Our Trip across the U.S. 2011

The last week, in the Orlando area, has been eventful. The weather has been hot and humid and thunderstorms have been plentiful.

We returned to Epcot on Monday, and Wednesday we went to Homosassa State Park in Homosassa Springs, Fl.

I had asked several Florida natives about this park. No one had any knowledge about it. I had read that it was a wildlife preserve for marine animals. SOLD! It was about 90 miles away from the RV park in Clermont/Orlando, but hey, we have nothing but time...right?

We programmed the Magellan to take us away from freeways, toll roads, and main roads. As a result, we traveled through some wonderful Florida backroads. Horse farms, cattle ranches and orange/citrus groves lined the highway. Tall pine trees, draped with spanish moss and vines were everywhere. Cracker style farm houses, with porches on all three sides, were shaded by the trees. Waxy blossoms from magnolia trees littered the driveways. What a wonderful day trip. All of that before we even got to the park! Wow.

Homosassa Spring is a real spring. It produces over 2 million gallons of fresh, crystal clear water in an hour! The park was originally a private park open to visitors. The State of Florida purchased the property in the 1980's and has operated it since that time. To get to the park and visitor center, you must take a boat ride from the entrance, down Pepper Creek to te preserve. Homosassa (apparently) was the native american word for "pepper". The ranger operating the boat, acted as a tour guide. We learned about the alligators, snapping turtles, and manatees that live in the area. He pointed out osprey nests, and hundreds of fish (fresh and salt water) that manage to live together in this area. It was just as informative as the tour we took in the Everglades.

Once we arrived at the visitor center, we were able to go to several different naturalist programs. Manatees, alligators, and even a hippopotamus live in the preserve! Louie, an african hipo, has lived at the preserve for over 40 years. He is 54 years old and has been proclaimed a citizen of Florida. Let me tell you, that hipo can growl as loud as any lion I have ever heard.

Everyone knows, I am now a lifelong fan of manatees. I have learned so much about them at Homosassas SP. Examples: They share the same DNA as an elephant, and use their front flippers like hands...they even have fingernails on their flippers. Manatees are gentle, curious creatures, with no natural defenses. Amazingly, they have no natural predators. Alligators, crocodiles and large cougars leave them alone! The only animal that threatens their lives and their habitat are humans. The naturalist told us, that since they are so curious they will, occasionally, approach humans in the water. You are only allowed to touch them with one hand. You may not surround them. You may not feed them. If you violate any of these rules, you can be arrested and fined $1000. Nice to know that I didn't violate any of these rules when I had my encounter.

I love those manatees!

We were supposed to go to the launch of the Endeavor on Friday. Unfortunately, the shuttle is having problems with a heating element. The launch has been postponed until May 7th, at the earliest. We will not be around to see it this time. There were hundreds of thousands of people that flocked to the Titusville area to see the scheduled launch. Traffic was jammed for over 5 hours AFTER the launch was cancelled. Fortunately, we had heard about the probable delay before we left the campground. So inside of being stuck in traffic, we were "stuck" drinking pina coladas and eating bbq'd ribs. It was a tough day!

Bob and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Florida. We are anxious to return and explore the areas we didn't get to, this time around. it is a beautiful state, with lots of wildlife, BUGS, MOSQUITOES, and nice people. I can see why it is such a popular tourist destination.

Orlando is a destination in itself. Every conceivable kind of amusement park is there...Universal Studios, SeaWorld, all of the Disney properties (Epcot, Animal World, Disneyworld, Downtown Disney...you get the idea), plus you have wonderful restaurants, golf courses and hotel/rv resorts. You could spend a month here AND a lot of money. I would recommend a visit to just about everyone I know. Whatever you are interested in, you will find it in Orlando.

As everyone is aware, the weather in the Southeast has been horrible. Florida has an average of 109 days, in a year, where the temperature exceeds 90's. Florida has already had over 35 days of 90+ temps since mid March. Wouldn't you know, we have been here through all of it! In any given year, the southeast has 160 (average) tornados. In the 2002, a record of 500 tornados occurred. This year, the southeast has had over 900 tornados already! The northeast is still having snow, ice, and severe flooding. Bottom line, it is NOT the time to head north. We have decided to start our journey west. Our route depends on weather and gas prices/availability.

