Let's hit the town!!!. We spent most of the day walking 'The Strip' as its called, looking at the Hotels and the people. The new Wynn Hotel is really quite beautiful, the bar and eating establishments are well planned and great to enjoy. This is a very expensive hotel and so with one Margarita each at £ 8.00 each we left to enjoy a steak dinner at the 'Outback' steak house. This is a very good chain of restaurants with an Australian flavour.
We decided not to go to a show as they are quite expensive and as Elton John was not on we would save our money for another day. This place was a little quieter than the last time that we visited but we enjoyed the 7 mile walk all the same, the sun was shining and the temperature was around 85 degrees farenhite for most of the day.
The people who visit Las Vegas are a very mixed bunch, from the down and outs to the very rich, all seem to mix in the the same places. Visible are the very, very large limousines which are avilable for weddings and for any party group.
The hotels are still the biggest draw and The Venetian is still one of our favourites, the attempt to copy Venice somehow has succeeded very well. The gondolas with the singing gondoleers adds to the flavour although we did notice that the boats have electric motors and the passengers wear seat belts!!.... on 2 feet of water, max !!... still what the heck, it almost looks and feels like Venice.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Charlotte 11th April
Having arrived in Charlotte on Monday evening we had time to pack our suitcases again for the next days travel. On Tuesday we had time to walk around the town again and visit the IMAX Theatre to see 'The Mysteries of the Nile' for the second time. What a great film this is, we could watch this once a month for the the rest of our lives and still enjoy it.
My haircut was good and I feel lightheaded but we still walked in the sun. What a difference two weeks makes. When we arrived it was bitterly cold and there were very few flowers to be seen however today it was completely different and the Town looked great.
Went to the airport and had a Burger King Fish burger for dinner. With a four and a half hour flight ahead of you, you need some sustinence. The flight was 50% full and so plenty of space to enjoy all the food from US Airways ( a small bag of pretzils and a can of coke) to hell with the expense!!!
At 11 pm ( 0200 hrs Charlotte time )we arrived at the Golden Nugget Hotel and of course we were hungry so we found a Chinese Noodle Bar for a quick snack before bed.
DUE TO A SLOW INTERNET CONNECTION PHOTOS TO BE ADDED LATER
My haircut was good and I feel lightheaded but we still walked in the sun. What a difference two weeks makes. When we arrived it was bitterly cold and there were very few flowers to be seen however today it was completely different and the Town looked great.
Went to the airport and had a Burger King Fish burger for dinner. With a four and a half hour flight ahead of you, you need some sustinence. The flight was 50% full and so plenty of space to enjoy all the food from US Airways ( a small bag of pretzils and a can of coke) to hell with the expense!!!
At 11 pm ( 0200 hrs Charlotte time )we arrived at the Golden Nugget Hotel and of course we were hungry so we found a Chinese Noodle Bar for a quick snack before bed.
DUE TO A SLOW INTERNET CONNECTION PHOTOS TO BE ADDED LATER
Anderson to Charlotte via Ashville 9/10th April
We arrived in Charlotte this afternoon (Monday) after a very pleasant drive from Asheville. Our journey from Anderson to Asheville on Sunday was on National Scenic byways, then we connected with the Blue Ridge parkway to arrive in Asheville. Dinner on Sunday evening was at Ryan's Grill and Steak House (Not great), then we went to the cinema to see a film called 'Failure to Launch', quite amusing and it filled the evening well.
The journey back to Charlotte from Asheville today was the same route that we took two weeks ago, however in the interim the trees have started to show their spring colours and the Azalea and Dogwood trees had come in to bloom. A very different journey indeed. The weather since we left Charlotte has also improved significantly, when we arrived on 24th March it was about 4 degrees Centrigrade and now its 22 Cent. What a big difference it makes to the place. Charlotte is a very nice town and our view of North Carolina is that we much prefer it to South Carolina, there are more trees and hills etc .
I invested USD 18.00 in a haircut which was badly needed and I can now see where I am going...Tonight we went back to a restaurant called PRESTO which serves excellent food and we had two proper steaks and not the Ryans attempt.
