Roadtrip 1 the SouthEast
Pennsylvania Amish Virginia West Virginia Kentucky Tennessee Mississippi Louisiana Alabama Georgia Florida Carolinas
Day 1
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY - Gettysburg, PA 280 miles
Lenny and Per started the Roadtrip from Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, on October 3rd 2011. Our vehicle of choice was a Toyota Prius, now known as the Silver Ghost.
Our goal on the first day was to go to Pennsylvania, explore the Amish country a bit, and to finish up in Gettysburg.
After three hours, and a stop outside Philadelphia for a cheese steak, we arrived in Amish lands. The Amish live in a different world. Their culture and daily life is very different from what we are used to on Long Island. They like to stay apart from the English, as they say. They have no churches despite their strong religious beliefs. Instead the services are rotated from farm to farm.
They use no electricity. They have their own schools. They dress somewhat traditional, the simpler the better. No zippers!
We bought a couple bottles of root beer from a farm, and I was happy to see a Shoo-fly pie for lunch. Very good.
Our goal on the first day was to go to Pennsylvania, explore the Amish country a bit, and to finish up in Gettysburg.
After three hours, and a stop outside Philadelphia for a cheese steak, we arrived in Amish lands. The Amish live in a different world. Their culture and daily life is very different from what we are used to on Long Island. They like to stay apart from the English, as they say. They have no churches despite their strong religious beliefs. Instead the services are rotated from farm to farm.
They use no electricity. They have their own schools. They dress somewhat traditional, the simpler the better. No zippers!
We bought a couple bottles of root beer from a farm, and I was happy to see a Shoo-fly pie for lunch. Very good.
After a day of experiencing the Amish life, Silver Ghost took us to Gettysburg. We got there late at night, in the pouring rain, and soon we were bouncing like red rubber balls across the highway to Ruby Tuesday and nice big plates of glazed ribs.
Our waitress had never been outside Pennsylvania. She was recently married to an apple farmer, was living with the inlaws at the farm, and had her life already staked out, with no change in sight, or so it seemed to us.
We suggested she go to Barcelona, and maybe Kuala Lumpur, to see a bit of the world.
We wondered if we should take a more pro active advisory role for future encounters with the natives.
Our waitress had never been outside Pennsylvania. She was recently married to an apple farmer, was living with the inlaws at the farm, and had her life already staked out, with no change in sight, or so it seemed to us.
We suggested she go to Barcelona, and maybe Kuala Lumpur, to see a bit of the world.
We wondered if we should take a more pro active advisory role for future encounters with the natives.
Day 2
Gettysburg, PA - Lewisburg, WV 285 miles
The day started early with a ride to the battlefield. A guided bustour rumbled through the lush greenery. It felt weird knowing that so many soldiers had died all around you, one summer, long ago, between July 1-3, 1863.
'It is estimated that during those three days there were at least 7,550 killed in the two armies at Gettysburg. 27,450 were wounded, and 10,515 went missing. Only one civilian died, a nurse, from a stray bullet. More than 3,000 horses were killed at Gettysburg. Lydia Lyster found 17 dead horses in her yard.'
'It is estimated that during those three days there were at least 7,550 killed in the two armies at Gettysburg. 27,450 were wounded, and 10,515 went missing. Only one civilian died, a nurse, from a stray bullet. More than 3,000 horses were killed at Gettysburg. Lydia Lyster found 17 dead horses in her yard.'
We saw many statues of famous and less famous generals. The diorama showing the battlefield is very old and very detailed, an old showcase still looking good.
After lunch in Gettysburg we headed south for West Virginia. After driving 285 miles we ended up at General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg. The matronly manager was sympathetic towards us, and gave us a good price. The inn is a quaint old house with squeaky floors. At night, in the fog, we took a walk thru the ghostly little town. We met a couple of young local artists selling their work from the trunk of their car. We looked, we appreciated their artworks, but we were hungry and headed quickly for dinner at an Irish pub.
