Alabama: A Chapter in the Struggle for Freedom

Birmingham Civil Rights Memorial Trail

After a quick overnight stopover in Atlanta to sort some of Rodge’s paperwork out, and allow me to catch the Hawks nearly do the impossible (fair to say it was quite hard for me to contain myself there at the end and try not to wake Nic and Al, let alone the rest of the hotel guests), we headed west into Alabama.

Our first stop was Montgomery, where we had intended to check out the Rosa Parks Museum and the Civil Rights Memorial Centre only to forget that it was a Sunday and this actually means something to those not on a seemingly never ending holiday. With the museums both shut for the day, Al and I (possibly secretly overjoyed with this turn of events) decided to get involved in some of the religious activities on offer in ‘Bama.

We skipped the Sunday church session and headed straight to the nearest sports bar and settled in for an afternoon of FOOTBALL while Nic enjoyed a day off from the two of us.

Although Alabama doesn’t have an NFL team, FOOTBALL is huge. The two universities, ‘Bama and Auburn have possibly one of the fiercest rivalries in the country, and everyone loves football in some degree. Not having an NFL team meant the bar was packed with supporters of every team, and about 10 screens showing all the games. Al and I just had to try and contain ourselves and not to give ourselves whiplash trying to watch the 7 or so games on offer.

We were in luck with the Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Redskins game being played on one of the main screens above the bar, and given Al is a big Eagles fan, we made ourselves at home and settled in for an unexpected and delightful Sunday sesh.

I designated myself as the driver so Al could enjoy the game a little more with a few refreshments throughout, but apparently I was alone in my endeavour to remain sober and operate our mode of transport home. I say this because I hope most of the other patrons were riding horses home, or bicycles, or anything other than cars because not too many people were walking out of that place with all their inhibitions in check.

Rosa Parks Memorial Bus Stop

On the Monday we decided to skip the Civil Rights Memorial Centre but checked out the Rosa Parks Museum before heading deeper in to ‘Bama country. The Rosa Parks Museum was definitely worth the stop, and although the museum is honoured in Rosa’s name, it is dedicated to the bus boycott movement of Montgomery that lead to the desegregation of public buses and was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement that changed the nation. The museum included a guided tour which for me is a whole lot more personal and gives you an in-depth and informative summary of the museum in about a third of the time it would have taken me to read it all.

Birmingham City Hall

We left the famed bus stop and made the short drive to Birmingham, yet another town at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. Erring on the cheaper side we found out about the free Civil Rights Memorial Trail which takes you from the 16^th Street Baptist Church, which acted as the launch pad for the protests during the ‘50s and ‘60s, all the way to City Hall, the intended destination for the protests. Problem was they very rarely made it that far, often being arrested along the route. The Church also serves as a memorial for 4 young girls and 2 young boys who were murdered during the struggle for freedom, the girls being killed during a bombing of the church at the hands of Ku Klux Klan members.

16^th Street Baptist Church

The South has been an eye opening experience for us, with all the states and towns having their own chapter in the Civil Rights Movement, much like the Post-Soviet states all share a common thread in the fabric of Eastern Europe and its freedom struggles.

Great Smoky Mountains: Bucket Listing

Colours of the Smokies

One of the main reasons we decided to go through the hassle of buying a car in the US was we thought it would give us greater freedom to go wherever we pleased. And to get to the places public transport doesn’t get you. So with this in mind we decided to spend a few nights camping out in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The Smokies are the most frequently visited N.P. in the states (according to some sources), stretching across the state boarders of Tennessee and North Carolina. We believe this is in part due to their beauty, but mainly because they are (wait for that magical backpacker’s word) FREE. Yes you do have to pay to camp, but you don’t have to fork out an entry fee. So this was right up our alley – now we just had to get ourselves prepared to camp.

Nic and I had brought along our sleeping bags we used in Africa so thought they would be fine for the Smokies; after all it’s Fall here, not winter. We were to quickly find out the Smokies are a tad colder than Africa – who would have guessed.

