We have been home for almost a week now. And I have decided that I like RVing better. It will be a while before we head out again. But, maybe we can do a spur of the moment weekender sometime soon!!
To fill the void, we are going to an open house at our RV Dealer. If we can't be out travelling in ours, maybe we can look at some!!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Everything Else
There are often little tidbits about a vacation that just doesn’t fit into any other category. So, here it is a recap of our vacation. The rest of the story.
Best Bargain
Every vacation should have at least one really good, unexpected bargain. We actually had two. The first was the most unexpected, we stayed one night at Lake Griffin and the total cost was $16.85. Can’t beat that!!
The next bargain of sorts was our stay at Koreshan State Park. This park costs a bit more than Lake Griffin, but still a bargain – less than $23 per night. The price was expected, however, as I had booked our stay many months ago. The surprise came when we checked out one day early. We got a refund!! Great park!!
Worst Rip-off
This is something that everyone experiences on a vacation. Not pleasant, but always present. Can’t say that had any big rip-offs. If you want to include the cost of gas, then we had many. But, there were not any real rip-offs. There was the cost of a bottle of water at the ballpark. It’s a dollar more that the soda. The soda was $3.75 and the water was $4.75. Outrageous! But, we didn’t buy any!! There was also the golf shirt that was over $83. Not worth it. But, we found one we liked on the 50% off table. Not a bad price.
Best Surprise
The must unexpected and nicest surprise was running into some friends at a restaurant. We usually see each other once or twice a month – on the dance floor. We all love to ballroom dance. We had not seen each other in while due to conflicting schedules. And we had no idea that they were in the area. So, on Saturday night - A Saint Patrick Day celebration-, we met them in a restaurant, listening to Irish music.
Best Location
WOW. There were lots of nice places. But, our favorite seems to be St. Augustine. We will be back. We met some friendly people, found some great music, a fantastic restaurant, a spectacular beach, and even a winery. We will be back. (Do you know if you can make reservations to FL State Parks more than a year ahead? If not, I will be marking my calendar to make as soon as I can.)
Best Souvenir
For most, it is that picture, or the shirt or some other remembrance of the time spent in a vacation spot. Not for us. It is the reservation that we made for next year, for a full month at a wonderful RV Park/Resort in North Fort Myers. We spent six or so hours trying to find one and not having any success. As the old saying goes, it was, in fact, the last one we looked at. Obviously, we stopped looking when we found it. But, we had exhausted our long list of possible locations. Having checked them all out and having found one or two acceptable ones, we had not found the ONE. But, Raintree Rv changed that. We found it and we booked and we are going back!!
Best Souvenir – Part 2
This was, after all, a baseball vacation. So, I had to get some autographs. The Sox weren’t signing this year. All except one. And I recap that autograph as follows:
Hat, white in color, for autographs - $20
Pen for signing - $0 (used one that I had)
All the signatures that I didn’t get – Worthless
Sean Casey’s (#22) autograph – Priceless – Thanks for taking the time Sean!
Worse Part of the Vacation
Coming home to 26 degrees. Coming home was ok, it was the temperature that made us want to go back.
Best Bargain
Every vacation should have at least one really good, unexpected bargain. We actually had two. The first was the most unexpected, we stayed one night at Lake Griffin and the total cost was $16.85. Can’t beat that!!
The next bargain of sorts was our stay at Koreshan State Park. This park costs a bit more than Lake Griffin, but still a bargain – less than $23 per night. The price was expected, however, as I had booked our stay many months ago. The surprise came when we checked out one day early. We got a refund!! Great park!!
Worst Rip-off
This is something that everyone experiences on a vacation. Not pleasant, but always present. Can’t say that had any big rip-offs. If you want to include the cost of gas, then we had many. But, there were not any real rip-offs. There was the cost of a bottle of water at the ballpark. It’s a dollar more that the soda. The soda was $3.75 and the water was $4.75. Outrageous! But, we didn’t buy any!! There was also the golf shirt that was over $83. Not worth it. But, we found one we liked on the 50% off table. Not a bad price.
Best Surprise
The must unexpected and nicest surprise was running into some friends at a restaurant. We usually see each other once or twice a month – on the dance floor. We all love to ballroom dance. We had not seen each other in while due to conflicting schedules. And we had no idea that they were in the area. So, on Saturday night - A Saint Patrick Day celebration-, we met them in a restaurant, listening to Irish music.
Best Location
WOW. There were lots of nice places. But, our favorite seems to be St. Augustine. We will be back. We met some friendly people, found some great music, a fantastic restaurant, a spectacular beach, and even a winery. We will be back. (Do you know if you can make reservations to FL State Parks more than a year ahead? If not, I will be marking my calendar to make as soon as I can.)
Best Souvenir
For most, it is that picture, or the shirt or some other remembrance of the time spent in a vacation spot. Not for us. It is the reservation that we made for next year, for a full month at a wonderful RV Park/Resort in North Fort Myers. We spent six or so hours trying to find one and not having any success. As the old saying goes, it was, in fact, the last one we looked at. Obviously, we stopped looking when we found it. But, we had exhausted our long list of possible locations. Having checked them all out and having found one or two acceptable ones, we had not found the ONE. But, Raintree Rv changed that. We found it and we booked and we are going back!!
