Oh Bahamas

Today is a philosophical day. I have learned great truths that I want to share. First, it is not wise to say that you missed a storm when there is still a possibility that the storm has not passed. On Saturday night we were awaken to the loud and constant heavy rainfall on our roof, off and on all night. It was the tail end of the storm that passed through Mississippi, Louisiana, Georgia, and a few other states. We only get New York and L.A. news and neither of them cared about the fact that it might be headed towards us in Florida. You would think that at least New York might have said something since half of them move down here every winter! We survived the night and on Sunday afternoon we decided to go due east to the beach on Fort Lauderdale to get our obligatory Atlantic swim in. It was overcast, and the water was warm, so we got wet and sandy and then remembered why the ocean wasn't as big of an attraction as it was when we were young. We did discover a organism on the beach that we haven't identified yet, so anyone can help if the know what this is. We went home after several hours with great anticipation for our one day trip to the Bahamas.

We booked a one day adventure to the Bahamas that included all you can eat buffets at at brunch and dinner. It also provided all the house beverages you can drink. That makes for a very interesting day on the boat. We also included a "cabin" for the day. We wanted to get the "cruise experience". We participated in some of the activities, and even won the TV Theme song contest naming 13 of the fourteen songs (missing Mannix). Sue got an official Cruise visor, with three coins to spare. The food was good, and plenty. We watched karaoke which reminded me why they give free drinks. The port we landed at was 6 miles from the nearest town so we took a cab (van) with 7 others and arrived at a touristy shopping area. As it had almost all the way across, it was still raining. The ship had the foresight to bring ponchos and sold them as we left the ship.
I am not sharing who bought one and who didn't, but we needed one for our emergency kit. We did find a cute shop and met the mother and daughter who made most of the things. Steve bought a shirt and Sue got a magnet, both of which were hand crafted by the mother and daughter.

The sun came out just as we left the Port of Freeport, and the trip back was great. We left for home at about 11:30 pm, only about 20 minutes from our Campsite.

My second observation is that a one day trip on a cruise ship is not a good way to compare a week or longer cruise. The ship will be smaller, the passengers had different agendas, and the time to sight see will be limited. A suite on a smaller boat is not what you should expect when on a longer cruise. We still had fun, and even the rain added to the adventure. I actually had time to recreationally read.

My last observation occured this morning. Unknowingly it started yesterday morning while we waited to depart. I saw a series of boats/ships pass by us. It occurred to me the a "big boat" was relative to each person perspective. I have provided a series of pictures that I saw with in a ten minute period of time, each initially appearing to be a "big boat". As the time passed, "big" became a relative term.

I share this as this morning I found that during the deluge we had On Sunday night and all day Monday a window had been left open. It was next to most of the computer equipment. After cleaning up most of this morning, I found that only the keyboard and mouse had been damaged and needed replacement. Everything else was salvaged. What seemed like a big problem was reduced to a minor incident when compared to what might have occurred. I think that I need to remember to gauge the reaction to the real size of the problem. And to shut the windows before the rain.

We pack and leave tomorrow for a trip up the coast to pick up mail and stay a day or two before leaving Florida for South Carolina.

























Steve

Miami's South Beach

It was a sunny warm day so we ventured off the Miami's famous south beach on a Saturday. We traveled south on Highway 1A, as close to the beaches as possible. It was a mixture of new high end hotels and condos and some old quaint hotels dating back to the 40's and 50's as well as shops galore.

To our right was a canal laden with boats and yachts. On our left hotels and shops on the ocean. Construction gave us an opportunity to explore some of the residential neighborhoods. Eventually we found a place to park several blocks from the ocean front in a parking garage.

The road between the beach and the buildings (most with sidewalk dining) was obviously the cruise street where vehicles from Lamborghini's to Yugos slowly drove by hoping to catch the attention of the the tourist. Beverages and food for every taste was available. It was a great place to people watch. Lunch was good and moderately priced. We learned the mystery of a gratuity (they automatically add to the bill, and a tip (which you add to the bill).

The beaches were packed, the water was beautiful and warm. We walked in the water for a mile or so and then went back to the shopping area two blocks from the beach. We found the parking garage, and took a different route home.

