Another driving day with a quick stop in Buffalo to pick up a parcel. We got home around 1 and then it took all afternoon to empty the trailer and truck. The boys made us a Welcome home dinner of Fried chicken and fries with a new recipe they have perfected.
I am very glad to be home. As always, despite our sometimes griping, Canada is the best place to live.
Friday, Nov. 27, Max Meadows to Meadville, PA
We got up early and had a quick breakfast. Carl then worked on winterizing the trailer and we left around 8. We drove all day, stopping at Grove City, PA for some last minute shopping. Because of the volume of cars and the rainy weather I decided it wasn't worth it and we carried on to Meadville where we overnighted in a Walmart parking lot. I did have a great dinner at Red Lobster (one of my favourite places).
Thursday, Nov. 26, Max Meadows, Virginia
A much nicer day greeted us at the campsite where we are sandwiched between two hills and a farm.
Carl made us a couple of fantastic burgers for lunch and then we just let lunch digest.
Wednesday, Nov. 25, Savannah to Wytheville, Virginia
We left our campsite at 8:30 and drove all day to arrive here at 5 o'clock. We won't be travelling on US Thanksgiving. On Friday, we will go north again, closer to Buffalo where we have to pick up a package on Saturday.
Tuesday, Nov, 24, Savannah
First thing this morning we popped into the Savannah Visitor Centre to see the building restoration work. It now houses a Savannah Museum and Cafe.
Yesterday from a fellow camper we heard about a restaurant called Mrs. Wilkes House. It was a boarding house at one time and continuing in that tradition serves lunches at big round tables for groups (sound familiar?). The food however is southern fare as so made sure to eat a light breakfast since the place opens at 11. Lining up starts at 10 (craziness). We got in at 11:15 and a full table of food was waiting for us; fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, green beans, lima beans, okra, sweet potatoes, collard greens, creamed corn and much more. For dessert, we could choose from peach cobler or banana pudding. When the meal is done then you get to carry your plates to the kitchen for washing and pay for the meal on the way out. It was great fun.
From here we walked to the waterfront to enjoy the sunny afternoon.
We couldn't leave town without sampling the famous ice cream from Leopold's. Mmmm, so creamy and delicious. The ice cream was our swan song to Savannah. It is time to move on up north.
Monday, Nov. 23, Savannah
No rushing around today. After breakfast we caught up with our email at the Park Office.
After lunch, we completed a one mile trail loop in the park.
Carl wanted pizza so we headed out for pizza for dinner just around the corner from the camp.
Sunday, Nov. 22, Savannah, Georgia
We got a late start today and the temperature was signficantly cooler than what we have been used to. A few layer of clothes was required. For most of the day we trollied and walked many of the historic neighbourhoods stopping at places such as the Massie Heritage Center(museum) and St John the Baptist Church. Along we way we made notes of what we still want to see when we come back tomorrow or the next day.
Saturday, Nov. 21, St. Augustine to Savannah, Georgia
This morning we walked over to the Flea market. It is quite close to our site. There was so much junk. Carl bought some shorts and socks and we got a few groceries as well.
After the trailer was prepped we were on our way. When we stopped for gas, we discovered a little building off side with freshly cooked bbq meats. We each had a pulled pork sandwich for lunch and they were delicious so we ordered the rib special to take with us for diner.
We arrived at Skidway Island State Park at 5:30, registered and settled in to a really nice site. There is no WIFI at the site so we have to go to the office to get connected.
Friday, Nov. 20, St. Augustine
Another nice day greeted us. We parked at the trolley lot and did the free Florida Museum. The museum had the first RV.
This led us to the Old Jail tour
and then the Oldest store experience.
They have some great characters running these tours and they were both fun.
We had lunch at Schmagels Bagels and then moved on to the San Sebastian Winery tour and tasting. The 7 wines we tasted seemed ok to me but Carl said "They were at least as good as the wine from Walmart that costs $3 a bottle."
The Whetstone chocolate tour was tasty. We had squares of milk and white chocolate, a choice of fudge, peppermint chocolate and then 2 types of dark chocolate. There was lots of good information to go with the chocolate.
The day ended at Ripleys Believe or not where the outdoor exhibits included a replica of Michelanglo's David, a horse made from chrome bumpers, and a 4 bedroom house carved out inside a huge redwood tree.