Best Souvenir – Part 2
This was, after all, a baseball vacation. So, I had to get some autographs. The Sox weren’t signing this year. All except one. And I recap that autograph as follows:
Hat, white in color, for autographs - $20
Pen for signing - $0 (used one that I had)
All the signatures that I didn’t get – Worthless
Sean Casey’s (#22) autograph – Priceless – Thanks for taking the time Sean!
Worse Part of the Vacation
Coming home to 26 degrees. Coming home was ok, it was the temperature that made us want to go back.
Vacation Over – Back Home
Our Vacation ended a few hours earlier than expected. When we left the South Carolina/North Carolina border on Saturday morning, we were making good time and not running into much traffic. That lasted through the DC area. Because we couldn’t figure out where to spend the last night, we made a snap decision. We would stop in Laurel, MD and eat some supper and just go for as long as we could. We made it all the way. It was about 2:30 AM when we finally got the car unhooked and the kitties in the house. Then we slept. As it was Easter, perhaps we should have looked for a sunrise service!! But we did not; we slept for a few hours and then went to Easter Mass. Now the task of unloading is still waiting for us. So, I have to go – there are clothes to find, food to take in and stuff to put away.
Friday, March 21, 2008
The Two Faces of an RV
It seems to me that an RV takes on two different personae while on an RV road trip. The first persona is to be a vehicle/house. As you travel down the highways and byways in the vehicle, you have all the "house" has to offer. Walk back to take a potty break. This is increasingly important as we age!! Hungry? Just stop and fix lunch. If it is cold outside, just heat up some soup and watch the cold weather outside your window. On our recent trip down to Florida, we did just that. The soup was warm and comforting, even though the cold was depressing. Need to stop for a night. pull into any campground or Wal-Mart, and just stop. The house is there ready to service your needs - with your own bed.
The second persona arrives when you get to your destination. Usually a destination that you will visit for some period of time, at least a few days. Sometimes this visit stretches to a month or more. In this situation, the "vehicle" part of the persona more or less disappears. The house that you travelled in becomes a true "home". You have everything that you need. You can cook, if you enjoy that. I do. You can eat in the dinning room or you can out in the yard. You sleep in your own bed. You can sit out and enjoy the trees, the campfire, if you build one, and listen to the quiet of the creatures around. I guess this assumes that you have selelcted a rustic campground. If not, you might be out and about, making friends with other campers. And as you visit the area you have temporarily settled in, you return to your own home. In this persona, the RV becomes your home. It is just that your backyard changes from destination to destination.
I guess that is why we love to RV.
The second persona arrives when you get to your destination. Usually a destination that you will visit for some period of time, at least a few days. Sometimes this visit stretches to a month or more. In this situation, the "vehicle" part of the persona more or less disappears. The house that you travelled in becomes a true "home". You have everything that you need. You can cook, if you enjoy that. I do. You can eat in the dinning room or you can out in the yard. You sleep in your own bed. You can sit out and enjoy the trees, the campfire, if you build one, and listen to the quiet of the creatures around. I guess this assumes that you have selelcted a rustic campground. If not, you might be out and about, making friends with other campers. And as you visit the area you have temporarily settled in, you return to your own home. In this persona, the RV becomes your home. It is just that your backyard changes from destination to destination.
I guess that is why we love to RV.
Sun Rise
It is Friday morning and we are getting ready to continue our trip back home. But first we are going off to see the sun rise over the Atlantic.
A picture is worth a thousand words:
Dance To The Music
Well we spent two nights in St Augustine Florida on our way home from Fort Myers. It is a nice place and I would come back.
On Wednesday we were looking for some music / dancing and a place called the Oasis was recommended. We went there Wednesday night and found a small band upstairs in the bar area. A drummer, keyboard, electronic upright base, and a saxophone. There was a nice singer and as the night went on there was a guest trumpet player and another saxophone player that stood in. There was also a guest singer for a couple of songs.
Well the place was packed and it was a seat-yourself situation. So we stood around waiting for a table to open up. There was no dance floor, but there was some room between some of the tables.
A family of 7 got ready to leave and we stood ready to pounce; so did about four other couples. Well we took two chair and a couple from Ohio took the other two chairs at our table. The other table was also instantly consumed. We ordered some beers and food and managed a few to dances in the open space behind the table.
During the break C asked if the group would be playing anywhere Thursday night, and in fact they were going to be playing at a place near the campground - Amici's. Well the Ohio couple left and another couple sat down. They had some friends who pulled up some additional chairs. It turns out that one of them was a keyboard player for another group that was also playing Thursday night in a nearby place - Panama Hatties.
Thursday night we went to Panama Haddies first and when we walked in the folks we met at Oasis waved to us. We took seats at the bar and noticed that there was actual space for dancing - not much, but real space. All in all there were about 6 or 7 couples that danced. We did some swing and fox trot ( as best as we could in the available space).
We left there and went to Amici's which turns out to be an Italian resturant with an actual dance floor. The group from the Oasis (E.T.) was there. The resturant was full, but we were seated at a table just outside the door with a good view of the band. Well the singer recognized us and waved. After the set the drummer came over and asked if there was anything in particular we wanted. We asked for a latin - Their first song of the next set was Besame Mucho - a nice ChaCha - So we danced to that and a number of other songs during that set; We also had a nice dinner.
