Category Archives: General Commentary

On the Road Again – Glamping our Way West


We are back on the road. After the always exciting extraction of our home from the top of the mountain 9300 feet up, we started with a quick few nights at the beautiful Glenwood Canyon RV Resort . This was a great but pricey park just off of I-70 in a scenic mountain location just outside of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Continue reading

No UFO’s found in Roswell’s Bottomless Lakes State Park

Written by:  Robin

We headed up to Roswell for a week on our way to Albuquerque.  I was full of anticipation to check out what I remembered from my childhood as a unique funky town.  I had announced my intention to visit the Roswell UFO Museum and hear what “really happened” with the mysterious crash of 1947 as well as hear the conspiracy theories about the alien autopsies that were allegedly carried out at the Roswell base.  FUN!!!!   As we drove through the town to make our way to Bottomless Lakes State Park, I quickly felt my anticipation fade to disappointment as I realized that what seemed cool to me as a kid…just felt cheesy now. Alienneonsign_edited-1 UFO museum2As we drove out of town we realized that the park was a bit further from Roswell than we realized so I decided that I would just let it go…and would not likely be venturing into town to explore much anyway.  I was driving this time, and my disappointment soon turned to anxiety as our GPS became confused and the directions I got when I called were making less sense the further we drove.  Wondering if there were mysterious forces messing with me because of my disbelief, we made our way down the very sketchy, narrow road that seemed to be heading to nowhere.

drive (1024x768)

 

Happily, after 7 miles of white knuckle driving, we saw a beautiful bright blue lake and some RV’s, so we knew we had made it.  It was starting to feel better already.  e were greeted by the campground host, Deb who upgraded us to a nice big pull through spot because they were first come, first served…and we were early!  As I began to look around at the beautiful area, I decided that maybe I should adopt Jeremy’s philosophy of the natural attractions being the ones we seek out, rather than the man made.

Lea Lake overview (1024x768)

This state park quickly became one of our favorites.  Here are some reasons why…

Geology….This was the first state park in New Mexico, established in 1933.  Apparently these “bottomless lakes” are actually an ancient limestone reef that formed caverns (not all that different from Carlsbad where we had just visited).  The nearby Pecos River eroded away the rock which collapsed the caverns and formed the 9 small but deep lakes, which are actually cenotes. They are fed by underground water percolating through the rocks. IMG_4760 (1024x683)

20140325_155133 (1024x768)

This makes most of them salt water rather than fresh, because of the limestone.  This was GREAT news for hank, who loves to swim but breaks out in hives from most fresh-water environment.  Swimming was a regular activity for him that week.

Hank swam (1024x768) Hank-n--ball (1024x576)

Rufus wasn’t as excited about the swimming, but Puperoni’s and some coaxing got him in the water a little bit!rufus almost swam (1024x768)

 

History….They are not actually bottomless, but range in depth from 18-90 feet.  They got their name because the cowboys who named them were trying to figure out their depth and tied two or three ropes together and drop them into the lakes to try to reach the bottom. The ropes were not long enough, so they thought the lakes were bottomless! The greenish-blue color created by algae and other aquatic plants also added to the illusion of great depth.  There was lots of great hiking around the lakes.  Deb even told us about a “buffalo killing field” that we could hike to.  We decided to stick to the lakes!one of the lakes (1024x683)

 

20140324_112539 (934x934)

Mystery….other tall tales and folklore abound.  There are two lakes called the Figure 8 lakes, that are side-by-side.   One tells of a horse that fell into one of these lakes, drowned, and was pulled out of the other. Also, numerous objects  have been reportedly lost in the lakes, only to be retrieved later from Carlsbad Caverns or even the Gulf of Mexico! There are stories of strong underground currents that suck divers and swimmers deep into the bowels of the Earth, never to be seen again! Just when you thought that was enough intrigue…the Bottomless Lakes also have stories of monsters that are said to be giant turtles that lurk in the depth!  So…there…who needs UFO’s and aliens anyway!

Peace…As it was early in the season the park was only half-full.  This made for many lazy afternoons in the sun, which we were really getting for the first time in about 4 months.  It was such a cold and rainy winter on the gulf-coast that we went a little crazy now that we had sun and warmth.  No distractions of a city or town…just the few of us campers nestled in the warm, sunny desert.  Ahhhhhhh…….

20140324_163724 (1024x768)

Beauty….not only was this a great state park with HUGE spaces…it was very well kept.  There was an entire extra space in between each spot, so there was plenty of room to breathe!  Deb also told me about Pecos Diamonds, and gave me a map of where I could go to “hunt” them and a sample of her own so I would know what to look for.   Instead of visiting the UFO museum, one afternoon I set out solo to some remote land and went hunting.  She was right, once I learned what to look for…I couldn’t stop seeing them. (except when I got distracted by other pretty things…)20140325_140836 (1024x768)

20140325_151248 (1024x768)

 

20140325_151145 (1024x768)

20140403_181206 (1024x768)

Character….Deb, what else can I say…excellent and kind campground host!  There were also others who are worthy of mention… a family who frequents the park, and sets up a MONSTER tent for 2 weeks at a time.  They don’t have an RV, but they did pull up in a big U-Haul, which carried their tent and the houseful of furniture and supplies they needed for two weeks…I felt like I was on the set of M*A*S*H!

20140323_184101 (1024x768)

We met several friendly folk during our stay.  There was one, though, who we never met…who stayed in his BMW with the windows tarped, spoke to no one and occasionally emerged to take an hour trip to town or to walk to the restroom.

20140326_192224 (1024x768)

Seemed creepy at first, but Deb assured us that they had their “eye’ on him…  We couldn’t figure out exactly what his story was…strangest camping neighbor yet…who knows, maybe I got to see my alien after all!

