Southern charm in Savannah

So we headed out in the gold pimp-mobile bound for stop one on our magical mystery tour. Well, we didn't really have an itinerary so it was kinda mysterious but I'm not sure where the magic was gonna come in! First stop on tour was the Kennedy Space Centre....oh yeah, we did stop in Melbourne on the way. Melbourne, Florida that is!

Phone: There's no place like home......almost!!


So the Kennedy Space Centre is AWESOME.....& I'm not really even a space nerd. Not only do they have real rockets & space ships in the grounds but you get to go on a bus ride out to the shuttle launch pad. They were due to have the Discovery Shuttle leave on it's final missions about 2 weeks after we were there so the countdown board was ticking away too.

Photo: The launch pad....just waiting for the shuttle....


Inside one of the giant buildings was the actual Sputnik & the Apollo Space Shuttle...but best of all were the space suits. I was fascinated by all the various nozzles & hoses that led into & poked out of the suits - but we won't go into that too much!

Photo: Check out those bad boys!!

Photo: Still can't figure out what all the nozzles are for??


Also at NASA is a new attraction called the Shuttle Launch Experience. Essentially it is a simulator ride that takes you through the sensation of what it would be like to launch a shuttle....without having to go through all the years of training & learning stuff. To start with though they took us through an instructional video so that we would all know what we were in for & they basically scared the crap out of everyone.....well, me anyway!! Then we were strapped in to a shuttle type get up which shook the hell out of us & flipped us upside down. It was cool actually.

Photo: I could totally have been an astronaut!!



When our space adventure was over we headed to Savannah, Georgia where we set up camp at the Travelodge opposite Hooters! No joke!! I can't say enough about Savannah. It is a gorgeous little town (well the old town bit is), laid out around 25 squares which each had some sort of monument, tree or fountain in it to signify some sort of historic event in Savannah's past. Around these squares are the tree lined streets lined with the typically Georgian houses you see in all the Hollywood movies. We took in Savannah from an old fashioned tram trolley driven by a typically Georgian old man with all the stories to match. Did you know that the Forrest Gump was filmed in Savannah? Did you know that one of the fountains was ordered from a Sears catalogue? Did you know.........oh, I can't remember!

Photo: The top of the church from Forrest Gump

Unfortunately Savannah was cold & windy so we had to stop often in a one of the many little shops & cafes along the Mississippi River to warm up....particularly the Savannah Candy Kitchen. They make their own pralines & these little fudgey things called turtles. YUM! We were also introduced to the best burgers in the entire world - Five Guys Burgers. They are a chain of burger restaurants but their burgers are life changing. So much so that when we got back that night we got straight on the internet, looked up all their store locations & started to plan the rest of our trip around where we could get Five Guys!

Photo: Mmmmm.....pralines at Savannah Candy Kitchen :)

Photo: ......spent the afternoon in the cemetery!


Sadly we had to move on, although this turned out to be a bit more difficult than we thought. We had decided to head to Atlanta but unfortunately there was a snow storm on its way across the middle of the country & Atlanta was expecting about 2 feet of snow in the next 2 days. As much as our golden beast was bomb proof, it didn't exactly scream "snow mobile". We thought it best to play it safe & head south instead. So Pensacola it was, right on the Florida pan handle.


Sadly there's not much to Pensacola except IHOP...or International House Of Pancakes...so we stopped for the night & then kept going, bound for New Orleans.

One more Disney encounter.....

Our last couple of days in New York were spent doing all the last minute things. Statue of Liberty, more shopping, cupcakes.....& the best cheesecake EVER! If you ever go to New York, you have to go to Roxy's in Times Square. It is a pretty tacky, touristy restaurant but the plain "New York" cheesecake is to-die-for!!!! Oh yeah, & the shakes aren't bad too!

Photo: Lady Liberty


We also had another crack at going to the Comedy Club. We realised pretty quickly why the tickets are only $10 - there is a 2 drink minimum & the drinks started at $12 for a beer or $24 for all you could drink soft drink. We were so outraged that we got up & left....I guess that happens a lot cos we weren't the only ones leaving. So instead we had a quick meal & walked around the city.....for the last time :(

Photo: I Heart NY

Next morning we were on a flight to Orlando, Florida......time to hit the theme parks. By the time our delayed flight arrived in Orlando & we got to the hotel it was quite late so it was off to bed - ready for Disneyworld in the morning.

