GULFPORT and BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI (DEC. 28 & 29, 2009)

Well… As you know, I spent Monday morning rewriting my Blog, because I got things screwed up somehow…
Not a fun experience when you think about the time spent on these things, but I should quit whining…
Whining bugs people (bugs me!!!), and, besides, no-one listens, so, who cares…
All that counts is that it got done, and I should move on…
Went on another exploration trip in the afternoon…
Drove down to Ocean Springs, hooked a right on Hwy 90, and drove over to Gulfport…
In my previous Blogs from here, I’ve tried to describe (and shown in pictures) the disaster which took place here when Hurricane Katrina visited, in August, 2005...
There’s not much I can add to that, except to say: The further West you go (from Biloxi), the worse the damage…
They’re doing an incredible job cleaning up, and if you’ve never been to this area before, you’d only know that “something” happened here, but not the extent of it…
For us, who drove this very road in 2000, it’s another story…
We have memories of the most exquisite homes lining the shores of Mississippi, from Louisiana to Alabama… I remember how awestruck we were over the beauty of the place, so, seeing it today is like salt in a sore…
Those magnificent homes are all but gone…
The ones which survived are either remodeled (or in the process), or, if the damage was too severe, been replaced with new ones…
What a shame!
On to other things:
There are some ten or eleven casinos around here, and all of them have those PLAYER*S CARD, which Lu and I have found fun to pursue…
We’re in the process of “hitting” a casino per day, because that gets us out, and it gives us a chance to “play” with their promotional money - usually between 5 and 20 bucks (depending on what kind of promotion they’re running on any given day)…
We’ve been fairly lucky… Well, I should say, Lu’s been lucky… She’s been winning more than her fair share (to my way of thinking), but that’s OK… We share the same wallet, if you know what I mean…
That’s about all we’ve been doing these past few days: Driving around and stopping - ever so briefly - at different casinos…
The weather has actually been OK… COLD in the mornings, but OK… It warms up into the low 60s, so that’s not too bad, but the wind keeps us from strolling on the beach… And that we really miss!
It’s raining today, and is supposed to keep on for a few more days, so we sure picked the wrong place to wait for Marti Gras, in New Orleans, but wait we will, because we’re not going to miss that little party!
OK… That’s all I have for now…
We’re heading out for a “All you can eat buffet” at the IP Casino… Should help us get properly stuffed for the end of the year, I would think…
Talking about the end of the year…
We want to wish every one of you the HAPPIEST NEW YEAR EVER, and hope you’ll continue to keep an eye open for us in 2010...
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/GULFPORT%20and%20BILOXI%5EJ%20MISSISSIPPI%20%5E5DEC.%2028%20%5E0%2029%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=40&isFromRichUpload=1

CHRISTMAS IN BILOXI (DEC. 25 & 26, & 27, 2009)

CHRISTMAS IN BILOXI (DEC. 25 & 26, and 27, 2009)
First off, let me recap what happened yesterday morning (Dec. 27):
Worked on the Blog and pictures for over two hours, Then, in the process of uploading my writing from Microsoft Works Word Processor to the Blog, it got lost…
Where it went I have no idea…
I tried everything I could possibly think of to find it, but to no avail…
So… Here I am trying to remember what the heck we did once more…
Oh, the agony, anguish, and suffering one has to contend with…
Thank goodness I didn’t loose the pictures…
That would’ve been disastrous!
Having “vented,” I will now proceed with caution…
Christmas morning arrived chilly, but with clear skies…
Looked like a promising day, so we headed down to Biloxi, for our first walk on the beach…
There was a very cold breeze coming off the Gulf, so we were (except for another family - tourists, probably) the only humans out there…
No wonder…
Spent maybe five minutes walking with the wind, but then realized we had to walk into it on the way back (duh), so we turned around and, let me tell you, by the time we got to the truck, we were two stiffs: Bones creaking with every step; faces frozen in a perpetual scowl…
Took the heater forever to thaw us out!
I’m thinking… Did we screw up when we planned this trip?
The gulf coast of Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi is supposed to be warm and inviting at this time of year… That’s why we’re here!
Oh, well… Things will get better… I hope!
Once we defrosted, we headed over to Beau Rivage Hotel and Casino, just to look…
And, man, they spared no expense in decorating for Christmas…
Look at the pictures:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CHRISTMAS%20IN%20BILOXI%20%5E5DEC.%2025%20%5E0%2026%5EJ%20%5E0%2027%5EJ%202009%5E6Went home for a nap, and then, around 4:00, we headed over to the BOOMTOWN Hotel and Casino, where we had a 6 o’clock dinner reservation.
All casinos have “Player’s Cards,” which (for those of you who don’t know) gives you incentives and compensations ranging from free money to free food…
We stood in line for a couple of minutes… Received our cards, and got ten bucks to play with, which we did until dinner time at the Steakhouse…
Prime Rib with all the trimmings, and a bottle of fine wine…
Wonderful Christmas dinner (sans family)!
Saturday, December 26...
Luanne made a fabulous omelet breakfast this morning (see pictures), and then went to the laundry, where she spent a couple of hours while I messed with pictures and Blog…
We departed for a look-see of the neighborhood in the early afternoon…
Drove West on Hwy 90 for a while, just shaking our heads in wonderment of how bad Katrina treated this area… It’s really mind-blowing…
Turned around a few miles East of Gulfport, went to Old Town Biloxi (which is more new than old), and then stopped at the Katrina Memorial before driving over to Ocean Springs, which is a thriving artist town… Spent some time poking around a few shops and stores, but it was really too cold to be out, so we headed home…
Sunday, December 27... The fatal day!
Spent the whole morning on the Blog, and you know what happened with that, so let’s move on…
Had a nap (to sleep off the Blog disaster), then headed out to check out some casinos…
Figured, if they’re willing to give us free money by signing up for Player’s cards, we might as well give it a go…
First (and it turned out to be our last and only casino stop today) we went to the I.P. Casino, where I got 15 bucks, and Lu netted 25 (luck of the draw)... Turned out (unlike other casinos) the “free” money was for comps other than gambling…
You have to spend your own money on every machine, and when you ran out of your own, the casino money doesn‘t show up… Haven’t really figured this one out yet, but at other casinos, when you get free money, you can spend it…
Didn’t matter though… Luanne made a “killing.”
Oh, yeah, Babe! She hauled 35 bucks out of one machine without even knowing how she did it…
That’s my girl!
We quit while ahead…
Went to Snapper’s Seafood Restaurant (our favorite here), and spent the “moolah” on dinner…
That’s it…
I’ve brought you up to date (for the second time, he said in disgust), and we’re off to see the world…
Have a great week, and keep in touch…

FOUNTAIN, FL to BILOXI, MS (DEC. 23, 24, 2009)

Our final trek in Florida took us across the panhandle, then across Alabama to Biloxi, Mississippi…
Uneventful, to say the least…
Got a fairly early start, and basically stayed on I-10 the whole way…
Scooted right through Alabama, but stopped in Mississippi, where we visited the most beautiful Welcoming Center anywhere, I think…
The weather cooperated (even though they forecasted rain today), and I didn’t get wet either when we left, or when we arrived at Martin Lake Resort, in Biloxi…
Since we’re spending two weeks here, I took the time to set the trailer up on a more “permanent” basis… Just involves taking a bit more care, and adding the tripod to the front (for stability)…
Anyway, we felt we deserved a nap, so that’s what we did, but it was short-lived… The ants-in-the-pants got to roaming, and we were curious about what Biloxi was all about, so, what can I say? Off we went…
Can’t remember what hurricane took a bite out of this area, but I believe it was Katrina (sp?)… And didn’t they get nicked again not too long ago?
No matter, the telltale signs are all around…
We drove through here in 2000, and the beach was lined with fantastically gorgeous homes…
There are still some fabulous homes, but there are also way too many empty lots…
Here and there, rubble of what once was someone’s home can still be seen, but construction is going on, and they’ve done one heck of a good job on the beach… Can hardly wait to get some nice weather, so we can go for walks…
We’d only driven a couple of miles along the beach when the rain started, so we didn’t get much of a chance to see, or do anything, but… We’re gonna be in and around Biloxi for a total of five weeks, so we’ll have plenty of time to explore… For instance: Found out Willy Nelson’s going to perform on Jan. 15 (or 16?), and I think we’ll try to get tickets for that…
Had chicken wings and Cajun shrimp for dinner at a local joint, and then went home to spend the rest of the evening all snuggled up watching TV and listening to the rain… Very cozy!
We went to Walmart this morning, stocked up on foodstuff (having dinner at home tonight, but a big dinner out tomorrow), and Lu did some laundry while I’ve been messing with the Blog and pictures…
That’s it for now…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FOUNTAIN%5EJ%20FL%20to%20BILOXI%5EJ%20MS%20%5E5DEC.%2023%5EJ%2024%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=51&isFromRichUpload=1
We do want to wish everyone who follow our adventure the VERY BEST CHRISTMAS EVER, and a RICH AND REWARDING NEW YEAR…
Thanks for your emails and comments along our way, and all your love and support…
We appreciate it dearly!
Take care and keep in touch.
Christmas hugs and kisses to every one of you!
Kjell and Luanne

KEATON BEACH to FOUNTAIN, FL… and PANAMA CITY (DEC. 20, 21, & 22, 2009)