After that set the drimmer ( Eddie) again came over and we talked about a number of things. He again asked if we wanted anything in particular - I asked for Take Five. He said that it was a challenging piece, but they would do it for us. (It is different in that there are 5 beats to a measure rather that the typical 3 or 4 of your more traditional dance music.)
They played it and sounded very good, so C and I got up and danced to it. We took a Milonga approach and had a good time. When the song was over the keyboard player said that he had never seen anyone dance to Take Five before - so now you know why this post is called Dance To The Music.
BTW you can also listen to Take Five by Dave Brubeck.
On Wednesday we were looking for some music / dancing and a place called the Oasis was recommended. We went there Wednesday night and found a small band upstairs in the bar area. A drummer, keyboard, electronic upright base, and a saxophone. There was a nice singer and as the night went on there was a guest trumpet player and another saxophone player that stood in. There was also a guest singer for a couple of songs.
Well the place was packed and it was a seat-yourself situation. So we stood around waiting for a table to open up. There was no dance floor, but there was some room between some of the tables.
A family of 7 got ready to leave and we stood ready to pounce; so did about four other couples. Well we took two chair and a couple from Ohio took the other two chairs at our table. The other table was also instantly consumed. We ordered some beers and food and managed a few to dances in the open space behind the table.
During the break C asked if the group would be playing anywhere Thursday night, and in fact they were going to be playing at a place near the campground - Amici's. Well the Ohio couple left and another couple sat down. They had some friends who pulled up some additional chairs. It turns out that one of them was a keyboard player for another group that was also playing Thursday night in a nearby place - Panama Hatties.
Thursday night we went to Panama Haddies first and when we walked in the folks we met at Oasis waved to us. We took seats at the bar and noticed that there was actual space for dancing - not much, but real space. All in all there were about 6 or 7 couples that danced. We did some swing and fox trot ( as best as we could in the available space).
We left there and went to Amici's which turns out to be an Italian resturant with an actual dance floor. The group from the Oasis (E.T.) was there. The resturant was full, but we were seated at a table just outside the door with a good view of the band. Well the singer recognized us and waved. After the set the drummer came over and asked if there was anything in particular we wanted. We asked for a latin - Their first song of the next set was Besame Mucho - a nice ChaCha - So we danced to that and a number of other songs during that set; We also had a nice dinner.
After that set the drimmer ( Eddie) again came over and we talked about a number of things. He again asked if we wanted anything in particular - I asked for Take Five. He said that it was a challenging piece, but they would do it for us. (It is different in that there are 5 beats to a measure rather that the typical 3 or 4 of your more traditional dance music.)
They played it and sounded very good, so C and I got up and danced to it. We took a Milonga approach and had a good time. When the song was over the keyboard player said that he had never seen anyone dance to Take Five before - so now you know why this post is called Dance To The Music.
BTW you can also listen to Take Five by Dave Brubeck.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
St. Augustine
When you see or hear "St. Augustine" what do you think? I think of the Fountain of Youth. So we are off to find it. Do you think it will do any good?
Doubt it will. I am sure it is just a myth. But, as someone said last night - You are never to old to have a happy childhood. We are working on it!!
Off to the fountain.
Doubt it will. I am sure it is just a myth. But, as someone said last night - You are never to old to have a happy childhood. We are working on it!!
Off to the fountain.
Rv Parks in Ft. Myers - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
While we were in Ft. Myers, we visited 15 or so RV Parks for future vacations. Although we love the Florida State Park System (see previous post), they have a limit of 14 days. And there will come a time that we want longer. So we started our investigation.
While we did find the good, the bad and the ugly, this post will be limited to the good and perhaps the reasons that we would not choose it. The bad and the ugly will kept in the files.
As in many other things, the important factor in RV parks is Location, Location, Location. On in particular comes to mind. It is close to the Ft. Myers Beach and is set in a location that affords some waterfront sites along estuaries and streams. Some of the views were great. There were heron, ibis, pelican and the waterfront sites seemed very lovely. Obviously, the price reflected this. And the sites were small. So, we continued our search.
There are several that we visited, that were "for sale" lots only. And as one woman quickly informed us, they were all sold. They didn't seem to want new residents.
We even visited a park that had an office. The office was closed, but, the sign said to go to the house across the street. So, we did. And no one was home. Guess they don't want any outsiders either!
I feel that we visited them all. The ones with the small sites, the one with the unlevel sites, the small ones, the large ones, the very pricey ones and the reasonable value ones. Some were close to the points of interest that we wanted to be near and some were not. Some felt that they would be a comfortable home for a vacation, and some did not.
In the end, we found one that seemed to suit us just fine it is Raintree RV Resort in North Ft. Myers. It is clean and well maintained. It seems to have lots of activities. Everyone i s friendly - the staff and the residents. We met quite a few as we walked and drove around. It was well laid out and it felt like home. So after some debate over lunch, we went back and gave a deposit for next March. It will be our home during Spring Training 2009.
While we did find the good, the bad and the ugly, this post will be limited to the good and perhaps the reasons that we would not choose it. The bad and the ugly will kept in the files.
