The Final Countdown

USo here we are, killing time in Dulles airport waiting for our flight home in an A380 (The Mechanic is well pleased). We got here far too early as we had to check out of the hotel and it was too hot to do much outdoors (I didn't want to travel back smothered in Factor 50 sun cream!). We had a slight problem at check in when the BA 'operative' said our bags were too heavy and we had to take some stuff out. Given we had lifted them easily on to the scales and they only weighed 13 kg coming out (limit 23kg) it seemed unlikely. However after a little debate I suggested that the scales were weighing in pounds not kilograms - which was in fact the case!  We were driven up by a suicidal taxi driver who spent the whole journey telling us about all his speeding / violations tickets, being in jail for not paying them etc, drinking coffee and then sorting out some paperwork on the passenger seat - all the time haranguing us about US policies on just about everything. I was very glad to get out alive........

I hope none of you have developed nomophobia in our absence, but don't worry if you have - I am considering opening a cyber wellness clinic as my new retirement project and I would be happy to enrol you.  A few pictures to end the blog - a giant pretzel, regarded as dinner in World of Beer, the splendid interior of Union Station Washington DC, a final glimpse of the Blue Ridge Mountains and (for those of you with four legged companions) the Dog Dinner Menu.

A real Dog's Dinner

Day started with a walk in Charlottesville before it got too hot, then a trip to the airport to return the hire car (remembering to fill it with 'gas' before returning it and having the usual battle with the self serve pumps).  The hotel sent a Shuttle bus to pick us up for free, unfortunately meaning that I had to forgo a ride in the 'Hallelujah Taxi' which was waiting for customers. Another walk saw the Mechanic strangely attracted by the 'Big Dawg Tattoo parlour' - professional body piercings, get one and get a second half price!  We then had to walk the bikes down to the Amtrak station to check them in before returning to collect the bags. It was stinking hot again so we just waited for the (late) train in the air conditioned station - which appears to have about 10 staff around to cope with a total of a maximum of 6 trains a day............

The journey was unremarkable, other than for the slow speed of travel - despite which we arrived earlier than our late departure might have suggested. It took three trips from the station to the hotel to get everything moved but we got here in the end. This is a posher place than we have been staying in since our first few days here (this is the place with the pillow menu) - it has a VIPaws Pet Program 'Our pet friendly hotel will welcome your guest of honour with treats, amenities and plenty of pampering'. This leads me to the post title. This place has an arty farty restaurant called 'Art and Soul' and (no kidding) it has a Dog Menu, featuring The Hungry Dawg, Gravy Train, The Raw Deal and to drink with their meal 'Bowser Beer' (non alcoholic beer costing around £6 for an unspecified amount). The world truly has gone mad!!!  Having said that, anyone prepared to pay $35, plus 11% sales tax, plus a minimum 15% tip for a Power Dinner presumably wouldn't blink at buying their dog dinner and a drink. The Power Dinner consists of soup or baby lettuce salad, a crispy cornmeal cake and a homemade cookie.........

Anyway, picture of the day is of the ubiquitous sausage gravy, served with 'biscuits' (unsweetened scones to you and me) at virtually every hotel breakfast. I have spared you the grizzly details of the eating habits observed, but today we had a good 'un.  Man helps himself to scrambled egg with steak and cheese, fried potatoes and biscuits, the whole lot liberally drenched in aforementioned sausage gravy. His wife then came up to him to ask him if he wanted any of the fresh fruit salad on offer, showing him her bowl. Off he charges and helps himself to a generous, juicy portion - spooned on top of the sausage gravy (and everything else). The only surprise was that he didn't add a dollop of the squirty cream provided for the waffles!

To the airport tomorrow, so fingers crossed the flight is not overbooked and is on time

Things you never knew before

We finally left Myrtle Beach today, after a final walk on the sand. We were on the road shortly after 8.30am and had another trouble free 400 mile journey back to Charlottesville - where we are lowering the tone of the hotel by being about the only guests scruffing around in shorts and T shirts. Everyone else staying here appears to be attending one of eight weddings that are taking place today (all looking terribly smart).  We headed back out to World of Beer tonight to have one final meal before heading bak to the UK (tomorrow it will be a sandwich in the railway station if we are lucky). The place was much busier than on our previous visits, with live music and loads of people. Our waitress (server!) recognised us from our last trip so we were well looked after, although I don't think the group are going to be threatening the charts anytime soon.

On our travels we were taking a look at some magazines and discovered 10 different magazines on quilting but over 15 on guns. My favourite has to be 'Handloader' - the official Ammunition Reloading Journal!  I am going to notify HIGNFY.........

Seen on a restaurant sign 'Every Man's Dream - Dogs and Cream'.  I'll leave you to ponder that one.

For those of you who hate the name ToysRus - how about 'Wee R Sweetz'.....

Finally a piece of knowledge you won't know how you lived without.  From the travellers who brought you 'Tuatepere - the Sausage capital of the world' I offer you the even more intriguing

'Dunn (NC) - the Dump Truck Capital of the World'.   The competition must be fierce.....

Pictures are sunrise, a giant pretzel and our night out

Beginning of the End!

So today was our last day in North Myrtle Beach and to be honest it was just too hot for us. We did our 5k walk at 7.00am before breakfast and were still dripping with sweat by the time we got back. We took the car (tank) and decided to drive to Georgetown to have a look round, but on discovering how far it was and how hot it was we abandoned and just drove through Myrtle Beach which, as anticipated, is the blousy, tatty version of North Myrtle Beach - dodgems, tat shops etc etc. Fun to see, but glad we weren't staying there - bigger, louder and busier.

