TravelStream™ news feed for member jimcabay on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jimcabay en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:16:09 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563283/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563283/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563283/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:16:09 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Key Largo, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

There are about 20 islands that make up the "main" chain in the keys but there are hundreds more which are not connected by a bridge. The most famous bridge is the “Seven Mile Bridge.” On average, the islands are only 5ft above sea level and about a mile wide but in some instances they are just wide enough for a highway. Every couple of miles there are 125ft high concrete poles with large speakers that would announce Tsunami warnings.

KEY LARGO – Located at the north eastern end of the Keys and closest to the mainland and is surrounded by beautiful turquoise colored water. It's the first place where you can see the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico at the same time.

Places we Visited:

Hurricane Monument – Erected to commemorate the 300 people who died in a 1935 hurricane that decimated the keys with 200mph winds and 17ft high tidal surge.

Hurricane Shelters – Schools are the designated hurricane shelters and are identified by a large oval emblem with concentric circles representing spinning clouds.

Theater of the Sea – A marine mammal adventure park where you can swim with dolphins, sea lions, turtles and stingrays or you can go snorkeling in saltwater lagoons with reefs. It’s also a tropical garden with native birds, talkative parrots in mangrove forests as well as plants and orchids.

Things we Observed:

- All around the Keys, the water is very shallow so several thousand boat owners moor theirs several hundred feet from the shore and ride dingy or paddle boats to & fro.

· Most bridges between islands have a second bridge right beside it for fishermen, bikers and pedestrians.

· All power poles are made from concrete.

· The Skull & Crossbones bar sign warns that inside you’ll find “Slovenly Appearance, Strong Ale, & Loose Women where Depravity and Vulgarity are always welcome here.”

Things we Learned:.

· There’s a big NORAD surveillance blimp (locally known as Fat Albert) that floats about 2miles above Sugarloaf Key. It has radar to track drug smuggling flights, boats smuggling Cubans, weather and monitors other potentially harmful activity.

· There ARE crocodiles in Florida but they inhabit the saltier water.

· All of the drinking water in the Florida Keys is piped from the mainland.

· All of the natural trees are a tangled mess – there’s no way you can get through them without an axe.

· The last hurricane to strike the Florida Keys was in 1960.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563159/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563159/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563159/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:14:06 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Key West, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

It's a long way from Sarasota to Key West – it took us over 7 hours. Our reserved hotel room was available ONLY if we arrived prior to 4PM so we didn’t waste too much time sightseeing along the way. However, having travelled along the Interstate Hwy through the northern end of the everglades, we were very surprised by the lack of greenery - most of the vegetation is 10ft tall grass in water. The trees have lost their leaves so the horizon looks grey but the lower brush is still lush and hides a lot of egrets, anhinga, herons, white ibis, snake birds and alligators. There is an 8ft chain-link fence that runs the entire 105mile length of the National Preserve and near the bottom there are two 3/4inch cables to provide additional strength and security. These cables are wired with motion sensors - in case someone hits the ditch, goes through the fence and ends up in a deep canal (probably where they took the dirt to construct the hwy) full of alligators. The state is busy beautifying the rather dull, flat scenery by planting palm trees at overpasses, around culverts and wildlife passages. The rest of our trip went quick.

KEY WEST – We stayed in the oldest hotel (next door to the oldest house in Key West) on Duval Street. The Southern Cross Hotel only has about 40 rooms but it’s located in the middle of the action (21 bars in 6 blocks). Every morning, a rooster right across the street crows to wake you up and a church rings its bells cranking out Christmas music for ½ an hour. Don’t know how many bells it has but they create splendid music. The rest of the town is old and spectacular.

Places we Visited:

Seaport Boardwalk – A winding path along wooden/fiberglass/plastic boards to several marinas and adjoining seafood restaurants. However, it’s not very scenic because you’re surrounded by stinky boat charter companies.

Shipwreck Museum – There were so many wrecks here that salvaging them became a huge industry.

Cruise Ship Terminal – Every day, one or two ships arrive here – the surroundings are full of shopping districts, charter fishing boats, wave runners, trolley tours, antique plane rides, sailing excursions, etc.

Mallory Square – Located near the Cruise Ships, it’s full of trinket shops, souvenirs, jugglers, street performers and nightly entertainment until 4AM.

Pres Truman’s Little Whitehouse – It also served Pres Eisenhower & Kennedy. Previously and remarkably, it was secretly used by Thomas Edison to develop and conduct experiments on 41 weapons that he created for the US Navy during WWI. Edison was a prolific inventor having acquired 1049 patents. Yikes!

Southern Most Point of the Continental USA - A big buoy with an inscription marks its location. Curiously, we visited a marker in Brownsville, TX that made the same claim.

Things we Observed:

- Most of the Christmas decorations in the Keys have a maritime flavor where anything aquatic is used as a prop i.e. concrete/bronze statues of dolphins, manatees and sharks wearing Santa hats or have wreaths / red bows around their necks - there are no strings of multi-colored blinking lights, LED lights or icicles on windows or eaves. Instead they put rope lighting on palm trees, ships wheels, lighthouses, etc. Surprisingly, we didn’t notice any decorations on church property either - no Christmas trees, nativity scenes, baby Jesus, angels.....zip.

· One day it rained but we can’t imagine stronger downpours. It came down in sheets, each one stronger that the last, unbelievable. Thank goodness it was warm and there are lots of places to duck into.

· Many cruise ship tourists rent 6-man golf carts, 2-man bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds, and bike-pulled rickshaws – the rest of them take the $85 trolley tours that hit all of the main attractions.

· Banting roosters and hens are prevalent throughout the keys.

· Most of the rock/concrete/brick historic forts are in terrible disrepair having been eaten away by the salty atmosphere. According to a municipal mechanic, all carbon steel components on equipment rust out in two years. Stainless steel is preferred but wears out by sand abrasion.

· Throughout Florida, the dust on vehicles is actually fragmented seashells which immediately cuts up the windshield wiper blades/squeegees and scratches windows.

· There are several warning signs regarding Portuguese Man-O-War (jellyfish) stings and the potential of going into Shock – avoid contact with Toxic Tentacles.

· All around the Keys, the water is very shallow so several thousand boat owners moor theirs several hundred feet from the shore and ride dingy or paddle boats to & fro.

Things we Learned:

· In 1838, Florida declared itself the "Conch (pronounced konk) Republic" and seceded from the USA but was reinstated after the civil war. Today, we listened to a country music on “Conch Radio” in Conch Country and got the weather for the Conch region. Everywhere, they proudly display their republic flag with a yellowish/pink conch shell in the middle of it.

· No garbage is buried on the keys – it’s taken to “Transfer Points” and then hauled onto mainland Florida for disposal.

· Key West has 3 beach cleaning machines that work 365days per year - each one picks up 20tons of seaweed and garbage per day.

· The end of October is called “Festival Week” when all the crazies show up and where everything/anything goes – topless downtown, nude beaches, etc, etc, etc.....Nobody gets busted!

