A little bad ... a little good

Life is sometimes punctuated with little disappointments.  For instance ... Yesterday, with my friends Jim (from Iowa) and Bob (from Maine), headed for Tampa to a gun show at the State Fair grounds. A big deal we thought and what a better day to get out for a drive.   We entered the rear entrance to the parking lot and whizzed right through the gate and found a great parking spot right near the front door.  This is our lucky day, I thought.  We got out of the car and notice a line of people trying to get into the show.  As we walked closer to the line, the line got longer and longer and longer.  Further investigation revealed the line  stretched some quarter of mile.  What on earth was this all about?  Was Elvis performing.  How about the Beatles?  No nothing like that ... apparently the growing interest in gun ownership has sparked this bizarre situation.  Estimates from some of those now leaving the show was to expect a wait in line upwards to three hours.  Poor showmanship I'd say.  One entrance with one or two ticket sellers trying to get thousands of people into the building.  Stupidity in the highest order.  We ran across the same situation last month while attending the Mecum Classic Car Auction.  Hey show promoters!  How about hiring some ticket takers!

We made a collective decision to try a little later and headed for a local gun shop only to find it too was packed with people who couldn't get into the big gun show.  Undaunted to went to lunch and returned to the fair grounds only to find the traffic now backed up on the street just trying to park their cars ... little did they know they would have another wait once they got parked.  We give up.

Reluctantly we headed home but while traveling along I4, we saw a sign promoting a local air museum.  We still wanted something to do this Saturday so we headed there to see what that was all about.  Almost there we notice the traffic was starting to come to a halt and in the distance we saw this mass of sign carrying humanity inching along the apron of the road.  Easily over a thousand people had taken the day to protest a local grocery chain labor practices.  No shouting or bad behavior, these folks were enjoying their freedoms of speech and assembly.  I took this image as they passed by.

March in March

Arriving at the museum we found a rather small building that housed an interesting array of mostly small homebuilt aircraft dating back maybe 70 years or so.  They also had a rather extensive display dedicated to Howard Hughes' 'Spruce Goose'.  That one of kind, flew only once, wooden wonder of aeronautical design.  The plane is still intact but now located near Seattle Washington after a long tenure in Long Beach California.  They also had an Ercoupe single engine two-seater, twin rudder little all-aluminum private plane that was absolutely pristine.  The plane built in the late 40's, was one I had a little more than casual interest in.  My friend Dave (from Arizona) from my AC Spark Plug days cut his teeth behind the prop of one of these little beauties.  I snapped a picture of it with my smart phone and emailed a copy to him.  He later wrote back filling me in on his history with the plane.

This wasn't the plane at the museum but looked like it

So if you're ever in the Lakeland area ... and like airplanes ... make it a stop.  BTW, at the end of March this airport hosts the countries second largest (Oshkosh is the biggest) private aircraft gathering.

Lakeland Florida Air Museum

So another day ... a little good and a little not so good

But without a doubt ... still livin' the dream.

Phil

New stuff

Like many folks on the RV trail know, the water you get at some parks does not exactly taste like a Rocky Mountain spring high in the mountains.  And ...  it seems that it is hard enough to turn skin red and your teeth brown.  So we have suffered long enough.  I did a little research and found a water softener/water treatment system that claimed to fix all my woes.   I contacted the SoftCell Recreation Water System (www.softcellwater.com) folks and before long was convinced I found the right supplier.    I coughed up the bucks to these Minnesota folks, who should know a thing or two about good water, and placed my order.   Because I was anxious, I hurried to the curb to wait for delivery.  Whoops ... I was sure dreaming there but in about 3 business days my order did arrive.

Like a kid at Christmas I tore at the package only to find out that it was really well wrapped.  A sharp knife was called for and before long I uncovered my new water system completely surrounded by the nasty little styrofoam, stick to everything, peanuts.  Calm down, Sharon said as I was trying to shake and scrap those tenacious little critters off everything within 5 feet of me.  Finally extracted from the box, it was easy to see that this was a quality piece of gear.  A large resin tank, a pre-filter tank, and a post filter tank for taste and odor control.  About a 40 pound package in total.

It took about 15 minutes to hook it up and after purging the old water in the coach, we now had great tasting water with no 'floaties' and luxurious soft water.  We could not believe the difference.

We should have done this several years ago but for whatever reason we never got around to it.  Not inexpensive and it does take a little storage space when we're on the road, but I think it will work out just fine.

If you surmise that I'm plugging this company, you're right.  I'm not bashful about it.  My reward is great water.

Still livin' the dream and a little less thirsty.  Oh ... and did I mention my hair was now much more manageable.

Phil

Problem?

