the lodge that B & Tim stayed in years ago, has been demolished and is where it stood is completely back to nature now – bushes and trees. 

Flamingo feels like the end of the world in the best sense of the word.  It is timeless and so peaceful. We loved being back in the Everglades and and got up early every day (even setting our alarm for 6.30 am – just in case any of you reading think we have become slackers on this trip!).

First morning we went on a boat trip to try and see the crocodiles as Flamingo is the sea water part of the Everglades.  It was so early and cold that they were not cooperating, but we saw osprey catching fish and going back to their nests, a small group of dolphins and a roseate spoonbill which is often mistaken for a flamingo.  It was freezing though and my lips went a bit blue which Shaun and Marie have seen before when we have been walking – so we quickly had coffee and pizza back on land whilst we thawed out.  The restaurant overlooks some mud flats and again the bird watching was of the highest quality.

We then got to see the crocodiles who had now woken up and some more manatees again.  Enormous and so close up.  

That afternoon we went a bit mad and did a really long cycle ride – captured on the go pro which involved us getting bitten to death by mosquitos and putting our feet down in all the muddy bits and getting thoroughly hot and sweaty.  

Next morning we did a guided bird walk with a lovely ranger called Christi. We saw 30 odd species and most were just in the car park!  What was also a bit of fun was that when it came to drive to a different area we cadged a lift off some people from Pennsylvania.  As soon as they got in they asked if we could take something back to Britain with us when we leave… we said yes of course – what was it and they said Trump!  Big surprise as these are the most vocal critics we have met.  Needless to say, that for all of us that love Matthew – this was his cue to say that he thought things might turn out all right and we needed to give Donald a chance.  To say that boy would argue with himself is an understatement.  It cracks me up even now thinking about it!  For months he has been looking for these people… and then he finds them and argues the toss!

We tried canoeing on Thursday morning in the aptly names Nine Mile Pond.  The ranger made it clear that we would need to be tolerant of one another as we had one canoe per couple and we would be weaving in and out of the mangroves.  We had a  few crossed words but generally managed to get round with just a few collisions into the vegetation.  We might have slightly damaged the eco system – but it should be ok for anyone else wanting to visit!  Incredibly beautiful and tranquil. An experience never to be forgotten.

On our way out of the park we stopped at Shark Valley Trail, along the Tamiami Trail (state highway 41 for anyone interested).  Anyone who has been there knows that this is an area that it is a 15 mile round trip to a lookout point. It was like a greatest hits tour for us – we saw everything again – gators, baby gators, herons, egrets, turtles, etc.  Getting better at spotting things we enjoyed the cycle and had a well earned ice cream at the end of it.

That night we stayed in a commercial site – back to electricity and water so enjoyed the luxury all over again of an all singing and dancing Reg. 

Friday was a change from being covered in insect repellent and sweat – we went into Naples and had a great lunch by the harbour.  We looked like respectable holiday makers rather than something out of the Blacks catalogue!  

It was good to see Naples as I have always heard so much about it.  It is very exclusive in the area by the pier.  Huge houses and proper old American money.  Good to see, very laid back and a complete change from the Everglades.

After Naples we came up to just south of Tampa.  We are staying with Nichola and Russell. Matt used to work with Nichola at the Bank of England.  As we pulled up on Saturday lunch time they had the most delicious gin and tonics poured and frankly we have not looked back since!!

We have been completely spoilt.  We have a proper bedroom, our own bathroom and unlimited Wi-Fi and electricity as I type this. Reg has been parked in the boat car park in their development and we have thought of him a couple of times as we get into the hot tub with a drink… but not that much!!

We leave tomorrow but we may have gone soft.  It has been the most wonderful experience. Nic and Russ have made us so welcome and we have me some of their neighbours who are lovely.  We were invited to a Superbowl party last night – 100 people in the most beautiful home and it was humbling how welcome everyone made us.  We will never forget how much fun we have had here.  The match was great, as was Lady GaGa and rather like the Cubs in the autumn now we understand NFL a bit better than we could ever have hoped!

As Matt finished last time – we were in the Everglades and as I write tonight we are back in them.  Anyone who has been here might be surprised by that as there is only one road in and out.  We are not lost!  It is because there has been so much to do, as well as having spent the weekend in the Florida Keys.

