Magic Kingdom

What Am I Going to Do Next?

I'm going to Disney World!!!!

 

 

Tomorrow is the first day of our week at Disney, where we can (almost) forget that we are old grandparents and just feel like kids again.  Except for sore, tired feet and aching backs at the end of the day.

Since we intend to fill every minute of every day with fun and excitement...

And, since our Dear Daughter, Favorite Son-in-law, and Precious Grandgirls will meet us there...

I probably won't be posting any long posts.

BUT. 

I will try to post several pictures from my phone each day.  So look for multiple short posts. 

If I remember.

And if I can get Blogger to work on my phone.

Wouldn't it be fun if we could all live in Disney World all the time?

What?  Yes, I am a grown-up.  Why do you ask?

Chores

Today is housecleaning day, but Wednesday was house washing day. We sure know how to have a good time, don't we?

Our new neighbors

At Bee's RV Park in Clermont, Florida

Posting from I-phone

Moved to Clermont, Florida on Tuesday. The pics below are:
Last week, in St. Augustine, Florida (4 pics)

Savannah

 

 

Okay, I'm just gonna apologize up front.  I've waited too long between posts, so this is a long one.  Too many pictures, and will probably take way too long to load on your computer. It's been a great week, so much to see and do (and eat!).  I tried to cut it down to just the best stuff, but there's just so much!

 

The photo above is one of the least impressive sunsets back at North Shore Resort in Greensboro, GA.  And it was still awesome.  See that bridge in the back?  If you look real closely, you can see the train going over the tracks.  Also...those black specks in the sky?  Those are not birds, nor was my camera lens dirty.  Those are a bazillion may flies.  They came out every night.  It was fun watching the fish jump out of the water to feed on them.

 

The highlight of my week?  I finally got to eat at Paula Deen's Restaurant, The Lady and Sons.  Three stories of awesomeness!  And yes, the food was just as wonderful as I had anticipated.  Know what it reminded me of?  Thanksgiving dinner with my mom's family.  When everyone brought their very best dish, and it was impossible to choose, so you had to get "just a bite" of everything.  And "just a bite" ended up being at least 2 platefuls of food.  Paula's buffet didn't have quite that big a selection (thank goodnes!), but the food was just as wonderful.  In fact, I'm pretty sure she got her peach cobbler recipe from my mom!

 

 

 

One of the best thing about The Lady and Sons - it's in Savannah!  I've read books about Savannah.  I've seen Paula's show, where she goes out and about the city and the surrounding area. I've researched this trip extensively on the internet before we even left home.  Nothing prepared me for the wonder that is Savannah.  Elegantly restored old, old buildings; a city "square" every couple of blocks, most with a monument in the center commemorating some historic figure or event; museums, restaurants, shops, apartments and townhouses.  Just beautiful. 

 

The Lady and Sons is just off of  Johnson Square, pictured above.  Across the square from the restaurant is Christ Church, the "Mother Church of Georgia."  (The picture above the square.)  This Episcopal church was established in 1733, at the same time Georgia was established as an English colony.  One of it's first rectors was John Wesley.  USA history and religious history, all rolled into one place.  Love it!

Our next stop was the beach at Tybee Island.  *Sigh*  Gorgeous.  And...we found a dolphin on the beach!  Lol...

 

But, it was getting late, so we cut it short, and headed back to the RV Park, which was about 10 miles north of Savannah, in Hardeeville, South Carolina.

 

The next morning, we drove to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, about 25 miles north of our camp.  This is where the rich folks live.  Very pretty, well laid out town.  But not nearly as charming as Savannah, to my mind anyway.

 

One of the most adventurous places we went this week was the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge.  Some (crazy) people hike or bike the 4.5 mile loop through the park, but we were contented to drive through.  Those are alligators, ya'll!  And not behind any kind of a fence or barrier, either.  We drove through the loop twice, and we probably saw more than a dozen gators.  All those black log looking things in the middle photo above?  Yep, those are all alligators. 

 

 

Methodist Church, built in 1868.

 

Thankfully, the Cowboy finally got enough of the gators, and we drove back to Savannah.  We visited the Massie Heritage Center, then walked over to Monterey Square, where both John and Charles Wesley preached. 

 

 

This courtyard and steps belonged to one of the private homes.

 

Pulaski Monument in Monterey Square.

 

Cobblestone streets and brick sidewalks!!!

 

They say Jefferson Davis slept here.