As in many other things, the important factor in RV parks is Location, Location, Location. On in particular comes to mind. It is close to the Ft. Myers Beach and is set in a location that affords some waterfront sites along estuaries and streams. Some of the views were great. There were heron, ibis, pelican and the waterfront sites seemed very lovely. Obviously, the price reflected this. And the sites were small. So, we continued our search.
There are several that we visited, that were "for sale" lots only. And as one woman quickly informed us, they were all sold. They didn't seem to want new residents.
We even visited a park that had an office. The office was closed, but, the sign said to go to the house across the street. So, we did. And no one was home. Guess they don't want any outsiders either!
I feel that we visited them all. The ones with the small sites, the one with the unlevel sites, the small ones, the large ones, the very pricey ones and the reasonable value ones. Some were close to the points of interest that we wanted to be near and some were not. Some felt that they would be a comfortable home for a vacation, and some did not.
In the end, we found one that seemed to suit us just fine it is Raintree RV Resort in North Ft. Myers. It is clean and well maintained. It seems to have lots of activities. Everyone i s friendly - the staff and the residents. We met quite a few as we walked and drove around. It was well laid out and it felt like home. So after some debate over lunch, we went back and gave a deposit for next March. It will be our home during Spring Training 2009.
A Word about Florida State Parks
Wonderful! If I could use only one word to describe them that would be it. They are clean, quiet, picturesque and welcoming. What more can you say.
While we had not intended it, this vacation has been spent at Florida State Parks. Our first night, we stayed at Lake Griffin. This had not been planned. We just decided how far we thought we could travel and decided that it was a reasonable destination. They had a site that night and we made the reservation. The rest is, as they say, history. IT was small, comfortable, clean and a pleasant surprise for that first night.
The bulk of our trip - 9 days - was spent at Koreshan State Park in Estero, FL. While this one was planned, it was an unknown. It,too, was wonderful. Clean. Quiet. Picturesque. A wonderful stay. The only regret that we have is that we did not rent a canoe and travel the Estero River. We walked about a bit and visited the historical settlement, but the river looked inviting. But, as in all vacations, there just wasn't enough time.
While is Estero, we decided to go to the beach on two days. Both days we decided to stop at Lover's Key State Park. There is no camping here, but there is a large, long beach, full of shells. This park, too, is clean and welcoming and picturesque. The beach is just a long white sandy (with lots of shells) beach - almost as far as the eye can see. And it is never crowded. You can seem to be alone on the beach.
As we start our way back to the "spring" (really winter) weather of New England, we have stopped at another state park, Anastasia, in St.Augustine. It is perhaps the nicest of them all. The site its large and wooded; quiet and comfortable. The beach is spectacular - a long, wide white-sand beach that stretches forever. Here, you can really be alone on the beach. It is quiet, not crowded and the shore birds are ever-present.
Florida State Parks deserve a kudos for their appeal. And we will be back!!
While we had not intended it, this vacation has been spent at Florida State Parks. Our first night, we stayed at Lake Griffin. This had not been planned. We just decided how far we thought we could travel and decided that it was a reasonable destination. They had a site that night and we made the reservation. The rest is, as they say, history. IT was small, comfortable, clean and a pleasant surprise for that first night.
The bulk of our trip - 9 days - was spent at Koreshan State Park in Estero, FL. While this one was planned, it was an unknown. It,too, was wonderful. Clean. Quiet. Picturesque. A wonderful stay. The only regret that we have is that we did not rent a canoe and travel the Estero River. We walked about a bit and visited the historical settlement, but the river looked inviting. But, as in all vacations, there just wasn't enough time.
While is Estero, we decided to go to the beach on two days. Both days we decided to stop at Lover's Key State Park. There is no camping here, but there is a large, long beach, full of shells. This park, too, is clean and welcoming and picturesque. The beach is just a long white sandy (with lots of shells) beach - almost as far as the eye can see. And it is never crowded. You can seem to be alone on the beach.
As we start our way back to the "spring" (really winter) weather of New England, we have stopped at another state park, Anastasia, in St.Augustine. It is perhaps the nicest of them all. The site its large and wooded; quiet and comfortable. The beach is spectacular - a long, wide white-sand beach that stretches forever. Here, you can really be alone on the beach. It is quiet, not crowded and the shore birds are ever-present.
Florida State Parks deserve a kudos for their appeal. And we will be back!!
Monday, March 17, 2008
The One that Didn't Get Away
In between the ballgames and the parties, we have seen a bit of wildlife. There was the morning that I heard a lovely melody just outside my window. I checked and it was a bird on a branch just outside. But, as I got up to get the camera, he flew away. Then there was the bunny rabbit that sat in our site as we came home one evening. But, again he just hopped away before I could get the camera. This mornihg there was the armadillo that crossed the road in front of us. As I struggled to get the camera, he walked slowly into to surrounding shrubery never to be seen again.
But, finally, here is one that didn't get away. I think he was still there when we drove by a few hours later!!
But, finally, here is one that didn't get away. I think he was still there when we drove by a few hours later!!
Pitchers
I always love those action shots of pitchers that you always see. Some photographers seem to capture them at just the right time. You get such a sense of movement in the picture that you can just see the ball flying from his hand. Unfortunately, I am not that type of photographer. I am more the kind that is very lucky to even have some of his body in the frame when I am done taking the picture. So, for that reason I do not have a lot of good pictures - here are just a few and of my favorite pitchers. Dice-K, Paplebon and Okajima. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking the picture.