But to stock up on all the other camping gear we headed to another backpacker haven – Walmart. A place where you can load up with all your outdoor sporting equipment, indoor furniture needs, food supplies, office works, electronic gadgets, (you name it, they stock it), and anything else you don’t need but somehow walk away from the place with it in your trolley. So looking back maybe it’s not a backpacker haven. Still we managed to come away without too much crap we didn’t need, and as a bonus actually managed to get all the shite we did need.

We got ourselves a tent, a little cooker, some food containers, an esky, and food for a little under a week in the semi-wilderness. I think all for a little over the $150 mark, which split between the 3 of us wasn’t too bad.

So with Rodge all loaded up we headed off to the Smokies. Along the way we made a quick stop to check out Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls just outside of Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain lays claim to being able to see 7 states from its peak, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t kind enough to grant us this view with a heavy fog obscuring the lower lying areas. However, Chattanooga’s other tourist attraction, Ruby Falls is an underground waterfall where fog can’t ruin your view.

It was similar to the caves of Chapada Diamantina, just with a little American overkill. But to be honest, I reckon this made the whole attraction a little more enjoyable. The tour guides come fully quipped with quick wit and dry humour, and the waterfall itself is significantly enhance with a light show that makes for some appealing shots if that’s what you are into.

Ruby Falls - in all its American glory 

After this we continued on towards the Smokies and stayed just on the outskirts of the N.P. in the small, over-the-top touristy town of Gatlinburg. Apparently there was a major Civil War battle in the town of Gatlinburg but this is all overshadowed with the theme park-esque hotels and motels of the major street. In fact we couldn’t even find out whether there was anything at all dedicated to the battle, not that we looked extensively. To be honest the majority of our time was spent trying to locate the main entrance to Dollywood to get a photo for Al, which lead us on a wild goose chase to nothing but we did get a few laughs out of it.

With Gatlinburg behind us we headed out to the park at a leisurely pace the next morning – leisurely is all you really can muster in the park given all the RV’s about, but we were fine with that. We had been informed that on the way out to our first camp spot there were a few walking trails worth stopping and stretching our legs on, we just didn’t intend on stretching our legs just that far.

The sign posts had the trip out to Laurel Falls as an easy 1.3 mile stroll, and a 4 mile loop hike to Cove Mountain. We checked out Laurel Falls and happened to lose Big Al in the midst of all the excitement. He assumed we had continued on to the Cove Mountain loop hike and we assumed he had forged ahead. I should take a step back here and say the Smokies are renowned for their bear population and here I was hoping we would spot one. To cut a long story short, Al found a rather large pile of fresh shite that he believed to belong to a bear right in the middle of the track, and given he was on his own decided to turn back (at speed) to try and find Nic and I. Upon rounding a bend he nearly laid his own deposit on the track as well as giving himself a heart attack, only to find it was us – I didn’t think I was that scary looking. I had even shaved recently!

Laurel Falls 

With the 3 of us now back together we continued on the Cove Mountain loop hoping it would bring us back out somewhere near the car, and possibly in closer proximity to the potential bear. Now it was Nic’s turn to be in need of a change of underwear. She was a little way behind us and heard some nearby grumblings that were not human, and naturally she didn’t hang around to find out who or what was making them.

With this flurry of activity we made it to the top of Cove Mountain where it was apparent to us that the 4 mile loop hike wasn’t so much a loop, more a one-way hike uphill. At least the return would be downhill, and with a bit of luck that bear might make an appearance. Sadly he or she didn’t, and the leisurely stroll we had set out for finished up being an eventfully uneventful trek!

Our first couple of nights were spent at Cades Cove, and as it would happen we appeared to be the only ‘pleb’ campers in the park with our neighbours all decked out in motor homes you could live your lives in. And it was raining!

Rodge enjoying himself at Cades Cove Camp Grounds 

Dodging the showers, Al and I got the tent sent up without too much reference to the destructions, and much to the amusement (we later found out) to a fair few of our neighbours. With the tent set up we now turned our attention to cooking. This was going to be fun. We lasted out the rain by heading back to the ranger station where we did the prep work in the vacant auditorium and then headed back to complete the cooking by candle light. All things said, it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable night and a bit of a laugh.

