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Wings & Shakes
  • Mash and Malice

Wings & Shakes

A 82-day adventure by Mash and Malice Read more
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  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler
    1

    Day 50 - A Glorious Burden

    October 27, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    We had an early start in DC as we had a lot planned for our only full day in the city. There are so many sights and museums that we had to be strict with what we saw and as rain was forecast from 2pm, the weather needed to be factored in.

    We started at one end of the Mall by the Lincoln Memorial. Walking up the steps and standing in front of the statue lead to the desired effect of staring at an imposing and authoritative figure. However, whether intended or not, the seated figure has one foot in front of the other as though he is just about to get up and greet you. That was my interpretation. Another could be he was about to address a large crowd by the Reflecting Pool, ala Martin Luther King Junior. On either side of the statue are memorials to the Vietnam and Korean War. Both I found to be tasteful and powerful. In particular the statues of soldiers in the Korean War Memorial that appear to be in the middle of trapsing through dense woodland. It didn't matter from what angle I looked, one of the statues appeared to be staring me right in the eyes with some in a state of calm whilst others were dripping in fear. The Vietnam Memorial had a more traditional main statue of three brothers-in-arms. We walked along the Reflective Pool and reached the Second World War Memorial. There are two areas of war represented here and with water fountains on each side, one for the Atlantic and the other the Pacific. We decided at this point to go to the White House as the clouds were gathering above. It was a bit of a walk and once there we jostled for position in front of the railings with camera in hand amongst other eager tourists. Well worth it though.

    It was then museum time. First up was the Air and Space Museum. Alice was keen to visit and after seeing a few rooms I could see why. The range of old civilian and military planes is impressive and I found the Great War Room to be of particular interest. The details of not just the (limited) role of aeroplanes but also the war as a whole was well presented. There are also a great number of objects from the Apollo 11 mission amongst other items used during the space race.

    The next museum was the Museum of American History. I thought it might be bigger before we entered, however it turned out to be a good size and not too overwhelming. Exhibits ranged from the original Bert and Ernie Sesame Street puppets to one of the filing cabinets that were ripped open during the Watergate scandal. I found there to be the right amount of text to exhibits and general space in the room ratio. As we drank coffees in the cafe and watched the rain pouring outside, we were pleased that we had timed the day correctly.

    Before too long the rain petered out and we headed to downtown DC. We were starting to get tired and wrapped up the day with a tasty Chinese meal.

    Song of the Day:
    The Postal Service - The district sleeps alone tonight    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 51 - Family

    October 28, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    We were on the road and heading further south. Our destination was in Virginia and we were to be staying with Alice's sister Melissa, her husband Richard and their son Liam.

    The area itself is dripping in American history too allowing us to go on trips whilst also catching up as a group. The first port of call was the town of Fredericksburg. Before going into the town we visited a small museum about the Battle of Fredericksburg. The displays were informative for adults with enough interactive entertainment for Liam. We then followed a small trail next to the museum to the site of the battle and through a cemetery of the fallen. The cemetery covered the high ground with a view across the town of Fredericksburg. We pondered for a while and watched Liam entertain himself by walking down steps and then running up a steep slope next to the steps. We then went into Fredericksburg where the streets were picture perfect and the vast majority of shops had Halloween displays in their windows. As this road trip has progressed we have seen more and more creative Halloween displays. With just a few days to go until Halloween, this town really has... gone to town with it! We stopped for a coffee in a cafe that used to be a Church and if Melissa did not know about it, Alice and I would have walked right past. The coffee and cakes were generously proportioned and also remarkably cheap. That southern hospitality is already showing itself. Re-energized, we strolled back along the other side of the main road and towards our cars.

    In the evening we caught up with Richard and we all went for a recommended Mexican not far from their house. It was a good recommendation and I think I also got Richard into horchatas! We then headed back home and chatted the rest of the evening away.

