Day Thirteen

Got up fairly late. Did yesterday's blog as stupid internet was now working.  Headed on into Waitsfield for a late breakfast. Ate at the Big Picture Cafe.

http://www.bigpicturetheater.info/

Drove few miles north to Watersbury to see the famous Vermont landmark which is the Ben and Jerry's factory.  Paid $4 for the factory tour. Chatted to the guide before it started about how UK flavours are different from USA ones. Also how the UK has embraced the ice cream in cinemas whereas the US only want popcorn when watching a film.

Flavours

Went on tour. Not really what you could call a tour. Watched a film for a few minutes. Looked through a window at the machines. Ate some free ice cream. More of a film/look/eat than a tour. Bought stuff from shop. Went to look at the graveyard of old flavours.

Feel the chill

RIP

Ate ice cream.

Drove back to Waitsfield to do our laundry. Went to Launderette, put stuff in wash and went away to look at other shops. Ann went in a book shop. She got asked if she needed any help. She said she was looking for James Fenimore Cooper. Assistant asked her if that was the name of a book. Now bearing in mind he lived where we were yesterday, his dad being the Cooper in Cooperstown, which is only about 100 miles away and he wrote Last of the Mohicans, you would imagine someone if a bookshop round here would know he's an author.

Went back to launderette, put stuff in dryer. Sat in the car waiting. Would have gone away but as we walked out a hobo started hanging around the place and we thought he might nick our clothes, so we stayed put.

We kept a beady eye on him until our stuff was ready then we went back to the B and B to dump everything. Thunderstorm started. This one was very close and very loud. Skyped Paul to show him.

Went out for dinner at 6.30pm back to the Big Picture Cafe. Waitress tried to steal my credit card. Then we went into its cinema to watch The Dark Knight Rises. Ann asked me what I thought of the film as we left. My answer was 'Meeehhh'. She concurred.

States visited - 10

Day Twelve

The halfway point of the trip.

Went to the adjoining restaurant for breakfast. Had to give them vouchers to show we were guests of the hotel so we could get our complimentary food. Was burnt.

Packed up and headed into the local town to find a chemist as we needed to get some medicine for Ann as she has developed a bad cough. Whilst there she took pictures of the baseball mania.

Star spangled batter

Made our way further north mostly on smaller roads. Saw lots of interesting things. Saw some Amish people in horse drawn buggies.

Went very close by to Lake George, which will for some of you bring back memories of 14 years ago.

Crossed the border into Vermont. Had lunch at a place called Middlebury.

Ann got very excited when we saw this.

The first covered bridge we have seen in Vermont.


Arrived at the Inn at the Round Barn in Waitsfield.

http://www.theroundbarn.com

Unloaded. Got told that they leave the front door unlocked as nobody is worried about people stealing stuff. Think that is because there is no-one around.

Relaxed for a while before heading out for dinner at Ake's Den.

When we got back we headed to the small games room here for a few games of pool.

Went back to room to do blog. Internet that was working perfectly earlier had now stopped working. Got very annoyed. Went to bed.

Day Eleven

Had a great night's sleep. Must be the quietest hotel ever.

Packed up and got on the road. Saw a place named after cow tunes.

Udderly Fabulous

We stopped briefly for fuel and supplies but just tried to get the miles done. Crossed over into New York state. Ann got very excited when we saw this.

Greyhound

Now racked up 2000 miles on the road. Arrived in Cooperstown, New York. Checked in to the the Lake Front Hotel.

http://www.lakefrontmotelandrestaurant.com/

Went for a walk around the town and ate a late lunch at the Doubleday Cafe. Watched some Jubilympics whilst we ate.

Thought about going in the National Baseball Museum but thought it probably would be pointless as we wouldn't know anybody or anything in it. Every single shop seems to be about baseball. Couldn't work out why. There were men walking about in full baseball gear. Thought that was strange. Googled it later and found out that baseball was apparently invented here hence the museum. Apparently it also isn't true but it is too late now.

Next we headed to the lake in order to go on a cruise. You get one free ticket as part of the accommodation so we bought a second and got on the boat. For a short time there was a bit of commentary about the history of the place and then it shut up and let us enjoy the the trip. Did you know Cooperstown was named after someone called Cooper?

Leaving the Dock

We came to the conclusion it looked a lot like a loch in Scotland. Got annoyed by children on board, especially by one woman who said to her son 'See the Captain told you off for running'. Now normally that wouldn't be something to moan about but seeing as the safety announcement said at the start no running, when the kid started running about you would have thought the mother would have stopped the kid instead of doing bugger all. Thought about tripping him up or throwing him overboard.

Lake Otsego

Got back to land. Sat in room for a while before heading out into town. Saw a brass band playing in a park. Bought some ice cream and headed back.

Now watching a film called Rudy. Isn't too bad. Saw an advert for this.

https://www.xhose.com/

Looks awesome. Ann thinks it looks creepy.

States visited - 9

Day Ten

Didn't sleep much. Wasn't helped by a television being on very loud at 5am somewhere in the hotel and staying on until 7.30am.

Left hotel and drove 20 miles north east. Arrived at a meadow.