So, after collecting Reg we drove into the Everglades and did the Anhinga Trail which is a boardwalk, one mile long.  In all the books it said you could not fail to see wildlife and armed with our new binoculars (thank you Shaun for the recommendation) and our new camera – we were a perfect target for a mugging!  But compared to some of the equipment people were producing we looked rather modest!

On the trail we saw amazing things – just as they said.  Ibis, herons, anhingas and a purple gallinule on the bird front and then turtles and plenty of alligators.  They were all asleep in the sun at the end of the boardwalk. There must have been about ten of them, some draped over each other and one with all his legs at ninety degrees to his body which was very amusing.  A little later we saw some swimming with their trademark eyes out of the water.  They are very beautiful in a sinister way.  I recalled all the handbags I have bought with that pattern on them!!

It was the most wonderful introduction to the Everglades and I know everyone who has been here will understand that it is just captivating.  Although it is of course very flat – the vastness of it is beautiful and the contrast and tranquillity after Miami and America generally is superb. 

We came back the next day early on to get a pitch on one of the official sites – Long Pine Key campsite.  No hook ups – so we are getting good at being self-contained for water and power.  We got on our bikes and did a trail to a lake – hot work as it was in the mid 80’s, but gorgeous. 

In the afternoon, we had one of the highlights of the trip.  We did the Slough Slog which is where the ranger takes a party of 15 into a dome which is a flooded depression in the ground where cypress trees will grow in a circle.  The experience was awesome and I kid you not the group were all ready to high five as it was very surprising from the outset. You had to wear lace up shoes and long trousers and be prepared to be wet up to your thigh.  We were given a stick to walk with, so we set off into the dome. 

Everyone was very giggly at the start as mud started to go over our ankles but after five minutes when we were properly wading at the bottom of the dome – a sense of calm and serenity prevailed.  The water was clear, and not at all smelly.  Alligators will not go into domes as they are tightly packed with trees so not enough space for them to wiggle their tails – so we were assured it was safe.  It was one of those very precious experiences where we are reminded of how exciting nature is.  No one would ever have had the nerve to walk in there if you had not been told it was safe and you soon were totally immersed in walking around the trees and seeing the wildlife. Completely peaceful and a good reminder of how all of this wildlife goes on without us thinking or being aware of it.

We saw ibis in the trees, wood storks and the highlight were two barred owls guarding a nest where one of the eggs had fallen on to the ground. 

Everyone was buzzing when we came out and we then drove to the mahogany canopy where the trees grow over as cover for other species.  Saw a wonderful hawk as we went in with a peachy coloured breast.  We have a lot of birding knowledge to acquire!

Wednesday night we went to a brilliant talk about the Everglades that the rangers put on at the outdoor amphitheatre and it was all about how the Everglades are completely ruined… Man’s interference with water in Florida means that all we are really seeing is the after effects of having messed it up by altering the flow of water from Lake Okeechobee near Orlando.   Even in these more enlightened times where they are trying to reinstate some of the water that would naturally have been in the Everglades – it will only be achieved now by digging trenches and installing gates. 

People did not realise in previous generations but what a complete shame. That said it is still so beautiful. The talk was called ‘the Everglades – America’s ugliest national park’.  The ranger made the point that compared to mountains, redwoods and geysers you have to look for the beauty in the Everglades.  It is not sexy, being no higher than 8ft – but well worth seeing.

Next day on our way we went to – Pa-hay-okee, a lookout point – yet again we marvelled at the wet prairie and watched the birds.  Matt is now taking over to tell you about the Keys …

After the tranquillity of the Everglades (apart from the attention of several billion mosquitos of course, the visitor centre had their level at bearable, the chart goes up to unbelievable!) we drove back through the numerous nursery farms (i.e. growing pot plants for the world it seems) around Homestead on to Highway 1 which runs from the Canadian border down to Key West and unfortunately for much of its length resembles a strip mall.  Our destination was Key Largo and the Key Largo Kampground RV Park as we couldn’t get into the local Florida state park.  The site was largely populated with permanent ‘caravans’ for Sun Birders, northern states old people who travel down to Florida for the winter.  This meant the plots were jealously guarded by devices to protect individual property rights leading to tight corners around the site and a minor dispute between Reg and a pot plant. 

Having snugly parked Reg we got on the Thompson Twins and cycled to investigate the local John Pennekamp Coral Reef state park the first Coral Reef state park in the US, i.e. most of it is under water.  So, as we aren’t Jesus (more of him later) we booked ourselves onto the snorkelling trip out to the local reef for the next day.

