Our Southern Escape - Dec 2023 to Jan 2024

On the road again....
First we did western Canada in 2022, then we did eastern Canada in 2023, and now there is our Southern Escape from Ottawa to Florida and much in between. After returning home, the final nerdy numbers are in: We drove 5,925 km and shared it pretty much 50/50. Hild drove 1 km further than Rob, which is pretty close! All we did was switch drivers one last time in Havlock, Ontario - and it worked. Our maximum elevation was 855 metres in Virginia just before the border with North Carolina. The minimium elevation was 45 metres while driving was in Jupiter, Florida. We figure the absolute minimum elevatation was while floating with manatees. Our final route is shown in the map below. We also took great joy in finding appropriate songs to play as we entered each new state.

We and Yogi in Mary Jane started early one December morning heading to the Lansdowne border crossing. As usual, Hild was nervous about the mood of our immigration agent. All went well after: a visit to the border office building for some extra questions, a look through our documents, and a $12 charge for the pleasure. Then we happily set off along Interstate 81 to Syracuse - our first stop. We had to go visit the Carousel to reminisce about the old days.

Rob had our route planned out nicely and it looks a lot like the one we did in 2018/2019. He also had us booked into motels in Harrisburg, Dublin, and Savannah. We took turn driving and managing the music. The aim was to play an appropriate song for each state we passed through as shown on the route map. It went well until we hit the Carolinas.... The lyrics are included below and our favourite by far was finding Bob Seger's "Florida Time"!

NEW YORK: It felt like returning home playing Billy Joel in the car with "New York State of Mind": Some folks like to get away Take a holiday from the neighbourhood Hop a flight to Miami Beach Or to Hollywood But I'm taking a Greyhound On the Hudson River Line I'm in a New York state of mind
By chance we came across a Wegmans supermarket outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We had just been at a T-Mobile store where we finally found the most helpful tech-support person ever. Fatima quickly understood the problem we were having with our internet hotspot (4 other persons did not get it). She gave us a new SIM card, and all was good in the world! In a celebratory mood we treated ourselves to the old familiar giant subs at Wegmans. It seems bigger than 20 years ago so we skipped the chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookie. That's a young man's game! Still, as delicious as we remember it.

WEST VIRGINIA: As we drove into West Virginia we were playing John Denver's "Country Roads" to set the mood. Fabulous song and fun to time with crossing the border. Sadly the video we took was not worth sharing here, just hum along: Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River Life is old there, older than the trees Younger than the mountains, growin' like a breeze Country roads, take me home To the place I belong West Virginia, mountain mama Take me home, country roads
We were very briefly in West Virginia and took the opportunity to fire up the Trangia stove and have a picnic even if the temperature was only 7 Celsius! Nothing was going to stop us from making sandwiches and enjoying the sunny day - with fleeces and woolly hats.

VIRGINIA: As we didn't stay long in West Virginia, we quickly had to decide on a song for Virginia. We landed on Frank Sinatra's "I Went Down to Virginia": I went down to Virginia and no one sent for me, I went down to Virginia to see what I could see. Well I found the horses fastest and the gals the best, The spirits of the states are guaranteed high test So I stayed down in Virginia 'cause that looked good to me. I went down to Virginia and I didn't know a soul, No wonder folks befriend ya, their hearts are made of pure gold.
The next night we stayed in Dublin, Virginia. We walked to an Italian restaurant, Fazoli's, which hit the spot. The baked lasagna was yummy and portions were perfect even if we filled up on very yummy warm breadsticks. In the morning temperatures had dipped below zero and we had to scrape Mary Jane's windshield.

NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA: Other than "Sweet Caroline" we were struggling to find an appropriate song to play as we drove through the Carolinas.
On our way toward Savannah, Georgia, we stopped in South Carolina for another picnic. The temperature was a bit better at 12 Celsius. Still in fleeces but we took off our woolly hats. The cups of tea helped us rest after a rather exciting drive through Charlotte. They have an advanced road toll system where the prices for each segment of express lane changes with the amount of traffic. So when you drive along the free, sometimes congested, lanes you monitor the signs and decide if you'd rather pay the posted amount for a couple of kilometers. It was a fun experiment, and we were lucky to have borrowed a SunPass transponder from Kristin and Alvaro so it was all automatic.

GEORGIA: Driving into Georgia we couldn't choose any other song than "Georgia on my Mind" this time by performed by Michael Bublé: Georgia, Georgia The whole day through Just an old sweet song Keeps Georgia on my mind I said Georgia Georgia A song of you Comes as sweet and clear As moonlight through the pines Other arms reach out to me Other eyes smile tenderly Still in peaceful dreams I see The road leads back to you
During our stay in Savannah we found our motel was in walking distance to an Applebee's restaurant. This gave us another chance to reminisce about the old days. It was a quiet day so we benefited from fun chats with the waitress and the manager.

FLORIDA: As we drove into Florida we were again ready with a more or less appropriate song playing in the car. We landed on Bob Seger's "Florida Time": Well we're passin' through Georgia and we're right on time We're going to Florida to have a good time If we get there ahead of the rest We'll tan right up so we all look the best
The next morning we finally arrived in Florida. We avoided Jacksonville and cut across toward Gainesville. On the way we stopped for another picnic - this time with 18 Celsius and no fleece needed. Rob found Lake Alto Park to rest at, but there was a bit of rain in the air so we ate our sandwiches and yoghurts in the car. A local fisherman told us that the fish were not biting today but he saw snakes instead. Eeeek. We went down to the water's edge but thankfully did not encounter swimming snakes. Ugh. The park was just outside the town of Waldo. So next time we play the game we know the answer to the question "Where's Waldo?": in Florida, of course.

We have explored downtown Tampa with Kristin and Alvaro and on our own. There is much fun to see, and now that the Christmas lights are up there is even more.

Christmas decorations included Nutcrackers, Jack Skellington and Sally Shock (the Nightmare before Christmas), and Santa with reindeer lounging on a boat!

One of the downtown high-rises have a very unnerving design. It looks like the building is broken and balconies are wobbly and loose. Such a strange and unusual sight.

Rob posing with a safe alligator made of stone. He also impersonated a tortoise.

Some fun signs around town: * A dog park called the "Barking Lot" * A logo with a death scull posing as an island * A skeleton riding a sword fish * A door mat announcing that the household is divided by supporting two football teams: Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rob and Hild would like to find a similar mat for the Yankees and Mets.

More strange things around town: a metal dog, Mr Skellington and Ms Shock, "Primitive Camping" is not what Rob and Hild do anymore, and Norwegian cheese (Brunost). A quick cheese-price comparison shows $11 for 250 gr in Tampa or $5 for 250 gr in Norway. A bit of a difference, yes. We would also like to add that 250 gr is a very small piece for a Norwegian - and even harder to slice with a proper Norwegian cheese slice.

In Tampa we rode the local streetcar. It didn't have a name, and it wasn't Desire. It was a fun ride from Ybor City to downtown Tampa.

During our visits to Ybor City, a popular tourist destination in Tampa, we spotted the famous chickens and roosters that roam the streets. I tell you, they are not just roaming, the roosters are also quite vocal ALL DAY LONG and not just at sunrise. “COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO”, "KYKKELIKY" (Norwegian), "KI-KIRI-KI" (Spanish) Bless the residents...

One day we went picnicking and kayaking in Rainbow Springs State Park. It was a lovely day.

Kristin and Alvaro are now skilled kayakers while Hild and Rob were doing their best. We gave all the birds and turtles a good laugh although thankfully we did not fall in.

We also went swimming - or rather floating - with manatees in Crystal River. This is the only place one can swim with wild manatees. The day was a bit cold but the water wasn't so bad since we were swimming in and out of a hot spring. Most of us were still shivering by the time we got back on the boat afterwards.

