Sunday 5th October - Downtown Nashville - Sunny and Hot



An old Wurlitzer jukebox

Elvis' gold Caddy



Guitar man

The Grand Ole Opry

Tennessee Titans football ground

For some strange southern reason the shuttle doesnt run on Sunday so we drove into town. Sadly so did every other person in the state as their was a big football game on in town today between locals Tennessee Titans and the Cleveland Browns (who won by 1 point) We did find somewhere to park and spent most of the day in the country music hall of fame. It was excellent and very well done. Amongst the many treasures were A Kenny Rogers exhibition, Alan Jackson display, Elvis Presley's gold cadillac and piano, Burt Reynolds car from Smokey and the Bandit and the fiddle used by Charlie Daniels to play the Devil went down to Georgia!. It was an excellent tour, full marks to Nashville. When we came out, so were all the football fans it was manic with people. Another shuffle round town and a giggle at the pedal bar then another beer in a music bar before heading back to have a look at the Grand ole Opry which was magnificant. Mrs D was disappointed that we hadn't got tickets to see someone in there whilst we were in town. Maybe another time, who knows.....

 

From here we have 750 miles to go to get to Orlando and Mickey Mouse. So we have a stopover halfwayish at Florence Marina State Park just into Georgia. However after the last 2 days we wish we had another night here in Nashville. On the way tomorrow we pass Jack Daniels Tennessee whiskey distillery but sadly it is in a dry county and you dont even get a snifter at the end, you do get to smell some grains though! Think well give it a miss.



Saturday 4th October - Townsend to Nashville - Sunny and Hot

Our pitch in Nashville KOA

Broadway in Nasville

Broadway

The Pedal Tavern

The Honky Tonk Bars

Broadway at night

A steady run into Nashville a mere 200 miles. We are camping at KOA Nashville KAO being Kampgrounds of America. It is on Music Valley Drive which is home to the world famous country music Grand Ole Opry. Sadly the campsite here is under renovation so we were put among the RVs which wasnt ideal but ok. Excellent facilities and a handy shuttle into downtown. After a splendid makeshift meal done by Mrs D on our handy little new stove from Walmart we got the shuttle into town. It was fantastic. Best place ever for live music. Every bar had live music some on 3 floors! We had a shuffle round town saw the Nashville pedal bar, pretty much two rows of folks cycling and one guy in charge in the middle whilst the cyclists all drink! My kind of cycling!We also saw BB Kings blues bar. We did end up in a music bar surprisingly, one with 3 floors of live music! After a couple of bottles of Blue Moon we got the last shuttle back to KOA and our tent. We love Nashville!!

Friday 3rd October - Cades Cove to Townsend - Cloud, Rain and Wind

Old homestead

Mrs Bear

 

Happy faces today as we are leaving. After a night of storms, trees, nuts and cones hitting the tent all night we are happy to be off! A dry spell gave us a chance to get the tent away dryish. A last drive round the cades loop rewards us with Mrs Bob bear and her 2 cubs running across the meadow who Mrs D managed to spot. More smiles now as we left heading for Townsend and laundry day. Laundry done we went to our digs and had the best shower ever! Its my birthday today so we are off out to eat and drink. Sadly we were in a bit of a dry county so we ate but had to go back to digs for a drink. Nevertheless a good evening out. This marks the end of our Smokey mountains adventure. Music city of Nashville tomorrow.

Thursday 2nd October - Another walk in the woods - Sunny and Hot

A quick note on the beer before the days adventure. There isn't the choice that there was on the west coast. One or two fruit beers here but all been rubbish compared to the ones we had on the west coast. Today we are heading into the hills in search of the Appalacian trail again with vistas and views promised. We went up the Anthony Creek trail to the Bote Mountain trail before reaching the Appalacian trail and Spence Field many hours, miles and trees later. No vistas or views just trees. We did manage to find one vista. Mrs D and I were most disappointed. The park notes were done 10 yrs ago and obviously all the trees have all gotten bigger spoiling the view! We got back to the tent 14 miles later & no showers! Got mopped up clean had a drive into nearby Townsend to book a room for Friday night had enough trees and no showers! Back to camp dinner then a drive round the loop looking for Bob bear but not today. Back to camp, beer, fire then bed.

