Bandfest and West Side Story

Today we traveled to Pasadena City College stadium to watch 7 of the 20 marching units in the Rose Parade perform their field shows. We saw high school bands from Wyoming, Alabama, and 2 from Georgia along with the TCU and West Carolina Univ. bands. What an outstanding event! These high school bands are so creative, high energy and wonderfully sounding. We hated to leave! Other performances were to go on later in the afternoon and we missed ones from yesterday.

We then traveled to Hollywood to attend the production of "West Side Story". Since we had some time to kill before the show, we walked the walk of stars along Hollywood Blvd. As long as you are looking down at the stars you don't see the very seedy side of what should be a glamorous area. So many sex stores, costumes and liquor establishments. Not what I expected! On the other hand the Pantages Theatre was fabulous. They had restored the interior a few years ago to its original 50's Art Deco decor. And the musical was really good! The female performer who played the part of Maria was also the voice of Jasmine in Disney's Aladdin.

Pasadena CA

We took off early on Tuesday to drive to Pasadena CA. It was an uneventful drive, thankfully, other than dealing with LA traffic. John discovered that if you just pick a lane, look straight ahead and don't worry about other cars passing you on both sides, that we will get where we want to go stress free! Now, you and I know that fact but this is something new for John. He didn't realize that it is okay for people to pass him!

The Escapee's RV club that we will be with for our Rose Parade experience are an early bunch. Early cocktail hour (4 PM), early dinner (5:30 PM) and early to bed (we were back in the RV by 7 PM). We also found out that the New Years Eve party will be based on the eastern time zone -- 3 hours early!!!! Not a bad idea since we have to be on the bus at 6 AM New Year's Day to attend the parade. Also, when they say to be on the bus by 2:45, everybody except us were there at 2:30!

Today we got to see some of the floats being decorated with flowers and organic substances such as seed, moss, lichen, corn husks, leaves, rice etc. This is quite an engineering feat as well as labor intensive. There were scores of volunteers for each float.

This afternoon we went to Equifest -- a horse show of performers who will be in the parade. Now John and I are not real horse fans but this was a lot of fun and very interesting. There were circus performers, Calvary soldiers, Mexican caballeros, Cowgirls Chics and many more.

An AZ Xmas

John's Mom's home was well decorated for Xmas and so is the park where she lives. Lots of lights outlining RV's and covering the cacti. Christmas Day was spent video chatting with our kids and grandkids or talking on the phone with other family. The afternoon was very warm and sunny so John and I spent a couple of hours by the pool and then bike riding.

Today we drove up to Cave Creek where we will spend some time in February. We wanted to check out the county park camping and recreation area and then see if we could find any good places to eat. ( you must think that is all we can think about!) We also scoped out some golf courses. John is biking while I'm here blogging and paying bills but it is nice to have the windows open!

Good Bye NO

We got really lucky and were seated at the food preparation bar at NOLA (Emeril's restaurant). We had a very good meal, a nice visit with the folks sitting next to us, and it was fun watching the chefs at work.

As we walked around the Quarter after dinner we came across a bar showing a movie. They were at intermission and showing the old clips from drive-in movies (where they tell you to go to the concession stand for popcorn etc.) on the wall of the building outside. We decided to stop for a drink and to watch "Home Alone" inside. Shortly after the movie came back on John and I made a simultaneous discovery -- this was a GAY bar!!!! John saw the bartender kiss another on the cheek and I watched two male customers tenderly feed each other a bite of food. We quickly finished our drinks and departed! I laughed all the way back to the RV! How do we get ourselves into these situations?!!

Tuesday morning we left NO around 8 AM and headed for San Antonio where we were met by some friends for dinner and breakfast the next day. We parked in the Walmart parking lot for the night. Wed and Thurs. we drove towards Phoenix. It took us all day on Wed. to get the rest of the way across Texas. That's 22 hours to drive across that state. Thursday night we stayed in the Lost Dutchman State Park. Luckily we got in early enough to take an invigorating hike thru the desert before supper.

It was only a 1 hour drive to John's Mom's RV resort where we will stay until after Christmas. It is so nice to be with family on this special day!

Pam's New Orleans Christmas

Sunday was sunny and warmer than Sat. but still on the cool side. A friend's son and his girlfriend came by about noon to get his packages from home. We then made a beeline to the Jagerhaus. They have really good German food. We then wandered around the French Quarter for a couple of hours until the Christmas Concert at the St. Louis Cathedral. The choirs and orchestra perfomed a J.S. Bach contata, then a collection of songs accompanied by a harp. The last number was a moving number performed on the pipe organ. Oh yeah, pretty much the whole concert was in German, go figure.

When we left the church, we joined 8000 people in Jackson Square with candles and sang Christmas carols. I loved every minute and John was very good to go along with me.

Today we hopped on the trolley and rode out to the Garden District and had lunch at this little corner bar/restaurant called Parasols. John said his Po'Boy was better than Johnnie's. After lunch we walked around the old mansions. One of them is the home of novelist Anne Rice who writes vampire novels. We rode the trolley back to the Quarter so we could prepare to leave in the morning. Tonight we have reservations at NOLA Restaurant. This is an Emeril dining experience.

More NOLA

Dinner at GW Finns was pretty good although we've have had better. It is still a great place to eat and we would recommend it. We had a really good Muffalatta at Franks in the Quarter for lunch. Boy they are filling but good -- lots of olives and olive oil!

Saturday morning dawned cloudy, cold and rainy. But we don't let that slow us down. We walked down Canal St. to the River Walk which is really a long covered shopping mall. Since we were going in the wrong direction from Cafe du Monde, we stopped at their mall shop and got beignets and coffee. Being fortified, we set out in the rain to walk toward the Warehouse District and then along Magazine St. towards the Garden District. We found a neat area to window shop and then had lunch at Jackson's. John's hamburger was a full 1/2 lb and slathered with hollandaise sauce and caramelized onions. It was, literally, finger-licking good!

The sun came out as we walked back along Charles St. We decided that we had had enough seafood so we chose to go to Mr. B's Bistro and shared a rack of lamb that was REALLY good. It had this sweet wine reduction sauce that complimented the lamb to a 'T'. Saturday night on Bourbon Street was hopping but we had walked to much, we turned in early.

New Orleans

We left Sedalia on Wednesday morning and it was still pretty cold (in the 20's). We spent the night on a Walmart parking lot in Jacksonville MS and arrived at the French Quarter in time to set up the RV and then have a Johnnie's Po-Boy for lunch -- best ever! The weather in NOLA was in the mid-70's so we washed the RV before heading back into town to find a place for supper. We ended up at K-Paul's Kitchen after having a martini at our favorite corner bar/restaurant Napoleons.

Today dawned cloudy and never got over 60°. In fact it rained part of the afternoon. Tomorrow will start at 45° and not get any warmer! But it is still better than MO (that will be our motto this winter! LOL) We explored several historic houses and museums and I was disappointed that none of them were decorated for Christmas. In fact, not much of the French Quarter has decorations -- a few lights and garlands, a smattering of trees and wreaths and that's about it! We are having supper tonight at G.W. Finns -- one of our favorite places.

Two Days to New Adventure

It's 9° outside, snow on the ground, and the wind chill is -8°. What are we doing here? Good news for us we are leaving Wednesday on our next RV Adventure. Off to New Orleans to warm up and eat some of that good Nawlins' food. Then we haul it all the way to Phoenix to spend Christmas with my Mother. Next up is the Rose Parade in Anaheim. Keep up with us because we plan to blog this entire trip which is scheduled to end around April 1, 2011.

Tin Cup Pass and Mount Antero

This trip has to be the highlight of our Jeeping trips!! As we leave the town of Tin Cup we start climbing and drive by Mirror Lake then on up to the Pass at 12,154 feet. This is a pretty road with lots of trees and a back drop of high mountains.

But the best part is the drive up to the top of Mount Antero! It was steep from the beginning and not technically difficult but challenging with lots of large rocks, narrow roads and sharp turns. We crossed 3 creeks. As we drive past the tree line, the vista opens up for us. Such majesty! We can see the road we will take crossing back and forth the side of the mountain. It looks intimidating and it is! But we are determined. At 14,240 feet we all stop to take in the view. But Mike, our leader, wants pictures of Jeeps going all the way to the top of Mount Antero and Jeeps crossing over to Mount White. We are part of the 4 Jeeps that went to the "top of the world"! We had to be near 15,000 feet and the view was awesome! So many mountain peaks, the continental divide, the haze of far off vistas and the clear blue sky! Our God is a Mighty God!!