Tomorrow we re pack our stuff and fly to the gambling city of America - Las Vegas. The photographs from there will be of a different ilk to those of the past. Next blog will not be for a couple of days as we get organised in Vegas. Elvis has asked us over for dinner but not sure if we can make it ??
I must also compliment my wife Jennifer for her navigational skills, after covering almost 2300 miles we only almost got lost once...
The journey back to Charlotte from Asheville today was the same route that we took two weeks ago, however in the interim the trees have started to show their spring colours and the Azalea and Dogwood trees had come in to bloom. A very different journey indeed. The weather since we left Charlotte has also improved significantly, when we arrived on 24th March it was about 4 degrees Centrigrade and now its 22 Cent. What a big difference it makes to the place. Charlotte is a very nice town and our view of North Carolina is that we much prefer it to South Carolina, there are more trees and hills etc .
I invested USD 18.00 in a haircut which was badly needed and I can now see where I am going...Tonight we went back to a restaurant called PRESTO which serves excellent food and we had two proper steaks and not the Ryans attempt.
Tomorrow we re pack our stuff and fly to the gambling city of America - Las Vegas. The photographs from there will be of a different ilk to those of the past. Next blog will not be for a couple of days as we get organised in Vegas. Elvis has asked us over for dinner but not sure if we can make it ??
I must also compliment my wife Jennifer for her navigational skills, after covering almost 2300 miles we only almost got lost once...
Santee to Anderson via Orangeburg 8th April
No photographs today
Santee was more of a truck stop than a place of interest and was next to the Interstate I-95 which runs from Canada down to Miami, enroute you get off at a road junction for a night's rest and this was one of them. We should perhaps sue the Santee County website for false pretences as it's not what they said it was!!!. However it would appear that there was plenty for the truckers to do as a number of establishement's offered 'totally nude'. What?? I thought are they talking about. One day I guess I will understand what they mean.
So we left Santee as the rain started and decided to take a route via Orangeburg (very nice place) until we could find somewhere reasonable to stay. The road went thro' a number of State Parks and Forests and with what they call rolling countryside we had a pleasant journey. However the rain continued so we decided to stop in Anderson, an Industrial town, not a great place but there was a big choice of Hotels... We ate chicken at a restaurant called 'Wild Wings' not a bad place and very busy. We decided not to go to the Hooter's Restaurant where the young ladies who serve you are well established (endowed) I mean.
During the past few weeks we have passed many Churches, always beautifully kept and large and often in much better condition than the houses that surround it. One night whilst watching TV, one religious station was referring to Easter and for a minimum donation of USD 200.00 you could have a small prayer said for you and this will ensure that the Lord recognises you in your future life. If you donate more then the world is at your doorstep!!!. I do wonder about the religion aspect in this country and although recognising that religion plays a very important role in this Country's small communities, the financial side seems questionable.
During the past week we have also listened to BBC radio and some of the old shows including 'Beyond our Ken', a great prgramme and although US TV appears to be adverts with the occasional TV program to muck up the schedule we did see a 25 minute uninterupted episode of Monty Python followed by Fawlty Towers, this gave us some hope for this country. However, when the Vice President of Home Security is picked up by the police for talking dirty to a supposed 14 year old on the internet and at the same time he personally approved US wide adverts against this problem, where to go???
On the contrary , the UK Department of Transportation could learn a thing or two about road building. Our journey of approx 200 miles today was smooth tarmac with very little traffic, I know it was a Saturday, but with the amount of cars in the USA there should be more, perhaps, they are all in New york, Chicago etc.
With regard to cars there is a habit here, which I don't understand that is when you car fail's at the end of its life, you just leave it in your garden and buy a new one. Sometimes you see four or five dead cars in a 'yard' (garden to us), can't see this happening in Wey Road somehow!!.
You may well ask what my(our) comments are to do with our travel but you cannot do 2000 miles and not notice how other people live and then not comment on it. .
Tomorrow we move on to Asheville, "What again" you ask, however it is a good stop off for our return jouney to Charlotte where we are due to stay on Monday before we depart for Las Vegas (the Clacton of USA) for a few fun charged days before we head off for mountains and parks.
