I wont be posting anything for today. I have come down with a heavy head cold so I am feeling as though my head is going to explode. Those razor blades that I must have swallowed are doing nothing for my throat either.
In short, we drove from Knoxville to Chattanooga today. It is a very large city that fits in with the rest of Tennessee. There is quite a lot of history here though. Its a pity I am not feeling a little better to enjoy it.
Hopefully I will feel better for the trip to Nashville tomorrow.
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Saturday, 15 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 12 - And we thought we had bad drivers.
We managed to survive the night without being woken by rattling chains and ghostly calls. The Hotel Roanoke is truly a place frozen in time. It was an amazing find and the shivers that it gave me just added to the experience. We had our breakfast in the most ornate of restaurants. It was truly beautiful adding to our memorable stay.
We were on the road again after breakfast heading further south to try to avoid more snow storms. But alas....we had not been driving more than a couple of minutes when it started snowing. Again. FML. I am a nervous passenger under the best of conditions. Driving through another snow storm (ok...not quite a snow storm.....but close enough in my books) absolutely terrified me. The wind buffeted the car around and the snow swirled into the windscreen. Interestingly, when it is snowing, you don't need to use the windscreen wipers.
The fact that drivers around us overtook at amazing speeds and threw their vehicles around like matchbox cars did nothing for my nerve levels. However......nothing will side track me from my woes as much as a good accident will. Not surprisingly, there were plenty.
Our first taste of this was a small white sedan which had somehow jammed itself sideways across a snow covered median strip. It would have slid across the road and landed there I guess.
We were on the road again after breakfast heading further south to try to avoid more snow storms. But alas....we had not been driving more than a couple of minutes when it started snowing. Again. FML. I am a nervous passenger under the best of conditions. Driving through another snow storm (ok...not quite a snow storm.....but close enough in my books) absolutely terrified me. The wind buffeted the car around and the snow swirled into the windscreen. Interestingly, when it is snowing, you don't need to use the windscreen wipers.
The fact that drivers around us overtook at amazing speeds and threw their vehicles around like matchbox cars did nothing for my nerve levels. However......nothing will side track me from my woes as much as a good accident will. Not surprisingly, there were plenty.
Our first taste of this was a small white sedan which had somehow jammed itself sideways across a snow covered median strip. It would have slid across the road and landed there I guess.
A little bit further down the road, there was a large semi-trailer that had rolled. I was too caught up in sticky beaking to remember that I had the camera and did not get evidence of such! A little bit further down the road though, there was another on its side and I had the camera ready.
I couldn't believe this! The roads are dangerous, and the loonie drivers are plentiful but I never expected that I would see this many accidents in a row! And.....you guessed it! A little bit further on, there was yet another accident. Another large semi on its side.
Fortunately there were no more accidents that we saw between Roanoke and Knoxville. We did see a dead skunk though which was a first. Fond childhood memories of Pepe Le Pew had me choke back a tear. Ok.....that might have been a crumb from the over stale chicken torpedo that I had for lunch......but the thought was there.
I am sick of snow. So damned sick of snow. I hate snow. Snow, snow and more snow. And....as though just to piss me off further....I have found that I cannot photograph a snow flake. Lord knows I have tried. I will photograph anything that moves. There is 2000000000000000000000 billion trillion snow flakes on the car right now, and I cannot photograph one of them individually. The snow is trying to have the last laugh.
I am sick of snow. So damned sick of snow. I hate snow. Snow, snow and more snow. And....as though just to piss me off further....I have found that I cannot photograph a snow flake. Lord knows I have tried. I will photograph anything that moves. There is 2000000000000000000000 billion trillion snow flakes on the car right now, and I cannot photograph one of them individually. The snow is trying to have the last laugh.
Snow ploughs are everywhere. I highly doubt that Australia would be that prepared if they were needed. I turn my attention to the signs off the road to try to cope with my nervousness. We pass a store somewhere in the middle of whoop-whoop which carried the sign "Jesus is Lord. We buy guns". Hmmmmmkaaaayyyy. If it wasn't so dangerous to do so, I would have got the Bear to stop and turn around so that I could grab a photo. A little bit further down the track....a road sign said...."First Exit - Winery. Next Exit - Weddings". This appeared to be a very serious sign. Hmmmkay again.
We are driving along just willing the white scenery to pass quickly and we are playing music from the Bears phone through the car. Radio Stations in these parts have two types of music. Country AND Western. Given that this most definitely doesn't float our boats, we plugged in his phone. Now the Bear and I have very similar music tastes a lot of the time, however we both have a streak in us that absolutely loathes the music of the other. I was happy to take the risk with his music as Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton just don't do it for me. Well that was until "Macho Man" came on. I took a side ways glance at the Bear to which he exclaimed "I didn't put that there!". Yep sure Bear.....sure.....
Crossing the Virginia/Tennessee State Line showed me that one thing is for certain. My first impression of Tennessee back in 2012 was not exaggerated. I still did not like what I saw. I know it is winter and everything is brown (with the exception of the snow) but this has BORING stamped on it in a major way. As we drove further the snow began to thin and I was thinking that the state did have its upsides. I noted with interest that that the contents of the yards had changed from one state to the next. Unlike the sprawling ranches in Virginia which kept large herds of very healthy cattle and horses, the yards in Tennessee kept a minimum of 6 car wrecks, a few rusted tractors, someone's broken fence, a donkey and two chooks. The more affluent of residences also bore a collapsing henhouse.
We pulled into Knoxville early afternoon and had a little bit of a laydown before heading out to dinner. I was so thrilled with the Golden Corral yesterday that I wanted to go again! There is a Golden Corral Restaurant in Knoxville Tennessee so that was settled.
Well tie up your mothers people. This was an experience. Do you remember how I said yesterday that the Roanoke Golden Corral was like being on the set of the Duck Dynasty and the Jerry Springer Show? Well dagnammit.....I have no words for this one.
