Day 1: Saturday, September 26, 2015
My husband and I traveled to Huntsville and stopped at Logan's Roadhouse in Madison for lunch.
My husband ordered a rack of ribs and a half rack, a baked potato, and a Caesar salad, which we split. I ordered a baked potato with iced tea.
We rode to Bankston's to look at new Tiffin RVs. Next, we stopped at Best Buy, where we bought a SanDisk 16 GB Ultra Camera card for my Nikon D500 camera; they did not have a Nikon Lithium-Ion Battery pack.
We needed an EN-El9a 7.2V 1080 mAh 7.8 Wh battery, so we went to Batteries Plus and purchased one.
We stopped at Krispy Kreme, where we purchased two apple fritters and a cup of donut holes; I ate one of the apple fritters.
We had planned to visit the Space and Rocket Center for Smithsonian Day, but it was packed, so we had a couple of hours to kill.
My husband dropped me off at the Airport a little early, as my flight was scheduled to leave at 6:21 P.M.
My flight was delayed because the incoming flight was late, which threw everything off schedule, including my connecting flight to Atlanta.
I flew from Huntsville to Atlanta on Delta Flight 4940, seat number 17C.
We arrived late, as did several other flights, so we had to wait our turn in line to park the plane.
Several people on the flight had limited time to make their next connecting flight and were getting anxious about making it. As a result, several had to reschedule.
My connecting flight to Providence, Rhode Island, was the last one, and the next flight was the following day.
They let everyone who had a connecting flight off first.
After the plane parked, I had only 20 minutes to reach my connecting flight at gate 34B.
I was walking fast from Gate D. I took the elevator to the ground floor and then the tram to Gate B.
I started up the escalator steps, but about halfway up, I stopped. I was out of breath, so I let the electric stairs take me the rest of the way up.
Once I reached the top, I found myself in the middle of many restaurants and shops.
I started walking quickly toward gate 34B, beginning with gate number 20.
I thought I would not make it; my mouth felt like it had swallowed a large ball of cotton, so I stopped at the water fountain for a drink.
I continued my journey to gate 34B. Upon arriving, I checked in, followed by a young man panting profoundly.
We both boarded Delta Flight 935, and everyone's faces were filled with questions: What happened? Why are you so late?
The flight awaited an older couple who could not walk very fast.
I took my seat in 34C next to the window. Two black women were seated next to me. They were headed home from a cruise.
The woman beside me said I did not know my father was blind until I was sixteen.
She said my father could do everything; he made furniture and worked on cars.
She said once a sales clerk came by to talk to my father. The man said to my brother, "Your father does not like me."
He said, "I held out my hand for him to shake it several times, but he never responded. Then my brother said, "My father is blind. "
I had connected with this woman but never knew her name.
When we exited the airplane, we hugged each other and said goodbye, not knowing when we would see each other again.
I said goodbye to baggage claim to collect my luggage. I watched the table turn as the last piece of luggage arrived; mine was nowhere to be seen.
I heard my name over the loudspeaker.
The voice told me to please come to baggage claim. The attendant at baggage claim told me my luggage had missed the flight and was still at the Atlanta Airport.
My luggage should arrive around 12 P.M. the next day.
I said I was leaving for Fort Myers, Florida, at 6 A.M.
They said that when your bag arrives, we will have it shipped to the Fort Myers Airport. They gave me a tracking number and a little black bag. The bag was filled with a tiny tube of toothpaste, a small toothbrush, a disposable razor, a tiny bar of soap, and an X-large White T-shirt.
My luggage, which was still at the Atlanta Airport, contained all my clothes, my daily medication, my camera charger, my iPad, and my empty purse.
I had my D500 Nikon Camera, my wallet with all my money, my glasses, all my camera equipment, my iPhone, and my driver's license with me.
I went outside to the pickup area and called my daughter to come pick me up.
She was hungry, so we stopped at Wendy's to get a hamburger and iced tea.