One of the many scenic views on offer throughout the Smokies

The next day we joined the masses and drove the Cades Cove loop, constantly on the lookout for elk and bears. And although we were left disappointed on these two fronts, we did see a few deer, the scenery is amazing and the hike out to Abrams Falls is a comfortable meander, following Abrams Creek until it comes cascading down 20 feet or so into the tranquil waters below. All this, whilst being surrounded by the colours and sounds of the fir tree forest.

Abrams Falls

For our last full day in the park we moved camps to Smokemont, which took us via Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap. The drive is breathtaking, with the distraction provided by the scenery just as dangerous as the drop to the forest below. Both Clingmans Dome and Newfound Gap offer magnificent views of the park, especially Clingmans Dome which grants you a 360° panoramic view of the park in its entirety. They also provide the perfect spot to take in a picnic.

North facing view from Clingmans Dome

The following day we left the park early and made a quick stop off in Cherokee to take in the Museum of the Cherokee Indians which gave us a great introduction into the struggles the native Indians had with the European settlement. The tragedy of the Trail of Tears resonates strongly with the Stolen Generation of Australia’s history, and makes you wonder how such decisions were ever made.

Museum of the Cherokee Indians

The Smokies were the perfect place for us to dip our feet in to the multitude of national parks that America has to offer. They are small enough that you get a good feel for the place within the first few days, and yet large enough and isolated enough to feel you are at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Clingmans Dome - one of highest points in the Smokies

On a side note, Nic was been able to tick off a number of ‘American Bucket List’ items during this trip. These ‘American Bucket List’ items aren’t your standard bucket list style items, rather gimmick bits and pieces we have all grown up with as typical to American life through media.

She spotted some road kill (I had to hold her back from collecting it with a shovel), we have eaten buffalo wings from a booth (yes the booth setting is important) in a diner (that’s like 3 ticks by the way), tailgated at an NFL game, torn up the d-floor at a Honkey Tonk. And the best of all, being told (in a very southern accent) ‘Y’all come back now’!

Bucket Listing! Tick!

Nashville: Home of Cold Cuts and the Ickey Shuffle

Liza and Nicole with a few of JR’s awards 

With Rodge at the power of our disposal, no place seemed too far away or too out of the way so we made a late afternoon dash for Nashville where we were generously put up by Liza, a friend we had briefly met back in Brazil.

It may just be the people we have met so far, but it seems generosity and friendliness are bred in the south. We met Liza for a night back in Ilha do Mel where she made the mistake of saying if we were ever in Nashville to look her up. So we did, and she poured on the southern hospitality – from homemade quiche and breakfast spreads to rival Bazil (my old man who still cooks me breakfast even though I’m 27 and am apparently an adult), to putting up with us for far too long, to showing us the sights, sounds and tastes of Nashville, to introducing us to her group of friends (who again took us in like we were family), Liza made Nashville a place that was very hard to leave – both physically and mentally.

She invited us to a local gig on the first night, Music City Roots Live from the Factory, where she works as an event promoter. Not only did she get us free entry, she gave us more free drink tickets than we could keep track of, literally.

Music City Roots Live from the Factory

Liza had the following day off and had a ready-made list of activities we could do with our time in Nashville. With the weather not too appealing for outdoor activities she showed us down town, introduced us to some local celebrities, a few local brews and we all got to know Johnny Cash a little better whiling away a few hours at the Johnny Cash Museum. It is fairly new in town, but is definitely one of the better museums I have been to lately. You literally could spend the entire day listening to all the interactive displays that they have decked the place out with, and if you are lucky you may get to meet the people that put the place together. 

The Million Dollar Quartet

Meeting Johnny Cash’s sister Joanne was not only quite  a shock, but made the visit a little more memorable as she runs off-hand tours throughout the museum whenever she pops in to say hi.

Joanne Cash giving us a moment of her time 

Later that night Liza took us all out to dinner where we got to meet her boyfriend Ryan, and his roommates Dave and Brent, and her roommate, the party loving Emily. Given it was a Thursday most of the others had work on the Friday, but Dave and Brent were keen to show me and Al a few typical dive bars of Nashville. So after Em proudly resisted the lure of a night out, Dave and Brent took the two Aussies on a quick bar hop across town to see a few bands, suck back a few pitchers and try our hand at darts.