    Song of the Day:
    Foo Fighters - Virginia Moon    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 52 - Don't Marry A Blockhead

    October 29, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    More history today. Virginia is home to a large number of previous Presidents, particularly before the Civil War, and probably one of the most famous is Thomas Jefferson. His grand retirement home is called Monticello and that's where Alice, Melissa, Liam and I were going.

    It took a while to find parking but once in the site and a short bus journey to the top of the 'savage mountain' (as it was later referred to) we were at the house. There were a few smaller cabins and other buildings that we looked around whilst waiting for our timed entrance to the main house. A couple in particular stood out, and they were the slave quarters. The literature inside stressed that Jefferson treated his slaves better than most and however accurate the description, it doesn't soften the jarring realisation that Jefferson owned slaves. From the first President until 1850, only two were not slave owners, both of them named John Adams. The existence of both the Bill of Rights and the enterprise of slavery, or 'the paradox' as it is referred to, has been openly addressed in all the museums, houses and places of historical interest that we have visited. It is welcoming as a visitor to see that both sides of this paradox are explored and explained and I have left wanting to learn a great deal more.

    At 2pm we entered the main house in a small tour group. The tour guide was informative and jovial and pointed out all the contraptions and other inventions that Jefferson created as we moved through the rooms. In one of the rooms the tour guide mentioned that Jefferson's wife had said to her children that they had a one in thirteen chance of marrying a blockhead. By chance, blockhead had been Liam's favourite naughty word and when he heard it he looked up at Melissa, surprised and pleased to have heard someone else say it. It was pretty funny, made all the more so when someone is busily talking to a group of people listening intently.

    Towards the end of the tour we walked out into the garden and looked back at the house and its unusual dome feature. The tour guide mentioned that this view of the house can be seen on the older style nickel coins. The tour was very interesting and the whole Monticello experience was another fascinating look into American history. On the drive home we had a look around Charlottesville, another pretty Southern style town.

    In the evening I was I introduced to 'dirty rice' which is mince with rice that Alice and I enjoyed so much we kept going back for more. The evening involved more chatting and relaxing.

    Song of the Day:
    Martina McBride - Independence Day (Melissa's choice)    Read more

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    Day 53 - A Lake By A House

    October 30, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Sundays are made for piling in to a car and seeing things as a family. Richard, Melissa, Alice, Liam and I stuck to this time honoured tradition by visiting local Civil War Battlefields.

    The sun was shining and with history buffs aboard, we were all keen to follow the trail for the Battle of Wilderness. I'm assuming Liam, who is three, was keen too. There were various numbered stop off points that we decided on either 'drive-by reading' or actually getting out of the car. Remember, Liam required unstrapping each time we got out from his secure seat in the back with Alice and I. He was actually brilliantly behaved throughout and happily ran around as we strolled, read and pondered the events that occurred here. This battle we soon learnt occurred at a critical juncture in the war as the Union Army took the war to the Confederate Army. Walking to a ridge above Saunders Field and looking out to the open field and surrounding thick woodland, the imagination ran wild at the devastating loss of life. The trail had a few attractions closed due to the season, however, what we saw today added to yesterday's trip to Monticello, reinforced the rich history of this region.

    We headed home and had some lunch. Once the food had settled, we went for a walk and came across a lake in the woods. There was a house right next to the lake and it turned out that the couple who lived there, who are also neighbours of Melissa and Richard's, had the lake dug out themselves. There was a flock of geese busying themselves in the middle, whilst right next to us a heron came walking out of the surrounding woodland and just stopped by the water's edge. It was incredibly serene and made us think how amazing it would be to have a lake in our own back garden. We had a group photo and then strolled back home. Richard and I then had a walk around the woods in his garden. They might not have a lake in their back garden but it is pretty impressive to have a large area of woodland to stroll through and collect your thoughts. There is also a mighty fine pond that Richard made himself. I can definitely see the appeal of living here with so much nature and space to enjoy.

