Under the B, twelve

Sunday and Monday, January 29 and 30, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – Hundreds of dollars were disbursed tonight at the weekly Bingo game in the recreation hall, but none of them landed in my hands. Fawn got lucky with the ticket draw, though, by having triple sevens on hers. I came within three numbers of a Bingo but failed to win anything. However, of the five people at our table, three won something, so it was satisfying knowing my presence was good for someone! Little joke there.
We were in the hall this morning as well, with a large crowd of park residents, for the Monday morning coffee hour and meeting. People were reminded of the shuffleboard games, line dancing classes, craft hour and other activities scheduled throughout the week, as they guzzled hot mugs of java and munched on donuts. There’s a very friendly atmosphere with people joking and catching up. Everyone wants to know when John and Fawn will be getting their new trailer. Tomorrow will be the big day, when the rig is delivered to their spot.
Today Val and John got to work leveling John’s site in preparation for the delivery. They were on their hands and knees with a long board and a carpenter’s level, shifting the dirt until it was smooth and flat. It got warm in the full sun, though, so they came to the temporary site, where their current trailer spent the night, and took a break with Fawn and me. When they got back to the site, John’s practical joker neighbour had posted a sign that said “Warning: quicksand! Nothing heavier than 11.3 pounds should be placed here by order of the county”.
If they weren’t known throughout the park before, Fawn and John have really raised their profile now. Not only do they have Algarve, the cutest dog in the whole park (and there are lots of dogs), but they have also occupied the most sites of anyone around in the last couple of weeks. First, they had to vacate their site for a day so the tree at the back of it could be trimmed to accommodate the new larger trailer. Their second move was to prepare the site for tomorrow’s delivery. Their third will be when they put the old trailer into the storage compound! They are going to be so-o-o happy to be settled in their new RV once and for all!
The weather has been perfect for this kind of thing. Clear and fresh, with a gentle breeze and sunshine. Tomorrow promises to be the same.
Yesterday was beautiful too. We had one of those super-lazy Sundays with nothing pressing to do, good books to read and a dinner invitation at day’s end. It was lovely. I was off to church in the morning – there’s an Episcopal (Anglican) church close by that I went to last week as well. St. Alfred’s gave me a friendly welcome, including a little bag with information about the church activities and small gifts like a fridge magnet, calendar and a card that works like a magnifying glass.
As we spend more time in our motorhome, we are figuring out ways to optimize its features. Since we aren’t using the shower stall for showering (it’s not practical and the steam and humidity increase the chance of developing mold), we might put in a spring-loaded bar to provide more towel-hanging space. By adding a small table in the stall, we can get more storage out of that area too, so we’ll be looking for something to fill that bill. We’ve also acquired a small folding stool in the living area that doubles as a mini-coffee table. Little additions that make our house a home.

Diamonds in the sand

Friday and Saturday, January 27 and 28, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL—Raindrops hammered on the roof of our motorhome in the wee hours of yesterday morning, and the thunder boomed. Even when I got up and stuffed plugs into my ears, I could still hear the storm, but I managed to get back to sleep for a few more hours. When we got up and looked out, there were lots of puddles, but our little blue car was all shiny and clean again. We were glad to have the free car wash.
It was much cooler after the rain, and the day remained overcast – a good day for going to the movies. We like to know at least a few of the nominated movies before Oscar night, so we decided to go and see The Iron Lady with Meryl Streep. Once again, Streep upheld her reputation for superb acting, portraying the former British PM at the height of her career and in her waning years, and maintaining a perfect accent throughout.
The weather was nicer today but still cooler than we have had lately. Everyone is saying this winter in Florida is especially fine and warm, so we’re not complaining! Still, the doors to the laundry room that are normally open at either end were closed because the breeze through was chilly. I got the weekly laundry done this morning so there was time for more exploring this afternoon.
Our destination this time was Honeymoon Island, just off the shore at Dunedin and connected to the mainland with a causeway. Sandy beach and palm trees lined the route to the island, and when we got on the island we headed to the tip. There was quite a bit of surf as the white-capped waves in the bay rolled in to shore. Millions of tiny shells, and fragments of larger ones, made up the beach, as well as porous rocks. I wondered how long it took the waves to grind them into the powdered sand we’d seen on some Caribbean shores.
Despite the cool breeze, some people were actually out swimming or parasailing. We preferred to watch. Was it the island’s name, or just the beauty of the day that brought couples’ hands together as they strolled along?
Later we had a look at the little museum at Honeymoon Island State Park, where we learned about sea birds, turtles and racoons. Also on display were some photos of the first newlyweds who came when the island opened for business in the 1940s. The honeymoon cottages they stayed in (for free) were just grass shacks, really. But when word got out that the island was available for people who couldn’t afford a proper honeymoon, towns all over the states held contests and sent winning couples here with all expenses paid.
We were just heading back to the RV park when John and Fawn called, inviting us to go out for supper with them and another couple, who were heading back north tomorrow to meet their newborn great-grandson. We had a tasty meal with them and heard stories of their early days – which are a lot earlier than ours, since they’ve been married 50 years. The husband related the tale of his first venture out with a brand new metal detector, at a golf course where they had recently done some landscaping. When the gadget signaled a find, he started to dig around and picked up some quarters, plus a mud-encrusted bracelet. Washing it off back at home, he found it was made of gold, and dazzling with diamonds! Because the land fill came from elsewhere, it was impossible to trace an owner, so the bracelet has been a family treasure ever since. From the look on their smiling faces, their honeymoon is still under way.

