Monday, August 6, 2007
Wednesday 11 July 2007 - Seoul to Brisbane
Last day of our holiday. After another amazing buffet breakfast we took a taxi to the Yongsan Electronics Market which is made up of over 20 buildings housing 5,000 stores that sell appliances, sound equipment, computers and peripherals, office equipment, telephones, cameras, lighting equipment, electronic games and software, and videos and CDs. If its electronic and you can't find it here, you can get it built! To do well and get a true bargain you need to have done your homework and know exactly what you are after and make sure that it will be compatible at home. We looked at the huge variety of mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, etc, etc. The software all appeared to be in Korean which was not much good to us. Ended up purchasing a great set of earphones for Heather's mp3 player and, because it was raining, we also bought a low tech umbrella!
Back to the hotel to pack, check out and catch the bus to Incheon International Airport for the flight home.
Back to the hotel to pack, check out and catch the bus to Incheon International Airport for the flight home.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Tuesday 10 July 2007 - Seoul
The buffet breakfasts here at the Sofitel Ambassadore are terrific. You can get whatever you want, from cereals, fruit, eggs, bacon, sausage, breads and pastries to Kimchi, seaweed, rice and soup.
We went on tours today - Ian to the DMZ and Heather on a Royal Palace Tour.
Ian's DMZ Tour - He was picked up from the hotel at 7.40am and boarded a minibus to Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, ID Check Point, Unification village, The 3rd Tunnel (DMZ Theatre Exhibition Hall), Dora observatory, Dorasan Station, Imjingak Park, Ginseng Centre and then back to the hotel.
He was disappointed that he did not come across Slim Jim from the Imjin!
Heather's Palace Tour - She was picked up by her tour guide from the hotel at 8.40am and taken by minibus to Cheonggye Stream, past the Blue House (home of the President), Deoksugung Palace, Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, Amethyst Factory and then dropped of at Itaewon Shopping Centre. Spent a couple of hours and did a bit of shopping and people watching before getting a taxi back to the hotel.
Back at the hotel we showered and dressed for dinner. We spent a nice evening at Pub Restaurant "Gran-A" which featured a terrific Phillipino band. We even had a dance and Heather was asked to dance by a Korean guy! Good fun. Last night of our wonderful holiday.
We went on tours today - Ian to the DMZ and Heather on a Royal Palace Tour.
Ian's DMZ Tour - He was picked up from the hotel at 7.40am and boarded a minibus to Imjingak Park, Freedom Bridge, ID Check Point, Unification village, The 3rd Tunnel (DMZ Theatre Exhibition Hall), Dora observatory, Dorasan Station, Imjingak Park, Ginseng Centre and then back to the hotel.
He was disappointed that he did not come across Slim Jim from the Imjin!
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| Demilitari |
Heather's Palace Tour - She was picked up by her tour guide from the hotel at 8.40am and taken by minibus to Cheonggye Stream, past the Blue House (home of the President), Deoksugung Palace, Jogyesa Buddhist Temple, Amethyst Factory and then dropped of at Itaewon Shopping Centre. Spent a couple of hours and did a bit of shopping and people watching before getting a taxi back to the hotel.
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| Royal PalaceTour |
Back at the hotel we showered and dressed for dinner. We spent a nice evening at Pub Restaurant "Gran-A" which featured a terrific Phillipino band. We even had a dance and Heather was asked to dance by a Korean guy! Good fun. Last night of our wonderful holiday.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Monday 9 July 2007 - Seoul
After a great buffet breakfast at the hotel, we went out to explore. Walked down the hill and found a street full of motorbikes followed by a street full of bubblewrap and other packaging materials, and so it went on...one street after another full of different products. Got lost in the fabrics area followed by the buttons district and the laces district. Then we found Dongdaemun Market and wandered through its maze of stores. Akko got a bit pissed off at this stage! We then found Doota, a big department store - but it was Monday, a "Regular Closed Day"!! Got lost in the wholesale area and kept getting nearly run over by scooters and motorbikes loaded to the extreme. Crossed the road and found the shoe street. Akko did a big dummy spit at this and told me he would meet me at the end of the street. After finally purchasing a pair of socks we caught a cab back to the hotel.
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| Seoul |
Monday, July 9, 2007
Saturday 7 July and Sunday 8 July 2007 - New York to Seoul
Packed! This has become a bit of an art form - trying to even out the weight between all the bags and fit everything in! We had pre-booked a car to drive us to the airport so we had a chance to drive across the Queensboro Bridge and do a bit more sightseeing on the way to JFK International.
Long wait for the departure of our plane at 1355 on 7th and long flight - 13 hours - but Korean Air is a pleasure to fly with. Our only complaint was that we had numb bums by the time we arrived at Incheon International Airport at 1730 on 8 July.
After clearing immigration and customs, which took about an hour, we messed about finding the correct bus for the hours drive to our hotel, the Sofitel Ambassador. We were pretty beat and stayed in our room which has a fabulous view of the city. Ian found an Australian channel on the TV and was happy to hear a home grown accent and an update on Australian news. We had no Internet connection in the hotel in New York, so I checked our email and updated the blog before calling it quits and going to bed.
Long wait for the departure of our plane at 1355 on 7th and long flight - 13 hours - but Korean Air is a pleasure to fly with. Our only complaint was that we had numb bums by the time we arrived at Incheon International Airport at 1730 on 8 July.
After clearing immigration and customs, which took about an hour, we messed about finding the correct bus for the hours drive to our hotel, the Sofitel Ambassador. We were pretty beat and stayed in our room which has a fabulous view of the city. Ian found an Australian channel on the TV and was happy to hear a home grown accent and an update on Australian news. We had no Internet connection in the hotel in New York, so I checked our email and updated the blog before calling it quits and going to bed.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Friday 6 July 2007 - New York
Caught a bus down 2nd Avenue to City Hall and walked to Battery Point from where the ferries leave for Staten Island, Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty. The Park has lots to look at including sculptures, monuments, street performers and vendors. One of the most remarkable sculptures is that which had stood in the foyer of the World Trade Centre.
