Travel Interview

We join Ann and Erica on 1-75 for their final thoughts on this year's trip.

Favorite Attraction--
Ann: Cypress Gardens
Erica: Tennis, Day 2

Day You Were the Hottest--
Ann: Tennis, Day 1
Erica: Just to be clear, it's not just heat. It's sweat, stickiness, and general malaise. Tennis, Day 1.

Weirdest Food Experience--
Ann: Soft Shell Crab Po'Boy (there were legs!!)
Erica: I ordered catfish on the first night (and ate half!).

Best Food Experience--
Ann: Wedge Salad at Sheraton Bar
Erica: Goat cheese pizza at the Westin Bar (we didn't go to that many bars!!)

A Time When You Wanted to Douse Yourself in Purel--
Ann: Probably the Pier at Tybee Island -- bare feet!
Erica: Mine's gotta be a bathroom. Maybe the one in K-Mart. Oh, but Tybee Island! I blocked that out -- almost cut off my feet.

Most Unexpected Entertainment--
Ann: Last night I would have said fireworks, but now...the Indian wedding this morning was fairly entertaining.
Erica: Yes, the wedding was high entertainment, but I laughed so hard at K-Mart after that lady backed her cart over us and I accidentally beaned you with my soda (no injuries).

Favorite Southern Moment--
Ann: Driving on unmarked freeways.
Erica: Stumbling across the several varieties of flags (confederacy, battle, succession...)

Place You'd Come Back To--
Ann: I would come back to see more tennis in Charleston. I certainly don't want to go to the ocean. Amendment: I would go back to Creative Yarns in Macon!
Erica: Ha! Great minds! If tennis were involved, I would go back to Charleston. Otherwise, maybe Beaufort.

Favorite Historical Place/Info--
Ann: Has to be Fort Pulaski.
Erica: Historical homes in Beaufort.

Middle of the Night Memory--
Ann: Sleeping?
Erica: Dumping the alarm clock radio backwards off the night stand, watching it ricochet off the back wall and night stand, pulling a phone and speaker with it, and mom kept sleeping!

Biggest Frustration--
Ann: Trying to get Erica's glasses from Augusta to anywhere else we were going.
Erica: Oh yeah, my glasses. When I was blind at least I couldn't see my hair! Frizz- ease, yeah right. Or wait -- maybe it was the @#% GPS from Hertz.

I Wish--
Ann: I wish we had famous Coconut Cake in Charleston.
Erica: I wish the accents were thicker!! There was hardly anything to impersonate. And at this moment I wish the freeway wasn't as bumpy.

Happiest Moment--
Ann: Seeing how happy Erica was watching tennis.
Erica: Oh. :) Ain't she the best? I really was happy at the tennis, and happy to share it with mom!!

See you next year!!

Savannah, sort of

We got up this morning with the intent of exploring downtown Savannah. We took the Juliette Gordon Low (founder of Girl Scouts) ferry across the river to River Street and then walked a few blocks up to get some coffee. The thunderstorms from last night had passed, but it was cold!! I don't think it got above 60 today! While 60 sounds good in Snoqualmie right now, we don't have the clothes for it here! We had really wanted to see the squares that Savannah is famous for, so we walked through two and called it even. We were sort of historied out...  :)

So we did what girls do when they need a pick me up -- went shopping and found margaritas.  :) There aren't a myriad of Mexican restaurants here, but we found a brand new one that was a near a mall. So we shopped, we laughed, we ate tacos.

When I was in middle school I hated my hair.  It was curly and unruly where the other girls' hair was shiny and tame.  As a "grown up" I love my hair. I often get up, fluff it and throw a bobby pin in it before going to work.  Even on the coast when the wind is blowing and the water is softer, it's gorgeous.  But here? Oh my.  I have at least two inches of frizz encircling my head.  No, not the normal curly hair frizz -- this is frightening. And in a true role reversal,  mom's hair is awesome.  It has body, it isn't lying flat, it looks great at the end of the day. I suppose it's her turn...

In the morning we have to head to Atlanta to catch a plane home. :(  We hate when a vacation comes to an end, but we do have some cute new clothes to pack.  It'll take about four hours to get to Atlanta.  If you want to listen along with us, here's the playlist we created for our road trip (yes, I know it won't last four hours!).