People in Florida use their horns frequently. Perhaps that has something to do with migrating from New York. I would assume that they know that one can not move when the car in front of them is not moving. It is nice to have a car with out of state plates. I just throw my arms up(in the car) to say "sorry, I am a tourist). They still honk, but I feel better.

We missed the storm that impacted the south. It did not come through Florida. There was a little wind on Friday, but Saturday was beautiful.

We are going to the Fort Lauderdale beach today to actually swim/play in the Atlantic. Another day, another adventure.

Revisit The Florida Everglades

We didn't take the time to see the Everglades when we drove across from west to east on Highway 41 so we decided to go back and spend the day. We took a two hour tram ride and educational program with a park ranger and then walked the two boardwalk nature trails. The results were a better understanding of the ecosystem, and how decisions changed the area, and how it can be improved with better management. I almost wanted to hug a tree, but it would require walking through the swamp to get to the nearest "hammock" (islands composed of limestone, and soil creating by some natural erosion assisted by the alligators creating "holes" to nest in). All this is to say snakes and alligators over rule tree hugging.

We ended the day with a trip to downtown Miami which resulted in a nice non-tollway trip up the coast on a secondary highway in which we completly frustrated Hillary(our GPS) who stayed true to her political bias by continuing to tell us "recalculating, turn left". Below I have provided a visual tour for those of you who haven't had an opportunity to see the everglades. If you know the names of all these animals, let me know. I am still looking them up.

We had another great day in Florida!!

The Keys to Fort Lauderdale

Our last adventure on the Keys was to find the elusive "Key Deer" that roams on the lower twenty five Islands. There is a refuge on the Big Pine Key several miles below us. Our first stop was unsuccessful so we we decided to take one more trip down in the early evening before leaving the Keys. The population is endangered and estimated at approximately 600-700. The primary threat with the deer is human intervention. The deer is on the federal endangered list. We were successful in observing the deer which is the smallest of the white deer species. They are about the size of a large dog.


We packed up and headed for Fort Lauderdale. We will be here until next Wednesday. Included in our adventures is a trip to Miami, to the east end of the everglades, and a one day cruise to the Bahamas(we couldn't afford the big boat). We are staying in a 1000 trails affiliate. Many of the snow birds have left for their summer homes and we are parked in a great site next to the pool. It is hot and muggy but the pool is a great place to rest and relax.

We are looking forward to some exploring over the next week along with some pool time.

Key West

This morning we left the Motorhome parked and traveled the 40 miles to the most southern location in the United States. We were just ninety miles from Cuba (closer than the nearest Walmart), but passed on the opportunity. This is a city filled with history. Pirates plundered, ships wrecked, sailors rescued, salvagers recovered, auctioneers sold, tobacco makers flourished, and then came the dreaded fire that has changed commerce in so many cities. The city needed a new industry and with the assistance of a railroad tycoon, a train from St. Augustine to Key West was completed and tourism became the number one industry. (This is the condensed history, for more look up Key West or Flagler).

Before we got to Key West we stopped along the way hoping to see the Key Deer that are indigenous to the Keys. Unfortunately they are best seen at dawn (like that is going to happen), or dusk. We did manage to stop at a preserve where the deers were protected. We did not see any of the illusive deers but did manage to see another alligator, an iguana, and a surprise swarm of bees halfway along the nature trail. We decided that we had seen as much nature as we needed and high tailed it back to the safety of the car.
We continued on our trip south to Key West. Bridges varied from a hundred yards to 7 miles long. The view was terrific! We arrived in the Keys and parked in the historic maritime district. We learned from others that the city tour was the best way to see the city and hear the history so we jumped on the Conch Train. A real tourist treat. The hour and a half tour gave us a great overview of the city, the culture, and the history. The tour provided us with enough geographic information to eventually find our car when it was time to leave.

In keeping with our goal of eating ethnic foods we dined on Conch chowder with pink shrimp and coconut shrimp at a waterfront cafe overlooking one of three tall ships moored below the restaurant.

We then walked through the center of town on Duval Street. It was a little calmer than Bourbon Street, but had the potential of getting crazier later in the evening. We stayed for the daily celebration of the sun setting in the west, which seems to get the natives excited. There is a large street festival with street vendors and performers with their own marked off space. It was very interesting and fun. We ended the evening with a small basket of conch fritters and then stopped at burger king for a hamburger.
The sun set as advertised, the crowd stayed for the rest of the evenings festivities, and we headed back home anticipating another great day!

