Author: mmmtravelmemories

A retired college administrator who loves to travel. I write to remember the experiences and, I hope, to inspire others to make their own travel memories.

Callaway Gardens – Day 3 (part 2)

May 18, 2021 – Butterflies and History

One end of the Pine Mountain Trail and Hwy 190 (Pine Mountain Hwy) is right across the street from the Country Kitchen. There is a nice parking lot across the street for people who plan to walk the trail. We did not want to walk this trail as it is 23 miles. We were just looking for some shorter loop trails.

We knew Hwy 190 goes directly to the FDR State Park along the top of Pine Mountain ridge. There were many Pine Mountain hiking crosswalk signs along the route, but we never saw anyone crossing the highway. The temperatures were so cool that we rode with the windows open.

I kept looking for the park entrance like I am used to seeing at other state parks – a kiosk with someone taking money for a park pass or a sign directing people to a Visitor’s Center. The only sign we saw was one directing campers to the Registration Office. In retrospect, we should have gone to the Registration Office to at least ask questions.

Instead, we decided to take a left into the camping area hoping to see a Visitor Center. There were several large RV’s at the campsites around the lake. There was a sign directing people to the General Store. We parked there so we could ask some questions. Unfortunately, it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.

I pulled up a park map on my phone and found a couple of marked trails. We looked around and saw the signs directing people to the trails. They weren’t loop trails so we decided to take the 0.9 Delano trail since we would be taking it up and back. We put our state park pass (checked out from our local library before our trip) on the dash in case a park ranger came by checking cars.

It was a disappointing trail. Very worn down and not much to see. We turned back before we reached the end. We did meet some people at a trail intersection who had hiked a different trail and they said their trail was nice. It was also 3.5 miles, so we decided it was too late in the day to start on it. I did take their picture for them so they could send it to their hiking club. The four of them were older than us so it gives me hope that Chuck and I can keep doing these hikes in the future.

When we got back in the car, Chuck suggested that we drive on to Warm Springs and see The Little White House, the Georgia home of FDR. Fine with me. It was only 13 miles away. Chuck remembered seeing it as a little boy. I had never been there. The clouds had dissipated, and it was turning out to be a pretty day.

The place was easy to find. Very few cars in the parking lot. As we walked up to it from the parking lot, I thought the house looked weird. It should have. It was the museum. A park ranger was at the entrance to sell us our tickets. She asked us where we were from. I started my spiel about where our town was located in relation to larger cities nearby. But she stopped me after I said the name of our town. She knew where it was because she was from there. What are the odds?

She said she still had a favorite cousin there. When she said who it was, we realized it was the aunt of one of our neighborhood friends. Kevin Bacon’s six degrees of separation in action.

The museum was crammed full of artifacts from FDR’s life – stamp collection, canes, dishes, cars, etc. There were a lot of interactive exhibits. In addition, we watched a 20-minute movie narrated by Walter Cronkite about FDR’s life in Warm Springs and how it influenced his Presidential policies on rural electricity, fight against polio, and the Civilian Conservation Corp.

They had 2 park rangers circulating throughout the museum who were ready to answer any questions. Chuck and one of them had a long conversation. One of the artifacts that I thought was especially unusual was his personal buggy – The Tally Ho. It was made in Barnesville, Georgia. Barnesville was once the Buggy Capital of the World and I always enjoyed going to the town’s Buggy Days Celebration.

I could relate to the information about polio regarding its indiscriminate attacks on the young and old and the fear it struck in the nation. One, it reminded me of the current COVID pandemic, and two, it brought back memories of my grandfather who suffered the effects of polio. I wish he could have had a car with hand controls like FDR had.

Once we left the museum, we followed a path to a building that we thought was another museum but turned out to be the administrative offices. However, the path was interesting because it was lined on each side with state flags. Along with each flag there was a plaque that told when the state entered the union and its state motto. However, the most interesting part was that each state also had a stone on a stand. Some of the stones were shaped like the state it represented. Others had inscriptions written on them. Each was unique. I really liked the Arizona one which was made of petrified wood.

Following a different path, we found the guest house and the servant’s quarters. Behind that building was The Little White House. It was definitely a house but it was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. The rooms were small. We saw the room where he had his stroke while he was having his portrait painted. Everything is exactly as it was that fateful day.

We saw his bedroom and Eleanor’s bedroom. They even had the original paper towels in the kitchen and toilet paper in the bathroom. Both were so brown and crumbly that a good breeze will eventually disintegrate them. They also had a statue of Fala, the President’s Scottish terrier next to one of the doors. FDR was fond of the sea and sailing so the motif of the house was very nautical, including an outside deck that resembled the aft of a ship.

Outside, the house was surrounded by Marine and Secret Service sentry posts. I bet the men guarding FDR didn’t like those hot, humid, and bug-filled Georgia summers while having to stand in those little buildings watching the woods for any attack.

Just like in the museum, there are park rangers in and around the house to answer your questions. They were friendly and enthusiastic about their subject.

The last building that we visited was a small museum that housed FDR’s “unfinished portrait” and other paintings. One wall was dedicated to some Norman Rockwell paintings that were created during FDR’s time. I recognized many of them.

Of course, before we left, I made my way to the gift shop to search for a Christmas ornament. I had hoped for a replica Little White House but all they had was a Rosie the Riveter ornament. I bought it because it did have the Little White House information on the back of it, and if you pulled the string, her arm moved in the iconic flexing motion. I do wish places stocked ornaments all year long instead of just at Christmas. I can’t be the only one who buys them as vacation souvenirs, can I?

The museum park ranger told us that the museum that includes the warm spring pools had finally reopened after two years – one year for renovations, the other because of COVID. Of course, the pools were not filled but there was another area that you could feel the natural 88- degree water in a small basin. She said our ticket would get us entry into that museum too. It was only about a mile down the road. She also gave us directions back to Callaway that would not involve going back over Pine Mountain which we appreciated.

It was getting late in the afternoon, so we opted out of going to the other museum. We did enjoy riding through the town of Warm Springs and the ride back to Callaway was pleasant. We decided to stop at a pizza place near the Lodge recommended by our balcony neighbors – Fox’s Pizza Den. Glad we did. Bought a 10” pepperoni/mushroom pizza and 8 chicken wings and took them back to our room. We ate on the balcony. Very good meal.

