Drron's Do Disney.

[drron]

An F-16A and a RQ-4A Global Hawk.

.

.
And a famous plane.

.

.
An SR-71A Blackbird.This particular one set the speed record for a closed course and the next day the absolute speed record of 2193.167 Mph.
This was done by flying a 25km course through electronic timing gates and then repeating it in the opposite direction.At the start of the second leg they had an engine shutdown but still recorded the record speed which still stands.Another Blackbird broke the altitude record going to 85068 feet.These were done for the US Bicentennial.
Now a Delta Dart and a Delta Dagger.

.

.
Another recognisable for Australians.

.

.
A F111.
Lastly a T-33A Shooting Star and a Sikorsky MH-53M.

.

.

 

[drron]

So a bit of humour to end the museum report.

.

.

It was then a short drive to our lodgings for the night.A Courtyard which is obviously pretty new.

.

.

.
The view wasn't exciting-

.

Checkin was efficient and friendly as was checkout.As a platinum I got points,a gift bag with a packet of cheddar popcorn and a certificate to get another item from their little store.One bottle of water in room.For the price we paid I was happy.

 

[drron]

Another reason to be happy with the Courtyard was that long after we had booked it we found out that there was a restaurant that I had wanted to visit on my birthday.

.

.
Now back when we first went to a Logan's Roadhouse if it was your birthday one of the staff would get up on a table and announce it was your birthday and call for a Logan's Yee haa for your birthday.Like this-

Unfortunately this Logans doesn't do it any more.Or not for me anyway.
Around the walls are old Ads.This one probably wouldn't be allowed today-

.
A lot of the staff wear these T shirts-

.
That's because every table has a bucket of complimentary peanuts.In the old days you dropped the shells on the floor.Not so common today-

.
I was relaxing a little and started off with a bowl of chilli-

.

.
For mains mrsdrron had a half rack of pork ribs and I had a 20 oz ribeye with bone in.

.

.
Mrsdrron's ribs were fall off the bone tender and my steak was tender and tasted good.A little more rare than the medium rare I order but that is no problem for me.$70 with a bottle of cupcake SB.

 

[drron]

During the night at Warner Robbins mrsdrron had a large night sweat.She awoke feeling much better and no fever.Doxycycline has worked.
Saturday and we headed for Augusta just over 150 miles away.We took it easy going via back highways with little traffic.Doing so we went through Griswoldville which I had never heard of.Turns out that it was the site of the only major battle on Sherman's march to the sea after the Atlanta campaign.The battlefield is just a field with a small memorial and flag pole.The town of Griswoldville was totally demolished by the Union and never rebuilt.So nothing to see now.
Coming in to Atlanta the road numbering left a little to be desired.We were following Highway 1 but that number disappeared.I just kept heading straight as I knew that would eventually hit highway 28 which was our destination.By accident the road I followed went past Woodrow Wilson's boyhood home-

.
His father was a minister and Woodrow was 3 when the civil war began.his home became a hospital.He was good to his friends.His neighbour,Joseph Lamar was appointed a Supreme Court judge.Another from his baseball team,Pleasant Stovall Ambassador to Switzerland.

We drove past Augusta National but the only place you got a glimpse of the course was the member's entrance and that was guarded.Tried to find a mall but ended up at a Walmart and got a few supplies for the next 2 weeks with the grandkids-ie wine!
We stayed at the Sheraton Augusta another reasonably new hotel.Unfortunately no tub,only a shower.Checkin was most inefficient.First given the wrong keys for the wrong room.No greeting as aplat or asked re points or amenity.Given a room on the club floor.You step out of the lift into the lounge.So very small and very limited options.The room-

.

.

.
And the view-

.

.

.
That is the Hilton Garden Inn straight ahead,Holiday Inn to the right and Homewood suites to the left.
Although mrsdrron was feeling better she wasn't hungry and felt like a Red Lobster lobster roll so that's where we went.She had a glass of wine and I a beer and I had the lobster,shrimp and salmon combo.

.

,
This was a poorly run restaurant with sloppy service and presentation but fortunately the food tasted good.