Alas, all good things must come to an end

 (so that more good things can come along!)

 

We are now in Brunswick, Georgia, home of Brunswick Stew.  Jumping off point for Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. 

 

 

We plan to head to St. Augustine Beach, Florida tomorrow, but for now I'll leave you with another pretty sunset.  This one is over the Brunswick River.





 

Southern Talk

Just for fun, here's some "Southern Definitions" I picked up in the Madison Visitor's Center last week. 

ARN - An electrical instrument used to remove wrinkles from clothing.

BATRY - A box like device that produces electricity.  "Looks like your car needs a new batry."

DRAW UP - To contract or shrink. "Ah told you that blouse would draw up if you washed it!"

EAT UP WITH - Excessively afflicted by.  "She's jest eat up with jealousy."

GOOBERS - Peanuts

IDINIT - Used to avoid saying ain't.  "Mighty hot today, idinit?"

JAWJA - Southern state just north of Florida. 

KUMPNY - Guests.  "We're having kumpny fer supper."

LIBEL - Likely to.  "Your wife finds out you're running around, she's libel to kill you."

NAIRN - None.  Not any.  "Ah'd offer you a nickel, but Ah don't got nairn."

OWN - Opposite of off.  "Cut own the radio and let's listen to music."

PEPPUH - A hot spice widely used to season food.

QUIETUS - Pronounced qui-EET-us.  To bring to an abrupt halt.  "His wife found out and put the quietus on it!"

SHOW - Certainly.  "It show is hot today."

TAR - A round inflateable object.  "You shouldn't drive that car without a spare tar."

UHMURKA - The greatest country in the world.  As in "The United States of Uhmurka."

WALLER - Roll about.  "Billy, don't waller all over that bed.  Ah jest made it up."

ZAT - Is that.  "Zat your dawg?"

I'm finding out that even though Texas and Georgia are both in the south, the accents are a lot different.  Texans drawl, but Georgians draaaawwwwlllll.  Not only do they add syllables to words, they stretch each syllable out to the max. 

Observing the differences in people....just part of what I love about travel.

Watch That! Read This!

We are watching an old Cary Grant movie on tv this morning, Talk of the Town.  An old black and white from 1941, it also stars Jean Arthur, another one of my favorites.  It's like a satire, romance, screw-ball comedy all in one.  And it's great.  Watch it if you ever get a chance, ok?

Here's something you can do right now.

 Read this:  http://wearethatfamily.com/2012/09/mom-of-all-trades/ 

It won't take more than a couple of minutes.

If you are a mother, or if you ever had a mother, you will laugh.

We are That Family may be my favorite blog, ever.  She often makes me laugh, sometimes makes me cry, and always makes me think.  I think you should make it one of your regular reads, too.

Two Covered Bridges and a Catastrophe

 

It's a rainy day in Georgia, perfect for catching up on e-mail and blog posts.  But yesterday was glorious!  Beautiful weather, and a fun outing.  Okay, there was that little mishap on the way home, but I'll talk about that later.

 

We are still camping in Greensboro, but yesterday we traveled about 40 miles north to Watson Mill Bridge State Park.  They say Georgia used to have over 200 covered bridges, but only about 20 remain.  This is the oldest and largest one that is still in its original location.  And it's built right over a small waterfall!  I am loving the waterfalls on this trip.

 

Here's several different views of the bridge and the falls.  Cowboy took the last three pictures.

 

 

 

 

We would have loved to hike down some of the trails, but we were hungry, and the nearest food was in Athens, about 1/2 hour away.  So after a couple of overpriced (but yummy!) burgers at Five Guys Burger and Fries in Athens, we filled the tank with diesel then we headed back to the trailer.  We had one more stop to make though.

 

Last week when we drove down Hwy. 15, we had seen a sign that said simply, "Elder Covered Bridge."  We were in a hurry and didn't stop that day, but this was such a great day, and we'd be driving right by there, so, why not check it out?

 

And it really was great.  On a narrow little road with surprisingly heavy traffic.  The bridge is still very much in use, although the speed limit is a very slow 5 miles an hour on either side and through the bridge. 

 

The historical marker said that Elder Mill Covered Bridge was erected in 1897, but moved to the present location in 1924. The bridge is 90 feet long and it is held together with "trunnels" or pegs, at each joint.  You can see them in the second photo below.