I was facing the food bar which was possibly mistake number one. I witnessed some old coot drop a calamari ring which rolled under one of the bay maries. He stuck his foot under it to drag out the food morsel. I mentally congratulated him for picking up dropped food and disposing of rubbish.......until he put it in his mouth. It was at that time I noticed the soiling on the back of his track suit pants. I swear I had a little bit of vomit rise. As I tried to ignore that, everything else around me was magnified. Firstly it was a man (Shrek?) that was sitting across from the Bear (who was opposite me) who kept dropping his teeth. At one point he actually took out his dentures to pull something off of them. Like....come one dude! Second it was a bloke, for want of a better word, that kept getting up and down and running (?????) to the bay maries looking as though he had a ten cent piece stuck firmly between the cheeks of his very ample butt. I lost count of how many pieces of cutlery (lovingly known as silver ware over here) up his sleeve. I didn't want to turn around in case he used one of the pieces to poke out my eye. Thirdly there was a little girl, probably about 8 or 9 years old that was dipping her stick of fairy floss into the large dish of liquid orange cheese that was on the food counter. Her parents thought it was majorly funny although in support of them, I believe they may have been inbred so wouldn't have known better. There was more dribbling in this restaurant than done on a basketball court. I think it was the lack of teeth that had people failing to keep their salivations to themselves. I got to the point where I could not eat and could not find a place to look where I wasn't going to be sick. And I mean....I would have projectile vomited.
We left rather quickly although it took a few hours for my tummy to settle. The Bear and I are definitely coming down with something, so that would not have helped. Hopefully a good night sleep will have us feeling better. We move onto Chattanooga tomorrow! I have my fingers (and toes, legs, nostril hairs) crossed that there are less slack jawed yokels there!
Friday, 14 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 11 - Take Me Home Country Roads
Ok...well maybe not home. Its just hard to drive amid these parts without thinking of the song.
The snow ploughs were out early in Washington. That along with the sun being out ensured our escape from our hotel prison by 9am.
Rather than driving to Pittsburgh we drove in a southerly direction. Pittsburgh is north west of Washington and the weather is predicted to deteriorate further. 36 hours stuck in our hotel was enough for us. We didn't want to risk being caught anywhere else. We figure if he head south we will be coming into slightly warmer weather where the temperature will be above zero and would be less likely to have us caught. The storms across the USA have brought record breaking snow and quite frankly I could go for the rest of my life as well as the next one without seeing a single white snowflake. I am learning to hate it.
It was roughly a 4 hour drive to Roanoke, Virginia. There was very, very thick snow the whole way although it didn't really affect us on the Interstate. The snow ploughs are out in their thousands clearing the major arterials. Unfortunately people in the suburbs are stuck because the snow ploughs have to keep the major Interstates clear and cannot get to the suburban areas for several days. Some people have their own portable ploughs, or in most cases, their own snow shovels. It is back breaking work though. Clearing their footpaths or driveways, or more importantly digging their cars out, is horrendous. In fact the news reported yesterday that in the Washington area alone, there had been 3 deaths where people aged 47-55 had suffered fatal heart attacks whilst shovelling snow.
Driving through Virginia was pretty despite the state being blanketed in snow. I still find it amazing at how each state can come with its own personality and culture. I think that if the state wasn't blanketed in snow, it would be farming country. There were a lot of cows and horses, as well as big and beautiful properties. There would be money here I would say.
I felt an enormous privilege to be in the presence of what John Denver sang about. I am always overwhelmed to be anywhere that has supplied the inspiration for song lyrics. I can see how the Blue Ridge Mountains got their name. They indeed were a blue ridge which ran for miles and miles throughout Virginia. They have a very distinctive thick blue line which appears to run across the top of them the whole way and I am darned if I can figure out what does that. The Shenandoah River was pretty much just a river though. Not large and partially frozen. I am sure it expands in areas away from the Interstate but I can only go on what I saw.
Roanoke is also blanketed in snow but unlike the major cities, had not been ploughed that well. The main highway has most lanes cleared, with the exception of the far left hand lane (usually the turning lanes or slow vehicle lanes) so merging became interesting. In the city centre the streets are extremely narrowed however due to the show. Obviously a narrow plough had gone through just pushing the snow drifts slightly off to the side making it somewhat hazardous. Traffic heading in both directions where forced into the middle of the road so there was a lot of patience required.
Our hotel in Roanoke (The Hotel Roanoke) is known as the "Grand Old Lady on the Hill". It has stood since the late 1800's which if course meant to me that it has to be haunted. The hotel resembled a German Chalet which was extraordinarily quaint and just a little bit spooky. The rooms remind me of what an attic would look like - small, cozy....and haunted. I made a mental note NOT to research the hotel until after we left.
Tonight I finally got to eat at a "Golden Corral". The Bear has wanted to take me to one since our first trip to the United States but the opportunity just hasn't been there before. Well what a place! I will be honest and say that I felt like I was in a restaurant that was filled with people from both the Duck Dynasty and the Jerry Springer Show, but that was ok! I could be my extremely bogan self!
Now this is a place we could do with back in Oz. It would send Sizzler out of business in a heartbeat. It was a buffet of the heartiest kind with all sorts of simple meat dishes such as pot roast, rissoles and fried chicken. It had all sorts of vegetables including mashed potato (which I just LOVE!) and all sorts of pasta, Mexican dishes, and steak. It also had a completely cold salad bar filled with cold cuts, salads and "yeast rolls". But best of all, it had a desert bar AND bakery, as well as a fairy floss machine. The desert bar had a milk chocolate fountain and a white chocolate fountain with fruits and marshmallows to dip into it. There was a variety of cakes and truffles, slices and jellies....a soft service ice-cream machine as well as 8 sorts of main ice-cream. There were toppings that included choc chips and gummy bears. Most importantly it had my favourite ice-cream that I absolutely LOVE to have whilst in the US - a sherbet ice-cream. We do not have this at home. The most amazing thing of all, is the price. Its about $10 an adult which just absolutely does my head in. How the hell does Sizzler get off charging what they do?