Very uneventful day traveling (Sun. Dec. 20) from Keaton Beach to Fountain…
Hardly anything alongside the road worth mentioning…
Nothing but trees blocking your wish for a view… Nothing but flat countryside…
Oh, there are a few ranches here and there, a few “wide spots” now and again, but that’s about it… Very boring!
We got to PINE LAKE RV PARK around 1:00, which turned out to be 12:00, since we had, unconsciously, passed from Eastern to Central time zones…
“Houston, we have a problem“:
When hooking up the umbilical chords, I found the Black Water (sewer) valve to be stuck… Not a pleasant problem, to say the least…
Tried all sorts of things, but to no avail…
Being Sunday, and being we’re in the “Bible Belt,“ we decided to wait until tomorrow to get help…
Unfortunately, we have picked some very desolate spots to squat lately…
The sole cause for that is that we’re cheap…
Our plans usually involves picking RV parks and resorts belonging to “RPI,” “Coast to Coast,” “Passport America,” or “Enjoy America” (in that order), because we are members of these organizations, and because the daily cost ranges from $10 to around $20-something (in that order).
When you travel for a long time, the cost of parks definitely must be considered, unless, of course, you’re made of money (which we’re not)…
Anyway, we try to get a spot at a “RPI” or “C2C” park whenever we can, but, even though they have parks in quite a few places, they are not everywhere, and some of them (like the last two, or is it three?) are “out of the way,” with no interesting places or activities around them…
From the provided descriptions of the parks/resorts we look into, we really can’t figure out whether we’ll be in “no-man’s land,” so we take our chances…
Most of the time we luck out, but there are times (like this) when we’re 25 miles away from anything… In either direction…
Oh well… We’re only here for 3 nights, so what the hey….
Took a short nap, then, just for something to do, we headed down to Panama City… A mere 30 miles down Hwy 231 and I-98...
We were looking for the beach (Lu needed more shells), but ended up down at a marina, where we spent some time walking around and talking to yachtsmen and fishermen alike…
Over the next few hours (as recommended by an Old Salt), we visited the WATERSHED and the NO NAME lounges… Two watering holes which turned out to be little dives, but just the type of places that ooze personality… And good drinks!
Of course, we were good kids since we had that 30 mile drive home…
So, that brings us to yesterday (Monday)…
Called a mobile RV repair service, and told him about our sewer problem… He didn’t seem too interested (and who could blame him), but I talked him into coming over to give me an estimate…
He didn’t show up until about 1:00, and it was 4:30 by the time he left…
Turned out the valve stem had broken, so a new valve was installed…
Easier said than done: There were all kinds of panels (and a million screws) to be remove in order to get things fixed, but it got done, and I didn’t have to mess with it, so I’m happier than a fly on a horse turd… Or something like that…
That took care of yesterday… A day we wanted to spend on the beach, but what can you do?
After he left, we decided to splurge (and drive 30 miles up to Marianna to have dinner)…
We programmed Jack to take us to eateries here, there, and everywhere, but, unfortunately, every place he took us had either closed for the winter, or were not in existence any more…
Bad times, I guess?
We ended up back at the trailer, where Luanne fixed us a superb dinner…
Could’ve saved both time and money, but sometimes you learn the hard way…
Let me backtrack for a sec…
We’ve had three mornings now when we’ve awakened to almost freezing temperatures…
Have had to keep the furnace on over night two nights in a row, and I’m kind of pissed about it, if you pardon my French…
This is Florida - THE SUNSHINE STATE, right?
What’s going on?
Could’ve had this kind of weather at home…
Then again, Billy and Donna (up in Plymouth, Mass) had to shovel 20 inches of snow recently, so I guess we’re OK with a bit of frost…
But…
Really hoping for warmth soon, though!
Hear that weather gods!
This morning was as cold as yesterday’s, but it was clear skies, and it warmed up nicely fairly soon…
I worked on my pictures and Blog (half of this Blog was done this morning), and Luanne washed and carried on with whatever she does when she carries on…
Anyway, the ants in the pants took over, and we headed down to Panama City Beach around nine-ish…
Not counting the drive, we had a wonderful time strolling the powdery sand, and listening to the swoosh of waves as they lapped at our bare feet…
Ahhh… There’s something about the beach that lulls your soul, isn’t there?
Properly saturated with inner peace, we soon needed sustenance of another sort: Food!
You’d think this would be easy to find, but not so…
We found most decent places closed…
McDonalds and Burgerkings can be found every half mile, but, according to Lu, we’re not into that kind of thing…
Took us a while, but we discovered a wonderful restaurant (which I can’t for the life of me remember the name of), where we had an incredible bowl of seafood bisque and clam chowder soup…
Stopped at the WATERSHED for one quick slurp, and then home…
It’s now time to quit this madness, and head for bed…
Moving on to Biloxi, Mississippi, in the morning… Gonna be there for 14 nights, so, we’re hoping it’ll be as nice as the brochure says it is…
With that, we wish you the Merriest of Christmases, and a Wonderful and prosperous New Year!
Take care, and keep in touch…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/KEATON%20BEACH%20to%20FOUNTAIN%5EJ%20FL%e2%80%a6%20and%20PANAMA%20CITY%20%5E5DEC.%2020%5EJ%2021%5EJ%20%5E0%2022%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=67&isFromRichUpload=1

KEATON BEACH, PERRY, and STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA (DEC. 19, 2009)

Woke to wind, but no rain…
Good omen, even though it was too cold for shorts and tee shirts…
After a lazy morning (I did get my last Blog and pictures posted, so that was good), we managed to creak our bods down to the end of our street, where there’s a small park (that must’ve looked promising for shells to Luanne)…
No such luck (there are millions of more shells right below our trailer), so, after a quick look-see, we headed to the town of Perry (only twenty miles up the road), where there is a Walmart… What the heck… Only a short drive, and we needed bottled water…
As soon as we entered town, a roadside café beckoned, and, of course, we stopped for a greasy, but heavenly, breakfast!
Off to “Wallyworld” for water, then a quick trip through the “Historic Town,”
which turned out to involve about four minutes of drive-by shooting (camera - not gun!)…
That’s about all there is to tell about Perry… Typical small town U.S.A.
Still early, so we went right back the way we came, and kept on going until we found Steinahatchee (twenty miles the other way from where we live)…
Same story…
A little more quaint than Perry, but that’s about it… I think the pictures will tell you more than I can, so I’ll leave it at that…
Spent a few minutes cruising Main Street, then back to the trailer, where Lu began fixing dinner: Norwegian meatballs with Swedish gravy…
Oh, yeah, Babe… International cuisine onboard this home-on-wheels…
Had a fabulous dinner (of course), and watched a glorious sunset, and are now settled in for some Saturday night TV…
Oh…. There’s no such thing, is there?
That’s probably why I’m hunting and pecking on this stupid keyboard…
Had enough of that already, so… Auf Wiedersehn, adios, and adjø for now…
Off to Fountain tomorrow…
Pictures here: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/KEATON%20BEACH%5EJ%20PERRY%5EJ%20and%20STEINHATCHEE%5EJ%20FLORIDA%20%5E5DEC.%2019%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=68&isFromRichUpload=1

THE VILLAGES, and from WILDWOOD to KEATON BEACH, FL. (DEC. 16, 17, & 18, 2009)

As you can probably guess, from our pictures and Blog, this past week, we spent every afternoon, while in Wildwood, at The Villages…
It’s just a fantastic place, with every amenity one could ever want, and, if it wasn’t for the distance to Washington, it would be awfully tempting to retire here….
But we’re not… We’ll be home in May…
Oh, we found Spanish Springs Square on Thursday (our last full day here), which competes with Sumter Landing when it comes to entertainment and things to do and see…
As the name implies, the theme is Spanish, while Sumter Square is more modern, but take a look for yourself… The pictures speak volumes without me messing with narrations…
We lucked out with the weather until yesterday morning, when, just before I went out to unhook the umbilical chords, it started raining…
Got soaked, but not hurt, so can’t complain, I guess…
Wish the timing had been better, though…
Anyway, we had rain off and on all day, and that was too bad, because we drove through some very fine country…
Horse country!
The ranches (is that what they call them here?) are huge, and partitioned off with what seems like miles of rail fences… Either painted white or black… Gorgeous!
“Jack” didn’t make a fool of himself yesterday, but got us right to our destination, OLD PAVILION RV PARK, here in Keaton Beach, Florida…
We backed the trailer up to within a few feet of the shoreline, so, now, when we sit in the trailer and look out, we only see the Gulf of Mexico to the South and West… The closest we’ve ever been to any waterfront… Pretty cool!
And, as I’m sitting here hunting and pecking, the sun started shining again…
Lu went out to hunt for shells… Millions of them right below us, and it’s time for me to quit and join her outside…
Hope you enjoy the pictures, and forgive my descriptive briefness…
Things to do and see, folks!
Have a great weekend!
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/THE%20VILLAGES%5EJ%20and%20from%20WILDWOOD%20to%20KEATON%20BEACH%5EJ%20FL.%20%5E5DEC.%2016%5EJ%2017%5EJ%20%5E0%2018%5EJ%202009%5E6

WILDWOOD and THE VILLAGES, FL ( DEC. 12, 13, 14, & 15, 2009)

There are times when blogging and picture taking should be put on the back burner, and that’s what happened when we arrived in Wildwood, Florida…
We’re staying at “3 Flags RV Resort” (on Hwy 44), a couple of miles West of Wildwood’s Main Street…
On the way into (or out of) town we have to pass Russell Stover Chocolate Factory, and that’s become somewhat of a tug of war…
So far (after our first day’s “discovery“ tour), I’ve managed to close my eyes every time I’ve driven by (which Lu - for some reason - frowns upon)… Of course, we bought certain delicacies that first day, so the need isn’t there yet, but we’ll see what the next few days brings…
We discovered “The Villages,” which is a conglomeration of small communities clustered together in a 5.6 square mile area… The 2008 population was 75,000, and there’s gotta be at least a half dozen 36-hole golf courses… Everything is manicured and wonderfully landscaped…
The buildings have the Florida touch: Lots of pastel colors…
And then there’s the lake and the town square… SUMTER LANDING.
Wow! What an absolutely idyllic place!
I’m afraid I’m not capable of describing it, so you’ll have to look at the pictures…
Suffice it to say, we’ve enjoyed it so much that we’ve been there every night…
The square is the hub of a half dozen streets, and there are all kinds of designer (and non-designer) boutiques, shops and stores to suit anyone’s taste…
Restaurants and bars are everywhere, and there’s a dock/boardwalk along the waterfront, which is a fabulous gathering place for folks who wants to walk, sit, or do absolutely nothing but take in the ambiance…
The whole thing is designed specifically for retired folks, so the over-50 crowd is dominant, but do they ever enjoy their lives here…
There’s a covered stage in the middle of the square, where they have live entertainment throughout the year (different bands every night), and people dance all around the stage… From line-dance to swing… You name it… These old geezers know how to move them bones, I tell you… It’s a delight just watching them!
There are chairs set out in a semi-circle in front of the stage, and we usually settle in for an hour or two, to enjoy some fine music…
Witnessed a heart warming episode last night:
This very distinguished (and well dressed) couple arrived a little after 5:00...
He was rolling his mother in a wheelchair, and they settled down just in front of Luanne and me…
The mother was very frail (her legs were just tiny little sticks, poor thing)…
Couldn’t have been more than 85 pounds, and, I think, she must have suffered a stroke (or something), because she was sitting kind of slumped over…
We noticed, however, that she sang along to every song, and clapped enthusiastically at the end, so she could’ve been 100 and in poor health, but she certainly had her wits about her…
The son danced with his wife from time to time, and then - to our amazement - he came over to his mom;
lifted her up out of her wheelchair, wrapped her in his arms, and danced slowly… around and around… She couldn’t move much, but her legs touched the floor, and she was smiling when her face was turned our way…
Luanne hardly ever show emotion, but when I glanced at her (to make sure she didn’t miss this little show of kindness), I saw tears had welled up, and that got me going…
I have no control over my tears (a well meaning fart could get me bawling), so, I choked up and my vision got blurry immediately… The phenomena comes and goes every time I think about it…
The song wasn’t over, but (I suppose) it didn’t take much to tire the little lady, so he gently put her back in her wheelchair…
Luanne and I were not the only folks who noticed this incredibly tender moment, because, as soon as the dance was over, we joined in the applause this gentle man so well deserved.
How is that for a good Christmas Story?
Couldn’t have imagined one any better, could you?
With that, I will say good bye for now… Probably won’t write any more while we’re here, but we’ll take some pictures, and we’ll post them eventually…
Take care, and keep an eye open for another thrilling episode from the Vagabonds…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WILDWOOD%20and%20THE%20VILLAGES%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5%20DEC.%2012%5EJ%2013%5EJ%2014%5EJ%20%5E0%2015%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=66&isFromRichUpload=1