Dice-K
Papelbon
Okajima
Dice-K
Papelbon
Okajima
Small World
Sometimes it never ceases to amaze me what a small world we live in. We are visiting the Ft. Myers area and never expected to see anyone that we know from home.
After the game on Saturday, we decided to to go to a local restaurant that was having an early St. Patrick's Day Party. They had a free buffet and a band. Sounded like it would be fun. The buffet turned out to be corned beef and cabbage. And it was really good. And the band was Celtic Stew, an Irish band that we had seen before. They were fun to listen to. After the first set, we were about to leave, when we heard someone say "hello". There, standing near us, were two friends from home - Joyce and Bob. Seems they were vacationing in Cape Coral and decided to visit the same restaurant for the same reasons. We sat and talked for awhile, catching up on news. It was great running into them.
It never ceases to amaze me that you can run into someone you know almost anywhere that you go.
After the game on Saturday, we decided to to go to a local restaurant that was having an early St. Patrick's Day Party. They had a free buffet and a band. Sounded like it would be fun. The buffet turned out to be corned beef and cabbage. And it was really good. And the band was Celtic Stew, an Irish band that we had seen before. They were fun to listen to. After the first set, we were about to leave, when we heard someone say "hello". There, standing near us, were two friends from home - Joyce and Bob. Seems they were vacationing in Cape Coral and decided to visit the same restaurant for the same reasons. We sat and talked for awhile, catching up on news. It was great running into them.
It never ceases to amaze me that you can run into someone you know almost anywhere that you go.
High Scoring Game
Saturday, March 15th, was our last game for this spring training season. It was a warm day getting to over 80 degrees. It was a very high scoring game. The final score was Reds: 2, 100,210; Red Sox: 21,170,302. I guess that is not the correct way to read the line score, but it WAS a high scoring game.
Final Score: Reds 6; Red Sox 16!!
It's Been Awhile
Wow time flies when you are on vacation!! Sorry we haven't added anything for a few days. Just too busy I guess. I have a few thoughts stored up so they will be added soon.
Vacation is wonderful and we are having a good time. Weather has been fine and we have not lacked for anything to do!!
More to come soon!
Vacation is wonderful and we are having a good time. Weather has been fine and we have not lacked for anything to do!!
More to come soon!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Day ?? of Vacation
This is day ?? (whatever) of vacation. I am not sure what day it is or exactly when we have to leave. I think that is good! I do know that we have our last baseball game today. Wish there were more.
During our baseball games we have seem a Manny home run; a Matsusaka strike out; an attempted steal of 2nd base by Big Papi (he didn't make it - I guess he just want to get off the field; but, he is running better this year); a Big Papi double for which he had to hustle a bit to make it and he did; a good Paplebon inning; a great Oki inning; and, in general, some good baseball. We even had a bit of a rain out. It started to rain in inning 6 of the game yesterday. All of us on the lawn bailed out quickly. We decided to leave. The Sox continued to play for another inning. But, eventually the rain won that battle.
Today has dawned bright and sunny and we should have a great game day. Now we just need to have a great game!!
During our baseball games we have seem a Manny home run; a Matsusaka strike out; an attempted steal of 2nd base by Big Papi (he didn't make it - I guess he just want to get off the field; but, he is running better this year); a Big Papi double for which he had to hustle a bit to make it and he did; a good Paplebon inning; a great Oki inning; and, in general, some good baseball. We even had a bit of a rain out. It started to rain in inning 6 of the game yesterday. All of us on the lawn bailed out quickly. We decided to leave. The Sox continued to play for another inning. But, eventually the rain won that battle.
Today has dawned bright and sunny and we should have a great game day. Now we just need to have a great game!!
Gas Prices Revisted - Part 2
When we arrived in Ft. Myers, I thought the gas prices were quite high. But, I did see $3.27. We did not partake of any gasoline at that price. Should have! The $3.37 and $3.39 that I now see make that price seem very good. Can't wait (well, I really can wait a long time - as it means we are going back home and to work) to travel through South Carolina and New Jersey to see better prices. Do you think they have risen in the last two weeks? Probably!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Baseball At Last
Well today we went to our first Spring Training game of 2008 - Great!!Red Sox vs. the Minnesota Twins at the Hammond Stadium. A very nice day; partly cloudy with the temperature in the mid 70's; it was 42 and rain in Boston, and 37 in Minnesota. Being in Fort Myres - "priceless"!!!!
We arrived about an hour before the game and they parked us in center field in one of the practice fields.
The Twins were just ending some practice and drills and the grounds crew started the transformation from a field to a baseball diamond.
Add some lines.
And some bases
and some players;
Now we have a baseball diamond!
Cla Buckholtz started pitching for the Sox. He did good into the 4'th inning. He gave up 2 runs and a base on balls - that was enough for today. He left the game with the Sox ahead 3 to 2.
The Sox had a number of base runners and the score ended up at 12 to 7 Sox!!!
Don't let that "7" in the Twins 5'th inning confuse you; that is a scoreboard problem; they only scored 1 run and we have the score card to prove it.
Tomorrow we see the Sox play at home, City of Palms park.
