Santa Claus Parade

Sometimes it is hard getting in the mood for Christmas in the South. We went to the Lakeland Santa Claus Parade and that really helped. It started out with fireworks over Lake Mirror! Now that is a great way to kick off a parade. There were 105 floats. The "monster" school bus was a big hit. It brings new meaning to "higher education!" Okay, I am getting in the mood to Deck the Halls.

My camera has been on the fritz so thanks to Louise and Dale and Ken and Kathy White for sharing their pictures with me.

The Keys

The Keys

Even though we went to Key West on a cruise stop last year I wanted to drive down from the top to see the landscape. So we did it! Dale and Louise (friends from home) were in Lakeland for a month and said they wanted to drive down from here so we happily volunteered to go along. Dale drove…even better! We left early Monday morning and came home Wednesday so it was a quick trip but well worth it.

John found a very reasonable price at El Patio; a small motel in Old Town Key West. At the rate of $69 a night we had to wonder if there would be any critters in the covers but it was fine. Well Dale and Louise had a gecko in their room but then he got lost. EEEEK! Not high end of course but the rooms were clean. Not fancy. The floors were tile and the furniture sparse but the sheets were clean. Yes, it was 1950s art deco just as advertised but I think it really means not renovated since then. I would stay there again but would bring a coffee maker. There’s a small fridge in the room and you could have breakfast food on hand and sit on El Patio to eat. “The Patio” was on the roof! It was a great feature: excellent for star gazing after an evening on Duval Street.

It took about 5 hours to get to Key Largo, the first Key. We stopped at the information centre and got a recommendation for lunch. We ate at the Sundowner a gorgeous spot on the water with tarpons entertaining us. Louise found a new friend. George hung out and cleaned the tables when customers left! You have to look really closely to see this long necked crane? Heron? Egret? Can't seem to get the exact I.D. on this one.

The drive down on the Overseas Highway is 100 miles but it takes about 2 ½ hours. Beautiful views abound. There are nearly 900 Islands with only about 30 being inhabited. I think they are actually coral formations that have evolved into Islands. I really need to read up on the details of this beautiful configuration! There are 42 bridges to cross, one being 7 miles long. Mangrove forests dot the waterscape. The drive takes you past resorts, parks, homes, towns, retail business’, hotels, and motels. There is so much to look at and it beckoned to me. I would like to go back and spend more time. We did stop and drive around an RV park on the way down and on the way back had a picnic lunch at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. What we saw of it was lovely. It would be great to stay there to snorkel and kayak.

Old Town Trolley Tours is a great way to see and learn about Key West, the Southernmost point in continental U.S. Mile Marker 0 is a short walk from El Patio. Ms. Vee was our driver and tour guide and he was funny and entertaining. She was also very informed and knowledgeable. There were several interesting characters like Ms. Vee entertaining and working in the restaurants and bars.

There is hardly enough time in 2 days to do all there is to do there so we tried to hit a few highlights. We walked Duval Street until Louise had a blister and I had sore ankles. Margaritaville was a must stop as well as the Whistle Bar and Wharf Bar which had Happy Hour from 7 a.m. until noon. Don’t worry we were there for a late afternoon snack! We enjoyed the Hog’s Breath and made a couple of calls so people at home could see us on the webcam. The atmosphere is totally different from the Hawg’s Breath at home but it was great fun. A mojito at a Cuban bar near the harbour was amazing and we were stunned at the price! It is expensive down there so it’s a good thing we had a cheap motel. Chickens stay for free and wander everywhere!

No Birdies

Gator Golf

We golfed on Monday, November 23rd, with couples from “The Valley”. (We are staying on Valley View Road in Sanlan and this whole section is referred to as The Valley) Monday golf became a weekly routine last year and we are carrying on. It is lots of fun to play different courses at amazing rates and then go out for dinner. Well, dinner usually is at a “dive” with great wings and Happy Hours like I have never seen! Last night the draft at Bedrock’s was $1.50 for 16 ounces! And it wasn’t just Bud Light!

Wedgewood Golf Course winds through a housing community and almost every hole has a pond or two. A “Beware of Alligators” sign greets you on the first tee. No big deal. On the back nine I thought I had lost my ball in a large pond but it was actually 10 ft. or more from the water and looked like a good lie. A gator, no more than 2 feet long, was nestled a few feet from the edge in water and weeds. I figured I could hit my ball easily and this baby didn’t really bother me. I am sure you have guessed what is coming next.