· You can buy a beer everywhere for $2 but you can’t open it in a store (state law). You can walk down the street with a beer but it has to be in a cup (state law) so the street vendors give you a plastic cup to put your beer bottle into. You walk around with a bottle in a cup.

· The Key West Police have an arsenal of high-speed boats. They get help from the local Naval, Air Force and Coast Guard bases.

· It’s only 90miles to Havana and 157miles to Miami.

· Singer Jimmy Buffett is a big deal around here, he even has his own beer called Landshark – it ain’t bad.



June’s Comments:

They say that location is everything and it certainly proved to be true when we picked the Southern Cross Hotel in Key West. The room was clean but small, it was one step from the toilet to the inside of the shower, there were no extras – no phone, rough thin towels, a small TV (you had to give a $20 deposit to get a remote control), cheap plastic blinds on the windows, a squeaky but comfortable bed and tiny flat pillows. The location was fantastic as we were right in the middle of the action, close to all the bars, cantinas, marina and Mallory Square. We ate seafood at the Conch (pronounced konk) Republic – the largest seaside restaurant between Miami and Cuba – occasionally a shark fin would appear in the harbor just below our table. When it started to rain, it didn’t quit for 12 hours. The businesses sandbagged their entrances but water still seeped inside. We walked through a foot of warm flood water for three blocks to see two beautiful cruise ships in the harbor. It reminded us of a New Years Eve party in Kihei, Maui where everyone danced with soaked pant legs. It was very tropical with lots of things to do and see. We had a great time!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563019/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563019/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261563019/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:12:03 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Tampa, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

Instead of widening the existing freeways, they've built another one above it. Every waterway is lined with large mangrove trees that overhang the shoreline with their branches touching the water. Several trees are covered with white egrets. The contrasts of bright multi colored buildings and natural scenery makes it all look very pretty.

TAMPA – One day we drove to Tampa and stayed at the Embassy Suites Inn. We did some sight seeing in the downtown area and then went to the Edmonton Oilers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning hockey game that evening at the St Pete Times Forum. From our hotel room, we could see that the arena is lit up by blue flood lights and is highlighted by a group of yellow 12inch welded pipes (simulating lightning). It was a good game to watch because both teams were tied in the standings but it seemed like there were more Oiler jerseys than Lightning fans. We met one guy whose "Bucket List Items" is to watch the Oilers play in every arena throughout the league – he’s half way through. Since our hotel was only one block from the arena, it turned out to be the post-game party place where radio commentators have their “wind-up shows” – we gloated over OUR 3-2 win...... but they got the last laugh because I think we paid double for the tickets.

Downtown Tampa has two sectors – one is called Riverside, the other is Channelside with the financial / business district in the middle. From our hotel, the Tampa River Walk extends westward (along the Hillsborough River), past the absolutely huge convention center, through several parks (with numerous statues, fountains, vistas), hotel terraces, art exhibits and theaters. Channelside goes eastward towards the cruise ships, marine museum, history center, the aquarium and Ybor City – a historic landmark.



Ybor Centro – At one time, there were 4000 people here hand-rolling 900 thousand cigars per month for their Cuban born employer (named Ybor). Even today, the cigar making lives on amongst streets lined with unique buildings, majestic architecture, wrought iron balconies, globe streetlights and brick lined walkways. However, much of the district has been transformed into a multi colored and Cuban influenced shopping, dining and nightly entertainment area that hosts colorful Spanish Flamenco dancers. Very nice!

Davis Island is a ritzy palm treed residential area where their yacht club marina is full of fancy sail boats. A lot of sport-pros live here in 15,000sq ft houses (with Spanish styling – turret towers, verandas, massive railing, columns, arches, large stone entry steps, glass/wrought iron front door, clay tile roofs, cornice trim and at least one wall covered completely with vines). They have their own airfield, too. All of the cruise ships go right by here to their berth further up the channel.

Places we Visited:

Most of the Gulf Islands and Keys are interconnected with bridges and are dotted with towns, villages and retirement communities. All of them have picturesque mangrove covered watercourse channels behind the houses. We toured:

Dunedin – Protecting the sea turtle is one of their missions.

Clearwater – Of all the Gulf Island residential areas, this one is very new, clean and spacious. There are several major hotels, gated communities, vacation rental properties tiki bars, sunset lounges, international cuisines and entertainment complexes. It’s also where you’d charter a fishing boat to catch trout, mackerel, grouper, snap, snook, red drum, kings & sharks. You can even hire a boat to take you bar-hopping.

Redington – Fishing piers, mini golf, gator feeding, and seabird sanctuaries.

Indian Rocks – To avoid accidently stepping on a Stingray (and being impaled by their tail), beach signs warn to “Drag Your Feet” when wading in the Gulf waters.

Madeira – Lots of beachside bars, surf shops, barefoot diners, deep sea fishing, parasailing.

Treasure Island – Dolphin watching, water sports, wave runners, snorkeling, shell collecting, dinner cruises.

St Pete Beach – A maritime themed destination where you get Shipwreck drink specials, buccaneer seafood in a Pirate lounge, Captains Treasure cave, etc.

Things we Observed:

- All of the streetlights are mounted on cable that runs diagonally across an intersection. Sometimes there are 18 sets of lights dangling above you and the ones you need to watch are hidden behind the sun visor.

· There are lots of “street legal” golf carts in downtown Tampa.

Things we Learned:

· Tampa has been an active merchandizing area since the 1500’s.



June’s Comments:

We are enjoying the Sun’N Fun Resort. There is no shortage of activities and planned events. We went to see a band called “4 to 5” and they were absolutely awesome! They played without any musical instruments and instead provided their own back-up sounds and rhythm by using their voices, hands and feet. Amazing!



A number of the women in the park said that we should see St. Armands Circle. We drove through it on our way to Clearwater but didn’t spend any time there. I noticed the shops are the usual up-scale type like Coach, Tommy Bahama, Hilfiger etc. and the area actually reminded me of Rodeo Drive in Palm Springs. I read their calendar of events. They included the “Ford Mustang and Shelby Show”, “Porsches in the Park”, “Smooth Jazz on St. Armands” and “Ferraris on the Circle”. I don’t think I’ll be shopping there but it might be fun to walk around and see the sights.



I really enjoyed watching the Oilers as I had not seen an Oiler game since 1987. Tampa is a beautiful city and not nearly as busy or crowded as I thought it would be. Ybor Centro reminded me of the Distillery District in Toronto. The buildings are ancient and have been made into little bars, cantinas and up-scale restaurants.