Crates of oranges

Wednesday and Thursday, January 25 and 26, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – Having bicycles at our disposal has really opened up the possibilities for us. We’ve explored a good stretch of the Pinellas Trail in both directions now, passing seedy trailer parks and strip malls or grand homes with royal palms and colourful landscaping, or spacious parks with ponds where water birds wade by the shore.
We went out to pick up some groceries yesterday morning, as we become more aware of the storage capacity of our new motorhome. Everything fit, and we acquired a collapsible waste basket and fold-out office file for our papers and guidebooks. We are feeling more organized now, and we’re even able to produce a decent supper for a night or two.
Last night we went to the recreation hall for a lasagne dinner, put on by the RV park staff. Communal meals are a Wednesday tradition in the park. The residents bring along their own dishes and cutlery, and sit down at large tables together for the meal. Huge pans of golden lasagne were laid out for us, and volunteer servers scooped out great slabs of cheesy pasta onto our plates. There was also salad, garlic bread and generous squares of chocolate cake for dessert, prepared by Kelly, one of the staff members, who has rightfully earned a reputation as an excellent cook. It was a delicious supper!
Today, after a leisurely morning strolling around the grounds and checking out the swimming pool and fitness room, we decided to bike into town and see the small museum we’d spotted there a couple of days ago. It’s built in what used to be Dunedin’s railroad station, and we learned that the railroad came about after the area became known for its extensive orange groves. Those groves are no more, having been devastated by killing frosts and eventually replaced with city buildings.
There are two longstanding legacies from those early days that are known pretty well worldwide now. One is the lowly orange crate, which was first built by Lee B. Skinner, one of the founders of the groves, to show off the beautiful golden orbs of fruit to buyers. Up till then, they were shipped in burlap sacks, hidden from view. The second invention was the concentration of orange juice, which permitted much more efficient and less bulky shipping methods, and provided citrus-starved Britain with the healthy product during the Second World War.
Another Dunedin legacy is the tracked amphibian carriers (Landing Vehicle Tracked) used for military transports during the war. They were invented by Donald Roebling, originally to permit the rescue of hurricane victims in flooded areas of Florida. When the military adopted his idea, he refused to accept any payment for it, since it was contributing to the war effort. They still refer to the vehicle as the Roebling Alligator.
It was a pretty warm day today, and after we stepped out of the air-conditioned museum and looked down the street at the little shops, the homemade ice cream parlour on the corner just happened to catch our eye. As we licked our cool confections on the chrome stools inside, we rationalized that the vigorous pedaling we’d done, against the wind, into town, pretty well canceled out any calories we might be consuming. Plus we had all that pedaling back to the RV park ahead of us. Ample reason for a butter pecan or maple walnut ice cream cone on a warm Florida afternoon in January, wouldn’t you say?

On the coast

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – This morning John and Fawn rolled up on a pair of bicycles and announced they would be ours to use for the duration of our stay! A couple of neighbours were putting them into storage because they had bought new ones, so they asked if they’d be willing to let us use them and they agreed. We are delighted. It will mean we can go exploring whenever we feel like it.
Once we were organized, we set out as a foursome along the Pinellas Trail into the town of Dunedin. The bike trail is wide and paved – some of it built on an old railway trackbed – and it means you can get around without having to worry about road traffic.
The town of Dunedin is actually named after Edinburgh in Scotland (that’s the “edin” part) and there is a strong Scottish tradition here, including Highland games and pipe bands. It was established in 1899, and there are still some charming old homes along the shoreline with wide verandahs and large windows overlooking the water.
After a gruelling 15-minute trek along the path, we decided we needed to refresh ourselves, so we stopped at Kelly’s, a little restaurant in the town, where there is a lovely outdoor terrace with a large canvas roof to provide shade, and lush palm trees surrounding it. We enjoyed a tasty meal of spinach salad, shrimp omelette, fruit and granola and warm raspberry and pecan muffins between the four of us, washed down with beer or iced tea.
Our bike hike continued through the town and westward to the shore where there was another path right along the water. Across the way we could see Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island, where each has a state park and marina. There were lots of marinas on the mainland as well, with expensive yachts bobbing in their slips, and large birds flying overhead. At a couple of spots along the edge of the water, there were tall poles with large saucers mounted on top where ospreys had set up nests of branches and Spanish moss. One osprey flew over our heads with wings spread wide, landing on the nest where we could hear babies screeching plaintively. The parent bird glared at us as we watched, clearly relieved to see us remount our bikes and pedal away.
At another spot along the shore there was a row of posts heading out into the water, and on each one was perched a pelican or other seabird, looking almost like a military troop ready to move off in formation. Fawn spotted a fish jumping out of the water, but all I could see after she pointed it out was the ring of ripples indicating where it had happened. You have to be quick!
I’m sure I will have a few stiff muscles tomorrow after our expedition, not having ridden a bicycle for any length of time in years, but it was a most pleasant way to spend an afternoon!