After lunch in Gettysburg we headed south for West Virginia. After driving 285 miles we ended up at General Lewis Inn in Lewisburg. The matronly manager was sympathetic towards us, and gave us a good price. The inn is a quaint old house with squeaky floors. At night, in the fog, we took a walk thru the ghostly little town. We met a couple of young local artists selling their work from the trunk of their car. We looked, we appreciated their artworks, but we were hungry and headed quickly for dinner at an Irish pub.
Day 3
Lewisburg, WV - Berea, KY 330 miles
On Day 3
As we left in the morning we drove thru a heavy fog. We were very close at getting a deer steak for lunch!
Our trip this day was 'off the beaten path', our preferred side of America. We drove amid fields of corn and tobacco, growing and drying in barns around the countryside. We met Mr Ted who ran a scrapyard, with mostly motorcycles. He repairs, finishes and shines, he morphs old bikes and makes new gorgeous bikes. He was working on a combo of a bike in front, and a car in the back, a twist on a three wheeler. He also had his pretty wife nearby, in the car, waiting for him, with a toothless smile.
We continued on to Berea, a nice little college town, and after a salute to our ancestors, we found a Cracker Barrel restaurant near our hotel. Life's Good. Today we drove 330 miles in hillbilly country.
As we left in the morning we drove thru a heavy fog. We were very close at getting a deer steak for lunch!
Our trip this day was 'off the beaten path', our preferred side of America. We drove amid fields of corn and tobacco, growing and drying in barns around the countryside. We met Mr Ted who ran a scrapyard, with mostly motorcycles. He repairs, finishes and shines, he morphs old bikes and makes new gorgeous bikes. He was working on a combo of a bike in front, and a car in the back, a twist on a three wheeler. He also had his pretty wife nearby, in the car, waiting for him, with a toothless smile.
We continued on to Berea, a nice little college town, and after a salute to our ancestors, we found a Cracker Barrel restaurant near our hotel. Life's Good. Today we drove 330 miles in hillbilly country.
Day 4
Berea, KY - Nashville, TN 236 miles
Berea, KY - Nashville, TN 236 miles
We woke up early at Comfort Inn to a beautiful sunrise.
Today we had a lot on our agenda. Bourbon distillery, Chevrolet Corvette factory, the Mammoth Cave och Ryman Auditorium, home of the classic Grand Ole Opry country music radio show.
We were a bit unclear if there was a show that night and if we could make it. We put our tofflor (clogs) to the pedal, and the pedal to the metal. But, you know, it's a Prius.
We started with a visit to a bourbon distillery in Bardstown, KY. The factory is very old and we had a guided tour teaching us about the importance of good quality corn, storage procedures, and how important it is to produce a good looking and great tasting product. Sampling of this amber colored liquid was included at the end, but we were not that impressed.
The trip continued on to Mammoth Cave, one of the worlds largest cave system, with more than 650km of explored caves. We arrived in between tours, and judged that we would not make the festivities planned for the evening if we had to wait a couple of hours for the next tour. So we skipped it, and carried on.
From Mammoth Cave we headed for Bowling Green, the birthplace of the Chevrolet Corvette. The factory itself was closed, but the museum was open, which was just as well. Here we got a historic look at 'the number one sportswear in America'. Nice shapes!
The museum later had a mishap, a 'sinkhole' in Februari 2014, and a handful of cars fell in. |
Onto Nashville, TN. We were late, but quickly found a hotel, and hurried downtown to Ryman Auditorium, an old red brick building. It was showtime! A live broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry, and the place was full of country music fans. The show also included the spoken commercials in between acts. Very cool.
It was a memorable night with a lot of oldies on the menu. LeRoy Van Dyke sang 'Walk On By' and 'The Auctioneer's Song'. Also singing were Janie Fricke, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Statler Brothers' Jeremy Horton, Jeannie Seely, and Charley Pride, who had the ladies swaying in their seats. And Lenny was happy, it had taken him 45 years to get to Nashville. He is slow, but persevering.
