Trip Diary Week 2 - Alabama
22/7/91 Mon... We were all up at 5am and left for the San Francisco airport by 5.30am. It was a wild ride along the 101 freeway with most of the traffic travelling at 70 MPH! We did well to get to the right place as once again, the freeway signs were confusing and we almost stayed on the freeway instead of exiting. After dropping Dad & Maisie at the United terminal, we had to return the rented car. Fortunately we saw an Alamo bus that we could follow to the rental depot. If we hadn't seen that, I'm sure that I wouldn't have found the place from the directions given on the rental information sheet! DELTA Flt 98 0820 - 1546 Atlanta - Max & Joe were there to meet us... after a while of "freeway wandering" while Joe couldn't work out where he was, he found the right road and we headed for home. We stopped in Douglasville for tea at Ryan's Steakhouse.. a scrumptious meal. This was our first taste of the type of food place where you can serve yourself and refill your plate as much as you like. On to Rock Run via Bremen, Buchanan, Cedartown (very pretty), Cave Springs, Forner then to the Jones Hideaway! Their 25 acre property is set well off the road in an area which was once mined extensively. It's well covered with pines and other timbers and is very pretty.
Tuesday 23/7/91 Up at 7.30am - a deer was grazing about 30m from the kitchen window and it stayed put long enough for a photo. Pancakes & bacon breakfast. I parcelled up the disk drive & scanner etc and posted them from Centre. On to Fort Payne to see Linda (Kevin’s wife) in hospital, then to Mentone for lunch at the Log Cabin Restaurant. Stopped in Calhoun Ga for a "shake”. Then thru Tate, Marblehill, Dawsonville to Dahlonega in Lumpkin County. The Dahlonega college has a steeple which is gold-plated.
Wed 24 July 91 - stayed the night in a cabin at Music Mountain Camp, had a BIG breakfast at a roadside steakhouse. Wandered round the town centre looking in the tourist shops (big bear, money jar) Visited the museum. Left Dahlonega about midday for Helen (Ga). Photo of "kudzu" plant growing over trees. (this grows 9” in 6 hours - it was imported from Japan as a soil stabiliser) Nora Mills - water powered flour mill operating for 112 years. Spent a while in Helen - a town imitating an alpine village - very kitch electronic bell - lots of small shops including a candle shop where we watched a beautiful candle being made. On to the flea-market - our introduction to their addiction. There were heaps of bargains - a US flag, a bell for Max & Joe and many more that we didn't buy. For the rest of the trip, I regretted not buying more but Joe and I have worked out a system for things that are not too heavy. Then on down through Canton and Cartersville to Rome - to the Wall-Mart. Tea at "Po Folks" - too much! Many eating places have a system of you eating as much as you like for the one price. This makes over-eating very easy.
25/7/91 Thursday - After a night of chasing a cricket, we arose about 7.30am and farewelled Max after a pleasant time sitting on the porch. Spent the day relaxing and recovering. A sorely needed break from travelling. We washed clothes and had a look round the area of the house. I had a look at Max’s Brother word processor.
26/7/91 Friday - went into Gadsden with Max, met her workmates. then into town, found the $3.00 store (where we found a "situp exerciser"), the Bible shop, the bank and then looked for Ray’s machine with a small degree of success. Lunch at Wendy’s then up to Noccalulla Falls. We went on the train ride, then walked round... a very pretty place. Shopping for groceries then back to pick up Max. Arrived back home to find Joe at the bottom of the hill with a flat tyre. The tyre wrench didn't fit and it was pouring with rain so we all went home.... then the Ford had a flat too!
Sat 27 JuL 91 Collinsville Flea Market - amazing bargains but all too heavy to take home or not allowed. Air powered tools - sander = $18 - drill = $20 - wrench = $20 mini-spray = $18 Went home midday and rested - put up the bell. Went to Fort Payne to see Linda after tea - home about 10pm.