After taking in the sights and photographing several, we took the Staten Island Ferry to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. The Harbour is very busy and we had an added bonus as the new Queen Mary II was in port.
On our return we visited the New York Vietnam Veteran's memorial and then walked along Wall Street in the Financial District.
We needed lunch, even though it was about 3pm by this stage, so we found the Mudville 9 Pub which has a baseball and sports theme and which proved to be something like the bar in Cheers where everyone knew one another. By the time we had our lunch and a couple of beers we knew Vinnie, the owner; Wendy, the barmaid; Nash, a 6 foot 5 inch regular who is an electrician who commutes two hours each way from his home in Long Island to work on the tallest building being built in New York since the Empire State Building. We had also chatted to several other regulars. Great fun!
Took the subway back uptown to be closer to our hotel and walked around the area. Chatted to a lady who was walking her Sydney Silky. We have found New Yorkers to be very friendly, despite their reputation. Called in at the Blue Room before going back to the hotel for our last night in the US.
After taking in the sights and photographing several, we took the Staten Island Ferry to get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. The Harbour is very busy and we had an added bonus as the new Queen Mary II was in port.
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| New York |
On our return we visited the New York Vietnam Veteran's memorial and then walked along Wall Street in the Financial District.
We needed lunch, even though it was about 3pm by this stage, so we found the Mudville 9 Pub which has a baseball and sports theme and which proved to be something like the bar in Cheers where everyone knew one another. By the time we had our lunch and a couple of beers we knew Vinnie, the owner; Wendy, the barmaid; Nash, a 6 foot 5 inch regular who is an electrician who commutes two hours each way from his home in Long Island to work on the tallest building being built in New York since the Empire State Building. We had also chatted to several other regulars. Great fun!
Took the subway back uptown to be closer to our hotel and walked around the area. Chatted to a lady who was walking her Sydney Silky. We have found New Yorkers to be very friendly, despite their reputation. Called in at the Blue Room before going back to the hotel for our last night in the US.
Thursday 5 July 2007 - New York
I headed off to find Central Park which is fabulous - an oasis in the centre of a concrete jungle. Even though it was early morning it was quite full of people walking their dogs, runners, people doing tai chi and sightseers. The street curbs were full of bagged garbage and the garbos were doing their rounds - amazing how much garbage is generated.
After showering and changing for the day we headed off to a diner for breakfast and then took a bus down 2nd Avenue and through Chinatown to Ground Zero. Directly across the road is Century 21 which is an outlet for designer clothing, houseware, jewellery, etc. Ian went to see the Firefighter's museum which is all he wants to say about that! I went walking. I finally arrived back at the hotel at about 7pm after exploring the Garment district, Greenwich village, Union Square, Times Square and then along 42nd Street.
We ordered room service and called it a day.
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| Central Park |
After showering and changing for the day we headed off to a diner for breakfast and then took a bus down 2nd Avenue and through Chinatown to Ground Zero. Directly across the road is Century 21 which is an outlet for designer clothing, houseware, jewellery, etc. Ian went to see the Firefighter's museum which is all he wants to say about that! I went walking. I finally arrived back at the hotel at about 7pm after exploring the Garment district, Greenwich village, Union Square, Times Square and then along 42nd Street.
We ordered room service and called it a day.
Wednesday 4 July 2007 - Fayetteville to New York
Chris and Joan, neighbours of JB and Betty, had driven us into town at 8.30 last night and we had dinner at the Hardware House Micro-brewery Restaurant before going to the railway station.
The Amtrak train was running late and finally, at 3.15am it pulled out of Fayetteville. We dozed on and off until daylight and then watched as we passed though Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before arriving at New York Penn Station at 1.30pm.
After we had collected our bags and made our way to the station exit we were swooped on by someone who turned out to be a taxi touter- illegal!! However, it turned out OK for us because he lead us to where the taxis were and I don't think we would have found the street easily without him. Despite all the stories about rude New York cabbies, we got a nice friendly and informative driver who brought us to The Benley hotel at 500E 62nd Street where we checked into a nice room with a view of the East River and the Queensboro Bridge and the cable cars which run regularly to Roosvelt Island.
We dumped our bags, admired the view and then went out to explore the neighbourhood...I think I saw Seinfeld's building and Becker's diner!! I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and Ian was telling me to SLOW DOWN!! I couldn't, so I went off to find Bloomingdales and look around a bit more before coming back to th hotel to shower and change for the 4th July fireworks.
We went up to the 21st floor of The Bentley where they have a restaurant and bar and a better view of the river than that from our room. We were told that they were fully booked - gloom! We asked them to call us if they had a cancellation and they did - joy!! It turned out to be a great night despite that fact that the fireworks were a bit obscured by a king sized spray painting booth over part of the bridge.
The Amtrak train was running late and finally, at 3.15am it pulled out of Fayetteville. We dozed on and off until daylight and then watched as we passed though Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before arriving at New York Penn Station at 1.30pm.
After we had collected our bags and made our way to the station exit we were swooped on by someone who turned out to be a taxi touter- illegal!! However, it turned out OK for us because he lead us to where the taxis were and I don't think we would have found the street easily without him. Despite all the stories about rude New York cabbies, we got a nice friendly and informative driver who brought us to The Benley hotel at 500E 62nd Street where we checked into a nice room with a view of the East River and the Queensboro Bridge and the cable cars which run regularly to Roosvelt Island.
We dumped our bags, admired the view and then went out to explore the neighbourhood...I think I saw Seinfeld's building and Becker's diner!! I was bouncing off the walls with excitement and Ian was telling me to SLOW DOWN!! I couldn't, so I went off to find Bloomingdales and look around a bit more before coming back to th hotel to shower and change for the 4th July fireworks.