March 13 at City of Palms park
The Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays played to a 3 - 3 tie in 10 innings. Not as much hitting from the Sox today. Colon pitched the first 2 innings; for his first outing of the season he was not too bad.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Don't Feed the Alligators
Do the alligators know that you might be simply righting a canoe and not swiming? Maybe we should not rent that canoe!!
Ft Myers At Last
On Monday at about 2:30 we arrived at Koreshan State Park. Florida State Parks have received awards for being good parks - they sure are. 
We are in site #2. It is a little small, but has plenty of trees and lots of palmettos. 
It will be a fine home for the next week or so.
After we were settled, we headed out to drive around and find City of Palms Park. We were pretty sure that we could find it, but felt a need to refresh our memories about the city. We went to Cape Coral for some dinner, a few margaritas, some music and a little dancing. All in all, it was a good night.
The weather has been good. It has been in the 70's, but somewhat cloudy. This morning seems to be quite cloudy and I believe a little more rain is a possibility. If the rain holds off, we may rent a canoe this morning and then do something else later. Not sure what that will be, yet. This is vacation, and we have no plans.
Not exactly, we have 4 baseball games over the next four days. Can't wait!! We have not been able to listen to any games on the way down. We do have XM radio, but they only broadcast 4 games a day and the Red Sox have not been among the games. So, we are looking forward to seeing them in person.
So, I will blog again but don't know when!!
It will be a fine home for the next week or so.After we were settled, we headed out to drive around and find City of Palms Park. We were pretty sure that we could find it, but felt a need to refresh our memories about the city. We went to Cape Coral for some dinner, a few margaritas, some music and a little dancing. All in all, it was a good night.
The weather has been good. It has been in the 70's, but somewhat cloudy. This morning seems to be quite cloudy and I believe a little more rain is a possibility. If the rain holds off, we may rent a canoe this morning and then do something else later. Not sure what that will be, yet. This is vacation, and we have no plans.
Not exactly, we have 4 baseball games over the next four days. Can't wait!! We have not been able to listen to any games on the way down. We do have XM radio, but they only broadcast 4 games a day and the Red Sox have not been among the games. So, we are looking forward to seeing them in person.
So, I will blog again but don't know when!!
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Recap of Today – Sunday, March 09, 2008
KOA Savannah South
We stayed at this campground last night. I am not much of a KOA fan. They generally are fine for overnight stops. But, they generally do not meet our expectations for a “nice” RV site. “Nice” is a very relative term – it depends on your expectations. Our expectations are flat (always a plus) wooded, non-concrete, quiet and generally we prefer to be “in the “woods” rather then on a concrete pad with no privacy barrier This was a concrete pad with no barrier. But, it was well maintained, staff was friendly and helpful. And there was a nice fish pond. We were not pond-side, but could see it from the front window. It was pleasant. And I would stop there again.
Some Activities
We went to Mass this morning at a small rural church in Richmond Hill GA. St. Anne’s was a cute little church. It is always interesting to me that I can travel across the country and Europe or the Caribbean and find that the services are similar. True, there are regional and cultural, and sometimes language differences, but there is comfort in recognizing the major aspects of the service. There is also much interest in how the services differ – the music, the language and the cultural difference. This was no exception.
On the way, we needed to stop to eat some lunch. Well, in actuality we probably didn’t “need” to eat, but we did “want” to eat. We generally, just pull into a rest area and make some lunch: sandwiches or something similar. But, on 301, there are no rest areas. So, we found a Winn-Dixie and just parked in the lot and ate. It was pleasant enough. We would have gone into buy something, but nothing was needed.
Travel - Route
Today has been a good day! As far as travel we left Savannah, GA at 10:10AM and crossed into FL at 11:50. We arrived at Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland, FL at about 4:15. We decided to get off Rte 95 after 4 days (or at least partial days) on it!! We got on Rte 95 on RI and didn’t get off of it until we reached Florida, with the exception of travelling to our stops for the night. We had had enough. So, we took 301 from just outside of Jacksonville to Ocala and then 27 right to Lake Griffin. Much Better!! More scenic. Some traffic lights. No traffic. And did I say more scenic!
Driving today was much better; no rain, no wind- very pleasent and not at all taxing.
Weather
The weather was very cold this morning. There was frost on the car when we got out and steam rising from the fishing pond this morning. The thermometer stayed in the 50’s for most of the trip. But, when we were settled in our site, it was 66 degrees, bright and sunny and a spectacular day.
Lake Griffin State Park
We are in site #18; it is one of the nicest sites we have had. (See my description of our preferred site, above). We have gone to find one of the oldest and largest oak trees in the state. Pictures of our short hike are posted here. It is a quiet and lovely spot. I would definitely stay here again.
Pictures
Our site and the "patio" for the table and fire ring.
A lovely arching, branching tree across the path.
The large Oak Tree.
We stayed at this campground last night. I am not much of a KOA fan. They generally are fine for overnight stops. But, they generally do not meet our expectations for a “nice” RV site. “Nice” is a very relative term – it depends on your expectations. Our expectations are flat (always a plus) wooded, non-concrete, quiet and generally we prefer to be “in the “woods” rather then on a concrete pad with no privacy barrier This was a concrete pad with no barrier. But, it was well maintained, staff was friendly and helpful. And there was a nice fish pond. We were not pond-side, but could see it from the front window. It was pleasant. And I would stop there again.