Wednesday 1st October - Cycling the loop - Sunny and Hot.

Cades Cove

An old Baptist church

Old homestead

Leisurely start today with breakfast and bathroom stuff. Then down to the visitor centre to hire a couple of bikes to cycle round the cades cove loop road. Quite an experience, nice chatty helpful guy telling us the bike deal. Then suddenly when we said yes we'll do it, it was like someone hit a massive on button! 'Hi my names Marvin and I'm your voulunteer guide today here at Cades Cove.' This went on for ages wih rules, does, don'ts, bike types and costs. We tried to speak to give the guy a chance to get some air but that wasn't happening he WAS finishing his speech. Bikes at the ready after our mandatory test run round the car park, we set off. It is a one way single track loop round the Cades cove meadow which you share with all the car trucks and RVs (campervans to you and I) It is a lovely run round with lots of wildlife and maybe Bob bear. Oh yes on the campsite we have to lock all our grub, waste and toiletries in the car as Bob does wander the campsite at night looking for grub and Avon products. Hope we dont hear big feet crunching the ground at night! Back to the bikes and we saw old churches homesteads of early settlers lots of trees birds horses but no bears. It was nice to be out on the bikes again with Mrs D, 'ee it was like old times'. Back at the tent we scrubbed up from a bowl then wandered down to see Marvin again about some firewood but he'd gone home (to practice his speech probably) a nice laid back young Amercan guy sorted us with wood. We had some dinner then a beer by our campfire.

Tuesday 30th September - Middle Creek to Cades Cove - Cloudy, Sun and Hot

Deer by the tent

Our Cades Cove pitch

Quite a long drive down today so we are off in good time. Very nice run down with a brew stop on the way. Just before Cades we went through Sevierville - the bithplace of Dolly Parton no less. She now lives in Nashville but has left her mark here in the form of 'Dollywood.' A theme park dedicated to all things Dolly, enough of that! From here it was a short drive to Cades Cove campground. Mrs D drove the car today and was not a big fan, she said it was like driving a giant armchair full of boys toys! We checked in at 5.30ish and got the tent set up in time for dinner just before dark. A quick look at the at the site and toilet block as there are no showers here so could be a bit smelly after 4 nights! Deer wandering around the site, very good. Lots more trees and bugs in the night but slept OK.

 

Monday 29th September - A walk in the woods - Hot and Sunny

Cheers

Today we are having a walk up little cove mountain trail up to the famous Appalacian trail. Set off down the road then crossed a cute little bridge over a creek to start the trail. It was a very pleasant trail up through the many trees and we walked and walked. It said the Appalacian trail was 3 miles from the trailhead or start point to you and me but we seemed to walk up and up tree after tree and nothing. Eventually we stopped and had lunch and gave the Appalacian hopes up as a bad idea. Also the humidity was up making life difficult and Mrs D was not impressed. Back down we went and got back to camp late afternoon in time for big showers, ale, grub and bed. Lovely site nice setting but some of the cabins they rented were very tired, as were the bathhouses. There was an outdoor pool and site bar which we were told were busy at weekends but there was only us on the site so it was OK. Moving on day tomorrow down to the Great Smokey Mountains and Cades Cove Campground and no doubt some more trees.