We went up to the 21st floor of The Bentley where they have a restaurant and bar and a better view of the river than that from our room. We were told that they were fully booked - gloom! We asked them to call us if they had a cancellation and they did - joy!! It turned out to be a great night despite that fact that the fireworks were a bit obscured by a king sized spray painting booth over part of the bridge.
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| New York |
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Thursday 28 June to Monday 3 July 2007 - Fayetteville
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TANYA (2nd July)
R and R in Fayetteville. After all the excitement of driving about 10000km in 6 weeks we have enjoyed staying put for the past 5 days. During this time we have enjoyed visiting the local malls, drinks in the evening at Charlie Mike's Bar and sampling different restaurants from Korean to Southern Chicken to Mexican. Heather has got back into training in an effort to be able to last the distance in this year's Bridge to Brisbane on 5 August 2007! Whew!!
JB, Betty and Bryan took off on Saturday for a work commitment in Oklahoma City. Betty is the manager of the JFK Special Forces Museum at Fort Bragg. She is a one-woman powerhouse! I helped her load the Chevy cargo van with merchandise to be sold at the Special Forces Convention over in Oklahoma. She can fit more stuff into a small space than anyone else in the world...amazing!
We have been left in charge of the house, Sachiko the cat and JB's lawn. Ian's rain dance worked on the first night and the lawn got a really good soaking.
Sachiko is 14 years old and is recovering from being very ill. He is fighting fit again now and eating like a horse - 4 cans of cat food in one day! Betty also feeds the neighbourhood feral cats and we have discovered a mother and four kittens living under the trees in the back yard.
Across the road neighbours, Joan and Chris, have kindly offered to drive us to the train station tonight so that we can board the Amtrak Silver Meteor bound for New York where we will experience 4th July celebrations.
R and R in Fayetteville. After all the excitement of driving about 10000km in 6 weeks we have enjoyed staying put for the past 5 days. During this time we have enjoyed visiting the local malls, drinks in the evening at Charlie Mike's Bar and sampling different restaurants from Korean to Southern Chicken to Mexican. Heather has got back into training in an effort to be able to last the distance in this year's Bridge to Brisbane on 5 August 2007! Whew!!
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| 35Fayettev |
JB, Betty and Bryan took off on Saturday for a work commitment in Oklahoma City. Betty is the manager of the JFK Special Forces Museum at Fort Bragg. She is a one-woman powerhouse! I helped her load the Chevy cargo van with merchandise to be sold at the Special Forces Convention over in Oklahoma. She can fit more stuff into a small space than anyone else in the world...amazing!
We have been left in charge of the house, Sachiko the cat and JB's lawn. Ian's rain dance worked on the first night and the lawn got a really good soaking.
Sachiko is 14 years old and is recovering from being very ill. He is fighting fit again now and eating like a horse - 4 cans of cat food in one day! Betty also feeds the neighbourhood feral cats and we have discovered a mother and four kittens living under the trees in the back yard.
Across the road neighbours, Joan and Chris, have kindly offered to drive us to the train station tonight so that we can board the Amtrak Silver Meteor bound for New York where we will experience 4th July celebrations.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday 27 June 2007 - Rocky Mount to Fayetteville
From Rocky Mount we slowly headed South stopping at the Smithfield Outlet Mall for some retail therapy and lunch at the Cracker Barrel, a country cooking restaurant which has become a favourite.
The photo shows that Ian has adopted the American way of driving!!!
It was good to see JB and Betty in Fayetteville again and their son, Brian had arrived home from Hawaii where he had been based with the US Army. Their other son, Bradley is due home this weekend from Iraq to be with his wife for the birth of their fourth child. JB and Betty's worries for their boys can be put on hold for a little while.
The photo shows that Ian has adopted the American way of driving!!!
It was good to see JB and Betty in Fayetteville again and their son, Brian had arrived home from Hawaii where he had been based with the US Army. Their other son, Bradley is due home this weekend from Iraq to be with his wife for the birth of their fourth child. JB and Betty's worries for their boys can be put on hold for a little while.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Tuesday 26 June 2007 - Nags Head to Rocky Mount
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAYDEN!
Drove to Kill Devil Hill the site of the Wright Brothers first flight. The site is administered by the National Parks and is very well preserved and includes an excellent museum. The large monument in the photograph was erected in 1928 for the 25th anniversary of the first flight. In one of the photos you will also see four granite stones marking the distances of the four flights of the first day, 17 December 1903. The brothers took it in turns to fly the aircraft..the first distance being just over 100 feet and the last being in excess of 800 feet. The photos also show a sculpture of the Wright flyer celebrating 100 years of flight.
We then took Highway 64 West to the mainland, crossing Roanoke Island the place where the first English child was born in the new world. On through the low lying country of Dismal Swamp to the little historical town of Plymouth which has a great Civil War museum and a 6:10 working model of the Confederate States ironclad Albemarle. For those of you who are interested, the story of the ship is well worth a Google search as it was quite unique.
We walked through the historic part of town admiring some of the buildings which still show damage from civil war days. A replica of the original lighthouse was interesting as you can see from the photograph.
We pushed on to Rocky Mount for the night.
Drove to Kill Devil Hill the site of the Wright Brothers first flight. The site is administered by the National Parks and is very well preserved and includes an excellent museum. The large monument in the photograph was erected in 1928 for the 25th anniversary of the first flight. In one of the photos you will also see four granite stones marking the distances of the four flights of the first day, 17 December 1903. The brothers took it in turns to fly the aircraft..the first distance being just over 100 feet and the last being in excess of 800 feet. The photos also show a sculpture of the Wright flyer celebrating 100 years of flight.