Photo: Ahhhh.....a castle fit for a princess

There's not much I can say about Disneyworld that hasn't already been said. Some people think it is tacky & overrated but I LOVE IT!! In fact, 6 years ago, when we were in LA last, we spent 5 full days there so it's safe to say that I am a massive Disney tragic :) The rides are cool, I love seeing all the characters, the food is all deep fried & covered in sugar (Churros - YUM!) & the Disney paraphernalia is wall to wall.


But, the kids stuff didn't end there. The next couple of days were spent at Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure, where we got to experience the brand new Harry Potter park. Not only did the place look like it came straight out of the movies, we even got to sample all things Potter - like butter beer, chocolate bugs & booger flavoured jelly beans. For the record, the butter beer is delicious!

Photo: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizadry

Unfortunately our last day in Orlando was a bit of a bummer cos there were storms & rain but it did mean we got to do all the fun stuff like our washing, shopping in the 3 storey souvenir shop next door & eating $4 all-you-can eat pancakes at Denny's. Before we knew it though, we were at the airport at 5am waving goodbye to Bec :( ......& picking up our steed for the next 3 weeks - the world's ugliest car! A gold, Mercury Grand Marquis. (Think 1986 Toyota Cressida on steroids).....ready for a road trip!

Too much snow is never enough......or is it?

We started our next day with a visit to the FDNY - or the fire house. They have a fire house in midtown where you can go & attend a fire safety training course. It sounds boring (ok & it is designed for school kids!!) but it turned out to be one of the most fun things we did. The fire captain took us into a room that was all done up to look burnt out & he pressed all sorts of buttons that simulated what it would be like in a real fire & it was actually quite terrifying. He then let us try on an oxygen tank & hat & we got to hold his hose!! We spent about 2 hours in there & only left because we had a date with our Broadway tour.



The Broadway tour was actually a walking tour of the Broadway district....& it was ABSOLUTELY FREEZING!! The guide would walk around for a bit then we would escape into the foyer of a posh hotel to defrost for a bit, then head back out to freeze our arses off again. The tour was interesting & included a backstage tour of an off Broadway production called "Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage", which was a bit weird, but it was just too cold to be walking the streets so we were all quite relieved when we could scamper back to our nice, warm apartment.

Photo: College football at the new Yankee Stadium



The next day Bec & I decided it was girls day so the boys headed off to the new Yankee Stadium for some college football....in the snow! In the meantime the girls finally got to go on the Gossip Girl tour. It wasn't as good as the Sex & The City tour, mostly because the guide wasn't very good - she spent most of the time reading off her cards, but we had fun anyway. Is it a little bit sad that the highlight was the cupcake stop??

Photo: Central Park in the snow


Then it was into Times Square to watch the rehearsals for the massive New Year's party, complete with practise confetti, the countdown & ball drop. I guess that should have meant we wouldn't have to go to the real one......hmmmmmm!! New Year's Eve day was started at the American Museum of Natural History....or the museum from the movie Night At The Museum. I have to say it is an amazing museum - the sheer range & number of dinosaur skeletons is enough on its own but I was done in when it came to the African animal exhibit. Even though I have seen most of them for real, it was still cool to see them in the museum - stuffed!

Photo: Inside the Museum of Natural History

The museum is on "Museum Mile" which is directly opposite Central Park & there had been a fresh sprinkling of snow overnight so we took the chance to walk around the park snapping heaps of shots of acres of virgin snow. Just gorgeous. Then it was 4pm & we were packing our goody bags with snacks & heading to the Times Square district ready for a night of madness......freezing madness! We made it to the front of the queue to get into the one of the roped off sections in Times Square (after waiting 90 minutes) only to be told that we would have to get rid of the backpacks....WHHAAATTT?? So we ran back to the apartment, emptied our bags, filled our pockets & raced back....to join the end of the queue!

Photo: Times Square.....New Years Eve....not much of a view!