Christmas will be here in nine days but it is hard to get into the Christmas spirit. Some of the residents have decorated their park models, RV’s and golf carts so at least that adds a little seasonal cheer. We have invited a few neighbors over for Christmas dinner as I am going to cook a turkey just to keep up the tradition. It sure wouldn’t feel very Christmasy if we didn’t have turkey. There is a Christmas Eve non-denominational church service in the park and I think it would be nice to attend. Also, a number of residents are having a parade of golf carts and going up and down the streets caroling on Christmas Eve then they are meeting at the hall for appetizers and a few drinks so should be fun.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562897/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562897/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562897/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:09:34 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Sarasota, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

These are the straightest roads we've been on since leaving Saskatchewan – we actually went 11 miles without a curve - we were scared, thought we were headed back to Regina! However, the corridor crossed a variety of natural habitats – rivers, floodplains, lakes, wetlands, ridges, barge canals and uplands. We spotted numerous wild turkeys, whitetail deer, tortoises, squirrels, shore birds, waterfowl, alligators and even blue jays. It is dotted with trails, recreational areas, picnicking, fishing opportunities and miles of scenic places. The closer we got to St. Petersburg, the busier it got and the highway widened out to 6 lanes. For 30miles north of Tampa, the highway goes through one long series of numerous towns all joined together – it’s very crowded. Then we crossed 5.5mile long Sunshine Skyway bridge into Sarasota – the suspension cables are strung out to form the rays of sunshine and is quite spectacular. It is considered to be one of the "Top 10 Bridges" in the World and is the "flag bridge" of Florida which is used extensively for filming new car commercials – especially when the cruise ships go underneath.

SARASOTA – We are staying at the Sun’N Fun RV Resort – fantastic! There are over 1400 sites and 3 lakes – for fishing, boating and another for alligators. There’s even a canal running through the middle- it has lots of grass carp. The people are unbelievably friendly and helpful – a “Welcoming Committee" helped us park and when they discovered that our site had only 30amp power vs the 50 we requested, an electrician was at the site within 10 minutes to rectify the situation. We’re on a short one-way street with virtually no traffic; next door is a building called “The Cottage” which is used sparingly for bridge tournaments, card games, quilt making, etc. Looks like a good place for a party. Within minutes our neighbors introduced themselves - Jerry & Joan told us that their golf cart is available any time we want. Kevin & Donna (from Portland, Maine) have been coming here for 16years, and know everything about the area. Doug is from Orillia; Dale is from Barrie and both have been coming here for 3 years - let’s have a beer. In the evening, we went for a walk around the Resort. June stepped on a snake, it wrapped around her leg then slithered across her toes into the grass – she quickly expelled a discouraging word.

Places we Visited:

Lido Beach / Longboat Key / Anna Island – A slender chain of barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico which are full of golf courses, garden hotels, retirement condos, vacation rental properties and trendy shopping areas along pure white sand beaches. The swanky $6million houses all have expensive boats in their backyard canal systems and most streets are treed oak tunnels. These tunnels are protected by Sarasota County and nobody is allowed to cut, prune or destroy them – they are majestic. Driving through them feels like you’re in a park, it’s beautiful.

Things we Observed:

- There are no mosquitoes, probably because there are lots of geckos – most are 3inches long.

· All ponds of water have numerous turtles – about 12inch diameter and are very fast in the water.

· The water table is very high. Nearby, a construction crew is installing new water/sewer lines and their ditches are almost full of water. Pumps and sand-points barely keep up. There is no gravel here – instead they use crushed lava rock, limestone or sea shells - all are very sharp.

· The weather reminds us of Hawaii. During the night, it’s very humid so towels get even damper; the vehicles, trees and awnings drip with moisture. After a heavy rain, the moles have dug 25 holes around our motorhome but the owls pick them off at every opportunity.

· When Edmonton Oilers play here, the best tickets go for $83; Pittsburgh Penguins = $1000; Bon Jovi = $2941

Things we Learned:

· If a mandatory evacuation order is given during an impending Hurricane, it is the owner’s responsibility to shut off the water and gas to his property before leaving.

· During a flooding condition, you are reminded that stagnant water may be energized because of an underground power surge OR venomous “Water Moccasin” snakes and alligators have washed in. Never question the validity of a barricade – even if it’s in a familiar area!



June’s Comments:

For the first 5 days in Sarasota, it rained. Evidently, this area is considered being in a semi-arid region so water rationing is quite common. The tap water is not good – it has a high chlorine smell so we buy bottled water for cooking and drinking. Bike trails throughout the RV Resort go through some scenic areas and some feel like you’re in a jungle – big palms, tangled vines, thick foliage.... Once in a while we’d hear a big splash from the alligators that are watching us. The incident with the snake on my foot freaked me out and after seeing a brown snake about three feet long and quite small around slithering beside the path we were walking on I am paranoid about walking through the grass. We were warned that if we are golfing and our ball lands on the edge of a pond don’t retrieve it. Place another ball one club length from where the ball lies and hit from there. I think I’ll keep our gophers, squirrels and geese!



I am having a difficult time trying to explain to the residents where we live. Some know about Edmonton because they know that is where Wayne Gretsky played. If I say we’re nine hours north of the Montana border they really don’t seem to know where Montana is... One woman asked me if Alberta is on the French side or on the American side. How do you answer that?



We are off to Tampa to see the Oilers play the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight. Jim arranged for us to stay at a hotel right down town and close to the arena so should be fun. He’s ready to cheer with his Oiler shirt and everything. I hope the Lightning fans aren’t too territorial because I’d like to get back to the hotel in one piece. I know Jim will do Alberta proud even if we’re the only Oiler fans in the building...
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562763/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562763/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261562763/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:07:38 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

There are huge, thick pine trees between Atlanta and Macon but the area around Macon is not a pretty sight. All of the trees are gone and only twisty scrub brush remains, almost reminds me of Sudbury. The city of Macon however, is full of trees with lots of fuzzy stuff in the air – it's from the cotton fields. Surprisingly, cotton grows on fairly large stocks (about half the height of corn) that are grey in color when dried. Several fields were harvested and the cotton was baled up like loaves of bread (about the size of a semi trailer). It seems like each quarter of land produces about 8 loaves. Georgia is known as the Peach State but we didn’t see any – lots of pecans though. At the very south end of Georgia we started seeing those huge trees that have long strings of moss hanging off of them. The branches completely covered the 4 lane highway so we drove through the tunnel of trees, again. At the Florida state line, we saw our first palm tree – it must have been planted here because we never saw another for quite a long way.

TALLAHASSEE – We stayed at the small but beautifully landscaped Tallahassee RV Park. It has a lot of flowering plants, shrubs, giant pines, magnolia, dogwood, cooing doves (that never sleep) and lots of songbirds. The downtown business district is relatively small, maybe 50square blocks. In the middle of it all is a "Chain of Parks" that extends for 7blocks with meandering sidewalks, benches, picnic tables, floral gardens and fountains.

Places we Visited:

- Mission San Luis –The only 17th century Spanish / Appalachian mission in Florida that has been totally reconstructed from the archeological exhibits found here. Natives built two rectangular buildings (110x50ft) with 50ft high thatched roofs and another 120ft diameter (tee-pee style) building towering 100ft in the air – the whole thing is thatched. This “Council House” served as a meeting center for the native Apalachee tribe. Here, they performed their rituals, dances, ceremonies and prepared for war. When the meetings were over, it was converted to a hotel that could accommodate 300 native travelers. It had elevated beds (made of rails and straw) around its circular base. Under the beds, there are little smudge pits (countersunk in the dirt floor) that emitted smoke to keep the mosquitoes and other bugs away.