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| Wright Brothers - Kill Devil Hill |
We then took Highway 64 West to the mainland, crossing Roanoke Island the place where the first English child was born in the new world. On through the low lying country of Dismal Swamp to the little historical town of Plymouth which has a great Civil War museum and a 6:10 working model of the Confederate States ironclad Albemarle. For those of you who are interested, the story of the ship is well worth a Google search as it was quite unique.
We walked through the historic part of town admiring some of the buildings which still show damage from civil war days. A replica of the original lighthouse was interesting as you can see from the photograph.
We pushed on to Rocky Mount for the night.
Sunday 24 and Monday 25 June 2007 - Cedar Island to Nags Head
We drove on to the ferry for the 2.5 hour trip to Ocracoke Island at the Southern end of the Outer Banks. This is where Blackbeard had been captured, beheaded, his head hung from the bowsprit for the 5 day journey up to Virginia to show the Governor that Blackbeard would be causing no more trouble.
Ocracoke with its lighthouse is a very pretty place. We walked around the marinas, checked out the shops and found The Flying Melon Restaurant which had been recommended to us by the crew of a local yacht charter boat. They were right...it was very good.
It was time to say goodbye to JB and Betty who were returning to Fayetteville.
We drove on Northward to the end of Ocracoke where we got on to another vehicular ferry to Hatteras Island. Drove to the Northern end admiring the scenery to Cape Hatteras the location of the famous Hatteras Lighthouse. At nearly 300 feet high it is the highest brick lighthouse in the world. It was openned in 1870, but due to the shifting sand and the danger of it being claimed by the sea it was moved in 1999 about half a km inland...a great feat of engineering. It was basically jacked up onto a sled and dragged on railway lines to its current position.
I climbed to the top to enjoy spectacular views. The Outer Banks of North Carolina are also called the graveyard of the Atlanic. In the last 400 years well over 600 vessels have come to grief along their Eastern shore.
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The only thing allowed to be picked up off the beach and kept are seashells and driftwood. There are still stories of pirates and Spanish gold being washed up after heavy weather.
After more sightseeing we arrived in Nags Head and found a motel right on the beach. We spent Monday on the beach and looking around the area. We enjoyed the architecture which is unique to the area. Nearby was the Beach Road Bar and Grill which served great chicken wings.
Saturday 23 June 2007 - Fayetteville to Cedar Island
Betty and JB in their Subaru and us in the Blue Goose departed Fayetteville for the Coast.
Tom took us through rural areas of Eastern North Carolina through Jacksonville, a big US Marine town, through Morehead City and on to Beaufort, a wonderful old historical seaside town.
It was in the vicinity of Beaufort that Blackbeard the Pirate's ship, Queen Anne's Revenge was sunk in the early 1700's. There are quite a few artifacts in the local maritime museum which we visited after a great long lunch at the Waterfront Bar which overlooks local anchorage. There was a great deal of activity with people fishing, sailing, tourist boats...plenty to watch. We also took a walk along the boardwalk checking out boats on the various marinas. The stars were a 90 foot motor yacht from the Cayman Islands and two old timber schooners.
We drove on to Cedar Island to board the ferry to Ocracoke the next morning. We spent the evening watching an amazing sunset and walking along the beach.
Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 June 2007 - Fayetteville
Vegged out in Fayetteville catching up on things like laundry, car servicing, sightseeing and socialising with Betty and JB.
Discovered that the charger and battery for the camera had been left in Cherokee plugged in to the wall for charging. Phone calls and emails have been unsuccessful in finding it, so the hunt has begun to find a replacement!!! Gloom and doom!!!
Ian and JB had Friday night drinkies at Charlie Mike's Bar, the hangout for crusty old soldiers who get together once a week and talk about their adventures of a hundred years ago....the older we get the better we was!! I don't think this refers to some of them, especially guys like Kenny Mack, who was on the Son Tay Raid.
Discovered that the charger and battery for the camera had been left in Cherokee plugged in to the wall for charging. Phone calls and emails have been unsuccessful in finding it, so the hunt has begun to find a replacement!!! Gloom and doom!!!
Ian and JB had Friday night drinkies at Charlie Mike's Bar, the hangout for crusty old soldiers who get together once a week and talk about their adventures of a hundred years ago....the older we get the better we was!! I don't think this refers to some of them, especially guys like Kenny Mack, who was on the Son Tay Raid.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Tuesday 19 June 2007 - Cherokee to Fayetteville NC
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!
Packed up and left Cherokee early. Saw three deer as we were driving into the township. Then on outof the hills through lovely countryside and arrived at JB and Betty's in Fayetteville at about 4pm.
TBetty arrived home after work and trook us to meet up with JB who was at General Jackson's Bar. Had a drink there and then went to The Brewery for dinner. It is a micro brewery which also serves great steaks.
Packed up and left Cherokee early. Saw three deer as we were driving into the township. Then on outof the hills through lovely countryside and arrived at JB and Betty's in Fayetteville at about 4pm.
TBetty arrived home after work and trook us to meet up with JB who was at General Jackson's Bar. Had a drink there and then went to The Brewery for dinner. It is a micro brewery which also serves great steaks.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Saturday 16, Sunday 17 and Monday 18 June 2007 - Cherokee
The town of Cherokee has lots of Indian craft and souvenir shops, Indian museum and village.
We explored a replica of a late 1800s farm, checked out the Hurrah Casino, went on several walks though the forest trails and drove a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The mountains, rivers, trees and wildflowers are spectacular. We were unlucky in that we only saw one enormous stag, a squirrel and lots of birds but no other wildlife which abound in this area.
We explored a replica of a late 1800s farm, checked out the Hurrah Casino, went on several walks though the forest trails and drove a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The mountains, rivers, trees and wildflowers are spectacular. We were unlucky in that we only saw one enormous stag, a squirrel and lots of birds but no other wildlife which abound in this area.
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Friday 15 June 2007 - Pigeon Forge to Cherokee NC
Drove through the forest to Gatlinburg and then had a steep climb to the State line at New Found Gap. The Appalachian Trail is accessible here. Very winding road through breathtakingly beautiful country brought us to the Cherokee Indian Reservation. We stayed at a KOA Kampground.