The Dart Victors – me and Brent

Copperhead Road?

A little rough the next morning, Nic and I took Liza’s advice and made the short trip out to Fall Creek Falls and Cane Creek, where once you get off the highways, is a beautiful, windy drive through hills and valleys full of switchbacks and hairpins until you reach the state park. From here it’s a pleasant loop hike to both Cane Creek Falls and Fall Creek Falls and, where if you are lucky you get to see a few Copperheads along the way, or if you’re unlucky you don’t see them until it’s almost too late.

Fall Creek Falls

Cane Creek Falls

Next up was Nashville on a Friday night and it was Em’s turn to be in the spotlight. She entertained us while Liza finished work and then they all took us out to downtown Nashville at a little after midnight.

For this part of the story to make any sense, I should explain that Al and I have become infatuated with a Geico (car insurance) add that is getting heavy air time in the states at the moment, and it has somewhat become our catch phrase of the trip (for the time being). Check out this YouTube clip titled ‘Ickey Shuffle: Did You Know - GEICO’, and not only will your life be changed but you might be able to make sense of the rest of the blog.

My memory is a little hazy but I think we went to a good 3 or 4 bars, of which none were serving cold cuts but that didn’t stop us thinking we were going ‘get some’. To which Em overhead some other pub goers question, ‘are those guys talking about cold cuts?’ A late night stop off at a White Castle where some very good decision were made, and possibly translated to the checkout chick through the use of a road cone and the fact that the girls are now fluent in “Strayan”, capped of a night to remember – not that all us of can though.

Saturday was like any other hungover day – non-productive. Well at least for the Aussies of the group. Liza got up for work like the trooper she is whilst the rest of us got up early’ish to watch a ‘live’ replay of the Freo v Port game where we introduced Em to AFL and (not that she needs introduction to this part) getting drunk before midday. We later continued Em’s foray into AFL with a kick down the park where she excelled as a goal umpire so much so that old mate Chelsea (not my sister-in-law but the one and only female goal umpire) back home may have to watch her back.

Downtown Nashville

Saturday night was shaping as a non-event with most of us still suffering from the morning activities until Em offered the question of going out and we all somehow stepped up to the plate and took up the challenge. I think we smashed it out of the park.

Enjoying a ‘Bushwacker’

It was to be remembered as the night Geico and Ickey Woods brought the famed Ickey Shuffle to Nashville with a little help from someone and something called a ‘Bushwacker’.  Not too sure what most of the other pub patrons’ thoughts were on this new dance routine but it was apparently amusing to some. Saturday night’s shenanigans were closed out with a 3.30am beer pong and cigar session because why wouldn’t you.

The Ickey Shuffle

Sunday didn’t really exist for me. As Kev (Bloody Wilson) would say, ‘I felt like I woke up recovering from an autopsy’ and that was pretty much the end of it for me. Liza again worked, just a casual 12.5 hour shift this time, while Em amazed us all by getting up early and going jet skiing – I say she is somewhat non-human.

Nashville blew me away, in part due to the activities on offer, but mainly due to the generosity, kindness and friendliness paid to us by Liza, Em and the guys. You all made our stay one that will be hard to top, and we all hope one day we may be able to repay you the favour.

Just Because! 

Wooh!!! 44…That’s me! (Commence the shuffle whilst repeating ‘Get some cold cuts, get some cold cuts!)

Atlanta: Southern Hospitality and the Arrival of Rodge

New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons Tailgating

One of the main reasons for us heading to Atlanta was that we had heard Georgia was a state that internationals can quite easily purchase a vehicle in. Problem was that unfortunately each state changes their laws as often as I change my jocks (about once or twice a week for those wondering), that by the time we arrived, Georgia was no longer an easy place to get a car. Still we persisted, and we may be slightly breaking a few laws here or there, but we are currently the proud owners of Rodge the Dodge – a 2008 Calibre complete with dicky A/C, blinkers and windscreen wiper controls on the wrong sides, but room for the small family that we have become.