On this same hill, the Spanish (originally explored by Ponce de Leon) built a fort with the promise to co-exist with the prosperous locals. Very quickly however, the Friars imposed their Catholic rituals upon the tribe by forcing them to daily morning prayer, evening prayers, reciting the rosary, choir practice, baptisms, marriages, funerals and other religious bell-ringing ceremonies. The 1500 natives were also expected to feed and supplant the 45 Spanish guests and were routinely beaten for minor infractions. After enduring 54 years of this one-sided co-existence, the natives burnt their own buildings and left the place they had occupied for 12,000yrs. Without virgins, alter boys and the native’s protection, the Spanish Friars skulked off too.

· Florida State Capitol Complex – In the 1970’s, when the Old Capitol building was about to be demolished to make way for a new one, there was such an uproar that they built the new one around it. The new high rise style Capitol building is fronted by 9 stainless-steel dolphins leaping out of a very wide, multi-level cascading fountain. The Old one has lawn/trees in the front and is the only 3-domed provincial/state/federal building we’ve seen – one dome is over the Senate, one is over the House of Representatives chambers and the higher middle one is over the rotunda. Inside, we viewed the marble & brass chambers of the Supreme Court, Senate, House of Representatives and the Governors office. Other exhibits included interesting information on campaigning, elections, inauguration, personnel, immigration, civil rights, education, environment and future development. Surprisingly, about 10 percent of the buildings space was allocated to the media.

· Florida History Museum – Features exhibits of native people (Creeks, Tunica, Choctaw, Natches) culture, Spanish maritime history including several displays of salvaged shipwreck booty, British occupancy, Civil war, Seminole wars, Citrus production, etc. We didn’t know that Mastodons lived in North America but there’s a 12,000yr old skeleton of one discovered in the Wakulla Springs crater near Tallahassee. She’s a big ’un.

· St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge – Situated along the Gulf of Mexico and comprised of 7 salt and brackish marshes (each one being progressively saltier), hardwood swamps, pine flat woods and pine-oak uplands this area provides a habitat to thousands of bird and wildlife species. The trails go through areas called: Scenic, Primitive, Pond, Levee, Plum Orchard, Stony Bayou, Tower and Cedar Point – many people either horseback, cycle, canoe or kayak. Fish species are innumerable and include the illusive blue-nose dolphin and camouflaged, (eyeballs only) 7ft long alligators. Repeatedly, we were warned not to approach the bigger ones – you can see where they traverse because the grass is flattened like a beaver run. There are so many colorful birds that we had to buy a birdwatchers book to get in the loop. Luckily, we brought binoculars and bug-spray – they’re abundant. At the end of the 75miles of walking trails through cabbage palms, red cedars, slash pine forests, oak hammocks and marsh is a lighthouse marking the entrance to Apalachee Bay.

· Wakulla Springs – Located about 20miles south of Tallahassee, this is the largest and deepest springs in the world. Where the water comes out of the limestone hill, it is over a 125ft deep. Tarzan movies were filmed here as well as the “Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Joe Parther” and “Airport 77”. There’s so much water flowing out of the spring that it instantly forms a slow-flowing river, and; because of the warm climate and constant 68 degree water there are several tropical animals that live here. After eating at the intricately painted Lodge (with marble checker tables, a massive fireplace, grand piano and the worlds longest marble counters), we took a guided river cruise aboard an electric powered pontoon boat and spotted egrets, snake birds, grebes, loons, osprey, cranes, cuckoos, flycatchers, swallows, wrens, bluebirds, orioles, ibises, herons, turtles, 8ft long manatee (sea cow) and a hundred alligators. The biggest one recorded was “Ole Joe” – an 11ft 2inch monster that was shot by a poacher but was never caught. Everybody in the county knew Ole Joe so to confirm his existence his stuffed body is displayed in a glass case in the lobby of the Lodge. The boat trip was our highlight of Tallahassee – the scenery was ...........awe inspiring.

Things we Observed:

· Throughout the southern US, all of the 6 lane highways will not allow trucks (with more than 6 wheels) in the left lane.

· Whenever these highways were cut through rocks, the banks are stepped – it looks like bleacher seats at a stadium – kinda neat!

· The orange dirt in northern Florida is very sandy so the ditches are lined with a concrete trough. To slow down the water flow rate, this concrete is formed into very wide check-mark steps – if you ever hit the ditch, these things would launch you over the fence.

· The Crime & Punishment Museum is located in Arabi, GA

Things we Learned:

· We were amazed at the huge oak, hickory and pecan trees that grow in the area. We didn’t recognize the oak trees because the branches sported gray web-like strands of hair that hung down in long graceful clusters. Apparently, this is called “Spanish Moss” and is NOT part of the tree’s growth. It starts from spores that float in the air and lands on the trees. The humid climate combined with the warm temperatures help it to grow abundantly until the 4ft long strands look like they are part of the trees. Additionally, other seeds get caught in the dense moss and they grow into plants on the topside of the branches.

· The Tallahassee area has the highest concentration of America’s plantations, 71 in all.

· In 1861, the Florida territory declared itself an independent nation & broke away from the Union to become part of the Confederacy (mainly due to its dependence on slaves to work the cotton fields and newly elected Pres Lincoln’s intention to abolish the practice). After a 4 year Civil War it was back in as a state.

· From southeast Asia, Spanish Galleons brought silk, jade, spices and porcelain to Acapulco, Mexico THEN it was carried to the Gulf of Mexico, stored in Florida and shipped to Spain from here. Those trans-Atlantic crossings occurred in the spring, only – to miss the hurricane season. Pirates and buccaneers knew that too.

· The Philippines were named after Prince Phillip of Spain.

· You can estimate the size of an alligator by the distance between the nostrils and eyeballs – one inch equals one foot.



June’s Comments:

Tallahassee is a clean, beautiful city and it is fairly easy to find your way around town. The San Luis Mission was interesting to visit. I didn’t realize that the Appalachian natives were so “civilized”. Their lodges were well built and their concept of a “hotel” for travelers was well defined by the 17th century. They grew corn and other vegetables to supplement their high protein diet. The people of Tallahassee were very friendly and approachable. We stopped at a Double Tree Hotel restaurant for a cup of coffee. The waitress brought a full coffee decanter, two mugs, cream and sugar, etc and when we tried to pay for our coffee she insisted that “coffee’s on us today – thanks for stopping by”. She even objected when I left a few dollars for a tip. I was really impressed with the hospitality. Another thing we noticed, all of the museums, government buildings and attractions that we visited were FREE. Instead, there was a donation container at the entrance. It was Thanksgiving weekend so there were a number of families in the museums where the kids were busy with interactive activities that made learning American history fun. Also, I think it helps to instill national pride at an early age. Perhaps they wouldn’t have the opportunity to visit these facilities if they had to pay admission. And finally, if you’re shopping at Costco and an item is selling for a price ending in 97 cents, it’s being sold below cost. At Sam’s Club, if it ends with a “1” (i.e. 21, 31, 81 cents) – same deal.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257852568/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257852568/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257852568/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:04:56 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Along the Way:

After climbing one more mountain range, we were in Georgia. Although it rained during our trip, we could see the surroundings were getting greener.

