Wakulla State Park, Florida -

Well Happy New Year everyone. We had a quiet one here in Tallahassee as not a lot going on and the rain started earlier in the day so we just had a quiet night in. It has been quite a week with 3 notable deaths; James Brown, Gerald Ford and Saddam Hussein.

Prior to the rain starting we managed a visit to nearby Wakulla State Park where we did a 40 minute river boat tour. It was great as we saw alligators (see them on the log in the photo), snakes, turtles and a huge array of birdlife all in their natural habitat. This park was where the 1954 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' was filmed along with 'Airport '77' and the early 'Tarzan' movies. A very atmospheric place and well worth a visit.

Tallahassee, Florida (and dogs)-

After leaving Orlando we headed north to Ocala for a night and then 2 nights at Flagler Beach which is near Daytona, famous for its car racing and bike meets. It was with regret that we headed this way instead of south to Miami and the Florida Keys which we had initially planned on but December and especially Christmas/New Year time is the busiest time there and we could not find any accommodation under $200 US per night. We then thought we would stay in Miami and drive to and from the Keys in one day but at about 3-4 hours each way it seemed rather silly. We therefore decided to skip the south of Florida and will instead have to visit another time when it is less popular and prices are not at their peak.

We met up with fellow Wellingtonians the Dawes again in Orlando as they are here for a week vacationing from Washington D.C.

The weather is still great and about 25 degrees so we went and built sandcastles at the beach yesterday and the kids had a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

Today we drove north west to the Florida 'Panhandle' and have two nights in Tallahassee so we shall celebrate New Year here.

En route we stopped at a flea market to see if we could buy another suitcase as our shopping is accumulating but we had no luck. Everything else was there however including puppies for sale which Kennedy rather fancied. Americans love their dogs and as I think I've said earlier there are many shops catering specifically for them, selling clothing, iced doggie biscuits, jewellry etc for them along with the more unusual dog 'prams' designed specifically for pushing your pooch along when his or her legs get too tired (see photo). The clothing in the photo is all for your dog.

We have also seen 'dog washes' where you pull up in your car, unload your dog on to the special bathing platform, put your money in and wash your dog (see photo).

Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida -

Used to be Disneyworld but now known as the Magic Kingdom.

We saved the best for last and this park was where we spent Christmas day. We didn't tell the kids we were going so it was a surprise when we woke them up at 7.00 a.m on Christmas morning. The park was open from 8.00 a.m until midnight and Christmas Day is one of their busiest days of the year. Disneyland in California would fit into the carpark at the Magic Kingdom to give you some idea of the size. You have to get a shuttle from the carpark to the transportation centre where you then choose between the Monorail or ferry to take you to the main entrance. All bags are searched and adults' fingerprints taken for security purposes.

It certainly was crowded but with good systems in place and usual Disney efficiency with such things as the 'Fast Pass' where you get a later time to do a ride and are then put to the front of the queue/line it was bearable and we all enjoyed the day very much. Unfortunately the rain that was forecast finally caught up with us and it was torrential for about 4 hours so we did get soaked. The biggest seller at the park that day was undoubtedly their plastic rain ponchos with Mickey on. We used our umbrellas purchased from the $1 shop earlier and resisted the urge to buy the ponchos at $7 US ($12 NZ) each.

We saw a Christmas parade, Electrical Light parade and a fireworks display as well as doing all the rides we wanted to prior to leaving just before midnight - a very long day. We got to have our photos taken with 'the main man' (Mickey Mouse) and our favourite rides were Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.

It is interesting to us non Americans some of the 'customs'. One thing we saw a lot of was families at the theme parks all wearing lurid coloured matching t-shirts saying 'Smith Family vacation, Disney World 2006' or 'Klein Family Channukah party 2006'. A uniquely American thing I think. Also the amount of people while at the park that wear their Disney clothing from this year or previous (you will see Kennedy and I joined them on this occasion). The other popular item at Christmas is any sort of Christmas clothing. Stores sell Christmas sweaters, waistcoats, t-shirts, nightwear, underwear, socks etc for adults and children with snowmen, santas, bells, candy canes etc etc. I quite like the idea but as this Christmas clothing is usually wooly and warm for the winter here it wouldn't work with our 'reversed' season in New Zealand but I think it's kinda cute and did buy a Christmas nightie with snowmen even though we don't have them where I come from!