Bingo and the dog

Sunday and Monday, January 22 and 23, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – The days have been wonderfully pleasant here in sunny Florida. Time seems to slow down and there’s no pressure. There’s lots to do, or nothing to do, our choice!
Yesterday we did some dog sitting for John and Fawn. While they were gone for a few hours, Val and I went to see Algarve the dog and take him for a couple of walks. He’s an energetic, beautiful Portuguese waterdog, with curly black fur and a handsome white collar and paws, and wonderfully expressive brown eyes that gaze right through you. Everyone at the RV park knows and loves Algarve.
When we went to the trailer to get him, John and Fawn’s neighbour trotted over to say hello, and see what we were up to. We reassured him that we were there legitimately and had a key to the trailer, but it was nice to see that people keep an eye out for one another here.
Later, as we walked Algarve along the doggie path, another neighbour stopped his truck as he was driving by and exclaimed “there’s another dog in the park that looks just like yours!”. We had to explain that this WAS the other dog, it was just the people walking him that had changed! We both got a good laugh out of that one.
Our stroll took us to the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, where there were several marinas, plus a number of egrets and other crane-like birds. We passed some large homes with stately palm trees and exotic plants. It was fun to see some of the places near the RV park, and to get some exercise. We walked a short way along the Pinellas Trail, a bike trail that extends from Tarpon Springs, just north of here, to a point some 35 miles southward. It’s very popular with bikers, walkers and rollerblade enthusiasts. It won’t be our last visit to the trail!
Algarve was delighted to be with us and enjoyed being spoiled with extra treats while his folks were away. It was fun for us to borrow him for an afternoon as well.
Today we assembled in the recreation hall at nine o’clock for coffee and a rundown of the coming week’s activities. As we filed in, an enthusiastic band of volunteers played “Lara’s Theme” and “Some Enchanted Evening”. Everyone brought their coffee mug and their appetite for donuts and sat at the tables to hear announcements about cruises, excursions, craft classes, golf days. There were prizes and anniversary announcements. And the staff reminded us of tonight’s Bingo game!
After a heavy day of tea drinking and novel reading, we headed back to the rec hall for a supper of hot dogs, chips and pop, to be followed by an evening of Bingo. John and Val took off once they’d had their hot dogs – they preferred a visit to the hardware store to an exciting session of dabbing Bingo cards – while Fawn and I settled in to try for a big cash prize.
Now I have to confess that this was my first official game of Bingo. I learned a lot! People came with little tote bags with different-coloured Bingo dabbers, little mascots they set up on the table and noisemakers. When the caller said “I 22”, people tooted on whistles. When he said “G 54” they chorused “Car 54 where are you?”. It was a whole new world! I didn’t win any money, but I had fun.

Life in the RV park

Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – For a minute it felt like we were in boot camp this morning. As we lay in bed, quietly appreciating the gathering knowledge that day was about to break, the shrill sound of reveille came through the wall of the motorhome! Reveille – like on a Civil War battlefield or something! Plus an amplified voice bellowing “Pancake breakfast, from eight to nine-thirty! Bring your own plates and cutlery!”
I lifted the blind and caught sight of a man in a golf cart, with a megaphone, repeating the trumpet blast and announcement every 20 feet along the roadways of the RV park. They were going to get patrons for their breakfast or else.
We were getting up anyway, and we could see quite a few people ambling toward the recreation hall. I was able to squeeze in a quick shower, and Val managed to shave before Fawn and John dropped by to say they were heading over and would we like to join them? So we did. The meal was actually very nice, with thick flapjacks, scrambled eggs, sausages and orange juice, plus coffee and applesauce, for a mere three dollars each! And we got to meet some of John and Fawn’s neighbours and chat for a while.
The billboard inside the rec hall had a full calendar of activities laid out for the coming week, including an ice cream social, bingo, shuffleboard, an astronomy talk, a knitting circle, woodworking – all kinds of things to do if lazing in the warmth under your personal palm tree wasn’t appealing enough.
It’s not hard to see why so many people like to come south for the winter and do all these fun things, rather than sitting inside watching the snowdrifts pile up in northern climes. In a park like this, there are plenty of people at the same stage of life, with RVs and travel adventures to talk about, so it’s pretty unlikely that you will feel bored.
Yesterday and today we puttered about, doing some shopping, getting caught up with laundry and other ordinary things. We are trying to find a gas barbecue that will fit through the narrow opening of our motorhome’s storage compartment, so we drove to Clearwater and visited a number of stores today on a fruitless search. However, it gave us a look at the region, which offers tons of shopping possibilities, plus some beautiful coastline along the Gulf of Mexico and some attractive neighbourhoods.
In the meantime, we have other cooking options that will ensure that we don’t starve. So we can keep looking.