Okay folks ... I don't mean to complain but I have to single out those folks who live either in Western Russia, South America, Central America, Africa, or Antarctica.  So what is it?  No local content in my blog? Michigan phobia?  Bald aversion?  (forget China ... I've been banned there).  What is it going to take to get some readership out there?

Click on "Where our Readers Live" map about half way down the right side of the blog page and see what I mean.  Lots of room for improvement.

So tell your friends in these far-away places and tell them what fun we're having.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil

We're back at it

Okay ... we've been goofing off again ... but we've also been without internet service for some time so ... let me get everyone caught up on our travels.

First, we're still in central Florida enjoying great weather and seeing the sights.  Just the other day we headed south to the Sarasota area to take advantage of our South Haven friends Curt and Nancy's invitation  to pay a visit to their home in Osprey.

But before arriving at their home we stopped for lunch with my brother-in-laws brother Bill who lives in Englewood ... a lay-back little town perched on the western coast south of Sarasota.  We picked him up at his beautiful waterside home and headed to a nearby restaurant for tasty lunch.  Now this is living.  Sandy beaches, warn weather, good food and good company.  We couldn't stay long but it was sure good to see Bill.  One of those special people whose ready smile and engaging intellect will always put him on our "A" list.

Our friend Bill

Finally arriving at Curt and Nancy's beautiful home in Osprey, we were greeted with hugs, cold drinks and a tour of their spacious and very comfortable residence.  We spent the rest of the day catching up on each others activities of the winter and were treated with a top shelf steak dinner prepared by head chef Nancy and grill master Curt.  Life just keeps getting better.

Somehow knowing that breakfast was my favorite meal as well, we were greeted by a spread of fresh fruits and a very tasty omelet.  But sitting around the breakfast table for very long was not in the playbook this morning as Curt was going to take us on a tour of Spanish Point.  A little peninsula of jungle-like finger of land poking into Sarasota Bay.  With  human history going back to around 3000 BC, this well kept enclave is a designated property of the National Register of Historic Places.  Prehistoric peoples made Spanish Point there home for thousands of years, living off the land and sea and leaving a rich archaeological history of their lives.  Fast forward to the mid 1800's and the Webb family from up-state New York found there way here via the water and established a homestead.  From that beginning they began citrus farming, later expanding to sell their crops as far south as Key West.

In the early 1900's the property was sold to the Palmer family (remember the Palmer House in Chicago) who wanted it as their winter estate.  Flush with buckets of money, they turned the property into a jungle paradise for the rich and famous while preserving the prehistoric  history.  Curt ... our host/retired Air Force pilot/retired dentist/ now volunteer tour guide made our tour of the property a real treat. Well versed in the history of Spanish Point, Curt provided that extra touch that made the tour extra special.  As you might expect, I took a few pictures along the way ... so if you're get down this way, seek out Spanish Point and discovery its rich past and see even more neat stuff.

Tarzan ... where are you? 

Webb families final resting place 

Reverend Curt at Mary's Chapel 

Guptill House (later the Palmers renamed it the Hill Cottage)

Guptill House tour 

Unique aqueduct created by by Mrs. Palmer; inspired by the Romans

So thanks again to Curt and Nancy for the southern hospitality.  We're looking forward to seeing them again soon back in South Haven.

Moving on ... we've been sampling possibly the best fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice on the planet.  Right near the orchard where the fruit was picked, it just can't be beat.   Oh and did I mention the strawberries?  With all the warm weather they are ripening almost faster than they can pick them this year and they are just fantastic.

My friend Jim and I have been visiting the local gun shops, not looking for anything in particular but are meeting some very interesting people.  Some treat you like old friends ... others like characters from the movie 'Deliverance'.  Sharon and friend Carol have succumbed to the pleasures of the slot machines at the Hard Rock in Tampa.  A semi-harmless vice that has made their right arms stronger and their wallets lighter.  We've been to a number of flea markets and re-verified that 'one man's junk is another man's treasure'.  We made a trip to the Villages (about 20 miles north of where we are now) and again and now know why there are so many golf carts there.  We think that most of the drivers have lost their state drivers licenses and this is the only way they can get around.  May be a nice place for retirees to live but no place to drive a car.  The little battery powered mites are everywhere and they rule the highways and sidewalks.  Kind of scary for outsiders.

We just had a visit from our Chicago/South Haven friends Alex and Barb.  After struggling with my directions to find us (go figure) they took the time out of their busy vacation schedule to spend some time with us.  We greatly appreciate it and were very happy to see them.  And speaking of visitors ... we also had a visit from our Bella Terra friends Roger and Martha.  They stopped here for a couple of days and were having some work done on their coach up a Alliance RV Repair in Wildwood.  It's always good to see old friends.

