September 28-29, 2013 FIRST FULL DAY IN FLORIDA

Friday when I got into the campground I took my time setting up camp and for some reason I got stressed finding the Thousand Trails Orlando Park.  I went by it twice and had to pull into a parking lot to get my bearings then finally got it.  So just did the set up in slow motion.  I have a very nice site just across the street from the clubhouse.  This was taken from the parking lot just across from the camper.  And yes I backed into the site without issues.  It is getting easier the more I practice.

Duncan and I took a walk around just a portion of the preserve and I have to tell you this one is huge.  There are over 800 campsites and from what I understand in Dec - Mar it is filled to capacity.  Right now it is a little quiet with most being older adults just the way I like it.  The clubhouse seems very nice there are two pools and jaccuzi, workout rooms and I know not what else.  I have to just walk across the street to find out so that is on my list for today.

As I was reading the information packet they gave me on check in I notice a little blurb about the Gopher Tortoises here in Florida. As I was driving out in the afternoon I noticed one feeding in the grass.  These nondescript turtles are a threatened species and here in the park there are little latticed enclosures all over the place and we are asked not to disturb them which is common sense for most.  There are dozens of them here on the preserve. So curious me had to go find out about them and this link is quite amazing to read The Gopher Tortoise

Yesterday I decided late morning to get out and explore and I also had a call from one of my RV Women's Forum sistah's with an invitation to meet for lunch just down the road from me.  The plan was to meet at 4PM so I had plenty of time to go out and just look around.  Found a flea market that I will have to visit to see what they offer.  If it is anything like the last one I went to here it should be interesting.  Do I need anything - Noooooooooooooooo!  But it is fun to go look.  Oh and for those who know me well -  I HAVE ONLY BOUGHT ONE PAIR OF SANDALS SO FAR!  I am being good about that. 

Linda and I met at a Panera not to far from here so it was easy to find for me.  It is so nice to put a face with a name after chatting with these ladies since 2009.

In our forum the running commentary is when there is a mini get together like this one we are supposed to make sure we take a picture of the food as well as the humans involved so here it is girls.

We talked for hours and decided at 7:30 to call it a night and we finally got in our vehicles at 8:30 and said goodby.

At 9PM I started hearing fireworks as I had the night before so outside I went to look around and see if I could figure out where they were coming from.  Yep you guessed it there was no where else they could be but Disney World.  I looked at the map and they are due east of the preserve so if I was a crow I could fly there in about 10 minute.  I was like a kid looking through a candy store window and wanted to see more.  They went on for about 15-20 min then stopped At about 9:45 they started in again and then once again at about 10:45.  Had to be at all the major parks because it was one right after another each in a little different spot.  Can you imagine how much money went into that last night.  Now don't get me wrong I love fireworks and I will see them while here, but I know I could have had a new motor home for what they spent just last night.  And the gas to drive it around for a YEAR!!!!

OMG!  I just heard the strangest noise so after three of four times I had to go look and to my surprise I had balloons flying just over the camper. 

They were so low and I did get a video but  I have to figure out how that works on here.  I need to get my butt in gear and get dressed for the day.  I can imagine what the people in the air thought when they saw  us standing outside in our jammies taking pictures of them.

Remember just how good life is!!!!

Until next time......

AMAZING FOOD AND NEW FRIENDS

My Hosts this week.  Lori and Doc Sloan and Gwen and Andy Colson

 I am finding that the best part of this traveling is meeting and seeing new and old friends.  Southern hospitality has no equal on earth.  The personal camping site has been extended to me if I am in the are and Lori and Doc are not.   How wonderful to have a place like this with a fenced yard for Duncan to run and play.  But the future remains up in the air and in jello form so who knows.


My last day with Lori and Doc we did nothing but gab, drink wine and eat really amazing food.  I have to tell you that my mother was one person that always said you have to be polite and I thank you very much for that advice MOM!  I have never been a fan of Salmon or Brussell sprouts.  But I have to tell you that I am a fan of Andy's recipe for salmon and the way Doc made roasted sprouts.  I let everyone else share the oysters, but I so much enjoyed the broth with crackers.  I remember Les used to make oyster stew and turn it into chowder for me so I had something with my crackers.  But much better without potatoes.

A tearful goodby was said that evening and off I went to get ready for travel on Friday.  Six hours drive and I find myself in Clermont, FL.  I have no sense of day or time at this point and I am so happy not to have worry about schedules anymore.  I had a reservation here at Thousand Trails Orlando from 9/27 to 10/10.  After that time I am foot loose until I have to be in Arizona on October 21.  No reservations no plans other than to hopefully meet new friends and visit with my granddaughter in Louisiana.

I slept with exhaustion waking up several times with a crams in my legs which is probably from not taking my Vitamin D on a regular basis.  it happens and is no big deal, but i need to remember meds all the time....

Today I am off to explore the area and get my bearings.  Check out more of the campground and then just relax for the day.

Tomorrow I will see my friend Patti and I am so looking forward to that.  Will take some pics today and post later.