We will spend the next week or so traveling along the I-10 corridor. Thus far, the only tornados that have occurred there were when we were in Biloxi, MS. (Figures!) We have checked the weather, and plotted our course. We will see which way the wind blows us!

Everglades and Key Largo, Fl April 16, 2011

For the last week, everyday has been an adventure! I feel like I have I am actually living TV shows (The Crocodile Hunter), movies (Key Largo with Bogey and Bacall) and books (ANYTHING by Ernest Hemingway).

It began in Everglades National Park.

I had read about the Southeast equivalent of Big Foot. There have been numerous sightings in the Everglades of the SKUNK APE. There is a campground at the Skunk Ape Headquarters in Ochopee, FL. It is about 6 miles from the entrance to the Park and seemed like a perfect place to stay. Who knew what we would see? The campground itself was "nothing to write home about". But it did have water, electric and internet. It also was right in the middle of lagoons and swamps. AND, lets face it, IT WAS THE HEADQUARTERS, for people searching for the Skunk Ape!

The proprietor was a kick in the head. He has claimed to see the Skunk Ape many times. He is also a conspiracy theorist! He believes that the reason the US government is protecting the 'Glades and prohibiting access to many areas there, is to protect the Skunk Ape. It turns out that his campground, little store and Skunk Ape museum provides enough income for him to pursue his investigation into the Everglades Bigfoot. He is anxiously waiting for someone to bring him a carcass or some proof of it's existence, even as he searches for proof himself. It was a kick to talk to him.

The Everglades were wonderful. We took a boat ride and explored the Mangrove forest. We saw all sorts of birds and gators. Unfortunately, we did not see any manatees. I found out that Florida is the home to alligators AND crocodiles. Alligators prefer fresh water and crocodiles prefer salt water. They have been known to occupy the same marshy areas where fresh and salt area meet. Everytime we would see either one, Bob would call it a "crocigator" that way we didn't have to differentiate. (Crocs have a big bump on their noses and show upper and lower teeth..Alligators don't have the hump and only the bottom teeth show). See, we know the difference!

Apparently, Everglades City is the Stone Crab capitol of the world. Bob and I had Stone Crab years ago, on our wonderful Panama Canal Cruise. So, we went to a local fish market, and bought some Stone Crab for dinner. It doesn't get much better then fresh stone crab, a good bottle of white wine and great company (each other). Another great memory for this trip!

Hwy 41 through the glades is desolate and beautiful. One lane in each direction with a 50MPH speed limit. Periodically, there would be flashing lights above a sign that would state "Panther crossing..next 5 miles". If the light was flashing, a panther had been sighted. There were even signs giving a number to call, if you observed a panther. It was just as much fun seeing the Panther Crossing signs, as seeing the Moose Crossing, Bear Crossing and Bison Crossing signs in Canada and the Northwest. We did not, however, see a panther...only a couple bobcats running across the road. That was fun too!

We arrived in the Florida Keys (Key Largo) on Wednesday, April 13th. I understand why people come here and never leave. Sure there is heat and humidity, but the people and the water make up for it. I keep trying to think of a way I could live here for 6 months of the year. Between the weather and the water, it has been hard trying to motivate myself to compose my usual 'blog'. I forced myself to do it this morning.

We are staying in a very small campground on the gulf side of Key Largo. There is a small beach, a boat ramp and covered pavilion where people congregate, at the 'bottom' of the campground. Adirondack chairs are placed in the water, and everyone sits around talking or swims in the small lagoon. At dusk, everyone meets at the pavilion to watch the sunset and chat. There are also BBQ's there to use. Wonderful.

By this point, I think everyone knows about my encounter with the manatee. Bob and I were spending the afternoon at the beach. I was floating in the water, chatting to some people in the pavilion. Suddenly, I felt something brush against my back (remember..crocodiles love shallow salt water!) Yikes! I turned around to see a manatee brushing up against me. Apparently, Boo, as he has been named, is a local. He was born just off the coast of the campground last fall. His mama stays in deep water, but Boo likes to come in and see all the people.