Our balcony neighbors checked out this morning, but they left us a nice note and a Callaway Gardens shot glass as a surprise. They had mentioned that they like cruising so maybe we can all cruise together some time as we exchanged phone numbers.

So even though the hiking didn’t turn out as planned, we had a very good day. Looking forward to exploring in the Callaway Cruiser tomorrow.

Travel Trivia

When the Little White House was opened to the public in 1948, all the states currently part of the union (then, 48) were invited to contribute samples of native stones for a planned “Walk of the States,” in which visitors could walk down a long driveway and see each specimen.

Unfortunately, when some of the stones arrived, they were of varying degrees of texture and hardness, making it impractical to construct a walkway. Instead, the stones were placed on bench stands with educational information about each one. In 1961, the stones were moved to their present location on the walkway, and in 1964 state flags were added next to each stone.

There are 51- one for each state and DC. The most common stone is granite, followed closely by marble.

FDR was a state senator of New York from 1910 – 1913 and its governor from 1929 – 1933.

He won a record four presidential elections and became a central figure in world events during the first half of the 20th century. However, he only served 4 months into his fourth term before he died. The 22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 put a two-term limit on the Presidency going forward.

He used radio to speak directly to the American people, giving 30 “fireside chat” radio addresses during his presidency and became the first American president to be televised.

Major surviving programs and legislation implemented under Roosevelt include the Securities and Exchange Commission, the National Labor Relations Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Social Security, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. He also presided over the end of Prohibition.

President Teddy Roosevelt was FDR’s fifth cousin.

He married Eleanor Roosevelt. She was his fifth cousin once removed, and Teddy’s niece. FDR’s mother did not want them to marry and disrupted the two-year engagement several times. They had six children with one dying in infancy.

It has been alleged that FDR had several affairs including a long one with Eleanor’s social secretary and a short one with the Crown Princess of Norway. There is a debate about whether or not Eleanor knew of the affairs; however, it is alleged that during FDR’s funeral procession there was not a dry eye to be seen – except for Eleanor’s.

In 1938, he founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, leading to the development of polio vaccines. The Foundation is now known as the March of Dimes.

His beloved Scottish Terrier, Fala, was also extremely popular with the public. The dog could receive 5,000 fan letters in a day. He was also the model for the Monopoly playing piece. A statue of Fala receives a prominent position next to the statue of FDR, in the third room of the FDR Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The bronze statue of Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, (Fala’s full name), is the only presidential pet honored in such a way.

Lizzie McDuffie was FDR’s maid and the only staff member allowed to clean his room. She was a graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, and she was married to FDR’s valet Irvin McDuffie. They were the only WH servant staff to travel to Warm Springs with him. She also served as a liaison between Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activists and campaigned for FDR’s re-election in 1936 and 1940. She also auditioned for the part of Mammy in Gone with the Wind, a part that ultimately went to Hattie McDaniel. McDaniel won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for that role making her the first African American to win an Oscar.

Roosevelt’s declining physical health had been kept secret from the general public so his death by stroke was met with shock and grief. After Germany surrendered the following month ending WWII, newly sworn-in President Truman dedicated Victory in Europe Day and its celebrations to Roosevelt’s memory.

The artist who was painting his portrait at the time of his stroke, Elizabeth Shoumatoff, is said to have rolled up the painting, vacated the premises, and never touched the painting again. It was donated to the Little White House in 1952 and is officially named “The Unfinished Portrait.”

As was his wish, Roosevelt was buried in the Rose Garden of his Springwood estate in Hyde Park, New York. He was joined by Fala in 1952 and Eleanor in 1962.

*trivia provided by Little White House documents

Callaway Gardens – Day 3 (part 1)

May 18, 2021 – Butterflies and History

Don’t know why I had such a restless night last night. The bed and pillows are comfortable, but I tossed and turned a lot of the night. I just got on up at 5:30 and got the coffee started. The day was cooler than yesterday, and the sky was cloudier too.

We had planned to rent a golf cart, go to the Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center, and ride around the park. The cost of the 4-passenger golf cart (Callaway Cruiser) is a little pricey for one full day – $135 + tax. They don’t rent them for ½ day (4 hours) in the morning because of all the golfers they have on their two 18-hole courses. You can rent for ½ day if you want to get it at 2:00. They will rent a 6-passenger one for ½ day for $75 but we didn’t need one that large. The price per day goes down the longer you rent it, with 7 days being the max.

Knowing I was going to spend a lot of time watching butterflies, Chuck suggested we just go to the Butterfly Center and then ride over to the Franklin D Roosevelt State Park to hike. We would rent the golf cart for tomorrow and spend the whole day riding. Fine with me. We called the Golf Pro shop and reserved a 4-seater for tomorrow.

Went back to the Country Kitchen for breakfast. I had the two egg and bacon breakfast. Chuck had the ultimate omelet breakfast. It was colder in the restaurant than yesterday. I wish I had worn my blue jean shirt that I use as a light jacket.

Came back outside to find the wind was still up and the temperature hadn’t risen much. I said I needed my shirt so back to the Lodge we went. I have 3 blue jean shirts. I should just always keep one in the car.

We got to the Center at 10:15. It had only been open for 15 minutes but there were a few people already inside the center. We entered and looked at the displays and watched the video in the area right outside the conservatory doors. We even saw a couple of butterflies that were emerging from their cocoons. They will stay in that display area until their wings completely dry out, and then they will be placed into the live conservatory. We didn’t wait to see if they made it completely out because it can take up to three hours depending on the size of the butterfly.

Once we entered the conservatory, we got blasted with a strong wind from a large fan. They are designed to keep the butterflies away from the doors. It was still cool outside, so the butterflies were staying still on the plants inside the conservatory. Excellent for photographs because I am not a good enough photographer to capture sharply focused in-flight butterflies. I wish I had used some of that time to practice my action shots. Also made it nicer to walk around as I know these places are usually very hot and steamy during full sunlight.