It was a memorable night with a lot of oldies on the menu. LeRoy Van Dyke sang 'Walk On By' and 'The Auctioneer's Song'. Also singing were Janie Fricke, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Statler Brothers' Jeremy Horton, Jeannie Seely, and Charley Pride, who had the ladies swaying in their seats. And Lenny was happy, it had taken him 45 years to get to Nashville. He is slow, but persevering.
Afterwards we strolled down to Music Row to eat and listen to country music. There was music everywhere. In every bar, on every corner were hopefuls looking for their chance to break out and each trying to outdo the others with floor shaking stomps.
Day 5
Nashville, TN - Cleveland, MS 330 miles
Today's goal was Memphis. We wanted to see Graceland, Elvis old home.
We saw Elvis' kitchen, where he made his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We saw his gold records awards, and his horse corral in the back. We saw his pool table and his media room with a wall of tv's. Nice. But after a couple of hours we started getting tired of standing in line constantly, and we went back to the Silver Ghost. We decided to leave Memphis and head south. With no particular goal in mind. Just south.
Lenny had heard of Clarksdale, hometown of Ike Turner. Morgan Freeman had opened Ground Zero Blues Club there, and we decided to check it out.
Clarksdale was really run down, with very few people out and about. The few black people we saw checked us out good as we came gliding by in Silver Ghost. We saw only people hopelessly stuck in this little hole. We tried to find a room, but after waiting for half an hour without a real answer from the not-so-speedy and rather large receptionist, we decided the vibes were not right, and we left and kept going south.
Lenny had heard of Clarksdale, hometown of Ike Turner. Morgan Freeman had opened Ground Zero Blues Club there, and we decided to check it out.
Clarksdale was really run down, with very few people out and about. The few black people we saw checked us out good as we came gliding by in Silver Ghost. We saw only people hopelessly stuck in this little hole. We tried to find a room, but after waiting for half an hour without a real answer from the not-so-speedy and rather large receptionist, we decided the vibes were not right, and we left and kept going south.
Another hour south and we finally arrived at Cleveland, MS. This town was a bit more prosperous, in the middle of the farm fields.
From our hotel we had to cross a field to reach a restaurant and almost got stuck. The field was full of some kind of living velcro that attached itself to our shoes, socks and pants. They stayed with us for weeks afterwards.
But the meal at Airport Grocery was good.
Day 6
Cleveland, MS - Natchez, MS 230 miles
We kept driving south with no real destination in mind.
We put the toffla to the pedal and enjoyed miles of cottonfields and passed thru odd clouds of bugs along the highway. Every so often the three crosses could be seen, either warning us or praying for us.
We put the toffla to the pedal and enjoyed miles of cottonfields and passed thru odd clouds of bugs along the highway. Every so often the three crosses could be seen, either warning us or praying for us.
We decided to take the Natchez Trace Park Way. The road is over 444 miles long and stretches from Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TN.
It's a drive through beautiful scenery and 10,000 years of North American history. Used by American Indians, "Kaintucks," settlers, and future presidents, the Old Trace played an important role in American history. It's Indian land, Choctaw Nation, with mixed woods and in places full of Spanish Moss hanging down from the branches. We passed thru the mystical woods, and at the end of one trail, we saw a sign for Rocky Springs, pop. 1860 - 2616, pop. today - 0, 'a town no more'. The town of Rocky Springs died out from a lack of water, the Civil War and yellow fever. The old church was still standing though, surrounded by an enthusiastic bunch of baptists trying to keep it going. They were very welcoming and invited us to join them for a very tasty lunch. That was sweet and delicious! |
The parkway took longer than we expected. There were many stops with beautiful scenery all around. We came to an Indian burial mound, climbing a stairway to heaven.