The RV mega-super-duper store

Thursday, January 19, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – Usually when we first arrive somewhere, we like to do a bit of exploring to see the lay of the land and get our bearings. It was a bit different today, as John and Fawn had an appointment at Lazydays in Tampa to look at a new fifth wheel trailer that they are hoping to buy, and we were going along for the ride. We have lots of time for exploring in the days to come.
Val’s brother has been coming to Florida for years, and he and Fawn love to get away from the wintry weather. Rather than dragging their small fifth wheel down here from Ottawa each year, they decided they’d like something they could leave here – and having a bit more space for the two of them and Algarve, the pooch, was also an attractive notion.
After exploring some options, they found a pre-owned fifth wheel that looked quite attractive. And, when the seller dropped the price to meet their spending ceiling, it looked even better. We went with them to Lazydays in Tampa to have a look at the rig. The deal isn’t final yet, but we were glad to have a peek at it ahead of time.
To anyone who hasn’t been to Lazydays in Tampa, it’s an eye opener. I think it is the largest RV sales and service centre anywhere – it covers 250 acres of land! There is a huge central building where the sales offices and reception area are located, plus a service area that has bays for more than 200 RVs to be repaired, retro-fitted or detailed for sale. Then there are huge parking areas for new RVs for sale, plus pre-owned ones, as well as for people with RVs to park, or stay, while selling or buying new units.
The grounds are beautifully groomed with palm trees, colourful shrubs and flowerbeds, and golf carts purr along the pathways, shuttling customers (actually, they prefer to call them “guests”) from one sector to another. Inside the main building, there is a large cafeteria where you can help yourself to tea, coffee or soft drinks, or even a tasty lunch if it’s lunchtime, all at no charge! And everyone is as friendly as can be. We spoke to Dennis, one of the employees, and he said he loves working there. There was a very positive feeling about the place.
John and Fawn’s prospective trailer looks gorgeous, with four slides, a workstation, flat-screen TV, fireplace, gracious bedroom and well-appointed kitchen area. It’s in beautiful condition as well. If the deal goes through, they will have a great, roomy place to enjoy for many winters to come.
Back at our little motorhome, we felt the contrast as we danced past each other in the compact space, but we are geared for a different type of RV experience, to which this unit is well-suited. Today, we saw the entire range of choices that people have if they are interested in recreational vehicles. Mega-super-duper just about describes it.

Something to smile about

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

DUNEDIN, FL – We have arrived at our first destination! Our booking at Dunedin RV Resort is for one month, and we are in Site #1 of about 250 sites. It’s good to be here, and no sooner did we pull into our site and start hooking up the water and electricity but Fawn, our sister-in-law, pulled up in the truck and jumped out to give us a big welcoming hug! Plus an invitation to drop by their trailer when we were settled for a visit and out to supper afterward.
The trip today from Daytona Beach was less than three hours long, and pretty well a straight line across the width of the state along Interstate 4. The sky looked a bit threatening this morning, but it soon cleared and we had lovely sunshine and a temperature of around 25 degrees to start our journey. We passed through Orlando, with all its billboards inviting us to visit Disney World and Universal Studios and even Cape Canaveral, and on to a more rural setting once we got through the metropolitan area.
It was mild enough for us to actually eat a picnic lunch at the rest stop we found not long after getting out of Orlando – quite a novelty in mid-January! But as we continued the journey westward, the clouds rolled in, and when we were approaching Tampa, and Dunedin just past it, the skies opened and it poured. We looked on the bright side: the carwash we figured we’d need in the next day or so would no longer be necessary! Mother Nature provided it, no charge.
As we were getting set up at our site, a large white crane flew past with a wing span that must have been four or five feet wide. There is a creek along the side of the RV park, and as we walked toward John and Fawn’s site, we spotted another crane wading in the water. John regaled us with stories of venomous snakes in the campground just to get Val going. They do populate the area so we will definitely be keeping an eye out. And where there’s water in Florida, are there not also alligators? We’ll let you know. So far, the only evidence of their presence was at the gas station we stopped at yesterday, as shown in today’s photo.
It was great to get caught up with family news on both sides after not seeing John and Fawn since October (although the wonders of modern technology filled the gap quite well in the meantime). Algarve, their Portuguese water dog, nearly jumped out of his skin with excitement when we got to their trailer! There is a mutual soft spot of some proportion between him and Val, and he gave me an affectionate lick or two as well.
We are going to have fun getting to know Dunedin and its surroundings in the coming days.