There were so many different types of butterflies. My favorite is always the Blue Morpho. I first saw one at the Key West Butterfly Center. I was fortunate enough to see one in the wild on our tour in Costa Rica during our Panama Canal cruise. I could only get a video of it as it never landed long enough for me to get a picture. You just see flashes of blue among the green plants.

We stayed in the conservatory for an hour. In addition to the butterflies and beautiful plants, they also had turtles and green tree frogs. After checking that we didn’t have a butterfly hitch-hiking on our clothes, we exited the conservatory. We got blasted by the fans again. I wanted to go to the gift shop and buy a Christmas ornament. It was advertised to open at 11:00 but it wasn’t. The volunteer at the main door said she didn’t know why the person hadn’t arrived yet. Maybe she was on her way.

Hoping the gift shop would open shortly, we decided to look at the topiaries that surrounded the outside of the building and walk the 0.6 Rhododendron Trail that was near the Center. I especially liked the topiary of Hairy Dawg. They also had topiaries of other college mascots, but they were not picture-worthy.

Just like the azaleas, there were not many rhododendrons blooming but the ones that were blooming were very pretty. We also heard a very loud bird singing his heart out. I finally located the source. His song was bigger than he was. Normally, birds are too quick for my photography skills but this one was so intent on his song, I was able to snap a couple of pictures.

On the trail, I also discovered that my Fitbit watch would not track my exercise. On each trail yesterday, I would select Exercise, hike, and the Fitbit would record the hike length and heart rate. Today, when I chose Exercise, the Fitbit would just flash and go back to the home screen. So annoying. I would have to wait until I got back to the room to research the problem.

Once we got back from the trail, the gift shop was open, and I was able to purchase my Callaway Gardens butterfly ornament. Chuck was thrilled for me. 😊 Time to go to the FDR State Park.

Travel Trivia

Cecil B. Day was founder and chairman of the Board of Days Inn of America, Inc. and the Center was funded in his memory by his wife Deen.

The conservatory is 7300 square feet and over 40 feet high at its highest and completely enclosed by 1084 panes of glass. It opened to the public on September 25, 1988.

The conservatory is a USDA regulated containment facility where removal of butterflies is prohibited.  There is a penalty of $25,000 or up to 9 years in prison for removing butterflies from the center.

The butterflies come from farmers in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Kenya, the Philippines, and Malaysia.  They represent all the major tropical regions of the world: Central/South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia/Australia.

The flora inside the conservatory consists of over 100 species of tropical plants mimicking a rain forest.

Surrounding the Day Butterfly Center are gardens containing plants especially chosen for their benefits to native butterflies. These gardens provide an example to guests wanting to create their own butterfly gardens and they provide an opportunity for guests to see butterfly eggs and larvae.

Butterflies have compound eyes, smell with their antennae, taste with their feet, feed with their tubular tongue, and weigh less than most flowers. Many are capable of flying thousands of miles.

*trivia provided by Callaway Gardens documents

Callaway Gardens – Day 2

May 17, 2021 – Hiking the Trails

Sunlight sneaking in around the black-out curtains made me ready to get up and have some coffee on the balcony. It was cooler than I expected but so nice to see the sun rise over the lake.

We were ready to leave the Lodge about 8:00. We decided to try the Country Kitchen for breakfast. It is a restaurant outside the grounds about 3 miles from the Lodge. It is owned by Callaway Gardens. According to its description, the Kitchen is one of the original buildings of Callaway Gardens and was converted to a restaurant and gift shop during one of the expansions. We could have had breakfast at the Piedmont, but they serve a buffet and we were not interested in that much food.

We made a good choice. The view from the restaurant was lovely and the food was very good. I had a vegetable omelet, hashbrowns, and rye toast. Chuck had the two-egg country ham breakfast. He quizzed the waitress on whether or not the grits could be eaten with a fork. She assured him they could. They couldn’t. We both like the Muscadine preserves that were served with the toast and biscuits. We were able to charge the meal to the room. Convenient.

After eating, we drove back about a mile to the main Garden entrance. You can, of course, visit the Gardens without staying at the Resort. The cost is $25.00 per person. The Lodge resort fee covers the admission each day of stay and the day of checkout. We also discovered that you can enter the Gardens from behind the Lodge near the Golf Course as long as you have your room keycard.

We drove around the perimeter first with the windows down enjoying the breeze and listening to the birds. We realized that the majority of the lakes in the property are named for birds (11 of the 14 lakes).

Our first stop was the Overlook Azalea Gardens Trail. We were the only car in the lot and the only people on the trail which I found unusual. Most of the azaleas had already bloomed but we still saw some nice ones. The trail was an easy 1.5 miles. It connected to the Whippoorwill Lake Trail so we took it back to the parking lot which was another .25 miles.

Our next stop was the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl. Again, we were the only car in the lot. We went through the entrance and I smelled my favorite flower – the gardenia. Huge bushes of them. The entrance was beautifully landscaped with numerous benches all around the flower beds. We walked the 1.2 mile azalea trail. Along this trail, we saw many chipmunks, birds, squirrels, turtles, and geese. We also heard rustling in the tall grasses that I convinced myself was just more chipmunks. We then took a spur trail to the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel which sits on the edge of the Lower Falls Creek Lake.

It was stunning in its simplicity – all wood, metal, and stone. The stained glass was designed to represent nature and the different seasons. We were the only ones in the chapel, so we were able to take our time and give thanks for all of our blessings. We knew we would definitely make a visit back here before our trip was over. It was just that peaceful.

When we got back to the Bowl entrance / parking lot, there were several people milling about. They asked about the trails and how far. They decided it was too far to walk and seemed disappointed that they were going to miss the chapel. We told them that they could drive to the chapel if they turned left out of this lot and went back about 1/2 mile. There was a small parking lot near the building. I was glad we are still in good shape to walk the trails. I hope they got to go.

Our last stop was the Pioneer Log Cabin. It was built in the 1830’s and moved from Troup County in 1959. It housed a 15-member family. The whole cabin didn’t look bigger than our hotel room. We hiked the 0.6 mile Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Trail. It is a sister trail to the one in Texas. Has only native plants. There were several small ponds with fish and turtles along the trail.

