Vol. 22 No. 7 - 30 September, 2018

Jim, Jimmy and John went on a half day fishing charter on the Critter Fleet on Sunday, 2 Sept., out from Ponce Inlet. 

I spent a couple of hours at Jurassic Quest at the Ocean Centre in Daytona Beach, walked down with friend/neighbor, Diane.  We both enjoyed it!

Jurassic Quest is the largest exhibit of life-size, moving, museum-quality dinosaurs in North America.  A family fun event.

Fun for all ages!

Souvenirs!

About 2 pm, the Super Critter coming back to Ponce Inlet with Jim, Jimmy and John after a half-day fishing.  Fish were caught, but no keepers, though always a good day for them.  Jim and I had a late lunch with John and Linda at Boondocks Restaurant - Ponce Inlet.  Always nice to spend some time with them.  

Our Australian friends, Dave and Linda arrived in Daytona Beach on Tuesday, 4 September.  We were ready for some good times and adventures during their visit.

Shopping for supplies at Total Wine & More.

I had bought a Key Lime Pie from our local grocery store, Publix.  In the fridge, ready for Linda's first dessert in Florida for 2018 (and there was one more!).

I had a Key Lime Pie from Publix supermarket in the fridge for Linda and I.

Jimmy was in town for a few days, so caught up with him at the Oasis Tiki Bar.

Wednesday we had a nice walk in the evening - the cooler part of the day - to the Ocean Walk and Boardwalk.  A relaxing evening.

Thursday evening we walked to the Daytona Beach Bandshell for the US Navy Band concert with the Country Currents.
Website:  The US Navy Band Country Current is the Navy’s premier country-bluegrass ensemble.  The group is national renowned for its versatility and “eye popping” musicianship, performing a blend of modern country music and cutting-edge bluegrass.  This seven-member ensemble employs musicians from diverse backgrounds with extensive high-profile recording and touring experience. Each member is a skilled performer on multiple instruments.  The band utilizes banjo, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, fiddle, electric bass, upright bass, dobro, pedal steel guitar and drum set.

 It was a great show, good sing along country songs and a beautiful evening at the beach.

Friday, 7th September - down to New Smyrna Beach to the Brewery there for pre-dinner drinks.

Caught up with Ron at the Cork Screw in New Smyrna Beach for dinner.  Linda and I had margaritas.

Ron, Jim and Dave at Cork Screw.

Saturday, 8th - we spent a couple of hours at the Flea Market, then down to Haulover Canal in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge to see manatees.  It was mid day, and hot - we were happy that several manatees were near the viewing platform.

Dave and Linda had been with us to Dixie Crossroads restaurant on a previous visit, but it is a great place for a late lunch.

A Spacex Rocket launch was scheduled for Saturday night 8th Sept, and we had planned to stay in Titusville to watch it live, but it was postponed to Sunday night.  The rocket was not visible from Titusville, it was on another launch pad.  This is the Vehicle Assembly Building at Cape Canaveral.

The VAB is one of the largest buildings in the world, it is a single story (completed in 1966).  It was originally built for assembly of Apollo/Saturn vehicles and was later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. 

In Titusville is Space View Park, an interesting place and could take several hours to see / read it all.

Space View Park is located less than 15 miles directly across from the launch pads.  The Park is the first and only walk in the nation that honors America's astronauts as well as the men and women behind the scenes who helped America lead the world in space exploration.

Internet:  John F. Kennedy, stood before Congress on May 25, 1961, and proposed that the U.S. “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”  and set the United States on a course to enter, and win, a race to the moon.

President Richard M. Nixon and NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher announced the Space Shuttle program had received final approval on 5 January, 1972.

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA’s Space Shuttle fleet.  It launched for the first time on Mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program.

For Sunday lunch we went to the Original First Turn Restaurant in Port Orange and met friends of Dave and Linda's from Queensland.  They were staying with their friends nearby.  Great fun and lovely people.  The Original First Turn is a Daytona landmark.
Website:  The original First Turn Restaurant and Lounge was founded in 1984 by Rick, Denise and Lee Hilliard on US 92 near the Daytona Beach Speedway.  Based on a Stock Car Racing theme – a history of early racing in the Daytona Area.  Many drivers and teams became frequent visitors.  In the fall of 1988 the original First Turn moved to its present location on US 1 in Allendale, one mile south of the Port Orange Bridge.