    For dinner we went to Culpeper which was not too far away. Culpeper was just as pretty as Fredericksburg and we all decided on a Thai meal. The food was great and none of us could finish the extremely large portions of drunken noodles and pad thai. And not only was the food good, but it was the little touches that made the difference. After we had all eaten one of the waiters gave a plate with whipped cream in the shape of a smiley face with ice cream and biscuits to Liam. It hadn't been ordered and the beaming smile on Liam's face and shock at the treat was such a nice way to end the meal. We left the restaurant in high spirits and a pleasant evening of discussion ensued.

    Song of the Day:
    Hank Marvin Jr. - A Country Boy Can Survive (Richard's selection)    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 54 - Happy Halloween!

    October 31, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    It was an early goodbye to Melissa, Richard and Liam as Liam had an early Halloween Party at pre-school. Dressed in his Superman costume, we all said goodbye to each other. I've had a great time here and I've enjoyed getting to know them all a lot better. It won't be long before the whole family see each other again in sunny December in New Zealand and I can't wait.

    For Alice and I, we were hitting the road again. The East coast has involved visiting lots of cities and areas in close proximity to one another. We had the feeling that as we drove further south, the long drives between destinations were about to start again. One thing in common with the last few days was our first port of call. History! The location was the first successful attempt at settlement by the English at Jamestown in 1607. A whole thirteen years before the Mayflower arrived with religiously persecuted pilgrims aboard, the Jamestown fort was established purely for economic and international political reasons. The Spanish and the French had by this time already established various communities in parts of the continent and England was keen to ensure they weren't left out. The tobacco craze was in full swing in Europe and potential cash crops were to be scouted as part of the mission. I personally find this period of history fascinating and getting to walk around this recently rediscovered site was a joy. The story of Pocahontas and John Smith is adept to myth and it was touching to see the location of the recently rediscovered Church where they were married. Archaeology on this site is still ongoing and it is impressive to see how much has been recreated since its rediscovery in 1994. The adjoining museum is another good example of explaining both the history of the period and how archaeologists know what they do from the artefacts found. It is heartening to see conclusions based on evidence, a trend sadly lacking in 2016. As I briefly mentioned the other day in regards to Monticello, history may seem set in stone but our interpretations, revisions and therefore understanding of the past is constantly changing. This outpost of hope and promise for a band of opportunists is celebrated as it should be for it's epic tale of survival against the odds and the beginning of Anglo influence and commercial interest on another continent. However, what can't be forgotten are the confrontations and cycles of retribution with local tribes and the decision to import slaves to work in the labour intensive tobacco fields that sowed the seeds of future discontent that is still being felt today. With each archaeological find, a greater picture of local trading and the treatment of people of all races and classes is being discovered. Who said history was boring!

    We had spent so long at this site we realised we didn't have enough time to visit the other points of the historical triangle in the area, namely Yorktown and Williamsburg. Instead we headed straight to our hotel for the evening and rested for a short while. We then went to dinner at Second Street Bistro and the Halloween themed dressed staff reminded Alice and I that it was indeed Halloween. There was a competition to vote for the best dressed member of staff. There were the usual witches, pirates, angels and a catwoman. However the guy wearing a santa hat caught our attention. We were going to vote for him purely for the originality/laziness of his choice. When he served our food and explained he was 'every holiday man' with other parts of his outfit showing that thought was involved, he was guaranteed our vote. The food was excellent and I had my first steak since the trip began. Alice had an American classic, shrimp and grits, that she really enjoyed too. A good day and fine food.

    Song of the Day:
    Lovebug Starski - Amityville (it's Halloween people!)    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 55 - Driven To Exercise

    November 1, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    Lots of driving today as we continued our journey south.

    The main observations today are that the number of churches are increasing as the average speed of drivers is decreasing. And we hit the 7 000 mile mark!

    We went for dinner as soon as we arrived at our hotel and my pile of baby back ribs were enormous. Alice had the very healthy looking salmon with mash. Luckily for me, there was a gym at the hotel. Once the food had settled, Alice and I strapped on our trainers, jogged and lifted various weights whilst flicking through hundreds of TV channels at the same time. Our eyes and index fingers were as tired as the rest of our bodies by the end of our session. Time for an early night.