What really struck us as we kept driving thru Mississippi was how flat it was, and how many churches we saw. The three crosses were planted every ten miles, as reminders, that this is a very boring neighborhood..
Highway 61, officially US Route 61, connects New Orleans and the city of Wyoming in Minnesota, and runs clean south-north for 1,400 miles. It’s often nicknamed the “Blues Highway” in recognition of the region’s musical culture and the so-called Great Migration of African-Americans from the Mississippi Delta to St Louis and Chicago between 1910 and 1970. According to legend, the great blues guitarist Robert Johnson met the devil at the crossroads of highways 61 and 49.
At the end of the road we decided to slow down for the night. We had arrived to Natchez, along the mighty Mississippi river.
We were tired after a long day in the saddle and
Lennart enjoyed a good cigar after all the food and drink.
It was a long day, but only 370km in distance.
Day 7
Natchez, MS - Angola Prison - New Orleans, LA 230 miles
During our trip we had been discussing that we ought to do something manly. By chance, we saw that there was a rodeo at Angola Prison, which was on the road to New Orleans.
Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola is a prison for lifers. It was explained that 'in for life' means there is a possibility they could get out eventually. But 'life-timers' will never be free. At Angola there were both categories. The procedure to gain entry was rigorous. Security checks of visitors and of the cars. During rodeo days selected prisoners are allowed to move about freely with the visitors. Which honestly was a bit uncomfortable, since they don't have anything to loose any longer and could kill visitors at will. We had to trust that their selection process of trustworthy killers was good! The prisoners were allowed to make and sell artwork and handicrafts and there were a lot of nice kitschy stuff. Photography was strictly forbidden, and we tried to get around that by introducing us as Swedish reporters, but they were not impressed with this sudden media interest from Sweden. So we couldn't take photos, although we cheated a little ... |
The rodeo was good, with a mix of prisoners and outsiders putting on the show. Prisoners were competing for cash prizes in various events and worked hard in the hot sun.
We carried on south to New Orleans, the ultimate goal of our roadtrip. The Swamps. The Ronkonkomaniacs. The Swampronkers!
By this time we realized that the goal of a roadtrip is not the destination, but to enjoy the ride itself. And we were.
We were also flexible and decided to take a two day break in New Orleans. A legendary city of jazz and cajuns and voodoo and creole food. Once in the city we tried to find a hotel in the French Quarters, that was not too expensive.
We found one a couple of blocks away.
We took a stroll at night to the French Quarter, had a good meal, and went back to our hotel to gather strength for another day.
We carried on south to New Orleans, the ultimate goal of our roadtrip. The Swamps. The Ronkonkomaniacs. The Swampronkers!
By this time we realized that the goal of a roadtrip is not the destination, but to enjoy the ride itself. And we were.
We were also flexible and decided to take a two day break in New Orleans. A legendary city of jazz and cajuns and voodoo and creole food. Once in the city we tried to find a hotel in the French Quarters, that was not too expensive.
We found one a couple of blocks away.
We took a stroll at night to the French Quarter, had a good meal, and went back to our hotel to gather strength for another day.
Day 8
New Orleans, French Quarters
Well, you get what you pay for, but the hotel did have a washing machine, and we started this day loaded with quarters as we spent quality time doing our laundry.
A walk a couple of miles north led us to St Louis Cemetary No. 1. It's a nice old cemetary, where the remains of the famous voodoo queen Marie Laveau are kept.
Since the water table is high, the graves are built up, instead of down. They come in various shapes and styles. Many of the graves have presents around them. Lipstick, perfume bottles for the ladies, Southern Comfort bottles for the gents. Voodoo is alive and well. Who Dat?
After lunch at Frank's (Central Grocery was closed) and their muffuleta sandwich, we walked across Jackson Square and down towards the river. Along the way there was jazz and blues played on corners and at cafes. Future brides were posing for photographers, artists were painting, and tourists enjoyed the beignets (sw. sockerbulle) at Cafe du Monde.