CLEWISTON, MOORE HAVEN to WILDWOOD, FL (DEC. 9, 10, & 11, 2009)

Our two last days at “M RV Resort,” in Moore Haven, turned out to be nice and warm, and, even though we had to drive down to Clewiston for shopping and activities, we enjoyed some bike rides, some walks (basically Lu), and a few games of pool here… As I’ve told you before, the resort went “belly up” last year, but the new owner is pouring money into upgrading and fixing the place, so, eventually, it’ll be very nice… Unfortunately for us, the new billiards table and shuffle board didn’t come until Thursday evening, and the pool will be completed either today or tomorrow, so we didn’t get to use those, but what the hey…
We visited the TIKI Bar, in Clewiston, a couple of evenings, and had the good fortune to meet up with John and Gillian Rowe, who had docked (the PERIWINKLE II) right below the bar… They’re sailing the Great Loop (Intracoastal Waterway, canals, and rivers) from Canada to Florida and the Bahamas, so, of course, we hit it off right away…
Man! What I would give to do exactly what they’re doing!
But, I’m afraid, I’d be doing it solo…
There’s no way Lulubelle would assent to something like that, even though we have eleven-some years of sailing experience…
Guess I have to be satisfied with my land yacht…
Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a sailing story, or two… Go check out John and Gill’s Blog: www.periwinkletwo.blogspot.com
I’ve read a couple of month’s worth, and find it good reading…
OK… So we left Moore Haven yesterday morning, after saying good byes to Larry and Dan, and headed back up Hwy 27 (same road we took down to Homestead a lifetime ago), and since you’ve already seen photos of the lack of scenery along this route, suffice it to say that it’s still flat…
Stopped at the Walmart we used to shop at while staying at Bee‘s Resort, where we gassed up and got a few necessities…
By the way, diesel prices, down here in Florida, ranges from $2.65 to almost $3.00 (more expensive the further South you go)…
“Jack” didn’t recognize the address to “3 Flags RV Resort” (where we’ll be staying for seven nights), so we had to call in to get directions…
Bad interpretation and guesswork, resulted in us driving through some tiny neighborhoods and making a few U-turns, but all’s well that ends well, and, eventually, we managed to find the place…
Got hooked up, and had a short nap, after which we headed down the road a couple of miles to “Russell Stover” Candies…
My goodness gracious! That’s entirely way too close to have a chocolate factory!
You should see (and taste) the samples! A chocoholic, like me, could happily die here!
Of course we bought some! Did you need to ask?
After that indulgence, we drove down into town, programmed Jack to take us to a “fish company” (figuring that that would take us to a waterfront), and ended up at THE VILLAGES…
The area involves planned communities (villages) along a wide and beautifully landscaped boulevard with a dozen or more roundabouts…
I’m not sure, but I believe the roundabouts designates the boundaries of these villages…
Anyway, it’s superbly done, and at the end you’re rewarded by coming into a “shopping village” (for lack of better words), which has everything you’d possibly want: Coldwater Creek, for instance (since Lu pointed it out to me)…
There are other well known boutiques and shops, of course, and there are a myriad of restaurants and bars to please anyone’s taste…
It was “terribly” cold (probably upper 40s), and the wind was blowing pretty hard, so we didn’t walk around much, but what we saw was enough to make us want to really explore this place when it’s nice and warm outside… Looked like the area is crisscrossed by quite a few streets, so we have plenty to look forward to…
We woke to a cold morning…
Had to get the furnace going… First time in a long while…
Don’t know what today will bring, but always looking forward to something happy, and with that, it’s time to wish you all a great weekend…
Keep in touch!
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CLEWISTON%5EJ%20MOORE%20HAVEN%20to%20WILDWOOD%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5DEC.%209%5EJ%2010%5EJ%20%5E0%2011%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=77&isFromRichUpload=1

LA BELLE, IMMOKALEE, FORT MYERS, SANIBEL ISLAND (DEC 6, 7, & 8, 2009)

Guess we’re not dead yet, ‘cause we don’t feel like sitting around the trailer doing nothing, like some of these geriatrics occupying this park…
Some mornings we tell ourselves we’ll take it easy that day, but, invariably, we get antsy in the afternoon, and take off for places unknown…
And so it goes…
The only problem here is that “things” are literally tens of miles away, except Moore Haven (8 miles away), which only have three cows, four farmers, a Dairy Queen, and a John Deere tractor… Oh, almost forgot the sugar cane fields)…
Not much to offer a marauding Viking and his gypsy wife, if you ask me…
There you are… What to do, what to do…
Sunday… After walking, biking, shooting pool, and lounging around all morning long, we’d had enough, and took off to see if we could find the Seminole Casino, in Immokalee…
Had a time with “Jack,” but don’t want to go into that right now… Might get pissed off all over again, and that’ll ruin my day…
Long story short: We drove about 150-60 miles that day…
Visited the Casino (lost five bucks apiece)…
Ended up at the TIKI Bar and Grill, in Clewiston, where we ordered the “world-known” Burger for me, and a Taco Salad for Lu…
Had a drink before the food came, and that relaxed us from the hot, humid, and harrowing drive…
Two baskets of sumptuous grub was placed in front of us, and, wiping away the drool, we got set to devour everything in sight…
“Ah, not so fast,” the mosquito king said to his tribe…
Within second, there were 3,468,704 skeeters attacking everyone in the establishment…
What the hell!
My legs and arms (remember this is no-shirt-no-shoes-no-problem country) were swelling as fast as I could slap the little buggers…
Lu was yelling “not-nice-things,” as she did some dance steps I didn’t think she was capable of…
The bartender shrugged (as she casually skewered 14 vermins with one swipe of a toothpick that held a small cocktail onion, and two sherries), and revealed, “This happens at this time of night all the time“…
Duh… Could’ve told us about it!
After only one or two bites without “extra meat” in them, we capitulated to an indoor café: A battlefield away!
Sat by a window that was covered (on the outside, thank goodness) by the rest of the mosquito king’s relatives from around the globe…
Needless to say, we didn’t finish our meals…
We went home where I scratched the bites, and Lu tried to recapture those amazing dance steps…
Monday… Stayed home and played dead…
Until late afternoon, when we thought it in our marriage’s best interest to drive in and do some shopping…
That’s about all I have to say about that… Exciting? No, not really, but you do have off days once in a while, and you deal with it as best you can… Shopping seems to do the trick…
Tuesday…
I was set on buying my tires at COSTCO… Good brands… Good service, and great prices, but looking at the Website‘s “Store Locator,” we found Fort Myers to be the only location we’d be close to for quite a while, so we took off (after checking with the store that they had my tires), and drove the 60 miles out to the Gulf Coast.
Waited almost 2 hours for the job to be done (spent the time strolling Costco, and the surrounding Mall), then drove over to Sanibel Island, which, we read, had some amazing shell beaches…
Cost us six bucks to drive across to the island, and found it to be a bargain…
Stopped at the Welcome Center… Got the required maps and info, and headed out to the Lighthouse…
That done, we drove over to Tarpon Beach, parked (there’s a $2.00 fee for all day parking anywhere), and walked onto a most serene and fantastic beach…
Shells are everywhere…
All kinds (but no conchs)…
Luanne was in Heaven!
All I could hear (from a standing fetal position, is there such a thing?) was, “Oh my gosh… Oh my Gosh… Oh my gosh!”
I could’ve left, gone to another country, had dinner, come back, and she would never have known I’d been gone…
Ahhh, the life of the innocents…
I could go on for a while about Sanibel, because it’s truly a wonderful place to visit, but look at the pictures, and then look the island up on the internet, and you can probably figure out if I’m missing or neglecting things to tell you…
We had to go back to Costco to finish up shopping (perishable stuff), so we didn’t have all that much time to spend on the island, but what we saw was enough to want us to come back… Hopefully some day?!
Long drive home…
Another sunny day today, and I’m in here hunting and pecking…
Just not fair…
So I’m quitting!
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/LA%20BELLE%5EJ%20IMMOKALEE%5EJ%20FORT%20MYERS%5EJ%20SANIBEL%20ISLAND%20%5E5DEC%206%5EJ%207%5EJ%20%5E0%208%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=81&isFromRichUpload=1

MARATHON KEY and our travel to MOORE HAVEN, FL (DEC. 2 - 5, 2009)