Thursday 14 June 2007 - Nashville to Pigeon Forge TN
Said goodbye to Nashville. Tom easily got us out of town and on our way to Pigeon Forge which is at the foot hills of the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee. It is also the home of Dollywood and is very touristy.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Wednesday 13 June 2007 - Nashville TN
Ian located the Nashville Military Museum and I went exploring. Walked toward the Cumberland River and found City Hall, the Courthouse and an observation tower. At the top was a good 360 degree view taking in the river and city. There was a detailed history of Nashville on plaques around the tower. Walked down to the river and found Fort Nashville, a replica of the original. There are a lot of deros around and they were all stretched out recovering from last night. Also saw the railway station outside of which two mounted police were feeding horses. I then zigzagged through The District back to the motel.
In the evening we went downtown for more music. Bought a cd from an excellent girl band, lead by Shelly Bush. We spoke to a street performer who informed us he was from Rhodesia. I told him that Tracy was from Zimbabwe and he gave us a copy of his cd. He works under the name Leon Zimbabwe.
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| Nashville TN |
Yes, Melinda, we did get to the Wildhorse Saloon for the second time and it is pretty awesome! Also a message from Ian to you...be careful flying around in helicopters that haven't got a door gunner.
Some of the other bars visited include Legends Corner, The Wheel, Full Moon, The Stage and Paradise Park Trailer Resort. All of the entertainment was excellent.
Tuesday 12 June 2007 - Ringgold to Nashville TN
Took a side trip to Lookout Mountain which overlooks Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley. Magnificent views, although a bit hazy because it is summer. In winter you can see seven states. Beautiful wooded countryside with lakes, rivers and mountains!
We watched a very good electric map show which described the Battles of Chattanooga which included the Battle of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.
Then on to Nashville where we have booked in to a motel in Downtown - The District. Had a quick change of clothes and then off to explore Broadway which is full of bars with live music. The musicians are all excellent - waiting to be discovered by playing in these bars for tips. Visited a few, listened to some excellent music and then got a motorised tricycle ride back to the motel.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Monday 11 June 2007 - Tifton, GA to Ringgold, GA
This has been a great day with the wargasm continuing and Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.
We left Tifton bound for Andersonville through beautiful green farmland. We came across lots of cyclists who, we found out later, were part of a 1700 strong group of families cycling around and through Georgia.
Andersonville is a quaint little town which was established during the Civil War to supply the nearby Confederate prisoner of war camp called Camp Sumter. During the camp's fourteen months of operation in 1864 and 1865, 45000 Union prisoners were held there and nearly 13000 died and are buried in the National Cemetery. Andersonville is also the memorial to all prisoners of war in American history. The National Prisoner of War Museum is located on the Camp Sumter site.
We drove on to Juliette where the real Whistle Stop Cafe is located. A train came by just as we pulled up. Of course we had Fried Green Tomatoes for lunch. The photos show what a great little town this is.
Back in the Blue Goose and on to Atlanta....we got there at rush hour! Our TomTom did a wonderful job getting us through, but it was pretty hair raising!! Finally arrived in Ringgold which is very close to the Tennessee border.
We left Tifton bound for Andersonville through beautiful green farmland. We came across lots of cyclists who, we found out later, were part of a 1700 strong group of families cycling around and through Georgia.
Andersonville is a quaint little town which was established during the Civil War to supply the nearby Confederate prisoner of war camp called Camp Sumter. During the camp's fourteen months of operation in 1864 and 1865, 45000 Union prisoners were held there and nearly 13000 died and are buried in the National Cemetery. Andersonville is also the memorial to all prisoners of war in American history. The National Prisoner of War Museum is located on the Camp Sumter site.
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| Andersonvi |
We drove on to Juliette where the real Whistle Stop Cafe is located. A train came by just as we pulled up. Of course we had Fried Green Tomatoes for lunch. The photos show what a great little town this is.
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| Whistle Stop Cafe, Juliette, GA |
Back in the Blue Goose and on to Atlanta....we got there at rush hour! Our TomTom did a wonderful job getting us through, but it was pretty hair raising!! Finally arrived in Ringgold which is very close to the Tennessee border.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Sunday 10 June 2007 - Orlando, FL to Tifton, GA
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, TRACY !!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANTHONY !!!
After hearing the weather forecast predicting 100 degrees farenheit and having been warned about the fact that it is school holidays here and that means millions of kids and huge queues, we reluctantly made the decision to give the Epcot Centre a miss and head on North to Georgia.
Took this great photo of the cloud with a silver lining during the drive. We enjoyed seeing lush, green farming land and arrived in Tifton at about lunch time and decided that that was enough for the day. Enjoyed a lazy afternoon going for a drive around town and finishing with dinner at a Cracker Barrel Family Restaurant. Excellent southern country cooking.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANTHONY !!!
After hearing the weather forecast predicting 100 degrees farenheit and having been warned about the fact that it is school holidays here and that means millions of kids and huge queues, we reluctantly made the decision to give the Epcot Centre a miss and head on North to Georgia.
Took this great photo of the cloud with a silver lining during the drive. We enjoyed seeing lush, green farming land and arrived in Tifton at about lunch time and decided that that was enough for the day. Enjoyed a lazy afternoon going for a drive around town and finishing with dinner at a Cracker Barrel Family Restaurant. Excellent southern country cooking.
Saturday 9th June 2007 - Key West to Orlando
Left Key West at about 9am and traveled through to Key Largo where we stopped for an early lunch at an excellent Italian Restaurant. We then carried on until just South of Orlando, a distance all up of about 350 miles with heavy rain for much of the drive.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
Friday 8 June 2007 - Key West
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEN!!!