I have learned that manatees are very shy. Long ago sailors thought that the manatees were mermaids. They are also called sea cows because of the way they graze on the sawgrass in the fresh water shallows of the southeast. I have seen manatees before, just never that close. This little fellow loved to be rubbed under his chin. It would roll over so you could rub its chest. It was absolutely amazing.

After my encounter, I found out that it is illegal to come into contact with a manatee. They are protected by the government as an endangered species. Human beings have encroached on their habitat, which continues to shrink at a horrific rate. Because they are so large, slow and docile they risk injury everytime they approach a human. Even little "Boo" had a healing wound on his back, from an encounter with a boat propeller.

Yesterday, we took the car and headed south, to the Land of Hemingway! Everyone should have the opportunity of driving over the bridges connecting the different Keys. I felt like I was living in the land of Flipper! Multicolored aquamarine waters. Atlantic ocean on one side and gulf waters on the other. Sea shacks, small towns, and small beaches. Huge yachts cutting through the water, with water pluming on either of side. We had lunch at Robbie's Marina. It is famous for being the place to "feed the tarpon". I saw all of these people, paying $1.00, to throw fish to the tarpon at the dock. I just wasn't interested. After all, I had swam with a wild manatee the day before. What could possibly compare with that?!

Last night, we were back at the pavilion, watching the sunset, and talking to the locals. I struck up a conversation with a gentleman in his late 30's/early 40's. He was from California. Hmm..where? Wrightwood, CA. Hmm..I practically grew up there. I said that my family had a cabin on Oriole, near Elm St. He also lived on Oriole. Then he told me that his grandfather was "the Bear Man". I knew exactly who the 'Bear Man' was! There was a beautiful log home a couple of streets down the hill. A man lived there who would give out little black bears, on a chain, to children in the area. My sister, brother and I all received a little bear from the "Bear Man". Talk about a small world...separation of seven...and all that! Wow.

Today, we will buy some fresh fish, lounge at the beach with a Chi-Chi or two, and say goodbye to "Boo". Tomorrow, we head to north to Terquesta to visit with my Cousin Bev, and then head on to Orlando to Disneyworld and Epcot with Rob, Sarah, the kids and Sarah's parents, Bob & Sue. I am looking forward to all of that, but I will miss the Keys. I will be back though. I have already made a reservation to stay here for a month in 2013 (March 15th to April15th). If anyone is interested in joining us..let me know!

Pensacola and Panama April 5, 2011

We left Biloxi, MS last Friday with high expectations. After 2 1/2 months of travel, we were finally entering Florida. Florida...white, sugar sand beaches, impossibly blue green water, palm trees, and lots of sunshine. Well, we got about 90% of what we wished for.

Bob has a friend, that he has known since childhood, who lives in Pensacola, Fl. We intentionally planned this trip, so we could stop and visit with George. We found an RV park, Pensacola RV Park, which was just off I-10, but quite and secluded. It was also about 5 miles away from where George lives, so it was perfect. The weather was perfect too.

We spent Saturday and Sunday exploring Pensacola, with George as our guide. Since he is retired Navy, we had easy access to the Naval Air Museum on base. It was fantastic. They have full size mock ups of all examples of naval aviation from Dirigibles to Apollo Space Capsules. Not only was it informative and interesting, it was FREE! It was easy to spend a whole afternoon, exploring the various exhibits and marveling at man's ingenuity. Those space capsules were so cool!

Sunday, we went to downtown historic Pensacola. The city park was full of arts/crafts vendors, food vendors and music. Lots of music. We were lucky enough to hit Pensacola during it's annual Jazz Festival in downtown Pensacola. The park is located right next to Pensacola harbor. You could see the boats bobbing in the water, at their moorings, in time to the music playing. We walked through the aisles, munching on Crab and spicy Cajun sausage sandwiches with a chaser of tea or soda. The music was great, the food was fun and the company was great. With the weather in the mid 70's, we couldn't have gotten it better if we tried. What a fantastic afternoon.