L to R: Rocky, Linda, Andrew, Sandy, Jed, Dave, Lesley, Jim and Linda.

9 September, Sunday evening sunset from our house.

Sunday night, the rocket launch window started at 11.28 pm to 3.28 am.  Dave, Linda, Jim and I walked to the Main Street pier about 11pm and waited along with other people.
Internet:  September 9 -  Spacex Falcon 9 rocket with the Telstar 18 VANTAGE communications satellite that will provide broadcast, enterprise and government communications services over parts of India, China, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Ocean region.

Main Street Pier, Daytona Beach.

People waiting for the rocket launch.

 A lot of people on the Boardwalk and Pier to experience the rocket launch countdown to 11.28pm, then no launch!  It had been postponed until 12.28am!  Too late for us to wait up for, and the chance that it could be postponed again.

Sunday morning we left Daytona Beach in the Buick (our car), for a week long road trip.  First stop was Flagler Beach for breakfast at the Funky Pelican restaurant.

 
Hurricane Florence was far out in the Atlantic Ocean, but creating some waves for the surfers.

Interstate highway 95 was the quickest way to Savannah, Georgia - our destination for that evening.
A motel in the Historic District allowed us to walk to shops and restaurants near the City Market and River areas.
So much history in Savannah!  Many monuments, parks, museums - most very easy to walk to.

Revolutionary War monument in Franklin Park:
Internet:  Savannah’s Haitian Monument commemorates the contribution of the Chasseurs-Volontaires de Saint Dominque to fight for an independent America.  One of the few black regiments to fight for the American side in the Revolutionary War, the soldiers were recruited from present day Haiti, then the French colony of Saint Dominque.

City Market area for pedestrian traffic.

A hot and thirsty afternoon - we had a refreshing drink at the Georgia Tasting Room.

Jim and I spent some time at the American Prohibition Museum.

The first part of the Museum exhibited the Temperance Movement – posters, pamphlets, and propaganda that influenced the American people to vote the country dry.  The prohibionist leaders that led the fight and the consequences associated with drinking during this turbulent time in USA history.

Jim and I amongst the Temperance protesters!!  

From the 1850's the Temperance Movement, then the Anti-Saloon League was the beginning of Prohibition.

Also known as Blind Pigs, speakeasies were secretive establishments where alcohol was illegally served to the masses.

The 18^th Amendment was passed in 1919, IMMEDIATELY PROHIBITING the sale, transportation, and consumption of alcohol in the USA.
Many brewing and distilling companies went out of business, others diversified.

Prohibition Beverages:  Several American beverages were born out of the Temperance Movement, while others used Prohibition to elevate their stock.  Coca-Cola was advertised in the early 1900s as "The Temperance Drink".  Welch's Grape Juice began as non-alcoholic sacramental wine called "Purple Temperance ", and was later marketed to consumers as a healthy substitute for wine.
Ginger Ale was the perfect, palatable mixer for bootleg liquor.  The marriage of soda and alcohol during Prohibition changed American drinking habits forever.  Ginger Ale became so big during Prohibition that even the notorious gangster Al Capone got in on the act, setting up ginger ale and club soda bottling plants so that he could monopolize the mixer market in Chicago.

Illicit Liquor - Bootlegging became a lucrative business.

Making moonshine in the home.

Al Capone and his crime network brought in $100 million a year through illegal operations, while the average industrial worker earned less than $1000 a year.

In 1929 there were 32,000 Speakeasies in New York.

Following the end of World War I, women started to raise their skirts, and bob their hair, getting all dolled up to listen to jazz, breaking all conventional standards of what it meant to be a lady.

In this section of the Museum was a small dance floor and a young lady dressed as a flapper, encouraged me to select a hat from the era and attempt to dance the Charleston, following the video monitor above a large mirror.  A good laugh and fun!

A favorite among flappers who loved to dance, the iconic Charleston swept the nation during Prohibition, peaking in popularity in 1926.

About to enter the Speakeasy.

To enter these hidden saloons, guests were asked to whisper a code word through a small opening in a door, a practice that helped avoid detection by the authorities.

When we entered the Speakeasy - there was applauding and laughter!  At us??  Turns out the large mirror was two way, and a room full of people in the Speakeasy saw me trying to dance the Charleston!!  Hahaha!

The three “X”’s on a moonshine jug signified that its contents had been run through the still at least 3 X, resulting in almost 100% pure alcohol.

