Fort Bragg Brags!!!

Since Fayetteville, NC,  is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city, we looked forward to visiting the Airborne & Special Forces Museum!

The main exhibit gallery takes you on a timeline beginning with 1940, when the  U.S. Army Parachute Test Platoon began, and ending with today's airborne and special operations units.   Displays include significant battles of World War II,  Cold War era conflicts, including Korea and Vietnam, and the Middle East wars.  The museum emphasizes the courage and dedication of the American soldier, a common bond that ties each generation together.

"World War II saw the most concentrated use of airborne operations, with five Army divisions dedicated to using this new method of putting men and equipment on the battlefield. The 11th, 13th, 17th, 82d and 101st Airborne Divisions spearheaded many operations, and were joined by early special operations soldiers from units such as the Rangers, OSS, and the 1st Special Service Force. "

"On display at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum is a replica of part of a French village from the Normandy Invasion of June 1944. As visitors walk the streets of the village, they are surrounded by images of war."

"From the bullet holes in the stucco walls to the C-47 "Skytrain" flying low overhead with jumper in the door, the museum transports the visitor to war torn occupied France at the dawn of Europe's liberation."

"One of the most rare and impressive displays is that of a completely restored WACO CG-4A glider. Gliders were used extensively in the war, and the largest operations used them by the thousands. The gliders were very fragile, had little peacetime use, and have not been used by the military since 1950-51. For these reasons there are only a handful of gliders left in the world, and few of these have been properly restored. The museum's glider is the finest example in existence."

"The Airborne & Special Operations Museum takes a close look at the soldiers, equipment, and campaigns of the war in Vietnam. The "Screaming Eagles" of the 101st Airborne Division, the 3d Brigade of the 82d, and the legendary "Sky Soldiers" of the 173d Airborne Brigade fought valiantly in Southeast Asia, and the Special Forces proved themselves time and again by working with the indigenous people in their fight for freedom.  On display at the museum is a UH-1 "Huey" helicopter. The pilot is at the controls, the door gunner is at the ready, and two paratroopers are on the ground ready for action. Hidden in the bush is the point man for a Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol, silently surveying the action."

"Overhead is an AH-6 "Little Bird". This small but deadly helicopter represents the use of special operations airpower. From the early airplanes that dropped paratroopers and towed gliders to the blistering modern gun-ships like the AC-130H Specter, aircraft have always been an intrinsic part of airborne and special operations."

Other dioramas depict Airborne operations in the Middle East, planning strategy with the locals as well as special operations.

I am of the opinion, OBL is hiding RIGHT there...!

Cape Fear Botanical Gardens

We've been camping near Fayetteville, a city of about 200,000, the county seat of  Cumberland County, North Carolina.  It is located in the Sandhills in the western part of the Coastal Plain region, on the Cape Fear River.  There is an abundance of pine trees, hardwoods, and magnolias where hosts of robins and mockingbirds thrive in large numbers!

Strolling around Cape Fear Botanical Gardens is a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning!  Over  60 weddings take place in the Gazebo every year.   One had just concluded before we arrived.  I'm of the opinion that the Spring or Fall might be a more optimum environment for an outdoor wedding in the heat and somewhat oppressive humidity this time of the year!

The Garden is located on seventy-seven acres between the Cape Fear River and Cross Creek, a mere two miles from downtown Fayetteville.  Founded in 1989, the Garden is very proud to display more than 2,000 varieties of ornamental plants and has several specialty gardens, including Camellia, Daylily and Hosta gardens.

Several farmhouses,  barns, a tobacco shed complete with curing ovens, a two-holer outhouse, as well as farm implements and equipment add to the charm of the Gardens.  Nice!