The guides at "Fun 2 Dive" did not promise that the manatees would come to us, but my oh my did they come to us! No one really noticed, but Rob got hugged as soon as he jumped into the water. The rest of our group swam towards the hot spring not noticing that a female manatee had grabbed onto Rob and was hugging him (possibly humping him). She was pushing Rob over towards us. If we hadn't had snorkels on we would have laughed out loud. In the end we all got to be hugged but one or more manatees. It was quite amazing. They did not have to come over to us but chose to do so.

Rob tried to film while he was being hugged by the friendly manatee, but it was difficult so he handed over to Hild when we noticed what was going on. Hild was also struggling to hold the camera steady while floating. Anyway, here is a video of "Rob's Manatee Date". The video has sound on it, and at one point our guide, Jessica, announces that "She really likes you!".

One day we drove to Tarpon Springs on the west coast. A lot of Greek sponge divers used to live there - now only a few remain. We saw boats on the harbour drying off sponges on deck. Still, they claim to be the sponge capital of the world. We walked around town and bought a couple of sponges and just marvelled at all the variety available. As planned we also had lunch in a local Greek restaurant - and the lamb was fantastic! We can recommend Yanni's Seafood & Greek Cuisine.

Kristin and Alvaro took us hiking in Hillsborough River State Park. We had proper hiking boots on because the park sometimes gets flooded. It was dry that day but the boardwalks had clearly been bashed around a bit.

On the 23rd we enjoyed an evening at the Straz Center in Tampa. We got into the Christmas spirit with the Nutcracker. The dancers were fantastic and the children too. We particularly enjoyed it when what seemed to be decorative Russian nesting dolls suddenly turned in to children dancing. Very amusing. Other children were dressed up as caterpillars. So cute and bumbling. The director and main dancers were from New York City.

A bit late this year, Rob started decorating his Christmas cakes. We had brought them from Ottawa so they just needed marzipan and icing. He converted a travel mug into a rolling pin and the result was as beautiful as in other years. And the cake was yummy - and gone in no time. Two cakes were shipped to friends in South Carolina and Arizona.

While Rob worked hard with cooking and baking, Kristin and Hild brought out the jigsaw puzzle. A true Christmas tradition. Nothing focuses the mind like that. Kristin took it up a level this year with magnifying goggles!

It was time for another drive. We went to see St. Petersburg - or just St. Pete. The city has a fun pier to walk along. Many other families were out enjoying the holiday. At the start of the pier is a giant tree called the Kapok or Bombax. We marvelled at the tree being so big, but was only planted in 1956 three feet tall! A Kapok tree can grow 13 feet per year in the right conditions. In the spring it has lots of red blossoms, so we'll have to come back one day to enjoy that sight. There were many pelicans flying and sitting around town. The bird is also featured in the city logo, on the city manhole covers, a giant origami statue on the pier, and probably more that we missed.

While we didn't actively participate, there was a fun-looking mini-put set-up on the St. Pete pier. We happened to visit on a particularly windy day, so the water- and wind-hazard were to be found at every hole!

In St Pete we found the world's largest sundial. Rob spotted it while the rest of us just wandered straight past! We did catch a photo of Rob with the giant ray outside the Tampa aquarium.

Rob was happy to take on the task of cooking our Christmas dinner on the 25th. He roasted a turkey breast without wings and thigs since there are only four of us. There was also brussels sprouts, carrots, turnip, onion and sage stuffing with little sausages, apple sauce, and gravy. He also enjoyed using the electric carving knife. The meal was delicious and we saved plenty for left-overs that lasted us almost to New Year. The table was decorated for the occasion and we had crackers with hats, jokes, and a musical game. The game provided us with two horns with different notes and music sheets. We tried to play a few songs but clearly needed more skills and a conductor. Most of all we needed less giggling, but it was so much fun.