The proof level of moonshine varies depending on the still, but white lightning is typically between 150-170 proof, making it at least 75% alcohol by volume.

More than 10,000 people died from drinking low-quality moonshine before the repeal of the 18^th Amendment.

An extra to the Museum tour was the purchase of a Prohibition era drink or cocktail.  The taste of home made liquor, and moonshine was usually very unpalatable, so was mixed with other ingredients made it drinkable, and the contraband "Cocktail" was invented.
The bar tender at the Speakeasy was very good.  We had a selection of a dozen or so cocktails.

Mixology can be attributed to prohibition-era drinking, as bartenders were forced to get creative with their cocktails in order to mask the taste of poor-quality liquor.

Pick your poison!  All cocktails, wines, and beers can trace their origins back to Prohibition.  Tidbits of history with every sip.  Discover how and why your drink became popular in the 1920s.

Jim ordered a Budweiser beer made to a 1933 recipe, I had a Pimm's Cup.  (Both good.)

Pimm’s Cup mixes lemony soda (or ginger ale), cucumber, mint and a shot of gin.  (Pimm's is English).

A really great Museum - one you can have a drink at!  (A big thank you to Dave & Linda's friend, Sandy who had recently visited Savannah and told me about this interesting and fun museum).

Then we were ready to check out the Moon River Brewery on West Bay Street, and Dave and Linda caught up with us there.

Located in one of Savannah’s oldest and most haunted buildings, the Moon River Brewery started pouring pints in 1999. Built in 1821, as the City Hotel it was the town’s first hotel and post office.

The Harvest beers of Fall are already available.  I had one at Moon River Brewery - that is pumpkin spice on the rim.  Good beer!

A couple of hours enjoying the atmosphere, shops along the historic Savannah Riverfront.

The Riverfront is a popular Savannah tourist destination.  Still has cobblestone and brick lined streets and old buildings converted into shops and restaurants.

US highway 17 bridge over Savannah River.

 The Savannah River is a major river, forming most of the border between the states of Georgia and South Carolina.

Tuesday, September 11 we left Savannah, Georgia about 9am and took some back roads to Asheville, North Carolina and arrived late that afternoon.

A quick check in at the motel, then a shuttle into historic downtown Asheville.

Internet:  Asheville is a city in western North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.  It’s known for a vibrant arts scene and historic architecture.

A lovely area for walking.
Brochure: Ale Trail - Breweries In & Around Asheville:  Asheville is at the heart of a booming craft beer community, with over 50 breweries located in the city and the surrounding mountains, this beautiful region offers everything from unique nano-breweries to some of the biggest names in craft brewing.
Beyond brewing excellent beer, this community provides thousands of jobs and has become an integral part of the local community.
We found Foggy Mountain Brew Pub, for a quick sample.

Jim's birthday dinner was at Wicked Weed Brewing.  It has a relaxing outdoor area, temperatures were much cooler in the mountains. Good beer and good food there.

Wednesday, Jim and I went on the Hop On - Hop Off Trolley. It had ten stops with an informative narrative.  A fun way of learning about the city.  A loop takes about 1.5 to 1.75 hours to complete.  We started at the Visitors Centre.

The tour went via historic homes and hotels, historic and arts districts.

We got off at the trolley at the last stop, in the downtown area near the Vance Obelisk.

The Vance Monument has dominated Pack Square for more than a century, it memorializes Zebulon Baird Vance, a Buncombe County native and North Carolina governor during the Civil War.  Vance also served as a US Senator and representative, and he was a white supremacist and slave owner.

“Crossroads Station” at Pack Square, under the Vance Obelisk – considered the crossroads of Asheville on the 1827 Buncombe Turnpike. Two pigs and two turkeys represent the route drovers from Tennessee taking turkeys, pigs and cattle to southern markets.  A century later in 1926, the Dixie Highway crossed Patton Ave., the old Buncombe Turnpike at Pack Square.  (Pig and turkey tracks also.)

There were several chocolate stores and lounges. We got some truffles from here.

Internet:  Woolworth Walk is a uniquely Asheville experience, a privately and locally owned gallery in the heart of downtown, located in a historic building and representing local artists exclusively.

Jim and I checked out the Old Fashioned Soda Fountain and café.

"The old F. W. Woolworth Building 5 & 10", established in 1938.  The building was restored in 2001 and proudly received two Griffin Awards for Historic Accuracy.  It presently hosts the largest art gallery in Asheville featuring only local artists as well as its own piece of local history. It has a fully operational "Soda Fountain" built to resemble the original Woolworth's luncheonette.  A 50's flair was used in its design.