The queue was hell, people pushing & shoving, yelling at each other & generally being arseholes! Every so often there would be a few tense minutes when the crowd would rush forward & there threatened to be a stampede but eventually, by 7pm, we were back in the enclosure, pockets intact. We were lucky & ended up right in front of a giant screen & could see the ball BUT although the screens were supposed to come on at 6pm they didn't come on until nearly 8pm & by then the enclosure was so full that we could no longer see the ball & were right under the screen. The other thing is, they would have a performer on every so often & then they would just replay that performance over & over again. Add to that a temperature of minus 4 degrees & by 9pm we were done! We escaped the madness of Times Square & holed up in a bar in the courtyard of our apartment. The beers were $2, the music was loud, the bar staff were all drunk & the telecast of Times Square on the big screen was in Spanish......oh yeah & it was a gay bar!! Happy New Year, certainly one to remember!!
 

Photo: Happy 2011 :)

Playing the tourist in NYC

So we woke up on Boxing Day morning to the sight we had been hoping for all week.....snow! Not just a light sprinkling but about 2 feet of it on the ground. We walked outside & the cars parked on the side of the road were all completely covered, stairs & sidewalks were invisible....& it continued to snow. We had no time to spare though as we embarked on a massive week. You see we had all bought attraction passes that entitled us to admission into about 50 attractions over the next 7 days. So much like when we were in Paris, we made a list of all the must-sees, got the map out & plotted our itinerary.

Photo: I don't think this guy's going anywhere!

First stop was the King Tut exhibition....& what a spectacular exhibition it was. Andrew & I are both fascinated with Egyptian history & artifacts (which is funny cos it's one of the places we havn't been yet!), so we particularly loved this attraction. We couldn't hang about though cos we had a date at Radio City Music Hall for the backstage tour. The famous Rockettes were playing at the Music Hall at the time of our tour so we were even lucky enough to get to sit in one of the VIP booths for the first 10 minutes of the show. It was totally kitsch but even so it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement....in fact it even had us all wishing we could go to the full show. So I guess there is method in their madness in letting us see a sneak peek! The tour continued & we got to see the dressing rooms, costume room (I have never seen so many sequins in one place) & we got to meet a real, live Rockette. I'm not really sure how she manages to walk with her leotard so far up her....um, you know!!

Photo: Insidthe theatre at Radio City Music Hall

Photo: See what I'm saying?!

The day was rounded out by a visit to Madame Tussuad's. It's funny how amazingly life like some of the models are & how terrible & plastic many others are. For example, Ozzie Osbourne is amazing but the Beatles are a disgrace! Anyway, I'm not sure when i'll get another chance to grab the likes of Bon Jovi, Daniel Craig & Brad Pitt on the bum so I'm not complaining. Plus, even though Shawn, Andrew & I had all been to Madame Tussuad's before, it was really cool to see Bec going for the first time. She got really into it, even swinging upside down next to Britney Spears!

Photo: I felt quite comfortable here......


The next day the weather had gone from pretty, fluffy snow to sharp blades of ice whipping through the air threatening to take out an eye. Unfortunately it also meant that our carefully constructed plans were a bit tattered. We were meant to be doing a Gossip Girl tour but it was cancelled & many of our back up plans were closed. We ended up at Carnegie Hall & it was a revelation. I had no idea how historic the place is & how gorgeous it is on the inside. It was also cool walking the halls & being able to name so many of the amazing artists that have performed there over the years. Unfortunately the outside of the building was under refurbishment so we didn't really get a good look at it...but it was snowing so hard & was so cold we probably would have peaked out from our beanies & kept running for the subway anyway!

Photo: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!


We ended the night on a huge high with a performance of Wintuk by Cirque de Soleil. It was gob smacking. The show had a winter theme & the costumes were all floaty & sparkly & the range & talent of the performers was amazing. They did anything from roller skating & tight rope walking to trampolining & acrobatics. I'm pretty sure we all sat with our mouths open for the entire 2 hour performance.

The next day the weather hadn't improved much. We jumped on the subway & headed out to the ferry docks to catch the boat for the Statue of Liberty...but you guessed it, it was closed! Instead we headed to Ground Zero to check out how much progress had been made since we were there in 2004. Surprisingly it looked quite similar to how we remembered it....a giant hole in the ground! At least now they have agreed on how to use the space & all the surrounding buildings have either been torn down or repaired. I look forward to returning to NY in 2013 to see the new Freedom Tower & gardens......hopefully!!