Thursday, Nov. 19, St. Augustine
Today was a nice warm day, although cloudy. St. Augustine is a really pretty historical city. We took a trolley tour to give us an idea of the layout of the tourist attractions. Halfway through the tour, we got off and had lunch at a scenic spot.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, Hollywood to St. Augustine
What was supposed to be a 3 1/2 hour drive turned into all day finally arriving in St. Augustine, Florida at 5 o'clock. We will spend 2 days here before moving on to Savannah, Georgia. It looks like St. Augustine is a very interesting city, from a historical perspective. Tomorrow we will find out for sure. Also for sure, is the fact that the weather is cooler here than where we came from.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, Hollywood
Woke to sunshine but clouds soon began to move in leaving a partly sunny sky. Two short nature trails walked and the nature exhibit at the Anne Kolb Nature Centre occupied our morning.
Monday, Nov. 16, Miami to Hollywood
The trailer was packed up and moved north to Hollywood. This campground is called Topeekeegee Yungee (T.Y. for short) County Park. The rain continued on and off for the rest of the day so we just relaxed, did some laundry, and hoped for better weather tomorrow to explore Hollywood.
Sunday, Nov. 15, Miami
The rain continued overnight accompanied by more lightning and thunder but fortunately it stopped raining. We headed back downtown to the Miami Dade Culture Center. They have a special exhibit called "Pedro Pan". Apparently in 1962 when Castro took over, parents in Cuba were concerned for their childrens welfare so they flew them to the US where the Catholic Church put them into camps and foster homes until they could be reunited with their parents. 90% of the children were actually reunited with their families. We spent 4 hours going through this exhibit and the History of Miami building. The hair curling machine from 1960 through me for a loop and I started laughing when I saw it.
Saturday, Nov. 14, Miami
Our first tourist site for day was back downtown to the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. This was formerly the residence of American businessman, James Deering. The grounds were gorgeous; walking through a tropical forest to well manicured gardens and ending at the water.
Just as we finished the garden tour, it started to rain so we went inside. We looked around inside the main house using our audio guide while it poured buckets outside. By the time we were ready to leave the rain had let up enough so that we could get to the truck.
Because of the rain, our plan to walk Ocho Calle (Little Havana) got abandoned. Instead we drove it with our windows down so we could hear the music. Still raining so we headed for Publix to get some grocery shopping done. With the frig filled again, we made a delicious dinner at the trailer. Now we have to figure out what we can do in the rain tomorrow. Rain is in the forecast for the next few days.
Friday, Nov. 13, Miami area
The weather forecast for today was sunny with a chance of showers and then rain for the next few days. This seemed like the ideal day to see Miami Beach/South Beach.
We started off at the Holocaust Memorial and then went to see Ocean Drive and its Art Deco buildings.
Thursday, Nov. 12, Marathon to Miami
We packed up and moved on to Miami (a 2 hour tour/drive). By one oclock we had checked into Larry & Penny Thompson RV Park. Carl wanted to see a Florida Panthers hockey game and he bought tickets on line for it. The parking pass however had to be printed so he found the local library and went there to print it. Traffic getting to the game was very slow and it was a long drive to the BB&T Center. The Buffalo Sabres won the game 3-2 and then we drove back to the RV park.
Wednesday, Nov. 11, Marathon
Since Carl and I have dozens of No see ums bites that are itching us, we stayed out of the shade and mostly inside today.
After dinner we went to see the new Bond movie at the local movie theatre. It was a unique theatre in that, there was small tables and chairs for people to sit at and they served beer. The movie was good, the usual Bond fare.
Tuesday, Nov. 10, Marathon
Today was allocated for the Theatre of the Sea. They have dolphins, parrots, and sea lions. We saw the parrot show after a marine line tour (turtles and brightly coloured fish). The parrots were great demonstrating how smart they are by putting coloured pegs into the proper shaped holes and doing addition and subtraction.
The dolphins were great, very well trained and put on quite a show.
It was an amazing and wonderful experience!
Monday, Nov. 9, Marathon
Today we took a much enjoyed relax day. I sat by the water with my book all morning and then started on some trip planning for upcoming Miami. I also used the pool and it helped cool me down. It is another hot day.