We also had an evening visit from my old friend Armand.  Not much of a talker but he can really take a joke.  Talk about being thick skinned.  I fired some insults at him that would crumple most.  He usually stops in unexpectedly so he opens himself to abuse.  The good thing  he doesn't eat much.

Armand

Still livin' the dream.

Phil

Another day of drooling

My late uncle Jack got me started.  My Dad would take me over to his house and there would always be talk of cars and fishing.  Some 60 years have passed since I began my appreciation of both topics.  Not very good at either, I did however manage to acquire a level of passion for motorcars that still excites and intrigues me throughout the years.

So fast forward to 2012 and an invitation from my friend Jim to attend the 25th Mecum Automobile Auction in Kissimmee Florida (www.mecum.com).  Much like the rival Barrett-Jackson auctions, these traveling road shows are dedicated to assembling an automobile collage ranging from Model 'A' Fords to half a million dollar Maybachs.

Walking amongst the rows upon rows of vehicles, a trip or two down memory lane came upon me.   There sat that 51' Chevrolet 2 door sedan.  Just like my first car.  I looked it over carefully remembering the tiniest details ... even after some fifty years had past.  OMG ... there was my 65' Stingray Corvette.  Even my 66' Cougar was there.  We listened and watched the auctioneer work his staccato plea for that higher bid ... working the crowd for that final, hammer smacking 'Sold to the buyer in the red shirt'!

Great fun for car lovers.  I've taken a few still images as I wandered around so I thought I'd share them with you.  As you can see I like the detail and symmetry that make up many of these fine automobiles.  They just never grow old.

Auction Central 

 Darrus?  First one I'd ever seen

810 Cord exhaust pipe ... pretty spiffy.  Looks like a Tuffy Muffler job.

A real
'Deusey' 

Won't find one these on your minivan 

Coffee?  Tea?  Corn dog?

detomaso Pantera ...sounds like a sandwich at Panera's

I guess mobile wine bars never caught on in this country

I think the Cadillac designers understood sexy 

T Bird with a fancy U-Haul

Drooling permitted

And this was the tent for those that didn't sell.

So there you have it.  Another side trip for the old guy.  The dogs are sore and it will be a three ibuprofen night ... but I'll surely have sweet dreams.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil

A full week

Taking a deep breath and finally sitting still after a whirl-wind week.

We actually made the 1200 mile journey in just two days.  Sort of like a world record for us slug-setters.
Arriving early Monday evening to clear skies and low-70's, our escape from the grip of 'old man winter' is complete.  After waking up the coach (it naps while we're away) we contacted our Iowa friends Jim and Carol to make plans to meet later in the week for the visiting the Tampa RV show.  The following day we returned to our favorite Mexican haunt to refresh our memories and friendship.  And make plans to visit the Tampa RV show later in the week.

We then made plans for meeting our Michigan friends Tom and Mary to hand-off some frozen venison sausage we'd carried south for them.  Actually Tom created this scrumptious delicacy from the results of his fall deer hunt in upper Michigan.  I've had a taste of this world-class sausage before and he was kind enough to give us a generous sample while we were back in Michigan.  Actually his daughter Jenny brought it over to us as Tom and Mary had already headed south.  She said she was going to ship a package of it to them but I suggest we hand-carry it to Florida as we were staying at a park not too far from them.  Anyway we made the transfer and enjoyed getting caught up over lunch.

Wednesday was movie day and we joined Jim and Carol to see film 'Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy'.  Now this movie is both dark and deep.  So dark it may have put me to sleep for a minute or two, and so deep that I would have to see it about six more times before I got the gist of it.  All that means that it will probably win an Oscar and I will continue to wonder about my skill set.

Thursday I was granted a day of rest by my social director, though she was scheming to fill up the remainder of the week.

We took off early Friday with Jim and Carol for the Tampa RV show.  About an hour or so from our Florida Grande RV Resort location, this spring Mecca for the over the road set is always a good reason to get out and drool over the latest offerings from the RV industry.  Entering the main building we were met with a display of of maybe fifteen of the finest motor coaches money can buy.  These opulent, feature rich road condos will cause jaws to drop and lips to drool.  Some needing an appointment even to get inside to look at, this display of over consumption was still pretty cool.  Setting aside the alligator skin inserts in the leather seating areas, the Sub-Zero appliances, and the electronic packages that would confound the Star Trek crew, but what got my attention was the engine compartment.  Crammed into this rear area was a 650 HP turbo charged behemoth with 5 alternators, a water pump that could run the fountains at the Bellagio Hotel in Vegas, and enough belts and do-dads to drive any respectable gear head insane.