Photo: This is "The Sphere", a sculpture that was recovered from the World Trade Centre site


But, our day was not over. From Ground Zero we headed into St Paul's Catholic Church where they have a permanent exhibit of photos taken during the days after September 11, as well as thousands of letters & memorials to the many people who lost their lives. It is a very sombre place & we were also there for the daily service that is held at 12.30pm which was extremely emotional. There were many different people from all different cultures & religions in the church during the service & even the babies managed to remained silent for a few moments.

Photo: St Paul's

Photo: Some of the thousands of paper cranes that were sent to Ground Zero from school children in Japan


With the sombre part of the day over (or so we thought), we decided to go & see a new exhibition called Bodies. It is a massive collection of real human parts that have been dissected, filled with different dyes & put on display to show not only how the human body works, but also how some of the choices we make in life effects to our bodies. The most disturbing sight was the healthy lung next to the lung of a smoker. Truly disgusting! Probably the most fascinating museum I have ever been to though.

To end the day it was back to midtown & into the NBC building for a behind the scenes studio tour & a trip up Top Of The Rock next door. During the NBC tour, we got to see the studios of the Dr. Oz Show, The Jimmy Kimmel Show & the set of the old Saturday Night Live studio. It was really cool to see the studios, especially when you see how small they really are but what was cooler was watching the DVD of clips of all the different shows that have been filmed there. Or more importantly, having a competition to see how many you could name!! After the tour, we headed up to the roof of Rockefeller Centre to see the gorgeous New York skyline at night. As with any big city, New York is at it's best when all lit up at night.

Photo: Empire State Building in Christmas colours :)

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..........

On the 23rd of December Char & Char (our friends from Sth America) arrived in New York for a days stop over in the city before flying home to the the UK. It was so much fun catching up with them in another new city. I think one of my favourite things about travelling is meeting new people & seeing them again all over world.

Photo: Ice skating at Rockefeller Centre......the people around the edges are all in the queue!!

We headed out into the cold to check out the Christmas tree & ice skating rink at Rockefeller Centre which was breathtaking of course. We gave the ice skating a miss once we saw that it was a 3 hour wait. Instead we went shopping at the NBC shop (or smurf heaven as it turns out!) then went for lunch  at TGI Friday's. Dessert was delicious.....chocolate brownie cake doused in Baileys...yum, yum! Then it was time to goodbye to the Char's....again!! Really over all the goodbyes :(

Photo: Not happy Jan......


We had to march on though cos we were due at our happy hour appointment at the comedy club. Well, that's what we thought! We arrived about 15 minutes before happy hour was due to start & the club was closed...I mean absolutely no sign of life. So we went in search of a bar nearby in the hope that the club would just open in time for the show. That's where the evening started to go a little pear shaped.

The bar we found was called The Slaughtered Calf & it was an Aussie bar....Yay!! Within 30 seconds of being in there we had all signed up for the $20 all-you-can-drink deal which included basically all drinks except premium spirits & boutique beers. Woo hoo! Sadly we made the rookie mistake of going in too hard, too early & within about an hour I was smashed & Andrew was trying to carry me home. Apparantly it made for a very interesting ride home on the subway when I kept giggling uncontrollably & causing all sorts of scenes. Well, that's what Andrew tells me but I don't know.........I am good girl after all, just ask my Daddy!! Oh yeah, so we never made it to the comedy show.

The next morning was rough....& Bec & I had to be up & looking respectable cos we had a date with the Sex & The City tour. Luckily we pulled it together & the tour was a blast. We got to see so many of the locations from the show & the movie & we got a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. The funniest stop was at the sex shop where Charlotte got "The Rabbit".........the perfect girls day out really topped off by some shopping in the HBO shop buying all our Sex & The City crap!!

Photo: Sitting at the bar from Carrie & Big's rehearsal dinner


It also seems it was the day for inappropriate behaviour in public....& before you assume it was me, one was a guy who was walking around in the West Village with no pants on. Not a very smart move when the temperature was around 1 degree!! Then when the boys were having lunch, some dude walked in & had wee right there, on the floor in the restaurant. Yuck, yuck. yuck!!