28/7/91 Kevin rang at lam to say that Linda was being transferred to Birmingham - so off we went back to Ft Payne. I went with Kevin to Birmingham while Anne & Max took Chrissy to a baby-sitter, picked up Mrs Floyd and followed us. Linda had a boy delivered by CS at 7.58am. 26 weeks (14 prem) - one pound 11 ounces. A very busy morning! Drove back to RR about midday - M&J went back to Birmingham and Anne & I went to bed for the afternoon. M&J came home at about 2230hrs. Baby hanging in but Linda isn’t well.
29/7/91 Monday - We've been at Rock Run for a week. With the travelling and baby problems, the "fish rule" seems to be in recess but we will need to move on soon to give M&J a break. Joe is loaning us his 1975 Pontiac and we will be driving to Tennessee tomorrow to stay with Helen & Ernie for a couple of days. Joe took Anne & I to Cave Springs (fudge, antiques, Shumate’s Cafe for Lunch) then Joe took me with him on his paper route. A tiring 5 hour run round the area to the east of Centre - a lot of it on the shores of Weiss Lake. The photos were ready but I was a little disappointed with the quality of the prints. We met Kevin later - Linda is a lot better and the baby (Michael Wayne) is improving also.
30/7/91 Tuesday. After seeing Max off to work, we packed and headed off via Cedar Bluff to Chikamauga National Monument - very impressive display. On to Chattanooga where we got very muddled with the route and traffic. We tried to find the "Choo-choo" but gave up and headed through Dayton to Helen & Ernie's. Arrived about 5.30pm. After supper & a lot of "Zac attack", Helen took us for a drive into Spring City. Ernie works late shift at Lazy Boy in Dayton as an industrial electrician. He usually starts at 4pm and finishes about 2-3am.
31/7/91 Wednesday Drove over to Sweetwater to check out the trade-day. Not much there. The trade-day part is only on weekends. On to the Lost Sea at the southern end of the Appalachians... too many people so we kept going. Back to Spring City to Flat Rock Creek - a very pretty picnic spot. Home for a hot-dog lunch and a look at Ernie’s compressor then Ernie off to work. After a rest we headed off for a tour of the local area with Helen & Zac "Insurance Bluff" (Zec fountains in the back seat!), Dayton Wallmart, supper at Macdonalds, feeding the ducks in the lake, home via the back roads. Sitting on the swing seat in the quiet of the evening watching the fire-flies.
1/8/91 Thursday We were up soon after 7am so we could get the Pontiac into Dayton to have the exhaust leak fixed. Got to DJ’s to find that the appt hadn’t been written down and we had to wait till 9am before it was looked at. It turned out to be a leaking exhaust manifold as well as a broken pipe and it took about 3 hours to fix. While waiting, we found a hair salon next door and Anne had a timely hair cut. We then went across the road and watched the world go by from a shady grassed area beside Hwy 27. Then off on Rt 30W to Athens & Englewood. We crossed the Tennessee River on a vehicle ferry. The current is very strong. North on Rt 411 to Maryville where we tried to contact Chris’s friend. Through Townsend to Cady’s Cove - a little farming pocket in the Smokey Mountains. Very pretty one way drive round an early farming area that was settled about the time that Perth was founded - spotted a woodchuck in the grass, a deer in a field and another deer about to give birth. Left there and called into a flea market between Townsend and Maryville. Here we found a wooden maze (the same as one that we had enjoyed in Tasmania 12 years ago). On thru Lenoir City (Hwy 321) to Kingston then south on 58. A very pretty drive with very little traffic. We called into Spring City to have tea at Hardee’s. Then back to Helen’s at about 8pm.
2/8/91 Friday Left Helen’s at 9am and headed for Huntsville via Dayton, Dunlop, Jasper, Scottsboro, Guntersville to H. Stopped at Jasper (Ten) for lunch. The whole drive so far had been very hazy - almost like smoke. No real views because of it. In Huntsville, we found the Space centre without any frustration (thanks to Anne's good navigation) and WOW! What a place. We touched the rocket that launched the Lunar flights and stood beneath the shuttle "Discovery". We saw the parts of Skylab that landed in Australia. it was an incredible few hours. Then back on Hwy 65 to Cullmen, then 69 to Jasper AL. and Tuscaloosa. This was a very pretty drive through wooded hilly country. Stopped at gas station in an all black area, got a free car wash. The accent is so different that it is hard to recognise as english. It was too early to stop so we went on down Hwy 43 - a fast drive after dark. Arrived in Meridian about 9.15pm and started looking for a bed - we’ll book ahead in future! Finally found one at a "Scottish Inn" after an accidental detour on rough roads that had us driving up a slippery, muddy, narrow track in pitch dark!