More snow is predicted tonight although it wont be as heavy as if we travelled to Pittsburgh. We are going to move further south to Knoxville tomorrow, providing the ghosts that undoubtedly roam the hallways of The Hotel Roanoke don't eat me alive!
The snow ploughs were out early in Washington. That along with the sun being out ensured our escape from our hotel prison by 9am.
Rather than driving to Pittsburgh we drove in a southerly direction. Pittsburgh is north west of Washington and the weather is predicted to deteriorate further. 36 hours stuck in our hotel was enough for us. We didn't want to risk being caught anywhere else. We figure if he head south we will be coming into slightly warmer weather where the temperature will be above zero and would be less likely to have us caught. The storms across the USA have brought record breaking snow and quite frankly I could go for the rest of my life as well as the next one without seeing a single white snowflake. I am learning to hate it.
It was roughly a 4 hour drive to Roanoke, Virginia. There was very, very thick snow the whole way although it didn't really affect us on the Interstate. The snow ploughs are out in their thousands clearing the major arterials. Unfortunately people in the suburbs are stuck because the snow ploughs have to keep the major Interstates clear and cannot get to the suburban areas for several days. Some people have their own portable ploughs, or in most cases, their own snow shovels. It is back breaking work though. Clearing their footpaths or driveways, or more importantly digging their cars out, is horrendous. In fact the news reported yesterday that in the Washington area alone, there had been 3 deaths where people aged 47-55 had suffered fatal heart attacks whilst shovelling snow.
Driving through Virginia was pretty despite the state being blanketed in snow. I still find it amazing at how each state can come with its own personality and culture. I think that if the state wasn't blanketed in snow, it would be farming country. There were a lot of cows and horses, as well as big and beautiful properties. There would be money here I would say.
I felt an enormous privilege to be in the presence of what John Denver sang about. I am always overwhelmed to be anywhere that has supplied the inspiration for song lyrics. I can see how the Blue Ridge Mountains got their name. They indeed were a blue ridge which ran for miles and miles throughout Virginia. They have a very distinctive thick blue line which appears to run across the top of them the whole way and I am darned if I can figure out what does that. The Shenandoah River was pretty much just a river though. Not large and partially frozen. I am sure it expands in areas away from the Interstate but I can only go on what I saw.
Roanoke is also blanketed in snow but unlike the major cities, had not been ploughed that well. The main highway has most lanes cleared, with the exception of the far left hand lane (usually the turning lanes or slow vehicle lanes) so merging became interesting. In the city centre the streets are extremely narrowed however due to the show. Obviously a narrow plough had gone through just pushing the snow drifts slightly off to the side making it somewhat hazardous. Traffic heading in both directions where forced into the middle of the road so there was a lot of patience required.
Our hotel in Roanoke (The Hotel Roanoke) is known as the "Grand Old Lady on the Hill". It has stood since the late 1800's which if course meant to me that it has to be haunted. The hotel resembled a German Chalet which was extraordinarily quaint and just a little bit spooky. The rooms remind me of what an attic would look like - small, cozy....and haunted. I made a mental note NOT to research the hotel until after we left.
Tonight I finally got to eat at a "Golden Corral". The Bear has wanted to take me to one since our first trip to the United States but the opportunity just hasn't been there before. Well what a place! I will be honest and say that I felt like I was in a restaurant that was filled with people from both the Duck Dynasty and the Jerry Springer Show, but that was ok! I could be my extremely bogan self!
Now this is a place we could do with back in Oz. It would send Sizzler out of business in a heartbeat. It was a buffet of the heartiest kind with all sorts of simple meat dishes such as pot roast, rissoles and fried chicken. It had all sorts of vegetables including mashed potato (which I just LOVE!) and all sorts of pasta, Mexican dishes, and steak. It also had a completely cold salad bar filled with cold cuts, salads and "yeast rolls". But best of all, it had a desert bar AND bakery, as well as a fairy floss machine. The desert bar had a milk chocolate fountain and a white chocolate fountain with fruits and marshmallows to dip into it. There was a variety of cakes and truffles, slices and jellies....a soft service ice-cream machine as well as 8 sorts of main ice-cream. There were toppings that included choc chips and gummy bears. Most importantly it had my favourite ice-cream that I absolutely LOVE to have whilst in the US - a sherbet ice-cream. We do not have this at home. The most amazing thing of all, is the price. Its about $10 an adult which just absolutely does my head in. How the hell does Sizzler get off charging what they do?
More snow is predicted tonight although it wont be as heavy as if we travelled to Pittsburgh. We are going to move further south to Knoxville tomorrow, providing the ghosts that undoubtedly roam the hallways of The Hotel Roanoke don't eat me alive!
Thursday, 13 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 10 - Snowed in
2.30am - We look out the window to check on the weather. There had been storm warnings in place for the last 24 hours and we wanted to see if it had arrived. It had. When the sun went down yesterday the landscape was brown - grass dead and trees with no leaves etc. Now it is a brilliant white with heavy snow falling. The snow flakes are very large unlike the tiny ones in New York. There is no evidence of roads as they are also covered with a thick blanket of snow. It really is very pretty. Even though it is night time and the snow storm is raging, it is still easy to see for some reason. Its as though the street lights are illuminating the snow clouds which is really weird. God I wish I could sleep.
2.31am - Shit. It has just occurred to us that we cannot go anywhere. We are snowed in.
3.00am - still snowed in. Like I really thought that would change in the last 29 minutes. Heavy snow continues to fall.
4.00am - the Bear and I wonder if the hotel staff are able to get to work today. It is becoming more obvious that not only can nobody leave, but nobody can get in to work either. The news broadcast basically indicates that the city has shutdown. No flights, no buses, no trains except for the underground. Those that have attempted to get onto the roads have become stuck in snow drifts or have slid off the road. Some have even rolled. Its just not worth it. Stay snowed in.