    Song of the Day:
    Shaggy - Oh Carolina    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler
    1

    Day 56 - Thunderbirds Are Go!

    November 2, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Big drive today. Four hours to get to Savannah in Georgia. We started with a IHOP. I know, we're getting predictable.

    The drive was pretty boring, we're back on the intersections with little interruptions, tolls, etc. We drove on Interstate 95 for about 185 miles, maybe more.

    The arrival into Savannah includes a long drive over the Talmadge Memorial Bridge which feel like a rollercoaster ride. You appear to be driving up in to the sky and then over the hump of the bridge and then back down the other side. Savannah is then apparent as soon as you exit the bridge. Our motel was just a minute away from there and it is a really cool place. Alice specifically chose a 1960s themed retro motel, with bright colours on the doors and a huge neon sign out the front. Each day the room is refilled with a can of RC Cola and a Moonpie chocolate (it's like a mini wagon wheel) for each guest. Nice! Sixties music is also piped out of speakers from ten til eight every day. Considering it is not too loud and Alice and I both like this period of music, it works quite well. I'm currently listening to 'Hear Comes the Sun' by the Beatles as I write this post.

    In the evening we went for dinner at a Persian Restaurant. Alice was swayed to go for the special, lamb kofta, and she was very glad that she did. I went for the chicken kabob (that's right kabob) which was one large skewer with rice containing nuts, a few raisins and orange peel. It was top notch. After the meal, we fancied more beers and went to a local bar. By coincidence, game seven of the World Baseball Series was about to start. It was basically a big deal with both teams not having won the series for a long time. We had also stumbled into a bar that was about to start a pub quiz. This is now the second pub quiz that we've been present at here in the US and there is a big difference to how it's done in the UK. In the US, when a question is asked, a song is played and every team has to bring a slip of paper to the quiz master to check and then after the song the answer is revealed. In the UK, the quiz master reads out a long list of questions, then at the end of that round, each team swap their sheets with another team and all those answers are read out by the quiz master. Alice and I didn't take part in this quiz as we just couldn't be bothered to get up after each question and traipse over to the quiz master. Also the top prize was a bar tab that we thought we wouldn't have time to make use of anyway. We decided to just watch the baseball with beers and answer what questions we could amongst ourselves.

    Once we got back to the motel, I put the baseball on as it still hadn't finished. It started at 8pm and was still going on past midnight. A pretty epic game that the Chicago Cubs eventually won. A pretty good day too.

    Song of the Day:
    Prince - Musicology (heard a Prince song in the car and as we walked into IHOP we thought it was the same song playing as we entered. It wasn't. It was Musicology. We went with that anyway.)    Read more

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    Day 57 - Hi, Y'all!

    November 3, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    The weather has continued to impress, hitting 28 degrees today. There were a few things we wanted to see in Savannah and it wouldn't take too long to see them and so we took our time. We were advised by a local in the Persian restaurant last night that the best way to enjoy the city is to just walk around. It's not particularly big and has a grid formation with a large number of picturesque squares. He was not wrong.

    It is a beautiful city and retains that Southern charm. People are incredibly friendly and it has a genuine feel to it. Even in a clothes shop the guy working there asked about our accents and we proceeded to talk about everything from where he's lived to the baseball game last night. At no point was this a way to then point me in the way of a pair of trainers. Refreshing.

    We started the day with a healthy breakfast of eggs and then we headed to the riverside. The riverside immediately reminded both Alice and I of anywhere in France. The small cafes and shops and tree lined road were well looked after and we walked along the path next to the river stopping to read infomation boards on the way. It was nice and relaxing. Next up, was a walk into the city centre and we were looking for Chippewa Square specifically. It was the square where the famous park bench scene from Forrest Gump was filmed. The bench used in the movie was a prop and so we just went to the location of where it would have been, took obligatory photos and then found an actual bench to sit down on and admire the square. The sun was not giving up today and we did what you do when not doing much and it's hot. We got ice cream. Well Alice got ice cream and I decided on a cookie. I complimented my cookie with a coffee to go and we continued walking and window shopping, heading in the direction of our motel for a much needed rest from all this strolling.

