Oct 01, 2013: Philadelphia - United Kingdom
Some people have an extension, most will fly home today. 1 group around 16.40, another at 21.50hr. At 9am a city tour and then free time until departure.
Liberty Bell
Chinatown Gate
Philadelphia Art Museum, steps which "Rocky" ran up
Rocky Balboa
Christ Church
View of Downtown
Readings Market: Pennsylvania Dutch
Two transfer to theairport today: at 14.00 and 18.00 hour. The majority, including me, with British Airways, in the evening.
Good plane and good flight to Heathrow. I had to to take the Transit Lane to get to my flight to Amsterdam. Luckily the Amsterdam flight was delayed. Which was good, because of the disgrace that is the security check for transit passengers, I would have missed my flight if it had departed on the regular time (10 passengers complained about the Transit security procedure, very slow...........)
Sep 30, 2013: Alexandria - Amish - Philadelphia
We left the hotel at 9am. Going to Amish Country and after stopping there for lunch and shops
we are doing a guided tour of the back roads and visit a quilting store.
Men and Boys clothing.
Quilts
Horse and Buggy and Mule
Buggy's
We got to the hotel in Philadelphia by way of Chinatown (after checking in, people good walk with me for a 30 miutes orientation on foot)
Sep 29, 2013: Alexandria - Washington DC - Alexandria
We were at the Arlington Cemetery at 08.15hr. The second bus there. 1 hour later, the parking lot was full.
Robert E. Lee's House
Unknown Soldier: changing of the Guard
White House
Lincoln Memorial
Vietnam Memorial
Korea Memorial
Franklin Roosevelt Memorial
Last stop at Indian Museum. Free time until 17.30 hour
Natural History
Air and Space Museum
back to the hotel.
Sep 28, 2013: Richmond - Alexandria
Long day today. Leaving the hotel at 0.800 hr. On the way to Alexandria (8 miles from Washington DC), we are visiting Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house, through the Blue Mountains. Tonight an evening tour of Washington DC.
Monticello
Waiting for the House Tour
Kitchen
Blue Mountains
Washington by Night - White House
Lincoln Memorial
World War II Memorial
Back to the hotel. There was an Indian pre-wedding party going on
Up early again tomorrow.
Sep 27, 2013: Richmond
A day trip to Jamestown and Williamsburg, At 09.00am the local guide got on the bus. 1 hour driving to Jamestown, the first British settlement on the American continent
Emily, the local guide
Life in Jamestown, the first settlers
Pocahontas, the Disney version
Williamsburg
Colonial Houses
Actors wearing traditional clothing
Basil plant
16.45 we were back at the hotel.
Sep 26, 2013: Leland - Richmond (Virginia)
We are leaving North Carolina and going to Virginia. It rained last night, but now the weather is great.
Coffeestop
We had lunch in a mini mall: Blimpies, McDonald, Long John Silver. Enough choice for everybody.
Once we got into Richmond we went straight to Monument Avenue, with it's beautifu houses and statues
Jefferson Davies, first and only President of the Confederacy
Robert E. Lee
Stuart, brilliant strategist
Down Monument Ave to the Capitol. We had just enough time (they close at 17.00hr) to visit inside.
Thomas Jefferson
Congress Chamber
Robert E. Lee
Assembly meeting
We were at the hotel at 17.30hr. Tomorrow we are going to Jamestown and Williamsburg
Sep 25, 2013: Charleston - Leland (North Carolina)
Not a long day driving. After a coffeestop in a Walmart we stopped for lunch in a Golden Corall. We are meeting a local guide in Wilmington at 14.30 for a 2 hour city tour. Bob, I think he is a preacher..
The Waterfront
We are staying in the Best Western in Leland, 15 minutes away from Wilmington. No restaurant in house, but a couple of places nearby.
Sep 24, 2013: Charleston
Today we are doing a city tour and a visit by boat to Fort Sumter, The local guide is retired military.
