Southern hospitality - Eastern Florida to New Orleans

One country many states

I know it is a cliché but since arriving in the US just over a week ago we have met some really amazing people and heard some incredible stories. Every time we have stepped away from the tourist hot spots we have found people who wanted to tell us a story and hear ours. Since entering Eastern Florida this has been steadily increasing with every gas station, restaurant and hotel. Whether it has been a bit of light banter about the length of the queue (sorry line) or a detailed description of the local attractions and where we can find some veggie food.

An ice-cream shop with a story to tell

After 2 hours exploring Mobile (Mo-beel if you ever want people to know where you are talking about), we stopped for a drink in a great looking ice-cream parlour. While making our shakes the girl behind the counter gave us the low down on life in Mobile, a sleepy Alabama town with loads of history and beautiful buildings. Then a local man comes in and joins the conversation telling us about his childhood feeding the squirrels in the park peanuts from the peanut shop (still there). He went on to tell us about his days in college, his four children and work with local charities before asking about what we do and our journey.

It is true that you can find a chain shop on most corners (but often not McDonalds or Starbucks) but the people you meet inside are always different.

Life seems just a bit slower in the South

Electric light parade

Last night Mobile greeted our arrival in Alabama with an incredible electrical storm. The storm went on so long I actually managed to snap a few images.

Mermagic: A travel surprise

Fact you may not know: Aimee loves Mermaids

One of the earliest things Aimee said that she wanted to do when we started to plan our US road trip was visit the Mermaids at Weeki Wachee. Like a dutiful husband I checked this out, found that it was feasible to fit it into our route (as we were already going to be in Florida for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter) and put it on the list. This is how we have decided most of the trip mixing things that we both want to do with things that are more specifically related to one of our interests. The Mermaids was definitely in the Aimee interests category, I was expecting tacky English sea-side-resort, silliness.

Weeki Wachee Mermaid doing her thing

I was very wrong! I would highly recommend that anyone in Florida checks out Weeki Wachee.

The skill and control demonstrated by the artists doing the Mermaid routines was amazing and well worth the journey. The 15-30 minutes shows are performed by 5-6 performers dressed in a variety of costumes in a natural spring, the audience sit in a purpose built underwater theatre that looks out into the spring. The act see the performers do a series of choreographed routines whilst taking sips of air from a special hose. The act is very entertaining but for me I was more impressed by the athletic and technical feats that were being performed:

• Prolonged diving without a mask
• Breath control for extended periods of time - up to 2 minutes 40 seconds
• Very precise buoyancy control - using only the bodies natural buoyancy (no air filled jacket)
• Miming in time to song lyrics whilst underwater
• Diving down to 117 feet against a strong current
• Eating and drinking whilst underwater
• Smiling whilst doing all of the above

I said there was a range of costumes!

Matt also loves Mermaids

That is Matt suitably impressed, this is one of those great travel experiences when something comes and really takes you by surprise and the reason I love to travel, sometimes it is something small like a conversation on a train sometimes it is something spectacular like a group of Mermaids.

Take it easy.

On the highway

Today we pickup our rental car to start the drive to LA.

Before 0920 this morning I had only ever driven in the UK, on the left, in a small hatchback and the most high tech car gizmo I had ever seen was an electric window.

Key in hand I step out on to the Hertz parking lot and find myself face to face with a Transformer (literally as the car is featured in the latest movie).

Me pretending to be a man with the man car

The Chevrollete Cruze is huge, compared to our car back home it is like an ocean liner. I sat down in the drivers seat and felt like I was about to fly the Millennium Falcon. I found the steering wheel and the hole for the key but didn't recognise and of the other buttons. After a few minutes of rifling through the instruction manual it turns out you don't need any of them (although the air con is useful).

Next up safely navigating this right hand driving situation. After a couple of laps of the parking lot, not deliberate I kept missing the exit, it was out on to International drive. This was admittedly a seat of the pants moment as it was now 0945 and there was plenty of traffic to keep me on my toes, a kindly bus driver took pity on us and helped us pull out in the end.

We are safe in Weeki Wachee about 2 hours from Orlando, we navigated highways, turn pikes and road works and arrive without too many new wrinkles on my brow. It was actually great fun and I can't wait for the roads ahead, another one of those travel experiences that shows that getting thrown in at the deep end can sometimes be the best way of learning to swim. We have a long drive tomorrow but we will be keeping our eyes peeled and we will see if I am still enjoying it or if the novelty has worn off after a few hundred miles.

The Big Apple to The House of the Mouse

Just a quick update while the rain is hammering it down as we sit by the pool in the baking heat, iced tea in hand :)

View from the Empire State Building, Matt is blocking some of it!!