    Dinner had been booked for the evening. The Old Pink House is described as 'Southern cuisine served in an elegant Colonial mansion'. We both shared fried green tomatoes because... it's the south... and they were great and for mains I went for the duck and Alice had the fried chicken and mac and cheese. Throughout the meal, not only did we have a very attentive server, but there was also a maitre d' who popped over to our table and peppered each new dish with a light joke. And whilst Alice and I shared our peanut mousse bomb, I think that's what it was called, another person came over to our table in colonial dress asking if everything was OK. It was all a great experience and Alice and I rolled all the way back to our motel.

    Some of the Day:
    Gladys Knight - Midnight Train to Georgia    Read more

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    Day 58 - Parks And Exhibitions

    November 4, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today was as slow and easy as yesterday, maybe more so. We spent the morning in bed watching TV and reading news online.

    We then left the motel and went for something to eat. The city market is an area that is particularly lively with various eating and drinking establishments. We decided on 'Wild Wings Cafe' and sat down and enjoyed our lunch in the afternoon sun. No wings this time, just regular chicken and rice for me and nachos for Alice. Next up was something we had been meaning to do for a while. Finding a post office and sending some items abroad. It took longer than expected and the staff were extremely helpful. We made our to Forsyth Park which was very nice and contained a large fountain. On the way out we stopped off for a coffee.

    Next on the list was the Savannah Museum. We were keen to learn and this slightly dated yet strangely appealing museum fitted the bill. There were ye olde dressed up mannequins, a huge steam train, a boat, the bench used in Forrest Gump, many other bits and pieces and lots of interesting information about Savannah during the Civil War. Alice and I now know a great deal more about this meticulously planned port city than we did before. Job done.

    That night I chose dinner and due to a marathon the next day there seemed to be a large number of people also looking for somewhere to eat. The first choice was struck off due to us being informed that there was an hour and three quarters wait for a table. We decided on another Italian restaurant for choice number two and their wait was a more palatable twenty minutes. Thirty or so minutes later and we were seated. Woo hoo! Vinnie Van Go Go's was actually just a pizza restaurant with the options simply being toppings and sauce. We were not disappointed once it arrived. We devoured our supremely tasty eighteen inch pizza and craft beers. All's well that ended well.

    Song of the Day:
    Andy Williams - Moon River (Alice drank Moon River beer with dinner)    Read more

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    Day 59 - The Road To Atlanta

    November 5, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Mainly a driving day today. We left Savannah and got an early lunch before the big drive. We decided on the Waffle House which fitted the bill perfectly. It's a similar set up to IHOP but with fewer options. However, Alice and I both agreed that their 'world famous' waffles were definitely the best we've had so far.

    The drive didn't involve much traffic and we rolled into Atlanta ready to relax for a short while. We found a local Thai restaurant for dinner that was really good. I had a beer with mine and Alice had a kraken rum mojito with hers. Also very good. Not much else happened in the evening and we had an early night in preparation for the following day's exploration of the city

    Song of the Day:
    Outkast - So Fresh and So Clean (Andre 3000 and Big-Boi are from Atlanta)    Read more

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    Day 60 - Gone With The Dream

    November 6, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    We had an extended morning in bed, eating cereal and watching Friends on TV. Well, it was a Sunday.