Ok, where did those people go???

Sunday afternoon we decided to take a leisurely trip to the Gulf Of Mexico coast. We headed towards Tampa Bay and ended up at Clearwater Beach. It is a beach resort town with a pier and lots of hotels and trinket shops. I am guessing that this is a destination point for spring break which thankfully is over and the kids are back to their respective colleges and high schools.

It was a quiet day for several reasons. The aforementioned lack of unsupervised kids was one. The fact that it was raining was another. The economy has also reduced the number of tourist throughout Florida. We still enjoyed the view and the drive, though the detour due to the freeway being closed for a number of miles added miles to our original plans. It also gave us another opportunity to see a part of Florida we would have missed.

We did meet some wildlife on the pier and Sue posed with her favorite turtle. One of us volunteered to stick our foot somewhere beside in our mouth, and so Sue has officially dipped (her foot) into the Gulf of Mexico.

We had a great dinner at a nearly empty cute diner. Sea Food and black eyed beans were the specialty finished off with some delicious Key Lime Pie. The bacon wrapped scallops were also good.

We left Clearwater and headed home after a fun afternoon.

Final preparations were made for our departure to the Keys were we hope Florida will become the Sunshine State.

R& R Day (Rest and Relax)

After a busy day of visiting Disneyland, we decided to take the day off. Disneyland was not as crowded as we have experienced in the past, and not as big as the one in California. Many of the rides and exhibits were replicas of the California Theme Park, but there are new exhibits, and some of the old rides have been updated. The Pirates of the Caribbean now stars Captain Jack Sparrow, from the movie. The Tikki Room has a new star, but I let you experience that. A new or updated exhibit introduces every president from Washington to Obamma. It is in the theater that used to have Mr. Lincoln. They have also updated the Carousel of Progress. The final section needs to be updated as the ride cannot keep up with technology.

While Epcot was a great experience, we decided that Disneyland was better with kids or grand kids. Half the fun is experiencing the excitement on the faces of children as they experience it. It was also a reminder that two times on space mountain is enough for one day. Please don't tell my chiropractor.

We intended to stay until closing (11pm) but decided that we had done everything we wanted to do so left at 7pm and returned to camp in time for a hot tub and early evening. We have seen fireworks before.

Yesterday we relaxed at the pool until a group started a water volleyball game. We were persuaded to join and played for about an hour. We were not sure of the rules, and later figured out that there weren't many. That was ok since they didn't keep score either.

We left in time to journey northeast of us to visit my nephew and his family in Daltona. We had a great home cooked dinner and visit with his wife and four daughters. His oldest son and wife are in Alabama with a new baby.

We are planning another relaxing day before we prep for the next adventure south heading for the Keys. This will be the furthermost destination from "home" before we begin the return trip via the northeast and then westbound.

Yes, we are still having fun!!!!!!

Epcot Center, Orlando Florida

We have only been to Epcot once before about 15 years ago. I can't speak to how much it has changed, but our experience this time was exceptional. It was not crowded, the lines were short and the pace was perfect.

Disney has always had a reputation for maintaining it's parks. This certainly was not an exception. The landscaping was beautiful, and augmented by the International Flower and Garden Festival taking place this weekend. We were treated to additional exhibits displaying flowers and other plants from around the world.

We walked "around the world" to the 11 country's represented at the park that provide exhibits, shopping and of course, a variety of foods. Some had rides associated with the displays, others had promotional movies, and all had shopping and food venues. The experience provided plenty of opportunities the walk and sit.

There are only a few "thrill rides" in the park. GM provide a test tract where you could volunteer to be a driver (along with five others)as they tested the car. Bumps, braking, hill climbing, and open throttle on what is advertised as Disney's fastest ride added to the excitement of the day. Both of us rode this one. Steve also experienced a shuttle take off after hearing 10 times or more that if you suffered from this or that you should take the less intense version (not!). Sue opted out of both versions.

We finished our day with the spectacular light show that incorporated lasers and fireworks. It was great.

Actually we finished our evening with an unplanned tour of Kissimme Florida. The road signs going to Disney World are much more prevalent than the ones going back home. We got home once we clarified which way was west.