Fortunately, the next day dawned bright and windless, a blessing after the day before, and we set off for our ‘cruise’ around 9:30.  It’s worth noting that Alex hadn’t snorkelled before, apart from an attempt on holiday as a child in Portugal when she and her mother wore their glasses under their goggles, so there was some trepidation amongst our party.  This led to the additional hiring of wetsuits to add buoyancy and extra warmth and the fear amongst others in our party we would end up looking like to portly seals.

We boarded the boat to take us out and got into conversation with a couple who turned out to be similar in age who had also just bought their RV and were travelling around Florida for the same period.  Michelle and John are from Long Island and were great company who we also went for drinks with later and also met for dinner.

After a safety briefing from Dean and some expert advice on how to snorkel proficiently we arrived at the diving point on the reef.  It’s here that Jesus appears again, literally in fact as at some point a group of locals had decided to emulate Genoa in Italy and place a life size statue of him atop the reef for divers and snorkelers to admire.  We were warned, however, not to hug Jesus as after his placement he had become home to a number of ‘Fire’ corals that if touched create a strong burning sensation that takes a time to dissipate. 

So, suitably dressed as seals, with a lifejacket on top to add even more buoyancy we set off to meet one member of the holy trinity.  I have to say that although it was odd to see a holy figure cast in concrete atop a beautiful natural sight it was a good way to get orientated in the water as the water was clear to at least 20 feet and he acted as a good marker for snorkelling the rest of the reef.

After our encounter with the son of god we went on to see a large number of beautiful and diverse sea creatures, including shoals of brightly coloured fish, big blue and green groupers, parrot fish, several menacing and eerily still barracuda and a small ray.  Alex’s worries proved groundless and we both spent the whole one and an half hour gliding over the top of the water admiring the scenes below.  To help Alex find me out of the group of us, I kindly had my bald spot atop my head plainly on display.

After drinks watching the sun go down with our new friends at Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill restaurant (he is a Super Bowl winning ex-coach of the Dallas Cowboys, although funnily enough he doesn’t seem to work in his restaurant) we went to sleep exhausted but exhilarated by a day of admiring the beauty of the natural world.

And on to Key West, billed as one of the big ‘party’ and ‘alternate’ towns in the US.  We stayed at Boyd’s campground, another large commercial site, this time with a little more space with our site being handily placed next to the communal toilet and shower block.  This lead to being awoken one night by people using the hand dryers at 1:15 in the morning which I took to be possible robbers.

Our problem with Key West was the weather, after going for drinks at Sloppy Joe’s on the Saturday night of our arrival, Sunday dawned very wet.  As this is meant to be the dry season it was disappointing to say the least, we spent most of the day doing mundane tasks (i.e. laundry and cleaning) and only once the rain stopped around 3pm did we get a chance to go back into town to sight see.  The principal attraction of Key West is that it is the southernmost point of the continental US.  This fact only holds up if you ignore the fact that the Florida Keys are actually a string of islands joined by an highway, but never ones to be put off by such things, the locals claim it as the southernmost point in any case.  We went on a tour of the Hemingway house, where he lived with his second wife (he had four) and up to 70 cats.  He believed that cats brought good luck and consequently collected them, there are still 43 cats on the property which are descendants of those he owned.  The house is interesting in its own right as the largest residential property on the key that was built originally by someone we would euphemistically call a ‘salvage’ expert but who was basically a wrecker, i.e. someone who profited from salvaging valuable goods from ships regularly shipwrecked off the island.  We also watched the sunset with approximately 5,000 other tourists, took in a couple more bars, notably the Green Parrot and walked down to the old navy yard. 

The next day we woke early to see if we could get a cancellation at Bahia Honda state park, that will have to wait for next weeks thrilling instalment from South Florida ….

So, after just over a month back in a wet, windy and cold UK, we return to a wet, windy and hot Florida.  It was lovely seeing everyone over Christmas and New Year, however we’ve returned to the US to lose weight and get fit again.  I understand this is not the normal state of affairs for people visiting the US, however we ate and drank so much and had too many hangovers to get up and run that we shall be using the opportunity to slow the pace of life down again and get buff!