The Sunshine State

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, FA – We’re in Florida! Yay! And what a warm welcome we have received. Not only did the temperature soar to an amazing 26 degrees Celsius, but at the Florida Welcome Center at the state line, there were ladies serving free cups of Florida orange and grapefruit juice – a wonderful tangy treat for two Canadians unaccustomed as yet to summer temperatures.
Tonight, for the first night since leaving Ottawa, we are settled at an RV park in our own motorhome with fresh sheets on the bed and nice, wholesome food in our little refrigerator. We chuckled at ourselves a bit as we tried to remember how things work in this brand new rig. Which port has the water connection? Where’s the light switch for the bedroom?
Our travel day was short enough today, and the weather obviously temperate enough, to ditch our original plan of staying in a hotel tonight and opt for a KOA (Kampground Of America) RV park. Since the RV was still winterized, and we hadn’t brought any food that wouldn’t keep or freeze, it meant we would have to flush out the antifreeze from the system and do a grocery order. But we are fairly confident that we won’t risk freezing temperatures again till we head back north, and we had enough time after our arrival to hit the food store, so we decided to take the plunge. As we sit in the comfort of our little home on wheels, we are glad we made that choice!
The trip here from Savannah was just about a straight line south. The Interstate 95 was pretty busy and we spotted several Quebec and Ontario licence plates on the way. I also saw half a dozen large white cranes wading in some roadside ponds, plus a large eagle atop a dead tree, stretching its wings in the bright sun. The further south we got, the more palm trees we saw in the bush by the highway, as well as trees festooned with Spanish moss. I learned that this plant is neither Spanish, nor moss! It survives on the moisture in the air, and lives a parasitic existence on the branches of other plants.
Our tour guide Diva, yesterday in Savannah, said that the Spanish moss hosted tiny bugs called chiggers, which the early settlers discovered to their chagrin when they used the material to stuff their mattresses!
Shortly after we crossed into Florida and enjoyed our free juice cups, we got to Jacksonville, a major ocean-side city with skyscrapers and great loops of concrete freeways through which we had to navigate to get to the other side and on toward Daytona Beach. We caught a few glimpses of the ocean, but the highway was a bit more inland after the city, even though it looks like it’s right on the water the whole way.
The Daytona Beach KOA was just off the I-95, and it took us no time to hook up the RV and unhook the car. Then we were off for a food order. On the way to the store we passed a movie complex, so after tucking the cold stuff in our cooler bag, we decided to take in a show! We saw “Descendants” with George Clooney – an interesting family story set in Hawaii, with lots of beautiful scenes of the islands and a sound track of lovely Hawaiian songs. It was fun to get a foretaste of another travel destination which is definitely on our list of must-see places!

Driving with Miss Diva

Monday, January 16, 2012

SAVANNAH, GA – When I called the Old Town Trolley company to find out how to take one of their tours today, the person at the other end told me we’d have to wait till at least noon to get on a trolley because of the parade. Parade? Of course, today is the Martin Luther King Jr. civic holiday, and Savannah loves a parade!
Fortunately, we were able to get downtown with no street closure problem, and there were plenty of (free) spaces at the tour headquarters. As we got out of the car, we could hear the crash of cymbals and blaring horns from a marching band just a short walk from where we were.
It was sunny and about 15 degrees, so there was no rain on this parade, but we crossed to the shaded side of the street for a better view. There were plenty of spectators, but also plenty of space to stand and watch. We were a visible minority of two standing among and watching literally hundreds of African Americans! School groups, church groups by the dozen, cadets, girl scouts and commercial enterprises filed by on floats decorated with streamers and tinsel and pictures of “MLK” and slogans such as “Keep the Dream Alive”, “Free at Last” and “Dr. King’s light shines through us”. “Happy King Day!” shouted the people on the floats, many of whom had perfected the royal wave as they passed by.
We started watching at about 10:30 in the morning, and by noon we were hungry and wanted to sit down for a while, so we went off for a lunch of fried catfish and collard greens at the Whistlestop Café. The parade was still under way when we came out, so we watched till 12:45 as still more filed past. Finally, participant #200-something brought up the rear, and we could begin our tour.
The trolley provided a hop-on, hop-off service throughout the historic sector, but we decided to stay on board for the full 15-stop tour. One big reason (about 300 pounds big) was our gregarious driver, Diva (“that stands for Danielle Is Very Attractive!”), who flashed a gold front tooth among her pearly whites, and joked her way through the many interesting sights. We saw gracious Georgian homes decorated with wrought iron railings, as well as a network of town squares honouring early heroes with statues and fountains and planted with lawns and tall trees dripping with Spanish moss.
We saw the waterfront and learned the sad tale of Florence Martus, who between 1887 and 1931 went out and waved a handkerchief by day and a lantern by night at every ship that came into the harbour as she waited for the return of the sailor who had promised to marry her. He never did come back, but her memory is preserved by a statue of “the Waving Girl”, erected in 1972.
It was clear we would have to come back to Savannah to see more and learn more about its fascinating history. There are only so many hours in a day, and we wanted to visit the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum which is actually in our hotel’s back yard. It’s a very large complex dedicated to the men and women of “the greatest air armada the world had ever seen – the Eighth Air Force”, based out of Savannah. We spent an interesting hour looking at WW2 memorabilia, a full-sized B-17 Flying Fortress, and a lovely memorial garden and chapel, plus an exhibit dedicated to the “Fly Girls” of the era. It was quite a full day!