Midnight Train to Georgia -- Indigo Girls
Highway 20 Ride -- Zac Brown Band
Down in Mississippi -- Sugarland
Set Fire to the Rain -- Adele
Skinny Dippin' -- Whitney Duncan
Georgia On My Mind -- Ray Charles
Georgia Peaches -- Lauren Alaina
Heads Carolina, Tails California -- Jo Dee Messina
On the Road Again -- Willie Nelson
No Air -- Jordyn Sparks/Chris Brown
Carolina In My Mind -- James Taylor
The Devil Went Down to Georgia -- Charlie Daniels Band

And for the record, no we didn't go skinny dippy.   :)
Check back tomorrow for one last post!!

Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island

First of all, thank you Jann, for the tip on Fort Pulaski. We had originally planned on going to Fort Sumter in SC, but didn't have time for both. We are SO glad that we made it to Fort Pulaski!


The first thing that greats you in the parking lot at Fort Pulaski is a GIGANTIC confederate flag. And I mean giant. It's an eerie site from a bygone time. And once you cross the drawbridge, the second thing that greats you is a cannon pointed directly at you. Fort Pulaski was built with the hoopla of the Titanic. It was said that it would be easier to "attack the Rockies" than Fort Pulaski. But in 30 hours, it was taken over by Union forces. Blah, blah, blah. I'm sure you can google it if you're interested. The bottom line is that the history was rich and it was amazing to walk in the footsteps of those that came before us.


After Fort Pulaski we headed to Tybee for lunch. Mom had heard about a great lunch spot called "The Crab Shack". What a slice of weird! They had an alligator feeding tank out front where there had to be 25 small alligators being fed mostly by children with fishing poles. I sort of refused to participate in that!! The restaurant itself was definitely thought up by a guy. Each table had a hole in the middle where you pushed all your trash in, and a cover over the top that had a roll of paper towels, and condiments coming out the ears. We sat under a tree that kept dropping its leaves into our lunch, and more than two cats walked by. For those of you that eat lunch with me on a daily basis and know my food "eccentricities" you will appreciate what a stretch this was!! Despite the odd surroundings, the food was good, and we had fun enjoying the experience.


In Tybee we drove around in search of the ocean. We knew it was there, but couldn't even see it from the lighthouse! There's a system of rivers and waterways that take up a lot of the "coast". Once we found the ocean, like true beach girls we ditched our shoes and scampered up the boardwalk on to the beach. For a brief moment, what bliss! Sand on our feet, sunshine on our faces, water in front of us. But this was no Cannon Beach. You know, I have been irritated with the "Puffin Patrol" since they came on the scene in Oregon in the late 80s. Their purpose is to protect the nesting puffins and other wildlife from the public. This beach needed at least a Puffin Patrol. I have never seen so much trash on a beach! Beer cans, cigarettes, shoes, cups...all at the water line being tugged in to the surf. And apparently this is a nesting place for my beloved sea turtle. Sigh. Mom tugged me along and reminded me to "close my mouth" because it was hanging open in awe.


As we were leaving Tybee, great clouds were forming, that turned in to an all out storm when we were back in Savannah. Finally the lightning that has been threatening us for days was here! We watched with great interest from our hotel room -- Savannah has a relatively short skyline, so we had a great view of the storm rolling across the city.


And now, we are having our first "veg" of the trip. We are eating cold pizza and watching "Iron Lady". Meryl Streep is amazing! I guess for that matter, so is Margaret Thatcher (Nancy, I always think of you when her name is mentioned).


Tomorrow is our last full day and we plan to take a ferry across the river and explore Savannah.

South to Beaufort

This morning after leaving the hotel we spent a little time in historic Charleston. We walked through the Old Market and then up and down King and Meeting Streets looking at the architecture and poking in a few shops. It's an eclectic and historic setting. But man, we were hot! After soaking through our clothes, we hopped in the car and headed south toward Savannah.