We are currently trying to figure out a state that will actually allow us to register him in with our Australian licences, and then find someone in said sate that will allow us to use their address. We believe we may have found a suitable candidate in Texas, but only time will tell. So for now Rodge is happily cruising us around slightly under the radar, happily taking in the sights, sounds and tastes of the great South!

So given we were going to be in Atlanta for a few days sorting out the car, we thought it would also be prudent to check out a game of FOOTBALL whilst we were twiddling our thumbs! We ended up scoring tickets to the Falcons opener against the New Orleans Saints, and what a game it turned out to be.

We headed out to the stadium a few hours before kick-off, probably should have headed out even earlier, because with FOOTBALL comes Tailgating, and with Tailgating comes the full experience of the South. Every car park in close proximity to the stadium was taken over by the masses to BBQ meats, mix up punch, enjoy a few froths and get ready for the season. We walked around and tried to make some new friends and were kindly taken in by the Collins family.

The Collins Crew 

We hadn’t been able to purchase any drinks to bring in with us due to Georgia state law (no alcohol sold before 12pm on Sundays), and tried to see if we could buy a few cans off the Collins crew but none of them would have a bar of it. Ralph, Will, and their extended family took us under their wings and made the day one hell of an experience. We were treated to everything they had and more – smokey BBQ ribs and hot wings, fresh fish, beers, shots, southern style peanuts, more beers and more shots. The Collins’ made our first proper foray into FOOTBALL the complete experience. And this was all before kick-off.

The game itself was a ball tearer. Over 1000 total yards, 71 points, a comeback, a couple of franchise records, a 51 yarder to send it to overtime and a 52 yarder to send the Saints packing. The Falcons had turned it on for us, and we were happy just to sit back and take it all in.

Celebrating the 52 yarder 

We caught back up with the Collins’ after the game and shared a few more celebratory froths and chatted some more as they packed up and headed home. So much so were we taken in as new friends they invited us to watch next week’s away game at one of the son’s place – you don’t get more friendly than that! Unfortunately we would be on the road again by that time, but hopefully we can catch them again someday soon and try and repay some of their hospitality.

Saints @ Falcons

We also chucked in a sneaky Kings of Leon gig to round out our Atlanta stay. Supported by Young the Giant, the Kings put on one of their best shows I have seen to date. Caleb seemed a whole lot more relaxed and chatty in his native South, and even though they played mainly from their new catalogue we still got the age old classics of The Bucket, Knocked Up and Molly’s Chamber, and all for the price an album would cost us back home. For me the setlist was sweet, and even though I would have liked more of the old stuff, it did get me into their new albums a whole heap more.

Kings Of Leon @ Aaron’s Amphitheatre, Lakewood 

We also got a taste of the Atlanta history on our final day, with a quick visit to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. It amazes me that 100 years after slavery was abolished in the south, it took the lifelong efforts of some remarkable people to achieve something a lot of people take for granted – equality.

So for a place we had initially thought of as just a stop to buy a car from, Atlanta really made quite the impression on me. Couldn’t have asked for anything more!

I Have a Dream...

Orlando: Where ‘Magic’ Really Does Happen

The man (or mouse) himself!

Continuing north from Miami, we stayed in Florida and made our way to Orlando, where our backpacking ways may forever be changed. Although Orlando is very much a touristic destination, it’s not so backpacker friendly.

Now for years people we have met throughout our travels have encouraged us to join the ‘Couch Surfing’ community, and after a further nudge from a competitor traveller (he’ll know who I’m talking about if he’s reading this) we decided to take the plunge and see if this community would take us in.

For those of you that are uninitiated, Couch Surfing allows travellers to stay at other open-minded travellers houses for free. You in turn are encouraged to put your house up to host others when your travelling days are over. It is a great way to meet locals of so many different cities, and given our ‘frisky’ nature, it appeals to our ‘cheaper’ side.