Sunday 28th September - DC to Middle Creek - Hot and Sunny

Our Middle Creek pitch

Our Chrysler 200

Today we pick up the car so always a worry, the upgrade, the 'you're not insured for this' hard sell. Early train down to Union Station and sorted out the paperwork in no time with no hard sell and no extras or debate what a surprise. Then down to the lot to collect our compact Ford Focus type car and they give us a huge luxury 2.5 litre mega car. All gadgets and touch screens, reversing cameras, leather seats and satellite radio. The first challenge was to get out of DC.  This went remarkably well going out on the 66 all the way to the 81 south. Just one stop on the way at Walmart to pick up some camping gear we ordered back in the UK before we set off - how clever is that! It was all there so with gear and shopping off we went to Middle Creek Campground on the Blue Ridge Mountains (no singing please) We arrived at the campsite around 5.30 to be greeted by a boy of about 10 driving across the site in a huge chevvy. He disappeared and came screaming back on a big quad bike asking if we had a reservation. His mum then showed up on a golf cart and then another guy checked us in. Walking here is obviously a no no amongst the staff! Mrs D and I were both amused. We got set up and had a beer and some food. The bathhouse as they call it in their best southern accent wasn't too far and was OK. There was a bit of wifi but no phone signal and we managed. The site was not quiet but not noisy people it was the bugs on the trees - man were they noisy we did manage a good nights sleep though.

USA EAST COAST ADVENTURE - AUTUMN 2014

Monday 22^nd September – Middleton to Manhatten – Cloudy UK, Hot & Sunny in NY.



Chrysler building from 42nd Street

Times Square

 

Today's the day we fly out west! Was an early night last night because we were up at the crack of dawn for our flights to Amsterdam Schipol. Not much sleep was had but the night passed and soon we were up and awake and into travel mode. Taxi arrived at 0445hrs for the short flight to Leeds Bradford airport. We had checked in the day before online so it was just a bag drop and go and wait for the 0620hrs shuttle to Amsterdam. The hop over went smoothly and without problem. Once at Schipol we just had to wait around for the 1035hrs to New York JFK with Delta Airlines. The check in was not as intense as we thought it would be and we were on board and up and away in no time. We had the last 2 seats at the back right handside of the plane and it didn't seem too long. Mrs D waded through some of the in flight movies I played with the in flight entertainment system and dozed some of the way. We were well fed and watered along the 8hr flight.

In JFK customs went very well and automated as we are already on the US system with finger prints, DNA, retina scans and any other form of ID you can think of! We got the airport shuttle down-town to Queens where were based for the next few days. A small reasonable motel by Super 8, was OK.

It's now about 4pm once we got ourselves sorted but we have lost 5 hours in time difference and the old bodies are getting ready for bed not going to downtown New York! We headed for the NY underground which was a 5 minute walk away and got off somewhere near Times Square. It was like coming out in another world! People, people and more people and the bright lights of Broadway! It was great, just like TV & the movies. We walked down 42^nd St towards the Chrysler building and had a look at Grand Central Station. Grand in every sense of the word it is a stunning building and massive railway station. From here we wandered back down 42^nd towards Times Square passing Madame Tussauds on the way and a very life like Morgan Freeman outside. We had the most expensive hot dog ever and shuffled round Times Square, what an experience that has to be seen to be believed!

Bodies and eyes now screaming for a rest we headed back to our digs for some shut eye at what would be 0400hrs UK time.

Tuesday 23^rd September – Downtown New York – Hot & Sunny.

Statue of Liberty

Freedom Tower - One World Trade Center



Empire State Building

9/11 Memorial Waterfall

9/11 New York Fire Department Memorial

An early start after a good breakfast at Super 8. Undergound into town and off this time at the end of the line at the World Trade Center station. We walked around the ground zero site, saw the new one world trade centre or Freedom Tower as it is know locally then headed up towards the Wall Street business district where we went to look at the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. We would have gone over on the boat on have a look but apparently you need your parents to book you a ticket on the day of your birth to get into and up the Statue as booking ahead time as so long!!

After watching the Liberty ferries come and go for a while we headed towards Wall Street for a bite to eat and a coffee. Lunch was a butty from Subway where you get more choice than any supermarket for things in it, bread type, colour of grains, dressing and wrapping colour followed by half a pound of ice in tall cup for some vile fizzy pop. Having said all that the butty was very nice and so was my pop, sadly Mrs D got the short straw on the pop front and hers was fit for drain cleaning. We then bought a coffee from a street vendor which was OK. Now when you watch the movies or TV you see people picking up coffee all over the place, well we couldn't find a coffee vendor for love nor money, where are they all.