At 4pm we drove back to Pine Key (actually No Name Key) for dinner at the No Name Pub. I had a basket of coconut shrimp and Carl had pizza. Both dinners were excellent. Another piece of key lime pie was procured for back in our little home. The exciting part was that we saw some Key Deer as we approached the restaurant. They finally came out to play and they were so cute but, not to bright. They keep running back and forth across the roads.
Sunday, Nov. 8, Marathon
We moved on north today to the island called Marathon where we had booked a campsite for the next 2-3 days. Since we were passing by the National Key Deer Refuge we thought we would see if we could spot any deer. To that end, we walked a trail, stopped at an observation deck(crocodiles there) and drove the recommended route. It was no use; the Key deer did not want to come out for us. I was very sad not to see one unless you count the stuffed one at the Visitor Center (I do not).
We later settled into out new home the next few days. It has a nice pool, oceanside seating, laundry facilities and even a clubhouse to keep us not busy.
Saturday, Nov. 7, Key West
What a busy day! We drove into Key West debating the merits of various types of parking and finally decided on street parking several blocks from the harbour. We walked up and down the popular main streets looking at various stores, bars and restaurants. We even came across the oldest house in Key West which we had a quick look around.
Around noon we went back to the place that put together our pizza last night. They made us another amazing meal which was followed by homemade peanut butter gelato. It was to die for!
After lunch, we were hot and tired so we got on board a historic trolley that gave a narrated tour of the island. We got off at Hemingway house and caught a tour there. It was all interesting but I loved the story about the penny (supposedly his wife got his last one) which is still in the cement around the pool and the six toed cats.
The locals recommended a restaurant called Blue Heaven for its famous Key Lime pie. It was monstrous and also very, very good.
Hopping back on the bus we finished out the tour and got dropped off at Mallory Square just in time to see the street performers and the star of the show, the sunset.
Returning to our trailer, we made dinner and relaxed for the evening. Tomorrow we move on to another key.
Today we took a much enjoyed relax day. I sat by the water with my book all morning and then started on some trip planning for upcoming Miami. I also used the pool and it helped cool me down. It is another hot day.
At 4pm we drove back to Pine Key (actually No Name Key) for dinner at the No Name Pub. I had a basket of coconut shrimp and Carl had pizza. Both dinners were excellent. Another piece of key lime pie was procured for back in our little home. The exciting part was that we saw some Key Deer as we approached the restaurant. They finally came out to play and they were so cute but, not to bright. They keep running back and forth across the roads.
Sunday, Nov. 8, Marathon
We moved on north today to the island called Marathon where we had booked a campsite for the next 2-3 days. Since we were passing by the National Key Deer Refuge we thought we would see if we could spot any deer. To that end, we walked a trail, stopped at an observation deck(crocodiles there) and drove the recommended route. It was no use; the Key deer did not want to come out for us. I was very sad not to see one unless you count the stuffed one at the Visitor Center (I do not).
We later settled into out new home the next few days. It has a nice pool, oceanside seating, laundry facilities and even a clubhouse to keep us not busy.
Saturday, Nov. 7, Key West
What a busy day! We drove into Key West debating the merits of various types of parking and finally decided on street parking several blocks from the harbour. We walked up and down the popular main streets looking at various stores, bars and restaurants. We even came across the oldest house in Key West which we had a quick look around.
Around noon we went back to the place that put together our pizza last night. They made us another amazing meal which was followed by homemade peanut butter gelato. It was to die for!
Friday, Nov. 6, Flamingo to Key West
We left Flamingo around 8am and headed for Key West. We passed through all the keys startin with Key Largo. I was surprised how big it was and how congested. The road is a single lane and lining the sides of the road are motels, marinas, restaurants and other various businesses.
We stopped at the Theatre of the Sea to pick up a brochure and happened up a cat sanctuary.
The Hurricane monument was the next quick stop.
Lunch was had a picnic area by the side of the road. We then continued on to Key west arriving late afternoon. We have a camp site right on the water and it is very windy so the bugs are not as numerous.
Carl had a hankering for pizza so we drove to Key West, taking the long way around. We stopped at the Southern most point in the United States for picture taking and then on to get some dinner.
The pizza turned out to be really good and we have leftovers for another meal.
