On The Road Again - 4th July!
The morning was a bit of a blur of stuffing things back into bags and searching for lost things under beds as we got ready to depart our luxurious hotel in Miami and get back on the road again. We had a substantial drive ahead of us today, our destination: Savannah, Georgia! While it was sad to be leaving the samba beats and tropical heat of the beautiful Miami, we were ready for the next adventure.
Ross had a good stint at helm of our Dodge van (number plate “AFL” so it’s easy to find in the carpark) and then an executive decision was made (this executive excluded from the meeting) that it would be Sam that would tag-team with Ross in the driver’s seat, not yours truly. Can’t say I’m too disappointed really. I was praying for a safe trip and knew God was watching over us. As the kids would say “it’s all good.” They alternated for the whole trip so they could stay alert and awake and we arrived safe and sound (thanks God!)
A road trip through America is always a treat and there’s never a time without something to look at. As we left gator country and headed into – as Sam called it – “the redneck of the woods”, we saw plenty of peach related ads on the side of the road. There was Peach World, peach slushies, peach stalls, peach picking. Millions of peaches, peaches for me… There seems to also be an abundance of P-Nuts and Pecans around these parts but we didn’t manage to stop and taste the produce.
Where we did manage to stop, was Daytona Beach, right next to the famous speedway and it was actually race day so the town was pumping! Along the grass there were gazebos and tents, touting every different brand you could think of, of spark plugs and other car parts and accessories (you can tell I know a lot about cars) and it was just like the Piston Cup from “Cars.” We got ourselves some lunch at one of the typical little shopping centres, dedicated entirely to fast food chains. Everybody had a Subway but I opted for a Dickey’s Smokey Bar-Be-Cue Lil’ Hoagie. Dickey’s boast the fact that they’ve been smokin’ pork for over a hundred years and it did taste pretty damn delicious. When I ordered though, the guy serving me was astounded that I didn’t want to partake in one of their fabulous “home-style sides”, like Bar-be-cue beans, smoky corn on the cob or even the “baker with tanglers” (potato and onions) but I was just dandy with my lil’ hoagie – a soft-bunned, pulled pork, smoky Daytona delicacy, complete with RAW onion!
We had another brief stop at a petrol station a bit closer to Georgia, to refuel both body and car. Petrol was only $1 a litre! There was a distinct change in accents and we were greeted with a “HI THAY-ARR!” He sounded like Foghorn Leghorn! The attendant was a little hot and flustered and Ross had several unsuccessful attempts to try to get the pump working. Any time we went inside to try to speak to him about it, he’d say “I got it, I got it” but there was still no petrol coming out of that barren pump! We partook in some local treats: coconut haystacks and maple nut goodies, which (some of us) thought were delicious. This petrol station was also home to what was arguably the worst public toilet in North America. Our thongs were sticking to the floor as we went in and opening the door, the stench that leapt out at us was enough to turn even the strongest of stomachs! The bowls were so stained brown that we weren’t even sure if they’d started brown and were wearing to white or if they were just so disgusting because they hadn’t been cleaned since Abe Lincoln was President.
The I-95 interstate highway travels close to the coast, running parallel to the turnpike but Flo was hell-bent on sending us back to the turnpike. In the end, we switched her off and relied on Ross and Sam to interpret the map themselves. It’s a mega highway and once we were on it, there was no deviating. It’s built a long way from any houses – different to Australia, where our highways go right through residential areas. There were flat-rooved, stand-alone buildings all along the side of the road that looked like they were mostly built in the ‘70s.
Being the 4th July, we saw loads of patriotic signs and billboards along the way and a huge queue emerging from the Fireworks Super Store! Molly spotted a sign in a shop window advertising Knives and Swords! We saw a “Prayer Clinic” and a huge establishment called “Cheaters – Gentleman’s Club”, a bit sad really. There were plenty of billboards with huge Bible verses printed on them and we saw a big ad for an “Active Adult Community.” You’d think this would be a retirement community of some kind but the couple on the ad looked to be in their 40s (spring chickens)! No kids allowed.
It was a great relief to arrive in Savannah, after about 8 hours in the Dodge, and stretch our legs. Our hotel is in the gorgeous Historic Area and we couldn’t wait to get down by the river and explore. Ross kindly offered to take the hire car back for us, which, conveniently was in the same street as the hotel. Unfortunately that street was like the Hume Highway and he ended up stranded across town, with either a very long walk ahead of him or a one hour wait for a cab (it was 4th July!). Luckily, a bus came to his rescue and he made it back to us with just enough time to head riverside and grab some dinner.
When checking into our hotel, the friendly lady on the desk was running through all the facilities on offer and told be about the fabulous “Barn Lounge”, open each night except Sunday. I listened intently to everything and then asked politely what a Barn Lounge actually was. She cracked up laughing and told me it was the Bar and Lounge. Oh accents, why do you confuse me so?
Savannah was jumping! All the quaint little shops on the cobblestone streets were decked out with American flags and red, white and blue. Everyone was wearing their stars and stripes with pride and the place was buzzing. The weather was incredible – still hot but nowhere near as humid as Miami had been. Along the riverfront was where all the action was taking place. There was a band playing Buddy Holly covers and wall-to-wall people, moving along the shoreline. There were lots of police out and about and we asked a really nice policeman for directions to our restaurant. He was so happy to oblige and Googled it for us on his own phone! Along the river, the street is lined with shops and restaurants and the Charter House, where we were eating, was a beautiful historic three-storey building made of hand-made bricks and timber and pretty French doors and windows facing the river and the bustling street below. Inside it was filled with huge timber beams and exposed bricks. The fireworks were due to start around 9 so just before our dinner arrived, the kids raced downstairs to soak up the atmosphere and get some photos of the fun. There was just such a great vibe going on!
We tried to walk back the way we came but the police had taped up the area as a crime scene! There were about 4 police cars, lights flashing wildly, and all the foot traffic was diverted around the scene! There was also a helicopter flying overhead with a searchlight pointing down at us. I wonder what happened? The footpath was SO crowded and we had to stick together for fear of never being able to find one another again. I must admit, I was a little nervous (so was Toby) as everyone was getting more and more inebriated and wild. We were relieved when all 6 of us arrived back to the safety of our hotel!
