We are very happy to be chosen to host the Campground at our favourite park. It is so beautiful and has many great activities. We get to help with special events (Bannock Baking over an open fire) and participate in hikes and other activities. The Park gives us a T shirt, name tag, a little training and a free full service campsite.
We are happy to be in one spot and have settled into our new 2010 Earthbound RV. It is larger than the old Terry and very comfortable. I have a great kitchen with lots of counter space!
We are not planning any trips until our big Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Transatlantic cruise in November. We may also go to Arizona for a part of the winter.
Ciao for now!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Home again!
Grand Lake RV and Golf resort is about half way between Gainsville and Ocala, FL. and it was pretty cool (relatively!!!!) there. So, we shopped a bit around both places and toured about--seeing a botanical garden: www.kanapaha.org and where John Travolta lives: www.jumbolair.com/.
Then, to home. It is 2000 miles, so we did 400 miles per day, which is pretty good with a trailer behind and winter. Day 1 we camped at a KOA just north of Atlanta, GA. Nice place, but they were just recovering from the big freeze. Day 2 was a private campground in Southern Illinois--nice, only a bit of snow on the ground. We paid particular attention to the weather forecast here and decided to go west, then North rather than north, then northwest. So, day 3 was a drive through St Louis and Kansas City then north to St Joseph where we hotelled it because there was snow on the ground and we had winterized the water system in the trailer in the morning. Day 4 was up to Watertown, SD--lots of snow around but the driving was OK. Going south on I29 were a lot of Manitobans! and a lot--probably a couple of dozen--wind turbine blades going south on special trucks. Boy are they big. And then day 5 into Winnipeg. No issues at Customs and only about an hour or two of bad winter driving. We were very lucky!
What did we learn? Well, Florida is expensive, but the trip was cheaper per day than cruising. Next trip South we'll probably book into places for a month at a time--one week is just not long enough to get involved in the communities. It is cold in winter, even in Florida--just not as cold for as long. We missed TV and Internet when we could not get it. We'll take the Honda's the next time--if M can figure out how to cover them and all the other stuff we take with us. We take too much stuff--that is a recurring and unresolved issue! And, we won't go over Christmas because we really missed all the family activities for that week.
Next trip: who knows! If we go anywhere other than Bird's Hill this summer as Hosts, we'll probably take the Beetle and BugHouse to Newfoundland. Then, it is off to crise the Eastern Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt) followed by a southern transatlantic (Spain, Morocco, Azores, Bahamas). Stay Tuned!
Then, to home. It is 2000 miles, so we did 400 miles per day, which is pretty good with a trailer behind and winter. Day 1 we camped at a KOA just north of Atlanta, GA. Nice place, but they were just recovering from the big freeze. Day 2 was a private campground in Southern Illinois--nice, only a bit of snow on the ground. We paid particular attention to the weather forecast here and decided to go west, then North rather than north, then northwest. So, day 3 was a drive through St Louis and Kansas City then north to St Joseph where we hotelled it because there was snow on the ground and we had winterized the water system in the trailer in the morning. Day 4 was up to Watertown, SD--lots of snow around but the driving was OK. Going south on I29 were a lot of Manitobans! and a lot--probably a couple of dozen--wind turbine blades going south on special trucks. Boy are they big. And then day 5 into Winnipeg. No issues at Customs and only about an hour or two of bad winter driving. We were very lucky!
What did we learn? Well, Florida is expensive, but the trip was cheaper per day than cruising. Next trip South we'll probably book into places for a month at a time--one week is just not long enough to get involved in the communities. It is cold in winter, even in Florida--just not as cold for as long. We missed TV and Internet when we could not get it. We'll take the Honda's the next time--if M can figure out how to cover them and all the other stuff we take with us. We take too much stuff--that is a recurring and unresolved issue! And, we won't go over Christmas because we really missed all the family activities for that week.
Next trip: who knows! If we go anywhere other than Bird's Hill this summer as Hosts, we'll probably take the Beetle and BugHouse to Newfoundland. Then, it is off to crise the Eastern Mediterranean (Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt) followed by a southern transatlantic (Spain, Morocco, Azores, Bahamas). Stay Tuned!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Linger Lodge (Al Roker says it's the Weirdest Restaurant in America)
We left Naples with $28.00 from the busiest casino I have ever seen. Smokey and loud...we left with our little winnings and went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel. Good food and loud, too. I have been noticing the sound level and it seems different here, why I don't know. Chronic deafness, discourtesy, self centeredness, talking on cell phones, yelling at kids.....
Our next stop took us to the Linger Lodge and RV Park. The cold snap started so we mostly holed up indoors, shopped, and went on an expedition to Ikea. We had a site next to the Braden river, very peaceful, with many live oaks dripping with spanish moss. It has been there for 60 years and aspects of the park did show it! The restaurant was excellent, we tried ALLIGATOR....fried, tasted like fishy rubber. The place is filled with stuffed fish, animals, Gators, many snakes, and various antiques and military badges.
