Charlotte and Atlanta

We have begun the road trip to New Orleans, albeit only two days at this stage. The first day was a long drive to Charlotte, North Carolina. It rained most of the way and was a little windy due to the hurricane (Matthew) nearby on the coast. No tourist action that day but nice to see a change of scenery and number plates.

 

The pics above are us old chooks having a cuppa tea along the way and a very unique structure called Metalmorphisis in Charlotte. The head rotates in sections but is quite striking. It is is a mirrored water fountain by Czech sculptor David Cerny that was constructed at the Whitehall Technology Park in Charlotte. The 14-ton sculpture is made from massive stainless steel layers that rotate 360 degrees and occasionally align to create a massive head.

The second day we continued our journey south to Atlanta which is the capital of Georgia. It is known as the peach state but we couldn't find any roadside market places open on a Sunday. Atlanta also hosted the 1996 Olympics. Atlanta is also home to the World of Coca Cola - this was where coke was founded by an American pharmacist John Pemberton. We toured the museum and it was chock full of everything coke - momentos, artefacts, marketing and development history and a tasting room with over 100 different flavours produced by coke. We received a bottle of coke on entry and as many Aussies know, US coke is not as sweet as Australian coke due to the different sugar used. I still love a good coke, especially a free one. It's an incredible success story that we tend to take for granted but coke was created in 1886 and through successful marketing, this great drink has endured generations and is still the leading soft drink around the world today.

I found it interesting that coke changed its formula back in 1985, but was met with strong opposition. When an athlete is great, he or she is called the Michael Jordan of his or her sport. When a new product launch is a disaster, it is called the "New Coke" of its industry.

That negative association emerged 30 years ago Thursday, on April 23, 1985, when Coca Cola announced a changed to its nearly century-old secret formula. The new Coke would have a smoother, sweeter taste -- similar to Diet Coke, but sweetened with corn syrup. Market researchers and pollsters were sure it'd be a hit.

A poll showed that only 13 percent of soda drinkers liked the new Coke. The pop was a bust of epic proportions. Pepsi took full advantage by launching a commercial featuring a girl who asked: "Somebody out there tell me why Coke did it? Why did Coke change?"

Fans weren't upset -- they were angry. So passionate were Coke drinkers that they launched grassroots campaigns across the country to force Coca-Cola to bring back the original Coke.

"It was the people against the corporation -- only in America," reported CBS News' Bob Simon in 1985. "Coke said it was committed, so were the people. In California they collected signatures, in Seattle they set up a hotline."

Eventually the pressure from the fans and the press became too much. Coca-Cola showed signs of cracking when it launched a commercial featuring Donald Keough, the longtime president of the Coca-Cola Company in 1985.

"We're bringing it back, the original taste of Coca-Cola returns as Coca-Cola Classic and soon America will have a real choice: the new taste of Coke or the original taste of Coca-Cola Classic," said Donald Keough, Pres. Coca-Cola Company.

 

The headquarters of CNN News is here in Atlanta and we're taking a tour tomorrow morning. It is a long weekend here and the city was pleasant given it was a Sunday. We had an early dinner at this BBQ place and the food was really tasty and delicious. We shared ribs, brisket, chicken and a range of side dishes. If this is the standard of southern bbq food, we are in for a fabulous road trip ahead. We hope to see the civil rights museum tomorrow and maybe Martin Luther King's birth house and memorial. Tomorrow we head to Montgomery in Alabama and will reach New Orleans on Tuesday.

New York

I've been in New York for the past week with a friend (Ms V) visiting from Australia. I missed my weekly post on Sunday as we were flat strap the whole time. While I visited New York last year with Deb, this was an opportunity to see the sights again and do a little unexpected clothes shopping. As I sit exhausted on the train back to DC, I’m humming……I have walked 500 miles, and then 500 more to (see the sights of this big city)….or so that annoying song goes. We stayed in an AirBnB apartment, same as last year and love staying amongst the locals rather than tourist crazy hotels.

We started the trip with a Yankees baseball game late on Saturday afternoon. It’s always a great time on the subway going to the game with lots of fans all jiggly before the game. This was the 2^nd last game of the season and Yankees were not going to make the playoffs (finals). I note that the Nats are in the playoffs though !!  It was an absolute cracker of a game. I’ve not seen a game this great at Nats stadium except the game that went into extra innings. Yankees were down in the first few innings and the Balitmore Orioles were in fine form at 3-0 early on. Both teams were smashing at everything so it was just full of action. The Yankees turned the game around to win 7-3. We had the mandatory hot dog and wore our NY hats. Now for those of you who think I’m a dirty traitor, Yankees are my second team – I had planned to follow them when we came over to the US. But baseball teams are grouped into two big leagues as there are so many teams. Yankees are in the other league so I would never get to see them play. So while I still have a very soft spot for them, I had to support Nats as I could always get to their games. So I have a NY hat in the cupboard for those visits to NY. But Nats are my main team and I will continue to be a strong supporter.