It really is in the middle of nowhere. Just a field which will now remain infamous for the rest of time. Total respect to those on board United 93 who showed true courage and selflessness in order to prevent hundreds more deaths. It is a very fitting tribute, beautifully designed and we were glad we made the effort to get there in order to pay our respects.

Next we started to head east. We stopped for lunch in a small diner called The Little Dipper in Chambersburg. Another great meal and even cheaper than last night.

We carried on our journey and eventually reached Gettysburg, the site of the most famous battle in the American Civil War. I wasn't really sure what to expect. I had no idea how big the site was or how you would get to see it. We went into the visitor centre to weigh up the options. You could get a coach tour, have a guide travel with you or just guide yourself around. We decided to buy an audio guide which was a third of the price of the other choices.

Met someone famous.

Abe the Babe

Went back to the car and put the cd in. It told us what to do and we followed.

It took you on a chronological tour, starting with what happened on day one through to day three. It guided you around the various battlefields and mapped out the movements of the troops.

Climbed up a tall tower to get a better look.

High Tower

It lasted over two hours and was fascinating. Now realise how the car in the Dukes of Hazzard was a history lesson. General Lee being the defeated commander.

Devil's Den

Having finished the tour of the battlefields, you end up in the Soldiers' National Cemetery. Went and saw the monument that now stands where one of the most famous speeches of all time took place, the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln. Only 272 words long but is considered a masterpiece.

Having been thoroughly impressed with the tour we headed towards our hotel for the night in Pine Grove. Listened to more radio. Heard a song called 'Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off'.

Thoroughly tired now. Tomorrow is a slightly less busy day.

States visited - 8

Day Nine

Got up, had breakfast, watched first few games of Murray v Federer. Then had to leave. Tried to find it on the radio to no avail.

Headed back a few miles to the entrance of Shenandoah National Park.

Fans of Top Gear may remember this episode.

Top Gear

In it, they start a road trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a very long road in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It is meant to be one of the best driving roads in the world, but they get very bored as they can only go 35mph in their sports cars.

Well in Shenandoah NP is the Skyline Drive, a road which is set in the last section of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It follows the crest of the mountains for 105 miles, all at 35mph. Now the speed for us is not an issue as we aren't test driving cars, but we are looking forward to what should be some great scenery. We pay our $15 park entrance fee and set off on our merry way entering at the very southern point of the park.

We stop at the first couple of viewpoints but soon realise that we can't stop at them all otherwise we will never reach the other end. As we drive it starts to become apparent that it actually isn't a good driving road at all. There are trees pretty much along both sides of the road for miles at a time so you can't see any further than the first tree. Occasionally there is an overlook where you can stop, but most overlook the same view, just from a slightly different angle. And doing only 35mph means you just see slow moving trees.

A View of Trees

We carried on driving as we had little choice but to keep going as there are only two points along the 105 miles where you can exit. We made the decision that we would exit on the second one. It is still roughly 75 miles from where we had entered the park, so we tried to push on as best we could mindful of the speed limit and the rangers and radar monitoring it. We did briefly touch 60mph at one very boring part. We decided to stop at one point to use the facilities and look in the normal tacky kind of shop. Ann got some Red Velvet Cake Fudge. We also saw this.

What is it? No idea!!

Saw some American Civil War information about somebody who did something.

Info

Eventually we managed to leave, having spent three hours in the park. Got onto a quicker road. Stopped in Front Royal to get lunch. Decided to do something different and went into a supermarket. Mooched about for a while and then got some stuff to make a packed lunch. Set off to find somewhere to eat it. Ended up near a cemetry. Was quite quiet except for all the coffin. Boom Boom.

Carried on north, out of Virginia, briefly into West Virginia and then Maryland. Ann tuned the radio into some bluegrass music. We sang any old lyrics in a drawl with an occasional yodel thrown in. Was hilarious. Then suddenly we had a moment of joy as we realised we were approaching a place where we had been two years ago. Sure enough there it was, Hancock. The place we had eaten lunch on our first driving day last time when we went from Washington to Niagara. High fived as we drove past. Soon entered Pennsylvania.

Carried on upwards until we reached our destination, Somerset. Checked in to the hotel. Found out Murray had won gold. Watched some TV before going out to dinner. Walked down the road to a diner a few hundred yards away. Ate the best meal of our trip so far. Was awesome and probably the cheapest we have had too. Whilst sat eating we saw five coaches going past carrying a marching band of some sort. Then two HGVs went by carrying their stuff. Boy, they must be a big band. The waitresses got a bit worried as they thought the coaches were turning into the carpark. We then decided to have dessert. Enquired what the burnt sugar pie was. Waitress tried to describe it being some sort of cake and then said I'll show you. She bought over the cake. We looked and said ok, we'll have a slice to share. To our amazement, she took the clingfilm off and gave us the entire cake. It turned out to be just one portion.

Photo doesn't do it justice.

 We start eating, but having stuffed ourselves already it proves tricky. Ann gave up after a few mouthfuls. She tried to claim she had at least a third of it, but she is lying. Ann suggests that we take it away. I say don't talk such nonsense. Attack it with vigour. Eventually, some hours later, emerge victorious.