I whacked the gator in the head, so hard it made a sound! He took off one way and me the other! My heart was pounding and I guess it was quite a sight. I scrambled as fast as I could up the bank and could barely reload and make another shot. I had a pretty good round despite this catastrophe. No birdies, but I did get a gator!

That is NOT the gator I hit. I didn't have a camera with me. Actually the camera is in for repair! Waaaaahhhhh!

Home Sweet Home

You can usually enlarge a picture by double clicking on it but to navigate back to the blog don’t close it. Arrow back.

Home Sweet Home!

Honestly, one of the best things about RV-ing is that your home is with you. Once you open those slides and set up it doesn’t matter where; you are home! Arriving at Sanlan on November 7th enhanced the “home” feeling even more. Sometimes I can’t believe that this is the beginning of our third season here. Obviously we love it and the area around Lakeland. There is so much to do and everything is accessible. Check out the Lakeland Centre (http://www.thelakelandcenter.com/ ) for cultural and sports events that are only minutes away. Also, there are very reasonable golf courses, bike trails, nature reserves, markets, shopping, festivals, great restaurants and I could go on and on.

However Sanlan has become much more than a jumping off point for adventures and attractions. We have met great friends and it is wonderful to see them again and to share this life. It is remarkable that John found this place simply by doing web searches and that we came here cold turkey. It’s hard to believe that I spent my 1st few hours here having an anxiety attack, crying about how I was going to live here for 4 months. I have come a long way!

Our first walk on the nature trails did not disappoint us. We saw a yellow rat snake (not rattle!) and a red-shouldered (or red-tailed) hawk; both up close. An alligator was sunning on the shore of Banana Lake and we have since seen the huge alligator that hangs out in the front pond. I have taken so many pictures of him that I feel addicted. If you want a look check back in the blog! But I swear he has grown!! Friends saw a bobcat already near the golf course. We saw one last year and hope to again.

Biking to Bartow on the Fort Fraser Trail retains its appeal. Although we have done it many times it doesn’t get tedious. The trail is mostly shaded and all paved and despite paralleling U.S. 98 is very pleasant. And we can just ride from our site.

Bramble Ridge Golf course has greened up this year. The drought is less apparent everywhere though local weather stations say more rain is needed. Bramble is a fun course with very forgiving bounces off mounds created when it used to be a phosphate mine. Bramble has a huge driving range and is also so close we can walk over from here.

Another great feature of this area is that people from home like it too. Last night JoAnn and Hedge cooked us a wonderful meal at the house they are renting for a month not far from here. Louise and Dale were there too. We have plans to meet up with them again.

All in all, it is great to be back!





Circle B Nature Reserve

This place reminds me of Jurassic Park. Many large birds congregate and make noises that make you think you are in prehistoric times. Years ago it was marshland bordering on Lake Hancock. The marshes were drained to be used for cattle ranching. Now it is run by Polk County and the University of South Florida and has been reverted back to marshland. The canals are filled with alligators, turtles, birds, marsh rabbits, snakes, spiders and who knows what else! Lake Hancock is joined to Banana Lake (which borders Sanlan) by Banana Creek so it is close and we go walking there often. You never know what you will hear and see!

High Tide

We enjoyed a few days on Jekyll Island again! At this time of year the salt marsh is a golden colour thus the name “Golden Isles.” Biking and golfing are great here and we enjoyed both. The campground is in a live oak forest making a beautiful setting though we wish they would pave the main roads in there at least to keep the dust down and upgrade the washroom and laundry facilities. Still, it is worth another visit to this great Island. There are excellent restaurants, entertainment, an amazing beach, nature and biking trails, 3 and ½ golf courses, a loggerhead turtle hospital, an historic district and a most amazing peaceful feeling. Okay, there are gators there but they do not really bother us.







The history of Jekyll is fascinating and I never tire of visiting the Historic District/Museum. I took a picture of the bay window at Goodyear “Cottage” which is being used as an art gallery. I did get in trouble for this…I wasn’t thinking; it is a common rule in museums and art galleries! The Jekyll Island Club Hotel is a stunning building and when visiting there you can’t help but sense the extravagance and historical significance of its heyday. The price to stay there is actually not prohibitive…it’s on my bucket list. We have dined there and visited the shops and bars of course! Love it!






We noticed high tide to be higher than we had ever seen it before and we have visited here frequently! In a couple of places the water was coming over the path. Also, a river had carved itself through part of Driftwood Beach to the ocean. The best answer we could get about the higher tide was that the moon was full. I guess that makes sense but we couldn’t believe the difference!









