South Carolina

We stopped in Eatonton, Georgia, to see the Uncle Remus Museum.  It was an interesting little place put together in two previous slave cabins.  There were some nicely carved depictions of some of the stories in shadow boxes, and some relics from the plantation in the museum, as well as some information on the plantation owner and his son who wrote out the stories.

 In Augusta, Georgia, we visited the Canal Interpretive Center and went for a wonderful ride on the canal in a battery powered canal boat.  It was a nice sunny day, and there were many egrets, herons, kingfishers, turtles, and ducks to be seen.  The old mule paths were evident along the way, and the bridges we went under were low and narrow, but we didn't have to duck!

Maj. Archibald Butt bridge
yes, we went under it!

a Confederate gunpowder factory



see the turtle?

We entered South Carolina and stopped for some BBQ.  This was Carolina Gold style, served with cole slaw, Carolina hash, hush puppies, and a roll.  I wasn't so sure I'd like it, not being much of a mustard fan, but I was surprised at how good it was.  The slaw had a little horseradish kick to it, but when you put the slaw and the pork together on the roll, it was delicious!  Carolina hash was really different too, made with pork, and served over rice. It was a great lunch!

We went to Swan Lake and Iris Gardens in Sumter for a nice walk around the lake next.  There were many different kinds of trees and bushes.  Even though the iris are not in bloom this time of year there were other pretty flowers to see.  They have every species of swan in the world there, and lots of them, as well as some ducks and geese.  I tried to get some of the swans to honk at me, but only the black swans were cooperative with their whistle. The lake was full of turtles too.  It was a wonderful walk and we really enjoyed it.

see all the turtles on the cypress tree?

We saw cotton fields as we drove...

The South Carolina Cotton Museum told the history of planting and harvesting cotton from its beginnings of personal use to modern day fields and machinery. There were several kinds of cotton to touch and they even had some machinery used to make cloth.  It was a great place!

We also went to the South Carolina Tobacco Museum.  It was very interesting to learn about tobacco farming and processing, and the history of tobacco in the US.  I think one of the best parts was the tour guide with his southern expressions and sense of humor! 

In Charleston, the Slave Mart Museum had a sad story to tell, but it was a big part of Charleston history.  The museum is in one of the actual Marts where the auction and sale of slaves took place.  The perspectives of the slaves, traders, and buyers were covered through the history.  We drove through the historic district, and they had some old streets with rocks in cement that were really rough to drive on, as well as some cobblestone streets.

We spent the afternoon at Boone Hall Plantation.  Driving in on the avenue of the oaks was glorious with the stately, old oaks dripping with Spanish moss.  We toured the big house, listened to a Gullah slave presentation of their life and how they survived, walked through the remaining original brick slave cabins, and took a tour of the grounds and fields on a trolley.  Since it is still a working farm, we saw lots of vegetables and fruit growing, including some very old pecan trees.



the avenue of the oaks





pecan trees

  slave cabin

We went to a great seafood place on a marshy island for dinner and had two local specialties. The Low Country Boil, or Frogmore Stew, was tasty and good, but the shrimp and grits was the best!  We even saw a beautiful sunset over the marsh while we were there.



shrimp and grits

frogmore stew

Fort Sumter was our next excursion.  It was a warm, sunny day and the ferry ride through Charleston Harbor was very pleasant.  We listened to the narration of some historic sites along the harbor as we watched birds, dolphins, and boats out enjoying the day as well.  We walked around the remains of the fort buildings, and looked at the different kinds of cannons, and the flags flying in the breeze.  They fly all the flags that ever flew over the fort as well as the current US flag.  The small museum there even had the original union flag from before the Civil War (or War Between the States as they say). 

 

view from Charleston Harbor

 

 

 

We munched on some Benne Wafers, which are light, crispy, sesame, and really good.

 

 



In Savannah we toured the Historic District full of old, brick houses and businesses, squares which are parks, and cobblestone streets.  We stopped at Chippewa Square where they filmed part of "Forrest Gump", then we drove past the Old Cotton Exchange with its majestic lions out front, and many other historic buildings, including the first established African American Baptist church.  We stopped at the riverfront area and went to the famous Waving Girl statue too. 

Waving Girl

Cotton Exchange

First African American Baptist Church

Chippewa Square

 

 We had a sumptuous meal at Mrs. Wilkes, which is served at long tables family style. After the feast of okra and tomatoes, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, beef stew, turnips, collard greens, butter beans, corn on the cob, sweet potatoes, gravy, cole slaw, red rice, cucumbers, rice, black eyed peas, green beans, field peas and beans, squash, biscuits and cornbread, peach cobbler and banana pudding....I think we rolled out of there!

Great Smoky Mountains

Fall colors on the road

One of the most beautiful National Parks we have been to so far is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  It was simply gorgeous!  The air was crisp and cool, the trees were at peak Fall colors, and the deer running along the side of the road made it so I didn't want to leave.  There was thick fog at the top of the mountains so we couldn't go all the way to the top like we wanted to, but the vistas we did see were well worth the visit.

see the fog?

see the fog over the colorful trees?

At the bottom of the mountains was a strange little town.  It had unusual, fake-looking attractions like an upside down building, King Kong climbing a building, the Hatfields and McCoys dinner show, lots of mini-golf and go-carts with strange names (even one with flying pigs),  a castle, a lumberjack feud show, something that looked like Mt. Rushmore with other people on it, several Mellow Mushroom Pizza restaurants, and even the Titanic crashing into an iceberg!  I began to wonder about the mushrooms on the pizzas they were serving!