You need lots of Love and lots of Money

Rube Goldberg would be proud

So where do you store your junk? 

This couple is trying to figure out if you can get 12 fillet Mignon on the grill.   

Since nobody who owns one of these beauties ever will actually work on one of these mechanical marvels themselves,  the repair guys they hire must be absolutely giddy when one of these comes in for work.

I think the least expensive one listed at $1,200,000, so this rarefied air is only available for certain clientele to breathe.  But its still nice for the rest of us to just get a little sniff.

She does have perfect hair.

I don't know how many rigs were in the show nor how may vendors were present, but it's worth a visit to this traveling show.  I think this following week its starts all over in the down-state Sarasota area.

With little strength left, we left the RV show and wouldn't you know it but there, within eyesight, was the Hard Rock Casino.  Not that I wasn't already sapped of all my physical powers after ogling the RV stuff, so now the social director conned me into going gambling.  Apparently with hopes of winning enough for a new coach, we ventured in ... into the belly of the beast to be krill for giant money eating whale.  An hour and half passed and we escaped.  Luckily with the shirts still on our back, we made it out alive and of course vowed never to return.  Oh what a lie!  Anyway it was a fun day.

It was quite a surprise to learn that our friends Henry and Geannie were here in camp for a few days.  Down from their South Carolina home for some mechanical repairs at Wildwood, it was good to see them again.  We made plans to visit them Saturday afternoon and ended up staying for dinner.  Southern hospitality at its finest and great conversationalist.  They were leaving the following morning for Jacksonville to have something repaired at the Marathon dealer so we made plans for a late March visit and closed out the evening.

Getting up early (for us) is not our strong suit but be wanted to say good-bye to Geannie and Henry (and Buddy their four-legged companion) so be got over to their site just before they left.  We said our farewells and they headed north.

Henry and Geannie (looking out the window) heading north

Belleville, I think.  An uneventful meal but it lead us past a large flea market that was in full swing.  We found a parking spot and headed in.  As you know from previous trips we usually stop at these places, if only for a short while as we find them unique and the people are always interesting to look at.

Wandering around the place reiterated the old adage ... "one man's junk is another man's treasure".  But we did find some interesting things.

Just right for a special girl

This girl sold us pistachios and cashews

This guy said his new tattoo was 'family' friendly as were the 15 others he already had.

At the 'puppy palace' customers could give hugs

Thousands to choose from.

From the flea market we headed south back to the Clermont area for dinner with Jim and Carol.  So you fellow retirees and those soon to be retired ... no need to sit around waiting for the grim reaper.  Get out and see the world ... it's not as bad as the evening news says it is.

I know this blog is beginning to look like a Twitter message but I can blabber more than 160 words and you can get pictures too!  So it's a real bargain.

On the road and still livin' the dream.

Phil

Headin' for the Promise land

Yup ... the promise of no snow and no sub-zero temps gets us on the road today.  We've managed to put 600 miles under our butts and we're now snuggled into a comfy Hampton Inn in Knoxville Tennessee.

Totally great weather for driving, at least until we got to TN whereas a light drizzle goobered up the once clean car.  We arrived in Knoxville shortly after dark and located the Hampton.  We checked in and got from the manager, with a little coaxing from Sharon, a recommendation for a place to eat this evening.  Since it seemingly is what we do best, we headed out to Puleo's Grille www.puleosgrille.com to find out for ourselves. A quick ride down the street brought us to the restaurant and were soon seated.  As Puleo's advertising likes to put it ... it has 'Southern roots and Italian heritage'.  I know it sounds like fried chicken, grits and spaghetti but it really has a very nice selection.  We started out with a delicately battered and fried calamari (chopped up little eight legged {and two tentacles}denizens of the deep). As good as Sweeny's (near Miamisburg Ohio) they were, and as my son-in-law would say ... "very tasty".  Sharon ordered shrimp whereas I choose a NY strip.  We each split our order when it arrived so we each had surf and turf.  Each meal was very nicely prepared and ... very tasty.  The dinning area was very comfortable and, even though it was a Sunday night, very well attended.  Our waitress Emily was so pleasant and helpful this northerner had almost gotten what southern hospitality was all about.  I think I've met a couple of hundred waitresses who could learn a thing or two from her.  Attentive, friendly, and able to give excellent details on Puleo's many offerings, it made the evening extra special.  Give this place a try the next time you're in the Knoxville area.  I think they have about six locations but we were at the Cedar Lane restaurant off I75 at exit #108.

So we've got about half the distance covered for this trip ... on the very first day!  I know many of our friends will find this a complete fantasy but before we left I put some blue fairy dust in the fuel tank and we travelled like the wind.  Or at least that's the story I'm telling today.