Hild and Rob are concerned about how they will survive a move from Canada to the USA, which means no more Tim Hortons. So they set off to test Dunkin' Donuts. Indeed it works: Multigrain bagels toasted with butter, medium black coffee, and tea from a tea bag (no steeped tea south of the border). Our Saturday breakfast tradition will remain.

We also had to check out "Chick-fil-A" food. It is a very popular restaurant here. The one we chose was inside Busch Gardens so the menu was smaller than out in the real world. Still the food was yummy. The restaurant uses cows to advertise their food. The cows are seen saying "Eat Mor Chikin"! Funny!! There were even two cows walking around the Nutcracker venue saying "Eat Mor Chikin" while handing out "Chick-fil-A" gift cards.

While poor Alvaro had to go to work, the rest of us went to experience Busch Gardens for the first time. It was much like a research trip: How do the guest passes work? What is included in Kristin's annual pass? How do we use the photo pass? What is the route from the cheetahs via the hippos to the Scorpion and where is Chick-fil-A? What is the smallest ride we are allowed on? What is the biggest ride we dare to go on?

Hild was brave and joined Rob on one of the rollercoasters: the Scorpion. We were properly shook left and right and catapulted into one full loop. Nothing compared to Rob's later Kumba ride, but my did the Scorpion make us dizzy. Had to use the wall to steady us while walking off the ride afterwards.

Hild kept Rob company for the hour-long wait in line for the Kumba ride. We amused ourselves with watching other riders scream and cheer as they flew past. Hild sheepishly asked the staff if she could just sneak off, and there other visitors doing the same. Here are a couple of videos of Rob on the Kumba ride.

We went to a talk about the hippos, and got this film of one of the females swimming. So graceful in the water. We also saw her running..... not so graceful then.

It was time to take the Serengeti Express Train Ride from Stanley station to Nairobi station. While it is a good way to get an overview of the park, it is not at express speed. You can jump on and jump off at either station and stay on as long as you please. From the train we got to view many different animals.

The safari trip brought us past zebras, different gazelles, and reticulated giraffes! Rob wonders what the non-reticulated giraffes are like, thirsty maybe?!

Then there were the elands and Ankole-Watusi with amazing horns, and many kinds of antelopes. Several of the animals are on the endangered list.

We spotted elephants, crocodiles, ostriches, and very sleepy hyenas.

There were many birds around the park. Beautiful spoonbills, very colourful flamingos, and giant pelicans lounging along the creek. In one of the aviaries people were feeding lorikeets and other birds.

Rob also captured great photos of the turaco and a giant macaw. We were staying well away from the cage because they are known to crack open coconuts with their strong beaks! In another aviary we saw many more birds including stilts, teals and cranes. We also saw a kookaburra but the photos were all blurry.

One park display reminded us of the correct order of Santa's reindeer. We had tried to remember it all day, and failed. So here it is: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen.

We held out all day until the sun went down so we could enjoy the many Christmas light decorations. We also grabbed some Red Curry Shrimp and Jasmine Rice and Char Siu Pork Fried Rice. A yummy end to a fun day.

After a few false starts we were finally able to go explore Weedon Island Preserve on the western side of Tampa Bay. Part of the area used to be an airport between 1931 and 1953. Some imagination is needed to see where the runways used do go.

There were plenty of birds to look at including egrets and spoonbills. On top of that we scared up a raccoon so he went running down the boardwalk and up a tree. Poor fella probably was quite scared - or at least we had been tracking his scat several places before we saw him.

At the other end of the park we climbed an observation tower to get a better look at the area. There were several people fishing in the river leading to Riviera Bay. We could also see as far as downtown Tampa and St Pete.

Back in downtown Tampa Rob and Hild enjoyed another walk - this time exploring the area around Amalie Arena. We learnt that the main sponsor is Amalie Motor Oil, although we had never heard of it before. The arena is home to the Tampa Bay Lightning ice hockey team. They are known as the Bolts - as in lightning bolts: "Go Bolts!". We loved how the signs when you leave the arena said "Thank you for being the thunder". Apparently the fans do get quite loud during games. A statue of Canadian Dave Andreychuk is seen holding up the Stanley Cup trophy. He helped the Bolts win the cup in 2003-04.