Back to earth it took us almost 2 hours to drive back to camp AFTER we got off the mountain. Oh, well, it was worth it!

We wish we could post pictures but the only internet out here is John's phone and it is just too slow for pictures. Myabe we can post a few pictures this weekend.

Cumberland, Hancock and Williams Passes

There are two couples with us from Steamboat Springs who are very new to this sport. They found yesterday to be intimidating. So one Jeep starts out with us today, but has to leave the group early on due to mechanical problems.

The drive up Cumberland Pass is mostly dirt road and easy, climbing to 12,000 feet. It takes us thru two tiny mining towns -- Tin Cup and Pitkin . At Pitkin we turn onto Hancock Pass Road and it becomes very narrow and rocky. This road used to be the old railroad bed that led to the Alpine Tunnel. We pass by two old water towers and a side loop that stills has the RR ties and rails. This road really feels like a railroad track due to the narrowness of it. At the end we stop and walk up to what is left of the Alpine Tunnel which collapsed in 1910. They are doing some amazing restoration work here. Hancock Pass was at 12,140 feet.

We back track a short distance to take the road over Williams Pass. This road is only open to travelers in August. Partly due to the wetness of the meadow we cross and partly to preserve this meadow. It is a beautiful trek but torturous. We go thru lots of mud and over some very large boulders. We banged our Jeep pretty hard several times but no damage. One Jeep got stuck! But it was lots of fun! And guess what? We went all day without the ominous red warning light coming on in our Jeep.

Italian Creek to Crested Butte

We had an ominous start to the day. As John sat in the Jeep with it idling while he was getting his email, it started to run really rough and 2 red lights came on. Not knowing what else to do, he turned it off and then restarted it. The red lights went away.

So we join up with the 11 other Jeeps and head out over Italian Creek, Reno Divide and Cement Creek. John and I actually did this trail last year by ourselves. This is the one where we had to use the winch to move a tree off the road. But this time we are driving from Taylor Lake to Crested Butte. It is a pretty drive, but difficult at times. Some large rocks to navigate, other parts fairly easy. We lunch on the road near the same place John and I had lunch last year. The drive down is pretty because it runs next to a very fast moving creek. The bad part is that the red light in the Jeep comes on 3 more times so we leave the group in Crested Butte and find a mechanic who can't do anything for us. Several phone calls later we decide that we will drive the Jeep no matter what happens.

It rains off and on the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Taylor Park Reservoir

Before we left Frisco, we had to grocery shop and stock up for at least 5 days because where we will be staying at Taylor Lake does not have convenient shopping.

The drive to Buena Vista where we turn off to go up Cottonwood Pass was short and uneventful. But as we turn to go thru town we find we have to take a detour because of a parade. Then we have to find a place to pull over for lunch and unhitch the car because Cottonwood Pass is over 12,000 feet elevation. Going up (westward) is not too hard as the road is paved but as we cross the pass, the road turns to gravel and it is all downhill, lots of switchbacks and tons of traffic. Although it is only 30 miles to Taylor Park, it is a 2 hour drive.

The park is on top of a hill overlooking Taylor Reservoir and the mountains rimming the continental divide. All 9 Born Free's arrive about the same time and we are clustered together. We have a hamburger BBQ welcoming dinner and get acquainted we everyone. Most we know from last year but there are some newbies.

Click Here for a map of our location at Taylor Park Reservoir.

UP to Copper

Another beautiful day in Frisco. This area has arts events going on all summer long. This weekend there was a Guitar Town at Copper Mtn., Keystone had theatre, in Dillon we could have listened to Blue Grass and tonight in Frisco was Booker T plus two other bands in concert.

So this morning I did laundry and then we took off on the bikes for Copper Mountain Ski Resort. Not necessarily to listen to the music (which was very good) but for the challenge of going UP the mountain so that we could coast down later. It was a long ride up, about 7.5 miles from Frisco (plus the 3 miles it took us to get to the trail). If it weren't for the sights along the way, such as the river, wild raspberries and rock climbers, it would have been a grueling bike ride. There was a fund-raising bike ride in the Summit area so there were lots of bikers -- all of them passing us! But this ride was what we expected -- up hill all the way so that we did not have to pedal coming back. We rode for 21 miles round trip.

Tomorrow we will head to Taylor Lake and meet up with the Born Free group of Jeepers for a week of off-roading. The campground is out in the middle of nowhere so we will not have internet nor maybe cell phone. I will blog when I can get an internet connection and let you know about all our exciting adventures on the Jeep trails.

Bike Ride to Keystone Ski Resort

The weather was just about perfect today, just a bit too windy but the right temperature for riding our bikes. This area has some wonderful bike trails that connect several towns. The trail connects Vail, Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Frisco, Dillon, Breckenridge Ski Resort, and Keystone Ski Resort. Eventually they will have a trail all the way around Lake Dillon. We went cross country from our campground to get to the bike trail because of new road construction. We then rode from Frisco to Dillon across the Dam and then up the "hill" to Keystone. The trail took us along the lake, past the marina and thru the wetlands natural area. We rode a short distance on the road before crossing the dam. We were in Dillon only a short distance before we headed up Hwy 6 to Keystone.

You would imagine that going UP to a ski area is all up hill but in this case there were several places where we went DOWN and then back up. What that meant to me was that it was going to be just as hard pedaling down from the ski area as it was going up to it. Keystone doesn't promote itself in the summer as much as places like Vail so it was pretty quiet. After lunch we napped on the park bench before heading home. It was a long ride. Our odometers showed that we rode almost 33 miles round trip.

Frisco and Breckenridge

We made the short trip to Frisco and were lucky to find a campsite on Dillon Lake. It is a national forest campground so no electric or water but it is a lovely place.

We drove up to Breckenridge, mainly to check out the bike route and ended up hanging out at a wine bar because of a sudden rainfall with hail! This city has grown tremendously. I only recognized a few places from our days of skiing here. We hope to bike up to the ski area or take advantage of the bike trail to Copper Mountain area or down to Silverton or Dillon. They have great trails if I can only bike UP them.

We had a great pizza dinner tonight but I am still tired from our hike yesterday!

Click Here for a map of our current campsite.

Lulu City

Today we explored the western side of the Rocky Mountain National Park by driving up to the Alpine Visitors Center. Not far from here is the highest part of the road at 12,183 feet. We thought about taking a short hike thru the tundra above the tree line but it was just too cold and windy! The drive up was beautiful and we stopped several times to take it all in.

On the way down, we stopped at the Colorado River Trail Head and hiked into the wilderness for 7.5 mile round trip to a site where Lulu City used to sit. It was there between 1879 and 1885 with a population of 200. Lulu City did not have much you could see so we had to use our imaginations. We saw the remains of mining equipment and a couple of old log cabins. The change in elevation was a rise of only 350 feet, but it happened often! The forest was lush, the mushrooms and flowers colorful, and the river cascaded beside us part of the trip. This is actually the head waters for the Colorado River. At one point there was a large rock fall where we saw a yellow-bellied marmot.

This was a very long hike for us and we were bushed by the end of the day. So John was kind enough to take me out to dinner. Thank goodness!

Golf

We played golf at the Grand Lake Golf Club today. It was a beautiful, challenging course, surrounded by mountains but, unfortunately, they had so many people on it that play was painfully slow! Thus we both did not play well.

Afterward we stopped by the Grand Lake Lodge and had a beer. The picture is of the lake and city right below the lodge.

Rocky Mountain NP

It took us awhile to make up our minds, but we finally decided to go to Grand Lake which is right outside the Rocky Mountain National Park. We are staying in an RV park that is on the west edge of the park, its entrance across the road from the Kawuneeche Visitors Center. This RV park also caters to horses. Not only do they offer trail rides and horse rentals, they have campsites with corrals just for people with horses.

There is a big sign as you enter the national park that instructs people to not approach animals but to stay on the shoulder to take pictures. A short way past that sign, we came across several cars parked on the road with people out photographing an anterless moose! Probably a female. Later this afternoon, John and I took a short 2 mile hike from the visitors center and encountered a female and young male elk and a female and baby moose! I tried taking pictures but there were too many tree trunks and bushes between me and the animal.

Better get to bed as tomorrow we will play golf and do some park explorations. Supposed to get into the 40's tonight!