We stayed in The Gale hotel on the non-beach side of Collins in South Beach (SoBe) which was somewhat reduced in attraction by a heavy storm on Sunday night that woke us to the sound of water dripping from the ceiling in our bathroom!  The next day nothing was said about our call to reception at 4;30 in the morning so we suggested that we would have expected some follow up.  This worked to the extent they removed the daily ‘resort’ fee that the hotels charge for access to the beach loungers and a round of drinks in their bar on Saturday night.  Saturday night was also unusual that the hotel has a fashionable nightclub in its basement that when we poked our heads around the bouncer, Alex took one look at the people dancing to Hip Hop (or whatever) and said it was similar to the clubs in New York that she and Gemma found to be dreadful, and we went straight up to bed.

Highlights of South Miami were the tours, we did the Art Deco walking tour from the Art Deco visitor centre.  This explained the history behind Art Deco, the design concepts behind it but also why many hotels only have three stories (four and you need a lift, which in the 1930’s was an expensive addition), why the area is heritage listed (over 800 Art Deco buildings meant it was a no brainer to protect them) and why Gianni Versace was both hero and villain (he popularised SoBe after buying his mansion but knocked down an adjoining Art Deco building to put in his pool).  We also took the Big Bus hop on hop off tour of wider Miami which introduced us to the Coconut Grove (funky and liveable), Coral Gables (exclusive such that they have no sidewalks as no-one who doesn’t live there should need to be there and where you may not have a pick-up truck on your driveway after 4pm) and Little Havana where many of the exiles from Cuba settled after the revolution.

We also enjoyed the Ball and Chain bar in Little Havana, which had a local jazz band (nice…) playing which was an excellent accompaniment to the several Modelo Especials that we had while ‘hopped’ off the tour.

Even after another enjoyable stay in South Miami we needed to get back to Reg, consequently we set off with our expensive new collapsible suitcases (£10 each from a market stall on East Street Market) to return to our home for the next 11 months.  He was exactly as we had left him, if slightly dusty, and after another quick run around with the vacuum and repairing the punctures on the Thompson Twins (our identical bikes) we have set off again on our travels.  Tonight we’re in a commercial park outside the Everglades, more of which next week …

Matt.

We are sitting in Miami waiting for our flight home at the end of the first leg of our journey… and what a lot we have seen!

So, our last week has been entirely in Florida.  We crossed from Georgia about ten days ago, and have driven the A1A coastal highway all the way down until Miami, which we reached on Saturday afternoon.

Florida has been full of contrasts.  To start with we were at North Beach and had three days in a larger, more commercial site which had two restaurants within walking distance.  Matt spoke about this last week – but St Augustine was lovely which was nearby and we started to get some nice sunny days. 

As you go south in the state the weather changes – Miami is really tropical and the affluence of the state is in marked contrast to other places we have been.  You really sense the Spanish influence and Miami in particular is completely cosmopolitan.  You do not even hear English on the streets – so like a hot and sweaty London!

We cycled to a nature reserve on Sunday which loved a warning notice… watch out for ticks, alligators, etc.  We saw an armadillo in the woods – and decided that a future trip or idea for anyone that likes sailing might be to do the intra-coastal inlet – this is the water that runs between the mainland of Florida and a lot of the inhabited islands where the A1A generally runs.  The road crosses water the whole time and is very beautiful.  Reg also went on his second ferry of the trip.

In North Beach there was lots of damage caused by Hurricane Matthew which was a theme that followed us down the coast.  Piers and walkways have been swept away and all the private boat houses seem to have been decimated.

After leaving North Beach we went to the state park at Blue Springs.  All the sites on the coast near to Orlando were fully booked so we had to detour inland for about an hour.  At this time of year, the ‘snowbirds’ – i.e. people from more northern states are holidaying in the south.  We have seen New Jersey, Ohio, New York plates and of course our Michigan one fits in well.

Blue Springs was quite a wildlife place. Originally a blue pool and river inlet, it had been operated as a tourist attraction by the original family for decades, but Florida took it over in 1972 and opened it to the public.  As a result it benefited from boardwalks and boat trips.  The big attraction on this waterway were manatees. These river dolphins breed in this area and it was rather lovely to see them early in the morning and at twilight.  We also saw some amazing birds. 

This was a great base from which we went to the Kennedy Space Centre last Monday.  We had to get up extra early so that Matt could have maximum time there.  It was rather like me at the Abba Museum in Stockholm.  I swear we bought up half the shop and read every plaque.  He may tell you more, but to be honest it was absolutely fascinating. 

