And .... another movie.

In "Something to Talk About" (1995), Julia Roberts' character catches her husband (Dennis Quaid) with THE other woman in this restaurant.  In real life, it is called the "Six Pence Pub".

Johnny Mercer - Savannah's favourite son

Johnny Mercer is a favourite of the famous people that is known to Savannah's people.  Here are two of his awards.

The Mercer house previously mentioned?  It was built by Johnny Mercer's grandfather, but he never lived in it.

More from Forrest Gump

And here is the bench that they put in the park for the movie, "Forrest Gump".  This is where Forrest sat, waiting for the bus to take him to Jenny's apartment and he told all the passerby's his story.  The movie showed the traffic in front of it as being a "two-way" street, but it is, in fact, a one way street with the traffic that would go past the bench from left to right.  The bus stops in front of him as it moves from right to left.  There were 4 specially made benches; one of which was returned to Savannah at the Mayor's request.

Church Steeple ..... a movie icon

Have you seen the movie, "Forrest Gump"?   At the beginning,  a feather falls from a church steeple.  Here it is.  It's the steeple off the previously mentioned oldest church, the Independent Presbyterian Church.  I heard it took over 60 attempts to get the feather to fall correctly ... the wind was not co-operating.

The oldest Church in Savannah - of personal interest to LDS members

We attended the Independent Presbeterian Church in Savannah.  It is noteworthy for several reasons.  Firstly, it is the oldest church in Savannah and that it was formed in 1755 as the Presbyterian Church of Savannah for the Scotsmen who landed with James Oglethorpe in 1733.  The land was granted by King George II for a place of worship based on the Doctrines of the Church of Scotland.

It is was of particular note to me because the The noted composer of sacred music, Lowell Mason, was the organist of the Independent Presbyterian Church between 1815 and 1927. While Lowell was the organist, he set to music Bishop Reginald Heber’s hymn, “From Greenland’s Icy Mountains.” It was sung in this church for the first time in 1824.

Lowell Mason’s later well known compositions are “My Faith Looks up to Thee” and “Nearer, My God, to Thee” (1856).  The latter hymn is a favourite of mine.

More on this church to come.

Savannah - Little Hollywood

Savannah has been the background of many movies.  The most iconic one is "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil".  This is the house that was the focus.  It is the story of a murder in the "Mercer House" (at left).  The events were true, the characters were true to Savannah.  The tours point out tons of stuff in relation to this movie.

More movie stuff to come.

Charleston's Grace

The old town of Charleston (on the Harbour) has no high-rise buildings - not even offices.  Because they didn't resist during the Civil War, they were spared much damage.  Some were damaged during the shelling of Fort Sumter (they shot back, too), but there are streets lined with graceful houses.  Most are privately owned; s few have been turned into Inns or B&B's.  Here are a couple right along South Battery.

Beauty in the swamp

The land around Charleston is quite swampy in various places.  Here is a small piece of the beauty we saw.

After 2 days of shelling

Here is one wall that was fired on from the Batteries that were on the shore behind.  The shells went over the wall and then hit the backside of the inside wall on the opposite side.  Just below and to the left of the bricked cannon hole is an unexploded shell (close-up in the lower picture)

After the Civil War

Originally Fort Sumter was 2 floors higher than it is now.  Because of the damage sustained, several sides were reduced to rubble.  Note the mark on the flag pole.  That is the height that the walls were originally  constructed to.

Civil War's First Shot

Fort Sumter was first held by the Union Army (OK, they snuck over there with 80 men and only a few working cannon).  Because it was smack in the middle of Charleston Harbour, this infuriated the citizens of Charleston - who were die-hard Southerners.  There were armed Batteries on all shores.  At 4:00 in the morning, the first shot was fired.  The Confederates opened fire on all sides.  The union had ships sitting 2 miles out with supplies, men and more cannon, but they couldn't get in.  After 2 straight days of non-stop firing, the Confederates allowed the Union to leave.  The union won it back 3 years later and held it until the end of the war.