Visit of the "Citadel", a military Academy
Chapel
The Ferry Boat to Fort Sumter
We went on the boat to Fort Sumter at 12.00 o'clock and were back at 14.00 hr. There is a free trolley that runs through Charleston, but I decided to walk 15 minutes to the "City Market".
One of the first buidlings in Charleston, now a "touristy" attraction
Free time! Tomorrow we leave at 08.30 for Wilmington
Sep 23: Savannah - Charleston
The sun is coming out. We are visiting the Magnolia Plantation.
First a nature tour by tram
Rice field and swamp
Turtle
Alligator
Blue Heron
One of 4 cabins where the slaves lived.
Plantation House
View from the back porch
We were at the plantation for 4 hours, after that we went to the hotel in Charleston.
The Holiday Inn. An old water tower refitted as a hotel.
View from the restaurant on the top floor
Tomorrow we have a morning city tour and in the afternoon an optional river cruise and visit of Fort Sumter where the Civil War officially started.
Sep 22, 2013: Savannah
Not much sleep because of the noise outside. Got up at 3.30am and did some work. I went for a run at while it still dark.It was warm and a light drizzle.
09.00 Met with people in the lobby who had signed up for a horse carriage ride.
We walked to their office and waited while 3 carriages pulled up, one after the other.
The ride takes about 50 minutes, after that everybody is free to explore Savannah on their own.
Waterfront along the Savannah river.
City Hall
Sep 21, 2013: Atlanta - Savannah (South Carolina)
We left late, after lunch, so that people had time to go to the CNN center, Coca Cola, or relax.
Rain along the way. By the time we got to Dublin, for a bathroom stop in a Walmart Super center, it had stopped.
At 17.45 we were at the hotel. The front desk had the right amount of rooms on their copy of the rooming list, but missing 3 key envelops. That took time to sort it out. But everybody had rooms, and their luggage around 18.20.
I had to go a parking garage with the driver for a street parking permit for the bus. It is Saturday, lots of people at Ellis Square and the restaurants.
And as I found out later that night, very noisy.
Sep 20, 2013: Atlanta
We left at 08.45 from the hotel. Past the Atlanta Brave baseball stadium we drove to the Cyclorama.
Civil war reenactment in front of a huge oil painting.
Past the Olypic stadium to the Marten Luther King Center of Non Violent Social Change
It was about 30 degrees....
Shotgun houses, across from the house where Marten Luther King was born
Georgia Capitol
Atlanta skyline
At 12.15 back at the hotel. Lunch time. After lunch to Stone Mountain.
Stone Mountain Memorial
View from Stone Mountain
Way in the distance, downtown Atlanta
after Stone Mountain, back to the hotel. Lots of traffic.....
Sep 19, 2013: Arrivals from the UK - Atlanta airport
4 planes arriving today: 4 people from Machester on Delta, 2 people from Heathrow on Delta, 1 from New York on American Airlines and the rest, later in the evening, on British Airways. Another guide, Terry, is helping with the arrivals. At 21.30 I arrived with the last and biggest group at the hotel. Tomorrow morning we do a City tour with Terry guiding. In the afternoon we are going to Stone Mountain.
Sep 16, 2013: Atlanta (Georgia)
I'm a couple of days ahead of the group. They are flying from the UK to Atlanta on Sep 19, I'm already here. Holiday Inn Express in Downtown Atlanta. Nice hotel. Completely refurbished.
Peachtree Street, with all the stores, clubs and restaurants is 3 blocks away.
from my hotel window I can see the CNN building
Bank of America building
On Peachtree an underground "Mall", shops and cheap places to eat.Mostly a lunch time crowd, people from office buildings. The Mall closes at 19.00hr. It is climate controlled. Mmmmm, something for the UK
Some people have an extension, most will fly home today. 1 group around 16.40, another at 21.50hr. At 9am a city tour and then free time until departure.
