songbird's crazy world

Spent the night at a Days Inn in Fayetteville.  Dinner at Shoneys last night.  And then back on the road, through the corn fields of North Carolina. We make jokes as we drive. We're driving in Ft. Myers and we see a sign for "Bay Shore Road" and we wonder how we got back to Long Island.    Later we see a sign for "Newport" and wonder  how we got to Rhode Island. In Georgia we saw a sheriff's car on the highway, resulting in a lot of bad "Smokey and the Bandit" jokes. First time we saw cattle, one of us did a "Twister" imitation, you know, where she say "We got cows."  It becomes a running joke.   Worst part of the day?  Looking for Biscuitville.  I had heard it was the best fast food breakfast around and had to try it.  Stupid GPS took us to the wrong side of town.  Fortunately the good folks of Rocky Mount were able to set us right .   Seriously, we were inside Biscuitville and the GPS told me I was 8 miles fro...

In the middle of nowhere, on the border of North and South Carolina, rises the temple of kitsch and shlock  known as South of the Border. You can't drive I-95 and not know about this place.  The ads start popping up along the side of the road about 60 miles before you get there. Of course we had to stop.  Took a ride up the sombrero tower to see the view.  Shopped for souvenirs.  None of the restaurants looked appealing, so we hit the toad again.

So we decided to make a stop in South Carolina to see the Tuskegee Airmen Monument.  The airport in Walterboro was a busy military base in WWII.  I didn't realize some of the Tuskegee airmen were stationed there!  The second monument is a beacon used at the airport during the war.  Pay close attention to what it says on the plaque.

So we made it to Jacksonville last night.  Stayed at an Econolodge.  Cracker Barrel and Econolodge, definitely a low budget trip. Thete's a Chinese take out place in Jacksonville called Ying Chinese Takee Outee.  No I am not making that up! This morning we got back in the open road.    Before long Florida citrus and pecans gave way to Georgia peaches and boiled peanuts.  Yesterday we saw lots of cattle pastured alonv the highways, today it's nothing but trees. Life in a truck means we get to play with the big boys, the 18 wheelers.  That means stopping at weigh stations and agricultural inspections.  Oh joy. Ate at a Waffle House.  Might as well try chains we don't have in New York. Georgia peaches give way to South Carolina fireworks.

There is no graceful way to get into out out of a ten foot truck.  Somebody get me a ladder! The truck has manual locks and hand cranks for the windows, features I haven't seen in a car in decades.  No tape deck or CD player in the radio.  At least it has automatic transmission and air conditioning! It's been beat up on, too.  Makes weird noises when you accelerate in low gear.  And the driver's side door sticks. Not the most comfortable ride, to say the least .

Up at dark thirty, quick ride to La Guardia, clear check in, hike to our gste (Drew joking that we have yo walk all the way to Kennedy). . . And before you know it we are in the air and Florida bound.  Small plane, the E175, no music on this flight, but I have my iPod.  Jimmy Buffett is my traveling companion. There's a family across the aisle, mom and dad and a baby and a toddler.  The little one had a bad flight -- she cried.  A lot. Reminds me of when Drew and I took Jen and Becca to Florida to visit his parents in Florida, summer 1993.  Becca was a year old and Jen was a few months shy of 3.    And we brought our dog Molly.  Coming home we had a direct flight from Ft. Myers to NYC.   But going down, we had to change planes.  You should have seen us walking  from one gate to the other, with two kids, a car seat, stroller, baggage . . .and all the while Drew is looking out the window at the baggage cart to make sure Mo...

 This place hasn't even opened yet -- it will have the grand opening Wednesday -- but I'm already reviewing it. How? Well, did you know that restaurants do "mock" nights before they open, so their staff can practice beforehand? Drew's been watching them build the place, in the brand new Gallery at Westbury Plaza, convenient to the shopping mecca of Bloomingdale's Outlet, Nordstrom Rack and Saks Off Fifth. So we were able to snag an invite to their mock night.  It's an interesting concept, a menu that is based on noddles and pastas from around the world. Most of the noodle dishes are vegetarian, but you can add a protein for an additional fee. You can also ask them to leave out an ingredient if you prefer.  Soups, salads and sandwiches complete the offerings on the menu. They have a Coke Freestyle machine -- pick your soda combinations! And there are beer and wine options as well. There's no children's menu, but all of the noodle...