Once we got back to the parking lot, it was close to 2:00. We decided to call it a day and go back to the Lodge. It was warm so we went to the pool. There was only one other couple there. We got in the hot tub for a while. Chuck got in the pool but I thought it was too chilly. We enjoyed relaxing and listening to the music playing over the speakers. I thought “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was an appropriate song for our day.

Afterwards, we spent happy hour on the balcony chatting with the neighbors again. We walked back to Cason’s. Neither of us were that hungry so we each ordered a glass of wine and an appetizer – a charcuterie board and chicken wings. We should have only ordered one appetizer to split. They were both large appetizers.

The restaurant cat was back. Found out from our waitress tonight that he was a she and her name is Callie. She came over to see what we were eating. We gave her some chicken and a little bit of cheese. She turned her nose up at both and decided a nap was in order instead. I hope she had better luck with later diners.

Tomorrow we are thinking we may rent one of the golf carts called the Callaway Cruisers to see more of the park that we can’t get to in the car and it is too far by foot.

Travel Trivia

What do azaleas, blueberries, cranberries, and mountain laurel have in common? They are all members of the Ericaceae or Heath family.

Azaleas are technically rhododendrons.

The Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl feature both exotic Asian evergreen azaleas and North American deciduous azaleas.

Inspired by 16th century Gothic chapels, Cason Callaway designed the chapel in honor of his mother.

Today, the chapel is used for small weddings as well as a non-denominational service each Sunday at 9am throughout the Summer and during the Christmas season.  Organ concerts, featuring the chapel’s custom-built Möller pipe organ, are held each weekend – Saturday and Sunday afternoon, 2pm until 4 pm  – as well as during some holidays and special events.

*trivia provided by Callaway Gardens documents

Callaway Gardens – Day One

May 16, 2021

I was up as usual at 6:00 am. I’m always nervous on the first day of the trip. Did I get everything important packed? Will Pumpkin cooperate and be inside when we are ready to leave?

Today, everything went well. We got the car packed while Pumpkin was outside. He came in about 10:00 and knew something was up when we would not let him back outside when he went to the door. He got frustrated with us and went to take a nap. We were able to leave at 11:00 with no angst. I knew our cat sitter would come by at dinner time.

We drove down US 27S and stopped at Bremen for lunch at Wendy’s around 1:00. I was taken aback at the line of people waiting to order. There was also a number of cars in the drive-thru line. Just another example of more people on the move. We were two of the very few wearing masks inside.

As we got near to Pine Mountain, I activated the GPS. She tried to route us into the Cottages entrance and not the main Lodge entrance. I kept going. The main lodge entrance was obscured by large trees on the left and the only sign on the right said “Wildlife viewing” so I overshot the entrance and had to turn around. Need to trim the trees or install better signage on both sides of the road.

We got there at 3:00. We parked in the circle outside of the Lodge. Check-in was 4:00 but fortunately our room was ready. Couldn’t find a luggage cart so the kind desk attendant helped us take our luggage to the room. COVID restrictions were in place. There was no valet service, but we could park in the valet slots. There would be no daily housekeeping, but we could call and get anything we needed. Masks were required indoors in public areas.

The room was nice but not luxurious. King bed, two bedside tables, chair, lamp, and small table in the corner, desk and office chair, and dresser with a small refrigerator, a place for the coffee maker, drawers, and a 50” TV on top. The bathroom was nice. Had a large shower separate from the tub. Only one sink but it was okay. The best part about the room was the balcony. The maid was working on another room so we asked for more coffee as we knew we would need more packages of it.

Once unpacked, we fixed ourselves a cocktail and sat outside to listen to the fountain bubbling and look at Robin Lake. Shady and a nice breeze. Perfect. Wasn’t long before the people who had the room next door came out on their balcony. They were from Americus, Georgia, and come to Callaway Gardens quite often. We enjoyed chatting with them.

Eventually, we wandered down to look at the pool. The pool area had two hot tubs in addition to the 5-foot-deep pool. The area was open every day until dusk but there was no bar/food service at the small pavilion. I assume it will open after Memorial Day. They did have beach towels for use at the pool. Couldn’t get into the pool area without your room key.

We kept walking to the lake area. Very nice white sand beach. Lots of people enjoying the water and playing on the beach. I wasn’t surprised at seeing geese near the beach, but I was very surprised at seeing buzzards on the beach.

We didn’t walk far. Decided that it was time for dinner. We had the choice of Piedmont Dining Room or Cason’s Tap Room on the property. Didn’t realize until we got over there that the menu was the same for each. If you wanted to eat inside, you were in the Piedmont. If you wanted to sit outside or at the bar, you were in Cason’s. We chose to sit outside as it was shady and a pleasant temperature.

I ordered the Winter Strawberry Salad with grilled shrimp and a glass of water. Chuck ordered the fish and chips and a glass of wine. I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. He was not impressed with the fish or the wine.

We noticed a large grey cat sitting on the wall giving himself a bath. He wasn’t bothering anyone. The people at the table below him finally looked up and noticed him. They gave him some of their food and he snapped it up. I asked the waitress and she said that she thought it belonged to one of the houses in the area. However, Callaway’s policies were not to trap or bother any animal on the property, so he was there most every day. Said that she witnessed customers who actually bought a restaurant meal specifically for the cat. He definitely didn’t look like he had missed any meal. No chasing squirrels for him.

Eventually, he caught our eye and trotted over to see what we had. We gave him some shrimp and fish. He seemed to enjoy it. I noticed that that he strolled from table to table but never jumped on any of them. Some people fed him. Some ignored him. Very polite cat. If it had been our Smoke, he would have jumped on every table and snatched whatever food he wanted. He had bad manners.

Came back to the room and sat on the balcony until nearly dark. Looking forward to hiking around the Gardens tomorrow.

Travel Trivia

Callaway Gardens was founded in 1952 by Cason J. and Virginia Hand Callaway to promote and protect native azalea species. Their dream began in 1930 when Cason discovered a rare azalea growing in the area. As the large farm area began to take shape as a Garden, they decided they wanted to share it with the public. Today Callaway Gardens is a non-profit organization that covers 2500 acres and offers numerous outdoor activities.

