Atlanta to Miami, September 2008

Doug’s annual conference was scheduled for Miami, so we decided to take an extended time and do a road trip. I had been to Savannah and Charleston in the past, but Doug had not and I was anxious for him to be able to see that part of our country. Since we were going to be down that way we decided to fly into Atlanta and drive to Augusta to see my brother Jon and his family while we were there. We flew into Atlanta on Wednesday night the 17th. We had hoped to be able to see a little bit of Atlanta however, our flight was delayed and when we got to Atlanta they were unable to find our luggage. There was another flight coming from Seattle in a couple hours so we decided to have dinner at the airport. That was a fun experience! We were eating dinner at one of the little bar and grills in the airport. The table next to us had ordered their food and beers. One gentleman had beer in his glass and suddenly it exploded! Beer and glass went everywhere. It was quite loud, and along with the commotion around their table there was a lot of confusion. One of the waiters came over to assess the situation and to get things cleaned up which included moving their table and cleaning the floor, the wall, etc. When one of the other waiters stopped by to see what in the world happened I started to explain it and as I moved my hand to show him I hit my coke glass and knocked it over! Is this how our stay in Atlanta is going to start? First the luggage, now the dinner fiasco? What next? We finally got our luggage and headed to our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn about 9:30. By then we were not hungry, and it was too dark to check things out. We were planning to get up early to head to Jon’s. In the morning I got up and went down to the pool when they opened at 6am. It was a nice, indoor pool and I had the room to myself. I had looked forward to swimming so it was enjoyable. As I was getting out of the pool and took one step on the floor the tile was just like glass and I started to go down without any way to stop myself. I fell hard on the tile, flat on my chest. I knew immediately that this was not good. I tried to get up but the floor was so slick that I could just crawl to one of the chairs on the side of the pool area. I finally made it up and went back to our room. I didn’t even want to mention it to Doug because of all the little things that had happened on our trips. It was becoming comical- and would have been if I wasn’t in so much pain. I was sure I had broken a couple ribs. We headed to Augusta in the morning to Jon and Joyce’s house. We got there about 11:30 and my brother Dave and his son Josh were there, as well and Jon’s son Tim and wife Julie. After visiting for a little while we all headed over to a local restaurant and had a great barbeque lunch. After lunch Josh had to go to work, but the rest of us went over to see Jeanine (Jon’s son Ben’s wife) and their new baby Madeline who was about 3 weeks old. We had a nice visit, and then we headed for the hospital where Ben was working so we could see him for a few minutes. They live in South Carolina on the border of Georgia, and Ben works at Aiken Regional Medical Center. Once we left after visiting Ben we were on our way to Charleston. On the way however we wanted to stop at South Carolina Barbeque to take something with us. Jon had taken us there a few years earlier and it was such a hit we wanted to try it again. It wasn’t too far from the hospital so Jon led us there and we picked up something and Jon took dinner home. I guess this was the day of BBQ – both lunch and dinner! We arrived in Homewood Suites in Mt Pleasant which was a suburb of Charleston. Once we got settled we headed downtown to look at the city. The weather was beautiful and we had time to look around for a little while before heading back to our hotel for the night. In the morning we went back downtown area and took a ride on the horse drawn carriage, getting the history of the area. Charleston has wonderful architecture and beautiful buildings. Rainbow Row is a group of row houses that are each painted a different color. We also took a walk around the town and went through the market area downtown. The market has some unique crafts specific to the area, including the sweet grass baskets which are weaved by hand. We walked down to Shem Creek Bar and Grill . The next morning we left the area and stopped at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens. The grounds are beautiful and it is rich with history of life on the plantation. We were able to walk on a self guided tour around the grounds and see the gardens, the different buildings, a petting zoo, and lots of nature trails. It was informative and very interesting. We left the Charleston area and headed over to Hilton Head Island where we had rented a condo through RCI exchange. Hilton Head Island is divided into sections called Plantations. We were staying at Port O’ Call Resort which was in Shipyard Plantation. We checked in at the business office in town where we got the keys, then headed to our