This 18 story sphere is at the entrance to Epcot. Within it is a ride that takes you through time from the past to the present. Unfortunately while we were on the ride someone had to be taken off so we were stuck inside here for about 15 minutes longer than we should have!

'France' at Epcot

Beau in 'Japan' at Epcot

Epcot, Orlando, Florida -

This Disney park is huge and very tiring on the legs. Rain was forecast (80% chance) but only started as we left the park at 10.00 p.m.

Half the park is rides but the other is 'World Showcase' which has various countries represented in a mini style land including Japan with its sushi houses, Britain with its pubs, Canada with a 360 degree movie experience, France with a replica Eiffel Tower, Italy with St Marks square and Mexico with a boat ride. Each 'country' is staffed by people from that country and there are shops selling goods and food from that country also. Jonty is seen here about to try drumming in 'Morocco'.

One of our favourite rides of all the theme parks was 'Soarin' where you 'fly' in a hang glider over San Francisco, Utah, snowy mountains and through forests. As you fly you can smell the pine trees and then the orange trees of Florida. We liked this ride so much we did it twice.

Just prior to the park closing we saw a fabulous light and firework show on the lake.

Seaworld, Orlando, Florida -

Along with the usual expected performing dolphins and sealions there are some amazing shows here. We really enjoyed this park as they really seem to care about their animals. There are rides and exhibits and we experienced their Christmas water and lights show. Highlights were the kids getting up close and being able to touch dolphins and stingrays, seeing the magnificent huge and playful polar bears, the penguin and shark exhibts and the 'big' star of the park, Shamu the killer whale performing.

Universal Studios, Orlando, Florida -

We saw a Christmas parade here which included some of the famous Macy's New York parade floats. Along with the rides like 'Jaws', 'Twister' (experience a tornado) and 'Buzz Lightyear' we also took in a 'Shrek 4D movie', makeup and special effects show and Fear Factor based on the TV show of the same name.

Orlando, Florida-

We have had 10 nights here doing the theme parks along with everyone else it seems at this time of year. We had planned on a white Christmas as that would be a novelty for us however the route we have followed meant we were not to be in that sort of climate zone. The weather has been great here at around 25-30 degrees each day so while we missed our snow we have enjoyed being back in shorts and t-shirts. We managed 4 theme parks in the time here with a day off between each. Orlando is very busy and a major tourist destination. There is a large resident Spanish speaking population which we haven't experienced really since Los Angeles. Florida is also very crowded being the third most populated state. The roads are certainly busy and the drivers more maniacal than the rest of the country. The British tourists escaping their cold winter have a large presence here and are easily identified by their pasty white limbs that haven't seen the sun for a long time. They also clad themselves in soccer shirts and/or shorts of their favourite team and many of them have a penchant for tatoos.
The theme parks are expensive at around $60 US ($100 NZ) per person for 1 day so this was our present to the kids for Christmas. Children's tickets are only about $10 less than adults so it makes for an expensive day however they are excellent and better than any others we have been to in the world including the Californian ones. There are over 13 theme parks here including 6 owned by Disney, 2 by Universal and there is also a religious based theme park. There are also countless Mini golf courses, alligator parks and themed dinner shows. The place is like Surfers Paradise (or any other tourist trap city) on steroids.
We chose 4 of the most popular and I will write a little on each to follow.

Chippewa Square, Savannah, Georgia - Used in the movie 'Forrest Gump' starring Tom Hanks.

Note the statue is surrounded by Christmas presesent decorations. They go all out here including decorating their cars in some instances with wreaths on the front grill or tinsel around the car windows. I feel if we decorated to such an extent in New Zealand people would be too tempted to vandalise the outdoor decorations or take the inflatable Santa's and reindeer you see here on people's front lawns. Over here however there is no evidence of that.

The old cotton stores, Savannah, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia -

We have 3 nights here and today some wet stuff came down from the sky though it was still about 16 degrees. We then recalled what it was - rain! (Sorry my Wellington friends but unlike yourselves we aint seen rain for a while now.) It was just light drizzle though and didn't hinder us greatly. Savannah is used for a lot of movie shoots including 'Forrest Gump'. There are lots of delightful little squares in the city and the streets are lined with grand old oak trees which are 'dripping' in Spanish moss/air plants which give a somewhat surreal quality to the cityscape. We walked along the foggy waterfront with its old brick cotton stores now converted to shops and restaurants. The architecture here and in Charleston is very European like and quite unlike anywhere else we have seen in the USA so far.