Santee was more of a truck stop than a place of interest and was next to the Interstate I-95 which runs from Canada down to Miami, enroute you get off at a road junction for a night's rest and this was one of them. We should perhaps sue the Santee County website for false pretences as it's not what they said it was!!!. However it would appear that there was plenty for the truckers to do as a number of establishement's offered 'totally nude'. What?? I thought are they talking about. One day I guess I will understand what they mean.
So we left Santee as the rain started and decided to take a route via Orangeburg (very nice place) until we could find somewhere reasonable to stay. The road went thro' a number of State Parks and Forests and with what they call rolling countryside we had a pleasant journey. However the rain continued so we decided to stop in Anderson, an Industrial town, not a great place but there was a big choice of Hotels... We ate chicken at a restaurant called 'Wild Wings' not a bad place and very busy. We decided not to go to the Hooter's Restaurant where the young ladies who serve you are well established (endowed) I mean.
During the past few weeks we have passed many Churches, always beautifully kept and large and often in much better condition than the houses that surround it. One night whilst watching TV, one religious station was referring to Easter and for a minimum donation of USD 200.00 you could have a small prayer said for you and this will ensure that the Lord recognises you in your future life. If you donate more then the world is at your doorstep!!!. I do wonder about the religion aspect in this country and although recognising that religion plays a very important role in this Country's small communities, the financial side seems questionable.
During the past week we have also listened to BBC radio and some of the old shows including 'Beyond our Ken', a great prgramme and although US TV appears to be adverts with the occasional TV program to muck up the schedule we did see a 25 minute uninterupted episode of Monty Python followed by Fawlty Towers, this gave us some hope for this country. However, when the Vice President of Home Security is picked up by the police for talking dirty to a supposed 14 year old on the internet and at the same time he personally approved US wide adverts against this problem, where to go???
On the contrary , the UK Department of Transportation could learn a thing or two about road building. Our journey of approx 200 miles today was smooth tarmac with very little traffic, I know it was a Saturday, but with the amount of cars in the USA there should be more, perhaps, they are all in New york, Chicago etc.
With regard to cars there is a habit here, which I don't understand that is when you car fail's at the end of its life, you just leave it in your garden and buy a new one. Sometimes you see four or five dead cars in a 'yard' (garden to us), can't see this happening in Wey Road somehow!!.
You may well ask what my(our) comments are to do with our travel but you cannot do 2000 miles and not notice how other people live and then not comment on it. .
Tomorrow we move on to Asheville, "What again" you ask, however it is a good stop off for our return jouney to Charlotte where we are due to stay on Monday before we depart for Las Vegas (the Clacton of USA) for a few fun charged days before we head off for mountains and parks.
Georgetown Via Charleston to Sanee SC 7th April
We packed our bags and left the hotel in Georgetown visiting a Plantation en-route to meeting a KN collegue from my past. Mr Gunnar Jansson who used to work in the New York office has moved to Charleston, with his family. Together we had a very nice lunch, talking about the usual things that KN people talk about plus some information relating to our next few weeks travel plans before we joined a severe traffic jam caused by a car accident. Ca la vie!(or something like that)
The plantation we visited previously had over 450 acres of rice fields which were set up and managed by the african slaves brought to this country. The house was beautifull and in a very peacefull park. As we left the site we discovered a small private burial ground with mainly family members and surrounded by flowers.
We arrived in Sanee to spend one night and tomorrow we move on to the more attractive areas in the Northern part of South Carolina before continuing our journey to Charlotte for next Monday night.
The plantation we visited previously had over 450 acres of rice fields which were set up and managed by the african slaves brought to this country. The house was beautifull and in a very peacefull park. As we left the site we discovered a small private burial ground with mainly family members and surrounded by flowers.
We arrived in Sanee to spend one night and tomorrow we move on to the more attractive areas in the Northern part of South Carolina before continuing our journey to Charlotte for next Monday night.
Charleston, South Carolina Thursday 6th April 2006
The bridge as you approach Charleston is very impressive (sorry no photos) and then down in to the old town.
Charleston has a history of trading with the English and today was no different.There are some old Colonial style houses owned at some time in the past by English entrepreneurs and certain streets are paved with British stones that were used as ship's ballast. There is also a French Quarter but no cobblestones!!!.In general the pavement (english is ROAD) and the sidewalks (english is PAVEMENT) are not in very good shape and would do considerable justice to Elmbridge Borough Council. Having said that the old town is very nice indeed with many houses, some extremely large, which either face the ocean or sit snuggly in the back roads.