5.00am - the news is just repeating itself. Reporters are around the traps showing what sort of snow has fallen. How the hell did they get out? Are they not snowed in?
6.00am - ok. Panic sets in. If we cannot get out, how are we going to eat?! When we are on holiday, that is one of my big pleasures! Eating take away! The hotel has a small breakfast as a part of the room rate but they don't do lunch and dinner. What if the staff didn't get in? There will be no breakfast! I do a stock take on the "supplies" that we have with us: Half a box of Twinkies, a box of ho-hos (I will explain those later my fellow Australians), a bottle of Moccona coffee (brought from Australia), some sachets of Caramel Latte (also brought from Australia), Brian's vitamins and fish oil tablets (removes them from the inventory), a packet of Dorrito's, and a container of cheese, meat sticks and pretzels as purchased from Walmart the other day. So we wont starve today. There is a small market (and by small market I mean a fridge) in the lobby which contains some frozen food which can be purchased so that is an option too.
7.00am - Breakfast. The staff stayed at the hotel last night. They took the warnings seriously and wanted to make sure their patrons were looked after. Three cheers for them! Breakfast was made up from yesterdays things (bagels and toast), scrambled eggs, chipped potatoes (some sorts of cubes that look like sweet potato) and sausage patties. Blerk.....but that's ok. I will eat to keep up my strength because I just might need it being snowed in! I also use a little bit of creativity. Along with the condiments, there is salsa and shredded orange cheese. I grab a few coffee cups and fill them with cheese and salsa. We have a packet of Dorrito Corn Chips back in the room, and a microwave. This will allow us to have Nachos! I pat myself on the back for being so ingenious. We also grab a pizza pocket from "the market" in the hotel lobby.
8.00am - Still snowed in (of course). Getting bored.
9.00am - Still snowed in. Bored as bat shit. Life outside has come to a standstill. Snow continues to fall. The news is carrying on as though it is the end of the earth and quite frankly I am starting to agree with them.
10.00am - Still snowed in. Who in this country actually names their food? I am looking at the boxes of Twinkies and Ho-Hos. For those that may not know, Twinkies are a small, cylindrical sponge cake filled with mock cream. They are no bigger than your hand. Ho-Hos are like a tiny chocolate scroll that has been dipped in chocolate. Now this might be just my opinion....but wouldn't Twinkie be a better name for your little toe? Or, an alternate word when going for a "wee"? It just doesn't strike me as something you might eat. Maybe naming them.....Torpedos.....or...Sponge Logs....or something like that might have been more appropriate. As for Ho-Hos....well lets leave that topic well alone. At the store they sold something similar which are called Ding-Dongs. "Yes please....I will have a box of Ding-Dongs". How stupid does that sound???
10.30am - Repacks suitcases. Still snowed in.
11.00am - "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. Ninety-nine bottles of beer. If one of those bottles should happen to fall. Ninety-eight bottles of beer...on....the....wall"
12.00pm - So what is the go with the toilets over here? I know that I have had my love-hate relationship with them but something has troubled me since our very first trip. Why on earth are the toilet bowls half full of water? I can make my own assumptions here, however I feel the benefits that I can come up with are far out-weighed by the problems it would cause men when their junk falls in the water. I mean it just has to happen surely? I know if I go a little bit wild when drying myself that I can accidently hit the water with my hand (and you cannot damned stand up to do it otherwise the stupid automatic flushing happens. You then have to sit on the seat again to put the paper in the bowl and re-flush) so I hate to think how poor blokes fair when they go in for Number Two-s! I seriously need to Google this.
12.30pm - Still snowed in. Sick of these four walls. Cant get beyond the front door of the hotel. Snow has now turned to sleet. This will compact the snow but will make everything icy and dangerous. Time for the Pizza Pockets that we purchased from the fridge in the lobby! Following the directions on the little packet I cooked them in the microwave in our room. I am thinking I would have done much better to make the nachos that I had planned because the pizza pockets had small explosions. Orange cheese ran everywhere. And what is the go with the word "crispy" on the packet? Nothing crispy about these. More like soggy lettuce. But that's ok...we are dealing with a crisis here. We are snowed in and are in survival mode!
1.00pm - Need to vacate the room for a little while so that the cleaners can have access. There are several people sitting downstairs in the lobby who have also exited their room for a little while to allow it to be cleaned. I am dressed in my tracksuit which is covered in the contents on my pizza pocket. I look wistfully out the window wishing the snow a very quick demise whilst listening to someone on the TV report the news in Spanish.
2.00pm - Does anyone know why mixed lollies are all in different shapes? I mean they all taste the same so why put one in the shape of a snake, another in the shape of a frog etc. Jelly beans are all different flavours yet they are the same shape and it has been amazingly successful for them! And who gets to choose what shapes are made? Who actually stops and says "Hey! Lets make a bag of body parts!"? I think this is an extremely reasonable question!
3.00pm - Back in our room. Snow ploughs try tirelessly to clear the roads and make one hell of a racket. We are watching TV and I am depressed to learn that if I lived in the USA I would qualify for "Final Expense Insurance" aka Funeral Insurance. Fancy trying to hide behind some fancy word indicating that you are older than God? Why not just call it "Horse Head Insurance" or "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts Insurance"? Apparently I am old enough to have "Final Expense Insurance" and I don't need a medical. If we are stuck in this damned room for more than a day I might find cause to need something like this!
4.00pm - Still damn well snowed in. The Bear and I had a little bit of a Nana Nap (a necessity for those old enough to qualify for Final Expense Insurance). Fortunately there has been a saving grace. "The First 48" has come on the A & E Channel. I can get lost in the gory details of a murder for a little while. Also, there is nothing falling from the sky currently thank heavens! The Bear cracks open the cheese and pretzels. I soon find out that I don't think they really are what they say they are. The cheese and sausage sticks are like something you might find in a little girls fake supermarket, and the pretzels are like something I would find at the bottom of my handbag......after a year......of it sitting beside the Bears sandshoes.
