Tuesday 1st September
Finally arrived and picked up the hire car (not as good as last year’s but nevertheless OK). After a one hour drive found our cabin for the next 3 days at Inverness, Florida. Our cabin – lovely air conditioned comfort. Properties are so cheap – you could pick up a cabin like this for £70,000.
“Grandma” on the front porch
Wednesday 2nd September
Off to historic Inverness. The old County Court room has been restored and its where the film “Follow that dream” was made, starring Elvis Presley.
Judge Judy?
We also drove to Floral City but didn’t do much else, just recovering from the flight etc.
Thursday 3rd September
We had an airboat ride today – great experience. Saw an alligator’s eyes (submerged), loads of birds (cormorants etc) and it was really weird going over floating plants on the airboat, which was very very noisy.
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- swamp
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- A baby Gator
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- Captain Pauline
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- two frogs hitching a ride
Tomorrow we go North on our way to Nashville – but first a 3 day stop in Macon, Georgia.
Friday 4th September
Today travelled the 300+ miles up interstate 75 to Macon, Georgia. The journey was fine BUT getting petrol in the states is a mission. Fuel is about 35p per litre so filling up is £10 or £15 So why is it so difficult to buy fuel? Some pumps you can put your card in and fuel up – but not if you have a UK card. It asks the Zip code of the card not the PIN number so impossible. I put all sorts of numbers in – no joy. So I go into the station and offer my card and ask to fill up. Not possible sir. How much fuel would you like? I don’t know!! Then by negotiation I pay an amount by card or cash say $25 and if it only takes say $15 your card will be refunded the difference OR if paying by cash go back into the office to retrieve the difference in cash – mad or what??? and its so cheap!!
Saturday 6th September
Today its still around 38C and so hot you can’t really go outside. Its aircon inside and in the car – its how people live here. We visited the TUBMAN museum of African American Art History and Culture in Macon. Amazing artwork by Mr Imagination, made out of bottle tops and anything really. Learned that Little Richard, James Brown, Otis Redding, Lena Horne and Oprah Winfrey all from Macon GA. Great experience and people over here are really friendly and warm.
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- A Spirit Jug – to celebrate someone’s life
Sunday 7th September
Still in Macon (US version pronounced Maycon). Visited the Ocmulgee ancient site where the Indians originated from. There were burial mounds and other ancient sites in a beautiful park.
After we went to a theatre with an Am Dram performance about a murder mystery (based on a true story) on a tobacco farm (Camel) in North Carolina.
The audience was interesting! I felt young and fit. Also there was not a single black person in the audience or in the cast. The loudest cheer was when the person introducing the play announced that the bottom step in the aisle which people kept tripping over had been fixed!! Comment from behind “Did you enjoy the play?” “Don’t know I fell asleep”!!
Tomorrow week 2 and Nashville.