A guide called Jeff started us off in the rocket garden where we were introduced to space travel courtesy of the ballistic missile programme pioneered by the military at Cape Canaveral – way before NASA was even created.  The rockets there were genuine spares and even one of them had been damaged by the hurricane – a bit had blown off and they don’t know where it has gone!

After that we went to see the shuttle Atlantis which is in an enormous hanger, although it is not a big as you would imagine. Very worn and close up it looks very homespun. Do you remember those pesky tiles that used to come off at the point of atmospheric re-entry.  Well the Atlantis was covered with fireproof blankets to keep the tiles on.  The surface was worn and burnt from all the times it went back and forth.  There was a moving section on Columbia and Challenger and you appreciated all over again what a success the shuttle programme was.  It took over twenty years to perfect and there were 135 missions.  There would be no space station or Hubble without it.

After that we then went to the best bit I think – which was the bus tour of the launch sites and to see the Apollo museum which has the vast Saturn V rocket on display.  This was  a spare that was never used – lying on its side. Huge!  The vehicle assembly building at the site, where the rockets and craft were prepared is the tallest one storey building in the world and the Stars and Stripes on the side alone is 21 stories long – each stripe being 8ft wide.

The Apollo museum was really good and all the presentations at Kennedy were accompanied with great films and interactive activities. 

There was not nearly enough time to do it all – so do go if you ever get the chance.  It was a weird cross between Disney and the Smithsonian.  There were some tacky rides and simulations, but in terms of making you appreciate the genius of mankind and the courage of everyone involved in space exploration – it more than achieved its purpose.  We were really tired but inspired.  Weird then that John Glenn then died 48 hours later.

Next day we had a hike through the Blue Springs park and had the most terrible thunderstorm.  This as it turns out was the beginning of some iffy weather – but we drove down the coast to our next stop which was the Sebastian Inlet park.

We had planned to be there for a couple of lazy days – right by the beach.  However, we arrived in the storm.  Pelicans galore, we walked that first night at dusk and saw some dolphins eating and also more osprey.  Very dramatic scenery and colours especially with the lightening, but a side effect was the worst bugs ever!  The Americans call them ‘no see ums’.  They are tinier than the screens in Reg so we ended up being holed up with the AC on that night. Quite simply I think if we have not contracted Zika – I will be amazed!  We have been bitten by everything, everywhere! 

Next day we tried again and decided that we would be hardy and just do a cycle trail no matter what.  In fact we both ended up with punctures from fishing hooks as I have never seen so many anglers in one place in all my life.  Either side of the inlet were piers and they were crowded morning noon and night – a bit like that bridge in Istanbul where everyone fishes from.

Walking our bikes back to the site was hot, sweaty work – but we manged to have a beer at a café and some shrimps just to make it all seem a bit better!

After Sebastian Inlet, we drove further south again to Del Ray beach.  We found a site that Reg could stay at for a month, so we got parked up and started to organise what we needed to do to get back home.

We hired a car on Friday and drove back to Palm Beach which is the most exclusive part of the Florida coast (I think so far).  This is where Trump has his resort which the A1A drives right past.  The money was oozing out of the place. We have seen more Jaguars, Bentleys and Rolls Royces in this last few days than even maybe Park Lane on a Saturday night.  The property, golf courses and hotels are stunning.  Some of the houses can be glimpsed through huge hedges with their own beach frontage and then access to the waterway at the back where they have their boats moored.

Driving was weird – so quiet, so fast, so easy!  We went to the Flagler museum in Palm Beach.  Henry Flagler was the partner of Rockefeller and founded Standard Oil with him.  He devoted his life to developing Florida – building hotels all down the coast and most crucially the rail road which eventually went all the way to the Florida Keys until it was swept away by a hurricane… but more of that when we get there.

Old Flagler was obviously quite a cool guy – and his own home – Whitehall in Palm Beach is now a museum.  We spent a  couple of hours there and it has been described as the Hurst Castle of the East Coast.  It was really interesting.

After that we went to Breakers – one of his hotels.  Completely and utterly luxurious.  We had a bite to eat and a drink, felt like paupers and realised that this is a very different America to what we have seen in Mississippi and Alabama!  It was St Tropez, Paris, London, New York all rolled into one. Great people watching – but we needed to get back to Reg.