5.00pm - The snow STILL hasn't friggin well disappeared. I sit here wondering why the hotel chose this particular colour scheme for the carpet. It is a mix of multi coloured lines and is seriously making me angry. I thought that some nice, calming colours would be preferred for tired travellers! No wonder Booth shot Lincoln. He stayed in this damned hotel first and got pissed off by the carpet!
6.00pm - Anyone got a noose? It's f**kin' snowing again.
7.00pm - Oh goody. Our second frozen meal for the day. I am sure we have had tastier belches. And we are still snowed in! I check the internet to see if there is any pizza delivery services advertising that they are open to bribes. No there isn't. That would be freakin' right. The Bear and I decide that no matter what, we are escaping tomorrow. We were meant to be driving to Pittsburgh however there is little likelihood of that given that more snow is predicted which means either we have to stay put here in Washington or risk getting caught at another location. We decide to play it safe and change our next couple of destinations. We shall now start travelling south to where the weather will be above zero.
8.00pm - We check the road reports and weather conditions for tomorrow one last time. The Bear figures if we leave Washington at around 9am then the snow ploughs will have been through and the roads will have been salted. As tomorrow is predicted to be fine the sun will have had a chance to thaw the ice a little bit too. If we can get out before the next snow front moves in we should be right. If it doesn't work out this way, we will be leggin' it out I tell ya!
9.00pm - Night all!
2.31am - Shit. It has just occurred to us that we cannot go anywhere. We are snowed in.
3.00am - still snowed in. Like I really thought that would change in the last 29 minutes. Heavy snow continues to fall.
4.00am - the Bear and I wonder if the hotel staff are able to get to work today. It is becoming more obvious that not only can nobody leave, but nobody can get in to work either. The news broadcast basically indicates that the city has shutdown. No flights, no buses, no trains except for the underground. Those that have attempted to get onto the roads have become stuck in snow drifts or have slid off the road. Some have even rolled. Its just not worth it. Stay snowed in.
5.00am - the news is just repeating itself. Reporters are around the traps showing what sort of snow has fallen. How the hell did they get out? Are they not snowed in?
6.00am - ok. Panic sets in. If we cannot get out, how are we going to eat?! When we are on holiday, that is one of my big pleasures! Eating take away! The hotel has a small breakfast as a part of the room rate but they don't do lunch and dinner. What if the staff didn't get in? There will be no breakfast! I do a stock take on the "supplies" that we have with us: Half a box of Twinkies, a box of ho-hos (I will explain those later my fellow Australians), a bottle of Moccona coffee (brought from Australia), some sachets of Caramel Latte (also brought from Australia), Brian's vitamins and fish oil tablets (removes them from the inventory), a packet of Dorrito's, and a container of cheese, meat sticks and pretzels as purchased from Walmart the other day. So we wont starve today. There is a small market (and by small market I mean a fridge) in the lobby which contains some frozen food which can be purchased so that is an option too.
7.00am - Breakfast. The staff stayed at the hotel last night. They took the warnings seriously and wanted to make sure their patrons were looked after. Three cheers for them! Breakfast was made up from yesterdays things (bagels and toast), scrambled eggs, chipped potatoes (some sorts of cubes that look like sweet potato) and sausage patties. Blerk.....but that's ok. I will eat to keep up my strength because I just might need it being snowed in! I also use a little bit of creativity. Along with the condiments, there is salsa and shredded orange cheese. I grab a few coffee cups and fill them with cheese and salsa. We have a packet of Dorrito Corn Chips back in the room, and a microwave. This will allow us to have Nachos! I pat myself on the back for being so ingenious. We also grab a pizza pocket from "the market" in the hotel lobby.
8.00am - Still snowed in (of course). Getting bored.
9.00am - Still snowed in. Bored as bat shit. Life outside has come to a standstill. Snow continues to fall. The news is carrying on as though it is the end of the earth and quite frankly I am starting to agree with them.
10.00am - Still snowed in. Who in this country actually names their food? I am looking at the boxes of Twinkies and Ho-Hos. For those that may not know, Twinkies are a small, cylindrical sponge cake filled with mock cream. They are no bigger than your hand. Ho-Hos are like a tiny chocolate scroll that has been dipped in chocolate. Now this might be just my opinion....but wouldn't Twinkie be a better name for your little toe? Or, an alternate word when going for a "wee"? It just doesn't strike me as something you might eat. Maybe naming them.....Torpedos.....or...Sponge Logs....or something like that might have been more appropriate. As for Ho-Hos....well lets leave that topic well alone. At the store they sold something similar which are called Ding-Dongs. "Yes please....I will have a box of Ding-Dongs". How stupid does that sound???
10.30am - Repacks suitcases. Still snowed in.
11.00am - "Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. Ninety-nine bottles of beer. If one of those bottles should happen to fall. Ninety-eight bottles of beer...on....the....wall"
12.00pm - So what is the go with the toilets over here? I know that I have had my love-hate relationship with them but something has troubled me since our very first trip. Why on earth are the toilet bowls half full of water? I can make my own assumptions here, however I feel the benefits that I can come up with are far out-weighed by the problems it would cause men when their junk falls in the water. I mean it just has to happen surely? I know if I go a little bit wild when drying myself that I can accidently hit the water with my hand (and you cannot damned stand up to do it otherwise the stupid automatic flushing happens. You then have to sit on the seat again to put the paper in the bowl and re-flush) so I hate to think how poor blokes fair when they go in for Number Two-s! I seriously need to Google this.