We arrived late, around 11:30 P.M., at my daughter's empty apartment and had to walk up three flights of stairs.
All she had left in her apartment was a bed to sleep on, a built-in stove, and a refrigerator.
She had a few cleaning items, her makeup, a towel, tissue, and bed linens
The bed she was leaving in the apartment had a mattress made for only one person because it slumped in the middle.
After I took a long, hot shower, my daughter gave me a pair of black stretch pants and a tank top to sleep in.
I tried to sleep on the edge of the bed but kept rolling to the middle. I slept for a couple of hours.
What would I do for three days without my medicine and clothes?
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| The bed we slept on |
Traveling from Providence, Rhode Island, to Columbia, South Carolina
Day 2: Sunday, September 27, 2015
I woke up around 5 A.M., took another hot shower, and put on the clothes I had worn on the flight.
We carried down the last item that had to be loaded into the car and dumped the remaining garbage in the trash outside.
We were on the road by 6:20 A.M.
We loaded ourselves into the car and began our fourteen-hour, thirty-five-minute journey, 894 miles from Providence to Columbia, South Carolina.
We traveled I-95 from Providence, RI, through the lower part of Connecticut, crossed into New York at Port Chester, and then crossed the Hudson River on the Triboro/George Washington Bridge into New Jersey.
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| Triboro/George Washington Bridge into New Jersey |
We paid fourteen dollars at the New Jersey Turnpike.
We stopped at 10:53 A.M. in New Jersey along I-95 at the Walt Whitman Rest Area and Repair Plaza.
It had public restrooms, Sunoco Gas, a gift shop, travel information, vending machines, telephones, Burger King, cinnamon, Popeye's, Roy Rogers, TCBY, and Duncan Donuts.
I ordered a Sausage, cheese, and egg croissant at Dunkin' Donuts.
At 11:22 A.M., we crossed the New Castle, Delaware, toll bridge, paying a four-dollar toll. It was a short drive through Delaware, crossing into Maryland near Elkton and paying a four-dollar toll.
We rode through the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in Maryland ($4 toll) and the District of Columbia, then crossed into Virginia toward Richmond.
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| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel in Maryland |
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| Welcome to Virginia |
We stopped at 2:19 P.M. at Denny's, located at 2861 Dale Blvd in Woodbridge, VA, to eat lunch.
We ordered a plate of Zesty Nachos, which were made with tortilla chips topped with Pepper Jack queso, shredded Cheddar cheese, seasoned nacho meat, freshly made pico de gallo, and sour cream.
My daughter and I both ordered salads. They were not good; they tasted like they had been in the refrigerator for several days.
We crossed North Carolina and rode to West Columbia, South Carolina.
We arrived around 9 P.M. at my daughter's friend's apartment.
My daughter introduced me to her friend and her husband. We were served light refreshments, and I took a glass of Cranberry Splash.
My daughter and her friends went onto the patio to enjoy a glass of wine.
I showered and put on a pair of my daughter's stretch pants and the thin, white, X-large tee shirt the airline gave me.
I stretched out on the sofa, which was made into a bed.
I was asleep in no time.
Around 10:30 P.M., my daughter took a shower and went to bed.
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| Denny's at 2861 Dale Blvd, Woodbridge, VA |
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| Entering North Carolina |
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| My daughter and her friend in Columbia, SC |
Traveling from Columbia, South Carolina, to Jacksonville, Florida
Day 3: Monday, September 28, 2015
After a good night's sleep, we were ready to go by the time my daughter's friend left for work.
We thanked her for putting us up for the night.
At 7:19, we were eating breakfast at Atlanta Bread Company in West Columbia, South Carolina. My daughter ordered an Omelet with potatoes and toast, and I ordered a bagel with cream cheese. I ate some of my daughter's omelet and ordered unsweetened iced tea.