Breakfasts here are 'heavy' and include the southern biscuits (plain scones) and sausage gravy or 'grits' which is a cereal like semolina or tapioca but can be savoury or sweet. 80% of the time our accommodation includes a buffet breakfast and some places also include a 'supper'. Tonight's 'supper' included spaghetti bolognaise, nachos, potato chips, mini corn dogs, chilli and free beer!

Charleston house decorated for Christmas. Note the Christmas trees (3) inside the house behind each window.

Charleston basket weaver

Charleston architecture

Charleston, South Carolina -

One of the grandest looking towns in America. Streets with cobblestones and brightly painted narrow houses with black wrought iron work and shuttered windows. Wonderfuly grand mansions with wide porches and a slightly Caribbean atmosphere to the place. Street corners have black people displaying their skill for the traditional basket weaving and selling their wares. Horse drawn carriage rides are also on offer.

Tim couldn't resist the offer of another 90 minute timeshare spiel but it netted us $100 US petrol vouchers so not complaining! A beautiful warm sunny day.

The Carolinas -

We have spent the last few days in the two southern states collectively known as 'The Carolinas' ; North Carolina and South Carolina. Both states are quite rural and cotton is a major commodity. We have seen cotton growing for the first time as we have been driving along the quieter side roads. Bits of cotton blow along the roadside and sometimes we have caught the huge machines employed to harvest the crop.

There is a supermarket chain which goes by the delightful name of 'Piggly Wiggly'! North Carolina is where the Wright Brothers launched the first powered flight from the small town of Kill Devil Hills. We saw the beach again and the Atlantic Ocean and the weather has gone from about 2 degrees to 16 today. Y'all come back now ya hear.

We've seen some interesting road signs as we've travelled the freeways. Some that have popped up in the last few weeks I liked were:

• "Watch for agressive drivers" (What should I do if I see one?! Is this area known for them?!)
• "Agressive driver imaging next 2 miles" (Again is this area renowned for aggressive drivers?!)
• "Rotary" (I thought there was lots of Rotary clubs around but then realised it meant 'Round about' which is what we call them in NZ).
• "Do not pick up hitch hikers next 2 miles - prison area"
• "Watch for D.U.I drivers" (that's Drunk Under the Influence for those of you not in the know)
• "No tailgating"

We're well adjusted after nearly 5 months in the US now to driving on the right (and 3 in Europe) and to the slightly different terminology here. We ask for the 'restroom' even though we don't need a rest and when we're finshed a meal we're 'done' rather than finished. We also stand in a 'line' rather than a queue to order our fast food and we 'have here' rather than 'to go'. We 'yield' at road intersections rather than give way. We order an 'entree' rather than a main course and if we want an entree we order an 'appetizer'. On the telephone we hit the 'pound' key rather than the hash key and the letter is 'zee' not zed. If the kids want an ice-block we look in the 'ice-cream novelties' aisle of the supermarket or 'store' not the shop. If you want a chemist then head for the 'drug store' which also sells groceries, gifts and most other things. If you want alcohol then go to the 'liquor store'. Of course if you don't want to get out of your car there is the drive through fast food, drive through restaurants, banks and 'drug stores'.

We headed further south through Pennsylvania to Maryland again and then down the Eastern coast of Maryland until it becomes Virginia. We crossed the amazing engineering marvel the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel which is over 17 miles long (toll $12 US). See picture right - not my photo I'm afraid but only one so far that isn't!

We have just had 3 nights in the historic Virginia town of Williamsburg where the past is alive and well with all the old historic buildings preserved and people dress in the old colonial days costumes. The weather has remained sunny but today was a bit cold at just on zero.

Christmas American style -

I mentioned a few posts ago about how enthusiastic the Americans are about their holidays and Christmas is no exception. Probably about 40% of the houses we see as we drive around the country are decorated extensively. The lights we see on the houses at night are delightful and during the day you can see many houses decorated with a pine wreath at every window and around the doors. Here are some pictures I took today in a little town called Marietta, Pennsylvania. (note the use of real fruit in the decorations).

