Day 13 - Tennis and Tyrone

We had a leisurely morning in Roswell, with a short tour of the area and picking up some sanwiches for the tennis tournament.  Stu and Justin were playing in a league doubles tournament, and it was a beautiful day for the event.  The home courts are in the neighborhood complex and it was fun to watch the old boys play (Justin played with a partner that is our age).  Both Justin and Stu won their respective matches, and it was just a perfect morning.

Then it was time to battle the Atlanta traffic again and I was lucky enough to meet up with my friend Tyrone Shannon.  Mr. Shannon has abandoned the hotel industry and is now applying his industry talents to the hospital world, and loving it.  We had an enjoyable lunch, but the conversation was the main course.  Good to get together after not seeing each other for about ten years.

Left Georgia and headed north, ending the day just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.  The state count is now up to 14 and should increase dramatically when the tour of New England begins later in the week.

Tomorrow the plan is to head to Washington DC for a visit with Sarah, Ben, and Elle.  Can't wait!

Day 12 - Georgia on My Mind (and GPS)

After a nice morning and breakfast with the van Rijssens, it was off to Georgia from Sarasota. It was tempting to stay with Sue and Rick another day to watch the launch of the space shuttle, but I had to move on to Atlanta.

The weather got better as the day went on, and by mid-day it was beautiful without a cloud in the sky.  Took all day to get to Atlanta, and arriving in that city at rush hour on a Friday was somewhat ill-advised.  There was a stretch of I-75 just south of Atlanta where the trees on either side of the road were strewn about from a tornado that touched down there.  Interesting to see the random, yet localized, damage.

Got to Roswell and Carol and Stu Cohen's house at dinner time, and we had a great evening.  Unbelievable dinner of wine, salad, filet mignon, cheese grits, and tiramisu.  Dinners on Thursday (Peruvian) and Friday (chez Cohens) were the best of the trip, hands down!  It was so great to see Stu and Carol, and finally meet sons Justin and Steven.

Day 11 - Sarasota, Florida

Left Tallahassee in a wicked rainstorm after hearing that there was a tornado about 15 miles to the west.  Time to go.

Go to Sarasota late afternoon and spent the rest of the day and evening with Sue and Rick, saw the beach at Siesta Key, saw the coast, saw the city, and then got down to business for dinner and drinks at Selva Grill, the greatest Peruvian restaurant ever.

Day 10 - state #11

Spent some time walking around the French Quarter again.  I took everyone's advice and went to Cafe Du Monde for freshly made Beignets, and wasn't sorry.  Warm pillows of goodness covered with powdered sugar.

I took some more pictures of the area and then headed off to Florida.  The pictures are of the founder of New Orleans (de Bienville), plaza in front of St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis Cathedral, statue of Andrew Jackson in Jackson Square, bridge over the Mississippi, and Riverboat on the Mississippi.

On the way to Florida I traveled through Mississippi and Alabama.  Got off the freeway in Mobil and drove to Fairhope, the town with rich history in Gayle's father's family.  I had heard about the area for years, and again, I wasn't disappointed.  Fairhope is a coastal town that is simply southern and beautiful.

Ended the day just outside Tallahassee, FL.  Tomorrow I'm off to Sarasota, FL to visit Sue (Perry) and Rick van Rijssen.

Day 9 - Bonjour New Orleans

Woke up to heavy thunder shaking the hotel this morning and decided it was time to move on. Went to the Tabasco plant on Avery Island and even took the tour. Beautiful scenery, and the egrets are some of the more gracefull birds around. Had a nice bowl of Crawfish Etouffe for an early lunch and then headed back out on the road.

The drive from Avery Island was green and lush. Arrived in New Orleans mid-afternoon and walked for about four hours. The city was bustling, and it was interesting to see the scenery and sights that seemed familiar from TV, movies, and books. I think I covered a good portion of the French Quarter in my travels and managed to stay out of trouble.

The view from my hotel room is pretty nice with the river winding through the city. Hopefully I'll get a chance to do some more exploring in the morning. Can't wait to see if some of tonight's revelers are still on the street (literally) tomorrow.

Day 8 - Adios Texas

The Riverwalk during the day is still picturesque, but no activity as you can see in the pictures. It really is a phenomenal attraction, and I think I could have spent another day walking around, and certainly another meal on the Riverwalk.

The Alamo was only two blocks from my hotel, and it was more than I expected. The history was interesting, but the beauty of the grounds and the area were surprising. The old trees and cacti in the courtyards were really something.



Leaving Texas was uneventful, and getting to Lousiana was pretty much the same. I stopped in a small town just before Lafayette and ate dinner at the Bourbon Street Diner - the best Shrimp Po Boy with Sweet Potato Fries. Welcome to Lousiana!

Day 7 - Howdy Texas!

Today's post is my first on the Droid.

Kind of drizzly in Santa Fe this morning so I decided to hit the road. Pretty dull drive through southern New Mexico and western Texas. I saw two spots where there were wildfires off in the distance, but no direct contact. Highlight of the drive was watching a hawk swoop down on the side of the road and snag a big snake. Quite a sight watching it fly off with the big wriggler in its claws.

Made it to San Antonio this evening and got a hotel right on the Riverwalk. Had Texas BBQ and a margarita at a Riverwalk restaurant then a short stroll before turning in. Hope to get a few pics in the daylight tomorrow.

BTW, apparently my new name is Sweetie, since that's what I've been called by every store clerk and waitress since I crossed into Texas!