There is a considerable amount of housing development both inside Charleston and also outside along the beaches, there is money here!!!
It is possble to rent a seat on a horsedrawn carriage which provides a tour of the town but we decided to walk for the excercise and quite frankly you always see the wrong end of a horse when riding a carriage. The weather has been great today with the temperature around 25 Degrees Centigrade.
When leaving Charleston we took the long way back via Sullivans Island and the Isle of Palms where major housebuilding is taking place. Charlestone is certainly worth a visit but the Hotels downtown are quite expensive and hence our reason for staying in Georgetown a short commute away.
Charleston has a history of trading with the English and today was no different.There are some old Colonial style houses owned at some time in the past by English entrepreneurs and certain streets are paved with British stones that were used as ship's ballast. There is also a French Quarter but no cobblestones!!!.In general the pavement (english is ROAD) and the sidewalks (english is PAVEMENT) are not in very good shape and would do considerable justice to Elmbridge Borough Council. Having said that the old town is very nice indeed with many houses, some extremely large, which either face the ocean or sit snuggly in the back roads.
There is a considerable amount of housing development both inside Charleston and also outside along the beaches, there is money here!!!
It is possble to rent a seat on a horsedrawn carriage which provides a tour of the town but we decided to walk for the excercise and quite frankly you always see the wrong end of a horse when riding a carriage. The weather has been great today with the temperature around 25 Degrees Centigrade.
When leaving Charleston we took the long way back via Sullivans Island and the Isle of Palms where major housebuilding is taking place. Charlestone is certainly worth a visit but the Hotels downtown are quite expensive and hence our reason for staying in Georgetown a short commute away.
Georgetown, South Carolina 5th April
We booked this hotel as it was midway between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. As we arrived into Georgetown passing by the smelly paper works and also the noisy steel mill ,we wondered what we had done!
This morning we went for a long walk from the hotel which was by the marina out of town and found that the old town was very beautifull and full of character. Many old colonial style houses on wide tree lined streets all painted in many pastel colours and enhanced by the many azaleas which were in full bloom. Lunch was in a small cafe overlooking the river and the town was very quiet and apparently its often this way.
The many pictures we took will show how nice this little town is and house prices are very low by UK standards.
A visit to the local Walmart provided dinner inc a bottle of wine. We often eat in the hotel room as you get fed up eating in restaurants which all serve far to much food.
Tomorrow we hit the big town of Charleston so watch this space for update.
This is the second time of typing as had just finished the blog and the hotel network went down and we lost the lot.
DONT FORGET YOU CAN LEAVE COMMENTS ETC FOR OUR ATTENTION AND SEND ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE
This morning we went for a long walk from the hotel which was by the marina out of town and found that the old town was very beautifull and full of character. Many old colonial style houses on wide tree lined streets all painted in many pastel colours and enhanced by the many azaleas which were in full bloom. Lunch was in a small cafe overlooking the river and the town was very quiet and apparently its often this way.
The many pictures we took will show how nice this little town is and house prices are very low by UK standards.
A visit to the local Walmart provided dinner inc a bottle of wine. We often eat in the hotel room as you get fed up eating in restaurants which all serve far to much food.
Tomorrow we hit the big town of Charleston so watch this space for update.
This is the second time of typing as had just finished the blog and the hotel network went down and we lost the lot.
DONT FORGET YOU CAN LEAVE COMMENTS ETC FOR OUR ATTENTION AND SEND ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE
Nashville to Georgetown, Mon 3rd April/Tues 4th April
We left Nashville on a sunny and dry Monday morning after a stormy night. The journey was through beautiful rolling countryside. Scattered farmhouses in green fields and mixed woodland for most of the time. On the outskirts of some towns we passed areas of mobile homes often with old rusting cars and equipment outside but generally the area is wonderfull.
We stayed overnight at a hotel just off the Interstate at a town called Commerce to the east of Atlanta. It seemed to be a town centred around the outlet shopping mall. Not a great place but the hotel was clean and comfortable and there were restaurants nearby so fine for an overnighter.
