Im off to the US in 4-5 weeks

[Wild Dingo]

Intending on landing in NY at JFK will be heading straight out to Connecticut to stay with a mate an his missus for about a week then heading south..

Intend to end up in Floriday about a month later (maybe 5 weeks depending :; ) am wondering if anyone knows of any MUST SEES in the southern states? definantly visiting Nth and Sth Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama

I'll be travelling by car :o god thats a terrifying thought me drivin on the left hand side :o yeah right :U :U get a big Aussie flag and have it wavin from the boot they'll take pity on me as I pass them going down the middle of the road right? :2tsup:

Anyway aside from Gracelands in Memphis what other MUST SEES are there?:2tsup:

Plan is to take full advantage of the 90 day no visa thing so plenty of time to wander

Cheers
Shane

[jerrynazard]

Shane,

In Virginia you should try to visit Williamsburg and the surrounding area. The Chrysler Museum in Norfolk is also worth looking over. Enjoy your visit!

-Jerry

[Honorary Bloke]

Intending on landing in NY at JFK will be heading straight out to Connecticut to stay with a mate an his missus for about a week then heading south..

Intend to end up in Floriday about a month later (maybe 5 weeks depending :; ) am wondering if anyone knows of any MUST SEES in the southern states? definantly visiting Nth and Sth Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama

I'll be travelling by car :o god thats a terrifying thought me drivin on the left hand side :o yeah right :U :U get a big Aussie flag and have it wavin from the boot they'll take pity on me as I pass them going down the middle of the road right? :2tsup:

Anyway aside from Gracelands in Memphis what other MUST SEES are there?:2tsup:

Plan is to take full advantage of the 90 day no visa thing so plenty of time to wander

Cheers
Shane

Well Shane, since you will be in my bailiwick more or less, I will take a crack at it. Coming from "up north" and ending in Florida, you will most likely travel through the states in this order:

Virginia:

The University of Virginia and Monticello (Charlottesville). Good examples of Thos. Jefferson's architectural vision and inventive prowess. Well worth a dekko.

Colonial Williamsburg (Williamsburg). Example of 18th Centruy American life, including demos of WWing, wheelwrights, barrel making, candles, paper, and on and on.

Blue Ridge Parkway (Waynesboro, Virginia to Asheville, NC). About 200 odd miles of scenic beauty running along the mountaintops. Many places to get off and wander as your fancy takes you. Allow at least 3 days.

Luray Caverns (south of Waynesboro Virginia off the I-81). If you are into looking at stalactites, etc.


Forget Kentucky.

Tennessee:

Graceland in Memphis, as you know.

Grand Old Opry (Nashville) if you are into American country music.

Jack Daniels distilery (Lynchburg, Tenn.) to see them make their famous bourbon whiskey.


North Carolina:

Wall Lumber Company (Mayodan, NC) to see a broad array of American wood species. Ask for Clarence and tell him Bob from Greenville sent you.

Old Salem (Winston-Salem). 18th and 19th Century woodworking.

Then drive all the way to the coast to Wilmington, NC for some nice beaches and good seafood.

Back to Charlotte and the Lowes Motor Speedway if you are into Nascar auto racing.

South Carolina:

From Charlotte, NC, down the I-85 to Greenville and a BBQ with me and 'er Indoors if you like. No Fosters or 4-X, I promise. :D

The Battery and Fort Sumter (Charleston, SC). Where the colonists fought off the Poms and later where the American Civil War began.

Georgia:

Atlanta Aquarium (Atlanta). The world's largest and home to thousands of fish species.

Savannah. Setting for "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil." Beautiful homes built on parklike squares. Great seafood. Still a goodish bit of Black Magic going on down there. :wink:

Alabama:

The best of Alabama, IMO, is on the coast (Mobile).

Battleship USS Alabama (Mobile). WWII battleship on display. Tour at your own pace.

Bellingrath Gardens (Mobile area). Beautiful, large garden with many exotic species. Very peaceful.

Florida:

I'll leave that to Joe Greiner.


These are just a very few, of course, off the top of my head. I'll add more as I think of them.