South of the Border

'South of the Border, only 198 miles ahead on I-95' the huge, colorful billboard boasts.  Huh?  We're in Georgia!  So, what could that be????  'On the Border' is a great Tex-Mex restaurant back in our home state of Texas, and since we are always on the prowl for decent Tex-Mex, our eyes light up thinking, ooh!  Maybe, just maybe, there is a great enchilada and Margarita with a little salt and lime awaiting us a mere 198 miles up the road!  Our taste buds fairly tingle as we spot another one, 'South of the Border, Sommtheeng Deeferent'  Then, 'Honeymoon Suites: Heir Conditioned at South of the Border' comes into view...Ummm, it's not a Mexican restaurant, we deduce!  Daggone it, and I was getting in the mood for a great Margarita, chips and queso!

'You Never Sausage a Place! (You're Always a Weiner at Pedro's!)'...Ummm, that's pretty punny! 'Keep yelling, kids! (They'll stop.)'  'Pedro's fireworks! Does yours?'  Hahaha!  'Too much Tequilla (Billboard appears upside down)'  We have never seen soooo many billboards advertising one place, so we are definitely going to stop there!  Margarita or no!

As we approach Hamer, SC,  the first thing that gets our attention is a ginormous sombero on top of a tower at least 150 feet high (165 feet to be exact)!  Our mouths are gaping wide open as we exit to 'South of the Border', a rest stop, complete with Reptile Lagoon, Amusement Park, adult entertainment store appropriately named 'The Dirty Old Man', Mexico Shop, Fireworks and Pedro's Diner!

As we drive into the complex, I am snapping pics as fast as I possibly can and yelling at Mike to slow down, no, back up...over there, gotta' get a picture of THAT!  Campy, kitschy, tacky, funny, and just plain laugh-out-loud hilarious!  This is just about the most bizarre truck stop ever!  Carl's Corner, of Willie Nelson fame, near West, Texas, has a long way to go to beat this SOB!!!

Finally, we park and go into the Mexico Shop.  For the next hour-and-a-half, we totally regress to outrageous and juvenile behavior and, well...the pictures below relate the silly time we had much better than I could ever pen it!

i Pimientos Rojos!  i Muy Caliente!

SNAKES!  Why did it have to be SNAKES!!!

South of the Border...down South Carolina Way!

Dinosaur Glasses...who knew they had such LONG eyelashes!

EEK!  That snake that fell out of the tree at Little Talbot State Park is stalking me!

I am the Rastafarian Man....

Finally made it to the Oasis!

Marilyn & Mike & The Seven-Year Itch...should I be jealous????

Wikipedia says "South of the Border was developed by Alan Schafer (1914-July 19, 2001),[1] who founded a beer stand at the location in 1950 and steadily expanded it with Mexican trinkets and numerous kitsch items. He had a great deal of success turning South of the Border into a "tourist mecca"[2] because of his location, which was immediately across the border from Robeson County which was at one time, one of many dry North Carolina counties. He grew his small business into what was, by local standards, an economic empire. South of the Border grew to over a square mile, required its own infrastructure, and had its own fire and police departments. Schafer became reclusive, building a large compound of interconnected houses outside the Dillon city limits. At South of the Border, he kept secret apartments hidden in the backs of restaurants and shops.[citation needed]

South of the Border was originally created as a rest stop for members of the Jewish community[citation needed] who regularly traveled to and from the New York area to Florida. The revenues generated from the higher than average numbers of patrons, allowed South of the Border to grow and expand into the Mexican themed kitsch location it is today."

Interestingly enough, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve, grew up in nearby Dillon and once wore a sombrero and pancho as he waited tables at Pedro's Diner, working there in the summertime to earn money while attending Harvard!

So, now you know that 'South of the Border' not only refers to our neighbor, Mexico, to the south of the US,...but also to a uniquely bizarro, yet delightful truck stop just 'South of the Border' of North Carolina, hence the catchy name! (Fondly referred to by the locals as SOB.)

Visit 'South of the Border's' website at:
http://www.thesouthoftheborder.com/

It was a dark and stormy night...

It was a dark and stormy night in Yemmasse, SC. Thunderstorms with gusty winds started rolling through around nightfall. Thankfully, we had stowed the lawn chairs, outdoor rug, tablecloth and awnings before the storm hit. It is no fun packing up wet equipment, been there done that!