The rest of the night was spent eating Chinese take out & skyping everyone for Christmas. It was weird sitting in an apartment half way around the world, on Christmas Eve, in minus 4 degrees, watching everyone at home on skype, heading out for Christmas lunch wearing shorts & t-shirts.

Photo: Christmas Eve in New York City :)


We woke up the next morning, hoping desperately that it had snowed overnight.....sadly no, it was just freezing. So we had present time ( & I was spoilt!!), got dressed & jumped on the subway, headed for Queens & Christmas lunch. We arrived at the little pub we had chosen called Sidetracks. We were greeted at the door by the gorgeous owner of the place & our day was perfect. It is a small, family owned, Irish pub full of families who were all obviously regulars. The owner made the rounds of all the tables where she was on a first name basis with at least half of the tables. Dinner was also delicious. The full English Christmas dinner with turkey, ham & all the trimmings. It was a lovely, friendly, relaxed day in the company of some of my favourite people. The only thing missing was the rest of our families.

Photo: Mmmmm....Christmas dinner :)

Photo: Merry Christmas


Now, what do you think could have made this day any more perfect??? The Boxing Day test!! We found an Aussie bar (a different Aussie bar!!) that was showing the test live. Weird huh? Having Christmas dinner then going to watch the Boxing Day test....all on the one day :) If only the Aussies had read the script & kicked the Pom's butts.....oh well!!

Photo: Ahhh yes, the obligatory cricket club hat!



So we went to bed on Christmas night having experienced Christmas in the cold...not quite white but the festive season's not over yet........

Start spreading the news........

We arrived safely back in New York.....& I have to say it felt positively tropical compared to Niagara. No snow either......yet!

Our first task was to check into our funky loft apartment in Midtown & do some grocery shopping to fill the cupboards. The apartment was gorgeous, quality furnishings & linen....just typically New York! (translate: small) Some homemade pumpkin soup & warm rolls later & it was time to head to JFK to pick up Bec.

Photo: Cute huh?!

Photo: Andrew's bed!!


Firstly the estimated 45 minute subway ride took over an hour & a half (due to traffic - huh?) so we ran into the arrivals hall about 10 minutes late. The place was empty. The baggage carousel wasn't even going around anymore so a quick check of the board & sure enough her flight was EARLY!! When does that ever happen?? Well, after an hour of pacing, going upstairs, going downstairs, asking at information (damn privacy laws!!) & finally convincing some poor, harangued lady at the first class check in counter to page said missing person......still nothing!! Uh-oh......we hadn't even met up with Bec yet & we had lost her!

After over an hour we started to think..."Hmmm, maybe she arrived early, saw we weren't there & got a cab into the city?".....so back onto the subway we got & back to the apartment. BUT there was no Bec at the apartment. By now panic had set in so all I could do was sit in the lobby of the apartment building & wait. Over 3 hours after she was due I finally saw Bec pull up in a shuttle van outside & we spent the next 5 minutes jumping around & squealing on the sidewalk (yes, I did just say sidewalk!!). What a relief :)

So we all settled into the apartment, happy to be one big happy family again, & bec & I talked & giggled into the wee hours. Next morning there was a knock on the door....Shawn had arrived too!! You guessed it, more squealing & jumping around (mostly from me) & the last member of the family was here. The adventure could now begin.

Photo: Together at last :)

First stop was Times Square. I will never get tired of the sight of Times Square. SO many annoying tourists though ;) Actually it wasn't too bad. We were accosted about every 5 steps by some other random asking us if we "like comedy??". "Of course" we would answer, "We're Australian!". So 4 x $10 tickets later we were promised a great night out...oh, & did I mention happy hour with $3 cocktails?? Sweet, activity 1
booked!


The next couple of days were spent walking around the city, drinking lots of Starbucks, shopping, visiting Borders at Penn Station (Note: the most disgraceful excuse for a store I have ever had the displeasure of shopping in!), eating & shopping some more. We also traipsed across town to the Dakota Building, You see, Bec had make the fatal mistake of uttering possibly the most unbelievable statements I have ever heard....."Who is John Lennon?" What the?? How is it possible to live in the 20th or 21st centuries & not know who John Lennon is? Now, Bec will probably regret that phrase for the rest of her life (you can just imagine the curry she got for many, many days to come) but it did mean that we had to go to the Dakota Building to show her where the legend died.