This weekend we packed Reg up on Saturday. Matt washed him, despite it raining. Luckily after our three thousand miles he is in good shape. Matt thank goodness did not slip off the roof – or we would have Matt’s Mishaps part two.  We had to put the bikes inside, but packed our cases and set off in the car to Miami.

We arrived here to a beautiful hotel called One at South Beach and have had a wonderful time despite the most terrible weather. It has rained, blown a gale and been dark and stormy for 48 hours.  However, the sun came out today and we finally got to sit by the pool and walk by the beach. 

South Beach is great – so much Art Deco – we are looking forward to having a bit more time here when we come back in January.  We did some Christmas shopping in between the showers, but have loved the shower and the huge bed after Reg. 

So what a great couple of months it has been.   We keep asking each other about highlights and what we have learnt.  The natural beauty of the place is amazing – as is the hospitality and friendliness of the people.  We have loved the history and how well they present it. 

We have been very content with life on the road and Reg has been a dream and very comfortable.  We are quite chuffed that so far, we have got ourselves from A to B without killing each other.  Roll on 2017 and Merry Christmas.

A&M xx

 

Less scintillating than Pictures of Lilly, however there is a guest appearance in the second one from my co-driver!

We’ve been waiting for decent WiFi speeds to enable the upload, so I’m hoping you all think its been worth the wait. Thank you to Nick for the loan of the video camera.

There have been ructions in Reg about the division of labour in writing this blog so consequently a new author will appear on alternate weeks with a different perspective on our travels, let me introduce Reg (no, it’s really Matt, however the thoughts of a one tonne bus might be more insightful).

We left you with us moving on to Georgia, the Peach state, of which we sampled only one product containing peaches which was a small pie purchased, yet again (sigh), from Walmart, the product may not have actually contained anything more than peach extract, it was, however, very tasty.

OK, so we visited Columbus, a town also visited by General Sherman on his tour of the southern states during the civil war, and like several other of his destinations he refashioned it by burning much of its industry to the ground.  Even more devastating was that it was destroyed after the signature of surrender by confederate forces and consequently after the end of the war. After the war it was rebuilt with a number of large brick warehouses and factories that now host parts of the local university.  It also has a number of attractive houses in downtown and was overall pretty but boring on a quiet Sunday afternoon.

We decided to push on and drove on to spend the night in Arrowhead State Park, outside of Macon, Georgia.  Woke again to a view of a beautiful lake and a rather more difficult run around several hills around the park.  Visited Macon, the main thing to say is more slave owners’ houses and a crap lunch, moved on quickly to … Ocmulgee (pronounced Oak-MULL-gee as in the sub-continental Indian foodstuff).  Ocmulgee was worth the visit as it’s another example of the Mississippian Mound Builder traditions of the original Indian inhabitants of the Mississippi region that died out before Europeans arrived.  The Mississippian’s built a number of large mounds in the area that were still a sacred site to the local tribes when Europeans did arrive. Unfortunately the local tribes, named Creek by the British but continuing to call themselves Ocmulgeee, were again dispossessed and forcibly relocated by a series of lopsided treaties.  This resulted in the Ocmulgee Creek now having their reservation in Oklahoma, several hundred miles from their traditional homeland and the railroad digging cuttings across two of the most significant mounds.  The US did, however, conduct a large archaeological dig during the thirties which highlighted the significance of the mounds and discovered an Indian lodge with the complete floor intact, including a large Eagle relief.  The National Parks have an interesting museum and have recreated the roof to the lodge, including what I suspect isn’t the original air conditioning ducts on the mound.

From here we decided to drive rapidly across much of Georgia to get to Savannah, again arriving after dark at our campsite, Skidaway Island State Park.  The morning after we awoke to a vista of trees and much higher temperatures along with evidence of the havoc wreaked earlier in the year by hurricane Matthew (I know, good to be immortalised as the largest natural events to have affected the US in 2016).  Matthew had brought down a large number of trees in the park and torn up the boardwalk to the bird watching lookout and the pars service is still clearing up the debris a month after the event.  After walking around the trails of the park we went into downtown Savannah to sample the local hostelries as Alex had discovered you can park overnight in the visitor’s centre for eight dollars and consequently we could both have a drink and not worry about getting back to Reg!