I love hunkering down for a pelting rainstorm in the Silver Chalet! Getting all cozy and snug as a bug in a rug, okay, tin can, is incredibly satisfying and enjoyable! Nothing better than snuggling up with a good book, or someone who has read one, Ron Chapman of KVIL in Big D, so famously used to say!

Around 3 A.M., the romance of raindrops on an aluminum roof has disappeared. Never experienced that much heavy rain all night long! I keep dreaming that we are going to transform miraculously into an amphibious vehicle, or that we are going to get hopelessly mired in the muck as we attempt to pull out of the campsite in the morning!

Thankfully, my mini-nightmares are just that, dreams, weird, but harmless. We awake a little later than planned, since I was wide awake a significant part of the night, to a clear morning and a campsite littered with leaves, big branches, and lots and lots of big puddles. We complete the campsite breakdown in record time and pull out unscathed and without being stuck in the muck.

None of the wall plugs from the bathroom forward are working and the TV has a mind of its own, will I turn on, maybe...maybe not! Electrical issues are not our area of expertise! Mike has replaced fuses, fiddled with the breaker box, all to no avail. There is only one authorized Airstream service dealer in SC, and we are headed to it to see Chuck! The website looks very professional and high tech, with a multi-million dollar business portfolio. We are hopeful the issue will be resolved, at least by Monday!

As we pull into Donmar RV of South Carolina in Lynchburg, just off I-95, we immediately look at each other and become just a bit wary of the quality of service we may receive because the landscape is a grassy field, with a couple of corrugated buildings, and is littered with about thirty or so Airstreams in various stages of disrepair and deterioration, overturned lawnchairs, coolers, spare tires, junk, junky, junkyard. As Chuck ushers us into the office, our concern is further heightened by the utter disarray and disorganization that looms before us. The cluttered countertop offers hardly a space for writing, the shelves are in need of some serious rearranging, and the floor space is a virtual mishmash of parts, lawn chairs and just stuff.

Chuck, however, is warm and friendly and springs immediately into action. After plugging into the electricity, he quickly determines that we have a GFI breaker that has been thrown. Mike had flipped it back and forth into the ON position, tried replacing fuses, all to no avail. Chuck patiently shows us how to properly re-engage it. Flip it all the way DOWN before flipping it UP! Duh...the learning curve just got much greater...lol

He informs us that it is crucial to always have the A/C turned OFF before hooking up to electricity at a campsite. With everything powering up at once, you can quickly burn out an A/C compressor. Thanks for the tip, Chuck! He could have told us we needed a complete new breaker box and we would have not been the wiser. Good to know there are still honest folks out there.

After about 15 minutes, with tips on checking voltage at campsites, keeping the finish looking bright and shiny and at absolutely no charge, Chuck sends us merrily on our way. Oh happy day, we are back on schedule!

We have just settled into the rhythm of driving on I-95, when a huge semi-tractor trailer comes barrelling down on us at lickety-split high speed, veers in front of us to immediately exit, stage right. I am thinking, was that REALLY necessary??? To our extreme horror, we look over to the left, and there totally stopped in I-95's fast lane, is a late model vehicle with an older gentleman walking along side it just looking at it. He is parked next to a guardrail with no place to go but forward for several yards. It all happens so fast, we just shake our heads and pray that no one crashes into it. Hauling the trailer with no place to pull over and try to help out is a haunting thought, even the day after. I will have nightmares over this one.

We make it safe and sound to Fayetteville KOA, NC, wash 3 loads of clothes, take a leisurely walk in temps in the high 60's and enjoy a TV and wallplugs that work, finally!

Farewell, lovely Savannah

Our final day in Savannah was spent completing Walks 2 & 3.

'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' made the Mercer-Williams House a landmark.  Constructed in the 1860's, it is most famous for being the site of the murder of male escort, Danny Hansford, in the study, the room on the downstairs left of the house.  Jim Williams, a Savannah preservationist and successful antiques dealer was ultimately found not guilty after his fourth trial.