We had seen a line for Preservation Hall already at 2pm, and when we returned after a stop at O'Briens and a Hurricane drink there, it was packed. But we happily squeezed in and got to listen to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a collection of jazz veterans. The audience was in a trance, and heads were bopping to the music. Great jazz!
On our way back we passed some ladies of the night, working the crowd at 'Whisky n Tits'. But no time for that, we had Facebooking to do!
A walk a couple of miles north led us to St Louis Cemetary No. 1. It's a nice old cemetary, where the remains of the famous voodoo queen Marie Laveau are kept.
Since the water table is high, the graves are built up, instead of down. They come in various shapes and styles. Many of the graves have presents around them. Lipstick, perfume bottles for the ladies, Southern Comfort bottles for the gents. Voodoo is alive and well. Who Dat?
After lunch at Frank's (Central Grocery was closed) and their muffuleta sandwich, we walked across Jackson Square and down towards the river. Along the way there was jazz and blues played on corners and at cafes. Future brides were posing for photographers, artists were painting, and tourists enjoyed the beignets (sw. sockerbulle) at Cafe du Monde.
We had seen a line for Preservation Hall already at 2pm, and when we returned after a stop at O'Briens and a Hurricane drink there, it was packed. But we happily squeezed in and got to listen to the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a collection of jazz veterans. The audience was in a trance, and heads were bopping to the music. Great jazz!
On our way back we passed some ladies of the night, working the crowd at 'Whisky n Tits'. But no time for that, we had Facebooking to do!
Day 9
Louisiana Gators 93 miles
We left early in the morning eager to enter the Swamps. After an 8 mile ride north, we found the place, and with eight other tourists we got into a speedboat that quickly hauled us into the swamps. It was extremely beautiful and also a bit spooky. The captain maneuvered the boat near and under trees that had poisonous spiders the size of a hand. Hungry gators were motoring by waiting for a tourist to fall in. But we remained calm, and trusted our skipper.
After finishing our alligator encounters in the swamps, we drove back to see more of Nawlins, the Crescent City.
Watch a little Swamp video here
Watch a little Swamp video here
Day 10
New Orleans, LA - Foley, AL 143 miles
In the morning the Silver Ghost took us into Mississippi and today we realized we were heading back. Not nice.
Todays destination was a question mark, we just knew we wanted it to say 'E' on the compass. After a while we saw 'NASA Rocket Test Center' on a sign. We followed the arrows and ended up in an impressive area. A place where NASA is testing their vehicles before they leave for space.
Today we started to officially use the term 'International Travelers' so people could understand our situation easier, and the NASA lady in the red blouse watched us with a mixture of surprise, suspicion and maybe even fear. We advised her to go to Barcelona.
Shortly afterwards Per crashed the lunar lander, and Lenny rerouted traffic across the North Atlantic, and we continued our trip eastwards.
Todays destination was a question mark, we just knew we wanted it to say 'E' on the compass. After a while we saw 'NASA Rocket Test Center' on a sign. We followed the arrows and ended up in an impressive area. A place where NASA is testing their vehicles before they leave for space.
Today we started to officially use the term 'International Travelers' so people could understand our situation easier, and the NASA lady in the red blouse watched us with a mixture of surprise, suspicion and maybe even fear. We advised her to go to Barcelona.
Shortly afterwards Per crashed the lunar lander, and Lenny rerouted traffic across the North Atlantic, and we continued our trip eastwards.
We came to Mobile, AL, and soon found Battleship Memorial Park. It was the home of USS Alabama, a huge battleship in service during WW2, as well the submarine USS Drum. Lenny realized he doesn't like to be under water.
We then took a stroll in the sand of the Mexican Gulf and were a bit disappointed to find little nuggets of oil between our toes. Remnants of the Deepwater oil spill in April 2010.