Another great day waits for us.

4 States, two long drives, a rest stop night and Orlando.

Hi everyone, this is Sue. Some of you were wondering if I was really on this trip! Yep, I am and also having a wonderful time. Some of you (Sarah) wanted me to write too, so here it is. We left New Orleans over a 26 mile long bridge that traversed Lake Pontchartrain two days ago and last night spent our first night at a rest stop in the Florida panhandle. We were in 4 states that day—Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Today we arrived in Orlando. Other than that brief time I drove in Arizona, Steve has done all the driving. I keep asking him if he wants me to drive and he says no. (Whew!) He’s a great driver and says the motor home is very easy to drive. He stays between 59.5 and 60.5 mph as he says that gets the best gas mileage. At home it drives me crazy how “slow” he drives, but I love looking at all the great scenery, and besides, we’re in no hurry.
Well that’s about it—no wonder Steve writes, he has lots more to say than I do. (ya think?)

Plantation Life

Our last day in the New Orleans area was spent driving to the River Road historic properties located southwest of New Orleans. We visited two different types of plantations. One, the Laura Plantation was a creole plantation, and the other was a"picture perfect Greek Revival mansion". Both were beautifully restored and offered historical tours.

Our first stop was at the Laura Plantation located on the Mississippi River. It was our great luck to have the pleasure of the current owner as a tour guide. His family has 300 years of history in the area and though he did not live at the Plantation, his roots are deeply embedded in the culture and history of the creole life. The main building at the plantation was not the living quarters, rather it was the office for the business (sugar cane). Interestingly the building had two offices, one for the president of the business, always a female, and one for the husband. The businesses were run by the appointed matriarch who was usually the youngest female off spring of the company president. The Laura Plantation's three notable contributions during it's history was the author of Br'er Rabbit wrote the book there in slave quarters, Fats Domino was born on the plantation, and a history of life on a creole plantation was written based on 5000 pages of notes written by women, children and slaves who lived on the plantation. It was an exceptional tour. It was also interesting that the slave quarters are now uninhabited, they were occupied until 1977 by workers on the plantation. The fields are still actively worked.

The second Plantation was the typical stereo type mansion that you would see on a movie. The young lady that lead the tour was dressed as one might expect of a socialite in the 1800's. The inside was decorated with furniture from the 1800's although none from the former owners. The "road" to the main entrance was lined with 28 huge beautiful 300 year old oaks. It too was a sugar plantation which is now a bed and breakfast establishment (not in the mansion). Across the road the Mississippi river flows though now behind a 40 foot levee.

We drove home the scenic way seeing lots of bayou, and lots of fishing. It was another great day. We look forward to reading the history book that the author/owner signed for us.

We are headed off on a four state drive today leaving Louisiana, and then crossing Alabama, Mississippi, and arriving in Florida. Not necessarily in that order. Another day, another great adventure!

The swamp tour and Jazz Festival

Our agenda for the day was venture out into the swamp/delta/bayou area of New Orleans and then return to New Orleans for one last night. Both adventures proved to be worth the time, and provided one last look at the culture and energy of the area.

We decided to take the slower of the two tours traveling down the waterways at a pace slower and quieter than the air boats. Our guide was a native to the bayou and actually lived in a area where he could get home faster on boat than by car. We were not disappointed with the narrated parts of the tour. We saw numerous alligators from his small pet on board, to large 8 foot ones out amongst the swamps. They will come up to the boat for the customary treat including several who jump up to get the raw chicken that the guide brings with him. We were able to see other birds, turtles, and fish as we slowly moved through the other canals.

We returned to New Orleans in time to find a huge Jazz festival was scheduled for New Orleans all weekend including numerous free concerts along the waterfront of the Mississippi. We enjoyed the festivities including dinner on a balcony overlooking the riverfront and open market. We left early enough to miss the second wave of tourist who enjoyed the music and the party. We did watch a group of protesters, who missed the Governors meeting, out in the street wanting the education funding reinstated for colleges. The camera came, the protesters yelled, the cameras left, and so did the protesters.

Enough excitement for the day. We got back on the free ferry with the rest of the old folks and families with children, and headed back to the camp to leave the real party people in New Orleans.