Savannah is beautiful, a lovely antebellum city (again, unfortunately, built on the exploitation of slaves) with lovely houses, sophisticated shops and restaurants, and for once a sympathetic use of old warehouses along the river front for restaurants and bars.  We walked around the city, had seafood in a bar overlooking the river and watched an osprey drop down to try and catch fish in the river.  We walked back along Jones Street ‘the prettiest street in Savannah’ thinking it wouldn’t be a hardship were we to have to live here for a period.  We went to dinner in The Old Pink House, an old bank, painted pink that has an enormous (like the Tardis it is much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside!) series of dining rooms inside, all filled with local people.  We both had the same special of grouper stuffed with crab on a bed of mashed potato, and it was the best meal out we’ve had so far.  The only fly in the ointment was the typical rush that the meal was served in, we were in and out within an hour, and the bizarre over attentiveness of the wait staff culminating in one of the hostesses asking if there were anything else she could do to improve the already excellent experience! (her words).  After dinner we had a couple of drinks on the roof terrace of an old cotton warehouse overlooking the river and watched two large Americans get into their twin beds in the Hyatt Regency hotel next door and go to sleep around 9pm.

Waking up in a car park the next day, we set off to visit Tybee Island and to sample the ‘Breakfast Clubs’ breakfast as recommended in our Moon’s guide.  Tybee is similar to the Gold Coast in Australia, i.e. a strip of modern motels and restaurants with sunshine.  The breakfast was, by the way, not good and we’d recommend avoiding.  What shouldn’t be avoided was the absolutely beautiful sweeping beach that fronts Tybee.  On the way out we visited Fort Polaski, a fort built, with one Lieutenant Robert E Lee as the main engineer, to keep the British out, confiscated by the local Georgia militia at the beginning of the Civil War and pounded into submission after 30 hours by the Union forces on their arrival in 1862.  It was also pounded by Hurricane Matthew, experiencing the highest tidal surge in its history and remarkably already predominantly repaired after several boardwalks and bridges were destroyed.

From Savannah we drove south along interstate 95, completely missing the beautiful drive along US highway 17 as recommended in Moons in our desire to reach Florida quickly.  So, after driving for much of the day we arrived at Fort Clinch State Park, Florida, on the evening of the 30^th November.  Fort Clinch was another fort conceived as coastal defences against you know who, this time though it wasn’t deemed strategic by either side of the Civil War and was largely left to softly decay until being restored as part of the work schemes within FDR’s new deal in the 1930’s.

We drove south from Fort Clinch along US highway A1A which travels along the Atlantic coast and is quite attractive with large houses on the shore front, several exclusive resorts and the third largest US navy base, complete with at least one aircraft carrier, along the route.  The highlight though was the ferry across the St John’s River at Mayport where we drove Reg on and off while reducing the journey distance by 30 miles.  We arrived at our location for the next three nights, North Beach RV resort, in the evening and went for a walk along the beach.  Again the beach ranges for miles, has a plethora of birdlife, we saw sand pipers, pelicans and three ospreys, and exhibits a lot of damage from Matthew.  The damage is such that a large number of the properties along the beach are uninhabitable as the piles supporting them have been exposed by the tidal surges removing the sand dunes on which they have been built.

St Augustine proclaims to be the oldest town in what is now the US as it was originally settled by Spanish explores in the 16^th century, destroyed twice by us (including Sir Francis Drake) and now home to what is an unusual American city in being predominantly pedestrianised with nice cafes and gift shops (some of you may receive items from said gift shops in the not too distant future!).  We had a lovely dinner, apart from the mistake of thinking when asking for our fish to be fried it would be pan fried rather than the deep fried that it was actually was!  Dinner was accompanied by a local trio playing pop classics in the style of the Smashing Pumpkins (brilliant!).

So, next time we will be in Miami at the end of the first chapter of our journey.  Have a great week.

M x

Climax (Michigan)

Bald Knob (Illinois)

Chunky (Mississippi)

Having followed the Great River Road beside the Mississippi – we finally turned east at the start of last week so that we can make the plane in Miami on 12th December.

To be completely honest if anyone says that they would like to travel the Great River Road, it might be an idea to tell them that in fact there is not a lot of ‘river’ in the Great River Road.  Because the Mississippi used to flood a lot and very badly – there are levees and barriers all along it, plus some industry.  It was not quite what we imagined.  I thought we might meander beside it, lolling along the bends and having a bite to eat at regular intervals along the way.  The truth is that it is very underutilised, especially for leisure or outdoor eating.  Of course, it is stinking hot in the summer and the insects would be horrific so only crazy Brits would want to sit beside it when you could be in an air-conditioned Wendy’s!!