Outside the arena there was also a Christmas tree made out of whiskey barrels. Apparently you can also put your name down to buy a barrel when the holiday is over. We assume the barrels are empty!

One of our downtown walks brought us across one of the many bridges across Hillsborough River. The West Cass Street bridge is an old railway bridge and they have left the drawbridge open presumably to reduce trespassing. They can't stop plants growing on it. We were amused by one plant that was growing on the sheer cement side of the bridge!

Further along Cass Street we happened upon Perry Harvey Sr. Park. We loved the colourful statues clearly playing music and dancing. There were also two dog statues, and you know how much we love dogs! Hild danced a little jig with them too.

This is also the historic area called the Scrub because of the plants that were growing there along Central Avenue. The area has a rich African American history. Sadly there was not much left of that, but we loved the art celebrating the history.

The video below tries to show how the artist Rufus Butler Seder has designed optical tiles that show you a different image or photo as you walk past it.

Before the new year, Kristin and Alvaro took us to one of their favourite restaurants: Columbia in Ybor. The food was delicious and we enjoyed their Original "1905" Salad. Our waiter made the salad at our table and explained the whole recipe. We also tried "Spanish Bean Soup" and the "Original Cuban Sandwich", which they also call "Mixto" with a recipe dating back to the 1890s.

It isn't really Christmas until we break out the jigsaw puzzles. First we warmed up with one thousand pieces of doors found in Oslo. Yes, it sounds weird, but they had included quite ornate and colourful doors so it was fun. Our next challenge was Adelheid's 1,000 piece puzzle of Norwegian stamps. We were concerned that it was going to take us a long time, but we took a chance and started it only 2 days before Rob and Hild would leave. Well, as you may have guessed they finished it rather quickly. Norwegian soup (Setesdalssuppe or Basarsuppe) and flatbread helps a lot.

At one point we had quite substantial plans for New Year: a nice dinner somewhere, or cook something special. A drive to and hike around Alafia River State Park east of Tampa. Going to Ybor neighbourhood to view the annual parade.... the optimistic list went on. Again, you may have guessed that we did none of that because we were worn out by all the fun we had had already! So we dropped in at Trader Joe's for some ready-to-eat snacks, hung out at home, watched a couple of movies, ate said snacks, and then promptly fell asleep before midnight. Rob said he heard the fireworks but was too lazy to walk over to the window to have a look. Ah - old age is special.

Happy New Year! Whoosh - 2023 was gone and another year lies ahead. Hoping that we will soon be able to join Kristin and Alvaro here, we were off to the next stage of our adventure on the first day of the year. As we drove over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay, we enjoyed the view as well as delicious mini-cinnamon-buns from Alvaro/Ikea.

A few hours later we were well situated in Highlands Hammock State Park. It took us a mere 30 minutes to have the tent up, airbed inflated, sleeping bags unfolded, office set up, and tea in our cups. Ah - a wonderful life!

We spotted some amusing items around the campsite: Couldn't but chuckle at the mental image of people actually washing their dogs in the sinks. The poem about tidying up after yourself was quite cute and so was the Christmas-decorated miniature camper van too.

To help visitors stop littering, they even provided a "litter picker station". You borrow a grabber stick and a bucket and start picking! Good idea.

Back in camping mode, our meals are served in metal plates and mugs. Indeed, breakfast is all out of mugs and cups: orange juice, milk, porridge, and tea. Publix also provided much loved maple syrup for our oatmeal porridge. Yum. Later in the day we brought out the Trangia camping stove to make some pasta for lunch - angel hair pasta with herbs - served with veggie sticks and milk.

It was time to explore the State Park. As so often happens, we did the walk backwards and learnt the meaning of the word "hammock" at the end. In this context it is a naturally shady place elevated above surrounding marshes. Because of the marshes there were plenty of boardwalks.