Click Here for a map of our current campsite.

Hiking and Hot Springs

After a lazy morning, we drove up to Fish Creek Falls. There were two short walks to different viewing areas for the waterfalls (which were pretty neat) but what caught our attention was the 5 mile trail up to Long Lake. No, we didn't go the 5 miles but we did hike up the mountain for over 30 minutes (which should have been about 1 1/2 miles UP) and then turned around and came back down. It was a pretty hike, not too hard but fairly steep. The mountain side was covered with some type of wild raspberry bushes and wild blue berry bushes. Another couple of weeks and we would have scared bears out them.

After lunch at the RV, we put on our swim suits and drove up to Strawberry Park Hot Springs and partook of the hot waters. We could see the steaming water running down the hill into one of several layers of pools. One was VERY hot, the next was hot and the third was tepid and the fourth was icy cold! There were several small, personal sized pools as well. They had put out lots of heavy log chairs, some tents, and then there were rock ledges, rock lodges, massage areas and picnic areas. It was a very busy place with lots of sunburned people.

RJ and Erin may remember our visit to this spot in the dead of winter about 12 years ago. Lots of snow on the ground and some falling from the sky. They wanted to swim but we hadn't brought our suits. It hasn't changed too much.

Bike along the Yampa River

This morning we took off on our bikes and rode almost 20 miles altogether. I led the first leg and took us along the Yampa River thru Steamboat and to the east side. It is a lovely ride that follows the river the whole length. When we got to the end, John took the lead and we back tracked a short distance and then headed up the hill towards Gondola Square at the ski resort. But first we had to stop for iced coffee and to read the local newspaper. The ride up the hill to the ski resort wasn't too bad, we have done worse! They were busy getting ready for the wine tasting part of the Wine Festival.

When we came back down, we stopped at a restaurant/bar on the Yampa and had lunch while watching people float in tubes on the river. It was a very pleasant time until the clouds started rolling in as usual in the afternoon. So after napping to the sound of rain on the roof, I got my laundry done before supper. It's Saturday night and we were too pooped to do anything!

Steamboat Activities

We got to our campsite on Thursday morning so after lunch I went to the grocery store while John did some computer work. We then jumped on the bicycles and rode to downtown. They have a really nice bike trail that runs along the Yampa River thru Steamboat and then up to the ski area. Maybe later this weekend we will ride all of it.

After the ride we drove into town and went to a nice restaurant that had a 1/2 price happy hour. Our intent was just to have all 1/2 price small plates for supper but we were still hungry after trying 3 of them so we stayed for dinner too. Our bartender was very talkative so we learned that this is considered "monsoon" season for Colorado meaning rain storms build up and come in mid to late afternoon every day and then it clears up for the evening.

Today we walked a 9 hole golf course then goofed off the rest of the afternoon. I played okay, shot a 51 but John did better!

Steamboat Springs

We have moved into town to a RV Park with electricity and water. This is the first time we have been 'plugged in' since July 25th.

Click here for our map location. We will be here until Sunday, maybe longer.

Stagecoach Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our stay at Stagecoach State Park.

Mountain Climb

When John left this morning to fish the trout stream below the dam, I donned my hiking books, grabbed by hiking poles and headed up the small mountain just north of our campsite. It has beckoned me all week! My goal was the tall peak but as I climbed, I changed by goal to the tall hill in front of the peak. From a distance the ground looked to be covered with sage brush and grass. Up close it is covered by sage brush, tall grasses, small bushes, weeds, and wildflowers. Rocks are hidden by the brush, roots catch my toes, the grass reaches to my arm pits and the trees are so short they almost don't have any shade. AND it is much steeper than I anticipated. After climbing for an hour and fifteen minutes, I came to a fence that cut me off from my goal. I tried following it for a short distance but the grass, weeds and steep hill wore me down. So that is what I did -- started walking down.

The trip down was faster but the fun part was following animal trails. Most likely it was deer or maybe just my imagination but it was challenging to try to stay on it. I'd lose it, make my own and then pick up another one for a short distance. Who knew this could be so much fun!

John did catch a fish this time. Just as he got back from fishing the sky opened up with rain -- AGAIN! That is why we are at the library, using their wifi and blogging.

Red Sky at Night

Tuesday morning John fished from the kayak at the opposite end of the lake and still didn't catch anything. I extended my hike from the day before by 2 miles. Not much to see as it is open prairie land. After lunch we napped, read books, and then drove down below the dam and explored that area more. John found a couple of good places to go trout stream fishing tomorrow.

Just as we were sitting down to supper, another rain storm moved thru the area. Luckily it was short. When the sun peeked thru we witnessed a brilliant rainbow and I actually saw the pot of gold on the opposite hillside. We got a good campfire going and then Mother Nature put on a wonderful light show for us. The clouds were lined with reds and oranges, then the hillside across the lake lit up in bright greens and reds with a dark grey sky behind it. Shortly after that the tallest peak in the east turned bright red as if it were on fire or maybe an erupting volcano. What a wonderful evening!

Stagecoach State Park

After we set up camp we took the short 20 minute drive into Steamboat Springs. We did some exploring and shopping before driving back and trying to beat the rain that was threatening. Unfortunately, I left my purse at the diner where we got a soda and had to drive back from the campground to retreive it (all in tact). So a late supper prepared between rain falls. Then in rained in earnest most of the evening.

Today John fished from his kayak in the deeper part of the lake near the dam. No luck. I took a hike this morning up and over a hill and then explored the whole campground. The area has no trees but lots of sage brush and wildflowers.

It rained again this afternoon so we drove into Steamboat to use the wifi at the library. Wow -- a really nice, new building.

Click Here to see where we are camped.

Lazy Summer Dazes

Friday was a day off -- we slept late, caught up on email, phone calls, and house keeping chores. We both got our hair cut, and I went to the grocery store. It was nice to cook at the RV site and then we took a leisurely stroll thru Vail Village. We also met some nice people who also own a Born Free RV. We actually were camping in "their" site (they live in Evergreen and come up here often.)

Saturday we played golf with our friends John and Susanna at the Eagle Ranch golf course and had a lovely day! All the rain went north or south of us. That night we dined in Vail Village -- what a great evening.

Sunday we got going early so I could go to the laundromat while John took the RV to Edwards to dump tanks and fill up with water. We were then ready to head to Steamboat Springs area.

Vail & Pictures

Click here to see where we have been camped all week outside vail and enjoy a few pictures from the last week.

Vail

Sorry you haven't heard from me for several days but we have been really busy during the day and have gotten in so late at night that I have been too sleepy to write.

John and Susanna kept us busy all week. Tuesday saw John, John, Jack, Lanny and Mary riding mountain bikes down Vail Mtn. Katy, Susanna and I chose not to bike but to hike. John found this to be pretty exciting and also challenging. It's one of those experiences that he is glad he participated in but not something he will willing do by himself. We chose to cook at the condo and had a lovely salmon dinner. Late night.

Wednesday was a golfing day at Eagle Ranch Golf Course in Eagle CO. It was pretty cloudy that morning but cleared up by late morning. A good day of golf even if our scores didn't reflect that. After lunch, the guys went over to our campsite with John and us girls went shopping. We had supper at The Sweet Basil restaurant in Vail that was fabulous! I highly recommend this establishment.

Thursday is fishing day. We all went fly fishing from boats on the Colorado River! Well, almost everyone. I appointed myself the official photographer and did not fish. These were 3 man pontoon rafts -- 2 fishing and the guide rowed the boat while giving tips on how and where to fish. John had 5 good hits but no catches. Susanna was the only lady to catch any fish and all the other guys caught at least 3 each. Fun day. Just as we got back to the RV around 5 it started raining and has been raining off and on since. Good time for sleeping!

Off to Vail

We got up early on Sunday morning to break camp and head somewhere where we had internet, electricity, showers and laundry facilities. That place was Leadville, CO. This high mountain village is the center of a once thriving mining area. Within short drives in all directions around the town, you can find old gold, silver and copper mines. This area is also known for the number of 14,000 ft. mountains that people can hike or bike up. NOT US! At one time in the early 1800's this town had over 120 saloons. We had dinner at a restaurant that only had two items on its menu -- filet mignon or a vegetarian lasagna and on Friday and Saturday they added prime rib. It was actually pretty good steak, for less than $12!