What the Great River Road has been good for though is as a route through states that we have only ever heard of – and that sound so exciting – Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi.  In the new year when we go to New Orleans we will complete the journey with Louisiana.   The landscape, the sheer vastness, the big skies and colours this autumn have made it a great drive and a wonderful experience – so we were very grateful to the Great River Road.  It was an excellent start and very kind to Reg and his novice drivers. 

 

Vicksburg is crucial to the Civil War story.  We spent last Monday in the cemetery where every state represented in this battle has memorials to the men they lost.   It was cleverly presented with the different colours – red for the Confederates and blue for the Union troops.  The coloured posts marked out where the defence of the town and the attacks were staged.  The mound that the cemetery is on is still scarred by trenches and craters from explosions.  20,000 people were killed, lost or wounded at Vicksburg – so the scale of suffering is humbling.  No doubt if you were American it would feel more emotional, but nonetheless as with all war graves you come away bloody pleased that we live in these times where we are so shielded from war.

Although we were going east from Vicksburg we both agreed to another southern detour – which was to go and see Natchez, a town beside the Mississippi.  It was just glorious and in the war, because it was so lovely, it was not burnt down.  Loads of antebellum houses and we randomly got a shot of rum from a distiller as we walked past his shop!  It was a beautiful sunny day and we started on the ‘could we live in Natchez’ routine and how brilliant it was.  Then we went back to where we had parked and I saw a notice on the wall which was to commemorate someone who had been killed by the Ku Klux Klan in Natchez in 1967 but worst of all – no one had ever been charged!!  Well talk about going off a place…

What also made us take the detour is this amazing road – the Natchez Trace Parkway.  Originally a trail from Native Americans – this road was awesome and it runs from Natchez to Nashville.  We only went to Jackson on it – but it was superb.  Lined with pine trees – must be 50ft tall, oaks and maple trees.  Every shade of green, brown, yellow and red that you can imagine.  Rolling slopes and dappled light as the sun got lower.  We would love to have carried on to Nashville it was so good, but we had to stay in Jackson that night – state capital of Mississippi.   (All Reg likes is smooth tarmac – and it had that too.)

Jackson the day before Thanksgiving was probably the low point of the trip so far.  Nothing against Jackson but Matt and I rather morphed into Johnny Cash and June Carter.  It rained (it never rains!), we could not park Reg for love nor money and when we thought we had done so – a woman came over and shouted at us so we had to leave her empty car park and try again.  The potholes, the city traffic and to top it all low-slung trees – made this the worst thing so far. After an awful lot of stress and shouting we gave up on Jackson.  We will just play the record from now on!

We spent Thanksgiving in a park in Alabama – you guessed by a lake!  Very relaxing after the stresses of Jackson to have a bit of time in one place – we cycled and it was hot enough to eat outside which was great.  No one asked us into their RV for a turkey dinner on Thursday – which we were quite relieved about – but it is a funny sensation to be surrounded by people marking something that means nothing to you and that you are not taking part in.  Perhaps this is what Jehovah Witnesses feel about Christmas!

Alabama seemed even more drought affected than Mississippi.  Every lake and river is either dried up or well down on normal levels.  There is a burn ban on all the sites and the whole place is brown and dusty.

Highlight of Alabama for us both was yesterday when we spent the day in Montgomery the state capital.  Famous for Rosa Parks, but also for being technically where the Civil War started as Jefferson Davis the Confederate president sent the telegram to start the hostilities from Montgomery.   The alternative White House that the confederate first family used for four months is open to the public and we had a mooch around that. 

Highlight again was the civil rights memorial.  I am very aware that this blog seems to be about lakes and civil rights.  I am sorry about that but it was very moving.

So instead I will tell you that we had a wonderful dip – spinach and artichoke and a few beers after all our walking around the city.  There was also another huge sporting event on.  This time college football.  Would you know that Alabama is the leading college team and their nearest rivals are the other university in Alabama, Auburn.  They were in the Iron Bowl yesterday – so we watched some people cheering and groaning as Alabama (The Crimson Tide) beat Auburn (Tigers).

Nat King Cole was born in Montgomery – interesting fact for you. 

Talking of songs we now have Georgia on our mind….