Callaway Gardens

May 15, 2021 – (pre-trip)

I am a trip planner. Even with the shutdown of COVID, I was looking to the future – re-booking cancelled trips and scheduling or thinking about new trips. Microsoft Notes, Microsoft One Calendar, Microsoft Excel, Google Maps, Google Flights, Accuweather, and TripAdvisor are my go-to assistants.

With cruising on hold until very end of 2021 or sometime in 2022, we’ve been reviewing our road trip list. We have had the Outer Banks on our travel list for quite a while. However, we have only been interested in going in April or May. We wanted to avoid the summer crowds and have been leery of the Fall hurricanes. We decided that this was the year. So, in January 2021, I booked a hotel for Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina – the middle of the Outer Banks.

We thought mid-May would be the perfect time for this year. Vaccines were beginning to become available, and we hoped to get one before May. Schools would still be in session so maybe the crowds would be low. Prices were still reasonable before Memorial Day. Restaurants were still available even if only for pick-up. Our hotel room had a full kitchen so we could bring back food with no issue. All our planned activities involved the outdoors so social distancing could be observed. The weather was predicted to be very pleasant.

Fast forward to May. Both vaccinated. Mask-wearing rules and social distancing relaxed. Weather predictions excellent. Restaurants allowing in-person dining. Bags packed. Looking good.

Then…Russian hackers? Pipeline shutdown in the Southeast? Gas hoarding? Brawls at the gas stations? Hummers, filled with extra gas tanks, blowing up and catching fire? What is happening?

Called the hotel front desk person to ask about the gas situation there – “We’ve got no gas around here.” Trip cancelled.

I’m a planner. Let’s review our travel list for places we want to see. What can we do that, worse case scenario, we can get home and back on one tank of gas? Callaway Gardens / Pine Mountain, rose to the top of the list. Added bonus – we can even avoid Atlanta by traveling there via US 27 – known in Georgia as the Martha Berry Highway and designated as a Scenic Hometown Highway.

According to their website, Callaway has over 2,500 acres of gardens and trails. There are walking trails and biking trails. There is a lake for fishing, swimming, and canoeing. There is a butterfly center. Ziplining is there for the adventurous. If you want more outdoor activities, the FDR state park is 4 miles away and the Animal Safari park is 8 miles away. We’ve booked a room with a balcony that overlooks the lake. Hope it is as nice as its picture. Doesn’t have a full kitchen but it does have a small refrigerator. There are several restaurants on property that are available. Bags already packed. Gas tank is full. Weather forecast looks decent. Leaving tomorrow. Hoping for the best.

Travel Trivia –

U.S. Route 27 (US 27) is a north–south United States Highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 (I-69) in Fort Wayne, Indiana. From Miami it goes up the center of Florida, then west to Tallahassee, Florida, and north through such cities and towns as Columbus, Georgia; Rome, Georgia; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky; Cincinnati, Ohio; Oxford, Ohio; Richmond, Indiana; and Fort Wayne, Indiana. It once extended north through Lansing, Michigan, to Cheboygan, Mackinaw City, and for about three years as far as St. Ignace. US 27 was first signed in 1926, replacing what had been the western route of the Dixie Highway in many states.

Martha Berry (1865 – 1942) was the founder of the Berry Schools for academically able but economically poor children of the rural South—those who usually could not afford to go to other schools. These schools of the early 1900s grew within three decades into Berry College, a comprehensive liberal arts college in Rome Georgia. As a result of her work of forty years with the schools and college, Berry is among Georgia’s most prominent women of the first half of the twentieth century.

Wednesday, June 19 – Home Sweet Home

Five thirty a.m. came quickly (it is 11:30 pm Tuesday in Atlanta). I did wake up a few minutes before the alarm went off. I slept pretty well considering I was not looking forward to the travel day since our travel days to get here were not that good.

And, it was pouring rain. Just great. Know how people in Amsterdam get to work in the rain? Ride their bikes holding umbrellas in one hand, steering with the other. Still speeding like a bat out of hell. Unbelievable.

We were able to have breakfast at the hotel. The cook made me two eggs over medium. Chuck got another omelet. Bacon, fruit, OJ, brown bread, and very strong coffee rounded out the meal.

The instructions said to be ready for the shuttle 15 minutes prior to pick-up time. They had a 15 minute window before and after the pick-up time. If they hadn’t shown up after the 15 minutes, we were supposed to call the company. Amsterdam is not a car/van/truck friendly place so adding the rain and the closed street, I was very concerned about the shuttle.

We thought we should wait outside under the awning but the hotel clerk assured us that the driver would come in for us. I didn’t know where he would be able to park to do so with the side street messed up.

At 9:10, we saw one of their shuttles go past the hotel. We just knew it had been out there, didn’t see us, and drove on. I was already starting to think of Plan B – expensive taxi or expensive Uber. But at 9:20, we saw their shuttle pull up and the driver came out – said he was here for the McCannons. We said we were the McCannons, so he loaded our luggage in the van and we were off.

He had to pick up another couple at a different hotel but it didn’t take long. He got us to the airport at the Delta area, and it had stopped raining by then. So far, so good.

Even though we were flying Delta, the check-in was being directed by their partner line KLM. I was used to going to the baggage check-in and getting our boarding pass there when we checked the bag. I had the pass on the phone but sometimes it is hard to bring up so I still like a paper back-up.

Here, we couldn’t get in the baggage check-in lane until we could show a boarding pass. I went to the self-serve kiosk and was able to print them for us. The baggage check-in was different also. Once you showed your boarding pass and passport to the attendant, she placed a sticker on the bag and you were allowed to go behind her and you had to place your piece of luggage in one of the compartments. It weighed and measured the bag. It gave you a luggage tag that you had to secure to the bag. Once you had it secured, you pushed the button, the door to the compartment closed. It opened again – no more luggage. I hoped we had done it correctly and that each of our bags would meet us in Atlanta.