Fed and watered we headed down Wall Street and saw the NY Stock Exchange and other fine establishments in the world of high finance. From here we headed back to ground zero to see the memorial waterfalls and fire station memorial where all the first responders where at hand on that dreadful day. All in all very well done and a very moving experience, the progress they have made with the site since that day is incredible, very well done guys!!

At this time we have walked miles and are flagging a bit so what do we do, we set of walking again. This time to the Brooklyn bridge via City Hall, another splendid building followed by an equally splendid bridge. There is a shared footpath and cycle way across the bridge and the cyclists take it very serious with bells and shouting and balling. Very difficult when you have masses of tourists all staggering about looking all directions and inadvertently stepping into the cycle part of the path. The reults are near misses and shouting from the NY commuter cyclists, most entertaining.

Now getting really tired and walking towards the Empire State building. We stop off on the way at a wee cafe and sit with a coffee for a while. Whilst looking at the map over coffee we realise we are a fair way off the Empire State so we get the tube part way and yes, walk some more to the building. It is now dusk and the queues to get in are up to an hour and a half to get in. So remember if you want your kids to see the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State building, book their tickets the day after they are born to ensure they get in before they are 50!!

Tired and disillusioned we head back towards Times Square, on foot of course. We have another quick look at all the lights and then get the tube back to Queens and our Super 8 motel. This city is so fast you feel tired out just watching folks going by, all on their 'cell phones' sorting out big business deals and making a difference. What a place.

Wednesday 24^th September – Uptown Manhatten – Cloudy & Warm.

Balloon artist in Central Park

Boating in Central Park

Downtown New York from top of Empire State Building

Times Square

Lynn being 'Hulked'

Another day beckons in the Big Apple. Tube down-town to Central Park today via 5^th Avenue where all the BIG Designer name stores are and lots of limousines all with tinted windows are dropping off and picking up. You couldn't help but notice the high rise collection of Donald Trump buildings up and down 5^th.

We walked down through Central Park, quite a place of slower life and quiet in the middle of this high rise, high speed city. It was actually a lot bigger than I thought it would be but all good fun nevertheless. Bikes, horses, blades, skates, walkers and runners all have their own traffic lane in the park and the NYPD drive around enforcing it all. We hired a row boat for an hour and went around the lake which was fun then we saw the John Lennon memorial garden and plaque in the Strawberry Fields section of the park before we left and headed back into town. Mrs D insisted we headed back down 5^th Avenue on the way back into town as we needed a few things...........

From here we decided to try our luck with the Empire State again and maybe because today was a dull day with cloud as opposed to the last 2 days of blazing sun we got pretty much straight in. We got tickets to the very top, firstly you stop off at the 86^th floor which you get to in no time in the superfast elevators. After a good look around here you get another elevator up to the 102^nd floor which is pretty much super structure with windows around a very small walking area. The whole thing is a must do and very well worth it “the view from the top is great” Shame it was a cloudy day, blue skies would have made it a much better vista.

From here we decided to eat out, we found a place and had a fairly average meal on Broadway with some splendid Shock Top beers. How do the people here afford and understand the 'tipping' culture. Everywhere you turn someone has there hand out for something, it is damn confusing not knowing what to give to who and when without offending someone!

One last call in our last night in NY was Madame Tussauds in Times Square. It was very well done and we got to hang out with some wax celebrities!! Outside the building was Morgan Freeman and the first person inside was Patrick Stewart so Mrs D was well happy. The place was full of Presidents, Politicians, Royals and the movie stars and makers. I got to stand with Angelina Jolie and Marilyn Monroe, whilst Mrs D found Johnny Depp and John Wayne. After hob nobbing with the stars we headed back to Queens for our last night in the Super 8.