We then took a stroll in the sand of the Mexican Gulf and were a bit disappointed to find little nuggets of oil between our toes. Remnants of the Deepwater oil spill in April 2010.
We started getting hungry. Lenny had read about a place he thought might be fun. Lambert's Cafe 'Home of the Throwed Rolls'
A place where they throw you the rolls, and come walking by with a choice of dishes. It was an all-you-can-eat place with delicious grub and full of hungry Southerners packing it in. Foley, Alabama, was today's destination.
A place where they throw you the rolls, and come walking by with a choice of dishes. It was an all-you-can-eat place with delicious grub and full of hungry Southerners packing it in. Foley, Alabama, was today's destination.
Day 11
Foley, AL - Savannah, GA 528 miles
The previous night we had figured that there really wasn't much of interest for us between Foley, Alabama, and the east coast. So we decided to do a straight run to the Atlantic and to Savannah, Georgia. This is a city that we were both attracted to, with old houses and weeping trees competing for attention.
It took all day to drive 528 miles. 'Sweaty balls' became our term for describing the very uncomfortable condition that develops on a long ride, during hot and muggy days.
We rolled into Savannah, but had trouble finding a hotel downtown. Only expensive hotels in the downtown area.
An hour later we rolled out of Savannah, we had to settle for a place on the outskirts.
Day 12
Savannah, GA
After escaping Motel 6 we drove back into downtown Savannah. We figured a bit of general sightseeing first, then we wanted to go to the coast for a swim. Tybee Lighthouse looked cool, and that's where we went It has a fairly high tower to climb, but the view is worth it. We discovered that Per (the pilot) doesn't like heights (!) He fought with all his limbs to stay grounded. On the other hand, Lennart gets an uneasy feeling down in the submarines. It evens out in the end.
Savannah is a beautiful and interesting city. Lots of trees with Spanish moss hanging down creates gorgeous canopies of leaves. Tunnels of green. That are very well protected and cherished by the city and its people. Their shadows are appreciated during hot summer days. The Savannah Rose is a handicraft from Palmetto leaves that we saw being made and sold downtown, especially by the harbor. This was a century old handicraft, slaves used to make some money from these. The old slave quarters area still have many fine old buildings. Nowadays the slaves are called office workers, and come out at lunchtime for a break.
Savannah is a beautiful and interesting city. Lots of trees with Spanish moss hanging down creates gorgeous canopies of leaves. Tunnels of green. That are very well protected and cherished by the city and its people. Their shadows are appreciated during hot summer days. The Savannah Rose is a handicraft from Palmetto leaves that we saw being made and sold downtown, especially by the harbor. This was a century old handicraft, slaves used to make some money from these. The old slave quarters area still have many fine old buildings. Nowadays the slaves are called office workers, and come out at lunchtime for a break.
Day 13
Savannah, GA - Charleston, SC
After the plantation visit, we drove downtown. Charleston is another old beautiful city, at least the sections we saw. Old gorgeous houses well maintained in pretty pastel colors. Old gaslights flickering, both on houses and by the street. We happened upon Clara, outside sweeping her entrance, and she invited us in. She had been to Stockholm, and liked Swedes in general, and us especially. She lived in an antique house full of the very finest.
This is a very historic city. On April 12th, 1861, at 04:30am the shot that started the Civil War was fired from the South's artillery outside Charleston on the North's Fort Sumter. Three days of bombing by the South had Major Anderson (Toarp) capitulate to General Beauregard (Tåstarp). The Civil War was on.
This is a very historic city. On April 12th, 1861, at 04:30am the shot that started the Civil War was fired from the South's artillery outside Charleston on the North's Fort Sumter. Three days of bombing by the South had Major Anderson (Toarp) capitulate to General Beauregard (Tåstarp). The Civil War was on.
Part of the challenge of being on a roadtrip is managing the daily quest of finding a place to sleep. With wi-fi, and breakfast included.