    Once ready, we proceeded to walk towards downtown. The first thing we noticed was how quiet it was. We weren't sure if this was a Sunday thing, as there are Churches everywhere, or just an Atlanta thing. It was a bit eerie with the occasional jogger passing us by. It wasn't long before we reached our first activity of the day. Its to do with a famous book that became a movie and this time it was Alice's suggestion. We were visiting the house where Margaret Mitchell lived, the author of 'Gone With The Wind'. We went on a tour of the house and the tour guide was very informative and shed much light on the interesting life and tragic death of Margaret Mitchell. My knowledge of either the book or movie is close to nil, however this didn't matter as the focus is squarely on the person with reflections on the material that she wrote. After the tour, we were free to walk around the house where there was more information about the movie, it's release and its huge influence on the city of Atlanta on release. The tour guide even said that there was basically a state holiday on the day of the movie's release every year up until the 1980s!

    We left the house and walked into downtown, and people were still hard to come by. Maybe we were in the business district? We weren't sure. We had lunch in a food court by a main subway station and there were more security guards than customers. We were also going to have a look around the shops, however the vast majority were closed. We started to lean back on the religious reason for the lack of people.

    We then headed towards a site celebrating the achievements of one of Atlanta's most famous citizens. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site contains various buildings and Alice and I started at the visitor center. There is a museum here that uses archive footage and the power of the word in a poignant and powerful way to explain both the rise of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr's life. A group of statues in the middle of the museum walking as though on a march perfectly captured the mood of unity and purpose. Just outside the visitor centre is the original Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where King was baptized and both his father Martin Luther King, Sr., and he were pastors. Alice and I didn't go in as it looked like a service had just finished. From here we walked towards the main throughfare of the city, Peachtree Street. Our route took us through an area that had seen better days. Houses were boarded up, crashed cars had parts missing, and garbage littered the street. And yet, after walking down this street for ten minutes, a short steep street later and we were clearly in an affluent part of the city right next to the glitzy Peachtree Street. The geographic symbolism of a wealthy predominantly white high ground and a solely poor black low ground was evident. As I've said before on this blog, many social and economic issues are not the sole preserve of American cities. They just feel more amplified here.

    We walked the length of Peachtree Street and finally there were people about! The Fox Theatre was showing 'Cabaret' and people in fine clothes were looking forward to a night out. Alice and I stopped off in an Irish pub to kill a bit of time before dinner. We were going to an Indian Restaurant and it was for an occasion too. Today was the tenth anniversary of the passing of Alice's Father, Colin, and we decided to honour him with a meal Alice knew he loved. Unfortunately they didn't have one of his favourite dishes, onion bhajis (we couldn't believe it either!). However, we both enjoyed our meals, a biryani for me and a balti for Alice, and we raised our glasses to Colin.

    Song of the Day:
    Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday (a song written by Stevie for a movement that championed a national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. And it succeeded. Celebrated on the third Monday in January every year)    Read more

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    Day 61 - The Best Friend Thirst Ever Had

    November 7, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    When I say large American corporate brand, you say... well, there's quite a few actually. OK, let's think of those adverts with happy beautiful people, laughing and joking without a care in the world. Everyone is holding a red can containing a sweet black mildly addictive liquid inside. Yeah that's right, Coca-Cola. And we were about to 'open happiness'. We were going to The World of Coke.

    After getting our tickets we entered the 'artefacts' room. Our guide explained the history behind the Coke memorabilia (calling them artefacts) that surrounded us. It was quite interesting. We were then ushered into a movie theatre to watch an eight minute Coke video. It was basically a long form commercial with many people doing various spontaneous things making other people happy whilst drinking Coke. We all left happy and ready to enter various exhibits telling the story of Coke. All sarcasm aside, the main reason we were here was to go to the 'taste it' room where we got to drink various soft drinks from around the world. This experience was worth the price of admission alone and we drank a year's worth of fizzy drinks. My favourite was Fanta Kolita from Costa Rica and Alice's was Inca Kola from Peru. If that wasn't enough, we were all given a complimentary bottle of coke as we left. The trip was a bit of a laugh and I'm glad we went. And I wasn't going to drink anything sugary for a week.