It’s been a few days since I touched base with my Blog, and the reason is simple: Not much to write about…
As you know, it rained when we left Marathon, and that lasted most of the way up Hwy 1 to Florida City, where we branched off onto Hwy 997...
We drove through the Historic Town of Homestead, all decked out in holiday stuff, and then passed nurseries of every size and shape, growing fully grown palm trees, orange trees, and everything in between…
Some of these nurseries must’ve been hundreds of acres in size, because you could barely make out the “back” end of them on the horizon…
Skirted the Everglades National Park along Hwy 997, but couldn’t see much, since most of your view is blocked by levies…
By the time we reached Clewiston, the rain had begun again, so it was a miserable drive over to Moore Haven…
Thankfully, it stopped as we pulled into our RV Park, which is simply called “M.”
They were in the process of paving the entry road as we came in…
Just one of many improvements the new owners are doing…
Evidently, the park “went under” last year, and the place had gone to the dogs…
Another victim of the economic mess we‘re slowly getting ourselves out of…
Anyway, the people welcomed us with open arms, and are the most friendly RV Park Staff we’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting…
One problem here, regrettably, is that there’s absolutely nothing to do if you’re not a fisher…
You can’t see Lake Okeechobee (because of levies), and there’s nothing but sugar cane fields wherever you look… Everything is as flat as a pancake, and the RV Park is almost empty (because the “season” doesn’t really start until after Christmas).
The rain kept us inside the trailer most of yesterday, although, yesterday evening, we managed to make a short trip very long, thanks to “Jack.”
By about 4:30. we’d had enough of rain, and decided to drive into town to find a place for an evening meal and a drink…
We programmed whatshisface, and, couldn’t believe it when he said we’d reached our destination…
We were in the middle of a sugar cane field, with not the slightest hint of a building anywhere…
We messed with the jerk a couple of times more, but finally got fed up and stopped and asked for direction… What should’ve taken us 15 minutes ended up taking us 45...
No matter, we found the TIKI Bar and Grill, and had fish and chips, which was a bit on the greasy side, but absolutely wonderful nonetheless…
Today was a total washout (literally!), and we spent most of the day inside…
Took a trip back to Clewiston, this afternoon, to get some shopping done at Walmart, and there you have it… Things are VERY QUIET, and it’s kind of nice…
Sometimes it’s good to have a few days just to take it easy and do nothing…
Unfortunately (or fortunately), we have a whole week here, so we’ll see how that goes…
One thing for sure…
I’m going to take a few days off from picture-taking and Blog-writing, so that’ll give you a chance to go back and read up on my Blogs, if you want… Or not!
Until then, take care and keep an eye open for new things from the Vagabonds…
Sorry, the pictures are as boring as the landscape… Can’t help it…
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MARATHON%20KEY%20and%20our%20travel%20to%20MOORE%20HEAVEN%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5DEC.%202%20-%205%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=66&isFromRichUpload=1

MARATHON KEY, FLORIDA (DEC. 1, 2009)

Just a short note to let everyone know we stayed home (on Marathon Key) yesterday…
Had some repair stuff to do on the trailer (sewer valve wasn’t working as it should), so I took care of that in the cool of the morning, and then spent hours on the pictures and Blog from Monday’s venture into Key West…
Can’t believe we took so many pictures…
Took almost 300, and ended up with what? 180? Something like that…
While I concentrated on that, Lu took a lawn chair with her and went down to the docks…
Later, in the early evening, we decided to see what the town of Marathon had to offer…
Parked in different places…
Walked and gawked…
Fairly large town, actually, with all kinds of things to do and see…
We stopped at a resort (“Tranquility” I believe it was called)…
Their restaurant wasn’t open, but was told to check out “CHAPPY’S” if we were looking for good food and cheap drinks, so that’s what we did…
It’s located at the beginning (or end) of the Seven Mile Bridge…
Very Island-ish… Very cozy, and it has a view to die over…
We enjoyed ourselves right through sunset…
Unfortunately, the clouds were low on the horizon, which blocked some of the view, but it was all right anyway…
That’s it…
Fewer pictures, and shorter Blog today…
Take care, and keep an eye out for us…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MARATHON%20KEY%5EJ%20FLORIDA%20%5E5DEC.%201%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=21&isFromRichUpload=1

KEY WEST, FL (NOV. 30, 2009)

We had a 57-mile drive down to Key West yesterday (a drive we’ve done a couple of times before), which took us (on Highway 1) through a bunch of Keys…
We stopped at a couple of State Parks (just to check out the beach situation), and we took picture after picture of landscapes, buildings, homes, roadways and bridges nestled along the shoreline of some of the most colorful and incredible waters you’ll ever find…
Yep… There’s something to be said about spending quality time down here the Keys…
We found an all day parking spot in Key West, and began our adventure by strolling the boardwalk along the waterfront…
You pass by restaurants, bars, hotels, boats and yachts of every size and shape, and there are hundreds (if not thousands) of people doing the same thing you are… Ogling into boutiques and shops…
People watching, and basking in the Key West atmosphere…
You listen to hawkers try to sell you everything from T-shirts, parasailing, diving, snorkeling, and cruises on “Old World” sailing vessels, as well as on catamarans, huge yachts, and small boat sailing, …
What a place!
We couldn’t turn down an offer for a two hour sail on the 98-foot APPLEDORE, which included free drinks (beer and wine), and a troubadour who sang old sea chants, accompanying himself on one of those round, little-bitty “push organs,” guitar, and castanet’s (or whatever they‘re called)…
It was the best 39 dollars (each) we’ve ever spent on a cruise…
I even got to help raise the sails (which, I was surprised to find out, was not an easy job), and I got to man the helm for 10-15 minutes…
Bragging rights: I can now officially say I’ve sailed on the Atlantic Ocean!
The sail started at 2:00, so we had a scrumptious lunch at the “Conch Republic and Seafood Bar,” while waiting…
After our sail, we walked down to the SOUTHERNMOST POINT, where someone took our picture (for the 4th time), then hightailed it back to Mallory Square, where we joined hundreds of “sun worshipers,” who gather here every night for the sunset…
It’s a ritual, I guess, because all the “artisans” of the town gather to either sell or show off their “things.”
Very festive…
One of the deckhands on board the APPLEDORE told us to visit the ALAMO BAR, so we went there for a quick (and cheap) drink before driving the 57 miles home… Where we crashed…
Long day, but, boy! was it ever a good one!
Here are lots of pictures: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/KEY%20WEST%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%2030%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=186&isFromRichUpload=1

FORT LAUDERDALE, and going to MARATHON, FLORIDA (NOV. 28 & 29, 2009)

We spent our last day in Fort Lauderdale sitting around the pool in the morning, and enjoying dinner and live music in “Lauderdale by the Sea.”
The pool was cool (to my way of thinking), but both Lu and I managed to spend fourteen seconds in the water before dashing out to the welcoming warmth of the sun…
We’ve been at the pool just about every day, and every day the French Canadians have been there yakking up a storm…
You can’t convince me that they know how to speak quietly…
Full blast all the time…
Maybe they’re all deaf…
Thanksgiving Day they cranked up a music box so people in Paris (that would be in France) could hear… It went on all day and most of the night, with hardly a solitary minute of quiet…
Needless to say, I’m not fond of French Canadians…
So be it…
As I said, we took off for the beach (Lauderdale by the Sea) in the afternoon, and went on a long, leisurely walk along miles of uninhabited sand…
After that we went to “101 Ocean” restaurant, where we had spare ribs (me) and buffalo wings (Lu)…
Very good, and very filling…
As we enjoyed our meals, we heard Elvis sing very old and dear ballads from the 50s and 60s…
He (well, his impersonator) was on a stage, set up in the middle of the street, right in front of our restaurant…
We finished dining, then joined a sing-along and dancing crowd for an hour or more…
Tons of fun for our last night here, that’s for sure…
This morning (Nov. 29) we got ourselves ready fairly early, and spent the next
3½ hours going down I-95 and Hwy 1, to Marathon (one of the Florida Keys, about 60 miles North of Key West)…
Not much to report on, except for the colors of the ocean, since it’s all flat terrain…
But, I tell you, we never tire of the azure waters of the Gulf of Mexico (and the Atlantic Ocean here, as well)…
Simply gorgeous!
Well, look at the pictures and see for yourself: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FORT%20LAUDERDALE%5EJ%20and%20going%20to%20MARATHON%5EJ%20FLORIDA%20%5E5NOV.%2028%20%5E0%2029%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=84&isFromRichUpload=1
We were welcomed with warm smiles and open arms…
The location is superb, but the Park doesn’t have a pool, and we found the water in the Gulf a lot colder than we had anticipated, so, probably no swimming here…
We’ll try the Atlantic side later to see if that’s any better…
Went exploring a little bit after a short nap and a bike ride…
Found some pelicans resting down by the dock, which made Luanne’s day, and we had spare ribs for dinner at the “Hurricane Grill” (down the road a bit)…
I think the plan is to head down to Key West tomorrow, but not sure…
Guess you’ll have to wait and find out along with me…
Take care and keep an eye on our Blog…

MIAMI, MIAMI BEACH, FT. LAUDERDALE, FL (NOV. 27, 2009)

Took a road trip yesterday…
I-95 South to Miami, then I-195 over to Miami Beach, and A1A back home...
We were here in 2000, and expected to see those funky Art Deco buildings again, but, either we missed them entirely, or they’ve been torn down, renovated, or rebuilt… Maybe even repainted… Don’t know, but was kind of disappointed in not finding them along A1A…
I’m thinking… Maybe we didn’t drive by the right “district” and missed them somehow, ‘cause they wouldn’t tear something so unique down, would they?
Anyway, our excursion yesterday was (basically) to check out the beaches between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and that we did…
Stopped in several places, parked, and strolled along the surf line…
It’s so amazing to be able to wade in the ocean, and feel the warm water slosh up your legs…
When we first strolled onto the beach (yesterday morning), the water temp was warmer than the air temp, and we were barefoot and in shorts…
How “cool” is that at the end of November?
We spotted a “Bubba Gump” restaurant, somewhere, and, of course, we had to stop and have lunch:
Cajun shrimp sautéed in butter and garlic, accompanied with French bread…
Oh, yeah, Babe… Spicy, but oh, so delicious!
Farted “firecrackers” for hours afterward…
We had another hiatus at some other beach, and were strolling along picking up shells and enjoying the sun, sand and water, when we came upon a rickety fence a hundred feet away…
It wasn’t very high… Maybe 2 feet, and it hadn’t been built for privacy, ‘cause you could see right through it…
What it was was a demarcation between “our” beach, and one used by nudists…
Oh, yeah, Babe!
Waaaaaaay too much information for this couple…
We made a 180 and headed back…
After that encounter, we found it prudent to head home…
Had a nap and some quality time around the pool, then headed out for the nightlife…
Went to “101 Ocean” and “Aruba” restaurants…
At the Aruba, with the purchase of any kind of drink, they offered free food (barbequed pork with gravy and vegetables; hot dogs, salads, and fruits), so we had a fabulous dinner there…
Didn’t feel like writing after we got home last night, so that task was left for today…
We just came back from a shopping spree at Walmart (have to stock up for our trip down to Marathon tomorrow, since we don‘t know what kinds of stores they have down there)…
Luanne just walked over to the pool, and as soon as I get done here, I’m joining her…
There’s the clue to the end of another Blog…
Take care, and keep an eye out for us…
Here are the pix: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/MIAMI%5EJ%20MIAMI%20BEACH%5EJ%20FT.%20LAUDERDALE%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%2027%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=67&isFromRichUpload=1