Some Activities
We went to Mass this morning at a small rural church in Richmond Hill GA. St. Anne’s was a cute little church. It is always interesting to me that I can travel across the country and Europe or the Caribbean and find that the services are similar. True, there are regional and cultural, and sometimes language differences, but there is comfort in recognizing the major aspects of the service. There is also much interest in how the services differ – the music, the language and the cultural difference. This was no exception.
On the way, we needed to stop to eat some lunch. Well, in actuality we probably didn’t “need” to eat, but we did “want” to eat. We generally, just pull into a rest area and make some lunch: sandwiches or something similar. But, on 301, there are no rest areas. So, we found a Winn-Dixie and just parked in the lot and ate. It was pleasant enough. We would have gone into buy something, but nothing was needed.
Travel - Route
Today has been a good day! As far as travel we left Savannah, GA at 10:10AM and crossed into FL at 11:50. We arrived at Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland, FL at about 4:15. We decided to get off Rte 95 after 4 days (or at least partial days) on it!! We got on Rte 95 on RI and didn’t get off of it until we reached Florida, with the exception of travelling to our stops for the night. We had had enough. So, we took 301 from just outside of Jacksonville to Ocala and then 27 right to Lake Griffin. Much Better!! More scenic. Some traffic lights. No traffic. And did I say more scenic!
Driving today was much better; no rain, no wind- very pleasent and not at all taxing.
Weather
The weather was very cold this morning. There was frost on the car when we got out and steam rising from the fishing pond this morning. The thermometer stayed in the 50’s for most of the trip. But, when we were settled in our site, it was 66 degrees, bright and sunny and a spectacular day.
Lake Griffin State Park
We are in site #18; it is one of the nicest sites we have had. (See my description of our preferred site, above). We have gone to find one of the oldest and largest oak trees in the state. Pictures of our short hike are posted here. It is a quiet and lovely spot. I would definitely stay here again.
Pictures
Our site and the "patio" for the table and fire ring.
A lovely arching, branching tree across the path.
The large Oak Tree.
Saw Palmetto bush
The waterway that leads to Lake Griffin
Florida Bound
We will be leaving Georgia and getting to Florida later today. The temperature outside is in the mid 30's. I think it will be a bright sunny day. But, it is hard to tell - with the change of time (yes, we remembered to change the clocks - not all of them - but the ones that we would see first!!) it is still a bit early for a full assessment!
I will write more as we get going later.
I will write more as we get going later.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
Gas Prices Revisted
In NC found gas for $3.29 and kept driving. We found some for $3.25 and we got some, but we did NOT fill up! As we drove on, we found some for $3.15 and got more. But, in Dillon, SC it was $3.09 and we did fill up. Glad we did we found it to be at least $3.15 from northern SC to GA.
Georgia on my Mind
We arrived in GA at about 4:45 and were comfortably in our site at 6:00PM. Travel today was difficult, the winds were strong and it was sometimes difficult to hold the road. Fortunately, the sun was shining for most of the day. The temperature was not quite so cooperative. It was a full 10 degrees colder tonight that it was several hundred miles north of here last night!! I can't find that warm weather that I am looking for!! I may not find it tomorrow, either. We will reach Florida, staying in Fruitland Park. But, it will not get out of the 50's there. I hope that Ft Myers is warmer on Monday!!!
Paradise Lost??
Maybe not lost - just not found - yet! Another day dawns gray and raining, with high wind watches. We are getting ready to leave and will head further south - looking for sun and more warmth. In honor of this search - and its successful conclusion - I am wearing capris and Steve is wearing shorts!! (The long jeans are still readily available, if needed).
By, the way this is the point in the trip that I should stop referring to days by number or by name - I no longer can remember what day it is!!
And as the rain continues to fall, we are driving away and heading for 95.
More to come later.
By, the way this is the point in the trip that I should stop referring to days by number or by name - I no longer can remember what day it is!!
And as the rain continues to fall, we are driving away and heading for 95.
More to come later.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Miscellaneous Cost Information
Today the cost of gas is a frequent topic for RV owners. Here is what we saw. It is not random, reliable or the norm. It is what we saw from time to time in the last two days. All prices are per gallon.
At Home - 3.16, 3.19
CT and NY 3.25, 3.29
NJ 2.93 if you pay cash; 3.00 for the use of a credit card - we filled up!!
MD and VA3.15
I wonder what we will find tomorrow - we may need gas!!
And the next most often heard conversation is the cost of tolls for RVs. It seems that at many locations the cost for an RV towing a car is somewhat random and at the discretion of the toll taker. Here is our experience:
NJ Tpk - $12.90
Delaware Memorial Bridge - $16
Rte. 95 DE - $7
Francis Scott Keys Bridge - $6
We thought the inquiring mind might want to know!!
See you on the road!
At Home - 3.16, 3.19
CT and NY 3.25, 3.29
NJ 2.93 if you pay cash; 3.00 for the use of a credit card - we filled up!!
MD and VA3.15
I wonder what we will find tomorrow - we may need gas!!