This morning we continued on to Georgetown which is 50 miles North of Charleston on the coast. We are staying in a Hilton hotel here for the next 3 nights so that we can explore this part of the coast.
Sorry no photos this time, pictures through the car window are not worth looking at.
We stayed overnight at a hotel just off the Interstate at a town called Commerce to the east of Atlanta. It seemed to be a town centred around the outlet shopping mall. Not a great place but the hotel was clean and comfortable and there were restaurants nearby so fine for an overnighter.
This morning we continued on to Georgetown which is 50 miles North of Charleston on the coast. We are staying in a Hilton hotel here for the next 3 nights so that we can explore this part of the coast.
Sorry no photos this time, pictures through the car window are not worth looking at.
Nashville Friday 31 March/3 April 2006
Arrived Nashville in the pouring rain which cleared away in the evening just in time to go with our hosts and friends, John and Denise Lebowitz to see the Nashville Symphony Orchestra who were playing at the Tennessee Performing Arts Centre..
On Saturday morning we visited Radnor Lake State Natural area for an uphill, three mile walk followed by a late brunch on the veranda overlooking John's garden and lake. Later that evening we went to see the Nashville Predators Ice Hockey team fight with the St Louis Blues team. Sportmanship was lacking as it started with a fight during the first five minutes- not cricket as we say in England. Following this we enjoyed a fantastic evening at the famous ' Bluebird Cafe' which featured four songwriters playing their own compositions. Jim Peterik (Eye of the tiger), Bob Welch (Ex Fleetwood Mac and wrote Sentimental Lady), Roger Cook (from Bristol who wrote many famous tunes including I'd like to teach the world to sing, and finally Chas Sandford (Missing you) This was a fabulous event and is highly recomended should you ever visit Nashville. See website for details.
Sunday started slowly and then it started raining again just before we arrived at the Country Music Hall of Fame which had a special Ray Charles exhibit. This was then followed by dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant where you are surrounded by fish tanks containing sharks, moray eels and sting rays to name but three..
During Sunday evening and over night there were very strong winds and lightning followed by a tropical downpour which did a great job of washing the car. To the west of Nashville there were several tornados which caused considerable damage and loss of life.
Monday morning we left enroute for Charleston.
A truly great weekend and our sincere thanks go to John and Denise for making us so welcome
On Saturday morning we visited Radnor Lake State Natural area for an uphill, three mile walk followed by a late brunch on the veranda overlooking John's garden and lake. Later that evening we went to see the Nashville Predators Ice Hockey team fight with the St Louis Blues team. Sportmanship was lacking as it started with a fight during the first five minutes- not cricket as we say in England. Following this we enjoyed a fantastic evening at the famous ' Bluebird Cafe' which featured four songwriters playing their own compositions. Jim Peterik (Eye of the tiger), Bob Welch (Ex Fleetwood Mac and wrote Sentimental Lady), Roger Cook (from Bristol who wrote many famous tunes including I'd like to teach the world to sing, and finally Chas Sandford (Missing you) This was a fabulous event and is highly recomended should you ever visit Nashville. See website for details.
Sunday started slowly and then it started raining again just before we arrived at the Country Music Hall of Fame which had a special Ray Charles exhibit. This was then followed by dinner at the Aquarium Restaurant where you are surrounded by fish tanks containing sharks, moray eels and sting rays to name but three..
During Sunday evening and over night there were very strong winds and lightning followed by a tropical downpour which did a great job of washing the car. To the west of Nashville there were several tornados which caused considerable damage and loss of life.
Monday morning we left enroute for Charleston.
A truly great weekend and our sincere thanks go to John and Denise for making us so welcome
30th March Ashville to Pigeon Forge via Gatlinburg
We packed up and left early from Ashville and re-traced our previous days steps back to Cherokee. The weather yesterday and today has been great and this afternoon the temperature reached almost 27 degrees Centigrade. We spent some time walking around the ski town of Gatlinburg which is undergoing a beautification process by moving all overhead cables underground. We enjoyed great smoked Hot Dogs followed by some Ben & Jerrys ice cream for a great lunch . By the way our English accents are causing some interest and people keep us talking just to hear us speak.