Savannah's streets and walkways are shaded by arbors of live oaks like this one in Forsythe Park where this beautiful fountain, the most photographed site in Savannah is located.  Ordered from a mail order catalogue in 1858 for $2,500, this gorgeous cast iron fountain was designed along the lines of the fountains at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.  Similar fountains can be found in Cuzco, Peru and Poughkeepsie, NY.

Never to be allowed to touch 'Yankee' soil, the Confederate Monument in Forsythe Park was made in Canada and transported by ship to Savannah.  A piece of the flag that waved above Ft. Sumter during the first battle of the Civil War rests in the cornerstone, while the monument faces the enemy to the North.

Lush, cool, inviting gardens abound everywhere you look in this sleepy town.

As a junior in college, one of my favorite English courses was the one on short stories.  Flannery O'Connor's  'Southern Gothic' tales, many based on her life experiences in this house and her Catholic upbringing in the nearby Cathedral of St. John the Baptist made a lasting impression with their bizarre tales of morality and ethics.  For a naive, sheltered rural Texas gal, her tales of the South and a host of grotesque characters were a coming of age experience.  'A Good Man is Hard to Find' was one of my favorites. It took me 18 years to find Mike, so it must have been prophetic for me! I must reread them soon.  Sadly, she died of lupus at the much too young age of 39 in 1972.

This beautiful inn, the Hamilton-Turner House, was the first to have electric lights.  It was featured in the movie 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' as Mandy's, the party hotspot of the day.  It is said that the original owner, jeweler Samuel Pugh Hamilton and his children still make frequent surprise visits to their old homeplace!  WOOOOOOO........

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is an awe-inspiring structure built between 1873 and 1896.  Almost completely destroyed by the awful fire that engulfed half of Savannah in 1898, it was rebuilt by 1899.  Its diocese serves 90 Georgia counties today.

Oglethorpe's statue, 1910, dominates Chippewa Square, laid out in 1813 to commemorate the Battle of Chippewa where American forces achieved a defining victory against the British in the War of 1812.  His statue is one of the most noteworthy monuments in the city, designed by Daniel Chester French, who also designed Lincoln's statue in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  As was the tradition of the time, Oglethorpe is facing south, keeping an eagle eye on his enemy, the Spanish in Florida.

Whimsical cast iron downspouts abound throughout the city, boasting of their owners' wealth and status.

Who can forget the solitary white feather gliding slowly down, down, down from the steeple in the opening scene of 'Forrest Gump'?  The steeple of the Independent Presbyterian Church is a standout as you drive into Savannah and survey its lovely, inviting skyline.  The building, 1890, is constructed of white granite and is a late Georgian colonial design.  In keeping with the congregation's desire for simplicity, there are no stained glass windows.

Guided surrey tours are a slow-paced, romantic way to see Savannah.

Tomochichi was Chief of the Yamacraw Indians, a tribe that welcomed Oglethorpe and the colonists and moved his people to another location so that the colony could start in its present location on the high bluff above the river.  The two peoples coexisted in peace, largely due to his leadership.  When he died in 1739, he was buried among the colonists at his request.  Oglethorpe served as a pall bearer to his dear friend.   Contrary to legend, he was not a towering seven feet tall, but was of 'medium build'.  This boulder is placed in Wright Square in his honor.  He is buried beneath the monument at the center of the square.

Mike had great fun taking pics of our feet at all of Savannah's squares we visited.   There will be a coffee table book of them available in time for Christmas gift giving.  Just let me know how many you would like to purchase. Mastercard and Visa accepted.  lol

Telfair Academy of Arts and Science is the oldest public museum in the South.

Savannah's City Hall, 1905, gleams brilliantly in the sunlight with its dome of 23kt gold.  It is like a beacon welcoming you to Savannah.

The lush shade of Spainsh moss-draped live oaks, the sound of splashing fountains, the delightful sounds of birds chirping, the smells of delicious meals wafting on the breeze, the pealing of church bells, the politeness of genteel folks....yes, we have fallen in love with this lovely, graceful city, a true gem of the South.  Thank you, General Sherman, for recognizing its beauty and saving it from destruction during your March to the Sea.