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (NOV. 26, 2009 - THANKSGIVING)

It’s late (here), but probably about time to serve the “BIRD” at home, so we figured we’d take the opportunity to wish everyone a happy Turkey Day…
This has been, by far, the most unusual Thanksgiving Luanne and I have ever had…
Not counting the weather, there’s the occasional call from daughter, asking how to manipulate things in the oven, but that wonderful aroma (which envelopes you when you’re cooking at home) is all but a memory…
Not that we mind, mind you…
We’re having an excellent Thanksgiving…
Yesterday was in the “what-the-hell-is-going-on” category (when we didn’t know if we needed to hire Noah for another Arc), but - thankfully - the downpour ended, and we survived to celebrate another Pilgrim thing…
Today dawned with sunshine galore, and we headed out to the beach as soon as our “peepers” were able to focus…
Wanted to drive down to Miami (on A1A), but only made it about half way… Things looked very “commercial” “down that way,” so we made a U-ie…
Found a parking area that charged $1.75 an hour, and went strolling on the beach…
Gosh… That water is unreal… Warmer than our pool… Oh, did I tell you that already?
Unfortunately, we didn’t plan ahead, so we didn’t have our swim wear with us, but we walked a few miles in the surf, and swore we’d bring them tomorrow!
After being properly browned on both sides for a couple of hours, we headed home for a siesta at the pool, and then got ourselves ready for a new experience: Thanksgiving dinner in a restaurant!
Lu went on-line to researched the eateries on the beach, and found all kinds of accolades for THE ARUBA BEACH CAFÉ, so that’s where we headed, around 4:30…
Had a couple of drinks, and then had a feast of (hold your breath) seafood!
Yep… Since this was our first outing away for Thanksgiving, we opted for “Surf Food,” and, I’m pretty sure, the turkey we saved was very thankful!
That’s it…
We made it home, and we’re stuffed to the gills (oh, no… I didn’t say that, did I?)…
I’m ready for bed (it’s almost 10pm)…
Lu is already snoring, and I’m giving up on a perfectly wonderful day…
All that’s left to say is,
Thanks y’all for following our Blog…
For all your valuable comments…
For your friendship, and your good wishes…
We appreciate every one of you, and wish you the best holiday season ever!
Take care…
Lots of love,
Kjell and Luanne
Oh… Here are some pix: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FORT%20LAUDERDALE%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%2026%5EJ%202009%20-%20THANKSGIVING%5E6?nl=1&uc=57&isFromRichUpload=1

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (NOV. 23 and 24, 2009)

Just so you don’t think I’ve forgotten how to write, I will make the supreme effort to put a few words together, in order to dispel rumors of me having had a sunstroke, or whatever…
Sometimes it’s tough to muster up the energy needed for this task, especially in this heat and humidity…
One would think we should’ve gotten used to this climate by now, but, no…
No such luck…
Don’t know if any of you out there have encountered 90 degree weather, and 98 percent humidity…
If you have, then you know what I’m talking about…
You go from air-conditioned room to air-conditioned car, and on the way from one to the other, you become soaked… Literally… From your own sweat…
Not much enjoyment in that, let me tell you…
But enough whining…
As I’ve already stated, we’re in Fort Lauderdale, at the "Sunshine Holiday RV Park"...
This place is overrun by French Canadians (Quebec), who have shown themselves to be loud and boisterous…
Some are very arrogant, and some are unfriendly (there are, of course, exceptions), but you’d be hard pressed to hear an English word all day long.
They get away from the frigid North, and come to Florida to spend their Winters…
Can‘t say I blame them for that, but some of them could sure use some lessons in manners… Just my humble opinion…
When we arrived here, we took (to Jack’s consternation) a wrong turn on the freeway, but happened to drive by an IKEA, which we found was only a few miles up the road, so the detour was well worth Jack’s unrelenting recalculations…
Lots of good Scandinavian grub to be had at IKEA, so we spent yesterday going for breakfast there, and stocking up on a bunch of stuff (who knows when we’ll see another IKEA?).
From there we programmed Jack to take us to COSTCO, which is also just a couple of miles from us… Of course, he took us to the one that was about 20 miles away to begin with (some glitch in the programming, I think), but, anyway, we finally found the right one, and did our thing there…
Then off to WALMART…
Can you believe it? All three within spending distance! How lucky can one be?
We also took a quick trip over to the beach (six miles away) to check and see if the Atlantic was still there…
I had some stomach problems, so we had to cut the stay short, but we got a few pictures, and Lu got some shells, so everything wasn’t a total waste…
Today was spent on walks, bike rides, and the swimming pool…
Safe to stick close to home when you’re a walking puddle and not fully up to par…
Tomorrow… Who knows?
We’ll see what the Boss feels up to…
Until further notice, I will plug along as best I can, and keep you up to speed whenever “Hunt and Peck” (my two typing fingers) feel they need practice…
Here are the pictures: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/FORT%20LAUDERDALE%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%2023%20and%2024%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=24&isFromRichUpload=1

CLEARMONT to FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA (NOV. 22, 2009)

I know I’ve been lax in my writing lately, but, there really hasn’t been anything worth writing about…
The last three days have been virtually excitement free…
We went on a boardwalk-like walk (asphalt path) along the lake where Clermont sits (don’t know the name, and I’m too lazy to look it up)…
Went shopping at Walmart a couple of times…
Filled up the truck there (cheapest diesel around: $2.72/gal)…
Drove around a couple of neighborhoods, just to get the feel for the place…
Took the bikes and rode around our RV Park quite a few times…
Lu walked around the perimeter three times every day…
A guy came and asked if he could wash my trailer and truck, and I couldn’t turn him down, since he only charged $50...
And we had a wonderful seafood dinner at Cody Jack’s Restaurant Saturday night…
That’s about it…
Didn’t take any pictures, because you’ve already seen most of the places we’ve visited here…
So… Really boring from that standpoint…
But it was nice to catch our breath from five straight days at DisneyWorld…
We debated whether to go back for a 6th and 7th day, but reason and sanity prevailed, and, instead, enjoyed some “quiet” time close to home…
We got out of Clermont around 8:30 this morning (Nov. 22), and took Hwy 27 South for most of our ride to Fort Lauderdale…
It seems to me that the trip today has the flattest (and most boring) terrain we’ve encountered so far…
Remember when I grumbled about acres and acres of corn fields in the Mid-West?
You should see this place!
Actually, you are… If you peek at my pictures…
The Mid-West has rolling hills…
Florida has them, too, but the country we drove through today is just FLAT…
Hence… Very few pictures to share… I’m sure you understand…
Maybe tomorrow, when we explore some of the beaches around Fort Lauderdale, I can get some shots of other things besides sugar cane and highway signs…
Until then, take care and keep an eye on the Blog… You just don’t know when I’ll surprise you with another installment…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/CLEARMONT%20to%20FORT%20LAUDERDALE%5EJ%20FLORIDA%20%5E5NOV.%2022%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=32&isFromRichUpload=1

BACK TO EPCOT (NOV. 18, 2009)

Wed. Nov. 18...
We’ve been talking about what to do with our 5th day (five day pass for four Theme Parks), and thought we’d better go back and watch the firework show at EPCOT…
So, yesterday, we took it easy…
Went to a small joint (we’ve been driving by for over a week now), and had a great breakfast…
Took off on a couple of bike rides…
Spent some time trying to fix my front bike break… Couldn’t…
Read…
Lounged in the sun, until it got too hot, then took a nap…
Pointed the truck down Hwy 27 (it knows the route now), and walked into EPCOT a bit after 4:00...
We missed a few attractions the last time we were here, so we went straight to “THE LAND,” which turned out to be very interesting.
Went to the “CIRCLE OF LIFE” movie, starring The Lion King, then took a boat ride through LIVING WITH THE LAND‘s amazing greenhouses and fish farms…
Had a half hour to wait to go on “SOARIN, so we got a couple of “FastPasses” and went over to THE SEAS WITH NEMO AND FRIENDS, where we climbed aboard a “clamobile” for a ride to search for Nemo…
Back to THE LAND, where we climbed aboard a “people-holding” contraption, and went on a “free-flying hang gliding” adventure from sea to shining sea…
I found out I’m still not over my fear of heights, but after the initial shock (and telling myself that I was only a few feet above the ground), I relaxed somewhat, and actually began to enjoy the ride, but then it was over…
It was dark when we got out from that venture, and, let me tell you, EPCOT is very pretty in the dark…
The Christmas Trees are all aglitter…
Fountains are aglow with a rainbow of colors, and there’s a wonderful feeling of tranquility that settles over you as you stroll along the shoreline of the lagoon…
Music is everywhere…
Live bands, and piped-in…
We went looking for a place to eat…
Found you had to have reservations to most of the finer dining establishments, but we lucked out and got in at the NINE DRAGONS RESTAURANT, where we enjoyed a very good Chinese dinner…
That took us almost up to the Fireworks Showtime (9pm start)…
Walked over to where we got a couple of good viewing spots, and, as you’d expect from a Disney Production, enjoyed an excellent show…
There you have it…
Take care, and remember to check back from time to time…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/BACK%20TO%20EPCOT%20%5E5NOV.%2018%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=73&isFromRichUpload=1