3/8/91 Friday We Left Meridian about 9am and headed south arriving at Gulfport about 11.30. We did some grocery shopping and rang Gary. He met us there and took us to Teddy’s home where the reunion was being held. A great gathering of beaut people that we had heard of many times but never met. The gathering broke up about 6pm and we followed Gary & Karen, Ernie & Helen to Gary’s house where we all piled into "Sherman" (the Pontiac tank) and went for a drive down to Biloxi.
4/8/91 Sunday Over to Hardin's at 10am and dawdled till 12 when 10 of us left in 3 cars for N'awlins. We spent about 2 hours in "Aquarium of the Americas" and then went to a Cajun/Creole restaurant - very pleasant, good food. Then past Jackson Square to Bourbon St. A fascinating walk down this infamous street and then back to the car, said goodbye to Teddy, Jenny & Barbara; headed for Gulfport via Pas Christian.
5/8/91 Monday Left Gary’s at 7.30am and headed east on Hwy 90. At Mobile, we spent about 1.5 hrs at the Battleship Monument Park looking at the USS Alabama and the USS Drum. At one point we climbed into the main turret and looked down to where the loading numbers worked. It was difficult to imagine the hellish noise and heat that must be endured in the turrets when the 18” guns fire. On through Mobile, Daphne, Fairhope, Foley, Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, past Laguna, Montego Bay, Panama City and many other famous names. Stopped for the night at the Westgate Motel in Perry on Hwy 19 in Florida. (Freeway Symphony, Spinningtop Records) We went to bed during a terrific thunderstorm - very loud, very close.
6/8/91 Tuesday Left Perry at 9.30am. Average expenses have been $122/day between us - but the next few days will increase that. We continued down Hwy 19 to Chieftain and then turned SE on 27. Then at Acote we went onto the 1-75 and the Florida Turnpike. Stopped at the Central Florida Welcome Centre where we bought tickets for Universal Studios. Then somehow I turned north for a while (it drove me crazy trying to work out how!) but we turned around and got to Kissimmee (south of Orlando) at about 2pm. We found the BIG flea-mart and had some fun there. We bought two travelling bags for $14 each and I found a computer pouch. Left there about 3.30pm and had some fun & games with "Sherman" - he seemed to get a vapour lock and kept on stalling. We eventually found the correct Days-Inn and settled in for a snooze. At 7pm we went exploring again. The traffic was incredible! After we finish 2 months of driving in USA, I reckon I can do anything! We found a pocket of shops in International Ave and had "Super spuds" at Arbies. Then we were ensnared by another flea-market. We'll have to FLEE from them in future. I found some good savings on computer books and Anne found T-shirts & a puppet. Another good night. A magnificent a sunset with a pink "shell" framed by blue sky above and a thunderstorm below.
7/8/91 Wednesday After a pleasant night, we had no hot water! As we I didn’t feel like gambling $50 on whether or not they would fix it, we booked into Motel 6 and moved out. Then off to Universal Studios. The parking method was very good ($4) and we were in by 9am. But 2 of the 4 rides were not running straight away. We went on the "Kongfrontation" then found a huge line at Earthquake so went to Hitchocks - very good. Tried E.T. - not working! Had a bite to eat and then went to the line for "Back to the Future". After a 40min journey on a serpentine line, we had a 4 minute "ride" that made the waiting all worthwhile. By 2pm, most things now had long lines & I was worn out so we left the centre and went to Motel 6 to book in and rest. The room was beautifully cool. At about 4.30pm we went back and enjoyed a studio tour, Earthquake, tea & live music (two excellent musicians at the mexican bar), E.T. (after a long wait) and finished the day with a free icecream (cos I happened to ask for it after the till had been closed.