The trip from Cherokee over the mountain, through The Great Smoky Mountain National Park was magnificent with amazing blue skys and great views and well worth the visit. North Carolina is a nice American State whilst the National Park has Tennesse on the far side and you move between states when crossing the top of the mountain. Travelling here at this time of year has been perfect as it is still to early for major tourism and most places are very quiet and we wonder where all the people are.
Tonight we decided to 'stay in' as the new going out is 'staying in' and so a visit to the shops resulted in us having a nice salad dinner in the room for only a few bucks.
Look out Nashville here we come!
The trip from Cherokee over the mountain, through The Great Smoky Mountain National Park was magnificent with amazing blue skys and great views and well worth the visit. North Carolina is a nice American State whilst the National Park has Tennesse on the far side and you move between states when crossing the top of the mountain. Travelling here at this time of year has been perfect as it is still to early for major tourism and most places are very quiet and we wonder where all the people are.
Tonight we decided to 'stay in' as the new going out is 'staying in' and so a visit to the shops resulted in us having a nice salad dinner in the room for only a few bucks.
Look out Nashville here we come!
Blue Ridge Parkway and Pisgah National Forest
On Tuesday we went Northeast of Asheville along the Blue Ridge Parkway which is an amazing road which travels over 480 miles from start to finish at Cherokee. It folllow the Appalachian Mountain's from Virgina. It would appear that this road had just reopened after the winter period as there was still snow and ice streams to be seen. The mountains are aptly named 'Smokey Mountain's as there is a haze over them for most of the time. The drive was quite beautifull as the road reaches over 6000 feet. .On Wednesday we travelled South West to Cherokee and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Lunch was at Subway, and dinner was a steak at the Outback Grill.
Enough about food, the journey on these two days was very enjoyable and we were able to appreciate many of the sights of North Carolina.
Enough about food, the journey on these two days was very enjoyable and we were able to appreciate many of the sights of North Carolina.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC Monday 27th March
Completed in 1895, America's largest home offers a glimpse into how the other half lived. The house was built for George Vanderbilt one of America's richest families.
We spent the complete day visiting the house, gardens and the winery. The gardens were wonderfull and inspite of the fact that spring is still not here yet. The glasshouses contained some excellent specimens of which some are included in the above link.
The ice cream was fantastic but not the wine!!!
That night we had Italian food at the 'Carrabbas' chain excellent, and so to bed.
We spent the complete day visiting the house, gardens and the winery. The gardens were wonderfull and inspite of the fact that spring is still not here yet. The glasshouses contained some excellent specimens of which some are included in the above link.
The ice cream was fantastic but not the wine!!!
That night we had Italian food at the 'Carrabbas' chain excellent, and so to bed.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Look out USA we are here
Look out USA we are here
On the 24th March we departed for Charlotte,North Carolina with an uneventfull flight on US Airways. The Marriott Hotel was located in downtown Charlotte which is the 25th largest city in the USA. We spent two days walking the streets which are littered with sculptures of every type. It's also a very quiet city. The Dead Sea Scrolls were on display at the Discovery Centre which also houses the Musuem. In the dome shaped IMAX theatre was showing a film 'The mysteries of the Nile' an excellent film following a group's travel from Ethiopia to the mouth of the Nile at Alexandria, all very exciting with great footage of flying though the gorges.
The next day we left for Asheville which is in the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Last nights dinner at a Japanese Restaurant (so called) was the worst meal in years. The meals we had in Charlotte were of a different class.
On the 24th March we departed for Charlotte,North Carolina with an uneventfull flight on US Airways. The Marriott Hotel was located in downtown Charlotte which is the 25th largest city in the USA. We spent two days walking the streets which are littered with sculptures of every type. It's also a very quiet city. The Dead Sea Scrolls were on display at the Discovery Centre which also houses the Musuem. In the dome shaped IMAX theatre was showing a film 'The mysteries of the Nile' an excellent film following a group's travel from Ethiopia to the mouth of the Nile at Alexandria, all very exciting with great footage of flying though the gorges.
The next day we left for Asheville which is in the foothills of The Great Smoky Mountains which is part of the Appalachian Mountains. Last nights dinner at a Japanese Restaurant (so called) was the worst meal in years. The meals we had in Charlotte were of a different class.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)