In a big country

We have now reached Washington DC, by a very indirect route, taking in the breathetaking views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the serene island beauty of Cape Charles on the way.
This really is a big country, for someone from a tiny island (although very beautiful), the sheer scale of everything is stunning. From the Blue Ridge Parkway the mountains stretch back in wave after wave like a vast frozen sea, and they really are blue. To get to Cape Charles we went over bridges and under tunnels for what must have been 20 miles accross the sea.

Next stops are seeing one of Vince's hockey buddies near Wilmington, onto Baltimore and then hopefully see his cousin in New Jersey.

Lovely old sign in Roanoke

Roanoke again

From the bridge to Cape Charles

Cape Charles - my furture home when I win the lottery

View from hotel balcony in DC (DC - how hip am I?)

Duelling banjos

corn bread, fried chicken, okra, macaroni cheese and iced tea

Driving Miss Daisy

Do-nuts

The deep south..

In the garden of good and evil

Live oaks in one of the many beautiful squares

Williams Mercer House

Savannah is just the most beautiful city I have ever visited. You arent allowed to take pictures inside the Jim Williams house so I just have exterior shots.

Rainy night in Georgia..

..and several in Florida; in fact you could say heavy rains a fallin'has been the theme of our first week in the sunshine states! Yet we are not down-hearted - apart from making the gators a bit shy, and being too overcast to see the shuttle launch from St Augustine it hasnt detracted from the holiday at all. Its been fun - the rain is like a warm shower.

St Augustine - trolley tour gave out free rain ponchos - makes you think all this sunshine state business is a bit of a con

View from Savannah hotel - we were inside with free wine and cheese so who cares

Everglades Park - wear 'long pants because of the bugs' they said - advice you wish you hadnt taken!

Shuttle in the rain

Starship troopers

Life Jim but not as we know it

Huge building where they build/repair the shuttle

Hard to see through the rain but this is THE shuttle 23 hours before lift-off

Kennedy Space Centre today, so sad we cant stay for the launch but only 30% chance of it going ahead tomorrow and we really cant spent too much more time in florida.

On the waterfront

Biggest fraking alligator I've ever seen! 

King Ralph

Travelling day yesterday, we decided to stay in Cutler Bay because the hotels  in Homestaed got such poor reviews on Tripadvisor and we are in a Motel 6 which is excellent, better than some smart hotels Ive stayed in.
We got a bit lost so we went into McD's to use their wifi, and a man asked Vince, completely seriously, if he'd been at the royal wedding. I could have kicked him when he said no!

Trying as many different beers as possible - this one has a particularly cheeky nose!

Born on the 4th of July

We had such an amazing day yesterday, the photos cant come close to the experience of sitting with our legs dangling over the sea wall watching hundreds of tiny boats line up on the horizon to watch the biggest fireworks display I have ever seen.
Here are a few of the daytime pics instead.

Ernest Hemingway House

Lots of six toed cats descended from Hemingway's wander about the property

EEw freaky foot eh Molly?

Americans do rain big too

Just chillin' on Ernest's chair

Ive got friends in low places

American Beauty

Sunset over Key West - $th July fireworks tonight, cant wait!