We got up early again on Monday so that we could be assured of getting a site at the Gore Creek National Forest Campground in East Vail. Our drive from Leadville was really pretty although we had a lot of switchbacks and a mountain pass to get through. Our site is right on Gore Creek and is really lovely. After we were settled in, we rode our bikes almost 7 miles down hill to Vail Village where we shopped and people watched. The really bad part of this day was the ride back UP those 7 miles. Especially the last 2 miles which were really steep! I had to walk my bike most of that 2 miles. I was POOPED!

We then went over to West Vail where our friends had rented a condo and 2 other couples from Sedalia were staying with them. Our plans for the week will keep us really busy but should be fun!

Food & Wine Tasting

Friday was a really nice day, but still cool. We had a lazy morning, then drove the Jeep up the same road we walked yesterday only we went up past the waterfall to see if we could find the lake. It was not a difficult drive but had some challenging rock climbing. We stopped along two different off-road trails to see if we could find the lake with no luck but the vista is beautiful as are the flowers. After lunch, John took off fishing from the kayak and I got the camera out, along with the owners manual and took a walk just to find flowers and waterfalls to photograph.

Friday evening was our foray into the Food and Wine Festival. We had dinner at the East End Bistro with wine from Krupp Brothers in CA. The interesting thing about these pairings was that the chef and his wife first tasted the wines and then determined what food would best go with them. And it worked really well. We had a lobster salad, bruschetta made with figs, prosciutto and goat cheese, roasted duck breast, smoked pork belly and for desert a chocolate stout cupcake. Each course had a different wine plus we drank a bonus wine before and after the meal. Our table sat people from CO, FL, CT and TX. It was a delightful evening.

Today we slept in (wonder why?), fished, short hikes, cleaned, filled water tank, and enjoyed the campground. John even built a rip-roaring fire for the evening. We have really enjoyed this area and this lovely campground!!

Fox tale

Last night, as we were eating our grilled hamburgers at the picnic table, the mother fox decided to visit our campsite. She acted like she was begging for some of our meat. She circled the site and would dart in and then back off as we talked or yelled at her. In the mean time, unknown to us, one of her kits snuck under the RV and grabbed one of my hiking boots that was by the RV drying out. If it hadn't been for the people on the road watching the kits playing we would never have know what happened to my boot! The baby fox ran back to its play area behind the RV and dropped the shoe on the top of the hill. Luckily I was able to retrieve it as the kit watched me with a disappointed look on its face. I had taken its new toy!

Lake Irwin

We left Gunnison around 9 am Tues. and drove up to Crested Butte. After a short stop in town we continued on up to the National Forest Campground at Lake Irwin. Our luck held out as they only had two open sites and the one we parked on has to be one of the best in the campground! It is right next to a game trail. Each evening we see a mother fox and her 2 kits playing in the glade right next to the RV. We have also seen a deer and two coyotes.

It rained all night on Tues. thru Wed. morning. It was a good time to go into Crested Butte to shop and look for wifi. We also got the lowdown on the Wine and Food Festival. By the time we got back after lunch, it had cleared up enough for John to get the kayak out and go fishing. Still no bites.

We took two long hikes. Tues. afternoon we walked up to the Irwin Lake Lodge which is closed and dilapidated. This hike took us on the far side of the lake before going up. If we feel up to it later this week, we will hike on up past the lodge to the ridge. Other hikers have told us it is a beautiful panorama but it is about 2 miles straight up -- takes at least 2 hours to climb. The hike we took this morning was along a Jeep road and led us to an alpine waterfall. The wildflowers are profuse and in full bloom!

John went fishing in the afternoon and was finally successful. He caught trout on his fly rod and spinning rod. He felt much better as he was beginning to think he would never catch a Colorado fish.

The weather has turned very cool -- only a high today of 60° and lows at night in the upper 40's! And we can expect more scattered showers.

Moving on to the next adventure

On Saturday morning, after breakfast and final farewells, we drove a whole 10 miles so we could camp on the Rio Grande and John could try his hand at fishing in it (no luck). It was a beautiful campground, pine smells and gurgling waters. I, on the other hand, chose to go back into South Fork and play a round of golf. Did not do very well, but enjoyed the course and the time by myself.

Today, we drove to Gunnison and are staying in a KOA so we can catch up on the internet, phone calls, grocery shopping and laundry and blogging. On Tuesday morning we are heading up to Crested Butte and will be staying (we hope) in a state or national forest campground out in the boonies where we won't have any of that stuff for the next 5 days! (Actually, we will probably travel into the town and find some free wifi.) We will also get to experience some fine dining and some fine wine at the Crested Butte Food and Wine Festival.

We rode our bikes into town this evening - probably about 6 miles total. We passed a white water park and watched kayaker's paddle into a rapid and then stay there. Pretty amazing stuff! Gunnison is quite in the evening but is a very lovely place.

Where's the Elk?

Only 5 Jeeps took off on this trip. (Another 5 went out at 7 AM so they could spy on wildlife.) The road started off right next to the Rio Grande Country Club & Golf Course, then took a fairly gradual rise up into the hills. There were lots of switchbacks, and tons of trees which prevented me from finding any elk or deer (riiight!!). At the top the road opened onto a huge meadow at about 12,000 ft. that was full of wild flowers and should have had some elk but I didn't see any! We had lunch on the edge of this meadow and heard an elk bugle. It sounds just like a horn. We had a short, steep side trip down and back up that was fun. We then drove to the top of a ridge overlooking South Fork Valley.

Tonight was our last night with the Escapees. We've made some good friends with whom I hope we will stay in touch.

Shake and Bake

Today we left the campground at 8 AM and drove 45 miles to the start of our drive up to Bristol Head. This is a prominent point about 12,000 feet up,and from the road it looks very steep and dangerous but we came at it from the back side and it was an easy grade up to the top. Actually, we drove about 15 miles on gravel road, then about 5 miles on a dirt road and then 2 miles on nothing but rocks and it wasn't even a steep grade! John and I nick-named the road "Shake and Bake". The road rocked and rolled us all over the place while the sun beat down on our heads. The saving part of this drive is that the view was really awesome. We could follow the Rio Grande all along the valley and spotted mountain tops of snow on the far horizon.

Coming down, we took a 2 mile side trip to Crystal Lake -- now THIS was a four-wheelin' road! Some straight up and downs with turns at the top or bottom that you couldn't see until you were right on top of them. This is the kind of off-roading we like!

Tonight, John took me out for dinner at a very fine restaurant in South Fork. Great day.

Rat Creek Run

Today all 20 Jeeps went out for the same run -- 10 went one way and 10 the other and we met in the middle along the Continental divide for lunch at 12,890 feet. The view was spectacular for 360°. The trail going up was along Rat Creek. It was a beautiful day and a really nice ride thru Aspen groves and pine trees until we reached the tree line. Some challenges with lots of bumps and always up and up. If there was an easy way around a chuckhole or large rock, we went thru or over! We drove down the side of one mountain via switchbacks and then followed Willow Creek thru the bottom of the canyon into Creed. The mountain walls were close on both sides and the creek was lined with willow trees.

I wonder if all this fresh air is responsible for increased appetites and early bedtimes!? We're pooped -- goodnight.

Over the Continental Divide

There are 20 Jeeps in our group that caravan the trails around South Fork but only 10 -12 go out with each of 2 lead drivers on two different trails each day.

Today we followed Barry up the South Fork road to Elwood Pass over the Continental Divide and then back. It was a very easy jaunt the first 15 miles and then we hit the challenging stuff. Actually, none of it was really hard (classified 3+ out of 5) but there were a few legs that kept us on our toes. Steep, rocky, muddy. But the scenery was fabulous. Lots of pine and aspen, a lot of wildflowers such as bluebells, fairy trumpets, monks hoods, Indian paint brush, fireweed, and, of course, Colorado Columbine. We saw one deer. We came home covered with dust and mud, tired but happy.

South Fork, CO

South Fork is a very small town on the Silver Strand Scenic Highway. They are famous for Logger Days - a weekend of logging competitions which I'll tell you more about after this coming Saturday.

We met the whole group for cocktails and a game on Sunday afternoon and then had a great catered dinner and by 7 PM everyone was in their own RV's. So John and I got the bikes out and went exploring. Of course, everyone is older than us -- so it seems but we still have a few folks to meet.

Today we lined up with 10 other jeeps and took off on Barry's South Run. It was a relatively easy trail in the Rio Grande Wilderness Area with some challenges in some places, mud in others. We stopped by Beaver Creek Reservoir for lunch and were back at the campground by 1:30. We rode our bikes some this afternoon and found a lovely golf course but it is closed on our day off. If we get back from Jeeping early one day, we may try to get 9 holes played.