There were signs to alert us of all the different tree species. We are not botanists so we are unsure if we identified them correctly. At least we are still able to spot the top-heavy and slender Sabel Palm. Others included American gum, cypress, oaks, and pines. With it being so soggy there were also plenty of fungi to look at. Surprisingly few birds, though. While we were walking along we suddenly scared up a small group of wild boar. The lady in the shop later told us that they are a serious pest here (as everywhere else) and that they can get quite angry and confrontational so it is best to just back away. I don't know who was more startled them or us, but they ran away first. So no photographic evidence.

We learnt that a structure with two railings is a boardwalk, while it is called a catwalk when there is only one railing. One such catwalk brought us to the park's giant oak tree, which they claim is over 1,000 years old. It sure looked like it. It did not look very healthy, but who would at that age?

There was plenty of evidence of burnt-out trees. In this one we inserted Rob to illustrate the size of the tree. The tree was still standing and providing growing conditions for other plants including mosses.

One of the most popular trails in the park is Cypress Swamp. Another great boardwalk through trees and over soggy ground. The catwalk had lost its structural integrity and was off-limits.

The dark water in the swamp provided excellent reflection of the trees and sky. Sometimes it was hard to see what was real and what was a reflection. It was also eerily quiet, and again very few birds.

When we looked down into the dark water we could see clear reflections of ourselves.

At the other end of the campground we strolled along the Allen Altvater trail. After a brush fire had singed the place, the saw palmettos had taken over with the odd pine and oak still left standing. Several berry bushes were also to be seen.

With so many berries still hanging and birds not eating them (possibly lying dead somewhere?!) we were not about to taste any of them.

After a long morning walk through the hammock, we popped into the campground store and secured some snacks. We tried the smoked alligator meat. Nice and salty flavour, but we can't promise that we would have known it to be alligator meat if it didn't say so on the packet.

If someone asks us: what is the strangest thing you have done while camping?, the answer will now be "assemble a ginger bread house". Again sponsored by Alvaro/IKEA we came prepared with left-over bag of icing sugar from Kristin. As it turns out, the zip lock bag we used had odd corners so it was difficult to fashion a piping bag, but we weren't in a beauty contest. The house-pieces came flat-packed, as was expected from IKEA, the instructions noted the number of pieces and the order in which to assemble. Walls, roof, chimney. It all went well with Rob steadying the structure until the icing set - even in the warm Florida sun.

We ran out of icing so the decorations were limited to noting that this is the first official house structure by our four-person team: ROHIKR et AL! Hours later, disaster struck and the building was no more. It was not a hurricane or tornado. We blame the cookie-monsters! (Rob and Hild) Side note: We give credit to Erik for coming up with the "et AL" part to include Alvaro in our house/office-hunting venture. Thank you Erik! We love it.

One of today's main tasks was to stop by Disney Springs in Orlando. It was a beautiful day for wandering around enjoying life and popping in and out of shops.

The anhinga birds were drying their wings in the warm sun. They didn't seem surprised to see classic cars floating by on the water! We, however, were quite surprised by the odd view. The wind was a bit strong so the balloon rides were not available.

One of the more colourful stops was the giant M&M store. So many fun M&M souvenirs - both edible and not. We grabbed a cup of mixed flavours, some peanut ones, and some red blue and white ones.

Our choice for lunch was "The Earl of Sandwich". Most of all we had hoped to find an "Andy's Lunch Box", but that one is only inside the Disney parks. The good thing is that "The Earl" also has grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup!! Hooray.