Bob

[Pat]

Well Ding, looks like you have scored one free feed already:)

Have a good one!

[Cliff Rogers]

Have a good one Ding, watch out for dodgey real estate agents. :wink:

[Honorary Bloke]

Have a good one Ding, watch out for dodgey real estate agents. :wink:

I am retired, yer honour. :D:D

[Cliff Rogers]

Have a good one Ding, watch out for dodgey retired real estate agents. :wink:


PS. I could have put the 'retired' bit before the 'dodgey' bit but that was the point I was trying to make. :D

[joe greiner]

G'day, Shane. Sounds like an adventure.

Speeds in mph will feel different from kph; just match the numbers with the speed limits. Use cruise control whenever possible and safe.

Mystic Seaport museums in Connecticut. Other waterfront stuff in Old Saybrook.

There is/was a really big DIY windmill near Phillipsburg NJ someplace. I'll contact some rellies for verification and location.

Definitely yes to Colonial Williamsburg. IIRC, Roy Underhill (The Woodwright's Shop) is/was a co-conspirator there.

NO to "Forget Kentucky." PM (if necessary) WWF member Hickory for info about car restorations.

You can have a quick drool session in Dillon SC (just South of NC), at Harbor Freight's warehouse and store - about 1 million square feet overall. (305m each way).

From Alabama to Florida, be sure to stop in Tallahassee. Timing might be off for our WT club meeting (2 June), but King Arthur's Tools is run by an ex-pat Ozzie; you might be able to communicate with each other. Oh, there's also a WT club in Dothan AL; Gil Jones is one of the ringleaders. I reckon he or I, or both of us, would be honoured to hoist a few with you.

I haven't visited South Florida for years. Aside from Disney/EPCOT, I'll have to dredge the memory banks.

Watch out for dodgey retired engineers and airplane mechanics.

Keep us posted as your itinerary develops. Have a good one, no matter what.

Cheers,
Joe

[Wild Dingo]

Cheers all!!!

Great stuff fellas :2tsup: Now I have a few must see places its all good!! :2tsup:

Bob and Joe will definantly give you a hoi when I lob as NC and Florida are absolutely on the itinerary!! :2tsup:

Keep your eye either here or on the WBF for updates on my movements... or if you want pm me your contact details and I'll give you a hoi on the blower when I get into the area and you can direct me!

remember Im the sorta fella that gets lost in a straight line HERE!! :doh: so given I'll be on the wrong side of the road in another planet with people that talk weird and carry bloody guns!!! :o okay not everyone I guess but enough to worry a fella :q

Cheers
Shane

[Wild Dingo]

ITS DONE!!! :2tsup:

Went in and booked the ticket on Thursday... THIS IS HAPPENING!!! :o

Straight from here to KL to Newark NY on the 6th May... then back the same route on 3 August... 90 days in the states!! WHAHOOOOOOO!!! :2tsup:

Worked out to the 90 days simply cause when the sheila asked when I wanted to come back I had a brain fart and couldnt for the life of me think of any particular day I had any need to come back so "mmm the no visa thing is for 90 days isnt it?" "yes sir thats right shall we see how that works out for you?" "yeah love go for it" and so she did "So there is no set date you need to come back home sir? wife? kids?" a sad "no... sigh" she smiled hugely and said "Well then thats wonderful sir! 90 days in the USA will be something you will remember forever!" I looked at her brilliant smile a small twinkle in her eye and thought "shyte yer bloody wombat thats right its gonna be bloody brilliant!!" and that was that I was over the "sigh" caper and grinning from ear to ear... "Thats the one love book me in"... an so its done :2tsup:

Actually SERIOUSLY REALLY looking forward to leaving what an adventure this is going to be!! weird place weird road rules weird cars weird wildlife and even weirder people! :U Gonna be a hoot!! :2tsup:

So the countdown has begun in earnest now!! :q

[Honorary Bloke]

Actually SERIOUSLY REALLY looking forward to leaving what an adventure this is going to be!! weird place weird road rules weird cars weird wildlife and even weirder people! :U Gonna be a hoot!! :2tsup:

Should be a real adventure for certain! Especially for us poor Seppos. :rolleyes::D

Remember to look to the left before crossing the street or it will be a short trip. :p

I will PM you my contact info.