Still livin' the dream and headin' south.

Phil

Happy New Year

To each and everyone of you we wish all the best in 2012.  May your life be full of good health, happiness, good fortune and safe travels.

Still livin' the dream

Phil & Sharon

Twas' the night

Twas indeed the night before Christmas and I'm almost to bed.  At times it seems such a chore but when the kids and grand kids walk through the door tomorrow all the effort is forgotten.  Smiles and grins all around as they see the tree surrounded by brightly wrapped gifts.  It always good to be home for the holidays

We again have a great deal to be thankful again this year and hope each and every one of you all the best this holiday season.

Wait!  Is that Rudolph and jolly old Santa I see out on the neighbor's roof?  Gotta get out the cookies and get in bed.  See ya!

Still livin' the dream.

Phil

Somebody special

A special shout-out and Merry Christmas to one of our dear friends who lives in Finland.  One of my most loyal readers whom we've known for a good many years, Susanne lives (I think) very near Santa Claus so ... if all you other readers think very nice thoughts about her today, maybe she can put in a good word for you.

Thank you Susanne for your friendship and support.

Still livin' the dream and thinkin' good thoughts.

Phil

Time warp ... or something

Last Wednesday at 12:30 in the afternoon and again at 8:30 the following morning I entered a United State Postal facility with items to mail and found no one   ... repeat ... no one waiting in line ahead of me!  Actually there wasn't a soul in the place except the postal workers.  The last time I was there there were at least 15 people standing in line ahead of me.   Hey folks this is the holiday season!  Let get out there and support our money starved postal service.  I can't imagine I was the only one who didn't get the message to mail early before the deadline... was I?  I was planning on meeting new friends and kibitzing about the weather and such while waiting, but no.  I walked in, went straight to the counter, shipped my package, wished the clerk a Merry Christmas and out the door I went.  Or was I in some sort of seasonally induced parallel universe thing?  Stay tuned.

Confused but still livin' the dream.

Phil

Time flies

We really forgot how lazy we could become.  With big plans to clean out the garage, clean out the office, and clean out the spare bedroom ... I think the only thing that got cleaned out so far was the refrigerator.  Intentions, much like New Year's resolutions sure look good on paper but it always seems 'something' comes up.

No sooner than we got back into Michigan and we met with our summer RV neighbors at an eatery in Battle Creek to get caught up.  Sure good seeing everyone and are already looking forward to returning to Cousins RV Park in South Haven next spring.  We jabbered awhile, took a quick trip to the local casino (lost) and before long we had to depart for a pre-concert dinner with our dear friends from Battle Creek.  This time a nice downtown eatery, followed by a great Brass Band of Battle Creek (www.bbbc.net) concert at W.K. Kellogg Auditorium.

Just a side note on the Brass Band of  Battle Creek.  If you ever plan to be travelling in Michigan check out their website and performance schedule.  This is not a tuba player and a couple of trombones with folks playing Sousa marches but a gathering of some of the finest brass instrument players on the planet.  From the London Symphony to Carnegie Hall to New Orleans and Chicago jazz, these people can play just about anything you can imagine and do it so you won;t forget it.  If you close your eyes when they're performing you'd swear there were wind and string instruments playing as well but no, only brass and percussion some 40 players strong.  If you do have an inkling to go ...plan ahead ... many times they are almost fully booked 6 months ahead.  By-the-way, if you were expecting maybe a hundred music buffs showing up for one of these at the Kellogg Auditorium (one of Michigan premiere acoustical gems) think again ... more like 2000 attend every performance.

Okay let me get back on track.  The following day Sharon and I attended a baby shower (girls) brunch (guys) for Kim, the daughter of our dear friends George and Paula at Clara's Restaurant (www.claras.com) in downtown Battle Creek.  The charming restaurant is an old New York Central train station of the 1940's and 50's era and is full of lots of historical items from the town.  The shower was a gala affair that had all the neat stuff expecting mothers do and get and an extra special treat for the guys who got there own separate room to eat, drink and tell outrageous stories of bygone years.  All-in-all  a pretty good outing.

Finally getting home that evening, it was good to be back and was really great to discover the house was not flooded nor taken over by a herd of raccoons this year. We knew we could now get at all those projects we'd planned on.  Oh but did I forget?  We had other duties to do first.  Within a few days we were going to stay with our grand children as their folks headed off on a cruise out of Miami. 

Five days with two young adults, one brown dog that likes everybody, one grey, stripped cat who is almost too friendly, and finally one white cat with big black spots who doesn't like me.  It was interesting to spend some time with our fast maturing grand kids.  We quickly learn the kids are growing up fast and the need for us to look over them in their folks absence will soon pass.   We look forward to being a part of their lives as they continue the journey into adulthood but will miss the 'little kid' times.