What a day! I started out by going for a fast walk through residential streets, finally reaching the White Street Pier, a very long concrete construction reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean. At the start there is a memorial to Aids victims. What I haven't told you is that this town is the gay capital of the US! When I told Ian that this week is Gay Pride Week here, he went quiet, then a bit red in the face before exclaiming "**$##!! pootfas!"
Came back to the motel and Ian and I walked to Ernest Hemmingway's house. We had a look through and around the gardens and patted the cats. The cats are all supposed to be descendants of Ernest Hemmingway's cat and have an unusual feature in that they have an additional toe. You will be able to see this in the photo of the black and white cat.
From here we walked along Duval Street and found Caroline's where we had lunch before going on to Captain Tony's. Had a look around Mallory Square then back to Sloppy Joes where a Marlin on the wall was caught by Ernest Hemmingway. There is live entertainment in all the bars and all of the entertainers are good.
We headed in the direction of the motel via Willie T's. Came across a gay parade which was just finishing. Saw the biggest Dorothy ever but missed getting a photo.
What a day! I started out by going for a fast walk through residential streets, finally reaching the White Street Pier, a very long concrete construction reaching out into the Atlantic Ocean. At the start there is a memorial to Aids victims. What I haven't told you is that this town is the gay capital of the US! When I told Ian that this week is Gay Pride Week here, he went quiet, then a bit red in the face before exclaiming "**$##!! pootfas!"
Came back to the motel and Ian and I walked to Ernest Hemmingway's house. We had a look through and around the gardens and patted the cats. The cats are all supposed to be descendants of Ernest Hemmingway's cat and have an unusual feature in that they have an additional toe. You will be able to see this in the photo of the black and white cat.
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| Ernest Hemmingway House |
From here we walked along Duval Street and found Caroline's where we had lunch before going on to Captain Tony's. Had a look around Mallory Square then back to Sloppy Joes where a Marlin on the wall was caught by Ernest Hemmingway. There is live entertainment in all the bars and all of the entertainers are good.
We headed in the direction of the motel via Willie T's. Came across a gay parade which was just finishing. Saw the biggest Dorothy ever but missed getting a photo.
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| Key West |
Thursday 7 June 2007 - Florida City to Key West
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| Key West |
Key West is a party town! Ian is feeling better already!! We booked into a Great Western motel which is located very close to the Southern most point of mainland USA. After we had visited that we walked all the way across Key West down Duval Street which is full of art galleries, bars, souvenir shops, bars, restaurants, tour desks, bars and bars. We stopped at a few including The Bull (great entertainer Yankee Jack - we bought his cd which features cultural songs such as "Beauty's Just a Light Switch Away". We also found Captain Tony's which still has the "hanging tree" through the middle of it. The Green Parrot finished us off and we came back to the motel.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Wednesday 6 June 2007 - New Port Richey to Florida City
Said our goodbyes to John and Anna and, of course, Miss Kitty, before programming Tom to direct us to Florida City - about 350 miles. Tom told us that we would be traveling on a toll road and we accepted that...we didn't bargain on seven or eight toll stops ranging in cost from $1 to $2.50 at each!!! We will avoid those in future!
We enjoyed driving through the Everglades and along the spaghetti roads around Miami then on to Florida City.
Very heavy rain and thunder followed the photo of the storm brewing.
We were pretty tired of driving by the time we arrived. Checked in to a Super 8 motel for the night and went to Applebees Neighbourhood Bar and Restaurant for dinner. Ian had steak and I had ribs. Yum!
We enjoyed driving through the Everglades and along the spaghetti roads around Miami then on to Florida City.
Very heavy rain and thunder followed the photo of the storm brewing.
We were pretty tired of driving by the time we arrived. Checked in to a Super 8 motel for the night and went to Applebees Neighbourhood Bar and Restaurant for dinner. Ian had steak and I had ribs. Yum!
Tuesday 5 June 2007 - New Port Richey
Today was a logistics planning day for month two of our holiday. Anna took us for a great drive around the New Port Richey area. We saw some grand houses and stopped and shopped at a H U G E Westfield Mall before collecting a Papa John Pizza for dinner.
Monday 4 June 2007 - New Port Richey
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| New Port Richey |
We took a trip with John and Anna to Tarpin Springs which is known locally as Greek Town. It is a very quaint place with boats that go out to gather sponges. Great old boats and some real characters. We met a Greek man running a small bar, who had worked in Darwin, Mt Isa and Perth for twenty years.
After dinner at Hooters we went back to John and Anna's for the night.
Sunday 3 June 2007 - Tampa to New Port Richey
Surprisingly quick through customs and disembarked Legend. Picked up the van from its parking place and drove to John and Anna's at New Port Richey. Had a relaxing afternoon with them talking about the cruise.
Saturday 2 June 2007 - At Sea
Yesterday was a big day, so we had a slow start! We had breakfast and packed up ready for our arrival in Tampa tomorrow morning at 6am.
We lazed around the ship for the day and didn't do much until the evening when we had dinner in the Unicorn Cafe and met up with people we had met on board for farewell drinks.
We lazed around the ship for the day and didn't do much until the evening when we had dinner in the Unicorn Cafe and met up with people we had met on board for farewell drinks.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Friday 1 June 2007 - Costa Maya.
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| Costa Maya, Mexico |
A short overnight cruise at 7 knots brought us to Costa Maya where there is a fantastic new cruise ship terminal which is quite a contrast to the rest of the place. Another Carnival cruise ship was moored right beside us. We had a look around the shops at the cruise centre before catching a bus into the town of Mahajual. This is right on the beach. There is no traffic in town and the roads are sand.
Mexican touters all wanted us to have a massage or a drink or something to eat or to buy souvenirs, clothing or artifacts. Ian sucumbed and bought a cactus hat and we were lured into the Black Cat Bar. I wonder why??? We met the proprietor who is an interesting Canadian woman who produced two black cats which she had brought with her from Canada some years ago. She had been a mechanical engineer and chemist in Canada. Now she and her husband are trying to develop a small hotel in Mahajual and in the meantime are living in an old trailer behind the Black Cat Bar.