Click here for a map of our location this week.

Movin' On

Despite the beautiful weather, calm winds and lots of sunshine yesterday, John did not catch a single trout! But . . . our neighbors did and they gave one of them to us. They also left some firewood for us so we enjoyed a wonderful evening under the stars next to a fire.

We got up early this morning and headed towards our next adventure in South Fork. We are spending the night in Alamosa near the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We are over 15 miles away and can still see the white sand. Tomorrow we join the Escapees in South Fork for some off-road Jeeping starting on Monday!

Leasure Time

It's 9:30 on Friday morning and I'm enjoying the sunshine but not the 45°! John took off fishing about an hour ago and it was only 44°! But the good news is that it's warming up quickly and should be near 70° this afternoon.

Yesterday started out about the same way but didn't warm up as much. It also stormed in the afternoon but the evening was clear and cool so John got some more fishing time. John has not caught any fish yet but our neighbors are catching bunches and brought us a baked trout for supper -- boy was it tasty!

Well, it's too pretty out to waste blogging so I'm off hiking.

Hiking and fishing

On Tuesday afternoon, John was able to get the kayak into the water for 2 hours of fishing. Mostly though to just see if he could do it and to see if he could transport the kayak on top of the jeep.

We went hiking on Wed. morning along the lake shore and then back into the meadows and lower tree line. It was a good 3 - 3 1/2 mile hike and we were pooped! We have not really acclimated to the altitude yet and we probably over did the exercise. We didn't do much in the afternoon (after naps). It was cloudy and threatening rain so we drove into Lake George to get gas in the Jeep. Along the road we came across an Elk grazing along the shoulder. He wasn't the least bit afraid of us.

It poured down rain during our dinner hour but right at sunset it quit and we saw a beautiful double rainbow. Then we saw the BEAR! It was across the meadow and headed toward some tent campers. We tried to warn them but then lost sight of the bear -- I guess we scared him too!

Colorado Adventure Begins

We left Sedalia on Monday, July 5 and drove to Limon for the night and then on to 11 Mile State Park. We actually got the same site we had last year -- the best one in our opinion! We have shade almost all day, a view of the lake in one direction, a view of snow-capped mountains in another direction and a lovely alpine meadow backed by a large crag in another direction.

This place just excites all your senses! The smell of Ponderosa Pine permeates the whole area. The buzz of bees and the twittering of birds combines with the chirping of chipmunks as they chase each other over the boulders. A gentle breeze brushes the skin or a large whoosh of wind blows your hair into your eyes. Then at mealtime you can taste the savory juices of a grilled steak or burger.

We LOVE Colorado! Click here for a map.

Florida Recap

It was an interesting trip, and in many ways a different kind of RV Adventure for us. When Pam finally gets home the entire trip will be 11 weeks, about 3 weeks more than last year in Mexico. Usually our trips are in the style of a vagabond. We rarely stay in one place more than 4 nights. On this trip we set a new record having stayed in Marathon for a whole 11 nights. We stayed 2 other places for a week, and at least 4 other locations for 5 days or more. We only "dry camped" (that's not having electricity, water, etc) for about 7 nights. All the rest of the trip we were "plugged in" and often had cable TV.

Our experience was tainted by the weather. We all know this winter was horrible just about everywhere. In Florida by most measurements it was at least the second coldest winter on record. Just about every day was at least 10º colder than usual. We didn't get to do hardly any diving or snorkeling which we really had our hearts set on when we were in the Keys. We also learned that there is a pretty significant climate difference in the central part of Florida (in the Orlando area) versus farther south like Fort Myers. If & when we go back I bet we spend most of our time in the far southern parts of the state.

Thanks for reading our blog. Our next trip may be Alaska this summer but we are not sure yet. When we do head out to hit the road you will hear about it on this blog.

Baby Vincent

We are now proud Grandparents of our second grandson, Vincent James Perillo. Born Monday March 22nd weighing 6 lbs 8 oz, 19-1/2 inches long. Everybody is healthy & happy. To see more pictures go here.

What happened between Orland and now? The convention was busy as usual ending around noon Saturday. RJ & Lisa flew back to Sedalia (with an unplanned overnight layover in Atlanta) and Pam flew to Oklahoma to be with Erin, Bryan, & Luca. Yours truly got to pack up the RV & car on Saturday to leave Sunday morning to drive to Norman, OK. Almost 16 hours of driving Sunday enhanced with 5 hours of rain followed by the whole afternoon of driving into a raging headwind. Then in started getting cold. Been a long time since I felt temperatures less than 50, didn't like it. About 11 hours of driving on Monday. In total right at 1,300 miles. I parked in front of Erin's house and went to the hospital to see my new Grandson.

Today we moved the RV to a county fairgrounds just 3 blocks away so Pam can continue to live in the RV and do her Granny thing for the next week. Tomorrow I am driving the Jeep to Sedalia with a short stop in KC for a meeting. Next Friday (Good Friday) RJ, Lisa, & I will drive back to Norman for the weekend. Friday is Erin's birthday, and Saturday Luca is 4. A big party is in the works. Next Sunday Pam & I will drive the RV back home. Then Pam will finally get home!

Back to Orlando

We left South Miami on Monday morning and fought the morning rush hour for about 45 minutes until we cleared the traffic. We arrived in Orlando at the Fort Summit KOA at about 3PM. After settling in we drove around for a bit and had supper at the Cracker Barrel. We also timed the drive from the KOA to Champion's Gate Resort Hotel where the American Brush Manufacturers Assoc. Convention is being held.

Tuesday morning we got up early and teed off at the Highlands Reserve Golf Course at 8:30 AM. A great day for golf but a horrible golf game for both of us -- I don't EVEN want to share our scores! We barely had time to stop at the grocery store, grab some lunch and then John drove to the Orlando Airport to pick up RJ and Lisa. They stayed in a KOA Kabin one night and will move to the Omni for the convention today.

We had a great camping dinner (grilled hamburgers and baked beans) and I enjoyed visiting with them. Its been good to see someone from home -- especially family!! I'm really getting homesick -- so this helps a lot!!

Today (Wed.) we will have a lazy morning and then John and RJ have meetings. Tonight we will attend the opening cocktail party and connect with all the friends we have made thru years of attending the this convention.

We are camped here until we head to Oklahoma.

Yikes!! Alligators!

Yesterday we got to the Larry and Penny Thompson Campground near Homestead, FL and got set up before the thunderstorms came. It made for a lazy afternoon. We are camped here until Monday.

But today we made up for it by going to The Everglades National Park and walked among the alligators! We entered the park and drove to the Palm Grove center where a park ranger was to give a tour. But we opted out when about 30 Cub Scouts and their parents joined us. This center was built along the Taylor Slough so we saw lots of native animals and grasses. The water that feeds the Everglades comes from rain and from Lake Okeechobee. The area between the lake and the Everglades is called a "river of grass" because the water is very shallow but very wide and moves about 1/4 mile per day. Sawgrass, cypress trees, mangrove bushes and other water loving plants make up the habitat for the many animals.

We saw lots of Snowy Egrets, Great White Cranes, Ibis, buzzards and Herons. We also saw turtles, bass, gar, and, of course, alligators! This is the dry season for the Everglades so food sources are more compact meaning that the gators congregate together more. During the rainy season, they spread out because their food is spread out. We must have seen 30-40 gators. We were on a raised board walk most of the time but there were a couple of gators next to the sidewalk as well. Luca, we did not kiss any of them! (I'm referencing a book a gave my grandson.)

The very south end of the Glades is on the Florida Bay. It was extremely windy today so we did not rent a canoe but there are lots of canoe trails throughout this part of the park. We also leaned that crocodiles live in this part of the park but we did not see any of them. This is the most southern point of the contiguous USA.

More Marathon Fun

Yesterday, the day after diving, we are very un-energetic. Got up late, goofed off most of morning, drove around Marathon some, found Sombrero Beach, drove around Bahia Honda State Park, took a nap, and had sunset cocktails with our neighbors.

Today we thought we might go snorkeling out on Looe Key. Everyone we talk to about this reef says that this is the best one in the Keys and we shouldn't miss it. But, the weather did not cooperate -- its was way too windy to take a boat out so the marina called and canceled. Plan B -- packed a picnic lunch then rode our bikes 10 miles to Sombrero Beach. We fought the wind both directions as we had a cross wind. But the day was very warm so the wind was welcomed. On the way back we stopped to get some fresh tuna and shrimp. Wow! The tuna was really good!

