Road Trip

The day finally arrives, where class is dismissed and the sweet sense of freedom blankets me like a winter coat, much to the continuous heat of Florida's dismay. My four days of exploration, sleeping in and my own choices has blessed me, at a cost! Hiring a car, is not as cheap as everyone makes it out to be, UNLESS, now take points, you plan in ADVANCE, are over 25 (underage fees) and have a credit card, also, if you become a USAA member there are great benefits. My South African Accent, being, quote, sexy, waived my underage fee, but the lack of insurance policies made my conscious curl and collapse at paying an all insurance fee. Not to mention my lack of planning skills, which at last minute namely, day of, escalates fees by 50-70%. The plan is to drive down to Miami, making a pit stop in Orlando to meet up with a friend of a friend, plans failing, I mapped out my trip that I would bite the bullet and drive as far as Fort Lauderdale for the night. I used my trusty USA book for information on the attractions and sights, jotted down a few addresses to plug into the GPS and was happy with my decision of stopping if I see a road sign, no restrictions. I packed myself a turkey sandwich and a peach, threw my bags into my little red Kia accent and headed for the St John's River ferry in which Tracey's mom kindly couponed me on.

 My first stop is St Augustine, the Castillo De San Marcos, the Spanish Fort, that stood from English attacks during the American Revolution. The fort was made from limestone and sea shells, elements so natural to protect it from the selfishness and evil of humanity - a bitter contrast. The rooms were simple, the layout realistic, you could feel the sense of history radiating off the walls.

 Back onto the I-95 I head South along the coast on route to Daytona, where the Daytona pier would be my next attraction. Stopping at various Marshall's on the way for retail therapy, was definitely a success in handbags and summer dresses. One thing I've noticed about each of the beach locations, even in Texas, are those tacky kitsch beach/surf shops with all the area names plastered across lumo coloured shirts, I guess its what the people want ! Anyway, I arrive at the Daytona pier, slot a couple quarters into the meter and amply walk to the pier, the rumble of thunder and in a matter of minutes, the scorching sunshine turns to rampaging rain!

I snapped a few shots, purchased my magnet for my collection and scuttled back to my car. Meh, I'd seen enough, Ferris wheels and go-cart courses, cars on the beach (one of the perks) girls running around in bikinis and muscle heads in tank tops, pretty much covers the stereotype. Let's floor it to Fort Lauderdale...

The beautiful Amelia

Arriving in Amelia after 20 hours of driving, not to mention the additional driving around in between, fatigue and exhaustion took a back seat as excitement and relief aided our ability to hold conversation and enthusiasm. Meeting the family was beyond wonderful, primarily because, simply, they are wonderful. The Amelia Island Plantation was isolated, serene with natural elements in abundance, classy, clean yet simply stated. A getaway from the city, a contrast, but with the easy of good taste and top service.

Our days consisted of hanging out at The Ocean Club, soaking in the Florida sunshine, the state in which it is teased. Walking across the protected Dunes over a wooden walkway, we had the white sands between our toes and the warmth of the Atlantic Ocean lapping our bodies. Horseshoe crabs and Turtles were a common sighting, as well the beauty of the dolphins in the back line. Franki found a shark tooth, and to my jealousy made it my mission to find one too, and of course as the sayings go, when you looking for something you will never find it, it will sit on your shoulder softly when you turn your attention to other things. Much to my disappointment, my souvenir shark tooth was never found. Scrumptious lunches were enjoyed, in which the Steak Beachcomber salad soon became my favourite.

Nuggets for the kids wouldn't be complete without an Oreo smoothie. Thunderstorms were frequent and fast, and the roar compiled the pool staff to vacate swimmers for 45minutes, in which we sheltered and waited for the scorching sun to return. Family dinners were pleasant and entertaining, especially pasta night, where every conceivable type, shape and colour of pasta could be enjoyed with any topping, shaving, sauce or side. Wine was easily consumed, and I became attached to a Kir Royale chambord, a try something new drink. We watched Step up 3 in my upcoming anxiety to experience Miami, the place in which it was filmed, I concentrated on all the scenes with great focus to later gasp at the recognition.