Intercourse, Pennsylvania -

Yes, I thought that might get your attention! Right in the heart of Amish country is the curiously named town of Intercourse. Nearby there is Virginville, Blue Ball and Bird-In-The-Hand!

Amish Country, Pennsylvania -

Day two and we took a self guided drive through the rural byways near Lancaster to the Amish (pronounced Arm-ish) farming region, an area of about 20x 15 miles. We saw covered bridges, and the Amish people out driving their horse drawn buggys' (see photo left) dressed in their traditional garb of simple clothes that the first Amish settlers from Germany wore in the early 1700's. On a sad note 5 Amish schoolchildren were killed by a gunman in one of their schools in this area on 6 October this year.

It was a fascinating glimpse into another way of life for us all to see. The Amish are mainly farmers and very religious of course. They school their own children but only until 8th grade (about 12 years old) believing that is sufficient enough education. Many do not use electricity and most opt for the horse drawn buggy over a car. The girls and women all wear bonnets and when riding their bicycles they stand astride them on a special platform built on to the bike as to sit upon the seat is not deemed ladylike. The young boys wear straw hats and long black pants with suspenders. You can easily pick out the Amish homes and farms by the long strings of washing out flapping in the breeze hoisted metres above the ground. Americans in general as we have discovered don't possess washing lines, preferring instead to use dryers all year round whatever the weather and whatever the expense unlike us Kiwis.

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania -

We drove south to Pennsylvania where we have had 3 nights exploring the Amish country around Lancaster and York. We visited Hershey's Chocolate World and had a free buggy tour of a fake chocolate factory and then we got our free sample of Hershey's chocolate. Sorry to my American friends but you can't beat New Zealand chocolate (or Swiss if you can afford it). I won't be taking bulk supplies of Hershey chocolate home. The town of Hershey has a Chocolate and Cocoa Avenue aswell as a chocolate theme park and botanical gardens.
Then on to the more serious town of Gettysburg and the 8 square mile National Military Park encompassing most of the area of the famous 3 day battle in the late 1800's where the Americans fought each other and lost 50,000 men, more casualties than in any other battle or war.

Boston -

One of the buildings that caught my eye due to the Christmas decorations around it.

As we are now into December unsure yet of where we will spend Christmas it is delightful to see how enthusiastic the Americans' 'do' Christmas. There are light displays and large Christmas inflatables of snowmen, polar bears and Santas in many front yards as we traverse the country. People are buying their trees chosen from the many places that sell grown to order full spruce trees and wreaths made of live pine are on sale everywhere. There are radio stations which just play Christmas music which I think is great (I'm a real traditionalist and love all that stuff) ;-)

The other picture above is a 'tree' made of fishing lobster pots/cages which I thought was very unique.

After the ship tour we sailed back to the city and explored on foot visiting the main public gardens called Boston Common, the pub that was used in the 1980's TV programme 'Cheers' and then back home. We missed a stabbing in the downtown area by abou 10 minutes but saw all the police and ambulance guys around clearing up.

Boston, Massachusetts -

Then we were off to our most northern USA point on the trip - Boston. The weather was an unseasonal 19c so we were very lucky though it was kind of weird that it gets dark here at 4.15 p.m.

We stayed on the outskirts in the quirky named town of Braintree! We used the 'T' as it is known (the subway) into the city. The Boston 'T' was the first subway system built in the USA. We caught the ferry across the harbour to visit the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It was launched in Boston in 1797. We did a free tour of the ship and the kids enjoyed exploring the depths of its decks and looking at how the sailors used to sleep.

Ok will try this time having checked the blogger support group (what a performance but PC's aren't without their faults are they?!).

Yay it worked!

Provincetown, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Well Blogger seem to be having issues re posting photos so I shall carry on and hope it is resolved soon.

After New York we drove north through Connecticut for a night at Groton, then on via America's Cup town Newport and all its lavish mansions to Hyannis, Massachusetts summer hang out for the Kennedy family. Then to Cape Cod, a protected area of coast famous for its beaches, lighthouses and clapboard houses. The main town on Cape Cod is Provincetown or P-Town as it is known locally. A charming seaside town with cute houses and shops.