The drive from Orlando to our hotel in Gainesville took longer than planned because of a multicar crash south of Ocala. We were delayed for about one hour. It was a frustrating drive of detours here and there, but we should not complain because those who had the crash were the ones with the bad day. Three people died and several others were injured because someone drove the wrong way on the turnpike/motorway. There were several burnt-out vehicles. It looked terrible.
GEORGIA: We repeated Michael Bublé's "Georgia on my Mind" as we drove into Georgia for the second time.
Our stop in Atlanta was purely to have meatball lunch at Ikea. That is how much we love their meatballs. The lingonberry jam was self-serve and you could take as much as you like. Very civilized! The traffic was a bit more hectic that the rest of the holiday. At one point when Rob was navigating to get us to IKEA he said to Hild who was driving: "Any of the 5 (FIVE!) middle lanes of the 7 (SEVEN!) available are good for us."

TENNESSEE: We had The Andrews Sisters sing as we entered Tennessee near Chattanooga: You leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore Dinner in the diner Nothing could be finer Then to have your ham an' eggs in Carolina When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar Then you know that Tennessee is not very far Shovel all the coal in Gotta keep it rollin' Woo, woo, Chattanooga there you are
With a Déjà vu to 2022's visit to Penticton, British Columbia, Mary Jane is again making a rattling noise. Ugh. We are guessing that the heat shield is loose again. Thanks for Snus and the internet we got Mary Jane booked into an 8 am appointment with a local garage in Chattanooga. More about that later. After having dropped Mary Jane off at the garage we found ourselves walking around Chattanooga early Sunday morning. Most businesses were closed and sensible folks were still asleep. It was still dark when we took a photo of the key road corner "Market" and "Choo Choo". The fun part was that with flash we only see the reflective sign, and without flash we see all signs. Fun.

The main station building is as grand as in the old days. The Christmas decorations are still up.

The inside is also beautiful with a huge Christmas tree and giant baubles suspended from the high ceiling. Rob found an old-fashioned train station bench and Hild found a rocking chair.

Through the station to the old rail tracks we found the Chattanooga Choo Choo. Beautiful in red, green, and black. It did its first run in March 1880 from Cincinnati - America's first municipal railway system.

It was time for a cup of tea and cup of coffee. The "Frothy Monkey" coffee shop was open next to the train station. So we sat down to rest for a while. Rob was intrigued watching all the goings-on with the coffee making baristas. Operating the coffee making machine is clearly a complex task. At one point it even involved weighing the coffee going in and coming out of the machine. Hild was more concerned about what it would look like if she drank her tea directly from the pot rather from the very very small tea cup...

We had planned to go for a walk down to the Tennessee River, but on the way we walked past the Firestone garage and Mary Jane was already back outside. The mechanics happily announced that it was indeed a loose heat shield. The charge was so small and they had worked so fast and on a Sunday morning no less. Hooray for the mechanics at "Firestone Complete Auto Care" in downtown Chattanooga!

KENTUCKY: Next we set off toward Cincinnati. The weather was still looking good and we only had a little bit of rain and sleet. Then there was sunshine too. When we crossed into Kentucky we were ready with the next song: Johnny Cash's "Kentucky Straight". Up in Kentucky they make a whiskey They call a Kentucky Straight Whiskey And up in Kentucky I married a woman That I bet she is a better woman Than that whiskey is whiskey I call her my Kentucky Straight I've rambled round the country side I've drifted near and far I've been off to seek my fortune I've been followin' every star I've rode the devil's highway The hell bound interstate But now I'm back at happy shack With my Kentucky Straight
Just south of Lexington, in Richmond, we pulled over to visit our very first "Bucc-ee's". There have been so many fun billboards announcing these stores since Florida. We missed a couple of opportunities, and this one is the last one as we head north. It is a giant store originally from Texas where everything is big. This one is open 24/7 it has 230 employees and an amazing 120 petrol pumps! Some of the staff prepared the most amazing brisket sandwiches. We tried both the chopped and the sliced brisket. Aaaaah. To top it off we also enjoyed their glazed cashew nuts. Yum.

Their mascot is a beaver and there was many opportunities to buy merchandise including stuffed, inflatable, T-shirts, mugs, candy, and more. They had many sandwiches, coffee bar, more jerky flavours than ever seen before, nuts of every kind. There was lots of clothes and camping gear too. It was worth the stop to experience this hugely popular store chain.