Armchair Astronomer

Last night after supper we went for a walk and stopped by the small room behind the bath house/laundry room to see what the “Astronomy Show” was all about. A gentleman from Atlanta was there and we chatted with him about where we were from and where we have been. He is a coastal Georgian going back “200 years” and was glad to hear that most of his recommended highlights we had already seen. This fellow also does tours in the Okeefenokee Swamp, a humungous gator infested swamp that I will never forget. We really hadn’t decided whether we were going to take in the “show” but felt it would be rude to leave now that we had conversed with this southern drawler.

A few other campers showed up and the talk about space, the universe, galaxies and how it all got started ensued. Astronomy guy is passionate about space but a little stuck on Hubble and “light %$#$%” gobbledy gook. His slide pictures were outdated but his smooth voice was easy to listen to and he had some fine phrases. “I hesitate to tell you this since you won’t believe it.” But here I go; the chairs were folding metal and highly uncomfortable so 2 ½ hour later we were feeling pretty uncomfortable. When the harsh florescent lights came back on I could barely resist the urge to un-pretzel myself and get out of there. He asked if there were any questions and all I could think of was “how do you get from the swamp to outer space?”

In truth, his talk was thought provoking and entertaining but we were disappointed that his telescope was in the shop. We had a whole new perspective on the full moon on the walk back to the campsite however.

Long Drive October 31/2009

The Border
We didn’t bring any fruit or meat from home to avoid any problems at the border since they always ask about this. Much is allowed but it needs to be obvious what it is and where it is from (i.e. labels or stickers of origin). We were asked about it and with confidence I said “no we didn’t have any”. I guess she didn’t believe me because she took all our keys and went in the RV to check the fridge I suppose! This has never happened to us before but at least they didn’t rip it apart. Just checked the fridge and we were on our way. Surprisingly there was a wait at the border even though it was 7a.m.

Kentucky
Well we got the first leg of the journey in and are settled in for the night. The temperature was 54 F when we left Kincardine at 4:45 a.m. and 53F when we arrived here at Corbin Kentucky 11 hours or so later! It was a bit windy and that made the fuel go faster since it was mostly a headwind but nothing this Big Rig and the Commando couldn't handle!

Tomorrow we have another long haul to Savannah...likely 10 hours. But the weather looks benign and it is warming up. We did NOT go near Hamilton, crossed at Port Huron, and Atlanta is NOT in this scenario. We are going to Knoxville tomorrow and then heading toward the coast on I-40 through the mountains to catch 95 down to Savannah.

So, we are "roughing it" tonight...no water or sewer hookup but we have Wi-Fi and cable with lots of HD channels. What more could you want? It is supposed to get cold tonight (39F) so we have the heaters on, the down duvet, the fleecy sheets etc. so should stay warm enough!

Hope y'all are having a lovely Halloween! We had no trick or treaters!

Georgia
Snowbirds Arrive Nov. 1/09
I said Atlanta wasn't in this scenario but it was! Only because our intended route, I-40 East from Knoxville was closed due to a rock slide! Good thing we caught that on the highway signs or we could still be stuck in the Smokey Mountains. I-40 is a more scenic route through the Appalachians but the drive through Atlanta didn't cost us extra time since it was Sunday. It can be dicey going through there at the wrong time. But the by-pass adds time too so we took our chances and luckily breezed through the middle of it.

We left Kentucky this morning in the dark and dense fog. Yikes! I wanted to wait it out but John said let's try it and if it is bad on the freeway we will pull over. Good thing because in no time we started climbing the mountains and the fog was only in the valleys below. Spectacular views!

We are near Savannah now and glad to have those 2 big drives over with. We are not the only snowbirds here. I caught these at sunrise this morning. Okay, what am I doing wandering around at sunrise? Must be the time change!

We had a great dinner at a Scottish Pub just down the road here and tomorrow will get stocked up and organized before heading to Jekyll on Tuesday for a few days. Once we get there we do not want to leave to get groceries. The stores there are limited and groceries expensive.

Freedom! (Comes in many forms)
Savannah beckons but we are not going touring there this trip. We have visited Savannah a couple of times before so just feel like relaxing here in our gypsy home; getting used to it again. We have de-winterized and stocked up. Off to Jekyll Island tomorrow and hopefully warmer weather. It is only 62F here right now but I know, should not be complaining. I am wearing shorts and sandals and feeling so free as a result!