Thursday, Nov. 5, Flamingo The Everglades
This morning we set out to explore the Visitor Center and Marina. Yesterday the rangers told us that we could see Manatee and Crocodiles at the marina. There were half right in that we saw a crocodile as well as a hawk. There was no sign of manatee.
The rest of the day was passed in various modes of relaxation (inside). The mosquitos here are unbelievable. You can not go outside without bug spray and sunscreen.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, Naples to Flamingo in the Everglades
We packed up the trailer and headed for the Everglades. Around 10:30 we arrived at the Shark Valley Visitor Center and were able to get onto the 11:00 tram ride due to some no-shows. The tram ride was 2 hours, taking a 25km loop road. At its end is a 60 foot tower that offers great views. We were able to learn about the ecosystem here and spotted several bird species like the Great Blue Heron, the native Anhinga, some snowy Egret and some black Vultures. It was an interesting ride.
The main Royal Palm visitor center was down toward Key West and we headed there. After lunch, we drove right down to Florida Bay to a place called Flamingo to camp for the next two nights. We stopped briefly at a trail that was recommended by the park ranger.
We left Flamingo around 8am and headed for Key West. We passed through all the keys startin with Key Largo. I was surprised how big it was and how congested. The road is a single lane and lining the sides of the road are motels, marinas, restaurants and other various businesses.
We stopped at the Theatre of the Sea to pick up a brochure and happened up a cat sanctuary.
Lunch was had a picnic area by the side of the road. We then continued on to Key west arriving late afternoon. We have a camp site right on the water and it is very windy so the bugs are not as numerous.
Carl had a hankering for pizza so we drove to Key West, taking the long way around. We stopped at the Southern most point in the United States for picture taking and then on to get some dinner.
The pizza turned out to be really good and we have leftovers for another meal.
Thursday, Nov. 5, Flamingo The Everglades
This morning we set out to explore the Visitor Center and Marina. Yesterday the rangers told us that we could see Manatee and Crocodiles at the marina. There were half right in that we saw a crocodile as well as a hawk. There was no sign of manatee.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, Naples to Flamingo in the Everglades
We packed up the trailer and headed for the Everglades. Around 10:30 we arrived at the Shark Valley Visitor Center and were able to get onto the 11:00 tram ride due to some no-shows. The tram ride was 2 hours, taking a 25km loop road. At its end is a 60 foot tower that offers great views. We were able to learn about the ecosystem here and spotted several bird species like the Great Blue Heron, the native Anhinga, some snowy Egret and some black Vultures. It was an interesting ride.
In Flamingo, there is nothing but a campground, a marina and a visitor center. There was only 3 other Rv's in our campground so we picked a spot and set up camp. There were no Tv stations available over the air so we watched some Star Trek episodes. Tuesday, Nov. 3, Naples
Today was all about the lunch. I am still amazed that my cousin Gerhards' daughter, Katharina and her family was just around the corner from our trailer park. They are here on a business/holiday trip. What a pleasant coincidence. We had a very nice long lunch at Panama Jack's restaurant. Carl and Roland got into some interesting philosphical discussions, all in fun. Theo slept through most of lunch but woke up in time for us to meet him and for Theo to entertain us with his dolphin. What a cutie he is. I am so happy that Katharina contacted me.
At Publix, we picked up a few groceries because there won't be any stores where we will be spending the next 2 nights.
Today was all about the lunch. I am still amazed that my cousin Gerhards' daughter, Katharina and her family was just around the corner from our trailer park. They are here on a business/holiday trip. What a pleasant coincidence. We had a very nice long lunch at Panama Jack's restaurant. Carl and Roland got into some interesting philosphical discussions, all in fun. Theo slept through most of lunch but woke up in time for us to meet him and for Theo to entertain us with his dolphin. What a cutie he is. I am so happy that Katharina contacted me.
In honour of National Sandwich Day, we elected to get Subs for dinner. Monday, Nov. 2, Naples
We had a slow start today as I woke up feeling dizzy so I didn't have any choice but to stay in flat. By noon, I felt a little better so we made plans for the rest of the day.
We drove to Camping World to get a few parts for the trailer and then went on to the Outlet Mall to look around. There I walked into a door that was opening up as I passed by. There will be a few bruises and scrapes from that event.
From the Mall we drove to the Pier in Naples to watch the sunset. This was fun.