More strange things - or at least crazy-looking trailer load we passed on the interstate. The wood structures were bouncing up and down and looked very iffy indeed.

We are trying to deal with two different winter storms. These days storms have names (eye-roll!), so Rob and Hild will squeeze in between Finn and Ember. So far we have gotten all the way to Cincinnati without any bad weather. Lucky us.

OHIO: Our route takes us briefly into Ohio, so we found another song. This time we chose Charley Pride singing "Banks of the Ohio". We stopped it after the second verse because it gets pretty grim - it being called a murder ballad! I asked my love to take a walk Just to walk just a little way Down beside where the waters flow Down by the banks of the Ohio Only say that you'll be mine In no other arms entwined Down beside where the waters flow Down by the banks of the Ohio
We had planned to stay overnight in Ohio, but then it turned out that our hotel was right on the border still in Kentucky. So to make up for this, we filled up with petrol and stopped for a tea/coffee/bagel break in Van Wert, Ohio. We found a Tim Hortons and could not drive past that! The menu was a bit limited compared to home, but perfectly yummy even so.

INDIANA: It was a day of driving and we crossed the state line from Ohio to Indiana after the Tim Hortons break. We had struggled to find an appropriate song for Indiana. First we thought our best option was the theme music to "Indiana Jones", but we ended up with R. Dean Taylor's "Indiana Wants Me". It is another murder ballad so we stopped it after the chorous. Too depressing otherwise - about murder and mahem! We also stopped for lunch in the car at Auburn Rest Area north of Fort Wayne. Two degrees Celsius was just too cold even for us to picnic outside. Wimps! Indiana wants me Lord, I can't go back there Indiana wants me Lord, I can't go back there I wish I had you to talk to
MICHIGAN: Our final US state on this trip. We arrived in Michigan and did so while singing along with Judy Garland's "I Want To Go Back to Michigan". I was born in Michigan and I wish and wish again That I was back in the town where I was born There's a farm in Michigan and I'd like to fish again In the river that flows beside the fields of waving corn A lonesome soul am I, here's the reason why I wanna go back, I wanna go back I wanna go back to the farm Far away from harm With a milk pail on my arm I miss the rooster, the one that used to Wake me up at four a.m. I think a great big city's very pretty Nevertheless I wanna be there, I wanna see there A certain someone full of charm That's why I wish again that I was in Michigan Down on the farm
Back in Ontario and Canada after no big drama on the border. The only bit of drama was the wet snow/slush weather Hild had to drive in when leaving East Lansing, and the down-pour that Rob had to drive in from the Canadian border to Mississauga.
The next morning we set off on the last leg of our trip: back home to Ottawa. Yes, terribly boring but also very exciting for us: Fuel stop at Costco in Peterborough and Lunch at Tim Hortons in Havlock, Ontario. It was good to be back home with a full menu at Tim Hortons. Ah - Farmer's wrap with bacon or sausage, and proper steeped tea! We were also so lucky with the weather. Apart from the rather slushy/wet drive from East Lansing to Mississagua, we managed to elude both the winter storms that swept across the continent this week.

Like we do on most of our trips, we have kept track of the different species of animals we have seen. Most special so far has been floating with manatees in Crystal River and being startled by feral pigs in Highlands Hammock.

Frequently heard during our trip: * Variations on: Have you seen my phone? Where is my phone? Is this my phone? * Is that house blue or green? Fun exchanges heard while accidentally eavesdropping at campsite: Youth: "Mom, where is my towel" Mom: "The towel wasn't on the packing list" Youth: (shouting) "Aargh, towel is ALWAYS on the list, Mom" Exasperated person after having struggled to string up a hammock between two trees: "But, how do I get into this thing?!"
Then we were back home with what we had missed the most: our office and desks with multiple screens. Ah

December 2023

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