From there, we drove to Morristown, where we visited the Crockett Tavern and Museum.  It was a fascinating recreation of the family tavern built on the site originally owned by the Crockett family.  The tavern had interesting frontier artifacts, and a lot of history and biographical information about Davy Crockett on the tour. 

Cumberland Gap, KFC, and the Appalachians

We drove into the Appalachian Mountains next, stopping at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park to see the first "Gateway to the West".  We went up to the park along a winding mountain road, and imagined all the people who trudged through here on only a dirt path, probably on foot, seeking a new life. 

 

At the park, we watched a video about Daniel Boone and his determination to make it to Kentucky, and how he led people through the Gap, even losing two of his own sons while doing so. 



You can see where Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky meet



Looking down into Powell Valley, where Daniel Boone led everyone through the Gap into Kentucky

 

Look, I'm in two places at one time, Virginia and Kentucky!

 

We drove down the mountain into Corbin, Kentucky, to the Sander's Cafe and Motel.  Although the motel is now gone, the Cafe is still there.  This is where the Colonel started frying up chicken to serve to hungry patrons along the Dixie Highway.  When the big highway was built bypassing his cafe, he went national with his Kentucky Fried Chicken.  We had lunch there and enjoyed the displays.

 

 

the first KFC

the Sanders Cafe original kitchen

 

some vintage menus and photos

Next we went to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, known as the Niagara of the South.  The falls here were very pretty.  We walked out to the falls and stood in the cool mist enjoying the green water spilling over onto the boulders below. 

 We left Kentucky and went to Clinton, Tennessee, to the Museum of Appalachia.  Here we saw some homes, buildings, pictures of people and their stories, a schoolhouse, church, barns, animals, and everything you would expect to find on a homestead in the Appalachians. They even had the original home of Mark Twain.  We saw some interesting homemade items including furniture, baskets, quilts, and musical instruments (including some made from hubcaps and toilet seats). 

There is a cold front moving through with nights in the 30s, and frost in the mornings.  Fall weather is here!

Washington D.C., Round 2

Back in DC for our scheduled tours!  Since we had to book them 3 months in advance for clearance, we just worked around it and returned. We drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains to get back to the D.C. area, stopping to look at the gorgeous vistas along the way.

 

While in Fredericksburg, VA, we picked up some hot, boiled peanuts to try them and decided we have not acquired the taste for them; but we did like the Virginia ham we picked up too!

 

 

 

We spent the first day at the Pentagon.  We were restricted as to what we could bring, but were able to drive to the nearby mall and park and walk to the security entrance.  We went through security and into the waiting room for our tour.  We could only take pictures inside the waiting room.  Then we were escorted through two floors of the Pentagon past the shops (they have all kinds) and many offices, through the hallways filled with displays, paintings, and into the chapel that was built where the plane crashed on 9/11.  The displays were of many military heroes, and the 5 star generals. We went into two rooms dedicated to recipients of Medals of Honor (both military and the new civilian one) displaying samples of the medals and the names of all who have received them.  Our tour guides were a young sailor and a young cadet.  There were people in uniform of all the branches of the military everywhere, both inside and out.  It was a great experience. 

the outside looks like any other office building

the 5 branches of the military

Afterwards, we headed to Arlington National Cemetery.  Although it is not well marked, and GPS doesn't take you to the front gates, we eventually found it!  First we stopped at the Iwo Jima Memorial, which is now called the US Marine Corps War Memorial.  It was a great monument. 

Then we entered the cemetery.  We walked through the rolling hills to President Kennedy's grave site.  Very touching.  Robert Kennedy's grave is next to it, and they are building Senator Edward Kennedy's memorial next to his.  When they are finished, there will be a path connecting all three brothers.

President Kennedy's grave

We then walked to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and sat and watched the Army guard walk his 21 steps back and forth, clicking his heels while making perfect turns, guarding the tomb.  Then it was time for the changing of the guard.  It was a very respectful ceremony and we enjoyed being able to see it. 

changing of the guard ceremony

As we left the cemetery we marveled at the huge expanse and many rows upon rows of grave markers, and commemorative markers. They are still adding more, as two were buried there that we saw on the day we visited.












The next day we took the commuter train and the subway into DC to go to the White House.  We were more restricted on what we could bring, and it was a rainy day.  We got in line for the tour and went through more extensive screening here.  But it was such a great tour!  We went into the White House through the lobby where many pictures of past presidents and their families are displayed and visited two floors in the East Wing and central part of the house.  We saw the Red Room, the Blue Room, the Green Room, the Vermeil Room, the large East Room with the huge picture of George Washington that Dolly Madison saved, the State Dining Room, the Diplomatic Reception Room, the Library, the China Room, looked at pictures of past presidents and first ladies on the walls, and we even walked through the front entrance hall and out the front steps!  There were Secret Service men in every room, and some people asked the dumbest questions!  But it was self-guided, so we could stay as long or as little as we liked in each room.  We really enjoyed touring through and seeing these historic rooms we've heard about. 

the view from Pennsylvania Ave

the front door of the White House on Pennsylvania Ave. where we exited

Once back out on the street we hailed a cab and had a crazy ride to the Smithsonian National American History Museum.  What a great time we had there too.  After an expensive but delicious lunch in their cafeteria, we saw the First Ladies Inaugural Gowns, Julia Child's kitchen, the original Kermit and pals, and many other interesting displays.



Michelle Obama's Inaugural gown



the last 3 First Lady's Inaugural gowns

Mary Todd Lincoln's gown

We took the subway and the commuter train back at the end of the day.  We had two busy days with lots of walking and we were tired and sore, but it was so worth it!