Pensacola is not like most Naval towns. You do not see strip joints or a lot of bars. George told us that Pensacola is part of the bible belt. Naval personnel come here for duty stations, not on temporary duty (like to go to school) therefore, you don't have the same rowdiness, as you might in other towns. It had a "hometown" feel with all the benefits of a big city. Bob and I both enjoyed our visit and look forward to going back again.

The weather forecast was NOT good for the Deep South and Panhandle for Monday night and Tuesday. After our experience in Biloxi, we weren't looking forward to more inclement weather. We headed to Panama City Beach, via Hwy 98, and decided to hunker down for the "bad" weather.

Hwy 98 winds down the coast of the Panhandle, just skimming along the Gulf Coast. You drive through little beach towns, rolling white sand dunes, covered with sea grass, and areas where the road is surrounded by pine trees. A 100 mile trip took us almost 4 hours, but it was worth it. As we headed eastbound, I saw a herd of WILD RAZORBACK pigs, running across the westbound lanes of the highways. Cars were swerving left and right to avoid those pigs. I was so thankful they were on the west side of the road, not the east side!

We were extremely fortunate, with the weather, this time. A line of rain squalls came through at about 12am until 4 am. Heavy rain, lightening, small hail but no tornado WARNINGS..watches only. The squall line passed relatively quickly and the weather was clear and dry by Tuesday morning.

We have been camped at St. Andrews State Park, in Panama City Beach, Fl., since Monday. It is absolutely gorgeous. It reminds me of Carpenteria State Beach, in some ways. The sites are all isolated by oak trees and palm trees. There are families camped everywhere..in tents..RV's..and trailers. Everyone is walking or bike riding around. At night you smell the smoke from countless campfires and hear people talking, singing and babies crying. All in all, a perfect camping experience.

The campground is situated on a sand spit that divides the gulf coast waters from Panama City Grand Bay. Each site has water, electric, fire ring and table. The campground even has a laundry and camp store. I believe the most interesting thing, at this particular campground, is signs warning you not to feed wildlife. The picture of the wildlife is an Alligator! There is actually a gator pond in the middle of the campground. I have never been so happy to have a hard sided RV!

We have walked around and explored this beautiful state park. Once again, I have come to the conclusion that State Parks are the way to go. You get so much more for the price.

I am so excited to head south from here. First, we will head to Steinhatchee and Wauchula then onto Everglades National Park. From there, Bob and I are going draw a line through our bucket list. We are heading to Key Largo. Despite spring break and snowbirds, we were lucky to get reservations in the Keys. Picture us sitting in our beach chairs, toes in the sand, aquamarine water splashing our legs, sipping on the drink of the day. Ah, yes..that's the picture.

Wow...the sights we have seen and the things we have done. It has been awhile since my last "little" travelogue, so I will try to touch on everything AND keep it relatively short! Yeah, right.

First, we made it to Shreveport, LA without problems. The weather was actually perfect. Unfortunately, or timing was not. I forget that streets roll up and everything is closed on Sunday, in the south. We had plans to visit the museum and the visitors center. Both were closed. We were able to stroll on the Louisiana Boardwalk, which was great. There is a trolley that circles throughout the center, but we figured we needed to walk instead.

This was our first opportunity to explore a Bass Pro Shop. Two stories of outdoor enthusiast heaven. We checked out everything. I know our friend, Bob Robinson, would have drooled at all the hunting and outdoor gear. I loved all of the outdoor cooking gear..cookwear, bbq, smoking and canning info. Wow.

Unfortunately, we chose to stay at Diamond Jacks Casino Hotel & RV park. All casinos in LA are built on barges, and permanently moored on the Red River (just like the old cowboy song...Red River Valley...so cool!). The RV Park was on the Red River too. Unfortunately, it was also right next to a cargo freight train trestle, bridge and track. It got loud at night..no whistles, but you could hear the screech of the brakes to slow the trains down. The first night was difficult..the second..not so bad. I guess the trains don't run as often on Sunday night. We found the people in Shreveport to be friendly, helpful and courteous. The food in LA is great....imagine crawfish, corn and potatoes covering the table and po-boys made with fried oysters...yum.

