ACROSS-COUNTRY OR ACROSS-TIME?

The next couple of posts catalogue our trip from the Western Frontier to the East Coast Shoreline (and some interesting time-warps in between). We left Denver with a rough plan about what route we'd take, where we'd visit, and (thanks to some good planning on Kendrah's part) about where we'd finally crash at the end of each day. Some places were boring and some were breathtaking, but overall, it was an adventurous vacation across the country.

THE MIDWEST

From Colorado, we headed due-east and crossed into Kansas. The typical stereotype applies: flat, flat and flatter. After 8 hours and more than 5 Pepsis and 2 swollen ankles, we stopped in Topeka for the night.

Yes, Topeka.

It has a population of around 150 000 people, so we figured we'd be able to find a restaurant and a movie to occupy ourselves for the couple of hours we could still keep our eyes open.

Negative.

We ended up eating some random stuff from a local (read: sketchy) grocery store and spending an hour here:

Good times, good times.

OUR FIRST CAMPGROUND

It was quite gorgeous. Lots of green lawns and lush trees, with the muddy lake in the background. However, the tent sites (and we found this at every campsite we visited) struck us as a bit odd. The place where we were supposed to pitch our tent was covered in little pebbles.

You are correct in your thinking...rocks.

Which we slept on every night of that trip. Uncomfortable, to say the least.

Like I said, there wasn't much to occupy our time in Topeka, Kansas. Kissing Honest Ab was the most entertaining part of the night.

KANSAS CITY

Look Ma, no legs!

The Ole Mississippi River

ST LOUIS

We spent the afternoon visiting St. Louis. We did the arch and a tour down the Mississippi river on a steam boat (appropriately named the Tom Sawyer).

What I learned:
1) The arch is really pretty from the ground
2) Riding to the top of the arch is entirely NOT worth it....though I did get one great picture from it
3) Ole Mississippi is brown and dirty and pretty damn fast-moving. I would hate to get caught up in that current

As mentioned...ugly, dirty, brown water. Def not for swimming.

METROPOLIS

Kendrah spotted this sign on the side of the highway, so we decided to stop. Small-town America at it's best. He he he.

Given the opportunity to violate Superman....I did.

NASHVILLE AND THE GRAND OLE OPRY

Nashville was an adventure. Or...more precisely...a nightmare. The guidebooks all said it was easy to navigate and that finding the Opry was a snap.

As far as I'm concerned, they were fibbing.

After driving around the city for an hour and trying to decipher their road signs, AND the mumblings of a southern parking attendant (was she even speaking English?!?), we finally made it to Opryland. From there.....you think they're would be signs to the actual Opry House.

There weren't.

And when we finally got there (3 hours after we'd started our original 1 hour journey) the damn thing was CLOSED. For a private function. Until Saturday. We took some pictures, visited the museum, and took off for our next destination. I don't think I'll be visiting Nashville (or at least the Opry) again any time soon.

This was the only part of the Opry that we actually got to see. Pretty, but nothing spectacular

Two different stages that the Opry's had over the years. Photos courtesy of the Opry Museum

Kendrah and her cousins

SAVANNAH

After leaving Milledgville (and totally skipping Atlanta), we traveled to Savannah, Georgia. Once there, we took a carriage ride through the city. Our tour guides were funny and entertaining and full of historical knowledge. And yes, people in Savannah still believe the "south will rise again". Lord, help me.

This was one of the prettiest streets we passed by. Kendrah loved the overhanging trees that could be found all over the city.

The city developed as a master-planned community, long before that term became fashionable. The designer planned for each section of the city to have it's own square of parkland. He said they were to be used as "yards" for the people of Savannah, as their houses had neither front nor back yards. This resulted in very social neighbourhoods, as the homeowners spent much of their time outside in the parkland.

And that about sums up my knowledge about the architecture of the city.

Riding the trolley car at the end of our tour

This is "Savannah's Waving Girl". Rumor has it she lived near the entrance to Savannah Harbor and supposedly waved to each ship that came and went -- for 44 years!

One of the bridges leading out of the city. Interesting architecture that is mimicked up and down the East Coast.

CHARLESTON

Charleston, South Carolina, was my favourite stop on our road trip across the country. Despite being almost 100 degrees, it was gorgeous, and the pictures we took turned out beautiful. Kendrah and I did a combo walking/carriage tour and managed to see quite a bit of the city, especially the historic city. It was here that we had the most amazing, tasty seafood dinner we've had on the east coast. Two different kinds of crab, and clams and scallops. And when the waitress learned where we were from, she also introduced us to hush puppies (I'm in love!), and salty grits (yes, I still think they're weird) and even taught us how to make our own sweet tea. We're totally addicted now!

Rainbow Row -the most popular district in the city, made most popular when the port was at it's busiest. Rumor has it the buildings were painted different colours so the sailors would recognize their favourite bar/whorehouse, since so few of them could actually read.

Some examples of Charleston architecture:
The oldest road in Charleston -made from the shells that were originally used as ballast in the bottom of the boats coming over from Europe.

I think.

One of the private yards we passed by -so pretty and classic looking.

Our tour guide told us Charleston has a rule that no building can be taller than the highest steeple..and this is the highest one.

THE NOTEBOOK



I'm sure many of you girls out there (and maybe even a few guys) remember seeing that sappy "love till the end of friggin time" movie "The Notebook". When K and I visited Charleston, we happened to visit a plantation outside the city that was open to the public. Low-and-behold, it also happened to be the estate on which The Notebook was filmed. Or, perhaps they just used the estate for some scenery shots and filmed it in some dirt-cheap place like Romania. As usual, I've forgotten the details now. Either way, I got some great pictures out of the visit.