DISNEY WORLD - HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS (NOV. 17, 2009)

First, let me let you in on what we did yesterday (Nov. 16)…
Nothing much…
Did some minor things that had to do with the trailer…
Did some bike riding, reading, napping, and we stopped (on our way back from shopping), by Lakewood Winery, which is just down the road from where we’re staying, and is the biggest winery in Florida…
Thought it’d be nice to see what Washington State’s competition was up to, you see…
We’ve been on Winery Tours in Spain, Portugal, Italy, and all over the States, but this one gets the “Oscar“ for overall best performance…
The guide made the almost two hours we spent with him seem like minutes…
The tour was exceptionally informative (even a square-head like me could understand what he said), and executed superbly with comic relief where needed…
Of course, the tasting wasn’t bad either…
Ended up buying two bottles, which we’ll save for something special…
Maybe a Thursday or Friday? Who knows?
That brings us to:
We left moderately early this morning, expecting HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS not to keep us as busy as the other Theme Parks…
Gossip had this Park on a lower scale than the other three, and, studying some of the literature (we‘ve picked up over the past week), we pretty much thought we’d be leaving fairly early…
Luanne picked up a guide map as soon as we walked through the Entry Portals, and set course for the Wizard’s Hat, over there by the Main Square…
I had no idea she was on a mission, but, evidently, she’d been thinking overnight (that’s scary, now that I put it on paper ¬ figuratively speaking)…
Without knowing it, I was secretly being steered down Hollywood Boulevard, around the corner to Sunset Boulevard, all the while taking shot after shot of storefronts and buildings I actually saw in Hollywood some forty years ago…
Boy! That dates me, huh?
Oh, well… You’re only as old as you think you are…
As we turned onto Sunset, the upper stories of the HOLLYWOOD TOWER loomed above the treetops…
We could hear intermittent screaming, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it, since I was busy eyeballing attractions on either side of me…
Besides…
We talked it over last night, and we agreed that the sensible act here was not to even contemplate going on THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER OF TERROR…
The brochure says: You go up in an elevator (about a hundred thousand feet), which (without notice, mind you!) drops 13 stories, then does all kinds of weird, unkind things to ordinary people (like me)…
It’s just not natural to hang around like that, and besides it frightens the peewee out of you… Well, me…
13 stories!
Even our friends, Billy and Donna, who have been here several times, have not gone on this stupid ride… They are sane and rational folks!
So why was the mother of my three children steering me into the Tower?
She’d thought it over, she said…
She would like to see what was inside the Hotel…
Don’t have to take the ride, she said…
Just look…
OK… Just look…
We climbed some stairs…
Got into a very dark room…
Spooky stuff…
Lasers and lights blinking and scanning the surfaces, and things blowing in your face…
Gosh, I hate that!
Doors open to the elevator…
She says, “Best to do these things first thing in the morning… Get it over with!”
“Are you out of your mind, woman!”
A little kid snickers…
Ah, shoot….
The doors close…
We’re told to buckle in… Tug on the strap to make sure you’re fastened!
Oh, God!
Swoosh…
Were going to the stars!
Sudden Stop…
Oh, God!
We drop so fast my heart said hello to my brain as they pass each other!
Oh, God!
Have no idea of how long this torture lasted…
All I know is that I’m hoarse, and my head is now completely gray…
But hold on…
There’s a gilded hem to this yarn…
As we descended to our final resting place, I heard Luanne apologize to the man sitting to her right…
Evidently, my brave woman forgot which side of her I was sitting, because, when we dropped the first time, she had locked on to the man’s leg…
He appeased her by saying everything was OK, but I saw him later, and he was limping!
I never lie!
So… If that wasn’t enough for my Stunt Woman, she immediately hauled me over to the ROCK ‘N ROLLER COASTER, which turned out to be a “road trip” to Hell!
I honestly don’t know why I let her talk me into these things…
I must be stupid!
Anyway, this rollercoaster twists, turns, and loops (yes! I said loops… that means upside down, folks!), and it does that at the speed of sound, and in almost total darkness…
You get tossed and turned in so many ways that you’re totally incapable of following a straight line for an hour after they let you out of the cage…
I’m not even going to mention they have to use crowbars to pry your fingers from the handholds!
I hate things like this, so, why then, do I go on them?
Have no idea… Must be stupidity!
Since I’ve been going on for way too long about rides tonight, I better shorten the rest of my tirade…
All in all, Hollywood Studios is pretty cool…
There are not as many rides as there are in the other Theme Parks, but they make up for that in restaurants, delis, cafes, and other roadside eateries…
It must be hundreds of them!
The attractions and shows are more for the “Little Ones,” but they are flawlessly shown and performed, and, of course, they have the Walt Disney Flair: Elegant Costumes, and faultless talents!
We enjoyed our visit to HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS very much, but our vote goes to EPCOT and MAGIC KINGDOM…
OK… That’s it for now…
I will probably take a break again tomorrow, so no Blog or pictures for a few days… Can you handle it?
Take care and keep an eye out for us when you serf the Internet…
Here are the pictures: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/DISNEY%20WORLD%20-%20HOLLYWOOD%20STUDIOS%20%5E5NOV.%2017%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=121&isFromRichUpload=1

DISNEY WORLD - ANIMAL KINGDOM (NOV. 15, 2009)

Here's a Blog (and pictures) for Reese, Hunter, Hailey, Morgan, Hannah, and Holly (from the oldest to the youngest)... The greatest grandchildren in the world!
All day yesterday, we contemplated whether to take in the “night” show at EPCOT, or skip it and see it another night…
As I’ve stated in prior Blogs, we have five days to take in four of the Theme Parks… We can only visit one park a day (in a fourteen day span), so we’ll spend the “extra” day at whatever Park tickles our fancy… So far, I think we’re leaning toward EPCOT…
Anyway, skip it won…
Must’ve been in a gambling mode, ‘cause we also flipped over what to see today…
ANIMAL KINGDOM got the nod…
Since we’d heard that AK was more for the younger set, we got a little later start than normal, which turned out OK…
Guess what I’m saying is that, yes, AK is geared more for the youngsters, but us old-timers had a great time anyway…
We put in our five hundred miles of walking again, but, for some unfathomable reason, it seemed like a stroll through a park…
I’ll let you know, though, in a day or two, if that’s a true statement, since my legs aren’t particularly in a conversational state of mind right at the moment…
Most of the paths in AK is shaded, and therefore much cooler than if you’re out in the sunshine… And sunshine we had!
Don’t know for sure what the temp was, but it had to be in the high 80s - low 90s… And not a cloud in the sky!
I hear Washington had some snow this weekend?
Ohhhhhhh….
As usual, I have a million pictures (don’t fret, I’ve whittled them down to a manageable size), but, again, I’m sorry I can’t show you more from the Musical Productions we went to, because the camera just will not cooperate…
I’ve tried all kinds of settings… Flash… No flash… Out of all I take, I end up with just a few…
I suppose I should be happy, ‘cause the fewer pictures I have to edit and comment on, the easier it is for me, but…
Today’s shows, “FESTIVAL OF THE LION KING” and “FINDING NEMO - THE MUSICAL” were magnificent!
We saw the “FESTIVAL OF THE LION KING” this morning, and, by the way, the sets, costumes, and music were beyond description, and we enjoyed both shows just as thoroughly as the little ones assembled all around us…
We did go on all the rides but one, and, oh yes, as advertised, we did get soaked on our “KALI RIVER RAPIDS” white-water rafting trip…
That’s one heck of a drop over those falls, folks!
Thought I left my drawers behind when that happened, but when we sloshed off the raft, I felt them… Albeit a bit soggy…
Whether from… Well… No need to go there…
There are all kinds of trails, which we must’ve walked every mile of, and, of course, we saw all kinds of animals from… Well, you name them, and we must‘ve seen them…
We visited almost every attraction before lunch, and went back to where we left off after…
By the way, everything (food wise, and otherwise) is outrageously expensive at DisneyWorld, so come with lots of cash, or bring your own food…
Unfortunately (Yeah, right…), we missed taking the rollercoaster ride “EXPEDITION EVEREST“ since we took in the “FINDING NEMO” show right after lunch… Which made us late for the ride…
Truth be told, we whimped out…
Yep…
Had second thoughts when we heard all those screams from people dropping off the mountain, and were never seen again…
Maybe it was the full tummy speaking?
Would hate to spoil the fun for all those in front of me, if you get my drift…
Anyway, we were kind of relieved when we found out we were late for the ride…
And that was that…
We did manage to see the tail end of THE ANIMAL KINGDOM PARADE, which basically brought our day to an end…
Take care, and check in on us again, when you have time…
Oh, by the way, we’re taking another day off tomorrow, so no Blog, no pictures…
Unless something happens…
Here are the pictures:
http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/DISNEY%20WORLD%20-%20ANIMAL%20KINGDOM%20%5E5NOV.%2015%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=177&isFromRichUpload=1

DISNEYWORLD - EPCOT (NOV. 13, 2009)