Everybody's Clean

All 3 in the picture just had a bath.  The two white fluffy ones take FOREVER to dry, so they were getting some help snuggling up to the larger one who had his shower last.

Wilmington during the Civil War

Wilmington was saved during the Civil war because the Mayor gave the city over to Sherman when he marched east.  Sherman spared the destruction of the city.  Since then, the citizens have kept the historic part in amazing condition and there are street after street of old houses.  Most of them have plaques on the front that says that they are either 100 years old or plaques stating that their over 200 years old.  As I walked around, I couldn't believe how many 200 year plaques decorated the fronts. 

Lots of the old roads are still bricked.  This has proven to be a war between the city and the citizens.  If the bricked roads deteriorate too much, the city will come in and lay asphalt over the bad bricks.  Then, during the nights, the citizens rip up the asphalt to expose the bricks.

Wilmington during the Revolution

During the American Revolution, this house (which was built in 1770) was occupied by Britains Lord (General) Cornwallis for the month of April in 1781.  To this day, it flies an American flag as well as a British Union Jack.  The basement was used as a military prison.  Lord Cornwallis commandeered the church across the street as a stables for the military horses.

North Carolina remained primarily a Loyalist state during the revolution.  Most of the middle class felt that the Revolutionists, who were the rich, were corrupt.

Bigger than life

One of these two is not like the other.  This is the size of the shells for the big guns on the Battleship North Carolina.

Meeting an honourable lady in Wilmington

Today, we met an honourable lady.  She was first constructed in 1937, though commissioned for service 1941.  She was in 9 major engagements, every major offensive in WWII's pacific engagements.  She sunk one Japanese troopship and at least 24 aircraft.  In 1942, she helped save the USS Enterprise.  She was decommissioned in 1947 and stored until 1958 when it was announced that she would be scrapped.  This announcement led to the citizens of North Carolina state campaigning for SOS (Save Our Ship) - they raised the funds to save the Battleship North Carolina and she arrived in her berth in her home state in October of 1961.  She was dedicated to the memorial of the State's Veterans in April of 1962.  This little lady is 728 feet long, weighs 44,800 TONS fully loaded.  She is considered a "fast" battleship at 28 knots.  She has 9 45 caliber (16") guns; 28 38 caliber (5") guns.  The Battleship North Carolina seems content in her retirement berth.  But you can see her in action, kicking up her heals at:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sauRhkTIWP4

We in the west enjoy our freedoms because of these ships and the crews that sailed with them.  The Battleship North Carolina is the most decorated United Sates Batleship of World War II, earning 15 Battle Stars.  She is lovingly referred to as "The Showboat".

This is really quite a crappy picture of such a graceful ship.  She was just too long to get in one shot.

National Park Service

These guys do an amazing job.  For $10.00, you can visit the whole Colonial National Historical Park.  This park comprises Jamesown and Yorktown and a strip that runs through Williamsburg.  They have a movie in each park on the historical significance and, at Yorktown, we got a semi-private tour with "Ranger Ted" which lasted 1 1/4 hours.  Ranger Ted knew more than a hisory book.

Yorktown is the first of the "Historical" parks of the National Park Service, followed by a few years by Jamestown.

There is a state run park at both Jamestown and Yorktown that demonstrate life or war at each site.  But the National Park Service holds the land hat each townsie sits on.

85% of Yorktown was desroyed by the final seige.  The park service owns the remaining buildings.  One has been rebuilt because of it's significance.

Where the U.S.A. began

Yorktown.  The final battle for Independence happened here.  It was the Americans/French against the British.  General Cornwallis held the town of Yorktown to hold it as a last effort to hold the colonies.  He dug trenches all around.

But Generals Washington and Lafayette circled in and beat the English back.  The pictures show how both sides trenched in.  And, in the movie, "Patriot" with Mel Gibson, you could look down from he hill of the last English fortifications down where the ships were in the York River.

It took 2 years after the Battle for talks in Paris to acknowledge the United States as a seperate country.