 

On Sunday night we saw the Lion King and it was brilliant as expected. I have always wanted to see the Lion King and it was every bit as good as expected. I was overwhelmed with the costumes and puppetry of the animals. It was really cleverly done. I think this show is constantly booked out and it will be a legendry favorite up there with The Phantom of the Opera and Cats.

We also visited the other key NY sites such as Empire State Building, Rockerfeller (Top of the Rock), 9-11 memorial and museum and took a walking tour of Brooklyn including crossing the Brooklyn bridge. The Brooklyn bridge is a real piece of history – I love the story of it’s building and how it stands today as a gorgeous landmark. Look closely between the gap in the bottom tower and you will see the Empire State Building. We also took a harbour lights cruise which was absolutely gorgeous. I’ve done the day time cruise but the night lights are spectacular. We took a bike tour around Central Park with the same bike shop I used last year. Unfortunately it was not great. We didn’t enjoy it and I was not happy given last year it was a good tour.

We spent time shopping various shops and picked up some bargains along the way. No trip to NY is complete without a walk/push through Times Square and a visit to the M&M shop – I wanted to put my mouth under the chocolate machines and pull that handle !!! I also checked out a café called Little Collins that is owned by a Kiwi and Aussie. The coffee was great – really great. I was recommended to go there and glad I did. I will be passing this address to other caffeine deprived Aussies. The café was packed and still in the afternoon when we passed. And of course we went to Tiffany’s. A girl can’t visit NY without browsing amongst the beautiful cabinets of sparkling diamonds and jewellry at Tiffany’s on 5^th Avenue.

 

I finally saw the Naked Cowboy in the Uber ride to the train station on the last day. One day I will get a pic with that dude. It’s been a very long busy week but many boxes were ticked. There’s a bunch of pics to look at and I have to say the photo in Times Square with a guys in his baby outfit was just such a ridiculous thing to do – I just had to do it. He was a scream with his rattle and squeaky toys. I braved a photo with him and he was quite funny. I wasn’t sure what was going to happen but it was all safe in the end.

 

 

Four N Twenty Pies

What a busy and fabulous week we've had with friends and family visiting. Our dear friend from home passed through DC on Sun/Mon with her tour. We had a late night drink Sun night after dinner and then I spent the afternoon with her Monday doing a quick zip around the museums. She came for dinner Monday night and delivered a load of goodies (chocolates, tim tams, weetbix and other treats from home) and did her washing - after 5 weeks on tours, she had a massive load to do. She headed off to tour Canada and I will meet her on Friday in New York for a week of exploring the big apple.

On Monday Deb's niece and fiance arrived from the UK - I affectionately called them the 'kids' despite them being quite grown up. They had been in Ohio the week before on this really cool car tour. It is an annual stage race hosted by Hotrod Magazine and it's called Hotrod Drag Week. Each day they followed the cars to a different town, watched them do a timed drag and then got their instructions for the drive to the next town. I'm thinking of joining them next year if they go. Sounded awesome.

Deb had a few days off and they all enjoyed themselves sightseeing. The dogs loved their company and they both spoiled the dogs also. We enjoyed some dinners out and simply enjoyed having them stay with us. It was nice to have family in the house and it was great to show them as much as we could around DC. On the last night we had swapped cars with a friend who needed our car. They have a little Saab convertible so we drove home from the city with the top down in the warm evening air.

They also had brought a load of gifts and goodies including some very cute bandanas for the dogs. They also added to our booty of chocolate so we have about 20 Cadbury blocks of chocolate in the fridge. They also bought some UK chocolate over and we demolished a huge block of 'Galaxy' during the week. We have some serious calories to burn this week. Deb's niece is a very successful and talented tattoo artist - I have said that I would only ever get a tattoo if she did. We had a chat about a batman tattoo so who knows, maybe I'll have a stunning tattoo in years to come. 

Another highlight this week was the arrival of the Four N Twenty pies. There is a distributor in Philadelphia and he contacted the Emb a few weeks ago about selling the pies to us poor pie-deprived Aussies. Everyone was super excited and I ordered some. I think we will be able to order these on a regular basis. Anyway, we plan to have pie and veg with gravy for dinner one night this week. I can't wait !!

The election here looms closer and this week sees the first of three debates. There is nothing Clinton or Trump can say or do as supporters are firm on their views. I guess it's the undecided who are key but they probably won't vote. We're having an election party at home that night and inviting some friends to watch the circus on the night. 

The Aust Prime Minister was in town this week. The kids met us after work and we were walking to a restaurant. Turnbull was giving a presentation near the Emb and was leaving as we walked past. I really wanted to yell out 'Ditch the plebiscite mate and show some real leadership'. But, decided against it.

My last day of work is Thursday as I start three weeks of leave. I'm off to New York to meet Ms V and then return home together to start our two week road trip. We're all excited about the weeks ahead. 

The kids left Saturday morning on the train to continue their holiday and we enjoyed a restful weekend given the past few weeks of concerts and visitors have kept us busy. The US have official commenced Fall (autumn) and the weekend temperature was a remarkable change to previous heat and humidity. The leaves are falling everywhere and I'm quite excited about a cold Christmas.