12.30pm - Still snowed in. Sick of these four walls. Cant get beyond the front door of the hotel. Snow has now turned to sleet. This will compact the snow but will make everything icy and dangerous. Time for the Pizza Pockets that we purchased from the fridge in the lobby! Following the directions on the little packet I cooked them in the microwave in our room. I am thinking I would have done much better to make the nachos that I had planned because the pizza pockets had small explosions. Orange cheese ran everywhere. And what is the go with the word "crispy" on the packet? Nothing crispy about these. More like soggy lettuce. But that's ok...we are dealing with a crisis here. We are snowed in and are in survival mode!
1.00pm - Need to vacate the room for a little while so that the cleaners can have access. There are several people sitting downstairs in the lobby who have also exited their room for a little while to allow it to be cleaned. I am dressed in my tracksuit which is covered in the contents on my pizza pocket. I look wistfully out the window wishing the snow a very quick demise whilst listening to someone on the TV report the news in Spanish.
2.00pm - Does anyone know why mixed lollies are all in different shapes? I mean they all taste the same so why put one in the shape of a snake, another in the shape of a frog etc. Jelly beans are all different flavours yet they are the same shape and it has been amazingly successful for them! And who gets to choose what shapes are made? Who actually stops and says "Hey! Lets make a bag of body parts!"? I think this is an extremely reasonable question!
3.00pm - Back in our room. Snow ploughs try tirelessly to clear the roads and make one hell of a racket. We are watching TV and I am depressed to learn that if I lived in the USA I would qualify for "Final Expense Insurance" aka Funeral Insurance. Fancy trying to hide behind some fancy word indicating that you are older than God? Why not just call it "Horse Head Insurance" or "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts Insurance"? Apparently I am old enough to have "Final Expense Insurance" and I don't need a medical. If we are stuck in this damned room for more than a day I might find cause to need something like this!
4.00pm - Still damn well snowed in. The Bear and I had a little bit of a Nana Nap (a necessity for those old enough to qualify for Final Expense Insurance). Fortunately there has been a saving grace. "The First 48" has come on the A & E Channel. I can get lost in the gory details of a murder for a little while. Also, there is nothing falling from the sky currently thank heavens! The Bear cracks open the cheese and pretzels. I soon find out that I don't think they really are what they say they are. The cheese and sausage sticks are like something you might find in a little girls fake supermarket, and the pretzels are like something I would find at the bottom of my handbag......after a year......of it sitting beside the Bears sandshoes.
5.00pm - The snow STILL hasn't friggin well disappeared. I sit here wondering why the hotel chose this particular colour scheme for the carpet. It is a mix of multi coloured lines and is seriously making me angry. I thought that some nice, calming colours would be preferred for tired travellers! No wonder Booth shot Lincoln. He stayed in this damned hotel first and got pissed off by the carpet!
6.00pm - Anyone got a noose? It's f**kin' snowing again.
7.00pm - Oh goody. Our second frozen meal for the day. I am sure we have had tastier belches. And we are still snowed in! I check the internet to see if there is any pizza delivery services advertising that they are open to bribes. No there isn't. That would be freakin' right. The Bear and I decide that no matter what, we are escaping tomorrow. We were meant to be driving to Pittsburgh however there is little likelihood of that given that more snow is predicted which means either we have to stay put here in Washington or risk getting caught at another location. We decide to play it safe and change our next couple of destinations. We shall now start travelling south to where the weather will be above zero.
8.00pm - We check the road reports and weather conditions for tomorrow one last time. The Bear figures if we leave Washington at around 9am then the snow ploughs will have been through and the roads will have been salted. As tomorrow is predicted to be fine the sun will have had a chance to thaw the ice a little bit too. If we can get out before the next snow front moves in we should be right. If it doesn't work out this way, we will be leggin' it out I tell ya!
9.00pm - Night all!
Wednesday, 12 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 9 - Happy Birthday Abe
We tried to get to a few places today. There are warnings out for the next snow storm to impact the east coast. Washington does not currently have snow however this is expected to change dramatically overnight.
Its amazing how different things can be to the image that you have created in your own mind. It is also amazing at how ridiculously naïve I am. I thought that the White House was sort of in a country area ofWashington
All in all Washington is a fair bit different to what I had imagined. It is very manicured and almost perfect with its symmetry. It does not scream money and opulence. It says "power and dignity". It does not have buildings more than 15 stories tall as there is no building that can be higher than the tallest point of the Capitol Building, as there can be nothing "higher than freedom" which is what the Americans value above everything else. What an awesome concept to have.
Its amazing how different things can be to the image that you have created in your own mind. It is also amazing at how ridiculously naïve I am. I thought that the White House was sort of in a country area of
All in all Washington is a fair bit different to what I had imagined. It is very manicured and almost perfect with its symmetry. It does not scream money and opulence. It says "power and dignity". It does not have buildings more than 15 stories tall as there is no building that can be higher than the tallest point of the Capitol Building, as there can be nothing "higher than freedom" which is what the Americans value above everything else. What an awesome concept to have.
All of the museums here are free. The Americans believe that there should be no cost placed on anything of educational value in relation to its history that would prevent anyone from visiting it over and over again. I found this amazing.
Today is Abraham Lincolns birthday. We visited his memorial and found people dressed up in all sorts of costumes to commemorate this. The memorial absolutely blows your mind with its strength and grace. As I said earlier it is much larger than I imagined. There are several flights of stairs to climb to get into the top of it, where a larger than life Abraham Lincoln sits on his chair and looks out towards the Capitol which is several kilometres away.
Today is Abraham Lincolns birthday. We visited his memorial and found people dressed up in all sorts of costumes to commemorate this. The memorial absolutely blows your mind with its strength and grace. As I said earlier it is much larger than I imagined. There are several flights of stairs to climb to get into the top of it, where a larger than life Abraham Lincoln sits on his chair and looks out towards the Capitol which is several kilometres away.
As I said yesterday, the Washington Memorial is currently undergoing some repairs following an earthquake in 2011 and therefore is closed. It is still a structure that can be seen from afar and it commands your attention.