[Pat]

Actually SERIOUSLY REALLY looking forward to leaving what an adventure this is going to be!! weird place weird road rules weird cars weird wildlife and even weirder people! :U Gonna be a hoot!! :2tsup:


So many lines, so many replies . . .

Have a good one Shane and I'll keep a watch on the seppo news services for reports of a Wild Dingo terrorizing parts of Sepposota:;

[joe greiner]

PM for contact in process.

I'll alert potential victims of your invasion, just in case.:rolleyes:

Cheers,
Joe

[joe greiner]

The windmill seems to have fallen into disuse: http://www.millpictures.com/mills/details.cfm?millid=1071

It was cool when it was operating; probably not worth the trip now.

Cheers,
Joe

[Tex B]

Shane,

If you're driving from New York south, make time for:

Philadelphia - Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's House, an extraordinary art museum, fantastic city hall, University of Pennsylvania (founded by B Franklin in 1740) and etc etc. Two days minimum.

then,

if you like furniture from 1720-1850, stop at Winterthur (in Delaware, just south of Philadelphia. A fantastic museum and if you tell them you make furniture they often let you look under and behind the furniture to see how it's put together. Amazing stuff in there, you will be inspired.

then,

Baltimore is an interesting city, though you probably won't need more than a day.

then,

definitely save a few days for Washington DC. The Smithsonian can take several days, and the monuments are really worth some time. It is an extraordinary place and even if you can't get a White House tour, you can see it all. I'd recommend a proper tour here, as the tour guides can cut queues at the monuments and know amazing stuff about them.

From DC, it's 3-4 hours drive to Williamsburg, definitely worth a visit. Also Carter's Grove, Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's house) and Mt Vernon (George Washington's house).

IMO, from Williamsburg to Florida is kind of interesting, but boring compared to the mid Atlantic (Connecticut to Virginia).

Have a great trip, and post pics!

Tex

[graemet]

Have a great time in the States, Shane. Just bear in mind that, despite their pledge to visitors, the Homeland Security gorillas at the borders have no sense of humo(u)r and show contempt for anyone without a US passport. We were stopped at the US/Canada border into Detroit as we were travelling with my US cousins, passports demanded and the comment "Oh, two americans and two assholes". They have the ability to make life quite difficult if you object to any inconvenience, even to refusing entrance to the USA on a whim.
We had a great time in the US, but our two encounters with Homeland Security left a very nasty taste.:((
Stay safe, come back in one piece. We'll miss you.
Cheers
Graeme

[BobR]

Have a good one Shane. You will enjoy the stay. Don't for get to take your own face mask, there might be a shortage :oo:

[wheelinround]

Shane has left the country :o

Will we survive

will USA ever be the same.........they'll think he's Croc Dundee in person :; all be a short #### one

Ok insults over has any one heard or seen the fellow scrounging standing on street corners asking for hand outs or been thrown out of Bar's

Have a safe one Shane

look out for Pigs those on wheels and now swine flu no brining it back:roll:

[m2c1Iw]

I've been following a thread on WB (Shane has had them scratching their heads for years) and he has just landed.

Boy the excitement it's generating is amusing no interesting no....well lets just say I think some people in the US are looking forward to seeing a Dingo in the flesh.

Hope he (Shane) has a terrific time.

[wheelinround]

Hey Shane as you know Alcohol is best germ killer going not sure how it goes with Swine Flu although a good red does well with Pork

[Wild_Dingo]

Will post a new thread and post a bloggy thingy... but believe me I am here!! god its beautiful in Connecticut... cold misty place but beautiful and the houses!!! :2tsup: :2tsup:

Dont know quite whats happened but I cant seem to get into the other login... okay I do know but Im not tellin... lets just say "RUDDY PASSSWORDS!!!" and leave it at that... should be able to log in to that one when I get back and get at Joshys computer again

[Honorary Bloke]

