Day 11 St. Augustine to Tallahassee, FL

The days are starting to run together. Breakfast, drive, lunch, drive, get to destination and go touring. But today was a bit different. We managed an early departure (7:30am) from St. Augustine and drove non-interstate highways.

But first some housekeeping. Al (DC Bubba) Marsh has been teasing that our Southeast Morgan Pub Crawl was really the Dixie Pub Crawl, and he took this photo to prove it. His very nice 2003 Morgan Plus 8 sets off the billboards well don't you think?

Bruce Foster had a fuel pump failure yesterday. It turns out to be quite a story of good human deeds. Seems Bruce and Lydie were stranded alongside I-95 with a dead car. Other Pub Crawlers in attendance, but of little help except moral support. Along happened a super chap named Chris Brewer of Brunswick, GA who insisted on going home to get his trailer to fetch the Fosters and take them to a British Car repair shop in town. He did that, came back and took them to a NAPA store to buy a new electric fuel pump, then on to the Foreign Car Center in Brunswick where two seasoned mechanics proceeded to wire and plumb in the new pump. Chris refused any compensation, so Bruce and Lydie took him to lunch while surgery was performed on the car. Good will, good folks and a wonderful outcome from what started out as a bummer day for the Fosters.

Here's the new pump.

here's the Foster's neat 1966 Morgan Plus 4, happily on the road again.

Saturday morning we were off right after the usual raisin bran and coffee breakfast at Country Inn and Suites. About two hours into the venture, nature calls so the GPS routed us to a nearby Starbucks in Gainesville. Charlotte Hahn is now known as Char-bucks.

The roads across Florida were smooth and straight, two lanes in each direction, divided highway with 65 mph speed limits. We cruised about 63 and stayed out of trouble. Cloudy skies helped but the temperatures kept going up during the day and it was close to 90 by late afternoon.

We stopped at a Pecan stand long enough to stretch and buy some nuts for snacks. They were really good.

We got to Tallahassee and after checking in went searching for a late lunch. Everyone went on their separate ways to take care of getting supplies and snacks. Then back to the hotel to relax. I borrowed the hose from the pool area and gave Mog 8 a bath. Only to have it rain a couple of hours later. Oh well!!.

With a late lunch we decided pizza was good enough for dinner. And a game of Farkle.

Here's Sally Kneisley, Missy Mekenna, Beth Miller, Karen Thompson and the back of Charlotte Hahn tossing the dice deep in the Farkle process.

Day 10 Savannah, GA to St. Augusting, FL

We woke to a heavy layer of fog this morning, and after a day of non-motoring yesterday we were all anxious to get on the road again. Some cars were pulling out as early as 7am, but we didn't get our little four car packet underway until 7:30.

We were about 3o miles down I-95 when traffic came to a rolling 3 mph, then a complete stop. We sat for 45 minutes hearing rumors from the truckers around us that there was an alligator in the road up ahead, and that the road construction had the 3 lane interstate reduced to one.




Once traffic got underway it seemed to move along fairly respectfully. We got to Atlantic Beach about 11:30 and found the Ragtime Tavern, a suggested stop on our Pub Crawl Itinerary. Another Grouper Sandwich too.

Mog 8 hit 50,000 miles today, a milestone notable for her age... now just about 20 years old having had it's construction started in June of 1990.

Arrival in St. Augustine mid-afternoon, then a run into town to see the sights. The Gates to the City still stand, and just across the street is the Fort, Castillo De San Marcos.

The waterfront is much different from the pirate days, now filled with attractive yachts, sailboats and some commercial traffic. The lift bridge in this photo was up.

Touring the fort, we got there just in time to see (and hear) a cannon firing.

This chap said he was dressed as a "Private". Pretty heavy woolen uniform for a 90 degree day, don't you think?

St. Augustine has a marvelous tourist shopping area, without the big chain stores you often see in tourist areas, but neat little stores, seemingly locally owned. Even a small "watering hole" mixed in with all the ice cream and T-shirt shops.

We ate dinner in an outdoor courtyard at a seafood pub with front row seats for the troubadour singing hits familiar to most of us. A very enjoyable evening.

Walking back to the parking lot we found Charlotte's shop... she was pleased.

And we drove off into the sunset...

We learned that Bruce and Lydie Foster's 1966 Plus 4 suffered a fuel pump failure while on I-95, and was towed to a British Car garage somewhere near Savannah. I saw them at the hotel in St. Augustine, but did not get a chance to talk to them, so I assume they made repairs and are back in operating condition. More details when I know them

Tomorrow another early out for a long drive to Tallahassee.

Day 9 Savannah, GA

Before we start the blog today there is some unfinished business. Yesterday we left you with a comment about playing Jenga into the evening hours. Here's a photo of the game just before a 31 layer pile fell. Thought you'd like to see it. This is a Stop Day today. No miles, just time to go sightseeing. All the cars are in good order so there are no urgent repairs being done. We all grouped together and hired a 15 passenger van to take us to town and back so we wouldn't have to find parking downtown. Once in town we took a tour trolley with on-off accommodations, so we could jump off and look at stuff and get back on the next trolley. After looking at a bunch of historical parks, mansions, and statues we jumped off at the Marketplace to look for lunch.

This is Myron and Sally clowning around at the Marketplace.