We have been fortunate in our travels. We have managed to stay off the interstates and travel on the "black line" roads. The roads north from Shreveport, into Arkansas were in great shape. The scenery was fantastic. Louisiana and Arkansas are populated by "Piney" woods....acres and acres of pine trees on either side of the road. Farm houses, ranch houses and ramshackle shacks are everywhere. I made the comment that one portion of the roadway reminded me of Montana. Then I realized how fortunate I am to be in a position to COMPARE them. I love travel...it is so enlightening.

Enlightenment is something this area takes very seriously. In every small town we passed through, we saw Baptist Churches (usually large brick clad buildings with lots of out buildings..rectories..pre schools etc) , Church of Christ Churches (not nearly as large or "affluent" looking), with a few small Apostolic churches thrown in. I did not see one Catholic Church, Methodist Church, Protestant or Lutheran Church. I believe we have entered the "Bible Belt". There was even a huge billboard on the side of the highway saying basically..."Spare the rod and Spoil the child". No calling 911 here when a parent gives their child a smack. Hmmm.

Our next planned (and very anticipated) stop was Murfreesboro, AR. Crater of Diamonds State Park is the ONLY diamond mine in the world that the public can go to to mine their own diamonds. I will begin by saying..we did not find any diamonds. We did find lots of wonderful memories. What a huge experience. Bob and I were sloughing our dirt and mud through wire mesh, talking to a retired Army officer and his wife (she was a retired school superintendant), with two families searching through their "stuff" right next to us. People were "dry sifting" in the fields. Little kids were having a blast digging huge holes. There were picnic tables set up on little hills, where parents could watch their children catch "diamond fever". It was great. I have a water bottle full of jasper, quartz and various other types of rocks. No diamonds but a wealth of memories.

While in AR, we stayed at the State Park. No TV reception, very poor cell phone reception and limited Wi-Fi on our Verizon Card. It was beautiful. It was also "dry". No having a glass of wine or a beer outside the rig. Bob said the BBQ has to be horrible there, if you can't have a beer while you are grilling! All in all, though, it was a wonderful campground. I would stay there again, and again!

We had the pleasure of visiting Washington Historic State Park, just north of Hope, AR. Washington is a small town that was founded in 1816. It has been restored and preserved to look just as it did in 1860, before the Civil War. It was so interesting. I found it fascinating that in 1860. 23 freeman lived there. The 23 "free" black people were told in 1860, that they must leave the State of Arkansas, or be enslaved. Not surprisingly, they all left. Washington also had a blacksmith named James Black. He made the first "Bowie" knife for Jim Bowie. Just a small slice of history in a very large country. It was a great little place to visit.

Our drive from Murfreesboro, AR to Tennessee took us through Hot Springs, AR. Hot Springs is the site of Hot Springs National Park, where people still come to take "the waters". The springs are housed in buildings. You can book a massage or hot stone therapy while you are there. It is still believed that the thermal heated waters have theraputic properties.

(My friend Jee-Jee is going to scream now)!. We just pulled into Graceland RV Park in Memphis, TN. We are directly across the street (Elvis Presley Bl) from Graceland. Tomorrow, we will see Graceland and then head to Sun Studios and Beale St. A pink cadillac will pick us up at our campsite tomorrow, at 5pm, to take us to Marlowe's BBQ (featured on Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives) for dinner.

Bob and I arrived in Texas in mid February. Today, we FINALLY managed to get across that huge state and entered Louisiana.

At the beginning of the week, we left Lake Conroe and headed north to Whitney, TX. Bob and I had a great visit with his old friend, Ray. Funny thing...Ray was raised in Southern California and moved to Texas when he got out of the service. Now he goes by the name of Don and has a thick drawl. He has the accent and attitude of a true Texan. What a wonderful gentleman. We had the opportunity to meet and visit with his co worker Nancy. She hunts, raises minature horses and has a great sense of humor.

