Last week’s adventures

[fbhjr]

After work the Wednesday before last my wife and I got in her car and headed south per the plan we had made:
http://fbhjr.livejournal.com/1121493.html


This put us in New York City just after 9, so it wasn’t a bad passing through.


We took our "inland route" to make sure we didn’t hit rush hour in the major cities on the east coast.
This meant that, as predicted, we were going through West Virginia at 1 in the morning when we decided to stop for the night.
We found the fanciest Motel 6 I’ve ever seen. Neon, fountains, statues:


We were there for a good 5 hours before we set off again. But, 5 hours of sleep is a lot better than the none we often do.

Leaving WV we stopped at a McDonalds. My wife wondered if the locals were big on Wonder Woman. But, it turns out to be a WV symbol, not WW.


We were on the road before dawn.


We drove down the length of the Shenandoah Valley.


It’s very pretty. Much less crowded than the coast.



This brings you out in Knoxville Tennessee and there down to Chattanooga.


In southern Tennessee and Georgia there was a lot of smoke. I guess there were some major fires in the area. I guess they take that "Smokey Mountains" seriously…
We didn’t see the fires, but, lots of smoke.

About sunset we were just north of Montgomery Alabama.


We did the last couple of hours after sunset.


We got in to our hotel about 7:30, which wasn’t bad at all. That extra 5 hours really, really helped.

Friday we got up early and ate breakfast at the Waffle House next to the hotel.

It was a big breakfast as we were pretty sure we weren’t getting lunch.
The Waffle House was swarming with Pokemon.


Then, over to Alabama.


We stopped at the rest area near the faire that has a pirate theme.


It turns out they have the fuel there, 5 minutes from the faire, that we drove all over the area looking for the weekend before that. Ah well…


Then across the river Styx to the faire.


The faire had just taken its trash out. That seemed like a good thing.


Then, we were there.


Some folks were already set up.


My wife and I quickly got the tent up. One of the other vendors gave us a hand with all the poles.


It was good we were early. We had been told the school kids were showing up at 10 to 10:30. So we got there at 8 to set up. The kids got there an hour early.
But, being there early let us get set up.


No actual photos of the show as it was just me and my wife. We did some sword lessons for kids. So we got some of that.


After the kids left we soon followed suit.
On the side of the highway near the faire is a big fireworks store. And, I mean big.


My wife wanted to get sparklers for our fire show. They are illegal where I live, so we don’t know much about it. (This lack of knowledge comes back into the story later…)
So, since we were the only folks there, the woman at the store gave us a tour.

It is huge.


My wife and I were both interested in some of the "novelty" ones. Like the chicken that shoots fire balls out of its backside.
But, there was a drought warning and burn prohibitions, so we skipped that.

Then, it was off to the airport to get Tom.
I was able to take over the Pokemon Gym there.


Pensacola, where we were staying, is the home of the "Blue Angels" flight team. So, there is a lot of their stuff about.


We got Tom and headed over to Sonny’s BBQ. They had redecorated so much we were worried we went to the wrong place.


But, the food is the same.


My wife later said she regretted getting a food named for an incendiary device. (The Bomb).

But, she liked eating it. The regret was the next day.

We started that day, Saturday, with another big breakfast at Waffle House.


Outside the hotel was a strange tree with what looked like eggs growing on it.


The wind was bad enough that it blew away at least one tent. But, not ours.


We opened it up quickly.

And, got the swords out.


We had the garden to do our sword fights.


Again, no photos of shows as everyone was sword fighting…

The food vendors had something I had never even imagined…

Yes. I did eat a hamburger that had donuts as buns.

Tom still looks like a banker in his costume…


Well, maybe not always.


The faire went well.

We were on the map.

(Upper right)

My wife got her face painted for the fire show.


Our last show was after sunset, so it was pretty dark when we finished.

(That’s our tent in the dark…)

We all went out to eat at the diner near the rest stop.



Then, we toured the bacon section of the gift shop.

They had some interesting spices.


Sunday morning it was warmer at home 1300 miles north. But, it was snowing there…


Yeah, for those of you not in the US, that is 1/2 meter of snow in New York State.


Another breakfast at Waffle House. This time with our friends from Alabama.


I didn’t know they had shoe hospitals.


I hit 400 candy with my Magikarp, but didn’t evolve it. Instead I boosted the CP so when I get some more candy it will be more powerful.


Back to the faire.

And, our sword garden.


Sunday some of our friends on Facebook posted photos of us. So, I’ve "acquired" some of them for this post…




If you read this entry of mine from 8 years ago, these are the same kids:
http://fbhjr.livejournal.com/136217.html
The photo is a recreation of one their mother took at this faire 10 years ago:
http://phoenixswords.atthefaire.com/galleries/2006/2006_MRF.html


We ran into someone wearing the T-Shirt of our friend’s Viking group.

That was cool that far from home.

For the fire show, we did lots of the sparklers. I tried to use my Tesla Coil lighter for it.
You know, the one that one that uses a big electrical spark to light things.
Sparklers have metal cores. I didn’t know that.
Until I tasered myself.
Yeah.
Well we got them lit with the other lighters.


And, the fire show went fine.







We did set an audience member on fire. But, he offered. And, he’s known us for years.


The show was over, but we had a big problem.
Only 2 people and our stuff fit in the car. But, now we had to take 3 back.
My wife paid the price for this.


But, it was only a 20 minute drive, then we let her out and went for more BBQ.

Good food.


Monday morning I dropped Tom at the airport before 6AM, and my wife and I headed north as the sun rose.

Lots of cotton down south.



It’s a long way…


But, some nice places.


And, Atlanta.


In South Carolina we saw a haggis truck…



Going north through Georgia and the Carolinas there was more of the smoke from those fires.


This route we saw the Peachoid.


All sorts of people stop and stare at it…


But, not all the south was on fire.



Again, we drove until 1 in the morning. We stopped in Delaware at a Red Roof Inn.
"We only have Jacuzzi rooms," the guy told me.
"I don’t care, give me a room," I said.
But, I had not expected this.


At dawn, up and on the road again.

And, into New Jersey.


Then, NYC.



We even stopped at the rest area I don’t like. Good thing it was a Pokestop…


Getting across the bridge into the city took an hour…





Then up and over to Connecticut.


We got home about 1 in the afternoon, went to our favorite restaurant.

"Welcome home," the owner said, handing me our food. "It’s good to have you back."

Always my favorite part of any trip. Last week’s adventures