We finally remembered to take a picture of the sailboat that broke loose and crashed into the dock at the RV park during a storm a few days before we arrived.

Tomorrow we pack up and drive north to South Miami where we plan to camp at the county park.

SCUBA Diving!

Monday we drove down to Bahia Honda State Park. The weather was fairly nice so we thought we might snorkel off of their beaches. The place was really crowded but we did not see anyone snorkeling or swimming. We were told if we snorkeled off a particular beach we would have to have a diver down flag (the red one with a white cross). It was going to cost $$ to buy or rent one so we opted not to. Besides, the water is still really cold. So we walked the beaches, catching some rays and some exercise then went back to the RV. Ho Hum, boring day.

Now the excitement! We actually went SCUBA diving today! We were on a boat with 4 snorkelers but we had our own dive instructor go down with us. It was very shallow diving - only 12-14 feet - but that is OKAY with me! We saw lots of different fish, lobster, sea fans, lots of different coral, more fish. . . We made two dives on two different reefs. John's mask leaked, so he struggled with that again. And my ears still don't clear very well. It was still exciting and fun! I'm ready to try again! We may go out to Looe Key on Thursday.

Every night we look forward to the Sunset Group on the sea wall, cocktails and new friends and usually a beautiful sunset.

Barracuda Races

Had a great dinner last night with a 2007 Seghesio Zinfandel, a wine that John knew had been rated as #10 best in 2008! It felt good to dress up and go out together.

This morning we rode our bikes down the road to Key Colony Beach to experience the "World Famous" Barracuda Racing! They have a trough with 6 lanes and they race baby barracuda fish. Most go about 1/2 way down then turn around and go back. It was really funny. There were lots of vendors and food booths and a very short parade. Big day!(HA) But we did ride almost 20 miles so at least we got our exercise.

Weather is still cool but getting better. At least the wind is dying down. We stopped at a dive shop to see if they could tell us what day would be best for diving. They said the wind would have to blow out of the east or south and that the Gulf Stream will have to move closer to shore and then we wait two more days for the water to clear. That may happen by Thursday so we may not get to dive -- we'll see.

Exploring

Today we drove up the Keys (that would be towards Miami) a few miles to Islamorada, did some exploring and had a picnic lunch at the Long Key State Park. It was very nice since it was on the lee side of the island, so no wind but lots of sun and warmth. They also had a nice nature walk. Tonight we are going to a fine dining restaurant not too far from here. Looking forward to not cooking.

Dolphins and Pigeon Key

I walked next door to the Dolphin Research Center and got to experience some training sessions with dolphins. This location was established for training dolphins in 1951 and has gone through several hands before becoming this research center. Remember Flipper? Parts of that TV show were filmed here and the 4 dolphins that played Flipper came from here. In fact, their descendants still live here.  They have 20 dolphins, 2 baby dolphins and lots of volunteers and trainers. I got a personal tour from a volunteer and watched people swim with the dolphins, training and feeding. Very interesting.

During the afternoon, we drove down to the Seven Mile Bridge. Under that bridge is the original road/bridge that goes over an island called Pigeon Key, a national historic place. We walked out to the island, about 2 miles one way, and got a personal tour of the island and the buildings and the history of Henry Flagler, father of Florida. Flagler built the railroad that connected all the islands along the keys from Miami to Key West. Flagler also built destination resorts to lure more people to Florida. This island was where all the workers lived that built the railroad. That railroad bed eventually became the roadway, and was eventually replaced by new wider bridges which you can see in the background of the picture.

Windy and Wild

Look back at the picture in the last blog of John in the water -- see how clear and calm it is? Now check out this picture. See all that seaweed on the seawall? That was blown up by wind and waves overnight Tuesday and all day on Wednesday and into Wednesday night. This morning the wind has finally died down some. It was a wild night. We could hear the water from the gulf hitting the RV and the wind rocking us about. Wed. morning we surveyed the result which was tons of salt water all over the RV and Jeep!

We found some stuff to use that will take the salt off the vehicles but didn't use it until the wind died down today. We also decided that we were way too close to the water so we moved inland a couple of rows. We also decided that this was as good a place to stay as any along the Keys so we extended our stay here another 5 days.

After cleaning the vehicles, we tried out the municipal 9-hole, par 3 golf course. The longest hole was 130 yards so the only clubs we took were putters, wedges, a 9 and an 8 iron. The funny part is that they provided us with a golf "bag" to carry the irons. It was actually a PVC pipe, closed at one end with an attached handle for carrying. LOL

Don't know what we will do with the weather getting cold again and the wind still blowing.

Marathon

We packed up the RV and moved a short ways north up the Keys to Grassy Key, staying at the Jolly Roger RV Park. We are parked right on the Gulf with only a 4 foot sea wall between us and the water! And it is beautiful looking out over the sea.

This is where we are camped for the next week.

Monday was a nice day and after we got settled we rode our bikes for about 15 miles then went out to eat at The Wreck! Great frog legs! At 6 PM or so before the sun sets every evening, quite a few of the people in the park gather along the seawall to view the sunset. Sometimes there is food and always a cocktail. We visited and got to know a few people (can't remember their names but . . .). One couple has been to Alaska 3 times so we will be picking their brains, getting lots of tips for the trip.

Today was really beautiful but weather warnings predicted a severe thunderstorm and rain for the afternoon. We planned accordingly and goofed off in the morning and then planned to do grocery shopping and laundry while it rained. The area near the seawall is roped off for snorkeling so John had to see what it was like despite the cold water. The water is still murky so he didn't see much more than one lobster and one fish! Then it thundered twice, rained 14 drops and that was it for the storm! John rode his bike about 10 miles and I washed clothes.

Sunset was cloudy but the group gathered anyway. The wind has picked up a lot, blowing the water over the seawall and rocking the RV. We won't be snorkeling or diving until later in the week when the forecast is better.

Adventures in the Keys

Ah! The weekend! Bright and early Saturday morning we boarded a fast cat to the Dry Tortugas. This little island is home to Fort Jefferson that was built early in US history to protect the gulf from pirates and to watch out for trade coming and going to New Orleans. Most ships would have passed this area because of its proximity to the Gulf Stream. It's a huge fort and was actually never attacked but you can still see canons, light house, and ruins of barracks. It was also used as a prison during the civil war to hold Rebels as it was held by Union forces. All around the fort is a moat and past the moat is the sea where there is good snorkeling. After lunch on the boat we donned our wet suits and snorkels and went out into the water. It was cold but the wet suits helped. We saw some neat fish right along the moat wall but the water was not real clear so we moved to some old pier pilings. John went down thru the middle of the pilings and saw some pretty neat fish right up against the pilings. I wasn't comfortable going down the middle so I hung out on the edge but didn't see much. The water is really not very clear here either.

The birds love this area. It's mostly birds that stop here along their migration route. This is home to the Magnificent Frigatebird and Sooty Tern. Both of these birds spend most of their life in the air, rarely landing. Also lots of pelicans, gulls, and terns.

This is where the fort is located, we were closer to Cuba than mainland USA.

It was a long day so when we got home we took a fast shower and headed out to dinner in Key West, ending the day at the wine bar!   

Sunday afternoon we tried to go SCUBA diving. We got on the boat with three other men and rode 7 miles out to a reef near a lighthouse. I was really nervous about doing this and we both required a lot of help getting our gear set up for diving. But the dive master and other passengers were very nice about helping us and giving us advice. I hyperventilated after jumping in and it took a bit to get me calmed down and ready to dive. Poor John was really worried about me, not knowing how to help. But I calmed down. The bad part is that visibility in the water was ZERO! Couldn't even see my feet. The other three divers were very experienced divers and even they said there is no way they wanted to dive. We were in a protected marine sanctuary so could not touch the coral and if you can't see where you are going, you are very likely to break coral. So the dive ended before we even went under. We have a rain check so will be going out again when the water clears.

I'm writing this on Monday morning -- too tired the last two nights to do anything!

Key West Lifestyle

Thursday dawned sunny but cool -- seems to be the way of the weather in Florida this year. Late in the morning we decided to ride our bikes into town to find a scruffy place the locals like for lunch. As we are by-passing a lady, John stops and asks her where she likes to eat and she told us about B.O.'s. This place is a dump but had great fish sandwiches that looked like po-boys. Hopefully the picture tells you more than I can with words.  