After the sunset we went out for dinner to The Brass Tap which has food and craft beer. We ended up playing trivia against the other teams of people there. We didn't win and then on the way out I tripped and fell out of the restaurant into the parking lot. I scraped my elbow and knee. The moral of this story is, "SOME DAYS IT DOES NOT PAY TO GET OUT OF BED. Sunday, Nov. 1, Naples
After a lazy start, we set out for the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This is a 12,000 acre wilderness and wildlife sanctuary of the National Audubon Society. There is a 2.25 mile boardwalk to traverse. Highlights of our walk were a green tree frog, a baby cottonmouth snake, and a red shouldered hawk. The best was seeing a rare Ghost orchid through a scope they had set up. It is very rare and it was blooming for us to see.
Grocery shopping was required so we stocked up at the Walmart and then headed for camp. The bbq was used again to make us yummy chicken that we served with colesaw, green beans, baby potatoes and broccoli.
The TV is getting a lot of use in the evenings with Carl watching the World Series baseball games.
Saturday, Oct. 31, Fort Myers to Naples
After another hearty breakfast at the Raymans', we set off for Naples just down the coast. We had a great time staying at the Raymans'; great people, good food and wonderful hospitality. Thanks for everything.
Our hunt for an RV park was successful and the Lake San Marino RV resort checked us in. We even got a 2-4-1 night special.
We popped around the corner to the Five Guys for a burger for lunch and then had sausages on our compact bbq for dinner. I carried on with my travel research so we could firm up our plans for the next week or so. We will stay here for 3 more nights and then head to the Everglades.
Friday, Oct. 30, Sanibel and Captiva Island
It was another glorious day. The sky is an amazing colour of blue and the sun is shining. Sally and Fred drove us out to Sanibel Island in the morning (the seashell capitol of the world). This beach has tons of small sea shells that wash up every morning. We had a leisurely walk on the beach looking for pretty sea shells. The sand in the water felt like silk on my bare feet. It was an amazing and beautiful morning.
Our trip in paradise continued with a visit to another island, Captiva, for lunch. This restaurant was called The Green Flash and was also on the water. Lunch was enjoyed by all.
After lunch we just chilled for a few hours until we headed out for dinner to The Hut. This is another of Sally and Freds favourite restaurants. We were treated well by an ex Canadian waitress and left feeling pleasantly stuffed. The restaurant has pretty landscaping that resembles a jungle outside and inside the walls are painted in a similar fashion. It was very pretty.
An episode of Murdoch Mysteries ended off our lovely day.
Thursday, Oct. 28, Fort Myers
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN.
Fred made us a tasty, filling breakfast of pancakes and bacon and then we set off for the historic winter homes of Ford and Edison. We had a tour guide who showed us around and told us about the houses. Everything is very well preserved and maintained.
This took a good chunk of our day and then we did a little shopping and returned to the Raymans. On the way there was this sign below which warns of a Panther Crossing.
For dinner, Sally and Fred, took us to one of their favourite restaurants called Parrot Key. We each had a different dinner and each enjoyed theirs. It is a beautiful area right on the water.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, Drive to Fort Myers
Carl woke up at 5 and that was that. In trying to put the bed back together, I discovered that the bedding next to the front of the trailer was wet. Either there was a lot of condensation overnight or we have a leak. Yikes!
Today is another day full of driving. As we drove south it got progressively warmer so a change of clothes was required. By two o'clock I was in a T-shirt, skirt and sandals and we had left the rain behind.
We drove a long time arriving at the Raymans' after 9. Carl backed the trailer into the driveway in the dark. Kudos! We chatted with Sally and Fred for a while and then called it a night.
Tuesday, Oct, 27, Drive to Macon, Georgia
Today was a driving day. We left Georgetown, Kentucky at 9:30 after filling up the trailer tires with air. There a little drizzle happening at the time.
For lunch Carl wanted a Whopper and Monica wanted a salad so, Burger King delivered. The grilled chicken, apple and blue cheese salad I had was large and tasty. Both lunches were enjoyed.
After lunch, the rain picked up which was too bad since the scenic drive through the Tennessee mountains would have been even more spectacular. By late afternoon, we had driven out of the rain.