Root beer float (Jim) and a mocha chocolate float (Me).

Found a beautiful community garden in the downtown area.

Alot of sidewalk eateries - and a dog friendly city.

Mast General Store - there are 6 stores in North Carolina. They offer a variety of goods from fashion to fried chicken, cookbooks and toffee, to tents.  It is an old style department store.

Old World Brewery is in an alley and down three flights of stairs to the basement of an old shoe department, of a previous department store.

The table in the photo is the old freight elevator.

After lunch, we caught up with Dave and Linda again - they had spent the morning at the mall and exploring another area of Asheville.  We booked on a LaZoom Comedy Tour.
Brochure:  The 90 minute tour includes irreverent sketch comedy, a South Slope Brewery stop, and bus-loads of Asheville information. You'll get information, incredible views and local insights about Downtown, Historic Montford, the River Arts District and South Slope.  Historical and hysterical!

Jim and I arrived an hour early to hang out in the Bar Gorilla "LaZoom Room."  Wow!

Website:  It’s another worldly transportation station … An elegant, grand old station with just a hint of promise that all buses are going to an alternate universe …  So stop by and cozy up on a gold velveteen chair while listening to live piano music.  There’s no better way to celebrate the weekend … or Wednesday, for that matter – than the LaZoom Room!

We serve wine and local beer, giving you the chance to wet your whistle before boarding the bus, or wind down after getting off.  Open to the public, the LaZoom Room can even be the whackiest bar you stop at during your night of bar hopping.

The purple and gold LaZoom bus for a fun time.

Our tour begins and ends in historic downtown Asheville where you’ll see Pack Square, The Vance Monument, The Grove Arcade, and the country’s second largest collection of Art Deco Architecture.

Montford Avenue, developed in the late 1800s, is one of Asheville’s most beautiful neighborhoods filled with Queen Anne homes an exquisite Bed & Breakfasts.

South Slope – Breweries!  (South slope, sloping south of downtown) is home to some of Asheville’s most iconic and adventurous breweries.  The tour stops at the Green Man, for a quick break and a pint.

After our break, we head to the River Arts District, where hundred of local artists are creating masterpieces.  Pass by the historic Wedge studios and a glass works company.

The tour begins and ends at the LaZoom Room, a 1940s gas station.

Oliver was our tour guide, but he had help from a nun, bumble bee and "Beer Man" (all the same actor/comedian).

A quick refreshment and restroom break at Green Man Brewery.

I liked the city scene in the "POLICE" lettering.

That was great entertainment on the Comedy Tour!  Totally recommend it!
After the LaZoom tour, we went to Bhramari Brewing Co. I enjoyed the different buildings and decorations in the breweries, especially the lighting.

A stop at Catawba Brewing Company and they also had a great food truck, where we enjoyed a great dinner.  We like to support the Food Trucks if one is an option - they are hard working, self-employed, entrepreneurs - and we have not been disappointed.

On Thursday we spent most of the day at Biltmore Estate, just south of Asheville.
Brochure:  George Vanderbilt envisioned Biltmore as a country retreat where family and friends could escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  That vision continues today under the stewardship of his descendants as a testament to the Vanderbilt legacy of hospitality.  This celebrated historic landmark is an oasis that keeps alive the beauty of a gracious time and place.
Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilt's 250-room chateau is as impressive today as it was more than a century ago -- truly a wonder of architecture artistry.

With up to four acres of floor space, this is believed to be the largest domestic dwelling ever constructed in the United States.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of Biltmore House, view priceless pieces from the Vanderbilts original collection, then stroll through acres of historic gardens.

Ancestry Trivia:  Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt started the family business by borrowing $100 from his mother and piloting a passenger boat on Staten Island in 1810.  He expanded into steamboats and then went on to build railroad empire New York Central.

William Henry Vanderbilt, was the eldest son and heir of Commodore Vanderbilt. He inherited nearly $100 million from his father.  The fortune had doubled when he died less than nine years later (1885).  George Washington Vanderbilt was the youngest, and 8th child of William Henry Vanderbilt.

 A bonus at the time we visited Biltmore House – was the Chihuly Exhibit from May 17 to October7, 2018.

A large blown glass orb sun sculpture, titled “Sole d’Orb” in the centre of the lawn in front of Biltmore House.  