Possums and palm trees

Sunday, January 15, 2012

POOLER, GA – This town is a suburb of Savannah, and we found a nice hotel here just off the highway and right next to a Cracker Barrel restaurant where we had our dinner. This restaurant chain provides home cookin’ in a cozy atmosphere with a roaring fire in a huge stone fireplace and flickering hurricane lamps at each table. We enjoyed juicy chicken with steaming biscuits, buttery carrots and mashed potatoes, and yes, an indulgent dessert of hot apple pie and apple dumpling with melting ice cream! Delicious!
While we’re on the topic of food, I should describe our breakfast experience at the hotel in Greenville. Every place we’ve stayed so far has offered free breakfast, and much more than just a croissant and a coffee. Today, along with bagels, muffins, cereal, yogurt, fruit and hot and cold beverages, there were three hot covered serving dishes. One was oatmeal and the second was cream of wheat, but we couldn’t tell what the third dish was. Finally another guest explained that the thick, greyish sauce with little chunks of sausage in it was to pour over hot biscuits. It’s a new one on us, but clearly a southern delicacy of some popularity!
We had another beautiful, sunny day for traveling, as we headed southeast through South Carolina toward the Atlantic coast. We entered Georgia only in the last hour of our trip today, but it was interesting to see evidence that we were in the southern US as we drove along. There were lots of evergreen trees, but the other vegetation included deciduous trees that had shed all their leaves for winter, plus smaller shrubs that had not. On some, the leaves were brown, but others had kept their green leaves. I also glimpsed a few trees with branches dripping with moss – which I have always associated with the deep south! I really knew we’d left the north behind when I saw palm trees – the short, stubby type with fan-shaped branches – planted in front of hotels or public buildings.
We saw several small possums. Unfortunately, they were dead ones by the side of the road. But they had little pointed snouts that told us they weren’t racoons. Poor little critters. Again, we knew we were in the south.
“How y’all doin’?” was the greeting in the hotel lobby as we checked in. We figure we must sound quite different to the locals, because they sure sound different to us! It’s lovely to hear that southern drawl, and everyone is really friendly. We’re going to spend two nights here so we can have a tour of Savannah. We’ll tell you more tomorrow.

Twinkies!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

GREENVILLE, SC – Today we added North and South Carolina to the list of states we have visited in the US. The number of states yet to go is getting smaller all the time.
Weatherwise, it was a lovely day today. The sun was shining and the temperature was mild, and there were only a few gusts of wind to remind us of what we had struggled through yesterday. Our route took us west and south as we work our way ever closer to Florida. We continued to see mountain terrain for the most part, mostly devoid of snow except for a few places at higher elevations. Sometimes we saw patches of green grass, and here outside our motel there are actually pansies in bloom and green clover with tiny white flowers in the courtyard!
When we pulled off Interstate 81 at midday to refuel and grab a bite to eat, on a whim I picked up a package of Hostess Twinkies for our dessert. We had heard on the news that the company had declared bankruptcy, so I thought it would be good to have a taste of the iconic confection before there were no more to be had. I’ve heard that Twinkies are so full of preservatives they have a shelf life of years, but I figured one each wouldn’t kill us. Now that I have tasted one, I probably never will again. Once was enough!
Traveling on US interstates really gives an idea of the massive size of this country. The system of highways was a legacy of President Eisenhower, with north-south arteries given odd numbers and east-west ones even numbers. A map of the whole US shows multiple spiderwebs of interstate highways from coast to coast, studded with cities of major proportions. When I think of the Trans Canada Highway, one thin line from Newfoundland to BC, it really demonstrates how much smaller and how sparsely populated, relatively speaking, Canada is.
Even at a service station here, you can choose between more than half a dozen kinds of milk – chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, plain, two per cent, whole, skim – where a similar establishment in Canada might have two choices. We just don’t have the population to support that kind of variety.
We are staying tonight in Greenville, South Carolina, a region where peaches, pecans and peanuts grow. Michelin Tires is headquartered here and BMW has a central office nearby as well. But checking out the sights was a bit lower on our list of priorities than ensuring we had clean socks and underwear for the coming days, and our motel has a guest laundry, so we got that chore out of the way! Only problem was, the dryer didn’t quite do the job, even after an hour, so our room is festooned with slightly damp T-shirts and socks that need just a little more time to dry completely.
Our dining options for tonight were Burger King, Waffle House or a Mexican restaurant, so it was Whopper night for Val, and a fresh salad with grilled chicken for me. We are looking forward to preparing our own fare in our own home-on-wheels before long. Only a few more days till we get to Florida!

Triskaidekaphobia?

Friday, January 13, 2012

ROANOKE, VA – The stars and stripes on the flagpole outside the hotel this morning cracked in a stiff wind as we trolleyed out our luggage and prepared to depart. It was bitterly cold, but we were actually relieved when we first looked out to see that the freezing rain and snow people were predicting for today had not transpired. The weather experts did warn us about high winds today, however, and it wasn’t exactly comfortable as we hitched the car back up to the motorhome.
We are getting gradually better at hooking up the flexible arms, electrical cord, backup coils and breakaway cord between the car and the RV. The other part of the process involves placing the box-shaped brake buddy on the floor in front of the driver’s seat and clamping the pedal-pushing arm to the car’s brake pedal. Once it is switched on, it performs three brake-pressing actions to determine that the installation is correct, and flashes an OK sign on the display panel. Then, after checking that the RV turn and brake signals are coming through to the car’s rear lights, we’re good to go.
Of course, this time, we had to thaw out our frozen hands and faces after performing these tasks. But we didn’t have to worry about black ice or drifts of snow as we headed out, and that worked for us. What we – or I should say Val, because he drove – did have to contend with throughout our drive today was that severe wind! It pushed against our tall RV and our not-so-sleek Honda FIT from the right side the whole way, and every time a tractor-trailer whizzed past on our left, a counter-balancing swoosh of wind came at us from the other side. So Val was correcting the steering all the way from Pennsylvania, through Maryland, through West Virginia and into Virginia and our destination today, Roanoke.
The dips in the highway increased somewhat when we got to the Blue Ridge Mountains, providing short spells of relief from the wind. The rises made up for it by exposing us to other gusts, which were never predictable. But the scenery of rolling hills, small farms and grazing cattle was very pleasant, and once or twice we saw some sunshine as well.
You can almost see us shivering in today’s photo, taken by a kind traveler when we stopped to fuel up.
Still, all told, Friday the thirteenth was an OK day for us! We chuckled though when Kendra, at the hotel reception desk this evening, handed us the key to our room – number 113! We are still looking forward to getting to the warm places. Tomorrow, perhaps? Warm-ER would even work…