Once we got to security, we had to take our shoes off and empty all pockets but didn’t have to show liquids or take out the laptop. They have a full body scanner so you had to step in there with your hands over your head. Something in Chuck’s carry-on bothered the people scanning so they ran it through more than once but released it without opening it. Not sure what it could have been – maybe his shoes.

Had to show our passports several times more before we actually entered the plane. There were several planes waiting for take-off so we didn’t get off the ground until 1:30 pm (it is 7:30 am in Atlanta). We received the pillow, blanket, face-mask, earplugs just like we had on the flight over.

We got a hot meal about an hour into the flight. Chuck was able to sleep some. I could not. I read for a while, watched 3 movies – The Upside (very good); What Men Want (okay); The Kid Who Would Be King (meh). I also watched a couple of sitcoms. Got up and stretched a couple of times. Went to the restroom several times. About 6 hours into the flight, I needed another Bonine as I felt a little queasy. Worked its magic.

We were offered water several times during the flight. We were offered other drinks and snacks a couple of times. About 2 hours before we landed, we were offered a sandwich.

We landed in Atlanta about 4:30 pm Atlanta time at the international concourse. We followed the signs to passport control. It was a long walk. We were directed to the self-serve kiosks where we had to complete a customs form and scan our passports. I could not get the kiosk to scan mine. Chuck was able to get it to scan. It printed out a ticket with our picture on it. We had to hand that ticket to the last check-point person. Finally got to the luggage area.

Our luggage soon made its way to the carousel. Now we had a problem. Where was the underground tram that should take us to the domestic concourses so that we could get our ground transportation. Seemed the only way out took us to the sidewalk. I had to ask an attendant what we were supposed to do. She pointed us to a shuttle that would take us over to the domestic terminal. Good grief. I know the airport is doing a lot of renovations. I hope the underground fast tram will ever be back.

We were the last ones on before it left. I as glad we made it because I didn’t know when the next one would be there. Groome’s Transportation would be picking us up at 6:15 and it was nearing 5:30 now and it was going to take 10 or 15 minutes to make the trip around.

I was glad it took us directly to the ground transportation/parking area and not the check-in area. We found a seat on one of the benches and immediately we were approached by a woman claiming to be a military person and that Delta lost her luggage from Germany. She said she had a voucher from the USO for a hotel room but she needed money for … (wait for it) … Depends. She was injured in Afghanistan and all her Depends were in her checked luggage. Nope, not buying that story. I saw her approach several other people on several other benches. Wonder how many times a day she works that area.

So Groome’s shows up at 6:00 pm. Yay, early! But, he tells us that the gate arm to the parking entrance was not moving when he approached so as he got closer to the arm, he bumped it with the fender and the gate arm fell off. What? What?

He had to call the Groome office and the airport security told him he had to wait for the Atlanta city police to file a report. OMG.

It was a full shuttle. He let us go ahead and board. Chuck sat in the seat next to the driver. I sat in an individual seat in the back. I knew it would be bouncy in the back but I didn’t want to end up in a middle seat.

The Atlanta police showed up and looked at the damage and the fender. They didn’t charge the driver with anything and gave some information to airport security so I guess they can file it with their insurance or Groome’s insurance. We got to leave at 6:30 pm. With the time difference, I have basically been awake since 11:30 pm the night before. I put my travel pillow against the window of the van and I was asleep although it definitely wasn’t a deep sleep. I roused up just as we were pulling off the interstate to their office. It is now 8:30 pm.

We load the car with our luggage and head for home. We reach the house at 9:00 pm. Our mail which had been held at the post office since May 31st was delivered today so our mailbox was full. Mostly junk.

We were so glad to see Pumpkin and he was glad to see us. He had put his weight back on. His toys were scattered around. We walked the house making sure everything was good. We sorted through the mail. We did not unpack the suitcases. We’ll face the laundry, bill paying, and grocery shopping tomorrow. At 10:30 pm, lights out.

Snuggling with Pumpkin is better than getting the towel animals.

Next up – Universal Studies Orlando Halloween Fright Night & 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise.

Tuesday, June 18 – Nature is the Teacher of the Arts

We had no booked plans for today so we did not set the alarm. I had considered a tour to the Netherlands countryside but all the tours were 8 and 9 hours long and I just couldn’t make myself book them. Not with a 9 to 10 hour flight tomorrow.

We got up around 8:00 and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at the hotel. The woman behind the grill made us omelets. In addition to the omelet, I had a latte and fresh squeezed juice, bacon, and a thick slab of the brown bread I like so much.

It was another beautiful day we decided to walk to the zoo. Google maps showed it being about a 20 – 25 minute walk so we knew it would be about 45 minutes for us. Most of our walking had been in the central district. This walk took us over to the art district so we saw a number of galleries. It was a nice shady walk.

The zoo was nice with lots of shade and large green spaces that people were just sitting and enjoying the sun. I could see if you had a yearly zoo pass and worked near there that it would be a nice place to come on your lunch hour. We walked along the exhibits on the outer edge and then when we got back to the front, we walked the exhibits in the interior of the zoo. In addition to all of the animals, this zoo also had an aquarium, a butterfly atrium, a bird atrium, a planetarium, a reptile house, and an insect house. We skipped the last three. The only place I felt crowded was the aquarium.

Once we finished walking around the zoo, we started walking back to the central area so we could stop at the currency exchange place. We first stopped at a little café for lunch. We found a table in the shade outside across from a park and people watched. We split another order of bitterballen. We also ordered a club sandwich to split. Interesting thing about their club sandwich. It was served open-faced. The meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato were layered but there was no top slice of bread. We just cut it in half and I basically ate each layer separately. It was a large sandwich.

It took us longer to reach the exchange than Google predicted because we had to stop twice on canal bridges to wait until they raised/lowered them for the larger boats. But once we got there, Chuck got some Euros for his weird pound note. They didn’t give him any hassle per se but he felt he didn’t get a very good exchange rate. However, at this point, anything was better than nothing. We will save the Euros for our trip to the Mediterranean next year.

Once back to the hotel, we did some re-organizing of the luggage to meet airline requirements. We borrowed a luggage scale from the front desk and weighed the pieces that we would check. They were both under 50 pounds so we were good. We still need to do a better job of not taking so many clothes in the future.

