Hey
24/09/10 Our long drive North has started, Passing through the Southern states of Georgia and the Carolina's on the way up the East coast. Our journey passed the ex Cotton plantations still surrounded by fluffy white cotton fields now private farms, We stopped to do some cotton picking ourselves before staying in Savannah a picturesque city of a French design and a sober New Orleans feel, Myrtle beach (a chavy beach resort) and then the highly prestigious Outer banks of North Carolina where every house seems to have at least 10 bedrooms in Kill Devils hills, Driving ever northward through West Virginia on the historical trail of the civil war still enjoying glorious sunshine at a pleasant 90 degree's
27/09/10 It's raining and we are in Washington DC, Grey buildings with Greco/roman facades, We did the whole tour, White house, Washington monument, Lincoln memorial, Pentagon, Arlington cemetery with the graves of the Kennedy brothers and the really impressive Korean war memorial. Outside the White house the police started moving the crowds away from the front, then 2 fire appliances arrived followed by the Presidential helicopter with OB (to his friends) waving to crowd (he didn't stop and say hi) A full day we were still snapping the photos of Capitol hill at 8.30pm (way past bed time),
29/09/10 Philadelphia probably my favourite American town so far with loads of history and original cobbled streets, The Liberty bell, the original Senate and Congress buildings and yes we did run up the Art museum steps immortalised by film Rocky in 1975, We bounced around shadow boxing and waving our hands in the air singing the theme tune along with a bus load of Japanese tourists (I do have Rocky Oonagh on video)
With Tropical storm Nicola pushing up behind us, Causing mass flooding and up rooting tree's We changed our plans and decided to head West starting our own version of the Oregon trail in a never ending journey to Mount Rushmore. Through the great Colours of the fall in Pennsylvania and Ohio are really a sight to behold and not appreciated until seen for real.. A fine decision after watching the storm on tv news
02/10/10 Chicago Illinois, Absolutely freezing, Looking stupid we made our first stop the shops, jeans, shoes and coats the temperature has dropped 36 degrees in a few days. We visited the 103rd floor of the Sear tower, It started to rain again which cut the visibility down with the neighbouring towers hidden in the clouds, which was a shame, We still attempted the open top bus tour which was abandoned due to the driving rain, even down stairs was a wash, the famed Chicago wind blew so hard the waves on the lake were so big you could surf, rougher than any sea we've seen
The following day we visited our Wisconsin cousins, The Baileys of Elkhorn, They really spoilt us with a early Thanks Giving dinner with all the trimmings, A great day, Oonagh and Katrina had the family photo albums out, much chortling and giggling.(scanners are wonderful things)
04/10/10 Our road trip carried on across the Great plains of Minnesota 276 miles of Corn as far as the eye can see, Only changed by the dust clouds made by the hundreds of combines racking in the harvest and the odd wind farm. The following day the scenery changed to the vast prairies of South Dakota this time miles and miles of grass and cattle (315 miles), We broke the monotony with a visit to Laura Inglles home in De Smit, her school, Pa's home etc from little house on the prairie fame, We had lunch on a converted train diner which included a locomotive and 3 carriages absolutely in the middle no where (no track, who knows how it got there)
Yip pee after 2 days we finally made it to the Badlands and the Sacred Blackhills at Rapid city.(Sanity only just still in tack)
06/10/10 We visited the national monument of Mount Rushmore the huge jaw dropping granite carving of the 4 ex presidents and the still unfinished Crazy horse memorial which will eventually dwarf Rushmore, they are carved 12 miles apart into the blackhills, Our day finished in the pioneer / cowboy town of Deadwood, a sort of Bonanza meets Vegas, a mock cowboy town full of slot machines and bars. The graves of Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane and other pioneers are high above the town in Mt Moriah cemetery.
08/10/10 After travelling East again for 2 days through 3 time zones and 3 states we are in North Michigan Surrounded by the great lakes (so much water) and the spectacular colours of the fall again and about to make Canada tomorrow and maybe wear our coats (Oonagh wants to wear her boots again) as the weather has been freakily record high since we left Chicago (In the mid 80's)

Photos to follow (Dam modern technology)

Ya'll have a Fabulous day , the Chaffers