CARTERSVILLE – A town 35miles NW of Atlanta where we stayed at the Allatoona Landing Marine Resort. Allatoona Lake has 175miles of shoreline and is quite heavily developed with an army recreational area (don't know what that means & we weren’t allowed through the gates to ask) and lots of cabins. There are very few big houses but several fixer-upper shacks and even more old trailers with blue tarps on them – they should be demolished. To accommodate the spring snow melt in the mountains, this lake and most reservoirs have been drained as a precautionary measure to avoid flash floods. The old Dixie Hwy runs through here and in the 1800’s it was the main thoroughfare between Chicago & Miami so the entire area has innumerable Civil War battlegrounds. On one occasion, the Union forces stole one of the Confederates railway steam engines (the Rambler) and got it as far as Virginia before it was stolen back.

ATLANTA – A very modern looking downtown – actually, it has two. Old Atlanta (located 6miles to the north) is quickly being modernized with brand new buildings and just about every major hotel (Hyatt, Marriot, Westin, etc) have built duplicate hotels there. They’re huge with very impressive entrances/lobbies complete with valets, bellboys & door men. The largest department stores are there too. The residential district of the historic section has several miles of mansions – they’re all situated on 2-3acre lots and the trees surrounding them are massive. This multi-cultural city has everything – friendly people, trees throughout downtown, lots of beautiful little parks full of statues, very clean, no graffiti anywhere, and reasonably priced (all day parking was $5) – no wonder it is the convention capital of North America. We loved it!

Places we Visited:

- CNN Headquarters – The behind the scenes tour of the worlds largest news network gave us an exciting glimpse of how television news is formatted and reported. It was broadcasting in action. We were explained how the highly qualified 200+ staff gather, film, edit, produce, direct and report it Then, we saw it live at CNN & HLN! Got to see some of the people we watch everyday as well - sportscaster Larry Smith, news anchors Rachel Kerry, Tony Harris & Chuck Roberts and, weatherman Chad Myers. The building is triangular in shape, 11 stories tall; open in the middle, the lobby looks like a food court in a mall, and has the longest unsupported escalator in the world that goes up into a huge globe adjacent to the 7th floor. Evidently, CNN gets over one thousand applications for work each week – they’re quick to point out that they don’t read any of them. If they want you, they already know about you.

· Olympic Park – A 21acre parcel of land in the downtown sector surrounded by CNN, the Aquarium, World Congress Center, Philips Arena (where the NHL Atlanta Thrashers play), Children’s Museum and the Georgia Dome (home of the NBA Atlanta Hawks) that was developed for the 1996 games. Eight magnificent "Greek Hermes Towers" encircle a plaza displaying the 23 national flags of previous Olympic hosts. Its centerpiece is a pool called the Fountain of Rings where hundreds of water jets (embedded into the Olympic rings symbol) are synchronized to music & lights.

Several cascading waterfalls flow through floral gardens, rocks and treed sections that make up the Quilt Plaza. Having never been to an Olympic site, we found the “quilt” (actually, its five small themed areas) to be very informative. They tell the story of the Atlanta Olympic Games and are called the:

Quilt of Dreams – Recognizes citizens of Atlanta and their quest to bring the games here.

Quilt of Remembrance – A mosaic of stones from around the world to honor the 111 people injured / killed in the Olympic Park bombing.

Quilt of Origins – A symbolically Greek sculpture that progressively follows the athletes.

Quilt of Olympic Spirit – Statues that salute the 10,000 participating athletes. Numerous walkways lead to marble monoliths where inscriptions of ALL the winners in various sports are identified.

Quilt of Nations – Honors the 197 nations that participated in the games. It was the most, ever!

Throughout the year, this park hosts a variety of family oriented programs, concerts, kid’s entertainment, special events, firework displays and all of the traditional holiday festivities.

· Coca-Cola Museum and Factory – The tour provided insight on Coke’s history, heritage, artifacts, testing / quality assurance / bottling / packaging processes, influences upon pop culture and best television ads of their 450 brands. The tour included a 4-D presentation on the development of the secret recipe for Coca-Cola. We had to wear special glasses and we sat in theatre seats that moved, jostling us up & down and even poking us in the back once in awhile. There were blasts of air and we also got sprayed with mist a few times. When the presentation was complete we were ushered into the “tasting room.” There were 64 different products that are marketed around the world and included Fanta Orange, Minute Maid Lemonade, Grape and many drinks that we were not familiar with but are sold in countries such as Korea, Japan, Jamaica, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, etc. We sampled until the burps started tasting psychedelic and ended up washing it all down with a Classic. Amazingly, they sell 1 billion cans per day and their profit is a whopping 1 cent per can.

· Peachtree Center – A business district comprised of two identical towers. The place is swarming with security guards that were quick to advise us that (following the 911 attacks) absolutely NO pictures of the facility are allowed.

· Underground Atlanta – At one time this location was the terminus for two railroads, then a city was built on top of it. In 1989, it was reopened as a shopping district which is enlivened by musicians, entertainers and street traders. At night however, the place goes nuts – cops told us not to come here when it gets dark. One of the bars is called the Anatolia Cafe & Hookah Lounge.

· Woodruff Park – Adjacent to the underground, it’s a hangout for weirdo’s, buzzed-out / flipped-out dopers, preachers, panhandlers, rip-off artists and lots of cops. Everybody is watching everybody else. The older ones come here just to play chess, cards or dominos. There’s also a volunteer group of city ambassadors who amble about the downtown area and quickly spot tourists to give them excellent advice on everything about their gorgeous city. The experience was very pleasant, informative and greatly appreciated.

Things we Observed:

· There are lots of beat up old Dodges, Fords and Chevy’s rambling around the hills of West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia. Hunting season starts this week away so most drivers are wearing camouflage gear. There are NO Japanese, British or German auto dealers in hillbilly country.

· Hundreds of hawks in one bunch circling/gliding/souring about 100ft above the campground.

· Most of the business men wear shirts, ties & slacks, no suit jacket.

· Black people don’t talk to each other – and even though they’re 2ft apart, they holler to one another, very LOUDLY. Until we got used to it, we thought a scuffle was erupting. Even their clothes are loud. But they are polite, fun to talk to and very friendly.

· While talking, Georgians describing “plurals” comes in the form of: “The lake dropped 28 foot.” “Atlanta is 34 mile away.”

· In these parts, they call him President “Bama.”

· Our RV neighbors were Linda & her husband “Gentry” (from mid-Georgia on the Alabama line – so we don’t know where that is, it’s either east or west of us).