And the next most often heard conversation is the cost of tolls for RVs. It seems that at many locations the cost for an RV towing a car is somewhat random and at the discretion of the toll taker. Here is our experience:
NJ Tpk - $12.90
Delaware Memorial Bridge - $16
Rte. 95 DE - $7
Francis Scott Keys Bridge - $6
We thought the inquiring mind might want to know!!
See you on the road!
Done for the Night
We arrived in Rocky Mount, NC at about 6:30. We are at a KOA and are in for the night. The rest of the day was quite uneventful. But, it was very rainy and there was lots of traffic from VA to NC.
In spite of all of that, I did get my wish. As we pulled off the highway, the thermometer read 61 degrees!! The heat is not one and I do have a couple of windows open. The overnight temperature was stay in the high 50's. So, I have arrived and found the warm weather!! We will travel south tomorrow and it should get warmer - I hope.
Good Night again tonight!
In spite of all of that, I did get my wish. As we pulled off the highway, the thermometer read 61 degrees!! The heat is not one and I do have a couple of windows open. The overnight temperature was stay in the high 50's. So, I have arrived and found the warm weather!! We will travel south tomorrow and it should get warmer - I hope.
Good Night again tonight!
Driving through NJ
One word comes to mind while driving through NJ. It is TWP. The first question: IS it a word? Could I use it in scrabble? I know what it means; it means township. I am not sure how I know it means township. I feel that I have known for a long time – long before I could have done a Google search!!
But, why does T-W-P mean township. I mean it is not intuitively obvious to me. It is not all the consonants. It is not every other letter. It is not even the main letters of the two words that make it up.
I also don’t know how to pronounce it.. Is it “twip”. Or do you say “tee-double u- pee. I guess you are supposed to say township. But, as the signs fly by, I don’t have enough time to say township. So, I just say “twip”.
I still don’t know if I can use it in Scrabble. But, I do know that NJ has a lot of TWP’s.
But, why does T-W-P mean township. I mean it is not intuitively obvious to me. It is not all the consonants. It is not every other letter. It is not even the main letters of the two words that make it up.
I also don’t know how to pronounce it.. Is it “twip”. Or do you say “tee-double u- pee. I guess you are supposed to say township. But, as the signs fly by, I don’t have enough time to say township. So, I just say “twip”.
I still don’t know if I can use it in Scrabble. But, I do know that NJ has a lot of TWP’s.
Day 2 - Friday, March 7
The day did not dawn bright and sunny. The weather is gray, cloudy and cold. Now it is not really, really cold. Is is probably quite seasonal f or a cloudy day. But, with the Florida attitude that developed overnight – it is COLD. So, today we are going to drive as long as it takes to see 60 degrees on the thermometer.. That probably won’t happen, but I can dream!!
We left NJ at about 8:35 and crossed into MD at about 10:30. We have already stopped for a leg break, a potty break and a snack. All is well and we have not had any failed tail lights and no need for road service. So today is better!!
It is about 1:45 and we have stopped in VA at a rest stop. We are blogging and eat good warm soup. It is miserable out, cold raining and generally yucky. Our destination tonight is in nothern NC - Enfield KOA.
We left NJ at about 8:35 and crossed into MD at about 10:30. We have already stopped for a leg break, a potty break and a snack. All is well and we have not had any failed tail lights and no need for road service. So today is better!!
It is about 1:45 and we have stopped in VA at a rest stop. We are blogging and eat good warm soup. It is miserable out, cold raining and generally yucky. Our destination tonight is in nothern NC - Enfield KOA.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
End of the First Day
Well the first day has turned out to be quit long and not very good!! The road on Rte 95 was so bad - unpaved, pot-holed and just a mess - that it knocked out the rear light on the motorhome!! But, being resourceful, we used duct tape (you all carry duct tape with you don't you?) to reconnect it as securely as we could.
Then trying to get to our destination for the night - a WalMart - we had a bit of a problem and needed road service. Nothing broken, nothing really damaged, just a little embarrassment and a lot of waiting and frustration.
But, I am sure that tomorrow will dawn brightly and we will continue our journey to Florida.
Good night all.
Then trying to get to our destination for the night - a WalMart - we had a bit of a problem and needed road service. Nothing broken, nothing really damaged, just a little embarrassment and a lot of waiting and frustration.
But, I am sure that tomorrow will dawn brightly and we will continue our journey to Florida.
Good night all.
And Off We Go
We have left the house. We have even made it to the interstate. We have just stopped to check tire pressure. And then we are off for real!! Even though it has only been 2 month since we last used the motorhome, it seems much longer. That last trip was the last trip of LAST season and this trip is the FIRST trip of this season. So,everything was checked and double checked!! But, at least we are off.
We're Playing our Song
On the Road Again
Today is the day - that we are on the road again - at last!
On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.
On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin' our way
And our way
Is on the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin' our way
And our way
Is on the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Who's Counting
In approximately 30 hours, we should be making final preparations for our first trip of 2008. In 32 hours, we should be driving out of the driveway, car in tow. And in 36 hours we should be making our first stop at some Walmart along the Jersey Turnpike.
No wait, it will all start in about 29 hours 55 minutes; no it is really 29 hours and 50 minutes.
Well you get the idea. But, who's counting?
No wait, it will all start in about 29 hours 55 minutes; no it is really 29 hours and 50 minutes.
Well you get the idea. But, who's counting?
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