The pink lady

Thursday, January 12, 2012

GETTYSBURG, PA – We had a schedule to meet this morning, as we had to catch the bus at the Visitor Center to visit the farm of President Eisenhower. Once again, Val and I got a personal tour, as we were the only passengers on a bus that could hold about 40 people!
Dwight D. Eisenhower went to West Point military academy in 1911 to take advantage of the free education it offered. Instead of the overseas service he had hoped for when World War I broke out, he spent those years at Gettysburg training soldiers for the army’s tank corps. He liked the area so well that he bought a farm there in 1950 for his wife Mamie and their family – the only property they ever owned.
Since we were the only two visitors to the farm this morning, our guide let Val and me step beyond the velvet ropes into the Eisenhowers’ gracious living room and see, up close, the signed portrait of Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the Persian carpet given to them by the Shah of Iran and the Ming Dynasty vases on the mantelpiece of the marble fireplace that had once belonged to Abraham Lincoln.
In spite of many expensive gifts on display from world figures the Eisenhowers met during Ike’s presidential years, the house was not palatial or ornate. We got a real sense of their down-to-earth tastes in the sun room where Mamie watched “As the World Turns” on TV in the afternoons, or in the small bedroom where Ike doffed his slippers and took his daily afternoon nap on doctor’s orders after a heart attack in 1955.
The pink toilet, sink and bathtub, plus towels, bathmat and accessories, showed us what Mamie’s favourite colour was! Even in their pale green master bedroom, the bedspread was pink, and the linen closet had more quilts and towels of the same hue on its shelves. The portrait in the living room of Mamie showed her wearing the dress she had worn to the president’s inauguration – pink chiffon with long, pink gloves up past her elbows.
In Mamie’s front hall display case was a whimsical collection of tiny carved wooden angels, Hummel figurines, gaudy miniature tea cups and even six plastic figures of presidents and their wives (including herself and Ike) that she had collected from cereal boxes!
It was really interesting to follow Dwight D. Eisenhower’s remarkable achievements, as Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in the Second World War, president of Columbia University, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Supreme Commander of the newly-formed North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the first Republican US president in 20 years. We saw photos of General Montgomery when he visited the farm, as well as Nehru and Churchill. We also watched a video of the aging retired president strolling through the farm with Walter Kronkite that CBS used to eulogize him after he died in 1969.
It was a privilege to see the personal surroundings of such a great man, and walk through his home as if we were just dropping in to say hello.
We spent our afternoon following the auto tour of the Gettysburg battlegrounds, following the signs to the different locations and reading the plaques on some of the hundreds of monuments scattered throughout the entire region. They even call some of the trees in the area “Witness Trees”, as they stand where they were growing when the historic battle took place.

Ghostly fields

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

GETTYSBURG, PA – Tall brick buildings have red, white and blue bunting hanging from the windows in the historic part of this town, which we drove through on the way to the Visitors’ Center this morning. Most bear a small brass plaque, indicating that structure was there when the battle of Gettysburg took place in 1863. Some of them are even scarred with pock marks, to this day, from shots that were fired in battle.
The large museum complex was built in 2008, and thousands visit every year. We went inside to arrange for a guide and buy tickets for the museum presentations. Lucky for us, at this time of year, there was no lineup! Our guide’s name was Jim, who chauffeured us in our car to the various sites of the battle that took place from July 1 to 3, 1863. It meant we could both concentrate on the statues, monuments and terrain where some 51,000 men were killed, wounded, captured or went missing in a few short days.
Val knew a lot more than I did about what happened, having read several books about Abraham Lincoln and the divisive aftermath of his election as President of the United States. But we both gained an appreciation for the military challenges faced by the Confederate southerners and the Union northerners when we looked at rolling fields, forested areas, boulders and split log fences, not to mention the chaos that resulted when rifles and cannons on both sides spewed great clouds of blinding smoke everywhere. Jim told us about key characters, such as Robert E. Lee and George Meade, and shared details, like the names of their horses or how the cannons worked. He said that the field hospitals housed doctors and patients from both camps, side by side. Even though the war continued for two more years, this battle was the turning point that gave the Union side the upper hand.
We got out of the car to look at the site where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous address to the crowds who had gathered, four months after the battle, to dedicate the Gettysburg burial grounds. Jim showed us a large bush which he believes marks the spot where Lincoln stood (and not where the plaques are on display!), based on sketches by eye witnesses.
After our outdoor tour, we got back to the Visitor Center and warmed ourselves with hot chili and soup in the cafeteria before going in to the theatre for a film. We then took an escalator up to see the Cyclorama, a huge 360-degree painting of the battle with a sound-and-light show to explain what we were looking at. The painting had been commissioned in the years just after the Civil War. It has been more recently restored, but we couldn’t detect a seam anywhere. At the base of the painting, leading up to the circular platform where we stood at the centre, were real cannons, muddy roads, bushes and battlefield debris that blended in to the painted scenes perfectly. Apparently, Cycloramas were very popular in their day. There was even one in Quebec depicting Jerusalem, we learned!
As we browsed through the museum, we could hear rain pattering on the roof, and we were glad it held off while we were outside. We also had a look at the bookstore where there were hundreds of books on every aspect of the battle and the Civil War, from personalities to military strategies, right down to recipe books for peaches such as the ones which grew in an orchard on the battleground.