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| Atlanta Bread Company in West Columbia, South Carolina |
At 9:36 A.M., we stopped in Ridgeland, Jasper County, South Carolina, at the Historic Frampton Plantation Home, once occupied by the Frampton Family. The first Home was built in 1840, burned by Union troops in 1865, and rebuilt in 1868. This Home is now the Visitors Center & Museum.
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| The Historic Frampton Plantation Home |
The front room was recreated into a 1900s plantation house parlor or sitting room, featuring an antique stroller with a doll, an eighteenth-century spinning wheel, a desk and chair, a sofa, a TV, and many other period antiques. In one room, there was a rifle hanging over the fireplace. Below the fireplace were historical documents that were for sale. There were books about City of Heroes, American Revolution, Swamp Fox, The Civil War, South Carolina in the Revolution, Haunted Battlefields of the South, The Shaftesbury Papers, and many others.
In the bathrooms, hanging on the walls, we saw many old signs:
"I love cooking with wine; sometimes, I even put it in the food."
"If you fail initially, do it as your wife told you!
"Unattended children will be given an Espresso & a free kitten."
"I don't drink anymore; I don't drink any less."
I have child-proofed my house, but they still get in!
"Coffee, you can sleep when you are dead."
"Born to ride, forced to work."
"I don't understand the idea of cooking & cleaning, just not as it applies to me."
PMS Be afraid! Be very afraid!
We took pictures inside and outside.
I bought four postcards for $2.16.
Outside, we met several workers doing repairs and maintenance on the Frampton Plantation.
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| Southern Live Oak Tree |
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| Southern Live Oak Tree |
There was a sign in front of the Oak tree that read:
Our live oaks are approximately 250 years old, and we care for them through pruning and periodic feeding.
The massive branches also support other plants: Gray strands of hanging Spanish Moss, which is an epiphyte and not a parasite, and resurrection Fern, which grows along the tops of the main branches. It looks dead when dry, but it becomes green again after the rain.
Behind the visitor center was a sign that read:
The Frampton Line
A large earthwork, over 100 yards in length, was raised on this site by General Robert E. Lee's troops in 18622.
This fortification was a fallback position to defend the railroads between Charleston and Savannah. An important Supply Line for the Confederate Army,
The railing is located about one mile north of this site.
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| Savannah National Wildlife Refuge Museum |
At 10:44 A.M., we stopped at the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.
We watched a ten-minute film about the Wildlife Refuge.
At 11:10 A.M., we walked through the Saving The Resources interactive exhibits inside the Visitor Center. Before we left, I bought a $16.00 t-shirt.
At 11:51 A.M., we were riding through the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, part of the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. We saw a couple of Alligators and a canal full of lily pads.
We decided to get out of the car and walk along one of the trails. There, we saw a wooden building with a sign that read PHOTO BLIND BUILT BY!
So we decided to check it out. My daughter opened the door and started to walk inside when I hollered, "Snake!" I saw an orange snake. It was curled up on the floor. Snaket scurried away before my daughter could step on it. We saw several markers as we rode under large oak trees covered in Spanish Moss that shaded the road as we rode through the Wildlife Preserve.
Laurel Hill Plantation, Using Fire to Benefit Wildlife, Managing Water for Wildlife, Rice Field Trunk, Plantation Cistern, and Prescribed Burning
We exited the refuge at 12:06 P.M.
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| I screamed snake |
At 12:37 P.M., we crossed the Savannah Hutchinson Island Bridge into Historic Savannah, GA.
My daughter let me out to take pictures, and she parked the car.
At 12:49 P.M., we were walking along the North Historic District of Savannah's Riverfront, where we saw:
Scarlett's, Land & Sea Wear, the Black Dog, Chart House, Fiddlers Carb House, Susie King Taylor Tug Boat, Savannah Belles Ferry, Exchange Tavern & Restaurant, Savannah Candy Kitchen, Huey's True Grits, Boars' Head 1964 Grill & Tavern, Shipping on the port Savannah, one-eyed Lizzy's Seafood, Steaks Grille & Bar,
We saw the Savannah River Queen, & the Georgian Queen Port of Savannah Riverboats, and the Geleon San Pelay Sailing Vessel.