Liberty Bell
Local Guide in Costume
Good plane and good flight to Heathrow. I had to to take the Transit Lane to get to my flight to Amsterdam. Luckily the Amsterdam flight was delayed. Which was good, because of the disgrace that is the security check for transit passengers, I would have missed my flight if it had departed on the regular time (10 passengers complained about the Transit security procedure, very slow...........)
Sep 30, 2013: Alexandria - Amish - Philadelphia
We left the hotel at 9am. Going to Amish Country and after stopping there for lunch and shops
Men and Boys clothing.
Sep 29, 2013: Alexandria - Washington DC - Alexandria
We were at the Arlington Cemetery at 08.15hr. The second bus there. 1 hour later, the parking lot was full.
Demonstration
Natural History
Sep 28, 2013: Richmond - Alexandria
Long day today. Leaving the hotel at 0.800 hr. On the way to Alexandria (8 miles from Washington DC), we are visiting Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house, through the Blue Mountains. Tonight an evening tour of Washington DC.
Monticello
Sep 27, 2013: Richmond
A day trip to Jamestown and Williamsburg, At 09.00am the local guide got on the bus. 1 hour driving to Jamestown, the first British settlement on the American continent
Sep 26, 2013: Leland - Richmond (Virginia)
We are leaving North Carolina and going to Virginia. It rained last night, but now the weather is great.
Coffeestop
Once we got into Richmond we went straight to Monument Avenue, with it's beautifu houses and statues
Stonewall Jackson
Sep 25, 2013: Charleston - Leland (North Carolina)
Not a long day driving. After a coffeestop in a Walmart we stopped for lunch in a Golden Corall. We are meeting a local guide in Wilmington at 14.30 for a 2 hour city tour. Bob, I think he is a preacher..
Typical upscale houses in North and South Carolina. These are Victorians, but with a porch and columns.
Sep 24, 2013: Charleston
Today we are doing a city tour and a visit by boat to Fort Sumter, The local guide is retired military.
Sep 23: Savannah - Charleston
The sun is coming out. We are visiting the Magnolia Plantation.
The Holiday Inn. An old water tower refitted as a hotel.
View from the restaurant on the top floor
Sep 22, 2013: Savannah
Not much sleep because of the noise outside. Got up at 3.30am and did some work. I went for a run at while it still dark.It was warm and a light drizzle.
09.00 Met with people in the lobby who had signed up for a horse carriage ride.
Waterfront along the Savannah river.
Sep 21, 2013: Atlanta - Savannah (South Carolina)
We left late, after lunch, so that people had time to go to the CNN center, Coca Cola, or relax.
Rain along the way. By the time we got to Dublin, for a bathroom stop in a Walmart Super center, it had stopped.
At 17.45 we were at the hotel. The front desk had the right amount of rooms on their copy of the rooming list, but missing 3 key envelops. That took time to sort it out. But everybody had rooms, and their luggage around 18.20.
I had to go a parking garage with the driver for a street parking permit for the bus. It is Saturday, lots of people at Ellis Square and the restaurants.
Sep 20, 2013: Atlanta
We left at 08.45 from the hotel. Past the Atlanta Brave baseball stadium we drove to the Cyclorama.
Past the Olypic stadium to the Marten Luther King Center of Non Violent Social Change
The Church where Marten Luther King preached
Stone Mountain Memorial
Sep 19, 2013: Arrivals from the UK - Atlanta airport
4 planes arriving today: 4 people from Machester on Delta, 2 people from Heathrow on Delta, 1 from New York on American Airlines and the rest, later in the evening, on British Airways. Another guide, Terry, is helping with the arrivals. At 21.30 I arrived with the last and biggest group at the hotel. Tomorrow morning we do a City tour with Terry guiding. In the afternoon we are going to Stone Mountain.
Sep 16, 2013: Atlanta (Georgia)
Peachtree Street, with all the stores, clubs and restaurants is 3 blocks away.
from my hotel window I can see the CNN building