We also visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We had wanted to get to the one at Dulles Airport as this is apparently the better one, however given that we were passing the other location in town we decided to stop there (just in case we couldn't get to Dulles tomorrow due to the snow). Well what a mind blowing museum for any aviation enthusiast. It not only has the education value of teaching about the history of air and space flight, and displays on how air travel works etc......but it also has things like real life versions of Skylab and the Hubble Telescope. It has the actual "Spirit of St Louis" suspended from its ceiling - which is the first aeroplane to make the first flight across the Atlantic (Charles Lindburgh) and "The Voyager" which was the first plane to fly non-stop around the world. This is just a couple of the many examples.
We also visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. We had wanted to get to the one at Dulles Airport as this is apparently the better one, however given that we were passing the other location in town we decided to stop there (just in case we couldn't get to Dulles tomorrow due to the snow). Well what a mind blowing museum for any aviation enthusiast. It not only has the education value of teaching about the history of air and space flight, and displays on how air travel works etc......but it also has things like real life versions of Skylab and the Hubble Telescope. It has the actual "Spirit of St Louis" suspended from its ceiling - which is the first aeroplane to make the first flight across the Atlantic (Charles Lindburgh) and "The Voyager" which was the first plane to fly non-stop around the world. This is just a couple of the many examples.
We managed to see a number of the buildings in Washington today such as the J Edgar Hoover Building (FBI Headquarters), The Treasury Building, Union Station and The Ford Theatre (where Lincoln was shot). This was done via a hop-on/hop-off bus that we had bought tickets to ride (sounds like a song lyric). Whilst this enabled us to drive around the city unobstructed, it also allowed us to experience other tourists up close and personal. I would love to say that this was a pleasant experience however it was not.
We had a group of loud.....no.....VERY loud teenagers on board who were apparently visiting from the deep south. Their mixture of Cajun and English gave that away. In particular there was one girl who sat behind us squealing top note in response to one of her friends chanting "Obama. OBAMA!" over and over. In between her earth shattering screeches she jammed her thumb firmly in her mouth and sucked on it whilst draping herself over a couple of seats. The more sensible of the group continually told the squealer to "shert errrp" which I nearly stood up and applauded. Do you know those movies that show the sequences, where a person is actually picturing themselves hurting another person before being snapped back to the present? Yes well that was me. I pictured myself throwing my elbow back onto Thumbelina's nose and shutting that screech up for good. Just in case we wondered if indeed we were having a good time on board or not, the traffic held us up, and the bus driver held us up further, just to make sure that we were sure that we would never get on another bus with teenagers again. It was an excellent way to see the city however.
Tonight a snow storm threatens to halt our activities for the next day or so. What we do tomorrow will depend on that!
We had a group of loud.....no.....VERY loud teenagers on board who were apparently visiting from the deep south. Their mixture of Cajun and English gave that away. In particular there was one girl who sat behind us squealing top note in response to one of her friends chanting "Obama. OBAMA!" over and over. In between her earth shattering screeches she jammed her thumb firmly in her mouth and sucked on it whilst draping herself over a couple of seats. The more sensible of the group continually told the squealer to "shert errrp" which I nearly stood up and applauded. Do you know those movies that show the sequences, where a person is actually picturing themselves hurting another person before being snapped back to the present? Yes well that was me. I pictured myself throwing my elbow back onto Thumbelina's nose and shutting that screech up for good. Just in case we wondered if indeed we were having a good time on board or not, the traffic held us up, and the bus driver held us up further, just to make sure that we were sure that we would never get on another bus with teenagers again. It was an excellent way to see the city however.
Tonight a snow storm threatens to halt our activities for the next day or so. What we do tomorrow will depend on that!
Tuesday, 11 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 8 - Men in Black.
We are in the city of suits, sunnies and SUVs. Ok...well not quite I guess. We are in the city where there is a whole lot of people in dark suits, mirrored sunnies, and black vans with number plates reflecting that they are vehicles of the Washington Government. We were told by a tour guide that these are the Secret Service otherwise known as the Men in Black. This conjured up images of aliens and the like, and I started to wonder again if they walk amongst us. I decided that there was evidence of this in Toowoomba, Australia. Not so much here....lol.
The Secret Service are scattered on the routes in and out of the White House whilst trained snipers line the perimeter. There are a large amount of them out today as there is obviously something happening in or around the White House. There are marquees set up on the south lawn in front of the White House. There are also areas fenced off in the park across the road from it with signs saying that the area is closed off for a legal event. (Am not sure how many would be cordoned off for an ILLEGAL event, however we are in the USA. Just saying....) The Presidents Day public holiday is this coming Monday (the second long weekend since our arrival in the US) so am not sure if that has something to do with it. Military Aircraft appear to be doing test runs around the city and we have seen full Colonels wearing flight suits and carrying weapons walking amid the general population. This may be every day practice....I don't know.....but I feel as though something is up!
Of course, me being me, I am also on high alert.....and every time I see a group of people congregating, I quickly jump to the assumption that the President is doing a walk around....and start snapping away in order to get the "good shot". The results so far have been fruitful. I have photo's of 2 gay Frenchman, 3 oblivious Italian's, a handful of Yanks....and 500 bus loads of Asian tourists. I am sure that Mr Obama has photo bombed at least one of them. Hmmmm...maybe not.
We seem to be having continued bad luck with national monuments. When we were here in 2012, the Statue of Liberty was closed thanks to Hurricane Sandy. On this trip, water transport was cancelled due to ice in the Hudson so that was ticked off again. In Washington, the Washington Memorial is closed due to damage it sustained during an earthquake in 2011 (fortunately the thing is so damned big it can be seen from anywhere), the reflection pool at the Lincoln Memorial is empty, and several areas in front of the White House is fenced off so we cannot get as close as we would like. The news states this morning, that the 911 Memorial at the World Trade Centre in New York has been closed off as well due to ice falling, so I am glad that we got to see that one at least before we left.