Pocahontas

Good news and Bad news:|

Good news is that she really did exist.  Born around 1595/died 1617.  She really was the daughter of a chief.  She really did save John Smith's life; not once, but twice.  She was a liaison between the Powhatan indians and the British.  John Smith really was a hero of the new world.  The problem is that Pocahontis did not marry John Smith.  She married John Rolfe.  Through their one son, Thomas, they had several famous decendents including first lady, Edith Wilson (wife of President, Woodrow Wilson) who claimed 9th generation, Admiral Richard Byrd, and non-direct decendent, first lady Nancy Reagan.

Pocahontas was romatancized by Disney films (top picture) who had her married to John Smith; but only one real picture of her was done while she was alive (bottom picture).

She is buried at Gravesend, Kent in England.  John Rolfe later returned to Virginia and remarried.

Where it ALL began in the U.S.A.

View from White House - farewell to DC

The view from the White house is spectacular - both the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Monument.  Lucky First Family.

Well, it is time to bid a farewell to DC.  As much as we did (proven by how tired we are), we missed a BUNCH.  We did not go to the Pentagon, Arlington, Ford Theatre, 1/2 of the Smithsonians and about 15 other good museums.

As the Governator said, "We'll be Back".

World Trade Center Honoured

There is a significant display in the Smithsonian, American History Museum, dedicated to the loss of the World Trade Center and the losses associated.  This display consisted of pictures and a steel column assembly from the 70th floor of the south tower.

The Real Ruby Slippers

There were several pairs of Ruby Slippers used by 16 year old, Judy Garland.  This particular pair have felt bottoms, which suggest that they were used for dance sequences.  They are made of regular dance shoes, covered in a mesh that allowed the sequins to be sewn on.  The combination of the mesh and the sequins allowed the shoes to sparkle.

The REAL Enterprise

I am a HUGE Star Trek Fan.  When NASA unveiled their first Space Shuttle, many people felt that the name was more than applicable.

This Enterprise never flew in space, but it paved the way for the other Shuttles.  It was designed to practice descents (landing), checking systems and performance.  Later it was used for launch vibration checks during simulated take-offs.

Beautiful View from the Highway

As we headed up the highway for Gettysburg, the freeway bent to the west.  As we swept around a corner, the Temple loomed up.  It is absolutely stunning.  This prompted us to go to a session.  The nightview is equally, if not more, beautiful.

A Small Spot for Romance

Martins Tavern:  This is the restaurant where John Kennedy proposed to Jackie.  Here is Bill just before we dined there.  Nope, nothing special happened.  Amazing French Onion Soup.

A Bit of an Oxymoron

All States get Taxation WITH representation. Based on the population of a State, they get X number of Representatives .... but not so for the Disctrict of Columbia. No Senator; No House Representative.

Who do they think they are kidding?

So much for secret!

A Green City

THE Capital

You have got to be old ...

I was entranced to see the Lunar Module.  They ran a film and you could hear the famous line, "one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind".  I saw many younger people look at it, but not have a clue as to the significance.  Back then, so many people were glued to their TV's to watch it when it was live.  And of course, live TV meant Black & White.  lol

First views of the U.S. Capital

We first started our sightseeing with a trip to a couple of Smithsonian museums.  They are AMAZING and free to the public.  As we walked around the outide of the museums, you can see some famous government landmarks.  And helicopters flew overhead towards the White House.

We DID it!!!

We FINALLY made it to Washington, DC - our eastern destination.  Now we'll do some sight-seeing and then head south for warmer climates.  Check out the map on the motorhome map now!!!!

Most Famous thing/event in Louisville

If there is one famous thing that Louisville is known for (other than baseball bats), it is horse rasing.  There is no where more famous in America than Churchill Downs, which just celebrated it's 139th running of the Kentucky Derby.  It is an absolutely stunning facility - one almost wants to take up gambling and betting on the "ponies" as a vice.  I would lose a TON of money.

Louisville - A Great Stop for repairs

Louisville, KY is the home of the baseball bat manufacturer, Louisville Slugger.  They have a museum and plant tours.  There are baseball bats lining the streets showing which bat model was the favourite of each famous player.