It’s so nice to have “Jack” on our side…
Of course, I finally figured out how to get him to do what I want him to do…
By putting in “intermediate points,” he has no choice but to follow orders!
That said, we got to EPCOT just as they opened at 9:00am (it’s a 45 minute drive, from our RV Park, by the way), and we walked right into SPACESHIP EARTH…
Had no idea of what that big ball was about, but found out that it’s actually a ride… Here’s what Disney says: “ See yourself in the future (literally) as you ride, play, create, compete and explore inside the Park’s amazing icon.”
It was amazing, all right!
Took all kinds of pictures, but hardly any came out…
I’m thinking, since you’re not allowed to use flash at most of the attractions, that it must be the interior lighting that screws up the camera???
Anyhoo… The ride was fantastic (what else can you expect from Disney, right?), and the added enjoyment of looking at ourselves (up on the big wall) in cartoon form was certainly a surprise…
You have to look at the pictures to get more out of it, ‘cause I don’t have time to write about it…
Gotta get this puppy out on the internet, ‘cause people are a bit disappointed in my less than stellar performance lately…
From SPACESHIP EARTH we sauntered over to MISSION: SPACE…
Was asked if we wanted to join the Orange Team (INTENSE JOURNEY) or the Green Team (a “tame,” “milder mission“)…
Before I could utter a word, Lovely Lu nailed down the Orange Team…
Asked if she’d read up on it, the answer was “maybe”…
I dropped it at that… No use arguing about small things…
Personally, I loved the ride…
It’s amazing to me how they can make you feel like you’re about to drop your stomach one minute; then, within seconds, you vacillate between weightlessness and a G-Force that threatens to shrink you by four feet (and all done while you move maybe a couple of inches)…
Lovely Lu, on the other hand… Not so much…
She came out green (Editor’s note: Probably should’ve been the team she opted for)…
I didn’t notice, because, in my exhilaration, as I was dragging her out of there, I was going on and on about how cool I thought that ride was…
When she suddenly stopped and yanked my hand, I finally noticed a not-so-healthy complexion…
Ahhh… Honey!
My little Daredevil… Maybe we should read about these rides before tackling them from now on?
Yep… Good idea!
We got some fresh air…
Matter of fact, we got a lot of fresh air as we meandered around the lagoon, stopping at every Country Pavilion along the way…
Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada… Did I miss any?
We went on a bunch of rides, and stopped at almost all the exhibits, and still didn’t get to experience it all…
By the time the Sun was setting, we were pretty tired, and decided we’d come back another day to “finish” up EPCOT…
Again, look at the pictures, and fill in the blanks here in our Blog… That should give you something to do for a while… After all, why should I be the only one to waste my time… I’ve been working on this for almost four hours now, and that’s enough…
Take care, and keep hoping for another installment…
Phone calls and emails don’t count, I’m afraid… The Blogger does things on his own time…
PICTURES:
It’s so nice to have “Jack” on our side…
Of course, I finally figured out how to get him to do what I want him to do…
By putting in “intermediate points,” he has no choice but to follow orders!
That said, we got to EPCOT just as they opened at 9:00am (it’s a 45 minute drive, from our RV Park, by the way), and we walked right into SPACESHIP EARTH…
Had no idea of what that big ball was about, but found out that it’s actually a ride… Here’s what Disney says: “ See yourself in the future (literally) as you ride, play, create, compete and explore inside the Park’s amazing icon.”
It was amazing, all right!
Took all kinds of pictures, but hardly any came out…
I’m thinking, since you’re not allowed to use flash at most of the attractions, that it must be the interior lighting that screws up the camera???
Anyhoo… The ride was fantastic (what else can you expect from Disney, right?), and the added enjoyment of looking at ourselves (up on the big wall) in cartoon form was certainly a surprise…
You have to look at the pictures to get more out of it, ‘cause I don’t have time to write about it…
Gotta get this puppy out on the internet, ‘cause people are a bit disappointed in my less than stellar performance lately…
From SPACESHIP EARTH we sauntered over to MISSION: SPACE…
Was asked if we wanted to join the Orange Team (INTENSE JOURNEY) or the Green Team (a “tame,” “milder mission“)…
Before I could utter a word, Lovely Lu nailed down the Orange Team…
Asked if she’d read up on it, the answer was “maybe”…
I dropped it at that… No use arguing about small things…
Personally, I loved the ride…
It’s amazing to me how they can make you feel like you’re about to drop your stomach one minute; then, within seconds, you vacillate between weightlessness and a G-Force that threatens to shrink you by four feet (and all done while you move maybe a couple of inches)…
Lovely Lu, on the other hand… Not so much…
She came out green (Editor’s note: Probably should’ve been the team she opted for)…
I didn’t notice, because, in my exhilaration, as I was dragging her out of there, I was going on and on about how cool I thought that ride was…
When she suddenly stopped and yanked my hand, I finally noticed a not-so-healthy complexion…
Ahhh… Honey!
My little Daredevil… Maybe we should read about these rides before tackling them from now on?
Yep… Good idea!
We got some fresh air…
Matter of fact, we got a lot of fresh air as we meandered around the lagoon, stopping at every Country Pavilion along the way…
Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada… Did I miss any?
We went on a bunch of rides, and stopped at almost all the exhibits, and still didn’t get to experience it all…
By the time the Sun was setting, we were pretty tired, and decided we’d come back another day to “finish” up EPCOT…
Again, look at the pictures, and fill in the blanks here in our Blog… That should give you something to do for a while… After all, why should I be the only one to waste my time… I’ve been working on this for almost four hours now, and that’s enough…
Take care, and keep hoping for another installment…
Phone calls and emails don’t count, I’m afraid… The Blogger does things on his own time…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/DISNEYWORLD%20-%20%20EPCOT%20%5E5NOV.%2013%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=150&isFromRichUpload=1

DISNEY WORLD - MAGIC KINGDOM (NOV. 12, 2009)

In spite of a nasty and cold drizzle, we were as giddy as little kids at Christmas as we walked through the portals of the Magic Kingdom this morning…
Haven’t felt that way since I don’t know when, and I know my Better Half felt the same way by the way she squeezed my hand (she does that when she’s excited)...
Too bad the weather wasn’t cooperating, but we were committed to five days of Disney Magic, so…
Got a bit wet as we walked from the parking lot to the Main Entrance, but I held my sweater over my head, and Lu had a coat on… We survived…
Coming through the Main Gate, we saw Main Street bedecked in Holiday dress…
Garlands and wreaths…
Candy cane gardens…
Happy Christmas music…
WOW!
Christmas comes early to Florida!
We got a map, and decided to discover the Magic Kingdom counter clockwise…
Please note…
I took a lot of pictures today…
Unfortunately, I had to throw out almost half of them…
Main cause: I (or something I was in) was moving too fast to get a focus (blurry), or the subject lighting screwed the camera up somehow (washout)…
I have no idea what causes what, so I take a bunch of shots, and hope for the best…
Anyway, I commented on most of the pictures, so I’m not going into any kind of detail about things in tonight’s Blog… Just gonna do a kind of recap, if you will…
After meandering through Main Street, U.S.A., we found ourselves in Adventureland, and climbing the Swiss Family Treehouse.
That was followed by a Jungle Cruise, and the long-awaited “sail” with The Pirates of the Caribbean…
We were just like kids in a candy store… Holding hands…
Ohhing and ahhing…
Nudging each other in order to focus attention to amazing things…
Bloody great, Mate, to be a kid in a grownup body…
Twists and turns took us to Frontierland, where we thought it’d be nice to take a ride on SPLASH Mountain (the name alone should’ve been a clue)…
I suppose we’ve heard about these things before, but, for some reason, we didn’t pay much attention to signs, until we were seated in a holed out log, and the darn thing began to climb, and there was a sign staring us in the face, proclaiming hazards ahead!…
My goodness…
It was exhilarating, to say the least…
We got wet (whether from the water splashing over us, as we plunged 4,325 feet to our deaths, or from natural bodily reactions, is hard to say)…
We staggered off the log…
Breath: Shallow and quick…
Body: Limp…
Mind: Mush!
And that’s probably why we meandered right over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad…
Figured we would take a slow and easy train ride for a while, just to slow our heartbeats, and give us a breather…
Should’ve seen the problem when we boarded some kind of railroad car with “LOCK-DOWN” equipment
(that’s padded steel bars which lowers automatically over your body - when you least expect it - and locks you down in such a way that the only thing moving are your eyeballs)…
Of course, we should’ve known something was up when the “car” took off into water at a pretty good clip (almost got a whiplash, but why bother with bagatelles?)
Oh… If we didn’t have any idea of what we were in for by this time, we sure should’ve when the “railroad car” hauled ass up a steep incline, and then proceeded to hurl our old bodies every which way…
If only our eyeballs could scream!
But, at least, we finally figured it out:
A ROLLERCOASTER, for crying out loud!
Haven’t been in one of those since I was frightened to within an inch of oblivion (At a Seaside, Oregon, “coaster”) the first year we were married…
That one only had five turns and dropped four an a half feet!
After the miracle (I must call it that, since we found ourselves alive after “Monster Arms” let go of us),
Lu told me she couldn’t remember much of the episode…
Probably had her eyes closed and passed out…
Lucky girl!
But I have the proof that she was with me…
I’m now the proud owner of a nice tattoo showing five very frightened fingers on my right arm…
How she got away from “Monster Arm” is anybody’s guess…
Thank goodness, things slowed down for the rest of our stay…
We visited Fantasyland and Tomorrowland…
Had hot dogs at four bucks apiece, and took in the “Presidents Show” at Liberty Square (that was awe inspiring, by the way).
Finally, we took the ferry back to the parking area…
Programmed “Jack,” who was a very good boy and got us home.
Now it’s time for bed…
Gotta get some shut-eye before tomorrow’s Disney adventure…
Here are the pictures that survived: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/DISNEY%20WORLD%20-%20MAGIC%20KINGDOME%20%5E5NOV.%2012%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=118&isFromRichUpload=1

BEE’S RV RESORT, CLERMONT, FL and a prelude to DISNEY WORLD (NOV. 9, 10 & 11, 2009)