So now maybe I can get to work on the garage.  Oh wait!.  The temperature is dropping fast so maybe I should work inside on the office or the spare bedroom.  Oh wait again!.  What about Christmas shopping Sharon says.  Okay, I give up.   Maybe next year I get started on the cleaning jobs.

Still livin' the dream here in the North country.

Phil

ps ... a get well fast goes out to our friends Miki and Tracy

What on earth are we doing?

We saw the first signs of trouble around Dayton Ohio.  A little unnerving ... but manageable.  As the miles went by our worst fears became a reality.  It was unmistakable ... something no rv'er ever wants to see.  Call it angel dust.  Call it Santa's dandruff.  But it's still Snow.  OMG.  There it was ... covering the fields ... covering the green ... covering life itself.  And it was a dirty, nasty white at that.  Leaving our winter retreat in central Florida meant no more sunshine.  No more 80 degree weather.  No more fresh picked oranges.  We've returned from once we came.   But alas... but for such a short time; then we'll return to the land of bright skies, warm winds, blue haired ladies and a ribbon of left turn-signal lights in the right lane in early January. 

With some some very special reasons we returned to Michigan for the month of December.  Friends and family, being the most important, made the return despite the weather, a worthwhile adventure.  A baby shower ... a wedding ... a meeting with summer rv'ers ... and of course, Christmas and New Years holidays.  It's still good to be home.

For those snowbirds still contemplating heading north for the holidays or those late starters heading south, a couple of warnings. If going through Cincinnati, Louisville, or Atlanta try to do so sometime between 11:00am and 2:00pm.  Sundays would be best but on workdays, mid-day seems far less hectic.
Longest tie-up we noticed coming north was south bound traffic in Cincinnati.  North bound was bad enough but those heading south the lanes looked like a parking lot half way back to Dayton.  Speaking of Dayton ... we stayed at the Hilton's Homewood Suites in Miamisburg (south side of Dayton)http://homewoodsuites1.hilton.com/en_US/hw/hotel/DAYSOHW-Homewood-Suites-by-Hilton-Dayton-South-Ohio/index.do.  Take exit #44 off north bound I75 then east one block then south one block.  Best price we could find on short notice, including dinner and breakfast was $89. Plus beer for 50 cents per glass and wine at 75 cents per glass. Rooms were large, clean and very quite.  Great shopping nearby as well.  Dayton Mall, Barnes & Noble, etc.

So Mother Nature give it your best shot while we're here.  Show us what a white Christmas really is but please make sure the snowplows have cleared a path for us in January cause' we're again ... outta here.

Shivering but still livin' the dream.

Phil

Maybe I should trade in my land yacht for this little beauty.  More storage and can go places the Monaco won't go.  May have to rename her but I'll ask Sharon what she thinks of the idea.

The new Sharon K ???

Maybe livin' the dream is over?

Phil

Whew! We made it one more year

Butterballs on the run

We're all still livin' the dream

Phil

Up, up and away!

10:02 am Saturday morning.  Look due east and watch the show.

NASA lit the fuse on another big rocket (Atlas V) taking a new and bigger rover vehicle (named Curiosity) to the planet Mars.  They say they're looking for signs of life on the old Red planet but I think once they get there (next summer) most of those little green people will already be on vacation.

This shot was taken from our back yard some 75 miles away from Cape Canaveral.  I've seen a number of these launches but each one is still as exciting as the last.  Still a kid at heart, I guess.

'Curiosity' off to get curious

Still livin' the dream but keeping my feet on the ground.

Phil

Living it up

Not soon after getting settled in camp, Sharon's sister Gay and our grandchildren Allison and Austin flew down to spend a week with us.  We had rented a condo near Orlando to save the hour or better drive each way from camp to Disney and Universal Studios.

Summers Bay Resorts (http://www.summerbayresort.com/orlando.htm) turned out to be quite a nice place.  Spacious rooms, several pools and best of all ... close to the Orlando attractions.

Our condo

I really got off easy by returning to camp to work on a major photo project leaving the heavy entertaining to Sharon.  I returned at the end of week to enjoy the festivities.

But just one little anecdote on the trip to the airport to pick everyone up ... I had not paid a lot of attention to how much fuel I had in the tank so I dropped Sharon off at the airport to meet our visitors and headed out to buy gas.  Driving and driving, I finally found a Shell station some 10 miles away.  A nice clean station near a big mall.  I really needed the gas so I pulled into the first place I could find.  I got ready to pump only to noticed what the price was.  Regular gas was just shy of $6.00/gallon!  No wonder I was the only one at the gas pumps.  The locals wouldn't be anywhere near this rip-off joint so I pumped just a couple of gallons and headed back to the airport ... slightly miffed.  No very miffed!