A note about driving in SC and GA. People drive like they are participating in an Indy Car Race. Speed limits are advisory at best. We have found that if the speed limit is 70, the trucks are going 80, and the cars are going faster than that! It's been harrowing at times. The other complication is the way the freeways work. They aren't real familiar with the idea of "exit only" here. You're driving along in the right lane and you don't realize that it's an exit lane until it's almost too late. None of them are labeled with those nice yellow exit only signs. They also don't seem to have access to those reflective arrows to show you a corner is in your future...

On the way to Savannah we stopped in Beaufort. I read in the travel book about a sweet little church called Old Sheldon located just north of Beaufort. It has a wild history. It was built in the 1700s but was burnt by the British during the Revolutionary War. It was rebuilt only to be burned by the famous General Sherman in the Civil War. It stands in ruin now and is used occasionally by a local church. The grounds are beautiful and saturated in the past. Mom took some beautiful pictures. I was focused on my mere survival. The bugs were relentless! I would say mosquitoes but my 17 some bites looked much different. By the time we got back in the car I was nearly scratching off my skin. They bit me through my pants!! For you Tuna fans: "I scratched so hard the doctor made me wear mittens!"

I included our remote picture, and the test one before. I don't know if you can see my face, but it's hilarious. It reads, "Get me out of here!!"

Beaufort is such a sweet town. We stumbled upon a great restaurant called Plums that looked right out on the river. Hmm... Beaufort River, maybe? They have these wonderful swings along the riverside -- maybe 12 in all that you can sit in and look out at the river. So peaceful.

The town itself has homes dating back to 1720. We drove around hunting for specific homes that held more than the average amount of history. It seemed awkward because these are private homes, but I'm sure people are used to it by now! One of the houses we found served as the African American hospital during the Civil War, and Harriet Tubman worked there as a nurse. Imagine living amongst that kind of a legacy!

We made it to Savannah this evening, and it is beautiful! Our hotel is on the river -- no idea what it's called, but I'm guess it has something to do with Savannah! We are right across from downtown. Tomorrow we will take the ferry across and see old Savannah. Or maybe that's on deck for Friday... :)

After the bug bite crisis I chugged some benadryl, and was so tired when we got to the hotel. I fell asleep on my bed for more than an hour. I woke up once and had a fleeting moment that I should take my lipstick out of my pocket. But I didn't!! By the time I had woken up it had basically exploded all over my dress and the white bedspread. And of course it's bright pink -- what other color accessory would I have!!

Swamp thing and a tennis skirt

We didn't exactly sleep the day away but it was close! After getting up at an undisclosed hour we made our way to Cypress Gardens. If you're keeping track at home, this is our 18th trip, thus making this the 18th garden. :) At one point mom asked if I remembered a specific garden she was talking about from our San Antonio trip. My clarifying questions: was it hot? was I thirsty? was there something flying around and eating me? They all run together..

Actually, this garden won't be confused with any in our minds because it was a swamp!! It's an old plantation that is now owned and operated by the city of Charleston. The swamp is about all that is "original" to the first owner. We walked around the periphery first, but the were able to canoe around the the cypress and lily pads! We saw an abundance of turtles and three alligators!! We also saw several hundred black flies...

Then this evening we saw our final event at the Family Circle Cup. The headline match included Serena Williams. Wow. She is so powerful. I have not been a fan of hers, but I am more so tonight! After that we watched a doubles match which was awesome. Doubles play is so fast and entertaining. Made me wish I was playing!

Have I mentioned the Internet is not great? I have just completed this post with my pointer finger on my phone. Luckily I'm faster than the average texter...

Comin ' to you tomorrow from Savannah.

When the girls are away...

...the boys will play. Whenever we tell people we are going on a girl's adventure, people always inquire about dad. Here is living proof that he is having his own party. No captions required. :)

Okay, maybe not a caption, but look at this great picture I took of mom as the picture came through. "Is that our fridge?" :)

211, 231, 212, 221...?

I think that title is funnier to me than anyone -- we've had quite the mix-up with numbers here lately. From going to the wrong stall at the rental car center, to the wrong hotel room, to the wrong freeway exit... And everything is in the 200s!!