Brochure:  American artist Dale Chihuly shattered established boundaries of glass as an art medium.  His awe-inspiring works of art – each a marvel of colour, form, and light – are included in more than 200 museum collections world wide. 

The Chihuly at Biltmore represents the first art exhibition in Biltmore’s historic gardens.  From planning to installation it has taken nearly two years of preparation for this exhibition.
The evening/night displays have all the exhibits lit up - the website shows photos of this spectacular and dramatic night time displays.

Took a quick look at the gardens before touring the house.

There were several places to eat.

Chihuly's Sky Blue and Cobalt Fiori near the entrance to Biltmore House.

Chihuly's Laguna Torcello II in the Winter Garden.

The banquet hall!  42 feet wide, 72 feet long and 70 foot ceiling, and three fireplaces.

There were a lot of sitting rooms / tea rooms. Very English.

The dramatic ceiling painting, The Chariot of Aurora, adorns this massive room. Approximately half of Vanderbilt’s 23,000-volume book collection resides here.

The main stair case was beautiful.

Dave and Linda checking out the view, from the outside patio on second floor.

In the basement of Biltmore House was a series of display boards with descriptions and photographs of the building of the house.  Very interesting!  It took 6 years with 1000 men working.  The land in front of the Estate was transformed into the town of Biltmore Village to provide homes for workers, and businesses and factories to provide supplies and materials necessary to build the house.

An on-site kiln produced up to 32,000 bricks daily, and a woodworking factory supplied oak and walnut for the house’s floors and walls.

Indiana limestone, Italian marble and other supplies were shipped into Asheville by rail.  Vanderbilt a private railroad track from the village depot up to the construction site.  The 3-mile route became what is now the road that leads guests to Biltmore House.

Also in the basement was a swimming pool, bowling alley, gymnasium, the huge kitchen, pantries, etc., and the servants accommodation.

Bowling Alley.

Swimming pool

Gymnasium.

Part of the kitchen in the basement.

The servants dining area in the basement.

The grounds and pergola.

In the Italian Garden, marked by three large pools extending from the south end of Biltmore House, the many cherubs on pedestals, in place for more than 120 years, have certainly never seen anything like Chihuly’s “Float Boat” and “Fiori Boat”, wooden vessels filled with glass: one overflowing with brightly hued gloves, the other, jutting with long, spiraling fingers in fiery colors.

 Chihuly Glass in the Pergola.  Pergola Garden Fiori.

100+ year old vines that make the pergola.

The Chihuly Glass Exhibition continued to the ponds.

After October 7, the exhibit will be deconstructed.  While most sculptures will find new or temporary homes in the years to come, the collection in “Chihuly at Biltmore” will never be displayed together again, since every Chihuly exhibition is specific to site.

Chihuly's Palazzo Ducale Tower.

After enjoying several hours and snack at Biltmore House, drove to the Antler Hill Village and Winery, part of the Estate.  More of the Chihuly Exhibit!

Chihuly's Alabaster and Amber Spire Towers.

Chihuly's Turquoise and Erbium Fiori in front of the winery.

Savor more than 35 of our award winning wines with complimentary tastings. The Winery was beautiful - and great wines.

The ceiling decoration was beautiful!  I was fascinated by it and the lights!

Of course the gift shop was elaborate.  Interesting to find an old Royal Enfield motorcycle frame with plate glass, converting it to a coffee table.

Cedrics' Tavern was a lovely to have a late lunch   It had a British pub feel - and food.
Website: George Vanderbilt often had a beloved canine companion at his side. The first was Cedric, a St. Bernard who took up residence on the estate not long after the house opened in 1895.

By 1901, there was a whole family of St. Bernards living at Biltmore, including a mother, father and three puppies

Sadly, Cedric passed away in late 1902.

Today, you can see a cast-bronze statue of Cornelia Vanderbilt (George's daughter) and Cedric by the late Asheville artist Vadim Bora outside Cedric’s eponymous tavern in Antler Hill Village. Inside, be sure to check out the many photographs of Cedric as well the display of his impressive leather collar embellished with an engraved silver plate.

Fall decorations were out in the Farm and Petty Zoo area.

Wow, a fantastic and memorable day at Biltmore Estate.  Very fortunate to experience the Chihuly Exhibit.
For late afternoon refreshments we found UpCountry Brewing Co., in West Asheville.  Great artwork and murals outside and inside the building.  The business supports local artists, musicians, farmers - and focuses on the Carolina mountain region.  Interesting place!  Great atmosphere.