Family and Friends

It's nice to know that my weekly post has been missed :) This is a very short update as we've been flat out getting ready for our first family visit. Our friend from home also arrived, passing through DC for two days on tour. Deb's niece and hubby also arrived today and the house feels fantastic - filled with laughing, chatter and warm conversation. Our friend took the chance to do washing after 4 weeks on a tour bus and enjoyed a bbq dinner with us. She continues with her tour while we have Deb's niece for the week. 

Our friend and Deb's niece have come bearing loads of gifts in the form of chocolate, Weetbix, t-shirts and very cute bandana type things for the dogs. We feel totally spoilt.

Nothing much spectacular to report from the past week but I will simply add some photos for those who enjoy pics. The costume pics are from our visit to Target when we stumbled into the Halloween costume aisle. 

KISS and Culture Club & Boy George

The week dragged by, my shoulder improved and the heat has been relentless. We've started watching some football and only worked out one rule - it's just a confusing game when you don't know what's going on. BUT, the absolute highlight this week was going to my/our first KISS concert. These guys have been around for 40+ years and I had several albums as a kid. They were playing in Richmond, Virginia which is about 2 hours south of here. We took the train down and stayed the night, back the next morning. Where do I start !!

 

I have loved this band forever and there were plenty of older folks in that crowd rocking it away. I sat next to a lady in her 60's and this was her third concert. Her first concert was when she was 50 ! She told me it will be a night I'll never forget and she was right. It was a small stadium which made for great viewing. The band has two original members, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and the other two (Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer) joined later replacing Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. They were in full makeup and costume and the performance was spectacular with fireworks, bangs, lighting and smoke. And Paul Stanley sounded as good as ever. His voice is fabulous after all these years. Gene Simmons and the others sounded great also. And of course, Gene did his blood spitting show and flashed that infamous long tongue all through the show. I have to admit that even as a no-nut girl, Paul Stanley is still sexy, sounds sexy, moves great and is a great entertainer. 

When they first came on stage I actually got a little teary. I think it was just unbelievable to finally see these guys in concert. I knew most of the songs and the whole crowd was electrified. Lots of people had their KISS t-shirts on and die-hard fans were dressed in costume. 

I was a little disappointed they didn't play some favourites like Shandi or Sure Know Something but they've had so many other rock n roll hits they can't play them all I guess. I was just amazed at the spread of ages there - there were small kids to old folk and all kinds were dressed up. We got back to the hotel somewhat deaf and googled until we went to sleep. We discovered that Paul Stanley has had two hip operations and a third one is needed in the near future. He says that the many years of walking in those high heel boots has caused him problems. 

One group we met was a brother who had organised his family get-together with his siblings and mother. They had flown from all across the country to stay at a resort half an hour away. They were about our age and also had their mum who was probably in her 70’s. They heard the KISS concert was on so they decided to come for the night – as you do when you’re in Virginia !!    Anyway, it was a great night and I hope I get the chance to see KISS in concert again. 

 

To continue this 'throwback' weekend, the finale was the Culture Club concert. It was at a theater not far from home. Deb was very excited as she is a long time fan, especially of Boy George. It turned out that this was their final concert after a 7 week tour. It was the original band with backup singers and the accompanying musicians. They sounded A-mazing !!  George’s voice is fabulous – always was and sounded as great as ever. He was also a wonderful entertainer and the audience, while much more civilised than the KISS crowd, were fairly energetic and excited. They played ALL the hits and it’s mind blowing just how many they had. The support band invited a ‘friend’ on stage to sing their last two cover songs. It was George of course and the house went wild. What a buzzing entrée to the concert. During the show he of course played ‘Do You Really Want To Hurt Me’. He said he had received sad news that day that the actress (Alexis Arquette) who played the band signer in the movie ‘Wedding Singer’ had died that day. He explained Alexis (a transgender lady) had played the role and how he thought her performance was hysterical (in a good way). He dedicated that song to her that night.

We also went exploring the local trails with a friend. We took the dogs also. There is a series of tracks called the 'billy goat trails' and we did on of those loops which is a bit of an off-road scramble. I managed to turn my ankle quite early so walked back to the car. When Deb returned with our friend, I rode my bike on the trail, C&O Towpath, which is a nice flat scenic trail which goes for miles (180 in fact). I rode with her while she finished the last few miles of her training run. Deb and I will go back for some runs along this trail. It's beside the Potomac River and really is a beautiful and popular spot for hikers, runners and bikers, and walkers.

We have visitors (family) arriving next week so we are quite excited and are getting the house ready.

The weather might be starting to change as we look to be heading into the 20's now and out of the blistering mid-30s. It's getting dark in the mornings so we have headlamps on we we run and I bought some flashing collars for the dogs to wear on their walks. Few pics below from the Richmond train stations - it was very late departing, I would have preferred a sleep in after the late night at KISS.