We saw the historic markers, Confederate Savannah, the NOAR National Marine Sanctuary, and Savannah's Wharves.
At 1:33–2:42 P.M., we were at Joe's Crab Shack.
We ordered a bucket of shrimp, crawfish, potatoes, corn, and hushpuppies with unsweetened tea.
Joe's was along the Waterfront, and we could have sat outside, but it was way too humid.
Several restaurants and shops were along the Waterfront, so we decided to visit several after lunch.
We stopped at River Street Sweets, where we sampled various chocolate-covered nuts.
We stopped at Fabulous Finds Under $20, where we looked at many different ties and flasks.
We saw many different store signs: Bernie's Oyster House, Land & Sea Wear, Scarlett's, Chart House, Fiddler's Crab House, The Black Dog, Exchange Tavern and Restaurant, Savannah's Candy Kitchen, and Grill & Tavern Boar's Head, established in 1964.
The time was about up on the parking meter, so we walked back to the car.
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| Savannah River Queen |
At 4:53 P.M., we stopped at the Welcome to Florida, The Sunshine State, Governor Rick Scott, Open for Business rest area in Yulee.
We used the restrooms, sampled the free orange juice, and toured the center. My daughter purchased a SunPass for crossing tolls in Florida.
On the grounds posted outside were signs about animals you will see in the great state of Florida: black bear, painter, river otter, American Alligator, whitetail deer, gray fox, wild turkey, and great blue heron.
It took us forty minutes to drive from Yulee to Jacksonville.
At around six, we arrived at my cousin's Home at 4556 Cambridge Road, Jackson, Florida.
My daughter dropped me off and went to get herself a plate of barbecue ribs and check out the area while I visited with my cousin.
My cousin wasn't feeling well, so she went to bed around 9 P.M. Before she went to bed, she showed us where we would be sleeping and gave me a pair of pajamas after I showered.
I slept in the half bed in my cousin's office, and my daughter slept on the bottom bunk in the girls' room.
My cousin shares a house with her grandson and his girlfriend.
My cousin's grandson has a couple of daughters who come to visit during the summer months.
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| Majorie Goodrich |
Traveling from Jacksonville, Florida, to Fort Myers, Florida
Day 4: Tuesday, September 29, 2015
My daughter must have been exhausted because she slept later than usual.
I spent the morning visiting with my cousin.
After my daughter was up and dressed, we said our goodbyes and stopped at Chick-fil-A for two goodbyes and a bagel with chicken cut in half, which we shared.
1:20 P.M. We stopped at Cracker Barrel, Bradenton, FL, to eat lunch.
We both ordered turnip greens. I ordered pinto beans, and my daughter ordered chicken fingers.
We both ordered cornbread, onion, chow, and water with lemon.
We arrived at the apartment in Fort Myers around 2:30 P.M. My daughter's landlord is originally from South Africa. He now lives in Canada and owns an apartment in Fort Myers.
He wanted to show us how everything worked in the apartment and sign a six-month contract.
We walked to the clubhouse, where he showed us the outdoor swimming pool and the workout room.
He had to catch a plane in Fort Lauderdale, so he left.
We rode to Fort Myers Airport so I could collect my luggage, which had been shipped from Providence and which I had been without for three days.
We went to Publix for groceries and bought chicken, lettuce, chips, avocados, onions, and tomatoes.
We ate chicken salad and avocado dip with chips, which we made fresh.
It had been a long day, and we both were exhausted.
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| Walt Whitman Rest Area |
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| Frampton Mansion Visitors Center in Ridgeland, SC |
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| Hutchison Island Bridge in Savannah, GA |
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| Galeon San Pelay Sailing Vessel |
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| Joe's Crab Shack |
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| Joe's Crab Shack |
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| Welcome to Florida at the Yulee, Florida Rest Area |
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| Cracker Barrel - Pinto beans and turnip greens |