In the interest of getting closer to home we moved North to the Grand Lake RV and Golf Resort. Very big but nice with no trees but cable TV and nice neighbors. Abby has made a friend, Pepper, and is enjoying our stay. We are booked in here for a week and plan to ride our new folding bikes (Camping World purchase) and get ready to come home. We expect the weather to improve this week and we leave here for Atlanta on Jan 18...home by Jan 24 or 25!
Our next stop took us to the Linger Lodge and RV Park. The cold snap started so we mostly holed up indoors, shopped, and went on an expedition to Ikea. We had a site next to the Braden river, very peaceful, with many live oaks dripping with spanish moss. It has been there for 60 years and aspects of the park did show it! The restaurant was excellent, we tried ALLIGATOR....fried, tasted like fishy rubber. The place is filled with stuffed fish, animals, Gators, many snakes, and various antiques and military badges.
In the interest of getting closer to home we moved North to the Grand Lake RV and Golf Resort. Very big but nice with no trees but cable TV and nice neighbors. Abby has made a friend, Pepper, and is enjoying our stay. We are booked in here for a week and plan to ride our new folding bikes (Camping World purchase) and get ready to come home. We expect the weather to improve this week and we leave here for Atlanta on Jan 18...home by Jan 24 or 25!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
New Years in Naples (not Italy)
We are at a nice park filled with snowbirds from all over Canada and the US. The first person we met was a woman who lived in Transcona in 1945...an Icelander from Arborg. She has been coming here for 25 years, lives in a little elderly park model and is a bundle of energy. Reminds me of Mom.
Naples is quite a ritzy area, the real estate is McMansions as far as the eye can see....many for sale. We drove around Sanibel Island yesterday and estimated about 1/3 of the newer houses are listed. It is a beautiful, touristy area with many places for rent and lots of little shops and cafes. We had a picnic on the beach but a cold wind kept it short. The sun was shining and many people were fishing, which is extremely popular down here. If you say that you don't fish they tend to question your sanity. We met a Sheriff in Marathon who offered to take us out and show us the best spots! Didn't take him up on it!
We had fun at our New Years party, dinner and dancing. We won the 50/50 pot, spent $5.00 and won $61.00. Paid for the evening.
Today we are off to the local Casino to see if our luck turns into a nice win there! Yeah right! The weather has cooled off considerably but the sun is shining and it is now 11c. We are moving tomorrow to a place called the Linger Lodge...very interesting website...so we shall see if it fulfills its potential.
Naples is quite a ritzy area, the real estate is McMansions as far as the eye can see....many for sale. We drove around Sanibel Island yesterday and estimated about 1/3 of the newer houses are listed. It is a beautiful, touristy area with many places for rent and lots of little shops and cafes. We had a picnic on the beach but a cold wind kept it short. The sun was shining and many people were fishing, which is extremely popular down here. If you say that you don't fish they tend to question your sanity. We met a Sheriff in Marathon who offered to take us out and show us the best spots! Didn't take him up on it!
We had fun at our New Years party, dinner and dancing. We won the 50/50 pot, spent $5.00 and won $61.00. Paid for the evening.
Today we are off to the local Casino to see if our luck turns into a nice win there! Yeah right! The weather has cooled off considerably but the sun is shining and it is now 11c. We are moving tomorrow to a place called the Linger Lodge...very interesting website...so we shall see if it fulfills its potential.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Christmas in the Keys
It has been a while since posting, but we had a great time at Grassy Key. Christmas was strange without family but we attended a pot luck with the other campers. Our stay there seemed to go by in a flash. We enjoyed swimming in the beautiful pool and playing games with our new friends. The park is right on the Gulf on Mexico and is beautifully landscaped.
One of the best things about staying in a park is advice about places to see and things to do. We followed some good advice and went on an adventure to No Name Key to the NoNameBar and Grill. What a neat place, it has thousands of dollar bills decorated by patrons and very delicious seafood. We also got to see a few Key deer, which are small German shepherd size. They are endangered and so protected that the penalty for running over one is more than for hitting a person (not really).
We had a great visit with Mom and the Saskatchewan relatives in Miami the day before they embarked on a Carribean cruise. It was fun to see them. The trip to Miami was about 5 hours round trip but we saw some pretty country.
Our next stop will be Club Naples in Naples. We are just slowly working our way north.
One of the best things about staying in a park is advice about places to see and things to do. We followed some good advice and went on an adventure to No Name Key to the NoNameBar and Grill. What a neat place, it has thousands of dollar bills decorated by patrons and very delicious seafood. We also got to see a few Key deer, which are small German shepherd size. They are endangered and so protected that the penalty for running over one is more than for hitting a person (not really).