So Orlando was to be our first dip into this ocean of possibilities, and Charles, our host, didn’t let us down. He himself hasn’t taken up the travelling side of couch surfing, but generously opens up his home (which makes hostels seem disturbingly cramped, overpriced and uncomfortable) to complete strangers, even those who appear to have been homeless for months. Charles not only opened up his home to Nicole and I, he was more than happy to share advice on the numerous things to do in Orlando, how to get around, and pretty much anything else we could or couldn’t think of.

Couch Surfing at its finest!

Now I am sure we will find our way back to hostels, but for the rest of our American trip our first point of call will be the Couch Surfing community.

Now to the city itself. One of the unexpected pleasures of being in America has been the number of parks open to the public, and Orlando has the best one to date. Lake Eola Park not only has a man-made lake perfect to jog a few laps around (no we didn’t divulge, but we did think about it), it has numerous grassed areas surrounding the lake perfect for a kick of the footy, something, it’s safe to say, I have missed far more than Nic. So after dazzling Nic with my goal kicking skills (Powder, unfortunately there wasn’t any kicky on the roof but it was still made for a great afternoon activity) we made our way to Charles’ place to discuss everything Disney and Orlando.

Lake Eola Park – On a side note wakeboarder JD Webb jumped the fountain back in ‘06 to get the keys to the city!

First up on the hit list was Walt Disney’s ‘Magic’ Kingdom. My summary of the place is that we were some 20 years too old for the place, and about 10 years too young for the park, but that may have just been me. Nic was in her happy place. With school having just gone back, it was almost as if we had the park to ourselves and we were able to ride and see everything Nic could think of doing all well before the day was over. A few highlights of the park include (and I have conferred with Nicole here for some special comments) Space Mountain (at night time – for some reason you can see more when the sun has gone down – surely that is some sort of ‘Magic’), seeing me (Callum) not quite handle the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (a ride built for 6 year olds), Splash Mountain, Tales with Belle, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Roller Coaster, the Disney Parades and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor where I was called a ‘face hair model’ and the resulting offspring of a human and a Neopet (Grassy Head).

The Little Mermaid on show during the Disney Parade

But the icing on the cake (and the reason you stick around until 10pm) was the fireworks and light show on Cinderella’s castle. Narrated by Jiminy Cricket, the audience is mesmerised (or at least I was) by the illumination of the castle in as many different colours, themes, images (both still and animated), and settings as humanly possible. They make the castle come alive. Then they further dim the lights and indulge your senses further with a fireworks display. And although it might not be an Australia Day bonanza, but it’s still pretty bloody impressive given they do it every night.

The ‘Magic’ of the Cinderella Castle Light Show

For me, it made the 14 hour day all the worthwhile!

Next up was Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which was more suited to our age group, although apparently I am not cut out for multiple roller coasters. This one had to have a few little sit downs after the more vigorous rides and never really recovered from the whirlwind opening which included Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Ride and back-to-back Dragon Challenge roller coasters. Nic on the other hand was again in her element. The Incredible Hulk Coaster is probably the best ride I have been on, and the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man ride would be close to one of the best 3D rides I have experience but like Mark Waugh, it’s good but it’s not even the best in its family – that award goes to the Forbidden Journey ride. 

The pick of the rides – the Incredible Hulk Coaster

We completed our experience of Islands of Adventure by getting soaking wet (and I mean soaking wet. So much so I ended up wringing out each article of clothing, including my shoes, and trying to somewhat dry them out in the bathrooms) on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls and Pop-Eye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges to the point that I thought we were at Wet ‘N’ Wild, only to be brought back to the ‘Magical’ World of Hogwarts by the Ollivander’s Experience and an ice cold Butter Beer.

A refreshing Butter Beer before boarding the Hogwarts Express to nowhere!

For me, Orlando was one hell of a place. It’s famed for its theme parks, where ‘magic’ really does happen. It has the power to turn a 26 year old into a school kid, and a giggling one at that, it brings to life the imagination of most of our childhoods, and it leaves you feeling like you have been in a car crash the next day.

The Sorting Hat – I got Slytherin!

Oh and the Orlando ’Magic’ happen to be the NBA team in town.