 

While Cowboy hunted for a geocache, I checked out the local flora and fauna.  The little white flowers were about as big as my little fingernail.  Can you see the little lizard sitting on the leaf?  He was about 3 inches long.  He posed long enough for me to take 5 or 6 pics, even with Charlie Chihuahua growling at him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now we come to the catastrophe part of the day.  We stopped at another little park a few miles down the road, and Tim got out his GPS to hunt for another cache. And that's when he realized...he couldn't find our Verizon wifi/mifi card!!!!  Ya'll - this is tragic!  Do you know how much time I spend on the internet every day?????   I didn't scream, and I didn't cry.  I think I was in shock.

 

We made a very thorough and systematic search of the pickup right then and there, then we hightailed it back to the Elder Mill Bridge, the last place he had it.  We searched and searched, but still no wifi.  Still numb, we climbed back into the pickup, turned around, and headed back through the bridge.

 

And then we saw it.  On the other side of the bridge, in the middle of the road, with the cover flung towards the side of the road.  There it was.  Did I mention this was a pretty heavily traveled little road?

 

Evidently, Tim had laid it on the back of the pick up while he put his other equipment up, and then forgotten it.  It rode there on the side of the pickup bed while we drove down the road, turned around and drove back through the bridge, then fell off when we speeded back up.

 

Do you believe in miracles?  I do.  I had been praying, though without any real hope, ever since we realized it was lost. 

 

And there it was.  Scratched and dented and battered.  With the back cover off and the battery exposed.  And it was still turned on.  Still working.  Can I get a Halleleujah!

 

So, our catastrophe turned into a victory, and what started as a great day, ended even better!

 

Some of you may think I've over dramatized this story, but, honestly, without my wifi, I wouldn't be able to post my blogs, and then what would you do for entertainment!?

 

 

 

 

 

Madison, part 2

The past couple of days have been pretty routine.  From the beginning, we realized this journey is less of a vacation and more like regular life.  On wheels. 

 

So, between fishing (Cowboy), Pinterest-ing (me), and sleeping all day (that would be Charlie), we have cleaned house, bought groceries, and fought the never ceasing trail of ants that keeps invading.  (I hate to use poisons around Charlie.  Obsessive cleaning, cinnamon sticks in the cabinets, and -weird, I know- baby powder around the tires, seems to be working fairly well.)

 

But we did have a great time in Madison the other day.  I think I enjoyed the landscaping even more than the architecture.  Everything is so green here! 

 

You know I love Texas.  Texas Forever!  Yay!

 

But.  Georgia.  It's green.

 

Green.  It's such a peaceful, relaxing color, isn't it?  And there are flowers.  I think the wildflowers may even be lovelier than the landscaped gardens.  And the landscaping is awesome.

 

Enjoy the pics.

 

Build in 1895, this was a public school.  Now it's a cultural center.

 

 

*sigh* ....Green... *sigh* ... And a big covered front porch.  With rockers.  *sigh*

 

This one is for sale.  The grounds take up a whole city block.  A very large block.  It has a boxwood maze in one corner.  I didn't ask the price.

 

 

The Morgan County Courthouse.  It's built on the corner of the square, instead of in the center.

 

 

Madison, Georgia

Madison, Georgia is about 25 miles from where we are staying.  Named #1 Small Town in America by Travel Holiday Magazine, it really is a pretty little town.  We picked up a walking tour map at the Visitor Center, then set off on the three mile route.  Here's a few of my photos.

 

Heritage Hall, formerly the home of a Confederate medical doctor, now houses the Morgan County Historical Society.

 

 

First United Methodist.  Love the copper dome!

 

 

Baptist Church.  Built with bricks made by slaves from a local plantation.  I don't even know what to say about that.

 

 

This house is right between the Baptist church and the Presbyterian church.  There's a tunnel beneath the house, leading to the Presbyterian church.  Rumor says it was used by the Underground Railroad. 

 

 

This is a side view of the Presbyterian church.  It has Tiffany stained glass windows.  The picture really doesn't do them justice.

 

The town of Madison was chartered in 1809.  Many of the fine houses were built by plantation owners between 1830 and 1860.

 

General Sherman's men spared the town of Madison because of Joshua Hill, a former U.S. senator who resigned his seat because of his Union sympathies.  General Sherman mentioned their "Gentleman's Agreement" to spare the town in his memoirs.

 

I've never seen so many gorgeous homes (and landscaping!) in such a small area.  I took over 50 photos.  Want to see more?