Man v Cake: Man won!

 Very impressed with myself and the diner. It is called the Summit Diner. Feel like I have climbed a mountain and need oxygen.

Summit Diner

Roll back to hotel.

Have noticed this plate in the car park.

He lives again and drives a Kia

Ann is back to her old ways of falling asleep. I may try to do some sort of exercise in the morning to offset the cake.

States visited - Eight

Day Eight

If you ever had the inclination to read our blog from two years ago you may remember that I was not a fan of American Bed and Breakfasts. It seemed that in all of them the breakfast part was very different to good old Blighty.  It was at a set time, you had to sit with the other guests and you got absolutely no say in what food arrived in front of you. Needless to say when we were planning this trip, I made one and only one request - that we didn't stay anywhere which was a B and B.

When we arrived at the Granville (G..G..G..G...Granville, f..f..f..f..fetch yer cloth) Queen Inn yesterday I became very suspicious. It was a house not a hotel. They did say breakfast was anytime between 7.30 and 9am which was a good start, but something didn't feel right.

So this morning when we went down for breakfast we got to choose where to sit. Another promising sign, but suspicions were still there.  Then suddenly bang there it was. No asking what would you like. Just stuff put in front of you. Sat there and stared at the stuff I didn't want.  The woman came back ten minutes later and asked why I hadn't started eating. Told her I didn't want any of it. Ann gave me evils. Woman said 'Oh'. Eventually she brought something I wanted. Ate it.

Checked out. Credit card still worked. Then as we were about to pull out of the driveway, a sudden procession came the other way.

Must be Tractorfest 2012

Then it became Horseandcartfest 2012

Our journey today was alot like yesterday, a fair bit of it was on smaller roads, so more entertainment. First off, noticed if yesterday was Forrest Gump Friday, today was Strimmer Saturday.

Next we saw Sharon Baptistchurch's husband, Warwick Baptistchurch, and their daughter, Eureka Baptistchurch.

Also had a tour of England as we went through Suffolk, Norfolk, Windsor, Sunbury, Keswick and the Isle of Wight. We saw a Uhaul van nearly flipover having clipped the side of the road, it looked odds on like it was going over.

We stopped for lunch in Charlottesville. Looked around at different places. Eventually ate at a Quiznos Sub Store. It was very nice.

Cracked on with the last part of our journey.

Had a sudden thought. Whatever happened to Karl Howman from Brush Strokes?

Arrived in Staunton, Virginia. Couldn't find the hotel. It wasn't where there satnav said. Looked around a bit, eventually found it.

Checked in. Watched some Jubilympics. Saw Mo Farrah win gold. Saw football be crap. Skyped.

Went out for dinner. Went to Kathy's.

http://www.kathys-restaurant.com/

Had pancakes. They were yum. Ann had what was meant to be eggs and ham with other stuff. Turned out to be half a pig. It beat her in the end. Worked out why everyone in there was about thirty stone.

Diner

Went for a drive to see downtown Staunton. Saw it, then got lost. Luckily had satnav with us, so it rescued us.

Got back to find Last of the Summer Wine on TV.  Ay up, Nora.

Looking forward to tomorrow's drive. Should be spectacular.

State visited - Five

Day Seven

Got up. Watched a bit of Olympic tennis. Had waffles for breakfast. The first hotel so far to have a waffle iron. Result.

Packed up and headed north. There was no direct route via Interstates so we spent most of the day on smaller roads. Although this made the journey slightly slower it meant there was a lot more to see on the road. It was much more entertaining.

First up we came up with a name for a character in a play when we passed the hilariously named Sharon Baptistchurch.

On that note we also saw this if ever you need a miracle.

Lord above!

Also noticed it must be Forrest Gump Friday as everybody we saw was out on their ride on mower cutting the grass. I am talking everybody, not one or two, but everybody.

Had an amazing experience when we had to drive around a roundabout. What the hell?!

Saw a Pepsi bottling plant. They are obviously using new techniques these days.

No caption needed

Stopped for lunch at a Subway. Got our order, went to pay. Credit card declined. What the ...? She tried again. Still declined.

Spent the next part of the journey wondering why it would be declined. Hatched plan to check if it was really or if the Subway was just rubbish. Got to Edenton, North Carolina. Arrived at the Granville Queen Inn. Checked in. As we hadn't paid for the room yet we asked them to try the card as payment to see if it worked. It didn't.

http://www.granvillequeen.com/




Dumped our stuff and headed out to McDonalds to use the free internet as the B and B appeared not to have any. Skyped mum and she went and checked our phone messages. Was one from card company asking us to call them. She gave us the number. We called. They unfroze the card. Sorted.

Went out for a wander around downtown Edenton.

The riverfront at Edenton

Another storm approached. They seem to follow us. This one never really developed.

Had dinner in a place called 309 Bistro. Was nice. Ann said it was the best crab cake she had ever had. Credit card worked.

Made our way back to room. Found there is internet access but is very weak. At least I may be able to get this uploaded. Ann inevitably has found Independance Day on TV.  'Welcome to Earth'

Tomorrow we head inland.

States visited - Four