 

[drron]

Time to leave Augusta.Now all the hotels in the USA that we have stayed at this trip have had an email to me overnight re the account.Only 2 haven't-the Cosmopolitan in Vegas and this Sheraton in Augusta.The lady at checkout was surprised I wasn't completely satisfied with the stay and asked what they could do to make a future stay better.I immediately thought 2 tickets to the Masters but thought they wouldn't get the joke.
Before leaving Augusta there was one place I wanted to see.

.

.
The smokestack of the Confederates gunpowder factory during the Civil War.It was the only large building built bt the Confederacy.At War's end the Union destroyed it but were talked into leaving the smokestack.The bricks from the extensive buildings were used to build several buildings for Union supporters.

.

.
In front of the works was a rail line and across from that the Augusta Canal.

.

.
After the war the canal was useful for business.In the 1880s Augusta became the busiest cotton port.Ships sailed down the canal to the Savannah river and then to the sea via Savannah.A bit about the gunpowder works.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

The main post war construction was this cotton gin-

.

.

.

.

.

.

We then drove by the back roads to Charleston.A very pleasant drive.Though in the Carolinas we came across some of the worst drivers we have encountered in the USA.Going through Walterboro,SC, I noticed in the rear vision mirror the car behind suddenly swerve onto the wrong side of the road.Only some great evasive driving by the oncoming car prevented a seious accident.
Arrived in Charleston a little after 1330 so did a little tour of the old town before going to our hotel across the river in Mt.Pleasnt.Springhill suites.Again a group of new hotels with one still being built beside the Springhill.So to the room.Excuse the blurry pic.I blame the cold!

.

.

.
At least a reasonable view.

.

 

[drron]

After our family arrived and were settled in we drove back to the old town.Free street parking as it was Sunday even though New Years Eve.So we went for a walk before our dinner reservation.Lots of impressive buildings.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

A few more starting with the City Markets.

.

.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

So we are in the south and it's time for BBQ.So where do we gnly one choice-

.

.

The food was good but there was a problem.The home team were playing tonight-the Carolina Panthers v the Atlanta Falcons.So the place was busy and very,very noisy.
A range of sauces for your meat-

.
The wine was a bit fancy-

.
My son had the ribs whilst I had the pulled pork and sausage with sides of chilli and baked beans.

.

.
Mrsdrron had the pulled pork and had 2 sides of slaw-the second for the grandkids.

.
Across the road was another place that might be good-

.
Back to the hotel and in bed well before midnight.

 

[Katie]

Before take off I managed 2 glasses of the 2006 Dom.After takeoff 2 glasses of the 2004 Krug.I prefer the DOM.The Krug has too much vegemite for me.Sounds stupid but at a conference in the USA some years ago i went to a champagne tasting put on by a French woman who was said to be a champagne expert.I made a comment that there was a taste of vegemite in one of the wines.She then said-you are righ,I have been to Australia and tasted vegemite.It is now what I look for in a good champagne.However it means nothing here in America.

Makes perfect sense to me, drron. The champagnes that have a vegemitey or yeasty flavour are the ones I don't like. Perrier Jouet is an example of one that's typically yeasty. We did a champagne course in Brisbane about 12yrs ago, and the champagne aficionado claimed the Australian love of vegemite contributes to our love of champagne! Perhaps?!

 

[drron]

New Year's Day and we started at Boone Hall.Arrived at 0930 and it was 31F with a cold wind.Freezing.

.

.
That's the oldest building here.The cotton gin.
An old Oak covered in Spanish moss.

.

.
After the Civil War the plantation went into pecans.Did very well until a severe hurricane in 1911 and finished off by hurricane Hugo in 1989.

.

.
The entrance-an oak alley.

.
Slave houses.The plantation had the major brick works so the house slaves were able to build brick houses with the seconds etc.

.

.
Grandkids in disguise.

.

 

[Katie]

A few more starting with the City Markets.

.

Looks like the City Markets have recovered from the flooding last year? A friend in Charleston sent us pictures of it at least 2m under water. I guess most of the inner parts are not permanent.
We went to Boone Hall, too in 2015. Very interesting!