Always remember just how GOOD LIFE IS !!!!

Until next time.....

Salmon Filet right off the boat.  Can't get any fresher than that.

Cut and Marinateing.

Mine was a little more medium well done that this plate, but still moist and juicy.

No oysters in my bowl.

 All I know was that Andy asked for lemon pepper, fresh lemon, worchestershire sauce, season salt  and olive oil. I didn't see how much of each that he put on so will never duplicate it. Doc used an herb mix of his own design and olive oil.  Will just have to come back to Georgia for cooking lessons

SPECIAL TIME SPENT WITH FRIENDS I MET ONLINE

SEPTEMBER 25, 2013

Woke up to rain this morning, but slept all night for a change.  Thank God for exhaustion and my friend Ambien.  I was asleep before 9:30 and slept till about 6 all in all it was a good night.

Once it stopped raining Lori and Doc came to pick me up for lunch which was at a restaurant that is a local gathering place with amazing food.

I did take a picture of lunch but was so out of focus I couldn't tell what it was.  Another amazing fish sandwich was the order of the day.  

Later we took a short tour of the area which was fun and took pictures which I will share, a lot of what we saw was historical in nature, but don't have a lot of information to share.

I do know that Darien, Georgia was leveled during General Sherman's march through Georgia except for one house and if the story is true that one was left because the lady of the house gave it up to one of Sherman's upper officers or he himself, I really don't know the facts of the matter, but an interesting concept to speculate on. 

On to the tour!

The houseboats in the background were so beautiful.  I could live in one of those.

The marina where we had lunch.  It would be so nice to be out on the water on a sunny day with a fishing pole and sunscreen. Not a beer drinker so ice water for me.

This Egret was just standing on the railing outside the restaurant when we came out and as soon as I tried to get a picture it started walking away,

Below are a couple of churches that we went by I thought were interesting.

This was just for the lovely avenue with the amazing moss hanging from the trees.

Historical Sugar and Gin Mill  Hope the sign is readable enlarged.  Quite interesting.

Through the gate to the left you can just see the ruins of the sugar mill.

 

Along this road was a house for sale barely visible among the trees it was beautiful.  Mind started thinking of all the yard work involved to clear out to the house and realized that what I was seeing was a way to create privacy from the road.  Here they mix shells in the concrete to make walls as a way of recycling the oyster and other shells from this region.

 Doc wanted to show me a special campground he thought would be a fun place to stay.  Warped sense of humer he has when he told me it was a nudist campground.  Now here is a thought provoking picture.  How do you think a 64 year old woman would look running around in the nude -  NAAA I DON'T WANT TO EVEN CONTEMPLATE HOW THAT WOULD LOOK!!!!!  The picture I took did not come out clear enough to post and there was not much to see anyway.  LOL

WHEN LIFE OVERWHELMS YOU !!!!!
NEXT TIME REMEMBER HOW GOOD LIFE IS!


UNTIL NEXT TIME.......

 

ON TO GEORGIA!!! AND A VISIT WITH LORI AND DOC SLOAN

September 24, 2013

Before I start I need to inject that any picture you see on my blog can be enlarged just by double clicking on it.

Good bye North Carolina with an overnight in SC.  I left the Outer Banks Monday morning at about 8 am and spent the day traveling.  Had to back track and travel west for three hours before I could head south on I95. So it took 8 hours to get to my destination in South Carolina.  Had a restless night on Sunday so was really tired on Monday by the time I stopped.  I wanted to be close enough to some old friends from Rhode Island to possibly visit for breakfast on Tuesday before I headed south.  Unfortunately when I called Karen told me she was in Florida visiting an Aunt and would not be home before the end of the weekend.  I also learned that her husband Daun had passed away last August which was sad news to hear as he was the same age as I am.  So maybe I can see her quickly in Florida this weekend before she heads home to SC.

Coming up Hatteras Island and on Pea Island I was watching the sand drift across the highway and the road crews were out plowing the sand back onto the dunes.  Totally reminded me that snow is soon to come in New England and I am soooooooooooo glad I will not be there to see it happen this year.

It was rather windy coming south that day and I got a taste of what I might have to contend with as I travel west.  I am so glad I am not driving or pulling anything bigger.

As I came across the lowland marshes of NC I had to stop and wait for a draw bridge to open and let a fishing boat through to head out to the sound or ocean I know not which but was interested in it because the bridge pivoted sideways to open rather than split and lift up.

I could just hear the sigh that would have come from Les when he saw a boat like this one.  He so loved to be on the water. 

I just did a pull in and hook up for the night, did not even unhook from the truck.  And Tuesday I came further south to Darien, Georgia.  I met up with friends from my Womens RV Forum, whom I met in PA last May on Memorial Day.

Lori and Doc have been fulltiming for I know not how long but do know it has been more than 6 years.  They are guests at some friends here and I was treated to dinner at their private oasis.  The moss is so pretty hanging from the trees down here.  It is so typically southern, beautiful but kind of eerie at the same time.