Paula Deans Marketplace.... a store featuring the cooking diva's stuff. Very crowded inside.

City Hall

The Riverfront, with lots of commercial traffic.

Really neat Tugboat on the way to fetch a tanker ship.

Riverfront stores and restaurants. The restaurant with the balcony on the furthest tall building is where we had lunch.

While eating, the Buckley's and the Leo's from the Pub Crawl came wandering by. We took their picture and they took ours.

Nothing like a Grouper sandwich with a view. (Myron, Reg, Charlotte, Gary and Sally)

Some waterfront history. (Click on the photo and it should enlarge)

Statue of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist religion.

A history lesson about John Wesley.

The Owens Thomas Mansion showing architecture of the period.

The twin stairs to the front porch we so the ladies could go up one set of stairs and the gentlemen the other. This so the gentlemen wouldn't see the ladies ankles, an act of poor taste.

This is the sort of stop you should plan to stay for several
days. But not having that kind of time we worked our way back to the visitors center to see their fine museum and historical film about Savannah and caught the van back to the hotel.

Back to the hotel for their complimentary social hour, tonight with pizza, chips and salsa and free beer and more Jenga. Country Inn's and Suites are not all alike, but this one is a winner.

Day 8 Charleston SC to Savannah, GA via Beaufort and Hilton Head

Morgans bring a smile to most everyone who see them. The welcoming nature of these cars is enthusing. Today, for example, a local saw the cars at a gas station and started up a conversation with one of the drivers. He had many questions. When we fired up our engines to drive on he said loudly, "Man, they are bad to the bone."

We feel like ambassadors of happiness sometimes. Grins, waves, horn honks and thumbs-up. Greetings all day along the highway and at stops. This bunch of unique cars bring many smiles.

A great day today, having dried out after the heavy rains we had yesterday. Our trip to Beaufort saw clearing skies and warming temperatures. The cars seemed to be happy to dry out.

Entering Beaufort, the first person one driver met was a former Mayor of the city. He happily directed him to locations of interest. Our group parked on Bay Street and found Blackstones Cafe just around the corner offering great breakfasts. Shortly after being seated one of the waitresses asked if we were the ones driving the Morgan's. When we confirmed her suspicion she revealed that the owner of the restaurant, a Roger Alley called her from his home. He had seen us drive into town. He wanted her to tell us that he used to race Morgans many years ago.
Small world.

After breakfast we connected with others in the group who had arrived in their travelling clusters and wandered the shops of old downtown. A very unique town.

then a 75 minute jaunt down to Hilton Head to Charlie Miller's home for midday hospitality and a tour of his unique and wonderfully decorated home featuring Morgan's and other car's he has owned, as well as a collection of 24oo beer glasses. A Low Country Boil was next, so we walked to the Hilton Head beach and walked the sand for a half mile or so to The Dunes Club.

After eating more than any human should we bopped to Savanna, GA for an evening of Jenga and laundry.

A collection of photos tells the story.... (Sorry, the blogger editor won't allow me to line up the captions with the photos. Does anyone have a clue how to do it?)

Getting Myron Koenig's car to run quietly with a magic elixer, applied by master mechanic Bill Kukuk.

Black Stones Deli Cafe in Beaufort for great breakfasts of home cookin', great service and very nice people. Roger Alley, the owner, used to race Morgan's

The Mog 8 crew at Hemmingway's Bistro in Beaufort.

Beaufort: moss enhanced trees along a row of mansions on Bay St.

Our tour director, Charlie Millers winter cottage at Hilton Head.
Perry Nuhn's very nice flat rad parked in front.

Hilton Head Beach

Low Country Boil: Shrimp, Sausage, Potato, Corn and spices... lots of spices.

Sue Dummermuth, Perry and Rita Marie Nuhn, Karen Thompson

Bill and Ellen Kukuk and Pat Buckley

Pat and Judy Buckley

Andy and Anne Leo

Bob and Missy McKenna

Alan "D.C. Bubba" Marsh enjoys the "boil".

Day 7 Charleston, SC (Car Barn and Rally)

No major travel today... called a "stop day" on our tour. But special events nevertheless.

The Pub Crawl gang gathered early in the morning to caravan out to Gordon King's very nice home on John's Island, south of Charleston. He greeted us warmly with pastries, coffee and mimosa's and let us wander around the grounds a bit. His lovely home, a super car barn with lots of exotic automobiles, another garage with several motorcycles and other equipment, and a terrific entertainment pavilion overlooking the exotic marsh lands.

The garage held at least four Porsche's, a recent Ferrari, BMW Z8, Ford GT, a couple of racing Mini's and other stuff I can't remember.

After a group photo, instructions were handed out for a 35 mile rally to the lunch spot. The directions for the rally were cleverly formulated and drivers were instructed to retrieve names of landmarks along the way.

Off we went at intervals to see a very large Oak tree and other sights. About half of the driver/navigator crews succeeded in getting lost and bee lined to the restaurant. Others persevered around the turns, looking for answers to the questions.

The marina at Seabrook Island served a great lunch. Awards were presented and it was the Mog 8 crew who got the most correct answers and won a nice plaque.

Gordon then led many of the Pub Crawlers to downtown Charleston for more touring.

We've been on the road now for seven days, so a couple of hours to wind down is a good thing. Tomorrow it is off to Savannah, GA with stops at Beaufort and Hilton Head.