We had a great visit with Mom and the Saskatchewan relatives in Miami the day before they embarked on a Carribean cruise. It was fun to see them. The trip to Miami was about 5 hours round trip but we saw some pretty country.
Our next stop will be Club Naples in Naples. We are just slowly working our way north.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Grassy Key
Well, we've started our trip North. Admittedly only a couple of miles, but still! Grassy Key RV Park is a small park with a pool, on the Gulf side. We're here for Christmas and then will head to the Naples area on the 28th.
What have we been doing?
*Kayaking through a mangrove swamp at Curry Hammock. Very tight fit even with a kayak. Mangroves overhead--really dense growth. And big spiders--the body about the size of a loonie!
*Going through the Dolphin Research Center--they have a new baby dolphin that is only 2 weeks old. The Mom is attentive to the new one and they swim around the enclosure together--but the baby is getting independent and starting to swim away from the Mom.
*Going through the Turtle Rescue Hospital. Ocean pollution is causing fibrous growths on the turtles, which they laser off. Also, they eat plastic bags and other floating garbage which causes them to get sick and unable to dive for food. And they get hit by boats. They have an ambulance, operating room, "wards", both private and semi-private, the whole deal.
*Watching their Christmas Boat Parades at 2 sites. They decorate up their boats and drive around. One of the little ones was all made up as Santa's sleigh, and a big one had part of the High School Band playing on deck! There was a pirate one as well, complete with noisy bangs and loud "aarghs".
Its been hot here--they have been beating records just about every day by 2 and 3 degrees. Sunday was 89F, old record 87, normal 76--they are already talking about it being the warmest December on record. So that and the high humidity slows us down a bit--pool time is welcome as is the trailer air conditioning!
We have 2 little battery powered Christmas trees on the go, and the outdoor lights and a couple of LED candy canes as well. Christmas carols on the stereo too. But it is quite different being away from family and cold. We miss you.
bye for now
What have we been doing?
*Kayaking through a mangrove swamp at Curry Hammock. Very tight fit even with a kayak. Mangroves overhead--really dense growth. And big spiders--the body about the size of a loonie!
*Going through the Dolphin Research Center--they have a new baby dolphin that is only 2 weeks old. The Mom is attentive to the new one and they swim around the enclosure together--but the baby is getting independent and starting to swim away from the Mom.
*Going through the Turtle Rescue Hospital. Ocean pollution is causing fibrous growths on the turtles, which they laser off. Also, they eat plastic bags and other floating garbage which causes them to get sick and unable to dive for food. And they get hit by boats. They have an ambulance, operating room, "wards", both private and semi-private, the whole deal.
*Watching their Christmas Boat Parades at 2 sites. They decorate up their boats and drive around. One of the little ones was all made up as Santa's sleigh, and a big one had part of the High School Band playing on deck! There was a pirate one as well, complete with noisy bangs and loud "aarghs".
Its been hot here--they have been beating records just about every day by 2 and 3 degrees. Sunday was 89F, old record 87, normal 76--they are already talking about it being the warmest December on record. So that and the high humidity slows us down a bit--pool time is welcome as is the trailer air conditioning!
We have 2 little battery powered Christmas trees on the go, and the outdoor lights and a couple of LED candy canes as well. Christmas carols on the stereo too. But it is quite different being away from family and cold. We miss you.
bye for now
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Living the Snowbird Life in the Florida Keys
The trip from the Lion Safari was great. We decided to take the road less travelled and avoided freeways. It took us through part of the Everglades where we saw many people on motorcycles! Bet you thought I was going to say Alligators! Not a one.
Our campsite at Curry Hammock State Park is great. Just steps to the beach with nice showers and no distractions like TV or Internet. It has electricity and water so we can stay cool as is about 85 degrees with high humidity. We are planning some snorkel trips out to the coral reef as we got prescription masks so we will be able to see the fish. We tried them out at our beach and they were great!
After some deliberation we have decided to stay down here for a while so hope to find a site nearby. We are going looking today. We spent a day in Key West and enjoyed it but probably will not go back as it was enough. It is a party town and very hot and a bit crowded.
We will update this as soon as we find a campsite with WiFi.
Our campsite at Curry Hammock State Park is great. Just steps to the beach with nice showers and no distractions like TV or Internet. It has electricity and water so we can stay cool as is about 85 degrees with high humidity. We are planning some snorkel trips out to the coral reef as we got prescription masks so we will be able to see the fish. We tried them out at our beach and they were great!
After some deliberation we have decided to stay down here for a while so hope to find a site nearby. We are going looking today. We spent a day in Key West and enjoyed it but probably will not go back as it was enough. It is a party town and very hot and a bit crowded.
We will update this as soon as we find a campsite with WiFi.
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