June’s Comments:

I realize that most of my comments start by complaining about the road, traffic and driving in general. But really, fourteen lanes of traffic on the I-75 and cars are still bumper to bumper. It took us about an hour-and-a-half to come home from downtown – about 30 miles! Like most large cities Atlanta has a real challenge of dealing with the homeless and high crime rate, but the city itself is very clean and we found the people in it friendly, helpful and courteous. All in all, it was a memorable experience.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261554079/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261554079/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1261554079/tpod.html Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:43:54 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Homestead, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

It's over an hours drive from Key Largo to the mainland and most of it is lined with a chain link fence to protect the wildlife. The highway centerline is one long jersey barrier and the ditches have numerous signs reminding us that we’re on a hurricane/tsunami evacuation route. To prevent critters from digging underneath, the fence line has gravel buried along it.

HOMESTEAD – Located just south of Miami, it’s in the middle of a large farming community growing avocados, green beans, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, bananas, dates, pecans and peanuts. Right now, they’re planting tomato plants. The elevated rows are about 4ft apart and covered in black plastic. One guy walks along and pokes a hole every 2ft and some-one-else inserts a 3inch plant. I guess it retains moisture and eliminates weeds. Most of the workers are either Cuban or Mexican. Numerous nursery farms grow several varieties of trees, shrubs and bedding plants for the retail market.

For some reason, all we hear about are Florida Oranges. Florida not only has the beautiful weather but they also have an abundance of fresh water.



June’s Comments:

We took our time driving back through the Keys and spent a night at the small town of Homestead to visit our friends Jacquie & Yvon from Kincardine, Ont. Their relatives were visiting so we booked into another quaint place called "Grove Inn Country Guest House." Located on an old plantation and completely surrounded by big palms (with a treed garden with tropical trees from all over the world), the place was a refurbished old building with about 20 rooms, all decorated with antique furniture. Paul, the 60 years old highly educated eccentric owner had been a music director for Tina Turner and Brian Adams, but currently is the Director of Fine Arts Programming in the County. Our room included breakfast the next morning so as we ate he told us everything about his community and southern Florida history. He had been married and talked about his daughter who was very active in the community and was an accomplished dancer and obviously was the light of his life. She was killed in a car accident in April, 2008 at the age of 19. He asked if he could sing a song that he wrote with the proceeds from the sale of the recording to go to the Angel Network. He played a piano and sang “The Angel in Me” - it was very touching. He wished us a Merry Christmas and gave us a Christmas coffee mug filled with candy. It was an unusual but very moving experience....
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259652234/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259652234/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259652234/tpod.html Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:27:12 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Cedar Key. FL, Florida, United States

Along the Way:

We were surprised that pine trees grow so thick and tall this far south. There are numerous logging/lumber companies (including Georgia Pacific) along the entire drive from Tallahassee and they've replanted every tree that was ever harvested. The rows of new growth are absolutely straight and spaced about 8ft apart so the new trees grow perfectly straight, quickly.

CEDAR KEY – What a beautiful little city! In 1993, it was voted the "Florida’s Best Rural Community." Of course, it has all of the tropical plants/trees/shrubs/climate and setting going for it. Located on Florida’s “Nature Coast,” it is surrounded by wildlife preserves, managed forests and the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico so the main industry is fishing, cruises, tours, seafood restaurants and kicking-back because it’s situated at the end of a one-way highway - there is no thru-traffic, no railroads, no interstate, no big trucks – it is very quiet, peaceful and slow-paced. They pride themselves on not having ANY traffic lights (many locals commute on bikes & golf carts). The main attraction area is where the old fishery buildings have been converted to a touristy, scenic, strolling, bar-hopping and fresh seafood restaurant locale. Some tasty entrees include: gator tail, raw oyster sandwich, frog leg burger, clams, craw fish, escargot and squid lips – gotta get me some! From the brand new fishing docks (the old wooden one was wiped out by a hurricane in 2003), most people fish for Black Drum, Sheepshead and Spotted Seatrout by shucking oysters and smashing the shells, putting the meat onto the hook and throwing the shells into the water to attract the fish. The water is very clear and the strong current flows north.

Places we Visited:

We wanted to see where manatees (sea-cows) spend their winters. They head up the Suwannee River for waters that are a constant 72 deg F and have abundant bluish-green algae for them to graze upon to grow up to 12ft long and weigh 3500lbs. Although they’re mammals and need to breath air every 15minutes, they don’t have internal lungs like humans. Instead, their lungs are located just under the skin on their backs. As a result, many get killed when cut by a propeller or impaled by a sharp object. We found them at:

- Manatee Springs – Amongst others, it was a treat to spot a mother & 3 month old calf only a few feet from us. Along the shoreline, signs provide warnings about alligators, ticks, mosquitoes, land snakes, water snakes and the dangers of swimming amongst sturgeon – apparently, several people are seriously injured by them every year. The roadways are marked with Turtle crossing signs. We also took a hike to view hundreds of sinkholes (caused by rainwater leaching through limestone).

· Fanning Springs – This is where thousands of Turkey and Black Vultures stay for the winter. The area is full of Magnolia, Oak, Holly and Hickory trees and right now the nuts are falling – they’re about the size of walnuts and impossible to crack by stepping on them. Actually, it’s pretty tough walking on the trails because it feels like you’re going to twist an ankle. We got our first glimpse of two armadillos foraging for grubs in the bush – they noisily rustle the leaves when they’re digging with their long snouts and make even more noise when they run through the underbrush. Their armored body is about 12inches long and the tail is about 9inches.

· Every natural spring is measured by its “Magnitude of Water Discharge” and rated on a scale of 1 to 6 – Manatee (a 3) discharges 150 million gallons per day, Fanning (a 2) about 50 million. Those that discharge over 400 million and are a 6.

Things we Observed:

· The further south we got, the more dead armadillos we saw along the highway.

· There are several state parks, wildlife refugee areas, etc that provide camping areas, bicycling/hiking trails, canoeing, kayaking, interpretive programs, swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling and other activities. Overall, our observation is that everything is very well laid-out, planned, expertly staffed with biologists/botanists and superbly maintained.

· Cedar Key is only about 4ft above sea level so Tsunami Evacuation routes are prevalent. Many houses are built 12ft off the ground. Most lawns are very patchy – probably due to the high salt content. Clam farms are a big industry here. The most common outdoor Christmas light is a cluster of 30 clear plastic cups (shaped into a ball) with mini lights drilled into them. Some crafty individual fashioned a large gorilla out of gunny-sacks and hung it off an oak limb that overhangs the street – it startles!

· The nearby island of Snake Key was once a place where people with yellow fever, scarlet fever, mumps, measles and cholera were quarantined.

· If you say “Thank you” they respond “Uhh Huh”

· You never get direction “to or from” a city location – it’s always “Go to Dixie County, It’s in Apalachicola County, Just North of the Ochlockonee County Line.” Duh, where’zat?

Things we Learned:

· At one time, Cedar Key had a factory that made most of the worlds red cedar wood used in pencils and also was a major sponge-gathering area.

· Polarized glasses allow you to see INTO the water rather than getting a reflection from the sky.