A familiar face found in Toys R Us! Anybody recognise him??

Ok, not that I feel I need to justify the amount of time I spent in the shiny toy shops of NY but can I just let you know that I did soak up a lot of culture also, you just weren't allowed to take photographs in the art galleries, honest!!

Bellatrix lunch box, what more could a girl ask for? (Hannah- on the back was a picture of Snape performing THE SPELL on Dumbledore- obviously this was too graphic to print here.)

One of the 100's of photographs I took of the Brooklyn Bridge.

On Friday we caught the Amtrack train from NY to Orlando, it was an incredible journey, we had a cool sleeper room which meant that we had a room to ourselves with a sink and toilet (I was a little too excited by this) and beds. We met some interesting people on the train and everybody was lovely which was great as the time just flew and before we knew it we had arrived in the 'Sunshine State'. We all know what that means..... The Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!

Hogsmead, a little hotter than I had imagined.

Enjoying a Butterbeer outside Hogwarts, as you do.

Dinner at The Three Broomsticks.

Unfortunately (or fortunately for some of you!) I forgot to charge my camera so that is all the pictures I have for now. Needless to say Harry Potter land did not disappoint (even if one of the rides did experience a 'technical error' while we were on it, suspended in the air). Tomorrow we pick up our car and head south to Weeki Wachee Springs, here is a link to one of the places we will hopefully be visiting.... http://www.weekiwachee.com/

x x x x

Have a good day y'all

Our first two days in NYC....

TAXI!

Our first glance at Lady Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry.

Matt enjoying a bit of Ne0-Renaisssance architecture. I on the other hand am behind the camera enjoying the shade watching a pigeon trying to pick up a pretzel.

This sign should say 'The world's largest let down!' Inside it was just like Rackhams!

That is A LOT of money!

Trying to fit the Empire State Building into a picture: FAIL!!

This is Grand Central Station's 'Whispering Wall' as seen in the classic film remake 'Arthur'. By standing in opposite corners of the arch way, facing the corner and whispering into the wall like a crazy person, the person on the other side can hear your voice as a shout as if you are right next to them! Matt says this is because the line of sound emanating from one corner reflects directly to the dish at the other end of the arch to the other person, but I am pretty sure it is magic.

Madison Avenue like in Splash!

New York public Library- like in 'Ghostbusters' and 'The Day after Tomorrow'- alas there was no Freezing Jake Gyllenhaal or angry Librarian Ghosts.

Am I the only one that giggles at Trump Tower??

View from our subway stop.

Right I am now off to eat my body weight in Doughnuts for breakfast. Have a nice day Y'all xx

Congratulations Heathrow

It probably won't go as a surprise that yesterday was a tad eventful.

Heathrow has really cleaned up its act since the last time I was there and from what we saw yesterday is a a great gateway to the UK for those coming in for the Olympics. There were plenty of different (still overpriced) food and drink options and shopping areas and the signs directing you around the airport are clear. Well done Heathrow.

Aimee demonstrates Heathrow's new useful maps

I was slightly disappointed to discover in my plane geek ways that we were not on the 747 that we were expecting (ours was stuck in Newark) but this led to a nice discovery. The Airbus A360 that they put us on instead had loads of leg room at the back of the plane! I'm not giving away the secret of exactly which seats because everyone will be after them but imagine the leg room of premium but in economy. Good times.

Where is my 747?

Even better than the leg room was the view for almost the entire flight. There was clear sky over London for take off, amazing cloud formations soon after then clear view over most of Canada and the northern US. I hardly used the in flight entertainment as my face was glued to the window and every time I got up to stretch my legs Aimee stole my seat.

Some English farmland

A random bit of Canadian coast

Upstate New York I think

JFK airport was the mini city that you might expect it to be but it was easy to navigate and the staff were all friendly (I only got told off once trying to photograph the new JetBlue building). We had a minor tense moment when we realised that the LIRR rail system that we had intended to get to Manhattan was shut due to the weather further upstate. 5 minutes of sign reading and we were back on track going in that same direction at half the cost and arriving 12 blocks closer to our hotel.

Aimee's first view of Manhattan

Aimee's face as we emerged from the subway onto Broadway was worth the cost of the flight alone, all she could say was "There so big, it's so big".

The evening turned into a bit of a blur after we found the hotel, we wander through Central Park until it got dark then grabbed greasy New York Pizza slices in a tiny shop. The next thing we knew we had accidentally wondered into the crowds in Times Square without realising how far we had walked.

New York is as big, bright and fascinating as I remember but cleaner and quieter! 

I will leave you with a parting message courtesy of an advert for a removal company on the Subway.

"The rapture has be postponed until October so stop procrastinating".