    The rest of the day was not that exciting. We went back to the hotel to do the washing as we wanted to ensure they were done whilst we had the facilities. For dinner we went for something quick, easy and relatively healthy. Chipotle was opposite and was a good choice.

    Song of the Day:
    Robin Beck - First Time (a classic 80s pop track used in a very 80s Coke commercial)    Read more

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    Day 62 - Sweet B&B Louisiana

    November 8, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Another big driving day. One of the biggest, seven hours on the road and we passed the 8 000 miles mark. We drove through the heart of the South that involved three states; Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

    The journey was fine except for the rain that fell heavily just outside Louisiana. What was also noticeable was the marshy swamp areas that we drove over on long bridges. The bridges seemed to last for miles over thick swaying trees and endless streams and rivers. For our stopover we had our first KFC. We weren't in Kentucky but it had to be done. We were both dazzled by the options, very few of them we recognised from the UK with a big emphasis on Mexican style chicken eats; burritos, quesadillas, etc. It provided us with sustenance and we drove on. It was getting dark as we entered New Orleans and on arrival at our B&B we were both feeling tired. We decided on making sandwiches for dinner as we could not be bothered to go out to eat. We also wanted to watch the election night coverage. That soon woke us up again!

    Alice and I watched CNN from 7pm and the outcome was becoming apparent by 11pm when we switched over to The Daily Show Election Special with Trevor Noah. It was surreal. Trevor looked in both shock and horror as he and the rest of the show's comedians tried to create humour for something that they clearly hadn't expected to happen. It was just too uncomfortable to watch. As has been the case for the past year or so, news is the new 'must watch' show, and so we went back to CNN. I've got to hand it to them, they were in my opinion desperately trying to appear neutral. As soon as anything was said to favour one candidate, the other anchor would counter argue for the other candidate. What they couldn't hide was their surprise as the results came in. Each state had a progress chart that slowly rose as the votes were being counted and many states jumped between the two candidates with each 'vote dump'. The flashing graphics for a 'projected win' and 'key race alert' would focus all attention to a breaking update every few minutes. It was compulsive viewing.

    Various rolling partisan news channels have became outlandish 'info-tainment' and now a reality TV personality has become President of the United States of America. This is the reality now. The question I wonder is what else will become normalised with Trump as a representative of an incredibly influential country on the rest of the world? A cloud of uncertainty has descended and it is a strange time to be in one of the most self-confident nation's on Earth.

    Song of the Day:
    Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (chosen as we drove through Alabama)    Read more

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    Day 63 - The Day After The Night Before

    November 9, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    So it wasn't a dream! Why can't life be as predictable as lazy story writing.

    We had breakfast which was luxuriously rich waffles and bananas soaking in syrup. The B&B we were staying in was incredibly welcoming and we were free to pop into the dining room and take any snacks we fancied. The owners were both generous and warm and it didn't feel appropriate to bring up politics over breakfast. Although Louisiana is traditionally Republican, the cities and New Orleans in particular are primarily Democrats. We just mentioned we stayed up late watching the election and as the response was fairly muted we left it at that. We were feeling perky after all that sugar and caffeine for breakfast and we were now ready to hit New Orleans.

    We took a taxi to the Riverwalk and the driver was so friendly and funny Alice and I were laughing all the way in. A big tip for him! We started the day with a bit of shopping, but as per usual turned out to be mainly window shopping. We walked a short distance and found ourselves in the French Quarter. The architecture is striking and is a mix of Hispanic, French and Caribbean influences from a variety of periods. Like so many other areas we have visited, the trees and other foliage add another layer of detail. Whether it has been the Spanish Moss in Savannah, the huge Redwoods of the West Coast, the bare and haunting trees of Yosemite or the multitude of colours of the New England fall, the variety in tree types has been of particular note. In New Orleans, the surrounding swampy marshes and tropical trees (not sure what they are called) ensure that nature has stamped it's identity on this area just as much as the various cultures have.

