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!