We participated in the happy hour again and then walked up the street to one of the restaurants for dinner. Again, it was so shady, we sat outside. I had a shrimp and mango salad. The mango was so sweet. Chuck had chicken. We were too full for dessert.

I had purchased a round-trip ticket with the airport shuttle service so they would be arriving at 9:15 tomorrow for our 1:00 flight. We called it another early night. Tomorrow could be stressful.

I miss the towel animals. ☹

Amsterdam Zoo Trivia –

The zoo name is Artis, short for Natura Artis Magistra (Latin for “Nature is the teacher of the arts”),

It is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and one of the oldest zoos of mainland Europe.

Artis has a library on the history of zoology and botany. It contains 20,000 books, 3000 manuscripts and 80,000 animal prints.

Monday, June 17 – Cruising the Canals

We had to leave the ship but our vacation is not quite over. We got up and got ready by 7:00 and were able to go to the main dining room for a leisurely breakfast. Typically, we have to go to the Lido and get something quick as we need to be off the ship and on the road. I like the leisurely breakfast better.

We sat with the Dutch couple again. His sister was picking them up. They only had an hour ride to be back home. They would be going to work tomorrow (better them than us). They have another HAL cruise booked for May to Norway. Maybe we’ll sail with them again one day.

At 7:30, HAL started calling the groups. HAL lets you stay in your stateroom if you want to do so until the time you are called. Most ships make you get out by at least 8:00 and wait in a lobby area. I like to stay in the room but I know the room stewards would like for you to get out so they can clean it before the next group gets on. We left the room and went to the Ocean Bar to wait when the group before us was called. It was only 10 or 15 minutes until our group number was called.

We presented our ship card to security one last time and left the ship. We started walking down the port corridor. I was surprised there was no custom line. There were people in strategic areas just pointing the way to the luggage pick-up. We found our two pieces of luggage easily and then were pointed to the door. We exited and were asked if we needed a taxi. I said we would need one to our hotel downtown. The porter signaled and a taxi pulled up.

Only hiccup in the taxi ride was that he started to go down the road that was next to our hotel only to find the road was blocked by machinery and the road was being dug up. He had to back up the narrow road. I don’t know why there wasn’t a sign barring any thru traffic. Weird. We watched a number of cars doing the same thing. Of course, they bicycles just barreled on through, riding on the sidewalk if they needed to do so.

I couldn’t believe how fast and easy the disembarkation was. We were at the hotel before 10:00. I knew the room wouldn’t be ready but they checked us in and held our luggage. Chuck had received a weird pound note while in Belfast. It didn’t look like our other pound notes. The ship wouldn’t change it so he wanted to go to a bank or a currency exchange place to try and get it changed to Euros. He was afraid he was going to be stuck with a 20 pound note souvenir.

The hotel clerk pointed us in the right direction and Google maps picked up the route. We went first to the exchange place and it didn’t open until 11:00. We went next to a bank and they wouldn’t exchange it.  At that point, instead of back-tracking to the currency exchange, we decided to walk to the canal tour company headquarters.

It was a beautiful day. Sunny and in the 70’s. We found the company and purchased our tickets. They took us through most of the canals and we listened to the pre-recorded commentary through headsets. Our tour boat was low enough to go through the canal openings with no trouble. We did get to see the bridges opened for some of the larger ships traveling the canals. I didn’t realize that the houseboats lined up and down the canals were permanent resident homes. They lease the spot and have to pay for utilities. It was interesting. The real estate in Amsterdam is very expensive so houseboats are an alternative.

The canal tour was nice and relaxing. It might be nice to take a river cruise one day.

After we finished with the tour, we ate at the restaurant next to the tour headquarters overlooking the canal. It was nice so we ate outside. We tried the bitterballen – round balls of deep-fried gravy and cheese. Really good but you had to be careful biting into them – the gravy with cheese was very hot. I had a ham and cheese sandwich and Chuck had a hamburger. We split an order of fries. They served the fries with a big scoop of mayo on the side. I tried dipping the fries in the mayo like the Dutch do but I did not care for it. They mayo didn’t taste like our mayo either. I got one small packet of ketchup and used it on the fries.

A Dutch couple sitting next to us, I guess heard our accents, and asked how we were enjoying Amsterdam. We told them how much we liked it. They lived outside Amsterdam and had just come in for the day because the weather was so nice and it had been so bad all week. We told them we had had nice weather in Amsterdam prior to the cruise also. They said we needed to come back more often if we were going to bring nice weather.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a souvenir place, so I could get an Amsterdam Christmas ornament. It is ball-shaped with tulips painted on it. We were tired so decided not to go back to the currency exchange but would try it tomorrow. As it was close to 4:00, our room was ready. This time the room was on the ground floor overlooking the street. I was worried that the street noise would keep us awake but we didn’t have an issue with it unless a police siren was on.

We went back to the lobby at 5:00 and participated in their wine and cheese happy hour. We were too full from the late lunch and the cheese for any dinner. We called it an early night.

No towel animal tonight. ☹

More Ship Trivia –

Average Ship Speed for this Trip: 12.7 knots

Miles Traveled for this Trip: 2628 miles

Eggs Consumed on this Trip: 33,600

Bridges as far as you can see
Bridge made famous in Diamonds Are Forever

Sunday, June 16 – Packing is such Sweet Sorrow

The final sea day. No alarm clock. After 6 port days in a row, I was ready for a little rest before getting the packing done. We got up around 8:00, coffee from the Coffee Bar and then breakfast in the Lido. It was pretty crowded so I think everyone must have had the same idea.

It was a nice day with calm seas. Not hot but not as chilly as it has been either. Spent some time reading at the Sea View area. Had my only Bloody Mary this trip. Stayed out in the sunshine until it was time for lunch. We decided to get lunch at the Dive-In, HAL’s burger place at the Lido pool area.

Chuck had a burger and I had a hot dog. We each had their fries. I like this food as much as I like Guy’s burgers on the Carnival ships. Guy Fieri just has better promoters.