At 6:30, we stopped and heated up some chili for dinner and just after 9 we arrived at the Walmart where we were overnighting.
Monday, Oct. 26 Lexington, KY
After a cozy nights sleep and breakfast we drove to the nearby Toyota plant. Usually reservations are required for the Toyota tour but we got on standby for the 9:30 tour and we actually got in! It was very cool to sit on their tram and see the inner workings of the plant. It is the largest Toyota assembly plant in the world. One of the production lines was shut down due to a parts shortage since they do not keep a large inventory. The first car off the line is in the Visitors Center. It is a 1988 Toyota Camry.
Lunch in Lexington at a brew put was our next stop. We had a good filling lunch and Carl sample two of the local craft beers.
Around the corner from this pub was the Alltech Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. After purchasing our tour tickets we watched a video that was followed by the beer tasting room and then the distillery tour and tasting. I helped Carl sample the beers and enjoyed their Bluegrass Sundown liqueur. We had a great tour guide and their products were really tasty. In Canada, the only place you can get them is Alberta.
Upon our return to the trailer, while watching TV, we learned of the incoming rain and possible thunderstorms. Tomorrow will likely be a day of driving in the rain toward Atlanta, Georgia.
Sunday, Oct. 25
As the evening wore on yesterday, we noticed that the lights in the trailer were very dim and that the furnace was not coming on. It appeared to be some sort of battery issue that Carl tried to troubleshoot but it looks like we will need a new battery. We were fortunate that it was not that cold last night.
In Cincinatti, at the Costco, we acquired a new battery and a tank fill up. A pleasant lunch was had after this at a rest stop, sitting outside in the sun. The Whispering Hills Rv Park in Georgetown, Kentucky was our final destination for tonight. The lake was right behind our trailer and we were quickly set up and able to relax at our picnic table.
Saturday, Oct. 24
At 8:30 we pulled away from the house to begin our trip. That was a mere 1/2 hour delay from what we had scheduled. This turned out to be lucky since the Kastelics were able to reach us by phone to say good bye and bon voyage.
Our (actually Carl's) first minor challenge was to change the propane tank. We had been heating the trailer to keep the pipes from freezing and that completely emptied the tank. Now we have a fresh full tank and were ready to go.
Entertaining us on our journey was Dave Barry's ebook called Cyber Space. The book is dated already and started out pretty funny but deteriorated after that. Listening to him talking about loading discs to get online was amazing and brought me back but, now I am dating myself.
There are so many windmills along this stretch of the 401 heading for Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge. I have not been this way for a very long time.
It rained all morning, stopped for the afternoon and then started again. We got permission to stay overnight at the Walmart in Wapakoneta, Ohio. We again purchased a whole bbq chicken for $4.98 and made a salad and some raw vegies to go with it. It was dark by the time we finished eating, cleaning up the dishes and put our shopping away. Since we don't have electricity here, I think we will likely get a really long nights' sleep.
We had a slow start today as I woke up feeling dizzy so I didn't have any choice but to stay in flat. By noon, I felt a little better so we made plans for the rest of the day.
We drove to Camping World to get a few parts for the trailer and then went on to the Outlet Mall to look around. There I walked into a door that was opening up as I passed by. There will be a few bruises and scrapes from that event.
From the Mall we drove to the Pier in Naples to watch the sunset. This was fun.
After a lazy start, we set out for the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This is a 12,000 acre wilderness and wildlife sanctuary of the National Audubon Society. There is a 2.25 mile boardwalk to traverse. Highlights of our walk were a green tree frog, a baby cottonmouth snake, and a red shouldered hawk. The best was seeing a rare Ghost orchid through a scope they had set up. It is very rare and it was blooming for us to see.
Grocery shopping was required so we stocked up at the Walmart and then headed for camp. The bbq was used again to make us yummy chicken that we served with colesaw, green beans, baby potatoes and broccoli.
The TV is getting a lot of use in the evenings with Carl watching the World Series baseball games.
Saturday, Oct. 31, Fort Myers to Naples
After another hearty breakfast at the Raymans', we set off for Naples just down the coast. We had a great time staying at the Raymans'; great people, good food and wonderful hospitality. Thanks for everything.
Our hunt for an RV park was successful and the Lake San Marino RV resort checked us in. We even got a 2-4-1 night special.