We got a cab back to the cruise centre and came back on board. We left before the other ship and there was a great to-do about leaving. We all cheered on another and the ships horn sounded, etc, etc. Ian proceded to get very drunk with Randy, Mark and George, a big Texan. Might have had something to do with the fact that it was full moon. With the evening star and the other cruise ship was beside us. It was quite a sight and I tried to get a photo of the scene.
Tonight was the second formal night on board, wo I left Ian to it and got dressed up and took myself first to the shopping deck where there was a gold sale on. Then to dinner, a play at the casino and the show. Tonight's show was spectacular with all the glitz, costumes, lighting, big band and dancing girls.
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| Carnival Legend Grand Buffet |
The Grand Buffet, which is a feature of the cruise was at 11.30pm. It was amazing and I have made a slide show which gives an idea, but doesn't do it justice.
Found Ian, got a cup of coffee to take back to the cabin.
Thursday 31 May 2007 - Belize City, Belize
The ship anchored way out in shallow water and high speed tenders transported passengers ashore. We had booked a tour called Altun Ha and Belize City Tour. We found our bus and enjoyed four hours of sightseeing with commentary from a very informative tour guide.
Altun Ha is a Mayan ceremonial site and where the 9.5 jade head of the Sun God Kinich Ahau was found in the tomb of a Royal Priest.
We were allowed to climb to the top of the main temple and got some fantastic photos.
Came back to near the pier and had a couple of local beers at the Iguana Rana Bar before the tender ride back to the ship.
This was a great day.
Altun Ha is a Mayan ceremonial site and where the 9.5 jade head of the Sun God Kinich Ahau was found in the tomb of a Royal Priest.
We were allowed to climb to the top of the main temple and got some fantastic photos.
Came back to near the pier and had a couple of local beers at the Iguana Rana Bar before the tender ride back to the ship.
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| Belize |
This was a great day.
Wednesday 30 May 2007 - Cozumel, Mexico
At 10.30pm every night there is a show, so we went and saw an amazing balancing act followed by a not so terrific comedian.
We arrived at Cozumel this morning. It is an Island off the Mexican coast and is only 18 feet high. The ship moored at a wharf so we could walk off. Went for a walk along the seafront. There was a Mexican warship in the harbour. There was an ongoing amount of construction going on and several construction sites which appeared to be abandonned. We caught a taxi to town for some shopping. The Mexican shop keepers tout on the street to get you into their shops and you are expected to haggle for the best price. This is new to us and I don't think we are very good at it! However, we caught on pretty quickly and got a couple of good deals. Went upstairs to a local restaurant for some authentic Mexican lunch. Wandered around sightseeing and then found the Casablanca Bar for a Margarita. We got two buckets of Margaritas each served to us. I think these Mexicans work on the theory that if they get these Gringo drunk they will spend more money!
Had to be back on board in time to sail at 6pm. Had dinner and drinks on the aft of Deck 9 at the Unicorn Bar with our new friends Randy and Mark served by Winston.
Had a play in the Casino before bed.
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| Cozumel, Mexico |
We arrived at Cozumel this morning. It is an Island off the Mexican coast and is only 18 feet high. The ship moored at a wharf so we could walk off. Went for a walk along the seafront. There was a Mexican warship in the harbour. There was an ongoing amount of construction going on and several construction sites which appeared to be abandonned. We caught a taxi to town for some shopping. The Mexican shop keepers tout on the street to get you into their shops and you are expected to haggle for the best price. This is new to us and I don't think we are very good at it! However, we caught on pretty quickly and got a couple of good deals. Went upstairs to a local restaurant for some authentic Mexican lunch. Wandered around sightseeing and then found the Casablanca Bar for a Margarita. We got two buckets of Margaritas each served to us. I think these Mexicans work on the theory that if they get these Gringo drunk they will spend more money!
Had to be back on board in time to sail at 6pm. Had dinner and drinks on the aft of Deck 9 at the Unicorn Bar with our new friends Randy and Mark served by Winston.
Had a play in the Casino before bed.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tuesday 29 May 2007 - George Town, Grand Cayman.
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| Grand Cayman |
Woken at 6am with breakfast being delivered and watched our arrival at Cayman. Very flat, not a hill in sight. Another Carnival cruise ship was in port and another cruise ship arrived just after us. Cruise ships anchor off and tenders run back and forth all day. The water is crystal clear. We went ashore to explore. The town is all about tourism and there are lots of jewellery shops, bars, duty free shops and souvenir shops. They drive on the left and have both left and right hand drive cars. Chickens rule the streets and drivers have to give way to them. We decided against a trip to Seven Mile Beach and didn't want to do any snorkelling, so just walked around town and bought a couple of souvenirs and a bottle of duty free Mount Gay Rum. There was an informative square with the history of the islands. We also saw caged iguanas and macaws - poor things.
We had had enough by about 1pm and the last tender was at 3pm, so we came back to the ship. Vegged out for the afternoon. Tonight we are going to a show.
Monday 28 May 2007 - At Sea
A knock on the door at 7am woke us and breakfast was delivered. At 9.30 Heather attended a talk on shopping in the various ports of call. Part of the talk promoted various stores and there were various give-aways. A very nice pearl necklace was scored! Pretty good free sample, eh?
Lunch followed and then a visit to the casino. An afternoon snooze before getting dressed for the Captain's cocktail party and dinner of lobster for Ian and duck for Heather. We then visited Sachmo's Bar and had a dance - I know, I know!
We finally staggered up to Deck 9 for coffees before coming back to our cabin to find that Carmelo had excelled himself. Not only was the bed turned down and the chocolates left, but he had folded a towel into an animal, a pig I think, and placed Ian's sunglasses on it!