Since we had left Daytona Beach, we had been closely watching updates on Hurricane Florence.  We were never in any danger, but timing was essential.  An early start on Friday, 14 September for the trip back to Daytona Beach.  An inland route, to avoid Interstate Highway 95.  Always fun to experience new small towns, especially that Jim and I can't stop while in the truck.
Lunch stop in the city of Louisville, Georgia (pronounced Lewis-ville).  An Amish run cafe Home Fresh Bistro served great meals.
A wander down the main street, we found some history.
Internet:  Louisville was incorporated on January 26, 1786, as a prospective state capital of Georgia.  Development of the city began, and its state government buildings were completed in 1795.  The city of Louisville served as the State Capital of Georgia from 1796 to 1806.  It was the center of trade, legislators and political influence.  The Jefferson County Courthouse, built in 1904, stands on the site of Georgia’s first permanent capitol building.

An old Revolutionary War Soldiers Cemetery is located on the west side of town.

Jefferson County courthouse, Louisville, Georgia.

Louisville’s historic, open-sided market house still stands in the center of downtown.  The Old Market is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Roads and other transportation routes intersected at the market square, the hub of the region when the town was the state capital.  The state capital was moved to Milledgeville and later to Atlanta.

As a small city and county seat, Louisville now has few major businesses and industries.

Found an interesting "Beer Cave" in a service station.

 Friday night we chose Vidalia, Georgia for an overnight stay.  We were ahead of Hurricane Florence - during the day, there had been a lot of wind, but no rain or anything dangerous.
We stopped at the Vidalia Onion Museum.
Internet: Vidalia is best known for its "sweet" onions.  The Vidalia Onion was first produced about 1931 when a farmer named Mose Coleman discovered that the onions he produced were sweeter than other onions. Other farmers started growing the same crop, and since the 1940s, the Vidalia onion became an item sold to tourists.
Vidalia onion growers have protected their brand, and today all onions labelled "Vidalia" must be grown in one of thirteen different counties in Georgia or in specific portions of seven other counties.  Because of their taste and reputation, they are able to command an increased price in the marketplace.
In 1990, the Vidalia onion was named the official vegetable of the state of Georgia.
In 2000 production was estimated at 40,000,000 - fifty pound bags.
Each spring, Vidalia holds an Onion Festival.  The event lasts for five days and draws in many tourists.

A donation as the entrance fee, the museum was very interesting.  We all enjoyed it.
Website:  Discover the story behind the Vidalia Sweet Onion! The Museum provides guests with a sweet historical experience.  The 1,300 square foot space is filled with an array of educational exhibits that highlight the sweet onion's economic, cultural and culinary significance.

Jim and Dave with Yumion.

 The Onion Inn was the whole onion there - of course!

 In the historic downtown Vidalia is the Vidalia Onion Fountain - a beautiful 6ft stainless steel onion.

 Interesting cloud formations as the sun set, not sure if there was any influence from Hurricane Florence.

 Checking out of The Onion Inn on Saturday morning.

Remained travelling the back roads and had a stop in Brunswick, Georgia on the coast. Found a lovely coffee shop and stopped at one of the tourist attractions there, Lover's Oak for a photo.

Beautiful, moss-draped Oak tree.
Internet:  The Lover's Oak (said to date back to the 12th century) is located in Historic Downtown Brunswick.  According to local legend, Native American braves and their maidens met under the majestic spreading limbs of this enormous oak.  As of 2005, the Lover's Oak was estimated to be 900 years old.  The trees trunk is about 13 feet in diameter.
Back to Daytona Beach Saturday evening, 15th.  Dave helped Jim with a couple of jobs on the truck, Linda and I went shopping.
Sunday evening,caught up with Jimmy and Derek at Sunsetters Bar and Grille on Main Street.  A little after the sunset, but still some lovely photos of the Halifax River and Main Street bridge.

Main Street bridge in foreground, International Speedway Boulevard bridge in back.

Dave and Linda enjoy IHOP restaurant, we had a breakfast - there is one within a short walk of the house.

A couple of meals at Tia Cori's Mexican Restaurant, also close to us.