Photo: Who's that guy again??


A brief walk in Central Park & it was time to go back to the apartment to defrost, literally. We did have fun that night though when we decided to order pizza online. Not only could we order it online & have it delivered, we could watch the live progress of it online & it only took 25 mins from the order being place to it arriving on our doorstep. Impressive.

Photo: The New York skyline across a near frozen pond in Central Park....not a good sign of things to come :)

So the shopping continued.....5th Ave with Victoria's Secret, Tiffany & Co, Henri Bendel, Trump Tower....& the list goes on! We even managed to to fit in some 2am shopping at Macy's...cos you can! By the way, I love Macy's.....in a slightly unhealthy way & I love even more that as an International Visitor you get a 10% discount card. Woot!! Another thing I forgot to mention was the most amazing hot chocolate I have ever tasted.....on the top floor at Tiffany's of all places. They had a table set up with blue tablecloths, blue napkins, blue iced Christmas cookies & cups of homemade hot chocolate....all served on a silver platter. Delicious!

Photo: A delicious assortment of goodies in Henri Bendel


Oh, & how could I forget Bloomingdale's & their fabulous, FREE facials!! Bec & I enjoyed being pampered & preened while the boys looked on. Andrew, however, made the fatal mistake of sitting in an empty chair at the Clarins counter & before he could blink a busty, Hispanic woman had lathered up his face with cleanser & was talking to him about dry patches & a skin care regime!! Priceless ;)

Photo: Bahahahahahaaaaaaaa


Next on the list - one last day with the Char's, some comedy & Christmas.....New York style.

O Canada, O Canada!!

After a horrific flight from Lima to New York City (note to self, NEVER fly Continental again!) we arrived safely in my favourite city in the world. After negotiating the subway & making our way to the hotel we went shopping.....come on, we were in New York!! Unfortunately we only had 24 hours to shop because next thing we knew we were checking in with Amtrack at Penn Station for our 12 hour train trip across the border to Canada. The train was actually amazing. A bit like being in first class on an aeroplane....without the hosties & free booze!

Photo: The view from the train


As we watched the countryside slide by the snow started....& it didn't stop until we arrived back in NY a week later. But, I digress.....as the snow got heavier on the ground we passed houses all decked out in Christmas lights with snowmen in their front yards, it was the kind of scene you see in a Christmas movies. Once on the ground in Niagara, Canada we left the safety & comfort of the customs building & entered the twilight zone.

Photo: So much snow gathered on the platform between the carriages!


It was snowing.....not nice, soft, fluffy flakes.....no, small bullets of ice blowing from all angles & hitting like needles!! Add to that the fact that it was 10pm, dark & -12 degrees & there were no taxis. After waiting for about 15 minutes a taxi finally came & before we knew it we were safely installed in a cheap motel in a street with more sex shops in one place than I have seen in my entire life!!

Photo: What a sight!


The next morning we woke up & it had snowed so hard that our door was snowed shut. It was gorgeous but unfortunately it meant we were stuck in our room for a couple of days. We did manage to get out after a couple of days & walk down the road to a giant outlet shopping mall.....2km there & back in snow up to 3 feet deep & temperatures around minus 10....not such a good idea after all!

Photo: At least this snow was light & fluffy.....


Eventually  we did get to go out & see the whole reason for going to Niagara in the first place - Niagara Falls. They advertise a nightly light show that is projected onto the water, so we timed out trip to see the falls in the day light as well as all lit up. It was still freezing & most smart people had stayed indoors but it did mean that we basically had the whole place to ourselves. The falls are spectacular & were made even more so by the icicles hanging off the sides & giant chunks of ice floating along the river. We would stay outside, take few photos then run inside the visitors centre to defrost before repeating the exercise....for about 3 hours. Eventually the sun went down & the light show began.....only it turned out to be half a dozen white lights shining on the water. Not much of a show but it was still nice to see the falls lit up at night.

Photo: Niagara Falls

Photo: Fff-reeeeeezing

Photo: Pretty

Photo: Almost frozen over.....

Before long we were back on the train & heading back to New York for Christmas & New Years......& to see Shawn & Bec after a long 8 months....YAAAAYYY!!

Photo: So the sun did come out momentarily!!