I got a dose of true southern hospitality and for the first time in over 32 years and had a great time with everyone.  Andy & Gwen Colson have an amazing home on the edge of the marsh with a Koi pond to die for.

It was time for dinner can you tell!

These are the biggest Koi I have ever seen.

 Their yard is fenced in except for the marsh side and they have a Hines 59 (Gary's description not mine) dog Diamond and alone with Lori & Doc's Spinner, Duncan had a ball.  I was so proud of him for coming every time I called him.  Protective Mom kicked in!    Gary wanted to send Diamond with me to teach her to come when called.  I about had a stroke when he came running from the marsh covered in mud.  He had to have a bath when we got back to the camper before he could go to bed.  But he had the best time playing with the others and he so needs the interaction with other canine friends.  It was the first time he has been off leash since we left home and the only the second time I have been comfortable with it since his brother was killed.

Looking toward the Tiki Hut and the marsh behind it.

Love the tiki people.

View of the marsh behind the house.

We arrived home just before dark and had a nice view of our campground which is on a small lake.  We are parked right across from the lake.  We are at MacIntosh Lake RV Park which was recommended by Lori and Doc.  It is 8/10ths of a mile off I95 at exit 58.  They do offer a 10% discount off every camping organization just because they want to not because they are members of any but do post a sign that they are Good Sam members.  It is a nice place to stop and catch my breath.

 I found this today and decided that it fit the bill.

NEXT TIME REMEMBER HOW GOOD LIFE IS!!!

UNTIL NEXT TIME........

September 20, 2013 Ocracoke Island and the Ferry Ride.

We started out the day with muffins from the Orange Blossom Bakery in Buxton, NC.  Then off to catch the ferry to Ocracoke Island to view the last of the lighthouses on the Outer Banks as well as any other interesting sights to see, for me it was the lighthouse and the ferry ride I was most interested in but there is also and interesting critter on the island that we ran across as well.

There ferry leaves every half hour and is free so it stays quite busy throughout the day.  There at least 5 that I saw going back and forth.  Our trip over we were sandwiched in so we didn't get out of the car, but the return trip I was able to get out and stand at the rail the entire trip.  Thoughts ran to how much Les loved being on a boat of any kind and the memories of past ferry rides brought tears, but I am sure he was right there in spirit.

The Ocracoke lighthouse is small compared to the others we saw this week, but was built to guild traffic on the sound side of the island safely along the shore.  One thing I did notice was that there were a lot of sand bars just beneath the water which I heard are always shifting which is why this area of the Outer Banks is called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" .

This lighthouse is the second oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the east coast and the oldest in NC. It was built in 1823, is 65 feet tall and is not open for climbing.  It has a metal spiral staircase that does up the center of the lighthouse rather than around the outside of it.  The walls appear to be about 4 ft think at the base and the entire tower is made of brick.  It has a stucco like covering and is painted solid white unlike the others we have seen that have a design painted on them to denote their location on the coast.  History of Ocracoke Island Lighthouse

At the lighthouse we saw a little critter which at first looked like a groundhog, but on closer inspection looked like a very large rat eating the grass.  They are locally called a Russian Rat and were imported from South America to supplement the local fur trade in Louisiana and have migrated north.  They feed on the stems of plants rather than the leaves.  Also known at Nutria or Coypu they have large orange/red front teeth.  This one was not in the least bit intimidated by people walking along the wooden walkway above them.

LUNCH TIME!!!

We decided on lunch and found a nice restaurant with an outside patio.  Looking at the menu we both decided that the clam chowder sounded interesting.  OK you are reading this from a born and raised New Englander where clam chowder is either red tomato or white cream broth based with few variations depending on the area you are from.  Well this did not resemble any chowder I have ever seen.  It stated that it had mushrooms in it so OK we decided to give it a try.  It reminded me of golden mushroom soup with clams in it.  No way was it a chowder - no potatoes.  But I have to say that it was amazingly good.  I also have to add that no one in the world can or could ever make a chowder as good as my late husband.  I watched and helped make it for 30+ years and even I can't get it perfect.  We also had a salad with grilled shrimp and a house vinagerette dressing that was quite good as well.

As we were walking around town I spotted this dune/beach buggy seemed like it should be in California instead of North Carolina.  This is for you Will.

The ferry ride back was a nice way to end the day.

Sarah's last night here and we opted for seafood once again.  Sarah had fish tacos and I had tuna which I had to sent back to the kitchen to have it cooked just a bit more.  I don't mind pale pink but red pink was a little more than I could handle.  Sushi will never be something I like that is for sure.

This brings me up to date on the excursions to the Outer Banks of NC.  Sarah left Sat the 21st and I did mundane things like clean and do laundry in prep for the move to head south once again on Monday.  Today it has rained since the middle of the night although the sky seems to be getting lighter so maybe the storm has moved over us finally.  Duncan has been good at keeping his legs crossed since this morning so we didn't have to go out and get soaked.  New campers are moving in today so lots of others are getting wet while setting up in their sites and here I sit dry and comfy. 

More to come as we travel along.

Until Next Time.....