Three good things

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

GETTYSBURG, PA --- At the close of our second day of travel, several things have fallen into place and added to our comfort level! The first is a sparkling clean car. The Honda FIT we’ve been towing along was so covered with dried spray that when we unhitched it tonight and tried to drive toward the setting sun, we had to open the side windows to see around the corner. The muddy windows were virtually opaque. Fortunately there was a car wash just a block or two from our hotel, so that was the first order of business.
Our second success is the cheap cellphone we bought last year in the US. We had been unable to activate it before returning to Canada, so we weren’t sure it would work for us on this trip. (We found out that having such a device would save us a ton of money in roaming charges on our Canadian cellphones. We just buy phone time on a card at any WalMart – no contract or bills in the mail.) With a new phone card, we made the call to activate the phone and add the time we purchased, and it actually worked. Very satisfying!
The third success is figuring out why I couldn’t log on to the blog spot to post our travel journal. Turns out I was starting from the wrong e-mail address (mine, instead of Val’s), so the site didn’t recognize me. That’s been resolved, so we are back in communication once again. Yay!
We had an excellent travel day again today. The temperature was mild and the roads were clear and bare, so no complaints. We passed into Pennsylvania shortly after leaving Binghamton this morning and have been enjoying the rolling hills and peaceful scenery of farms and little towns.
We’ve been sharing Highway 81 with the dozens of semi tractor trailers, busily moving goods in both directions. When we were switching to Highway 83 toward Gettysburg, we passed a harrowing scene where one of those behemoths had missed a downhill curve, slammed into the concrete berm separating the two sides of the highway and split apart, spilling its cargo and twisting its frame. There were at least a half dozen emergency vehicles working on the cleanup. The most chilling part was the quick glimpse I had of the driver’s cabin, with the roof so caved in that it made me wonder if the driver could have survived. I was glad we hadn’t passed when the incident was actually happening; it must have been terrifying.
We are at a very nice hotel on the outskirts of Gettysburg – I guess you could call it our Gettysburg address (had to say it!!). And we’ve had a tasty dinner at a nearby restaurant with excellent service. Small things, but there are so many such things to appreciate every day.

January 2012: Florida awaits!

Monday, Jan. 9, 2012

BINGHAMTON, NY --- It took a couple of extra loops off Interstate 81 to reach our destination Best Western hotel, thanks to our new GPS unit. But here we are after our first day on the road, headed for a Florida adventure that will take us to as many corners of that state as we can squeeze in.

The weather cooperated by not sloshing us with rain, freezing us with wind chill, or burying us in snow as we trucked out the last items from the house to the motorhome and hitched our Honda FIT to the RV so it could tag along for the journey. It was a bit of a challenge to get the brake buddy settled in place inside the Honda. It’s a gizmo the size of a bread box that sits on the car floor and automatically presses the car brakes whenever the driver of the RV hits the brake pedal. We only installed it once before, some five months ago when we bought it, so it took a bit of time.

It was great to be on the road again, passing snow-striped farmers’ fields, black silhouettes of leafless trees, and roadside rocks with cascades of ice, all reminding us of the wintry landscape that we won’t be seeing for the next nine weeks or so! We stopped for one last Tim Horton coffee just before turning off to cross the Thousand Islands bridge to the US at lunch time.

The route was quite familiar, as we came this same way last February when we traveled to Arizona. Our hotel is within sight of the one we stayed in last year, in a suburb of Binghamton called Johnson City. Our new GPS unit guided us through the intersection where it was located, instead of telling us to turn right, so we went some distance before both of us started wondering what was going on. Our confidence was further undermined when we were told to turn left at Grey’s Crossing, but when we got to the corner, it was a really tight underpass under the Interstate that looked like a culvert! No way we were going to venture through that! So we pulled over and started over again with the GPS. This time we were directed in a wide loop back the way we had come, and when we were on the right road again, the screen flashed the black checkered flag indicating our arrival when there was no hotel in sight. We finally reverted to old-fashioned navigating by house numbers on the street until the Best Western came into view! Not a great way to initiate a brand new GPS unit.

Anyway, we’re safely here, had a nice supper at the restaurant next door, and are pleased to have Day One squared away.