Thursday 25^th September – NY to DC – Cloudy, Rain NY, Sunny & Hot DC

Today we are on the 1035hrs Amtrak train to Washington DC Union Station. We have to get from Queens to Penn Street Station in NY on the underground with our big cases. It is 30 minutes on the tube to downtown from here and the road into town always looks chocker as we cross it to get to the tube station so a cab doesn't look like a good idea. We have to get on the 9am tube which will be busy so we have decided to get the tube out of town so we can get out of the way with our cases and then stay on in to go back into town as because if we get on a downtown tube we will be in the way with the bags on a busy tube. The idea worked well and we arrived at Penn Street Station about 9.45am. What a huge station to hang around in waiting for a train. The train was pretty much on time and we got seats next to each other across the aisle. Big roomy seats, restaurant car, free wifi and an entertaining guard quipping at every station. We did manage to sit together eventually for most of the journey. Arrived in Union Station at 2pm and got a cab to the hotel as we were not sure of the tube system here. Usual round the houses route to get 5 miles up the road to hike up the fare but we did get there and were pleasantly surprised. We were booked in at the DC Hilton in the Du Pont Circle area of town. By the time we had checked in and got up to our room we were starting to wonder if there were some numbers missing from our booking confirmation as it was very fancy and classy.

We got sorted in the room and then headed out to check out the tube at Du Pont Circle Station. After the tube we had a wander round the area and got some food before heading back to our fancy hotel for a lazy night in with the feet up and some pre recorded movies. All in all a good day with the delights of DC to investigate tomorrow.

Friday 26^th September – Downtown DC – Hot & Sunny

JFK grave and eternal flame

Lincoln Memorial behind us two

Reflecting pond and Washington Monument

Washington Monument and Capital Building

Obamas pad - the Whitehouse

Good nights sleep in posh hotel and early start for tube into town. We got the tube to Crystal City first off so Mrs D could have a look at the place where she used to work when she lived out here. We then went to the Pentagon to have a look at the building - top security here – then on to Arlington Cemetary where many US big cheeses are laid to rest. We saw the JF Kennedy family graves and eternal flame. From here we walked across the Potomac river for lunch and coffee at the end of the mall. The first on the Mall was the Lincoln Memorial then the reflecting pond and the Washington Monument. We then wandered round to the White House – very impressive I must say. By now we are walk weary so we tubed back up to the hotel for an hours rest and a shower then we headed back into town for some food which didn't quite work as planned as we ended up in McD's. We also went to see the capital building all lit up at night, which did look good but the whole area was deserted. Disillusioned again we headed back home and watched a movie before bed.

Saturday 27^th September – Georgetown & the Mall – Hot & Sunny 

Georgetown waterfront

Georgetown canal

L and Washington Monument

D and the Capital Building

 

 

Today we got the tube to Foggy Bottom tube station and walked up to Georgetown a swanky area of DC where Skully from the X-Files lives (she was out sadly) We had a lovely walk on the on the riverfront there and back along the canal into town before we got the tube back into town to see the Capital Building in the day light and also the rest of the mall. It is Saturday today and the grassy areas of the mall are busy with locals doing various sports as it is the weekend. We walked back down to the Washington Monument via the natural history museum and the American history museum which were both very well done and interesting. We then headed back to the tube and back up to the digs, We spent quite some time walking the Mall which is obviously much longer then you think. After a freshen up at the hotel we found a local bar and sat having a beer. The road outside was a very busy dual carriageway into town and was getting noticeably quieter. We also noticed lots of cops up and down then the traffic stopped all together. We went outside and asked a guy what was going on and he said that the President was coming down to go back to the White House after a meeting at the Vice Presidents place which was just up the road. You have never seen so many cops on bikes, cops in cars and secret service vehicles in a motorcade. It was quite something to see. After this bout of excitement we found somewhere to eat then wandered back up to the hotel to sort the bags out as we are moving on tomorrow and picking up our hire car.