OMG gas prices

Sharon carried the most of the entertaining load this week dashing from place to place and roller coaster to roller coaster with our guests.  I don't know how she keeps going but she is really amazing.  Being young at heart helps.  As the week progressed I did noticed all of them were running a little low on steam and hanging out at the pool became the attraction of choice.

And so this past week went.  If you're coming to the Orlando area to see all the great attractions, don't forget to have very deep pockets or a good line of credit ...  or both.  Now not all things are expensive but those do take a little effort to discover.  All in all whatever the cost it was really good to have family come done and spend some time with us.  We hope they all had a good time ... we sure did.

Here's a few more images of the condo ...

Pool at our condo

Master bedroom

Living room and kitchen

Patio view

So in addition to all the great fun, my Grand daughter Allison celebrated her 17th birthday with us. My Grandson Austin is growing like a weed (he was noticeably taller each morning) and my Sister-in-law Gay is still a kid at heart.  All great individuals but when in a group ... crazy rules.  But Sharon and I really enjoyed their visit.

So once again ... we're still livin' the dream ... now in warm and sunny Florida.

Phil

A quick update ... almost

Roughing at our winter camp

We've finally landed at our winter destination at Florida Grande RV Resort near Webster Florida.  We were here last year and enjoyed the stay so we're back again.

Just to back up a bit ... we left Adairsville and motored on a few hours to Manchester TN.  Not to abandon my 'late to start ... early to quit' driving style, we managed to get maybe 200 miles under my belt before seeking out the KOA in Manchester.  Another repeat stop for us and it too was well kept park.  We didn't unhook with plans of getting on the road early the next morning.  As you might guess that didn't materialize as we managed to get back on the road about 10:00am.

Now here comes the ugly part ... I24 south of Manchester is no place for the meek.  The roads are in perfect shape ... the scenery is spectacular ... but the hills and truck traffic is not so good.  If I had not 400hp pushing me going up the mountains and a reliable Jake Brake slowing me on the decent, my fingers would still be permanently bonded to the steering wheel.  I'm trying to maintain a 60-65mph speed but the 18 wheelers roared by me like my wife rushing for the 'blue-light' special at K Mart.  Up and down and around the mountains we went ... I think if I were driving a car it would have been a more pleasant route but a little to tense for my liking in a motor home.

Though the trip to the next over-night was short, the stop at the Forsyth KOA was again very enjoyable.  We'd planned to revisit a restaurant (Prime Palate) was nixed as we were there for dinner but on that day they were only serving breakfast and lunch.  So we consulted my new Garmin GPS unit for new eating places and found a steak house that sounded good.  We found the place but learned that it had gone out of business some 11 months ago.  So much for the map upgrade.

Sharon mentioned that there was a movie she'd seen (Fried Green Tomatoes) was shot near Forsyth so we again consulted the GPS unit and drove off to the east about 10 miles to the small village of Juliette.

Inviting sign

About half way there we came over a hill and looming on the horizon was 2 very tall smoke stacks and 4 huge cooling towers.  I first thought it was a nuclear generating plant but Sharon did a little Google checking and discovered that it was the largest coal fired power generating plant in the US.  If time would have permitted I sure would have liked to take a closer look and taken some photos.  It was an imposing facility.  Anyway on to Juliette ... we pulled into the made-for-the-movie street discovering that both sides of the street were small old-time shops (all closed) each built at maybe 2/3 scale.  Sort of like an over-grown doll house look.

Whistle Stop Cafe

Specialty of the house

The famous restaurant we wanted to eat  at (specializing in fried green tomatoes I guess) was closed as well so I took a few pictures and headed back to Forsyth.

We cruised around the city square and found a place called 'Grits Cafe' www.gritscafe.com.

Grits Cafe next to the Rose Theater

Normally I'm gastronomically about as far away from grits as I am the moon but it looked like the only game in town at the time so we ventured in.  Wow!  What's a place like this doing in this little burg?  Table cloths, nice wine list, original art on the walls and no paper towels in the restroom but white cotton towels all neatly rolled in a stack near the sinks!  Oh did I mention the food?  Yup, lots of grits offered but only as compliments to the main entrees.  Checkout their website and see the selection.  Oh, and one last little treat. Along with the bill came a little plate of special chocolate to finish off the meal.

A sweet little chocolate delight

So fellow snowbirds and other vagabonds of the road ... if you're passing through or stopping over in Forsyth Georgia area you can't go wrong at either the Prime Palate or the Grit Cafe.  You will not be disappointed.