In Charleston we weren't very lucky.
There was an event in town, and Carolinians were everywhere, busloads of them. We stayed at the only place we could find, Motel 6.
Do not stay at Motel 6. It was a dumpy place, dirty, noisy and outside the city itself. But desperation and tiredness set in that night. There appeared to be a pack of wolves next door, howling for their next kill. On a positive note, the check-in clerk was friendly and they did have wi-fi.
Today we drove 118 miles. Easy peasy.
In Charleston we weren't very lucky.
There was an event in town, and Carolinians were everywhere, busloads of them. We stayed at the only place we could find, Motel 6.
Do not stay at Motel 6. It was a dumpy place, dirty, noisy and outside the city itself. But desperation and tiredness set in that night. There appeared to be a pack of wolves next door, howling for their next kill. On a positive note, the check-in clerk was friendly and they did have wi-fi.
Today we drove 118 miles. Easy peasy.
Day 14
Charleston, SC-Myrtle Beach, SC
For unknown reasons we took the long inland road to Myrtle Beach. Maybe Lennart thought the Silver Ghost needed to stretch out a bit after those wimpy hundred miles yesterday. In Myrtle Beach we had no problem at all finding a good deal, right on the water was the Beachcomber. We checked in and took our usual walk around town. Found good food and saw plenty of Northerners down south to play golf. |
Day 15
Myrtle Beach, SC
Again we bounced up early to try to catch the sunrise with our cameras. No clouds unfortunatelly to create extra drama, but it was still really nice to see the sun lighting up our day, one ray at a time. We were greeted by a warm morning, a fresh breeze from the ocean, a good start.
Lennart was more interested in golf than Per. We compromised by playing a short 9 hole course, with an option for more. Myrtle Beach has hundreds of golf courses, a regular Mecca of Golf. It was a very exciting round, with Per looking for balls behind trees and cars, and with a good finish. Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with by jumping into the Atlantic behind our hotel. Refreshing!
Lennart was more interested in golf than Per. We compromised by playing a short 9 hole course, with an option for more. Myrtle Beach has hundreds of golf courses, a regular Mecca of Golf. It was a very exciting round, with Per looking for balls behind trees and cars, and with a good finish. Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with by jumping into the Atlantic behind our hotel. Refreshing!
Day 16
Myrtle Beach, SC-Norfolk, VA
After an early breakfast we continued heading north. Without a specific destination. The feeling of Roadtrip 1 coming to an end was not welcome. We were enjoying the good life 'on the road'.
We decided to head for the coast, which also happened to be the place where Orville first took off.
We started exploring the coast and the ocean, and soon found a couple of happy gentlemen, sitting in the sand, fishing, and watching for dolphins. Lennart soon joined them to discuss the art of dolphin watching, from a more philosophical angle.
This was near Kill Devil Hill by Kitty Hawk, NC, the spot where the Wright Brothers made their first flight in a motorized, heavier than air, controllable airplane.
Very interesting, and intriguing for Per, who has his career to thank the Wright Brothers for.
On December 17th 1903 at 10:35am they flew for the first time. Orville sat, or rather laid down by the controls when he flew 120 feet during 12 seconds. The speed was an amazing 5.9 knots, ground speed. But they flew against the wind, at 21 knots, so the speed thru air was an astonishing 27 knots.
On the fourth try of the day, Wilbur flew 852 feet in 59 seconds. That's progress!
We decided to head for the coast, which also happened to be the place where Orville first took off.
We started exploring the coast and the ocean, and soon found a couple of happy gentlemen, sitting in the sand, fishing, and watching for dolphins. Lennart soon joined them to discuss the art of dolphin watching, from a more philosophical angle.
This was near Kill Devil Hill by Kitty Hawk, NC, the spot where the Wright Brothers made their first flight in a motorized, heavier than air, controllable airplane.