Miami: No Wonder He 'Took His Talents To South Beach'

Miami Beach Night Lights

After over 4 months of exploring a very small portion of South America we flew into the US and were immediately greeted with English. Yes god save the queen English, but the language not the people!

Yes it is our own fault that we can only speak the one language but we did try and learn Spanish and picked up minimal Portuguese along the way, just not enough to be comfortable with it.

So with English came a certain level of ease - Nic could order meals with confidence that she wouldn't get sick (no matter how good we thought we were with either of the languages in South America we could never confidently get Nic's dietary needs across to our waiters), Nic could actually find a whole range of lactose and gluten free products so we could cook something more than just rice and beans, I could get us lost and then easily ask for help, and the ordered, grid-like nature of America's streets made getting around a walk in the proverbial park.

Now I don't know if it was because Miami was our first stop in the States, or because of the above, but I love this city.

Miami Beach Marina

Firstly, it's so fricken hot at the moment that you don't start doing things until the afternoon and don't stop doing things until the early hours for the morning. This means you don't feel all that guilty struggling out of bed at 12pm after a 5am night out in SoBe. And with it being so hot it just makes the beach that much better. The beaches of Miami, for us, weren't anything to write home about (but I suppose that's exactly what I am doing) but they are unique. There isn't much surf but the water is cool, the coastline seems to stretch for miles and everyone appears to be on holidays. This means eskies are everywhere, so are boom-boxes and the whole beach just seems like one big party. No wonder he 'took his talents to South Beach’.

SoBe on a Sunday

We also indulged ourselves in the 2 extremely touristy things to do in Miami - a tour of the Everglades and a day trip down the Key West. Both were great to do, but not unmissable.

The protective mother and her young

The tour of the Everglades was complete with atypical, over-the-top American style gator show (actually quite harmless and a bit of fun) and an airboat ride through the flooded savannah that is the Everglades. This  boat ride was the highlight, with Captain Al picking out a small female gator's nest, complete with half a dozen little ones and then pointing our various other animal species and a few sly jokes along the way.

River of Grass

The day trip down to Key West was worth it just for the drive. Trust the Americans to link 68 islands with 42 bridges and claim the southern most tip of the States as an island some 200ks into the Atlantic. The scenery along the way is what one would imagine a boat trip around 68 islands would be like, except you're sitting in the air conditioned comfort of your coach and have a vantage point of being about 10 feet up at all times.

7 Mile Bridge, Florida Keys

Southern Most Point of 'Continental' USA

We also got acquainted with the American way of life (or how I imagine it might go) known as FOOTBALL.

We checked out a preseason Dolphins game and even though it was only preseason (the NFL preseason seems less cared about by the clubs than the AFL equivalent) it's got us excited for the real thing in Atlanta. And with preseason comes $5 seats in the bleachers that are easily exchanged for prime real estate by simply sitting in any of the plethora of available seats. A $10 jersey because you just have to. A 2.5 hour, 4 buses and one very helpful bus driver hike to get out there and a shared cab ride home that nearly broke the bank coming in at $20 each. Oh the game was pretty good too!

St. Luis Rams vs Miami Dolphins @ Sun Life Stadium

And then there's College game Day! After working up a thirst checking out Little Havana which is an experience (and a good one) in itself we made it back to the hostel in time to sit back and relax whilst watching as many college ball games as one could handle - I think I checked out at 4!

We have also found that the people you meet and the places you stay can very much shape your opinion of a city – meeting good people and staying at a sweet hostel can make the shittiest of places seem like must-see destinations. Miami didn’t need this extra help to get the big tick of approval but it also managed to deliver on this front as well. The hostel was in a great location, and generally just had a chilled out vibe and laid back atmosphere. And some of the people we met, although briefly, we felt we had known for years. Shit I even managed to meet a few other legends answering to the call of Callum – although I don’t think these ones argued as much as the original.

Saturday Night Out in SoBe - complete with a surprise limo and Ed & Jenna

Miami has ticked a lot of boxes in a very short amount of time, and I can hardly contain myself with the expectations of what is still to come. God bless America!

Welcome to the land of the free!

Downtown Miami's Skyline