Sunday 27 May 2007 - New Port Richey to Tampa
We were introduced to John and Anna's neighbours, Karen and Nigel over morning coffee before we said our goodbyes and drove to Tampa to join our cruise ship, Carnival Legend. Huge excitement! After checking in and going through the security requirements we boarded, found our cabin and met Carmelo, our steward. The cabin is fabulous - see photos.
We have our own private balcony. The ship is fitted out magnificently, has about 17 different restaurants and an equal number of bars, several swimming pools, a waterslide, gymnasium, library, casino, etc, etc...a bit different from cruising on Scorpio!
We sailed from Tampa at 4pm and at 6pm passed under the Skyway Bridge, the largest bridge in Florida.
This ship is a floating city and it took us the rest of the evening to explore it.
Carmelo had turned down our bed and left chocolates!
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| 13Legend27 |
We have our own private balcony. The ship is fitted out magnificently, has about 17 different restaurants and an equal number of bars, several swimming pools, a waterslide, gymnasium, library, casino, etc, etc...a bit different from cruising on Scorpio!
We sailed from Tampa at 4pm and at 6pm passed under the Skyway Bridge, the largest bridge in Florida.
This ship is a floating city and it took us the rest of the evening to explore it.
Carmelo had turned down our bed and left chocolates!
Saturday 26 May 2007 - New Port Richey
Heather went for a walk, then breakfast before Anna took us shopping. This event took the rest of the day! Back at the house Anna cooked us a delicious schnitzel dinner.
Friday 25 May 2007 - Orlando to New Port Richey
Programmed Tom to take us to John and Anna's house in New Port Richey. Great welcome! Went out to The German Restaurant where we had an authentic German dinner. Back to the house for coffees and more talk before bed.
Photos to come when we get back off the cruise. The ship's internet access does not allow me to upload!!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Thursday 24 May 2007 - Titusville FL to Orlando FL
A leisurely start to the day with breakfast at an IHOP Restaurant. The healthy start suggestion featured filled french toast topped with strawberries and whipped cream! Good grief!! If I lived here I would be the size of a barn!!!
Drove to Orlando, about 50 miles, via a toll road...three stops with $1.25, .75c and .75c payable. Found Universal Studios and spent the rest of the day checking out the "City Walk". Within the complex are two theme parks which we didn't get around to. It is huge. Had Margaritas at the Volcano Bar and listened to some great Jimmy Buffet music.
Click on the image below to see todays photos.
Drove to Orlando, about 50 miles, via a toll road...three stops with $1.25, .75c and .75c payable. Found Universal Studios and spent the rest of the day checking out the "City Walk". Within the complex are two theme parks which we didn't get around to. It is huge. Had Margaritas at the Volcano Bar and listened to some great Jimmy Buffet music.
Click on the image below to see todays photos.
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| Orlando FL - Universal Studios |
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Wednesday 23 May 2007 - Hardeeville SC to Titusville, Florida
We had a late start out of Hardeeville, due to me having to complete the Computer Club's month end duties. Nothing much of note in Hardeeville. We decided to travel through Georgia on I95 with only a couple of stops at visitors centres as I95 only crosses about 100 miles of Georgia's coastal region which is low lying swampy land. Brunswick looked quite a large industrial city as we passed it.
Crossed the border into Florida and were amazed at the sudden change at Jacksonville. The traffic was suddenly very heavy, with lots of huge semi-trailers on a spaghetti road system which included overpasses, underpasses and bridge - a real concrete jungle!
We arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre and spent the rest of the day there checking out the excellent Astronauts Hall of Fame museum and surrounding areas. Click on the image below for a slide show.
Finally found a motel for the night at about 8pm. Big day!
Crossed the border into Florida and were amazed at the sudden change at Jacksonville. The traffic was suddenly very heavy, with lots of huge semi-trailers on a spaghetti road system which included overpasses, underpasses and bridge - a real concrete jungle!
We arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre and spent the rest of the day there checking out the excellent Astronauts Hall of Fame museum and surrounding areas. Click on the image below for a slide show.
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| Hardeevill |
Finally found a motel for the night at about 8pm. Big day!
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday 22 May 2007 - Charlestown and Hardeeville, South Carolina
Left the Red Roof Motel and drove to town to organise the Jeep parts to be sent home. Many thanks to Rhonda for making the arrangements.
We then strolled through the markets and found a place for breakfast. More markets before driving to Patriot's Point for a look at the Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown.
Spent a bit of time in the gift shop and made a few purchases, including a Confederate Officer's sword which Ian wanted. Then we boarded the General Beauregard for a cruise of the harbour which included a stop at Fort Sumter which is the site where the first shot of the Civil War was fired.
It was about 4pm when we left Charleston and drove down I95 to Hardeeville for the night. On the way we stopped for a stretch at a little store called Carolina Cider where we met a traveling magician (and all round good guy) who was feeding his birds and little dog. He is Houdini and you can read all about him at his website at http://www.welcome2thegame.com. Here is his photo...
Booked in to a Days Inn motel and had dinner at the Waffle House.
We then strolled through the markets and found a place for breakfast. More markets before driving to Patriot's Point for a look at the Aircraft Carrier, USS Yorktown.
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| Patriots Point, South Carolina |
Spent a bit of time in the gift shop and made a few purchases, including a Confederate Officer's sword which Ian wanted. Then we boarded the General Beauregard for a cruise of the harbour which included a stop at Fort Sumter which is the site where the first shot of the Civil War was fired.
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| Fort Sumter |
It was about 4pm when we left Charleston and drove down I95 to Hardeeville for the night. On the way we stopped for a stretch at a little store called Carolina Cider where we met a traveling magician (and all round good guy) who was feeding his birds and little dog. He is Houdini and you can read all about him at his website at http://www.welcome2thegame.com. Here is his photo...
Booked in to a Days Inn motel and had dinner at the Waffle House.
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