After we ate we walked around the harbor area again and I picked a museum to go thru. There were several Pirate themed ones, an aquarium, an eco-informational one, a couple of garden walks, and of course Hemingway and Truman homes. I chose a Pirate themed one that was not all that well done but it did allow us to kill some time. We hung around town thinking we would try to catch a sunset on Mallory Square but all the bars were full (two cruise ships of people). We finally found a place to sit and have a drink while watching people go by. Since clouds were going to prevent a pretty sunset we pedaled back to the RV, stopped at a seafood market and got some shrimp for supper. Yummy!

Today (Friday) was very windy and chilly so we drove the Jeep up the Keys, exploring. We found one road that led down to a deer sanctuary where one could walk or ride bikes. We walked for about a mile out then back and only saw one bird, a lizard and smelled a skunk. Not much to see but it felt good to walk. We had lunch at the RV then rode our bikes into town again. We tried a different route that took us thru a residential area which I enjoyed -- quiet streets, neat homes and lovely flora.

Duval is the main street thru Key West where everyone walks and shops. The east end of the street is less crowded and has more of the art galleries and specialty shops. We found a Tapas Bar and a lovely wine bar where we stopped and tried two different flights of red wine and then went back for another glass. The porch protected us from the wind, the sun was warm and people were friendly. Seems to be a local hangout. We dragged ourselves away and made reservations for a trip out to the Dry Tortugas and for scuba diving.

Snorkel Day in Key West

We awoke to rain this morning but it cleared out right after breakfast. We didn't do much today (computer, grocery shop etc.) until we decided to go over to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park where they have a place to snorkel and try out our new gear. Too much stuff to carry so we drove the Jeep over. It's a nice beach with some rocks and reef right off the shore. The water temp was 69°! I just could not get in past my thighs -- it was too cold for me but John toughed it out and claimed that once he got used to it, it wasn't too bad.

For the first time ever, John's mask did not leak! The snorkel has a bobber on top so that if water washes over the tube, it closes and you don't drink sea water. John's worked perfectly. In fact, he found he could dive down to the bottom without drinking any water. And the fins fit fine, were not the least bit loose and propelled him pretty fast. All in all, he is VERY happy with his gear. Now we will rent wet suits and find a place to snorkel all day.

Just as we were leaving the beach, the skies opened up and it poured for the rest of the afternoon and evening. And it is suppose to get cold! But our neighbors don't seem to mind. We have a party crowd right behind us. I think they started the morning with Bloody Mary's and beer and haven't stopped all day. Nice folks, but a bit loud and rowdy.

Biking Key West

Whew! I'm tired! We spent all day on the bikes in Key West. Best weather we've had on this trip - near 80°, little wind, sunny. We left the RV around 10:30 AM (lazy morning) and rode into town, an easy ride with bike lanes all the way. We wondered around a bit then found a place to lock the bikes and walked all around Mallory Square and the wharf area scoping the bars and restaurants and watching the tourists. We found a neat roof-top place overlooking the boats for a nice lunch break.

We rode the bikes some more stopping at the Southern Whitehouse -- a vacation spot favored by Pres. Harry Truman; rode past Hemmingway's home, looked at Coast Guard cutters, and found the beaches where we might be able to snorkel tomorrow. We also got lost (sort of) and rode in an unsavory part of town.

Around 5 PM we headed back to Mallory Square where all the people gather to watch the sunset. We got a Margarita and watched street performers until the sunset but we didn't really get to see the sun set as a dense fog rolled in about 5:30. It was really weird. There were acrobats, cat performers, fire eaters, musicians, and magicians. Lots of jewelry, art, and junk being sold.

By the time we rode our bikes back to the RV it was after 7 so we went to a local place called Hogfish for supper and had to wait over an hour for food because they were so busy! Good night!

Down to The Keys

We left Umatilla after having coffee with the Rally group and saying our good-byes. Our friends, Ray and Judy from Colorado, were camping in a county park in south Miami so we planned on joining them. We decided to take the Florida Turnpike instead of the hassle of driving on I-95 in Miami traffic. Right now we are not sure it was worth the $44.65 in tolls but we made the trip in record time. It was a very nice campground with great bike paths and they let us dry camp in a field for half price! That takes some of the sting out of the tolls. We had a delightful afternoon and evening with Ray and Judy catching up on what we have been doing since last summer.

As we were visiting, it started raining and it doesn't want to stop! We got up and headed out in the rain. It rained all the way down from Miami to Key West. It was still raining while we set up camp in Boyd's Campground at noon. It rained while I did laundry and John worked on his iPhone. It finally stopped when I took my shower at 5 PM! John found a fresh seafood market so we had great tuna steaks for dinner then drove into Key West to get oriented with the town. We plan to ride our bikes the 5 miles into town tomorrow and seek out the local, non-tourist restaurants and hidden beauty of the city.

We are here on a tiny little campsite.

Umatilla

We are camped at The Old Mill Stream RV park in a small town north of Orlando and on the edge of the Ocala National Forest. We are with 39 other Born Free Coaches.This is a small rally but they plan a lot of fun activities like a White Elephant Auction (anyone want a singing chicken?), Bingo, coach yard sale (got rid of some mugs and a jug of distilled water), Pizza and Wine parties and entertainment by The Amazzing Steel Drum Band (I loved the music!).

As we were driving into Umatilla we stopped at the National Forest visitor center and discovered they have lots of OHV (Off Highway Vehicle) trails and maps to show the way. We decide this morning to take one of those trails since there wasn't much going on at the rally. Of course, that meant totally unloading the rear of the Jeep so all the golf bags, snorkel gear, fishing box & poles and waders, bicycle bag, etc had to find a place in the RV. The first leg of the trip was down a sandy, well used road. We tired of that and found a very narrow trail that looked interesting. It went thru some very dense forest that closed in on the trail, a few very sandy areas and one big mud puddle and then "the log". We got out, looked it over, picked a path and then proceeded to go over "the log". But one thing we didn't count on was the sand, the very soft sand that we sunk into and high centered the Jeep on the log and we were STUCK! It took over an hour of gathering sticks, jacking up the front axle and forcing the sticks under the wheel so that we could raise the axle off the log and then drive off. We backed out!

But we did it and we have learned some valuable new lessons. Number one -- sand is soft and even the Jeep sinks in fast! Number two -- I now fully understand what 'high centering' really means.

This is our location through Sunday morning.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse

Today we climbed into the Jeep to do some driving on the sand. There is approximately 6 miles of beach in the Daytona Beach area where you are allowed to drive a car (of course you have to pay a fee). So we did. Nothing really exciting, but it is beautiful to watch the ocean coming in on one side and the condos on the other. The 6 miles of drivable beach are not connected so every-so-often we had to get off and drive on a road.

That road led us to The Ponce De Leon Inlet Light Station and Museum. Home of Florida's tallest lighthouse, it is 175 tall, has 203 steps and a spectacular view of Daytona Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It was built in 1887 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. It has all of its keepers' dwellings and outbuildings, each one filled with museum displays and information.

One building houses a collection of lighthouse lenses including two fully restored first order Fresnel lenses which are the largest lenses in a lighthouse.

We also found a dive shop and got our own face masks, snorkels, and fins. Now we have to find a local 72° spring to try them out and make sure each piece works before we head to Key West early next week.

Tour de Loop

Today we took our longest bike ride ever! The Daytona Bicycle Club has established 3 loops along this coast. We took the shortest one around Ormond Beach.

We started at 10 AM and rode north along Bridge St, then east on Walter Boardman Ln, then zig and zag along Bridge Road to John Anderson Dr. which parallels the A1A Coastal Highway. Then South to Granada Blvd., across the Ormond Bridge and then north again to the state park. Total of 26.5 miles! And we were back at the RV by 3:30 PM.

It was a beautiful ride. We saw lots of sloughs, river, snowy egrets, great blue Herons, terns and robins. We crossed a draw bridge, a crabbing bridge, and a fishing bridge. We rode along the Atlantic Coast and had lunch with the locals. It was cool (53°) and slightly breezy but we were dressed for the chill so it didn't bother us much.

We might be ready for the Katy Trail!

Tomoka State Park

We drove from Lazy Daze park to Ormond Beach in about 3 hours -- the slowest leg was thru Orlando. The traffic jam in the middle of the day must be a common occurrence. We wouldn't want to live there! Ormond Beach is just north of Daytona Beach.