· In Florida, sinkholes are a major concern. They occur frequently so a government agency has published a pamphlet advising “What to do if a Sinkhole Forms.” Besides the occasional animal, they have also consumed septic tanks, wells, buildings and entire yards. Oh, and the landowner is liable for any loss or damage to others. Other publications relate to emergency preparedness regarding hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, fires, tsunami, earthquake, winter storm, hazardous spill/release....welcome to Florida.



June’s Comments:

I found groceries to be much less expensive than they are at home. For example, I bought a turkey for .68/lb, tangerine oranges are 8 for $1.00, cucumbers are 5 for $1.00, canned milk .58/can (at home I paid around 1.42). Pineapples are $2.49, eggs are 1 ½ dozen for $1.18, butter is $1.54/lb. We paid around $2.56 per gallon for diesel in Virginia but it went up to $2.74 here in Florida. The last oil change we had done on the car in Canada was close to $50 but we paid $27 here. We are still impressed with the friendly people we’ve encountered. It is hunting season and the other day a hunter rolled down his window when we were stopped at a stop sign and told us where to go to see the sights. We were at Manatee Falls today and ran into “Stanley”. He told us he is retired and moved to this area from Kentucky eight years ago. He also told us that he has been living with a lady friend for the past ten years. He is an avid hunter/fisherman and had killed two deer last week. Apparently he brought two deer heads into the house (he didn’t want them to deteriorate in the warm humid weather outside) and when the ladyfriend objected to it he told her that it was his house and if she didn’t like it she could leave. When we asked how many deer heads he has in the house he replied “Ten! I also have several other mounted animals and rugs on display. I ain’t gonna’ live my life based on somebody else’s rules. She knows she has it good I but I can’t rid her of me...” Sounds like a nice guy to live with! He also told us where to buy alligator meat and how to bread it with cornmeal and fry it in oil. I think I’ll pass. Sounds too close to rattlesnake meat to me!

This has been a very interesting part of the trip. There are so many new things to hear, see and learn. There are five different eco-systems here that are determined by the amount of alkali/salt in the soil, water and air. The variety of vegetation, birds and of course alligators and armadillos make sight seeing an adventure. Clear spring water, murky swamps, huge trees with roots that grow up out of the water, rivers crowded with little islands, sandy beaches and forests so thick that you couldn’t possible walk through them, shrubs smothered with vines and ivy, cows grazing in green meadows, huge pecan trees and orchards, farmed clam beds and small fruit stands and flea markets show the diversity of the industry and people. I am looking forward to spending the next four months in this beautiful state.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259650816/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259650816/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1259650816/tpod.html Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:04:06 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Sevierville, Tennessee, United States

Along the Way:

The drive from Wytheville, VA to Knoxville, TN is through a very wide valley – between mountain ranges. The highway has long gradual climbs, is lined with thick towering ferns and is so clean looking it looks like it's manicured. As expected, the phenomenal tourist info centers and rest areas continue..... they clearly indicate that you’re welcome and want you to come back. The nicest place was the border city of Bristol, VA/TN where they have NASCAR races (over 400,000 people show up).

SEVIERVILLE – We stayed here, at the River Plantation RV Park – a very nice facility. Our parking spot was at the river bank – we could see carp, a small silver fish (couldn’t catch 'em) and beavers. And, there are millions of birds. We don’t know recognize them but they ALL sing loudly... all day long.

Places we Visited:

PIGEON FORGE – This is home to country music festivals, magic shows, gospel choirs, the Dixie Stampede and Dollywood. The Parkway strip is full of hotels, hillbilly dinner theaters (including a show called Hoot & Holler or Shindig where home-boys play their one-string fiddles, blow on jugs and stomp around the stage in their work boots and coveralls), lots of attractions for kids including massive amusement/dinosaur parks, laser tag, arcades, zip line rides (longest in USA), whitewater rafting tours, horseback riding and a go-cart style NASCAR speedway and mini golf courses. Right now, they’re building a full sized replica of the Titanic – in the mountains!!!!!

GATLINBURG - Nestled in a valley of the Smoky Mountains this is a very colorful/ pretty town with Nordic, western and alpine themes all blended together. Basically a destination for walking/artsy shopping tourists, it receives more people than it can accommodate so trolleys bring people into town from parking areas a couple miles away. If you’re driving through, you’re OK but parking is a problem.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – Driving along the winding Little River Road (also called The Dragon because it has 318 curves in the first 11miles), there are so many scenic views that there are turnouts/pullouts every 1000ft. In some places, the sheer mountain cliff has been carved out so that you drive through a half tunnel – gives you an eerie feeling. It seems like a wave is about to push you into the raging river beside you. Every area of the park is named a Holler, Ridge, Gap, Trail, Branch, Knob, Cove, Arm, Prong, Top, Loop, Point, Spur, Butt, Run, Flat, Fork, etc.

We walked uphill 1.3 miles to view the Laurel Falls along a very narrow paved trail. Signs along the way reminded us "DANGER – High Vertical Drop-Offs Ahead. Deaths have Occurred" and another “DANGER – Bears are Active in this Area – Serious Injury and Deaths Have Occurred – Do Not Approach them.” Unbelievably, people were pushing kid strollers and were skidding to hold them back – some of the drop-offs were 400ft. Lots of people chickened out and turned around.

KNOXVILLE – The landmark of Knoxville is the “Sunsphere.” It is a 75ft diameter 24-karat gold tinted glass ball on a 266ft tower that marks the spot of the 1982 Worlds Fair. There are 5 levels in the sphere for dining, observing, events and conventions. We were surprised to learn that so many singers got their start here (at the famous Bijou Theater) including the Everly Bros and of course Tennessee Ernie Ford.

We also toured:

Volunteer Landing – An area along the Tennessee River that is filled with floral gardens, walkways, paddle wheelers, boat tour operators, house boat rentals and fancy dining. A vintage steam engine called the “Three Rivers Rambler” is also stationed there – it’s used during tourist season.

Blount Mansion – Located in the downtown sector, it briefly served as the capitol of Tennessee.

Market Square – A downtown street that’s been a farmer’s market area for hundreds of years. Now, the pedestrian-only strip is lined with lined with fancy little shops, galleries, antique stores, restaurants, clubs, boutiques and is a favorite nightlife hangout.

Marble Springs, the former homestead of Tennessee’s first governor – John Sevier. The farm derived its name from the Rose Marble quarry situated on his property. Being located at crossroads of two trails, he built his own tavern, loom house, smokehouse and a half cantilever barn for travelers.

Ramsey House, constructed from pink marble and blue limestone it is considered to be the finest home in Tennessee.

Things we Observed:

- Sign along the highway “Buckle Up – It’s a State Law so LIVE with it”

· Antique plaza sign “Stop & pet our Pet Pig” – it’s cement, its red, it has a bow and a sign hanging off of it that says “Sausage”

· At Hill Billy’s Village antique shop “All items Cash – Whiskey Stills FREE”

· Radio advertisers announce their locations by saying things like “We’re located on Parkway Ave between lights 3 and 4.” This street is about 5 miles long.