We still could take a lot of photos of the White House though, albeit from a large distance. We could see Mr President walking around his front yard. There was no way of proving that it was not him carrying the pitchfork and shovel around with the other gardeners. That is my story and I am sticking to it!
The Secret Service are scattered on the routes in and out of the White House whilst trained snipers line the perimeter. There are a large amount of them out today as there is obviously something happening in or around the White House. There are marquees set up on the south lawn in front of the White House. There are also areas fenced off in the park across the road from it with signs saying that the area is closed off for a legal event. (Am not sure how many would be cordoned off for an ILLEGAL event, however we are in the USA. Just saying....) The Presidents Day public holiday is this coming Monday (the second long weekend since our arrival in the US) so am not sure if that has something to do with it. Military Aircraft appear to be doing test runs around the city and we have seen full Colonels wearing flight suits and carrying weapons walking amid the general population. This may be every day practice....I don't know.....but I feel as though something is up!
Of course, me being me, I am also on high alert.....and every time I see a group of people congregating, I quickly jump to the assumption that the President is doing a walk around....and start snapping away in order to get the "good shot". The results so far have been fruitful. I have photo's of 2 gay Frenchman, 3 oblivious Italian's, a handful of Yanks....and 500 bus loads of Asian tourists. I am sure that Mr Obama has photo bombed at least one of them. Hmmmm...maybe not.
We seem to be having continued bad luck with national monuments. When we were here in 2012, the Statue of Liberty was closed thanks to Hurricane Sandy. On this trip, water transport was cancelled due to ice in the Hudson so that was ticked off again. In Washington, the Washington Memorial is closed due to damage it sustained during an earthquake in 2011 (fortunately the thing is so damned big it can be seen from anywhere), the reflection pool at the Lincoln Memorial is empty, and several areas in front of the White House is fenced off so we cannot get as close as we would like. The news states this morning, that the 911 Memorial at the World Trade Centre in New York has been closed off as well due to ice falling, so I am glad that we got to see that one at least before we left.
We still could take a lot of photos of the White House though, albeit from a large distance. We could see Mr President walking around his front yard. There was no way of proving that it was not him carrying the pitchfork and shovel around with the other gardeners. That is my story and I am sticking to it!
Monday, 10 February 2014
2014 Trip - Day 7 - New York to Washington.
Today we left New York having picked up a hire car and driven to Washington. Given that we spent the day in the car, I will not write my blog in its usual format (paragraphs). As we drove along, in true "Donna" style, I had my camera in one hand, and my diary in another. I have written down dot points, of my thoughts along the trip. I shall post those dot points below. They will probably not make any sense to you at all, however I am sure that most of you know that you have to actually be IN my head to understand what I am thinking so generally don't try to work it out...lol.
So...he are dot points as written haphazardly in pages of my diary or were my thoughts at the time. They are not necessarily in any sort of order as I just write them where the book falls open. Enjoy "my thoughts" even if you cannot understand them!
So...he are dot points as written haphazardly in pages of my diary or were my thoughts at the time. They are not necessarily in any sort of order as I just write them where the book falls open. Enjoy "my thoughts" even if you cannot understand them!
- (Whilst driving out of New York) We have to take a tunnel?? (The Lincoln Tunnel which goes under the Hudson) F**k.
- (Whilst driving through the Lincoln Tunnel) There is a leak! I swear I saw a leak!
- (Whilst driving through the Lincoln Tunnel) F**k. F**k. F**k.
- (When coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel) Yeah I'm cool. That was a cinch. *rolls eyes*
- The New Jersey Turnpike is actually more than a few kilometres long?
- Oh. The New Jersey Turnpike actually runs right into another state. *holds up stupid sign*
- (Whilst listening to the radio) "In 1998 the devil attacked my mind". WTF?
- *As said by the Bear* These houses could by f**kin' ugly. Add a little snow and they're cute.
- The sign says A J Peters & Sons Funeral Supplies. What the heck are funeral supplies? Coffins? Embalming fluid? Make up?
- Ok so several signs say "Emergency Pull Off". Hmmmmm....alrighty then!
- (When looking at a stand of books at a truck stop in Wilmington , Delaware). "Bad Girls of the Bible & What You Can Learn from Then". *blinks*
- Is that a Tornedo or Ranchero?
- Geeezus....another f**kin tunnel!
- So who named "Blue Balls Road" and why?
- Oh that's DEAVER Road....NOT Beaver. Get your mind out of the gutter.
- District of Columbia. So THAT is what D.C stands for? *holds up another stupid sign*
- Cheesy Garlic Bread chips. Omm nomm or no-no?
- Creepywoods Haunted Forrest. Now that is my type of theme park! Well as long as there is no tunnels.
- How often does James Spader drive this road?
- Ok...enough of the New Jersey Turnpike already. When does it end?
- Is Nic awake?
- Muffy Duck.
- I need a pee.
- Why don't these houses have any fences? Do they not mind people getting in? DO they not mind people getting out?
- Yahoo! Bring on Walmart!
- Hello Sailor! You're not?
- I seriously could go a burrito.
- East Greenwich looks seriously pretty!
- Who decided that Greenwich is pronounced GRENITCH rather than GREEEENWITCH?
- So Maryland is a state not a city? *Holds up another stupid sign* Good heavens. Who knew....
- 24,000 people work at the Pentagon.
- Another snow storm coming? Nooooooo!
- "Ding Dong the witch is dead. Which old witch? The wicked witch".
- Again...what is with these plumbers rooting?
- In search of the illusive Reese white chocolate peanut butter cups again!
- You might call it an elevator. We call it a lift.
- I hate snow. And tunnels.
So not a very interesting read, but a read none a the less. We arrived in Washington safely albeit a little more grey. We are staying in a hotel opposite the Pentagon which is pretty cool! Tomorrow we will be visiting some of the monuments so hopefully I should have a little more to write about then!
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