Haven’t felt like writing for a few days…
Some have called to see if I’m alive, some have checked my Facebook (where I manage to scribble a few lines every day), and - as far as I can tell - I’m still kicking…
There are a couple of reasons for this lack of enthusiasm, of course, and the main one is the weather…
The humidity bombarded us from the moment we entered Florida…
I’m not used to it, and my old “bod” has been repelling water faster than I’ve been drinking it…
Consequence: Dehydration…
Got a little worried…
Called my doctor…
Inhaled a bunch of liquids, and am almost back to normal…
Back to the weather…
The forecast called for rain and strong winds (from hurricane IDA) on Monday, Tuesday and today, so, since we’re here for 14 nights, we decided to stay put until things lightened up…
Here in Florida, evidently, they are as good to predict weather as at home…
We did get some wind, but the rain decided to wait until last night to make its appearance...
All this gave me a couple of days off, and a couple of days to get back to my fun-loving self…
There you have it… Two good reasons, don’t you think?
Of course, we didn’t just sit and wait this out on our tiny little tushes (or is that tushii for plural?)…
We’ve been busy little beavers, doing this and that…
Oops… “This and that” doesn’t come to mind right at the moment…
Give me a few moments…
I cheated…
Conferred with the Boss, and “we” did laundry, “we” did repair work on the awning, “we” got our bikes down from their perch (at the back of the trailer) and ready for long rides, “we” went shopping, and even took some walks…
What more is there to life, you might add…
This morning (Wed. Nov. 11) we thought we’d take a dry run to Disney World, just to check things out…
Am I glad we did!
Had absolutely no idea of how huge this place is…
First, I figured DisneyWorld had about the same layout as Disneyland, in California…
Not so… The whole Disneyland complex could be placed inside the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom!
That should give you an idea…
We programmed “Jack,” and he didn’t disappoint!
The trip should’ve taken 40-45 minutes…
Took us an hour and a half!
However, that took us everywhere but New York, and it got us right to the BACK “door” (the service area) of the “Magic Kingdom”…
Love that guy!
After some asking, we found a parking lot (at the FRONT of the complex), and took a trolley about a half mile to the ticket booths…
We’re now ready for a five day “tour” of DisneyWorld, starting tomorrow morning…
I will try to keep text and pictures coming every day, but no promise!
I’m up to date, and so are you…
Take care, and keep an eye out for us on my Blog.
PICTURES (Sorry… Not many today): http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/BEE%e2%80%99S%20RV%20RESORT%5EJ%20CLERMONT%5EJ%20FL%20and%20a%20prelude%20to%20DISNEY%20WORLD%20%5E5NOV.%209%5EJ%2010%20%5E0%2011%5EJ%202009%5E6?nl=1&uc=10&isFromRichUpload=1

WOODBINE, GA to CLERMONT, FL via DAYTONA BEACH (NOV. 8, 2009)

Left Woodbine at 8:45 this morning, heading down I-95...
Tried to program “Jack” to get us to our next RV Resort, but he wouldn’t have any of it… I mean, I gave him the address, and everything, but that didn’t impress him in the least…
After many attempts last night and a few this morning, I gave up and put Daytona Beach in, since that was on the way…
This he liked…
And I liked it, too, since I’m a NASCAR fan from way back when…
Hmmm… My better half wondered if this might’ve been a ruse to go to the Speedway… Good question, I suppose, but I can tell you that by the excitement in her face; as we drove into the Speedway, and we heard the incredible noise of race cars on the track, that she didn’t mind at all…
That’s my gal! We do have things in comment after all… Nice to know in a pinch!
The parking lot (in front of the complex) is empty, so I place the Awesome Duo (Big Boy and Big Daddy) in the perfect place for a Photo Op…
Walked over to two guys at the entrance to Tunnel 4, and find out that the owner of the Race track, and the President of NASCAR is sitting in the car right in front of us… Didn’t have the camera, of course, so one Photo Op missed…
We did get BB and BD, so not all was lost…
Spent some time inside the “Welcome Center” (where I had to buy a T-shirt), and then walked up into the Grandstand in Turn Four…
(They didn’t let us do anything free in Indianapolis… What’s with that?).
Found out that there was going to be a VINTAGE car race this afternoon, and that’s the noise we’d heard earlier…
Lucked out (while we were in the Grandstand), and watched three cars practice…
Shot a bunch of pictures, but none were clear enough to catch the action…
Hard to focus when the cars zoom by at close to 200 MPH…
We finally had to tear ourselves away from all the merriment…
Had a RV Park to find, you see…
Wouldn’t you know it… Jack still didn’t recognize the address, so we improvised… Told him about a female GARMIN GPS in the closest town to where we were going, and that did the trick… It got us on the “North Florida’s Turnpike” (just North of Orlando), and from there we had directions from the RV Park’s brochure…
After signing in, we had to jockey around a bit to get the satellite TV focused (there’s always a tree in the way, it seems), and to make Lulubelle happy…
Have to make that happen, of course…
We took a little trip into Clermont (late this afternoon), to check it out, but found it deserted (Sunday), so we came home, where we’ve now watched a couple of shows, and are about ready to hit the sack…
That’s it for another Blog…
Take care and keep an eye open for us on the Net…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WOODBINE%5EJ%20GA%20to%20CLERMONT%5EJ%20FL%20via%20DAYTONA%20BEACH%20%5E5NOV.%208%5EJ%202009%5E6?uc=30&isFromRichUpload=1

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP, GA and AMELIA ISLAND, FL (NOV. 7, 2009)

Didn’t know what to do this morning until we started the truck (at 9:00)…
Flipped a coin and drove to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (Swamp), where we stayed until about 2:30...
The Entrance Road is about 2½ miles long, which winds it’s way through a very “open” forest of longleaf pine trees… The forest floor is covered in a carpet of palms, and Lu took picture after picture, of which some survived my editing…
The park measures almost 402,000 acres (about 163,000 hectares), and we “covered” maybe a fraction of a fraction of that…
They were just opening up when we arrived, so we spent some time in the Visitor’s Center, getting as much info as we could… Even took in a 20-minute movie, which was well worth the cost…
Oh, that’s right… No cost… And no cost for entering the park either, since I’m a “Golden Member”
(One who gets in free at all National Parks)…
Picked the brain of the young Ranger who greeted us… Got some brochures, and moseyed over to the “Okefenokee Adventures” concession building, where we inquired about a boat tour…
One had just left, and we had an hour to do things on our own…
Jumped in the truck and took a nine mile trip into the heart of the beast on Swamp Island Drive…
Parked at the Chesser Island Homestead, and, after having chatted with the Ranger Guide (who was comfortably settled into a rocker on the front porch), we took a self guided tour of the place…
It’s a big house, unlike the one and two room shacks you usually find in the Swamp…
Evidently, Mr. Chesser did quite well for himself, his wife and seven children, and made a living making and selling sugar and turpentine…
You can probably find out more about them on the internet…
We left the truck, and hiked out to “The Owls Roost” observation tower, on a wooden boardwalk…
Spotted a gator basking in the sun, just feet away from the path…
Lu went gaga…
Took lots of pictures… Some survived the editing process…
Got a beautiful view from the top of the tower, and spotted a couple of alligators through the telescope (fastened to a stand at one corner of the top platform), but, unfortunately, they were too far away for my camera to pick up, so we had to settle for the one along the boardwalk, and the BIG one we encountered when we got back to the Visitor’s center…
By that time, we were pretty well pooped form all the walking, and decided not to take the boat ride, but to get in the truck and head out to Emelia Island for a last “quality” time with the Beach…
We’re heading to Clermont (a few miles away from Orlando) tomorrow morning, where we’ll be staying for two weeks… I don’t think the Beach is in the picture when Disney World is beckoning, do you?
Anyway, we were starving when we got to the beach, so we parked in front of the “Sandy Bottoms Beach Bar and Grill,” walked in and had an early dinner…
Then hiked the beach for an hour…
My poor “sticks” is getting a workout, I tell you…
Don’t think I’ll have any trouble sleeping tonight…
And that’s your clue that this conversation is over…
Night all…
Take care and keep an eye on us, will you…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/OKEFENOKEE%20SWAMP%5EJ%20GA%20and%20EMELIA%20ISLAND%5EJ%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%207%5EJ%202009%5E6

WOODBINE and KINGSLAND, GA (NOV. 5, 2009) and AMELIA ISLAND and FERNANDINA BEACH. FL (NOV. 6, 2009)

Yesterday, Nov. 5, 2009...
House cleaning in the morning, then off to check what the City of Woodbine had to offer…
Heard it was a “historic” town, and looked forward to a long stroll on the “River Walk” (which was highly touted by the Welcome Center when we first arrived)…
We found the “River Walk” right off, but it was not what we’d expected…
The raised deck starts at Satilla River Waterfront Park, hugs the shoreline for maybe an eight of a mile,
and then peters out at a path heading inland…
That’s it…
There’s nothing to look at, along the short span, except for “The River” and marsh grass… Oh, and a tall bridge…
Took a couple of pictures, then searched high and low for something “historic.”
Found City Hall (which is fairly old), and hailed a police officer, who told us, “There’s nothing in Woodbine. You can drive around the city three times in three minutes“…
We left for Kingsland, another small town, a few miles down the freeway, to see if there was anything there to write home about…
Sorry… Same story (except no “River Walk” here)…
Gave up…
Stopped at Applebee’s…
Went home to plan for more fun tomorrow…
Friday, Nov. 6, 2009...
Left “Home, sweet Trailer” about 9:00...
Lu had read up on the area’s attractions, and decided that a trip into Florida was in order…
She was hungry for a beach, after yesterday’s failure, and I was totally in tune with that…
Don’t remember if I mentioned it before, but our RV Park is located 3 miles North of the Border…
Taking I-95, Hwy 17, and SR 200/A1A, we crossed the bridge over to Amelia Island in just over half an hour…
Found a parking spot at the waterfront, in the town of Fernandina Beach (by the way, all parking is free here), and because we were a little early for places to be open, we proceeded to walk “the neighborhood.”
We’d probably “covered” a half dozen blocks, when the smell of bacon beckoned us to this little “dive” named, BRIGHT MORNINGS.”
Had a choice of dining in or out, and, being that the temp was 72 degrees F., we opted for the “terrace” treatment.
Met a couple of friendly Geckos, who kept us company while we stuffed ourselves…
Wonderful place, and great food! Highly recommended!
Finished eating, we wobbled around a few more blocks… Looking, and poking our noses into this and that…
Ended up at a gift store (located at the waterfront, by our truck) where we purchased a wind chime Lu couldn’t live without…
Took Centre Street (A1A) East, to the beach…
Parked a few feet from the sand…
Shed sandals and shirt…
Spent the next three hours splashing the surf…
(Using Google Earth, I figure we walked about 2½ miles one way, so that was a good stroll today)…
Luanne got herself another bagful of shells, so I don’t know how this is going to end…
We still have a couple of months on (or near) a beach, so this is not boding well from a transportation standpoint, if you know what I mean…
Had a wonderful steak and chicken stir-fry this evening, which brings me to this moment…
I’m stuffed, tired, and wonderfully worn out… Time to bid you adieu, and hit the sack…
Take care and keep us in mind…
PICTURES: http://cid-44d18849bf3983e9.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/WOODBINE%20and%20KINGSLAND%5EJ%20GA%20%5E5NOV.%205%5EJ%202009%5E6%20and%20AMELIA%20ISLAND%20and%20FERNANDINA%20BEACH.%20FL%20%5E5NOV.%206%5EJ%202009%5E6