The park is a lovely, secluded area right on the Halifax River and the Atlantic Intracoastal waterway. The park gets its name from the Timucuan Indians who first inhabited this area over 14,000 years ago. This is the name that the Spaniards gave them in the 1600's. They lived in round huts made from palmetto thatch, they hunted with bows and arrows or spears and wore very little in the way of clothing. The state park contains some of the most important archaeological sites in this area. Information about the indians is gleaned from burial sites and trash mounds.

In 1764 the British Privy Council gave a Scots merchant, Richard Oswald, 20,000 acres of land in this part of East Florida. Oswald established 4 plantations along the Halifax River where he grew Indigo, potatoes, red peas, cotton, and rice with indigo being the main cash crop. They also shipped out timber, hides, molasses, rum, sugar, and oranges. Slaves were used for much of the labor and Oswald never resided here, preferring the cultured life of Charleston, SC. Oswald's knowledge of the colonies were important in reconciling British and American differences at the end of the Revolutionary War. Oswald was sent by King George III to meet with our founding fathers to draft a peace treaty.

This is our campsite for the next 3 days.

And you call this "sunny" Florida???

Friday was awful. Not only was it cold and rainy but the RV's battery died and it was so dead that we had to call a tow truck to come jump start it. That caused a two hour departure delay and Disney folks were not happy but tuff! We drove 7 miles to the next park which was on the seedy side but they had one site left -- sort of. It was on a hill and we could not get real level. But the manager took pity on us having to set up in the rain and only charged us $10 for the night. Poor John got drenched!

The bright spot of the day was dinner with my mom and step-dad. They and two other couples from St. Charles rent a house in Kissimmee every winter for a month. We had a delightful evening with them, even playing a card game called 3-13. We neither one won but we did share in the pot of dimes and quarters. They invited us to join them Saturday morning for breakfast at the Eagle Lodge. Problems arose when all the street were closed off for a 5K race and we couldn't find the building until we cut thru a parking lot and found ourselves there. Mom and Bernie weren't so lucky and John had to guide them in. Breakfast was worth it though. We had bacon, eggs, fries, grits, toast, biscuits & gravy and coffee for only $10 for both of us.

We moved again to the Lazy Daze Rally Park near Tampa (only an hour drive). It's a very nice park run by the largest RV Dealer in Florida. We spent the afternoon looking at RV's and pointing out all the things we don't like about them.

We had dinner Sat. night with John's VP of Sales, wife, and son. After stopping at two restaurants and finding them full, we ended up at a nice sushi place. We thought they wouldn't like sushi and they thought me might not like sushi or this would have been the first stop!

Today I did laundry and John caught up on computer work. We then rode our bikes about 12 miles looking for a nearby state park and finding only RV and trailer parks. But it was good to get some exercise.

The weather has been very chilly. The weather report noted that temperatures in Florida have been about 20° below normal this month. But it's still better than 23° and snow! Hopefully by the end of the week it will be back in the 60's. At least the sun is shinning!

This is our location.

Disney's Epcot

We were scheduled to have dinner with Mickey and Dave on Wednesday evening at the Fort Wilderness Lodge so John and I explored the area on our bikes, found the route from the campsite to the Lodge and had it all planned to ride our bikes to dinner but then Dave called and they both were experiencing a 24 hour flu! So John got to BBQ chicken for supper.

We did go to Epcot on Thursday. Not a whole lot has changed in the World Showcase but they do have some new experiences in the Future World area. We especially enjoyed Soarin', Test Track, and Mission:Space. Why we carried the camera around with us all day I'll never know because we didn't take a single picture!!

It's a good thing we went to Epcot yesterday as today it is to rain all day! Yuck! And we have to move as Fort Wilderness is full up.

Fort Wilderness

Yes, we are at Disney World but we have not (yet) gone into any of the parks.

We departed the FMCA rally on Sunday morning with only a 2 hour drive ahead of us we stopped at Camping World (they love us there!) where we got a new converter to replace the 3 year old non-functioning one. It took all of Sunday afternoon but John got it installed before the big Super Bowl game. ( YEAH!! Saints!!!)

Monday morning was a little chilly in the RV so the coffee was steaming pretty good, especially when I threw the hot grounds in the trash. About that time John looked up and saw what he thought was smoke coming from the converter! He about had a heart attack and then realized it was just steam. All I could do was laugh, I couldn't help it! He had such a terrified look on his face!

We spent Monday cleaning the coach inside and out, doing laundry, and riding our bikes and enjoying the almost warm weather. Every night there is a fireworks display from Fantasy Land so we sat on the beach to watch -- I'm such a kid! I oohed and ahed all the way thru it. Have you ever seen star and heart shaped explosions?! WOW!

We played golf with Dave and Mickey on Tuesday but had to finish the last 5 holes in rain! I still did pretty good, John did okay (I'm not allowed to give the scores). We then had a pretty good meal at the Yachtsman's Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort. The bus ride to get there took 1 hour 15 min while a car ride would have been only 10 minutes but we didn't have to drive!

Today we are spending the morning in Panera's catching up on email and internet stuff while fixing John's iPhone -- it died yesterday.

We are camped right here.

FMCA Rally

Tuesday morning (2/2) we were up at dawn and on the road by 8:30 AM. We drove to Brooksville, just north of Tampa, and met with 25 other Born Free's to drive onto the rally grounds as a group.

Family Motor Coach Assoc. has many chapters around the country and this rally is sponsored by the South East Area (S.E.A.) chapters from Florida. They expect over 1700 coaches for the 5 day event. Everyday they start with coffee and donuts then open up the vendor tent, the display coaches and food vendors. There are anywhere from 15 to 30 seminars presented each day such as RVing in Alaska or Canada, info about electricity, water, fans, glass, tires etc in your RV, various crafts and cooking tips, email and satellite instruction and much more. The grounds are located on inactive runways of the airport and are so big that buses shuttle people around. We walked to the end of one really long row and back and figured we had covered one mile!

Each night we have cocktails or potluck with the Leap'n Lions and then there is professional entertainment. I have played the kazoo and laughed at an impersonator. Tonight we'll see "The Central Florida Rat Pack" perform (take off on Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra) and Saturday night is a talent show and rock band.

We took the day off today (Friday) from seminars and got a new windshield cover, had the Blue Ox people service our car tow bar system (on site for only $25), fixed my bike and walked 2 miles to lunch at a Cuban Cafe. We walked back in pouring rain! It is expected to rain until about 8 PM tonight then clear up for the next few days.

The picture shows what 26 Born Free's lined up looks like -- pretty impressive!

Here is where we are parked, on the taxiway at the airport.

7 days Ft Myer's Beach area

Saturday we played golf and we are both still struggling after the winter time off but I'm struggling a little less than John (translation - I did better than him again).

I went to church Sunday morning and then we had a very lazy morning but at noon we again joined Rick and Libet for a 15 mile bike ride and lunch.

Since my Aunt and Uncle live on Captiva in the winter months and since my mom and step-dad came down today, we had dinner with them. Aunt Shirley and Uncle Harold have a lovely condo and we had a great visit with them.

Today was a cloudy, rainy day made for grocery shopping and laundry washing. But we also rode out to the shrimp boats for more seafood. The scallops here are so sweet! Can't wait to cook them up again.

We have watched the sun set into the gulf all but 2 nights that we have been here and tonight's was the most beautiful. Just at sunset the clouds cleared on the horizon and the sun set in great red ball of fire in a red sky!

Fun in the Sun

The beach is very wide and quite hard -- hard enough to ride our bikes on. We put in about 10 miles round trip. Did you know that sand is very hard to pedal thru? We got a real work out. So, of course, we have to rest and lay out on the beach and soak up the rays! It is actually very nice out on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and . . .

Since we are this close to fresh seafood we ride our bikes over the bridge back to the mainland and to the shrimping docks where there are several places selling fresh shrimp and scallops. Oh, they are so good! Wednesday afternoon we drive over to Sanibel to visit our friends Rick and Libet. They take us out to the end of Captiva where we watch the sun set into the gulf and then have a scrumptious seafood dinner. On Friday we ride our bikes to "Heavenly Biscuit" for breakfast and meet Rick and Libet for lunch after which we go kayaking in the bay. For supper we ate at the Blu Sushi & Martini Bar. Had a great evening!