the USS Yorktown

so i caught up with Kerrie on the Sunday i picked her up after 4 days stuck in NY, ( in a snow storm) Hung out and went shopping on Monday and Drove to Charleston Tuesday.
Wednesday i went to the the Yorktown, Navel history is kinda fun. i thought i would look at the US stuff. ( since i am not in England)
USS Yorktown is a 1943 aircraft carrier.
the tours were self guided signed tours so you could see which parts you wanted, for my opinion they could do with spending some money on better signage around. The first place I want to was the engine room,wonderful to look and all the nobs and dials and very large engines, but not a lot of info. what size were the engines, how many gal of oil did they burn? dammed if I know. there was no signs.

Alongside there was a submarine the USS Clamagore from 1945. I didn't realize how small they were. this one had 80 crew, and quarters were tight. the movies you see don't show just how small they were.
the shop was pretty good , I always think that I am not going to spend money but I bought a photo of my self with the Yorktown in the background. ( which i hope to scan and upload ) as well as a little tall ship. they didn't have the HMS Victory so i got the HMS Bounty instead. (One day I will own a big HMS Victory)

Biltmore Estates

Biltmore estates Ashville NC
don't get caught taking photos

what an amazing house.

Charlotte

I know I have been on vacation for a week, and not a word, sorry about that, the lady whose House I was staying at, her computer was so slow. Anyway now I am in Charleston I can write a book.

Last Friday i drove from Charlotte to Asheville to go see the Biltmore estate. ( Van Der -Bilt fortune) a very large estate with built in 1895 with lots of rooms to impress the guests. the usual story is that you are not allowed to take photos, but that has never stoped me. there is an amazing collection of really old books and prints from that time period. and hanging on the walls are several tapestries dating for the 1540 s ( that could be better looked after). a large winery on the estate as well.the wine tasting was kinda fun. but I am not into shipping wine back to AK though. photos will be coming i am not sure when.

for some reason the weather gods didn't like me and while I was there it started to snow. Ashville is almost in the mountains, there was snow on the beautiful long drive down to the gate , i thought that once I was down lower the snow would stop. no such luck, some cars were driving at 30 miles an hour with the hazards lights on on the freeway. the 140 miles back to Charlotte was about 40 miles an hour so it took me 4 hours. it was wet slushy snow. with several cars in the ditch etc. ( that probably could have gotten out if they knew how) the drive up was only 2 hours 20 . on nice dry roads.

Thursday i went out to north Charlotte to look at a plantation from 1800. it still had some slave quarters, probably cleaned up a lot. They would have been cold to live in.

there has been some shopping of course, and on Sunday got to go pick up Kerrie and hang out with my nephews who run around really fast. Please remember that i am the child free auntie.

i definitely don't like big freeways, with large trucks and fast cars, i have managed better than I did on my last sojourn south to the lower 48. 80 mph and i am getting past. GPS systems are worth their weight in gold, i can still manage the odd wrong turn.

Monday this week I found a dance studio that had some classes in swing that actually taught me a new east coast move. I guess i don't know everything I thought I did in east coast.

yesterday Kerrie and kids came down to Charleston , I dropped her off at her friends and found my hotel which is down town, more on Charleston another time.

Charlotte

vacation

arrived safely in Charlotte on Monday, Kerrie has been delayed till Sunday. ( Stuck in new York from a snow storm )

today I got to drive up the historic Platta plantation. a cotton grower from 1820 who owned 33 slaves. history i have never looked at before. rather interesting, next to it the was Raptor Center with lots of eagles and hawks that have been injured etc.

then I had catfish for lunch . cause i have never had it before, with salt and pepper and corn on the cob

i don't like driving on big fat freeways too many cars that i am not used to, small streets are fine.

GPS units are way cool and once you figure them out work well.

Tomorrow i drive to Asheville to see the Biltmore estate.

No i haven't taken any photos yet ( sorry )

More shoping

I went shoping again online earlier this week, there was this email that just forced me to so shoping . this chip and dip plate was on sale for $60, and then i saw some other stuff. so i just had to add to the collection and buy some more ....
Old country Roses.
yes i kept all the boxes .
Tomorrow we go out to watch the start of the Yukon Quest dog race so i might even get some more stuff up here before I go on Vacation again.