 

[drron]

The original slaves on this plantation were American Indians.The original owner Major Boone worked with a couple of the local tribes.The tribeswere always fighting one another and he would buy their captured foes as slaves for the plantation.by the time the brick houses were built the slaves were from Africa.This house has been excavated.After the civil war some of the slaves stayed on as share farmers and kept these houses.however they were improved with things such as flooring.originally sleeping was on mats on the dirt floor.

.

.

.

.

.
This house is more like the post war conditions as well as showing some of their craft.Basket weaving skills were brought from africa.

.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

There was some minor flooding again this morning.I guess they are used to it.The problem today was the water turning to ice.At 1030 it was only 26F.The minimum was 18F with windchill 9F.

 

[casanovawa]

The benefits of travelling with a doctor when you get sick eh...

Couple of years ago when i drove across the states i drove past Tallahassee and onto Pensacola where they have the National Naval Aviation Museum which is quite good, not sure if you have seen that one??

 

[jukebox333]

DrRon - some background into that white 707 for you:

Boeing EC-135N Stratotanker '10327'

As always, loving your TR. Happy New Year!

 

[drron]

Obviously then one of the 3 VIP 135Ns converted to a stratotanker.Their markings were different to those not of VIP origin.That is according to the several sources I researched to try and find a pic.Google is not always your friend!

The benefits of travelling with a doctor when you get sick eh...

Couple of years ago when i drove across the states i drove past Tallahassee and onto Pensacola where they have the National Naval Aviation Museum which is quite good, not sure if you have seen that one??

Haven't driven to the west of Tallahassee.Might get to the 8th Airforce Museum which is just a little way out of Savannah where we are now.

 

[drron]

Went back through our history.We did visit Boone Hall on our last visit.Turns out that was April 1989.Easy as I knew we went to Wet Willies as it had just opened.It opened at the end of 1988.No wonder Some of the place didn't look familiar.Another change.That time you could take photos inside the place.Not now.
Another of the slave houses dealt with religion.A lot of whites initially were from Scotland so the Methodists were strong.They segregated their parishioners so a lot of African Americans left and set up the A.M.E. Church-African Methodist Episcopalian church.One of the first was in Charlestown though that didn't last too long in public when one of their priests was hung.

.

.
Time now for the house tour.

.

.

.

.
The trees were real trees.Now this place was only built in 1937.A Canadian diplomat bought the plantation in 1935 and tore down the old house.One room nearly left at the back-just a few modifications.The Canadian sold out at the beginning of WW2 and it was next bought by a Georgian prince whose claim to fame was that he bought a stallion to boone Hall from Belgium via Ireland.He turned Out to be the grandfather of Nasrullah whose progeny included Secretariat,Seattle Slew and Kingston Rule.So indirectly Boone Hall has a link to the Melbourne Cup.
The Prince however went broke so the present owners bought the plantation in the 50s and opened the ground floor to the public.

Now to outside.On one side is a creek where the bricks and cotton were sent by boat to Charleston.But some natural art.

.

.

.

 

[drron]

Now a look at the Garden.Obviously winter is not a great time except for camellias.

.

..

.
They had put out potted plants in one bed.Some were not appreciating the cold.Some late rose blooms.Most of the roses are varieties bred around Charleston.

.

.

Back to the slave houses.Boone Hall bricks usually had flecks of black.Seconds could include those that had a fingerprint like the one top right.Original grout is recognised by the shells in it.

.

.

In one house there was the history of the slave trade.They had a list of all slave ships that came to Charleston.A small part-

.
Sad to see the numbers boarded in Africa compared to the numbers landed in Charlestown.

 

[drron]

Now the dockhouse.Not the origina which was destroyed by Hurricane Hugo in 1989 but a replica.Apparently has featured in movies.the last being the notebook.

.

.

.

The first crop at Boone Hall was indigo.A green leaf plant that produced the dye.Apparently very profitable back then.This example is not liking the cold-

.
And time to leave Boone Hall.

.