Travellin'

7 miles walking today around Asheville and 12 miles on Saturday to make up for sitting on a coach all day Friday for nine hours from Charleston to Asheville. The high light of that trip was being asked for my ID when I bought a beer to chill after the journey! Under 21 I don't think so.
Billy Boy warned me that they aren't called the Smokey Mountains for no reason, so far we have had a thunderstorm every day but we have managed to dodge them all and the temperature is blissfully cooler but back to the heat and humidity on Wednesday in New Orleans.

Art Deco in Asheville

I am constantly amazed at the size of engines in cars over here, why would you need an 8.3 litre engine in a pick up?

Dodge Challenger 5.7 litre V8

The car is king, you can do virtually everything without getting out of it, drive-in restaurants I have of course seen in the UK but drive-in coffee shops? and then to cap it all drive-in ATMs!!! 

No wonder one or two people around here are circumferentially challenged, not helped I am sure by portion sizes at restaurants, I find myself getting a starter and side salad.

Well time to start packing for tomorrow's Greyhound trip to Atlanta via Greenville, then I have a reservation at the local Applebees for a Long Island iced tea, with a cocktail waitress who calls me darlin' in her deep southern accent.

See y'all soon.

Birthday in North Charleston

The day started with a six mile recce around North Charleston which is a strip town of 1940s style shops restaurants  and bars, actually all you need.
I recovered with a burger and a beer at one of Billy's franchise restaurants and then had to go over to Walmart to buy a new suitcase - the old one had a blow out on one of the wheels.

I went back to North Charleston on the local bus and dined at The Barbeque Joint, followed by a bar crawl down the strip, then the bus back to my motel.

Add caption

The Mill, a sleezy,smokey dive but good music

North Charleston at night

I have really enjoyed the last two days, downtown Charleston is OK and worth a walk around but up here in North Charleston it is a different world, here are the real people just getting on with their lives and it has been an eye opener in more ways than one. I will tell you all about it when I get home.

Amazing Generosity

I am surprised at the generosity of the restaurants and bars down here in the Deep South, I have only been here three days and so far I have been given a free bottomless Coke today at a bar/restaurant in Charleston when the temperature was nudging 90F, yesterday the bill for my lunch was only for my drinks, she threw the fried chicken in for nothing and last night my server was not happy with the pork chops he delivered to my table so just as I was finishing my meal he reappeared with another two at no charge.

Anyway today started with a taxi at 0615 to the Greyhound station in Savannah,  there is only one bus a day at 7am so I arrived at my hotel in Charleston at 9:15am an the girl on reception was brilliant, she told me to go over the road for a long breakfast and my room was ready by 10:45am. 
After dumping my bags I caught the bus downtown and went for a walking tour of the historic centre, maybe not such a good idea in these temperatures but I am making the most of it because the weather forecasters keep saying we are going to have thunderstorms, high winds and torrential rain. So far I have been caught once but otherwise it seems to rain only when I am in a bar somewhere, strange that.
Having a night off tonight and it is my birthday tomorrow so I am planning on meeting the locals in their own environment and maybe a music bar or two.........

Hidden Savannah

After getting soaked to the skin, literally, last night on my way back to the hotel from the Longhorn Steakhouse, I expected more of the same today but it is now 5:30pm and not a drop so far.
I have had a real exploring day. I started at 0745 on the Old Savannah trolley which filled my head to overflowing with facts and dates but it is a good way of orienting yourself with the layout of the town and I did meet Forest Gump and other local characters.

Forest

Ellis Square

I then investigated all the sites that BB and all my guide books recommended and I ended up in The Pirate's House at lunchtime, fortunately there was a massive queue for the buffet so I went in the bar for a drink. If you ever find yourself in Savannah go to the bar at the Pirate's house. Country runs the bar on her own and besides looking after all the customer's food and drink needs she also tells risque jokes and makes the best and powerful Country's iced tea you could ever wish to taste and her rum Margarittas are amazing, not to mention the fried chicken. I also heard other US  patrons saying that it was the best gumbo and fried chicken they had ever tasted so don't take my word for it get on down and try it for yourself.

Arrrrrrhh

On my way back to my starting point I tried a few other nondescript joints and then wandered into The Distillery, another revalation, they had fifteen or more craft ales on tap plus loads more in the fridges and Andrew behind the bar is an expert, just tell him what you like and he will pour you a taster, if I am ever back in this neck of the woods that will be my first point of call.
Well a quiet night tonight I am catching the Greyhound at 0700 to Charleston tomorrow.

Greyhound and Goldfish

I think I am turning into a goldfish, I keep forgetting stuff and leaving things behind. Currently my driving licence is in Gwytherin so I had to cancel my hire car, my itinerary for this trip is on the desk in my last hotel room, I have mislaid one set of Edith's keys and god knows where my sunglasses are. I think I had better sort out a power of attorney and make a living will when I get home. 
On the plus side, I travelled on my first Greyhound bus today, interesting people travel by Greyhound, work for Greyhound and hang around Greyhound stations, I encourage you to try the experience.
I am staying in a hotel in mid-town Savannah, in my innocence I imagined mid-town was in the middle of town but no it is 10 miles from the centre but that fits with all the other distances I have encountered since landing 27 hours ago. It was a 30 minute walk from the aircraft entry gate to passport control then a 20 minute, 6 mile bus ride to the shuttle stop where I caught the bus to my hotel last night another 15 minute drive, the international terminal at the airport is apparently connected to the domestic terminal by a rail link but that is only for the use of transit passengers.
I am not complaining about my mid-town hotel, I have shopped in Dollar Tree the equivelant of a UK pound shop but obviously cheaper, walked the local streets and been starred at and tonight I dined in a steak bar with only local patrons even got invited to join in a shot drinking competition which I turned down - I am saving myself for New Orleans.
I am touring the remote downtown Savannah tomorrow. More then if sober.

Plonker on tour

T2
Deja vu

I was here 14 days ago, it all seems so familiar except for the crowds, it pays to arrive later, virtually no queues at security.
Anyway I checked in and then made sure that I had all the necessary bits and pieces but I didn't, my driving licence is still safely in the car file in Gwytherin - not a good place when we are on a fly-drive tour but that makes it all the more fun. Now I am booked on a Greyhound from Atlanta to Savannah at 0740 tomorrow morning. Keira has kindly offered to collect my driving licence before she flies out next Thursday.
I drowned my stupidity in Belgian Blue Moon beer at the local Westin hotel, a curious sweetish, cloudy and very frothy brew, I reckon only a third of the beer poured actually remained in the glass.
Anyway time for my hot chocolate and an early night before an early start in the morning.

Moving further on

Tonight Harry, Marmalade and I are staying at the Mercure hotel Near Manchester airport before our flight to Atlanta tomorrow morning. We thought the hotel was in Altincham but it was a pleasant surprise to find we were only 200 yards from Hale town centre. What a great place Hale is, TOWIE meets Tarporley. We found a bar with a window seat and spent the evening drinking Peroni, people watching and ear-wigging. The town is like a huge German car showroom 90% of the vehicles are Mercedes, Audi or Porshe, and as to the overheard conversation, it was all bragging rights about cars, salaries, private schools and how successful the children are. It was like being in the middle of a play. Great start, more soon.