Today was another long day with us up before the sun. I know! Me, on vacation, dressed by 6:30. We had to make a bat-run to Charleston this morning to arrive for morning tennis. What seemed to be a golf gathering last night was a full blown traffic situation this morning. I'm sure women watch golf somewhere, but none of them are here. We were the only women in the lobby of the hotel and Starbucks; two among many in a throng of polo shirts. I had the pleasure of interacting with the masses when one of them parked too closely to our car at Starbucks -- we couldn't get the doors open. I threw on my teacher voice (and apparently my face too, based on the reaction I got) and announced in Starbucks, "Excuse me gentlemen...." My announcement was greeted with pure panic stricken faces. All but one were so glad not to have to be involved. :)

It was about a three hour drive to Charleston. And man was it boring! The trees are very high along the freeway, giving only chance glimpses to what lies beyond.

Tennis was so fun!! I have always wanted to see a major event, and this was the perfect one to start with. The stadium was small, so all seats were amazing. We watched a match between Stephanie Dubois (CAN) and Elena Visnina (RUS). They were fairly closely matched and had some long rallies between the two. We were rooting for Canada, but Russia came out ahead. We will see Visnina play Serena Williams tomorrow night.

If you're reading this blog from somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, then you are still dealing with the idea that you will never be warm again. Yesterday when we arrived in Atlanta, it was stifling, but felt so good. We were reveling in warmth and sunshine. It apparently only takes 24 hours for your body to thaw out from winter. At first the tennis stadium was nice with sunshine at our backs and a light breeze frizzing up our hair. And then we got hot. And then we got really hot. We escaped a few minutes before heat stroke set in (emphasis on before -- hallelujah!). It's supposed to be about 20 degrees cooler tomorrow, settling in at about 75. It sounds perfect.

Tomorrow we plan on heading up to Cypress Gardens (where mom is going to count the varieties of azalea and I'm going to go croc hunting), and then hitting the tennis courts. I think we get to see a doubles match after the Williams/Visnina match.

Goodnight from Charleston!

Seattle to Augusta

We are finally at a stopping point here in Augusta. It was a long travel day, but we are happy to be out on a Spring Break adventure!

The day started early at Sea-Tac. We, of course, arrived early enough to get through security in time for coffee. Have you been through security with someone that has had double knee replacements? It's kind of a show. Luckily the new x-ray type screeners make it easy so mom doesn't have to be wanded all over. Today, however, she left her phone in her pocket which made the whole process amp up a step. At one point she was having her hands dusted for signs of explosives. That would have been fun to watch had it not been for the mayhem that was ensuing around me. All of a sudden I was left with three bags, two pairs of shoes, a laptop and three plastic bins. Everything kept rolling ahead and finally began crashing in to the guy in front of me. It was like Lucy at the chocolate factory!

Once in Atlanta we hopped in our rental car and headed north. We wanted to get part way to Charleston tonight so the drive is shorter in the morning. Tennis at 10am!! Our rental car is "just right" like the three little bears. The first one had no GPS, the second one was built for a smurf, and we were taking the third one no matter what!!

Everyone else in our hotel is getting ready for golf tomorrow -- apparently there's something like the Masters going on here.... :) But we're headed to tennis. Wahoo!

It's that time again!

Sometimes when a trip is over, you get on the plane (or back in the car), and immediately wonder when you will be back. And then there are the trips where you get back in the car (or on the plane) knowing full well that you will never see that place again. When I boarded the plane in Atlanta two years ago, I was fairly certain that I would not see the South again. So what brings us back to the land of gravy and confederate flags? I give you evidence A:

I would like to briefly clarify a few things about this photo. First, my mother will take full responsibility for the haircut (or she should). And I take full responsibility for that outfit -- Punky Brewster is my fashion icon. (And, Kym, I would apologize for posting your photo, but you are SO DANG CUTE in this picture).

So, back to evidence A. TENNIS!!! My earliest memories of tennis are riding my bike around the neighborhood with my friend Heather, looking for open courts. Most recently I stayed up through the night watching the Australian Open. I love the sound when the ball hits the sweet spot of your racket. I love being at the net and blasting quick shots left and right. I love that a tennis racket feels like an extension of my arm. And let's be honest, I love wearing a tennis skirt!! One of my lifelong dreams is to attend Wimbledon, but for now it will be the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, SC. We'll also be traveling to Savannah, GA and of course finding every National Park in the area.

Check back for our beginning adventures on Sunday or Monday. Happy Trails!