8/8/91 Thursday After a welcome sleep-in, we headed for EPCOT Center and tried the monorail over to Magic Kingdom. By the time we changed trains and waited in queues to get on again, this took an hour! Back at Epcot Center, we first tried the MET trip - excellent - then Anne tried the exercise bikes, on to Horizons (very good also - moving walkways, long ride); Transportation (ditto - Sway-to-go, Lean Machine); booked the air-passes (just as well - a lot of hassle); lunch at Land (chili potato); Sea; Spaceship Earth; Brain Command in Life; Energy; tea (potatoes again plus beautiful icecream); Imagination and finally Illuminations (preceded by Nature's version - a big thunderstorm with lots of rain & lightning. A great day. (We later found out that Michael Wayne Jones died today)
9/8/91 Friday Breakfast at Burger-King for $2 each then on 1-4 after re-tracking to try to find Anne’s sandals. Stopped at the markets in International Drive but not many open. The book stall didn’t have any new stock yet so back on to 1-4 and head east. At Sanford I saw a big sign for "Americans Largest Flea-market" but after exiting at the correct off-ramp, no further signs were seen - so we gave up. But it was good for a US Post stop and a bible bookshop. On to the next stop - St Augustin - a lovely place worthy of more time. We found a fife & some cheap whistles plus another good cheap bookshop. On past Jacksonville and through many little towns to a late motel stop at a CHEAP motel ($23) in Dublin. (El Sleazo!)
10/8/91 Saturday After a good night at "EL Sleazo", we decided to head direct for Rock Run rather than going via Helen. Went on 1-16 to Macon, then turned west on a very scenic route (Talbottom, Greenville, Newnan, Carollton, Bremen, Cedartown, Cave Springs) to Rock Run. Arrived at M&J's at 3pm.
11/8/91 Sunday Went to Piedmont Columbian Presbyterian Church, lunched on great chillies by Joe. Birthday icecream cake by Heten! Helen & Ernie left about 4 pm. A quiet evening of trip planning & Perry Mason.
12/8/91 Monday Woken at early hours by phone calls from Australia for Maxine’s birthday. After a slow start, we headed into Centre to do some shopping and have a look around. We visited the Elementary School to have a look at an American school - very interesting. Met one of the 5th grade teachers (Barbara Young) She was there with her husband, Phil, to prepare her classroom. Very nice people. In the evening, we all went to Cedartown for a meal at the chinese restaurant.... but it was closed. So we went to the T&W Steakhouse near by - wot a night!! The food was poor but the complaints were brilliant! The food was salty, the steak was cold, the coffee was old.... and the night was one to remember.
13/8/91 Tuesday I helped Joe tow the broken-down yellow pick-up into Rock Run for repairs. Anne went on the paper route with Joe today while I stayed home to cook tea, write letters & postcards. A quiet relaxing afternoon.
14/8/91 Wednesday My birthday. Maxine rang from Australia. Did the washing and prepared for the next stage of the trip. Spent a lot of time ringing car-rental firms to work out our plans. Went for a drive to Spring Garden & back. Special tea with M&J.
15/8/91 Thursday Got away at about 9am and had breakfast at Hardies in Centre - then travelled down the "Lookout Mountain Parkway" toward Gadsden to see the sales stalls (there is an annual outdoor sale along this road from Cincinatti to Gadsden). Thru Gadsden, Anniston then on 1-20 to Atlanta to catch our plane. On the way, we stopped in Douglasville for fuel and donuts. A suggested name for Max &Joe’s place "Joe's motel for international travellers" and “El Chunderosa" for the steak house.
Flight 774 to Buffalo - lots of rivers, mountains, towns.... this is such a crowded country compared with Aust. Arrived 6 after a short, good flight and got the hire-car (Chev Corsica) with no trouble. On to Niagara where we booked into the Youth Hostel. This is OK but I think I’ll probably prefer the privacy of motels in future. I am in a dorm with 10 other men - in 5 double bunks.
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