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