Friday, Oct. 30, Sanibel and Captiva Island
It was another glorious day. The sky is an amazing colour of blue and the sun is shining. Sally and Fred drove us out to Sanibel Island in the morning (the seashell capitol of the world). This beach has tons of small sea shells that wash up every morning. We had a leisurely walk on the beach looking for pretty sea shells. The sand in the water felt like silk on my bare feet. It was an amazing and beautiful morning.
An episode of Murdoch Mysteries ended off our lovely day.
Thursday, Oct. 28, Fort Myers
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUSTIN.
Fred made us a tasty, filling breakfast of pancakes and bacon and then we set off for the historic winter homes of Ford and Edison. We had a tour guide who showed us around and told us about the houses. Everything is very well preserved and maintained.
This took a good chunk of our day and then we did a little shopping and returned to the Raymans. On the way there was this sign below which warns of a Panther Crossing.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, Drive to Fort Myers
Carl woke up at 5 and that was that. In trying to put the bed back together, I discovered that the bedding next to the front of the trailer was wet. Either there was a lot of condensation overnight or we have a leak. Yikes!
Today is another day full of driving. As we drove south it got progressively warmer so a change of clothes was required. By two o'clock I was in a T-shirt, skirt and sandals and we had left the rain behind.
We drove a long time arriving at the Raymans' after 9. Carl backed the trailer into the driveway in the dark. Kudos! We chatted with Sally and Fred for a while and then called it a night.
Tuesday, Oct, 27, Drive to Macon, Georgia
Today was a driving day. We left Georgetown, Kentucky at 9:30 after filling up the trailer tires with air. There a little drizzle happening at the time.
For lunch Carl wanted a Whopper and Monica wanted a salad so, Burger King delivered. The grilled chicken, apple and blue cheese salad I had was large and tasty. Both lunches were enjoyed.
After lunch, the rain picked up which was too bad since the scenic drive through the Tennessee mountains would have been even more spectacular. By late afternoon, we had driven out of the rain.
At 6:30, we stopped and heated up some chili for dinner and just after 9 we arrived at the Walmart where we were overnighting.
Monday, Oct. 26 Lexington, KY
After a cozy nights sleep and breakfast we drove to the nearby Toyota plant. Usually reservations are required for the Toyota tour but we got on standby for the 9:30 tour and we actually got in! It was very cool to sit on their tram and see the inner workings of the plant. It is the largest Toyota assembly plant in the world. One of the production lines was shut down due to a parts shortage since they do not keep a large inventory. The first car off the line is in the Visitors Center. It is a 1988 Toyota Camry.
Sunday, Oct. 25
As the evening wore on yesterday, we noticed that the lights in the trailer were very dim and that the furnace was not coming on. It appeared to be some sort of battery issue that Carl tried to troubleshoot but it looks like we will need a new battery. We were fortunate that it was not that cold last night.
In Cincinatti, at the Costco, we acquired a new battery and a tank fill up. A pleasant lunch was had after this at a rest stop, sitting outside in the sun. The Whispering Hills Rv Park in Georgetown, Kentucky was our final destination for tonight. The lake was right behind our trailer and we were quickly set up and able to relax at our picnic table.
Saturday, Oct. 24
At 8:30 we pulled away from the house to begin our trip. That was a mere 1/2 hour delay from what we had scheduled. This turned out to be lucky since the Kastelics were able to reach us by phone to say good bye and bon voyage.
Our (actually Carl's) first minor challenge was to change the propane tank. We had been heating the trailer to keep the pipes from freezing and that completely emptied the tank. Now we have a fresh full tank and were ready to go.
Entertaining us on our journey was Dave Barry's ebook called Cyber Space. The book is dated already and started out pretty funny but deteriorated after that. Listening to him talking about loading discs to get online was amazing and brought me back but, now I am dating myself.
There are so many windmills along this stretch of the 401 heading for Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge. I have not been this way for a very long time.
It rained all morning, stopped for the afternoon and then started again. We got permission to stay overnight at the Walmart in Wapakoneta, Ohio. We again purchased a whole bbq chicken for $4.98 and made a salad and some raw vegies to go with it. It was dark by the time we finished eating, cleaning up the dishes and put our shopping away. Since we don't have electricity here, I think we will likely get a really long nights' sleep.
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