Nancy commented on how people mispronounce so many Texas city names. She told me that two truckers stopped at the local DQ (remember the Texas Stop Sign .. DQ) in Mexia, Tx. A cute little waitress, with blond hair, bounced her way up to the men and asked for their order. The two truckers gave their order and then asked her "Hon...can you tell me how to pronounce this place?" She smiled, leaned over, and whispered (loudly) DAIRY QUEEN! Bu bump! Perfect...a blonde Texan joke! I will remember it always.

We have been fortunate to travel off the interstate highways. I am amazed at how many ramshackle wooden houses and boarded up businesses there are. They are obviously abandoned and some are falling down. Many times, as we traveled through some of the small towns, I felt like I was in a third world country. The only difference was that most of the signs were in English. It is heart wrenching and tears the soul. The local newscast indicates that Texas has done very well through this recession. Job numbers for unemployment are steady. Seeing the abandoned businesses and houses make me wonder.

All in all, Texas has been great. We only encountered "lousy" drivers in the Houston area. Surprisingly, most drivers obey the speed limit sign. I don't think that is so surprising, given the fact that the posted speed limit is usually 70MPH. On some interstates it is 75MPH. You are not so tempted to exceed the speed limit, if it is reasonable.

The scenery in East Texas is completely different from West Texas (dry, arid desert), the Hill Country (rolling hills covered in mesquite and sage) or Central Texas, with its open plains and rivers and streams. Apparently, Texas has 190,000 miles of rivers and streams. You certainly see that in Central Texas. East Texas, however, is very beautiful. It seems to be much more affluent then the other areas we have been through. There are groves of pine trees everywhere. In some clearings, you see some beautiful brick covered ranch houses, surrounded by white fences. Beautiful!

We had every intention of going into the Dallas/Ft Worth area. Unfortunately, that did not materialize. High winds in Central Texas changed our travel plans, a little. We ended up leaving Whitney and traveling east into Louisiana.

Tomorrow, we will explore Shreveport, LA and the Bossier City area. We are camped on the Red River in Bossier City. We are going to check out the local museums, walk on the Boardwalk and eat Cajun food at Ralph & Kacoo's. Bob is already talking about biting the head off the crawfish and sucking out the meat. YUCK! I can't wait!

Monday, we hope to head up into Arkansas to Crater of Diamonds State Park. it is the only place in the USA where the public is able to "mine" their own diamonds and gemstones. After that, we are unsure of our travel plans or destinations. Weather will be the determining factor. We are unsure if we will head east into Tennessee, or south again into Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama. I would love to go to Shiloh, near Memphis, TN to visit the location of the famous civil war battle. Now that I know my ancestors fought on the side of the South, it puts things in a different perspective. We will just have to wait and see.

I have been hitting the thrift stores (they are called re sale shops in Texas) and have managed to find a wonderful, local cookbook, and some pieces of sterling silver. There are treasures around every corner. I just have to keep turning those corners to find them!

I have attached pictures of the Johnson Country Courthouse, Lake Whitney and our campsite. Not a lot of pictures this week..next week will be better. Bob has posted the rest of the pictures on his MYOPERA website.

Now, under the "IT COULD ONLY HAPPEN TO YOU" category...Bob and I stopped in Tyler, Tx last night. We decided to head into town, to go to the local Sam's Club. We wanted to stock up on coffee (Sam's carriers the coffee beans that we like) and tequila. We found the coffee immediately, but we looked high and low for the alcohol section and couldn't find it. Naturally, I walked up to a store clerk and asked her where the alcohol was. She got this look of astonishment on her face and said .. "Ma'am..Don't you know THIS IS A DRY COUNTY? It's the only dry county in TEXAS." Trust me...we had to find the ONLY DRY COUNTY in Texas. She then gave me directions to a liquor store across the country line..just in case we couldn't wait until to buy some BOOZE! Lesson learned...don't go looking for alcohol in strange counties. We knew we would encounter dry counties on our trip. We just didn't expect it in Texas.