    We walked down the main 'party' drag, Bourbon Street, and it reminded Alice and I of those Mediterranean resorts for Brits and other Europeans looking for a fun time. People are trying to get you to go into their bar with happy hours and other alcoholic offers. We hadn't even had lunch! So it was time to get some food. We ate at Oceana which is a seafood restaurant in the mould of Bubba Gump Shrimp. Not sure which came first, but they both provide shrimp and fish in various brand friendly formulas. It was very nice and just as important, healthy.

    My birthday was the next day and as we were driving the day after that, we thought it wise to celebrate the night before so we had a whole day to recover. This turned out to be a wise decision! We popped to the B&B and relaxed for a bit and then headed out for an evening in New Orleans. We started at a restaurant that was recommended to us by the B&B owner, Mr Bs (the name of the restaurant by the way). We were advised to go with the barbecue shrimp that would change our world. I had to go with it. To say that it changed my world would be an exaggeration, however, it was close to changing my world. The sauce was buttery smooth with the right heat and not too rich. There was also ample bread to mop up this wonderful sauce. Alice had fish, rice and beans that she really enjoyed. Sitting next to us were two guys who it turned out were surgeons and they were friendly and chatty. We started talking about our travels and then politics came up. They were surprised that we had heard about the finer details of their election which only added to their admitted embarrassment. As the conversation moved to UK politics, there was enough embarassment to go around. One of them also noticed that our waitress had accidentally delayed Alice's and my dinner which we weren't fussed about. However he mentioned to the waitress that we should get a free dessert for that. And we did! Alice and I didn't expect anything from the waitress and it was nice of the guy to even mention it. Dinner was a fantastic suggestion and experience.

    Next came the drinking. We started at Pat O'Brien's which is a bar famous for creating a cocktail called Hurricane. It has lots of different types of alcohol, it is very sweet and everybody in the bar seemed to be drinking it. We were in the garden area and glasses of red liquid were on every table. The generosity of people continued as a table near us had ordered an extra one by mistake and gave it to Alice and I. We ended up sinking five of these before leaving. Walking down Bourbon Street at night was a totally different experience to the day. It was busy, bright and in the spirit of the moment Alice and I got daiquiri's to walk down the street with. We then decided it was time for a dance and we passed plenty of bars and went to the one with the music we liked with enough people inside. We stayed here all night. A day and night to remember (alcohol permitting!).

    Song of the Day:
    R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It - And I Feel Fine    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 64 - In Bed With Sore Heads

    November 10, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    It was my birthday today. Yay! But we both felt like crap. Boo! There was only one thing we could manage. Turning on the TV and dozing in and out of sleep.

    By the evening (yeah that's right) we managed to regain our appetites and were ready for dinner that Alice had booked. It was an Israeli/Mediterranean Restaurant and the food was amazing. Alice had falafel and cheese and I had the chicken. For dessert we shared the babka that was also wonderfully rich. After we ate, we had a stroll around the Garden District and then headed home. There was not much else we could manage and we spent the rest of the night relaxing.

    Song of the Day:
    Zayn - Pillowtalk (there's a line about being in bed all day. Bed all day. Bed all day)    Read more

  • Mash and MaliceWings & ShakesTraveler

    Day 65 - Houston, We're Absolutely Fine

    November 11, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    It was time to say goodbye to New Orleans. It started with a shock election win, followed by a pre-birthday night involving copious amounts of alcohol, followed by a day of nausea. A regular three day period by anyone's standard.

    We had planned it well as the alcohol had left our system just in time to drive all the way to Houston. A mega six hour drive away. The drive was fine and before we knew it we were tackling six lane roads on the outskirts of the city with merging and exiting lanes joining and leaving the interstate from all sides and angles. We were glad to have reached our hotel for the night. We popped out to a local mall, got a healthy chicken dinner from Chilli's and strolled around for a while. Just the one night here in Houston as tomorrow we were heading to San Antonio.

    Song of the Day:
    Nelly - Ride Wit Me (a Texan and a driving song. Perfect!)    Read more

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