We spent most of the day either in the water or in the shade. When we went in for our final swim we were privileged to have the local pelicans fishing all round us. One flew inches above the water just a few feet from Chris and then did a vertical dive into the water about 20 yards from where I was watching - fantastic!!!!  The Mechanic finished padding the bikes for the flight home while I did wifely stuff like laundry and apartment cleaning :(

Last night requires a big night out (Mechanic please note - not a pizza from the supermarket). However  the choice we faced was just too much:

Hot Diggity's Diner

'Stop in the name of love' - at Fuddruckers'

National House of Pancakes

Sir Pizza (bet you didn't notice that in the Queen's birthday honours list)

'Lights, Camera, LA Lasagna'

Nacho Hippo

Crabby Mike's

Boardwalk Billy's - a Shuckin' good time

Bummz

Crab Daddy's Seafood

We ate our supermarket pizza...........

Order Error

The heat wave post didn't publish when it should have so is out of order - the most recent post is Thunder on the Right!

Heat wave alert!

Temperatures are hitting all time records for September, which we could certainly have lived without! We got up at 7.00am to make sure we were able to do something before the mercury hit 90+. :(

Started with a 5k walk, then after breakfast we set off on a 16 mile bike ride, taking in a sign in someone's garden B. J's lemonade $1 - worst in town!  We decided not to try and prove this one way or another........ Back at the apartment we went straight into the sea, much calmer than yesterday and not as much fun sadly, although we still had waves breaking over our heads and got knocked off our feet. We had another cycle ride, walk and swim before calling it a day and listening to the Archers on the I-pad!

Very hot today, according to the forecast it was 87degrees, feeling like 99 degrees and I certainly wouldn't argue - supposed to be getting worse over the next few days.  Not many pictures today as we spent too much of it huddled in the shade. I really should have known better - heaven only knows what I thought we would do in a week off here.  Note photo of the beer / cider Chris is doing credit control on.

Thunder on the right (left and centre)

Headed off early for our last bike ride of the trip. We are actually staying in North Myrtle Beach - the boring family orientated, retirement end of the 60 mile beach. Myrtle Beach is further south and appears to host most of the real rubbish - so needless to say we felt we had to visit. It is a rather tortuous journey unless you want to ride down a six lane highway with no ring shoulder. 13 miles into the trip The Mechanic realised that he had forgotten the spare tubes and tools and of course as soon as we knew that we started worrying about a puncture. While I could have made it back and collected the car, the chances of C doing that were somewhere south of zero, given he would never have found his way back either to the apartment or to wherever I was stuck. We rode back, inevitably with no punctures, and ended up riding 30 miles. After a swim and a walk along Cherry Grove Pier we started packing up the bikes. We began hearing thunder about half an hour before the heavens opened, the lightning appeared to be overhead and the thunder was deafening.........This lasted for about an hour with the road turning into rivers. We had to get the half-packed bikes under over as well as we could and then covered them in some cheap ponchos we had been given free in Washington.  

By the time the rain stopped it was going on 18.00, so we abandoned our second swim and the preceding walk, but managed to get the bikes finished.  I have never been in a storm like it, warnings were being televised and as it approached the beach cleared like snow in a heatwave. 

Anyway it occurred to me that perhaps we should have a debauched night out on the town, but we were so spoilt for choice that in the end we stayed in and caught up with some Archers on the iPad!!

Question is - what would you have chosen:

Medieval Times, dinner and tournament. (Dial 888-We-Joust)

Big Laughs Theatre - a high energy rock n' roll interactive comedy variety hypnosis show

Hip-Hop Clogging

Todd Oliver and his amazing talking dogs

Carnival of Magic ( featuring stars from America's got talent)

Christian Stoninev with Scooby the Dog

The Illusions of Hannah and Brandon Wagster

Or perhaps you would prefer to slit your wrists in preference to any of the above (like us)

Early warning about rising sea levels!!!! They are expecting the largest crowd of the year at Myrtle Beach over Labour Day weekend due to the above average temperatures. Given what we have seen so far, if they all decide to enter the water at once, a life threatening tsunami is likely to appear or half of Essex will fall into the sea - you have been warned!!! 

A nice crisp autumn day....

That is what I am dreaming off!  Record hot temperatures here have sent us scuttling for shade, or even indoors in the AC.  Up today to see the sunrise over the ocean (see photo), then breakfast and off on the bikes. The lack of accuracy on the maps caused us all sort of trouble as we wandered endlessly round dead end streets, or got confused with roads not shown on the map. In the end we did 30 miles and didn't really go anywhere, but got very hot and irritated. Back for a cold drink and then a 'swim' - the wind is light so the sea still isn't anything like as exciting as it was Sunday/Monday. Temps got to 90 degrees and supposedly felt like 109!!!  Didn't do much after lunch until about 4.00pm when we went for a three mile walk in the surf - note the pictures below of the Americans on holiday.  Another swim and then we found ourselves very embarrassingly turning into Yanks - we got in the car for a 1.5 mile journey to buy some stuff for dinner, I hang my head in shame.....

Still we noticed a few things on our bike ride that I thought might help you plan the perfect day:

You could start with a trip to Gentle Dental (going the extra smile)

Move to the Tanning shop to 'Sun your Buns' then

How about a 'U-Neek facial and new Daisha braids'

Next a spot of retail therapy at Jens 'Shop of Oldies' where you can buy some 'genuine shaggin' sandals (real leather)'

Hungry after all that excitement?? Can you decide between

Southern Fried Chicken BBQ - 'Best Butts on the Beach' or (my favourite)

Seafood Restaurant and Food Store - live worms, live bait, live minnows, lobster crab legs.  Question - was this the menu...............?????

I am investigating what a lobster crab leg might be (always written with no punctuation)

Does it mean

a) lobster and crab legs

b) the leg of a lobster crab

c) something else entirely

Answers on the back of a used postage stamp