Sunday evening we all took a dinner cruise on the Halifax River on the Lady Dolphin.
The Lady Dolphin is a paddle-wheel boat and we were partaking in a two-hour cruise on the Intracoastal Waterway/Halifax River of Daytona Beach.
There is a closed in, air conditioned lower deck and an open air upper deck which is what we chose as the temperature was very pleasant with a river breeze.
At 6pm we headed out of Halifax Harbor Marina into the Halifax River.  There is a bar with beer, wine and mixed drinks, and a choice of several meals.

The new Memorial Bridge had been under construction for over a year, it was interesting to see it up close and from the river.

The meals were delicious!

 There were storms forecast, but they did not eventuate and we saw a great sunset, lots of birds and dolphins.

Several dolphin sightings.

Dunlawton Bridge.

Then an even better look at the Memorial Bridge as we floated under it!

International Speedway Boulevard bridge.

There are mosiacs of Florida birds and animals on the (upper bridge), and Florida water life on the pylons.

Back to Halifax Harbor Marina.

Monday afternoon we headed to DeLand, stopped at Persimmon Hollow Brewery for a quick beer.

Then to Brian's Barbeque to meet Lis and Harvey for nickel beer night.  Brians BBQ never disappoints for excellent food.  Lis had baked a delicious cake in honor of Jim's and Harvey's birthdays.  A fun evening there.

Linda and I had an early morning walk to the beach.  Sunrise is always spectacular at Daytona Beach.

Coming to the end of Dave and Linda's visit with us.  A dinner at Hidden Treasures at Ponce Inlet with Jimmy.

The last dinner at Don Pepper's Mexican Restaurant in Ormond Beach.

We drove Dave and Linda to the airport in Orlando on Thursday 20th.  That was a very full 18 days with them!  Good fun, memories and adventures to talk about.

Jim had a couple of jobs to complete on the truck and we had some business to attend to.  Sunday afternoon we were in the truck and headed to Tampa.  Our Monday morning appointment was 9am, and it usually a three hour drive from Daytona Beach, but many miles of Interstate Highway 4 are under construction and with the high volume of rush hour traffic, it was much less stressful to travel on Sunday.

Loaded a small CAT forklift at an equipment auction place.  It required tarping ....  First time we have tarped a forklift.  It was well used (has a fresh coat of paint) and had been stored outside.  We did it, however odd it seemed!  A lot of extra work to cover all the edges so the tarp does not tear.

It was a LTL shipment, so the next stop was near Tallahassee, Florida to load a used JLG boom lift at another equipment place.  Both shipments were purchased via internet auctions.

Florida to western New York.

Loaded with two LTLs, northbound to Western New York. Some Fall flowers in the median in southern Georgia.

A quick trip north to deliver on Wednesday in Batavia and Lockport, New York.

Raining and cooler temperatures than Florida - refreshing!
Spent a few days in the area - stayed at Joe and Michele's in our camper, and had 2003 Moto Guzzi for visiting.  To Marilla Country Store - all decorated for Fall and Halloween!

Visited family in Buffalo, then a stop at Windy Brew on Friday afternoon on the way back to Joe and Michele's.

Joe and Michele had stoked up the fire at their place - very warm and appreciated in the cooler temperatures, especially after getting off the motorbike.

Saturday morning, Joe and Michele, Jim and I went to the village of Wyoming, New York to the AppleUmpkin Festival.
Website:  Since 1986 - apple orchards and pumpkin patches abound, they came up with the name "AppleUmpkin".  Featuring arts, displays, seasonal foods, storytellers and bus trips through historic gas lighted village and valley. Revel in the final golden days of summer along gaslit streets lined with hundreds of craft vendors, strolling entertainers and the mouth watering aromas of delectable festival treats.
AppleUmplin fall harvest festival features handmade arts and crafts in the gas light village of Wyoming, NY.
Lots and lots of food choices!! And we tried as much as we could hold!  Apples,  pumpkins, and other stuff!  It was a great day out - cool and breezy, but sunshine and a lot of people there.

Different coloured corn ears.

The Lakeside Country Cloggers put on a great session of clogging.

The reason we were in Buffalo area for this weekend was for a dinner of Jim's High School friends.  Last year they had a party because most of the class had their 70th birthday, it was so successful and enjoyed that it is hoped to make it an annual event. Jim and I took the motorbike into friends, Bob and Barb in Cheektowaga and we went to Magruders Restaurant and Pub with them, a neighbourhood bar and the Banquet Hall was booked for a party of about 60 people.  Good food and entertainment, lots of laughs.

Jim's high school friends, Bob and Barb, we stayed Saturday night with them. We all had a good time.