condo. After we got checked in we drove down to the Lighthouse point and had dinner at The Crazy Crab Restaurant . We toured the area, then headed back to our place for the night. There was a nice patio and swimming pool. The weather was nice so I spent some time down at the pool. I was still in a lot of pain from my fall so it felt good to relax in the water. On Monday we were on the road again, this time on our way to Savannah. Once we got to town we checked in to our hotel, the trolley to get a feel for the area in the short time we planned to be there. One of the things we wanted to do for sure was schedule a dinner at Lady and Sons, the restaurant owned by Paula Deen. It is such a popular place they limit the time you can make reservations. While we were on the trolley, our guide indicated that we could get off in that area and see if they are taking reservations outside of the stated times. She said they often do that. We did and were able to make plans for that evening. Savannah is a pretty town, with cypress trees, beautiful flowers, and just a different way of life. The historical part town itself is made up of “squares”. Each one with it’s own name and uniqueness. After our trolley ride we took a walk around the area and visited the Colonial Park Cemetery which is in the middle of the historic district in town. There are graves and crypts dating back to 1750 and it is interesting to read some of the markers. There is also a sign that tells how during the civil war the union soldiers came in and demolished several headstones, and moved things around, changed dates, etc. so it is not unusual to find a tombstone that shows a person dying before they were born! That evening we went over to Lady and Sons and had a wonderful dinner. I had chicken pot pie that was to die for! The crust was flaky and hung over the edge of the bowl. On Tuesday we had breakfast in town then headed on our way to St Augustine . I was still in considerable pain with my ribs and had not been able to sleep well. We had some pain meds with us but they were just about gone so I called home to my dr and she suggested that I go to the emergency room. She was concerned that if I did have a broken rib I might puncture a lung. So, we pulled into St Augustine, and the weather started getting stormy. We located the hospital and spent the next few hours in the emergency room. The xrays didn’t show a fracture but doctor indicated that the cartilage could be broken, or even the ribs and just might not show yet. She prescribed pain meds and something to help me sleep. After our hospital visit we went down to the waterfront where there are shops and restaurants. The weather was threatening to be stormy, although it was warm. We had dinner along the waterfront and headed back to our hotel for the night. We were staying at the On Wednesday we got up had breakfast and headed to Miami. This was the longest stretch of our trip, about 4 1/5 hours compared to the 1-2 hrs between the other cities. We stopped along the way to stretch and have a bite to eat. We got to Miami about 3pm and checked into our hotel, the Trump International . We also turned in our car since we wouldn’t need it in this area. Doug went to his reception and I went down to the poolside. The weather was stormy and warm. I was looking forward to swimming, well, getting in the pool – I wasn’t able to comfortably swim, but just as I was got down to the pool area it started to rain and blow and they closed the pool. That evening we stayed at the hotel and had dinner and walked around the beach area. I arranged a tour for the next day of the Everglades. Fortunately when we got up the weather was nice so I was able to go and enjoy the tour. The tour company picked me up at the hotel and we drove out to the National Park entrance. The tour included a ride on the boat through the marshy water. We stopped several times and watched for alligators. After we were done with the boat portion I went through the museum and the other areas of the park. They had an exhibit with a alligator wrestler which was fun to watch. I also had the opportunity to hold a baby alligator. I ate lunch before heading back to the hotel. That evening the conference members were invited with spouses to a party at Nikki Beach Club which is in South Beach . It wasn’t much of a party, especially for the $40 each that we paid. We had a bbq dinner but there was no entertainment or anything else going on. Most everyone left within a couple hours. We headed back to our hotel by 10pm. The next day I just stayed at the hotel and enjoyed the pool, and relaxed. That evening, which would be the last of our trip, we went back to South Beach area and walked around. We had dinner at a Puerto Sagua , which is a Cuban restaurant on the main strip. Our time was coming to an end - We were able to see and do a lot in the 10 days we were on the road. On Saturday we got up early and headed to the airport to fly home. I didn’t want to leave, but I think that is my mantra for everywhere I go. That and “we’ll be back”.

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