Very interesting, and intriguing for Per, who has his career to thank the Wright Brothers for.
On December 17th 1903 at 10:35am they flew for the first time. Orville sat, or rather laid down by the controls when he flew 120 feet during 12 seconds. The speed was an amazing 5.9 knots, ground speed. But they flew against the wind, at 21 knots, so the speed thru air was an astonishing 27 knots.
On the fourth try of the day, Wilbur flew 852 feet in 59 seconds. That's progress!
Leaving Kitty Hawk, we drove up to Norfolk, Virginia, and started our usual ritual of looking for a hotel for the night.
Today we left 447 miles of asphalt behind us.
Too tired for any sight seeing, we just spent the night sleeping like babies.
Today we left 447 miles of asphalt behind us.
Too tired for any sight seeing, we just spent the night sleeping like babies.
Day 17
Norfolk, VA - Ronkonkoma, NY
We were going to drive thru a long tunnel, the Chesapeak Bay Bridge Tunnel (CBBT), on our way north, and Lenny is not comfortable being under or in the water. CBBT is a combined bridge and tunnel, almost 19 miles long, of which 2 miles are tunnel. Trying to find the right approach to CBBT got us lost a couple of times, as if a big hand was steering Lenny away from the tunnel. . But eventually we found the ramp, Lenny manned up and went thru in style.
Back on the mainland, Delaware Peninsula, we steered towards Chincoteaque Island. There was supposed to be wild horses running around on the beaches. Had to check that out. We didn't see any, but the little town and island was very charming and had a good genuine fishing village feel. We went looking for a cup of coffee, but nothing was open yet, so we left.
Further on we happened to to drive by 'Home of the Grave Digger', and also the birthplace of Grave Digger, the monster truck. We stopped and they welcomed us in as they were testing a new engine and a new Grave Digger version. It was very impressive and deafening as they started up the engine. It was loud, that V8 blew my ears off! No pollution control there.
After that we just continued to Lake Ronkonkoma, a long ride for the final stretch.
It only took 17 days of reminding Lenny that he needed to buy new windshield wipers before he finally agreed on a replacement. The result was outstanding. Now we could actually see ahead, even in the rain. We could very well have hit a chicken or two during the 17 days without noticing. We did notice a couple of bullet holes in the back of Silver Ghost, but we came back basically in one piece.
Our last day covered 416 miles.
Back on the mainland, Delaware Peninsula, we steered towards Chincoteaque Island. There was supposed to be wild horses running around on the beaches. Had to check that out. We didn't see any, but the little town and island was very charming and had a good genuine fishing village feel. We went looking for a cup of coffee, but nothing was open yet, so we left.
Further on we happened to to drive by 'Home of the Grave Digger', and also the birthplace of Grave Digger, the monster truck. We stopped and they welcomed us in as they were testing a new engine and a new Grave Digger version. It was very impressive and deafening as they started up the engine. It was loud, that V8 blew my ears off! No pollution control there.
After that we just continued to Lake Ronkonkoma, a long ride for the final stretch.
It only took 17 days of reminding Lenny that he needed to buy new windshield wipers before he finally agreed on a replacement. The result was outstanding. Now we could actually see ahead, even in the rain. We could very well have hit a chicken or two during the 17 days without noticing. We did notice a couple of bullet holes in the back of Silver Ghost, but we came back basically in one piece.
Our last day covered 416 miles.
17 days on the road, 3890 miles behind us, and Roadtrip 1 had come to an end.
We knew one thing, we couldn't wait for Roadtrip 2!
Watch Unforgettable Golf Video from Roadtrip 1 from YouTube
We knew one thing, we couldn't wait for Roadtrip 2!
Watch Unforgettable Golf Video from Roadtrip 1 from YouTube
Watch a little photo video. Opens in new window.
Part 1 is 7min,
part 2 is 17min. (It seems YouTube removed the music for Part 2 due to copyright issues.)
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