Will post a new thread and post a bloggy thingy... but believe me I am here!! god its beautiful in Connecticut... cold misty place but beautiful and the houses!!! :2tsup: :2tsup:

Dont know quite whats happened but I cant seem to get into the other login... okay I do know but Im not tellin... lets just say "RUDDY PASSSWORDS!!!" and leave it at that... should be able to log in to that one when I get back and get at Joshys computer again

Mornin' Shane. Welcome. Now you'll find out how frustrating it can be to be in such a wildly different time zone. :D

Cheap lobster feeds around your location. Go for it. :)

[jmk89]

Will post a new thread and post a bloggy thingy... but believe me I am here!! god its beautiful in Connecticut... cold misty place but beautiful and the houses!!! :2tsup: :2tsup:

Dont know quite whats happened but I cant seem to get into the other login... okay I do know but Im not tellin... lets just say "RUDDY PASSSWORDS!!!" and leave it at that... should be able to log in to that one when I get back and get at Joshys computer again


Shane has started his "Bloggy thing (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/blog.php?b=447)"

His first encounter with Homeland security is hilarious - if he survives, the USA will never be the same again :Uand the improvement will be for the better.....:2tsup:

[Honorary Bloke]

Shane has started his "Bloggy thing (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/blog.php?b=447)"

His first encounter with Homeland security is hilarious - if he survives, the USA will never be the same again :Uand the improvement will be for the better.....:2tsup:

Crikey! Seppoes best run for cover! Before it's over, Dingo will either be hailed as a hero or hauled off to gaol. :rolleyes::D:D

[Honorary Bloke]

Read his blog, then click this link to see where Dingo is staying. After clicking the link, click on Bird's Eye View: :2tsup:

http://whitepages.addresses.com/map.php?ReportType=101&qc=Guilford&qs=CT&qa=614+W+St&qz=06437&NewMapFlag=1&LV=3&MS=M

[wheelinround]

Read both bloggs Good to see he's back to him old old self :D:;

top read Ding there's a movie in this for sure :2tsup::2tsup:

To think 7's movie last night was Terminal one with Hank's playing some Russian stuck in no man's land at a terminal.:p

NY headlines

NY hit by mad dog a Wild Dingo

[graemet]

Onya Shane!
I did warn you about Homeland Security. Sounds like your mates in the States are like my mates in the States, completely different to the Aussie image of an American. They are generous to a fault, wonderfully hospitable, lovely people and completely different to the ones wearing official badges.
Have a great time.
Cheers
Graeme

[wheelinround]

Come on Ding where's the blogs :D:;

[jow104]

Dont use the word "Bang" where ever you go. F is alright tho.

[Wild_Dingo]

I BREATHE!!! :o Man!! whoooeeeee was that a trip and a half!!! :; something like 15 states in 6 weeks!!! over 8000 miles late and man am Im stuffed!!! man I gotta get "home" for some vacation time!! :2tsup: oops thats right I dont have a home whahooooooo!! footloose and fancy free I be!! :U

Writings taken a bit of a back seat so my apologize for not updating or posting to the blog but a fella can only fit so much into a day around here!! Will see how I get on for some free time when I lob up on the 12th... mmm a couple of days getting through the jetlag (damned 23 hour flight with an 7 hour layover in Nakita Japan :doh: ) then a flight to Broome with a couple of kids for a week then back to Perth then into the 4x4 and up to Darwin to check out a boat Im thinkin of buying for to be me new ubeaut home!!! :2tsup: but I'll see what I can do :;

gawd its hard bein me I tells yer its hard :q :U

Hope yer all doin great guns!!! :2tsup:

[Cliff Rogers]

:2tsup:

[wheelinround]

Its over surely not will the USA ever be the same again :no::;

Japan 5 hrs picking up some nice tools eh Dingo :2tsup: a quick shopping spree

:? typical airlines eh fly past the drop of point you could always ditch as you fly over the top end or are you going the long way round :D

[jow104]

Pleased to hear you had a good trip, brings back memories for me, I did that 28 years ago, brand new Ford Mustang sports car, and Motel 6 at $6 per night and learnt how to drive in a convoy. (rubber duck days)