Fish and Chips in Charleston

After our quick nap today, we headed downtown to see what Charleston was all about. We drove past Rainbow Row (very colorful), and some amazing looking houses. We parked by White Point Garden and checked out the sites. 

We also checked out Waterfront Park, before eating dinner at The Griffon. Awesome little pub with dollars stapled to the walls as per a tradition dating back to when men, before leaving on a sea voyage, would put their name on a dollar bill, attach it to the wall and could use it when they returned to buy their first drink. We of course had to add our own to the wall! If you're ever in Charleston, go to The Griffon and see if you can find it!

We had some delicious fish and chips- amazing really. KJ had never had fish and chips, and Chunk had only had sub-par versions, so this was truly a great experience. We also enjoyed a couple of local beers before heading out. 


Can't wait for our adventures tomorrow!

On to Fort Sumter and the USS Yorktown

Currently we're taking a midday break from our Charleston adventures, since we spent the morning visiting Fort Sumter and the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum on board the USS Yorktown. 

We took a boat ride to Fort Sumter with a group of lovely people and a group of antsy school kids. Is it necessary for everyone to make squeaking noises with their shoes? The answer is yes. Anyway, after visiting the site of the shot that started the Civil War, we headed back and got aboard the USS Yorktown to check out the museum.

As the headquarters for the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Congressional Medal of Honor Museum, the USS Yorktown was pretty interesting. The Medal of Honor Museum was really state of the art and nicely done(with narrations by Tom Brokaw), and afterwards we toured the rest of the ship. We also got to go in the USS Clamagore- a submarine! And boy was it close quarters!

USS Yorktown fun facts:

• In 1958, Yorktown was designated an anti-submarine aircraft carrier (CVS), and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968). 
• The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December 1968). 
• Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve.

Chunk taking a picture of KJ, taking the next photo. Hilarious.

Chunk was really excited to see the planes (as you'll see in some of our photos). So far we haven't encountered anyone too stupid (like last time), however we think it'll start soon. Especially after encountering a woman telling her son that people didn't ride in space capsules. Only monkeys rode in there. Bahahha. 

Hey George, Can I Live Here?

After a semi sketchy night at a Ramada in Asheville, we left for the Biltmore Estate. Now, if you haven't been, you should. The 250 room house is set on 8,000 acres and is truly amazing. Built in 1895, the Biltmore was the vision of George Vanderbilt. 

Below you can see how it would be if we lived there. Haha!

We're now writing from Charleston, and can't wait to see the town!

Thank you kindly, Jack

Today we set off for Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, TN. Boy was it a beautiful place. Streams and trees, and just overall well put together. Our tour was very educational and our tour guide, Ron, was awesome. 

 Jack Daniel fun facts: 


Jack Daniel was only 5' 2"
They make all their barrels by hand, and sell them after they've been used once.
Jack learned whiskey making from a Lutheran minister that he lived with.
It's the oldest registered distillery in the US.


See if you can find Jack in the photo bellow. It's the last known photo of him! (Hint: he's wearing a white hat)

After our hour tour, Chunk bought a bottle of Jack Daniel's Limited Edition American Forests. You see, the county is dry, but you're technically buying a commemorative bottle. The whiskey just happens to be free. Sneaky, sneaky.

We then checked out downtown Lynchburg (not very big), and had some delicious BBQ. We headed out, and decided to stop in Chattanooga to check out Lookout Mountain. We'll admit we were drawn in by billboards, but it was definitely an interesting experience.

So now we write from Asheville (sorry it's so late! it took us a while to get here!), and await a day at the Biltmore Estate. More on that tomorrow! 

Music, Food, and a Vacuum Party

After enjoying an amazing breakfast at our hotel (delicious AND free!), we headed over to the Grand Ole Opry. We decided to check out the backstage tour, where we got to go in the artists entrance where we saw members' mail boxes (did you know you can send mail to any member there by simply writing their name and Grand Ole Opry? no address needed!), dressing rooms, and stood on the epic stage. 

We're not huge country fans, but we could definitely appreciate the magnitude of what the Grand Ole Opry is. Pretty cool that it's the longest running radio show (85 years)! Note the circle on the floor where we are standing. They cut that from the original home of the Opry, the Ryman Auditorium. Exceptionally cool if you think about all the singers that have stood on that piece of wood! 


We also went to Cooters- the Duke's of Hazard museum. More of a toy collection than anything, but it was still neat to see. Plus, Chunk got a picture by The General Lee!

Afterwards we headed downtown to the Tennessee State Museum where a brigade of vacuumers descended upon us. Seriously, who vacuums while a museum is open. One vacuumer is rude, two is just ridiculous. Anyway, the museum was alright (free), not sure we'd go back though. 

We then checked out the Country Music Hall of Fame Star Walk Park (less exciting than it sounds), saw the outside of the Hall of Fame (cool building!), and took a stroll down a hoppin' street, where cowboy hats, country music, and beer was aplenty. 

By this time we were famished, but we had already decided where we wanted to eat. The Loveless Cafe. World famous (okay, maybe just US famous), this place is amazingly delicious. It's been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel, and has welcomed a ton of celebrities. We split their famous biscuits that came with our meals (we even got to try sorghum!) and a side of their famed ham. Chunk also enjoyed a BBQ pulled pork omelette, and KJ had meatloaf with a side of mac and cheese and fried okra. Delicious! And we have left overs! 

So tomorrow we're headed to the Jack Daniel's distillery, and then to Asheville! Keep checking back for updates!

Caves, America

After waking up early this morning, we started our journey, driving south to Mammoth Cave. On the way we decided that a quick stop at Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was necessary. Kentucky is extremely green and beautiful (and also seems to have a ton to do), so if you haven't been, you should!

This house from the 1800s (above) stands where Abraham Lincoln was born (within the memorial building). Thanks to the very informative park ranger, we found out that the Sinking Spring (above) was where the Lincolns got the name for their farm, and probably where little Abe had his first drink of water. Below we have a pic of KJ standing in front of the memorial, in the exact spot where 5 presidents have given speeches.

We then headed off to Mammoth Cave, where we got tickets for the Frozen Niagara tour. After touring for an hour, we were sad to leave! Definitely go for longer when you're there. They have a lot of tours to choose from, and you can even stay in the park overnight. Super cool.

We also ran into a couple of dinosaurs on our way through Cave City (aka tourist trap). And if you look closely at the picture of the gift shop (below), you'll notice that the candles are from Warm Glow Candle Company (our first stop of our East Coast adventure!)

We're writing from Nashville now, and excited to see what tomorrow holds. Happy adventuring!

Getting Lucky

With just a week to go before we depart, luck has shined upon us. A few weeks ago we decided to participate in the Burd Ford scavenger hunt- with a $3,000 first prize, and 2 iPad 2's as second prizes.

And guess what? KJ won the $3k and Chunk won an iPad 2! Incredible, especially since we didn't think we had a chance. Truly perfect timing. Someone is definitely looking out for us. Thanks again Burd Ford!