 Named for Princess Amelia, daughter of George II of Great Britain, Amelia Island is rich in history and tradition. Exploring a little bit of the old buildings that still stand, and the local buzz of the town, driving past one of the oldest saloons, the Palace Saloon, a 1903 still brewing business that has been the pit stop for many characters from pirates to tourists.

 Cycling and the golf cart were the common means of transport from the Club to the little shop that sold the most delicious home made ice-creams. Franki's 4th birthday was celebrated on the trip, where she teared open presents and  ate pink green and yellow cake on her Hello Kitty decorations of party hats, cups and plates. My gift of a Hello Kitty pillow pet/back pack, as well as a shirt, stickers and colouring books was a big hit, I proudly state. Checking the mail box religiously, I was eventually rewarded for my patience with my new Kindle Touch from my dear mother off amazon, in which I fired up and downloaded in a matter of hours. A great 3 weeks spent on a precious little island with some warm and wonderful people... But counting down the days to Miami was still on my mind.

The journey South

Tuesday the 31st July, we are packed and ready for the road. The overwhelming feeling of the distance is broken down by the comforting thought of stopping in Washington DC for two nights. The capital of America. We leave Connecticut, cross the George Washington Bridge from New York into New Jersey, and from New Jersey into Delaware over the Memorial Bridge. The infrastructure and the distance between States becomes apparent when you are travelling on the road.

The Easy pass Express mechanism works wonders, you don't have to come to a complete stop as we do for Tolls, you slow down and pass and the camera picks up your Easy pass clicker, and your bill is sent to your doorstep. Convenience and fast traffic flow. We stopped at an old friend of Tracey's in Delaware, where we tried to escape the horrendous heat around the swimming pool. It was another hour or so before we were in Washington, where we stayed at the Topaz hotel, dog friendly, so Comet (the Boston Terrier) could equally enjoy the comfort, and even indulge in some Dogma (Yoga for dogs :/ )

We did a few drive bys, the White House on Pennsylvania Road, the Capitol building on East Capitol Street, before checking in. Security is very tight, and views are caught between the gaps in trees in the far distance. The power and the importance is very present as you make your way through the heart of America. A break from the kids, and the privacy of my own room made me squeal with excitement and jump all over the bed like a kid.

We went to Burtucci's for dinner, before parting ways. The next morning we headed to one of the many Smithsonian Museums, with Nicholas in mind, we toured the Space and Air museum to brush up the importance of the Wright Brothers, Amelia Earhart, why Pluto is not a planet, satellites, spaceships, missiles and planes. We then walked over to look at the talked about original Dorothy slippers worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz film in 1939, at the museum of American History. We made our way to Arlington Cemetery to visit the grave site of Tracey's Grandfather who was involved in the War, an honour to be buried there. We crossed the bridge with a magnificent view of the Lincoln, grand statues and pillars.

The heat was too much for the kids and we headed back to the hotel after having lunch. I found my Wifi at the bottom of a Caramel Machiatto at Starbucks and made my way down a little street for frozen yoghurt and noticed the cutest building called "Sign of the Whale" and to my excitement, it was ladies night with $3 Champagne. At this point, venturing into a bar on my own in a different country is something that I do not fear. I order a drink to celebrate Caitlyn's birthday, and had a few conversations and introductions with the locals, a few shooters and drinks later, Stacey, Matt, Juan and his cousin, and the temptation to party up a storm at The Space Centre, it was time to head back for a good nights sleep to face the 2:30am alarm.

The town of Washington is covered in history and current affairs, from original architecture to the modernisation of hotels, the old and new combination together with the young students of Georgetown University and the political importance of the embassy's and home of the President gives this town an extraordinary ambiance. Quaint yet monumental, historical yet set on the future, wonderful contrast, a town I definitely would like to revisit.