· Ad – “If you’re having ejectile dysfunction, visit the best fireworks store in the valley.......”

· A round bale shaped in the form of a gigantic turkey – very colorful and looked like the real thing. The wings and tail look like venetian blinds cut & colored to look like feathers.

· Gate entrances made from a de-barked tree. All of the branches are loaded with multi colored (and expired) wine bottles.

· Several flocks of wild turkeys in hay fields.

· We watch CBC / CTV / Global news and the concern regarding the swine flu & H1N1 is near hysterical levels in Canada. There are line-ups, shortages, parliamentary debates, etc, etc...... In the USA it’s not a news item - there are no reports of people dying from the flu here, ever. What pandemic??

· The Pardon name is very well known here and they own many of the businesses. Most people do not consider Dolly to be a BIG star – she’s just a local girl that cherishes her home town and gives the community a good name. Interestingly, Dollywood is NOT the biggest tourist attraction – the Smoky Mountains are #1.

Things we Learned:

· We lost engine power as we were entering Wytheville,VA and believed it was due to contaminated fuel from a Sunoco station, so the hunt was on for a Fuel/Water Separator filter. Of course the one we needed was nowhere to be found – we spent over a day looking. Finally the manager of “Speedco” helped immensely by locating 3 of them – I bought all of ‘em. The problem was a little piece of silicone (or plastic) that was obstructing the flow out of the bottom of the filter. They figure it came from the factory.

· Origin of the Hatfield/McCoy Feud. It actually started during the Civil War when the Confederate McCoy’s lived in Kentucky and the Union Hatfield’s in West Virginia – across the Tug River from each other. Each organized a company of raiders to harass each other so the grudge was always there. Six years later (in 1882), when both clans were present at an election polling station, ‘Devil Anse McCoy’ claimed that ‘Bad Lias Hatfield’ owed him $1.75 for a hog – Devil Anse was stabbed (26 times) and Bad Lias was shot by relatives. That night, three McCoy’s were taken across the Tug and shot to death in a paw-paw thicket. The feud was on!

· A pawpaw tree produces fruit the size of your palm and can easily be grafted to produce a banana/pineapple or custard/banana flavor.

· Twice as many people visit the Smoky Mountains than the Grand Canyon. And, they’re called the Smoky’s because of the clouds that form in them and then billow out from the valleys - it looks like smoke because they have a bluish haze.

· Sam Houston was born in Tennessee. Even without a formal education, he went on to become the Governor of Tennessee, Congressman of Tennessee, General of the Texas army, Governor of Texas, Senator of Texas and the President of the Republic of Texas.

June’s Comments:

I got a kick out of a flower bed that had a sign pushed into the dirt beside a well-trimmed plant that read, “This is your last chance – BLOOM”. This is a very picturesque area – rivers rushing over rock formations, green grass, thick cedars, blue skies and well marked historical sites. We drove to Dollywood but unfortunately it was closed for the season. It is evident that Dolly Parton had a real influence over the lifestyles and attractions offered in this area. It reminded me of Niagara Falls – very touristy with all the usual tourist spots i.e.: Guinness Book of Records, Aquariums, Amusement Park themes, lots of theatre productions trying to cash in on their share of the Dollywood market. The area is well known for the sale of local crafts – quilts, candles, pottery, blown glass and jewelry.

The walk up to Laurel Falls was quite a challenge but I was proud of myself that I made it to the falls. They were very nice but let’s face it – once you’ve seen Niagara and the falls in the Rocky Mountains anything else is a disappointment. Needless to say, the walk back (downhill) was a lot easier than the walk to the falls! The road through the Smoky National Park caused me some anxiety but the breathtaking views were well worth the trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257853336/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257853336/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimcabay/7/1257853336/tpod.html Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:46:00 -0500 Jim & June's Odyssey 091108 - Toronto

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Along the Way:

From Milton, we drove Hwy 25, the QEW to Fort Erie and I-90 from Buffalo to Erie, PA and then Hwy 79 through the Allegheny Mountains to Pittsburgh. There was smoke/haze/smog along the entire drive but the temperature increased from 42-75 deg F. We stayed at the KOA campground in Washington, PA (just south of Pittsburgh). You have to be a mountain goat to enter the park but the view is very nice – we're sandwiched between three mountains so there is hillside fall-foliage all around us – but its falling quick.

PITTSBURGH

Once known as the Steelmaking Capital of the World, today it is a hub for finance, medicine, education and advanced steelmaking technology utilizing robotics. And it has the 2009 NFL champion Steelers, 2009 NHL champion Penguins and Sidney Crosby (lots of people wear their jerseys). The world’s richest Bass Fishing Tournament is held here as well (winner gets $2 million).

Places we Visited:

- Point State Park – Located at the corner where the Allegheny, Monogahela rivers meet to form the Ohio River, it was the where numerous conquerors built their forts. Today, this city center park it is used for outdoor concerts. Spectacularly, its large fountains shoot water 150ft in the air.

· Nina & Pinta – Replicas of Christopher Columbus’ famous ships.

· Carnegie Science Center – A large interactive facility. Outside, there’s even a moored submarine in the river, the USS Requin – how’d it get here?

· Heinz Field – The football stadium where the Pittsburgh Steelers play.

· Strip District – A famous destination for dining and entertainment where by-gone era industrial buildings and warehouses have been converted into a bustling marketplace by day and trendy nightclubs, microbreweries and restaurants for night life enthusiasts.

· PPG Place – With its 231 glass & steel spires, this skyscraper is THE landmark of downtown Pittsburgh. It covers 6 city blocks.



Things we Observed:

· Due to the convergence of three rivers, this should be called the City of Bridges – there’s one every 2 blocks. They’re all suspension bridges (some are double decker) and painted yellow.

· The city is unbelievably hilly so half of its area is uninhabited. The roadways run in the valley – businesses and houses lining each side. There are very few back streets because the rock hills go straight up behind the existing buildings. Every ridge however, is covered with houses.

· Surprisingly, the very slow flowing wide rivers are very busy with barge traffic, sightseeing riverboats, there’s even a Port Authority????? – we’re in the mountains!!!

· There are lots of huge, massive, grand, opulent churches.

Things we Learned:

· Several of the world’s travel magazines have designated Pittsburgh among the top 10 destinations. No doubt, they certainly have more-than-average riverfront vantages.



June’s Comments:

I’m sure that Pittsburgh holds the record for having the highest, biggest skyscrapers in the smallest area. The buildings are a real mix of modern, eclectic and old 18th century architecture. I personally was not impressed with the city itself. Maybe the lack of fall colors, smell of damp, moldy leaves, detours and construction projects influenced my impressions. It seemed very crowded and we found it hard to get around as there were so many small highways and freeways competing for space and crossing each other to include the numerous bridges. Several one-way streets only added to the confusion. A number of the tourist attractions were closed for the season and the main parks not only lacked color and cleanliness but were also under construction.
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