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Published: September 23rd 2017
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Ok to break with tradition this will be a short update blog…yeah OK we will see….
Well we got out of New York OK and decided that we would break with tradition completely and utilise the GPS in the car to get out from Newark airport and onto the motorway and south towards Philadelphia….yes you did I hear it right I used a GPS …so sue me!!! I always like to use a map but sometimes needs (and too many streets) must!!
Headed south and made good time on the freeway and arrived in Philadelphia and looked for a car park near the visitors centre and think we did Ok because when we came up the stairs the sign read “ visitors centre car park” and we walked straight into the visitors centre…Gee wiz these GPS things are good huh?? We spend an hour or so doing the usual touristy things like visiting the Liberty Bell and a few building which played a major part in revolutionary American history and then decided to head out of town and towards Pennsylvania where we had planned to spend the night in a place called “Intercourse”…sorry I couldn't
do it!!! So we stopped in the next neighbouring village of Gordonville…and that is the last I will say about that!! This area is populated pretty much by the Amish and Mennonite people who have pretty strict views on the world and still ensue to use electricity and modern things (like GPS’ ….hand on a minute… do the Sallies believe in using GPS’ oops …don't tell the boss!!) and Maninho use horse drawn buggies etc… anyway it was interesting going to bed and over the corn field behind us all you could hear was the clippity clip of horses hoofs in the tar seal as buggy after buggy headed home for the night.
The next day we headed along the road to a village called “Bird in the hand” and got onto a buggy ride to an Amish farm to see how they do it without electricity. Really interesting to see the same implements which we use on farms in NZ but all being used by horse drawn power. We then just drove around the local area acting like some weirdo stalkers looking for Amish people working in the fields to photograph. I guess that they realise that they
are an anomaly but I kept my photographing to a minimal….Yeah right!!!!
We arrived in the right time of the year when they are hay making and cutting the corn down for feed and so say heaps of horse drawn implements. One of the funniest was a guy pulling driving a four horse buggy towing a large farm implement right past a John Deere tractor shop. Bizarre!!
After spending most of the day cruising we decided late in the afternoon to make a run for Washington DC via Gettysburg at memorial so headed south again. We arrive late in the afternoon into Gettysburg and drive around a number of sites. One thing the Americans do rally well is memorials…but more later about this!
The day had started to get away in us a bit I guess it was all the stuff in Intercourse…Stop it!! So e were heading into Washington and according to the GPS (yes alright I used it again) we should have arrive at 6.50 which would have given us enough time to set up the tent in day light and get groceries for dinner etc…however then the Washington motorway system had another
idea. Because of a small…and I mean small..maybe 300 metres of road works…we travelled three miles in and hour and a half!!! So consequently got into Washington at 8.30 just in time to set up the tent in pitch darkness and then get some groceries for dinner which consistence of a ham sandwich and coffee and headed off to bed a little tired.
The following day we headed into Washington DC for the first day of three. For those of you who have visited this place you won't need to be told but as I said earlier the Americans really know how to honour their departed..whether it be those lost in war of past presidents…this place is amazing. We visited Washington, Jefferson,Lincoln, Roosevelt memorials and the memorials to WWII, Vietnam and Korea. We then visited the memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. WOW…these edifices are truely amazing and all done in great taste as well. Around most of the individual memorials they have carved in stone some of the persons speeches or sayings and this just adds to the whole effect. We had a pretty short day today in DC as the last few days on the
go have been busy so headed back to the camp early enough to have dinner in the daylight…Luxury!!
So we have another two days in DC to wander around and soak up the place and will update the blog after that…so until then…..
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