Heading out at the crack of 10:00am the next morning we made to our next stop in Lake City Florida.  We've been there before and it was an easy in and easy out stop over.

So here we are on our last leg of the trip.  Another rough 3 hour day on the concrete canyons of northern Florida.  I like to rate the trips we take using the famous "Cone" formula.  This was a one cone trip.  That is  I only hit one orange cone and no orange barrels.  Not too bad for me considering it took me 6 days to go 1200 miles.  Nothing like smelling the roses along the way.

Thanks for tagging along and stay with us as we embark on another winter adventure.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil

Farewell friend

Corky Vogel  1936 - 2011
R.I.P.

On the road again

The wind rustled fallen leaves through the vacant sites.  It was very quite that last night we were at our summer camp.  We were the last to leave (again) the following morning.  Bittersweet.  The good times with friends and family but  now most all have left and we've said our goodbyes to family. Yes bittersweet.

We got around in the morning, hooked up the car and said farewell to Mary the camp owner, and headed south.

First stop was an old stop.  Been there before and found it works best for us.  Woods-n-Water Rv park near Columbus Indiana is close to the highway and roomy enough for our rig.  We met up with Sharon's sister Linda and husband John at Mark Pi's China Gate restaurant in Columbus for dinner.  Maybe not as good as previous meals there but not bad either.  Before dinner we took a little tour of downtown Columbus and finally could see what a wonderful array of architecture it has.  Bold, elegant, and whimsical ... all styles are embraced here.  A truly neat little city.  I also noticed a big Cummins engine plant there.  If I could have spent a weekday there I understand they have guided tours of the plants.  It would be neat to see how that big M11 400hp coach engine that pushes around us was built.  Maybe later.

Kind of slept in today and got a late start.  I know ... no surprise to some of our friends but once underway I quickly discovered that I had made a slight error in where our next stop would be.  Originally I had planned to bypass Louisville as the I64 bridge was closed routing all traffic to the I65 bridge.  Two to three hour backups were the norm so I cleverly thought I'd head further west and cross the Ohio river further downstream.  Well what I thought and what I plugged into my trip planning software were two different things.  When I left camp I turned on the laptop, brought up the trip plan and away we went.  Enjoying the scenery and motoring along the little female voice in the laptop kept belching out that famous word "recalculating" "recalculating".  After a half dozen "recalclating" I looked a little closer at the screen and discovered that I had called up the wrong trip map and we were headed directly for the 2-3 hours traffic jam in Lousiville.  We found a rest stop about 30 miles down the road and we pulled in to figure out what we could do.  It wasn't long before we realized we'd gone too far and were going to have to stick with the drive through Louisville.  Trip planning is not my strong suit.

Bracing for the sea of red brake lights, we approached the outskirts of town only to be pleasantly surprised that two of the four lanes were moving over the bridge at about 30mph ... so it all worked out. Except for the crummy roads we got through in good order.  It pays to traverse big cities on Sundays, I guess.  I don't care how long I've driven a motor home I still don't like heavy truck traffic around me.  They drive faster than I usually do and my knuckles return to their normal color only after my fingers have been pried from the death grip on the steering wheel.  Winds buffeting from both mother nature and my fellow road warriors always make for tense driving.  Maybe age has something to do with it. I'll be happy to get to Florida.

Anyway we made it to our next stop in Manchester Tennessee.  We stayed at this KOA last spring and if I can find my fishing rod those big catfish in the pond are in real trouble in the morning.

Tomorrow we're off to Adairsville Georgia.  We may stay there a couple of days to do a little shopping for a chair for the coach.  The old 'J" couch has served it purpose and now I need something a little more comfortable.  If we have the room, Sharon may get one as well.

Once we get settled in Florida by next week, and I get my Mac up and running, I can catch up some of the things we did at our last camp.  Pictures and everything. Stay tuned.

Thanks for hanging in there and waiting for me to get my writing mojo started again.

On the road again and still livin' the dream.

Phil

Latest

Okay ... promptness is not one of my virtues.  But before long I'll get you caught up on our remaining weeks in Southwestern Michigan.  Mini trips up north for a little color touring ... a zany Halloween party ... coach issues and finally our plans for this winter ...which we're only a couple of weeks away before we leave but have not be made any plans.  We're thinking about spending the first month in the Atlanta area, then returning north for the holidays, then back south (somewhere) for the rest of the winter.  So if you have any suggestions for around the Atlanta area drop me a note.

So hang in ... the dust here has got to settle a little before I can access my photo files and write a few lines but it will surely will happen soon and we'll soon start another play-by-play commentary of our next adventure.

Still livin' the dream.

Phil