It is now time for Chuck to play in the last rounds of the big money blackjack tournament. I am going to watch a movie in the cabin and work on the packing. Since we have Monday and Tuesday in Amsterdam, we have organized our clothes for what we want to wear on those days plus what we are wearing on the plane home. All of our laundry is back so we have very little dirty clothes now. It is just a matter of getting the clothes in the bags and tagging them. We will keep our backpacks and carry-on luggage with us and have the ship take the big bags for pick-up tomorrow at the port.

I watched Spielberg’s Ready Player One. I had seen it before but enjoyed it again. I was finished with the packing before it was over so I worked on my photos until the movie was over. Chuck came back to the room just as the movie was finishing. He didn’t win the tournament but his friend, Miss Emily, took home the prize. He was happy for her.

We went outside to the Sea View and met up with another couple that we had met who were also traveling with his Mom. We had played trivia with them before and Chuck had gambled at the same table with him several times. We ate dinner together in the main dining room. We exchanged contact information. Hopefully, we can sail with them again some time.

After dinner, we went to “Concerto” presented by the Prinsendam singers and dancers. They did a variety of songs. They really are a talented group of people. I wonder if they will get to stay together on another ship or will go their separate ways after the last voyage of the Prinsendam. We have talked with a number of staff and some of them know what ships they will transfer to and some will not know until after their vacation is over. I’d hate to be in the second group.

If docking and ship clearance all goes well tomorrow, our group will be called around 9:00 to disembark. The first group will start disembarking at 7:30. They are the ones that don’t have to have help with their luggage and either want to get home early or have early flights.

Tonight’s final towel animal is a lobster.

Ship Trivia –

Officers and Crew – 449

Nationalities of Crew – 32

View from the Sea View. Saying Good-bye to Scotland-Ireland

Saturday, June 15 – Final Tender, Final Tour

Today is St. Peter Port, Guernsey. It is our last port before we arrive in Amsterdam on Monday. There was a chance that because of the wind and waves, we would not be able to tender. Another ship The Queen Victoria who got there before us could not set out their tenders. Once she left, we were able to get closer to the island because our ship was smaller than the QV, so our tenders were able to make it.

We got up around 7:30 and got some Coffee Bar coffee and a light breakfast in the Lido. We were set to drop anchor at noon but, as I said, the Captain was having to wait on a decision by the other ship and then do a trial run with the tenders before a final decision would be made.

We had a couple of sandwiches close to noon and then walked to the Showroom. We were going on a walking tour of St. Peter Port. I had met others who were going on the tour at the Meet and Greet during the first sea day. We had agreed to meet in the Showroom today. When we got there, I could see no others from the group. We waited a while and then decided to go to the Ocean’s Bar and just get our 4-star tender tickets when they became available.

Once we were there, we heard that HAL had changed the process and were only going to let the HAL-sponsored tours take the first tenders and everyone else would have to wait. Lots of grumbling. I was not one of those people grumbling. Frankly, I had hit a wall. I was actually hoping the waves would be too rough to tender in, and we would have an extra sea day. I was just tired. If I had not made a commitment to the tour organizer to go, I would have just decided to skip it. I thought if the ship maneuvering took too long, I might get an email saying she could not wait on the ship any longer.

No such luck. The rest of the group found their way to the Ocean Bar and convinced the Shore Excursion head to let us get on a tender and go over to the island. However, only half our group made the first tender before it got full, so the other half had to wait for the 2nd tender to fill up. So disorganized.

Guernsey is an island in the English Channel just off the coast of Normandy. On June 30, 1940, during the Second World War, the Channel Islands were occupied by German troops. Before the occupation, 80% of Guernsey children had been evacuated to England to live with relatives or strangers during the war. Some children were never reunited with their families. The occupying German forces deported over 1,000 Guernsey residents to camps in southern Germany. Guernsey was very heavily fortified during World War II, out of all proportion to the island’s strategic value – just because Hitler thought he could take over England from the islands. German defenses and alterations still remain visible around the northern coast of the island. The island was liberated on May 9,1945.

We met our tour guide for the day – Annette Henry. She was born here and her grandparents were part of the German occupation. Her mother and uncle had been 2 of the kids who had to evacuate and came back as teenagers. She had recommended reading the book “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society” before taking the tour. I did and really enjoyed it.

Just as the tour started, it began to rain heavily. Instead of being able to go to some of the outside points of interest that she usually goes to on the tour, we had to go to some inside places and spent most of the time in one of the Churches that had been there during WWII. She told a number of interesting historical stories, and I enjoyed seeing some of the pictures and copies of letters from her relatives.

The rain finally let up and we were able to see a few of the outside sites. Once the tour was over, I got a Guernsey donkey Christmas ornament. The Guernsey donkey is one of the national animals (the Guernsey cow is the other) The traditional explanation for the donkey is the steepness of St Peter Port streets that necessitated beasts of burden for transport, although it is also used in reference to Guernsey people’s stubbornness.

The last tender was not until 9:00 but we were back on the ship by 4:30. We changed clothes, went out to the Sea View Bar but it was too windy for me. Went to the Ocean’s Bar and played trivia again. Still no winner.

Tonight’s dinner was at the Canaletto restaurant. It is the Italian restaurant located on the edge of the Lido. It is a buy-up restaurant like the Pinnacle but not as pricy. However, we have never eaten at one before. But, Chuck received a complimentary dinner for 2 at this restaurant from the Casino host. I thought that was nice of them. He had won a small blackjack tournament earlier in the week – no cash prize but he got a hat, deck of cards, die, and a match play. He will hope to win the big blackjack tournament tomorrow.

We really enjoyed our dinners. I had the special that night- Grilled shrimp and Chuck had the grilled New York strip. We both had gelato for dessert. It was a very good meal.

We went to the variety show tonight. The singer Eve and the magician Romany came back for an encore. We had missed Eve earlier. We enjoyed her part of the show. The magician was again, okay.

Tomorrow is a sea day. We have our disembarkation paperwork and tags, so the luggage has to be packed and outside the room by midnight. The two weeks went by so fast.

St. Peter Port, Guernsey Trivia –

Victor Hugo, having arrived on Halloween 1855, wrote some of his best-known works while in exile in Guernsey, including Les Misérables.