We enjoyed our week much more than we expected.  What a wonderful addition to our visit to the “Land of Enchantment”!!  It was actually hard to leave…but it was time to get back to a city so we could work, so off to Albuquerque we went.

J and boys (1024x683)

View Larger Map

The Hangover – San Antonio, Texas

Written by: Jeremy

Our next main stop-over after Sam Houston Jones State Park was San Antonio, Texas and back to a crowded KOA. The place was full due to an upcoming Miley Cyrus concert and a WWE wrestling event at the AT&T center across the street. Both events made for great people watching around camp. I never really understood Miley’s popularity, but after watching a week of local news coverage  of crusty Texas state legislators trying, frantically to pass a ridiculous new indecency laws aimed at preventing kids from seeing the show, her popularity is much clearer to me now.

This is the first park to date where I refused the first site offered to us. It was on the side of a hill with several deep trenches that I just did not feel like battling for the relatively expensive park fee.We were given a different site that was acceptable but tight. This was a typical crowded KOA full of kids. On the up side, there was a wonderful bike path along a river for dog walking and we were right next door to a reasonable municipal golf course where we played a couple of fun (and dry!) 9-hole rounds.

IMAG1416 (1024x571)

IMG_4560 (1024x683)

The other main draw was the proximity to the bus stop right across the street from the campground.  Most of the negative reviews for this park were due to the “bad neighborhood”. We found that claim to be ridiculous. Obviously just people that are not comfortable with a city. The only shady people we encountered were registered campers. We happily took advantage of the public transportation for a very fun day on the San Antonio River walk on the Weekend before St. Patrick’s day. They dyed the river green and we did a little St. Patty’s day drinking, Tex-Mex style.

IMAG1426 (1024x540)

20140315_153143 (1024x768)

All in all it was a great day. I had been to the San Antonio River walk before, and it is definitely a recommended destination if you haven’t been. The highlight for Robin was when one of the water-taxi drivers spotted me along the walk and announced to his full boat on PA speaker “Hey, look at that guy with the beard. He looks like the guy from the Hangover!”  I realize I put on a couple pounds eating Po Boy’s in Mississippi, but Zach Galifianakis? Ok, maybe a little.

imagesCAXDT4RZ

IMAG1418 (1024x575)

20140315_171900 (1024x726)

We also got a chance to meet some new friends in the San Antonio area. Gary and Michelle from Changing States 2013 recommended a great restaurant/bar called The Cove and we spent a fun evening conversing with a couple of new friends that are about to do what we did a little over six months ago. The Cove had an impressive selection of Texas craft beer, good locally sourced, veg friendly fare, and even a dog friendly porch where Gary and Michelle’s three big dogs got all kinds of attention. Good luck guys. Hope to see you down the road!

IMAG1406 (1024x575)

20140313_164643 (1024x742)

View Larger Map

Sam Houston Jones State Park, Louisiana

Written by: Jeremy

After all of the excitement of Mardi Gras and after a month long stint in Bay St. Louis we were both getting the travel bug again. Yes, we needed to slow down but after over a month stationery our wanderlust was kicking in as was our desire to get to some dry climates.

We knew we were headed to and through Texas but we weren’t really sure where. We thought about Austin, but the South By Southwest festivities were probably a little more than we were up for and we had not made any reservations in advance. We found zero availability when we finally looked but that was OK as neither one of us really had enough time off work to really enjoy such a festival. Maybe another year. We decided to head towards San Antonio. The drive all the way from Bay St. Louis was a little far and we also wanted a chance to notch Louisiana into our RV travel belt.

Sam Houston Jones State Park in Western Louisiana fit our needs perfectly and we reveled in a nice spacious State Park for a few days on our way to Texas.

20140306_153722 (1024x752)

20140307_165242 (1024x766)

The park was nice with plenty of hiking for the boys. The nearby town of Lake Charles was a dump and the campground itself was a little full of yeah-hoe’s on the weekend. Apparently putting up a spot light and then dumping a giant bag of deer feed around your RV makes for a real fun weekend of camping for people in this neck of the woods. I can only imagine what would happen if someone dumped a bag of feed down for deer and raccoons in a Colorado park. They would probably be arrested on the spot. Similar to what would happen at Sam Houston Jones State Park if you were to light up a joint. Different people and priorities for sure.

IMG_4516 (1024x683)

The river hike and marshland were a real treat and although the park was full, it didn’t seem like the people do much hiking here so we had the trails to ourselves.All in all, we enjoyed our stay and would recommend this park for anyone passing through western Louisiana.

IMG_4531 (1024x683)

IMG_4542 (1024x681)

IMG_4538 (1024x683)


View Larger Map

Mardi Gras 2014 – New Orleans, Louisiana

Written by: Jeremy

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since we visited New Orleans and Robin had promised to author this blog, but I don’t see it happening.  So in the interest of keeping things somewhat moving, I decided to knock this out.

We mentioned in our last blog that we decided to venture out to NOLA for Mardi Gras from our spot in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. We boarded the dogs, cashed in a few hotel points and got a room at a hotel in the French Quarter on the Sunday before Mardi Gras.

We showed up early so as to beat the traffic, dumped the F250 with the hotel Valet and headed out on foot for some eggs and Bloody Mary’s and to do a little sightseeing in town before the festivities got underway. This was a different place day versus night, that is for sure.

20140302_094556 (1024x751)

IMG_4189 (1024x648)

IMG_4209 (1024x665)

IMG_4211 (1024x668)

Well, yada, yada, our day did not end until about 1 am on Monday as we strolled down Bourbon street in a surreal experience weaving between the drunks and druggies in an eye opening display that was about what you would expect. It was crazy but we never did feel unsafe. Sorry, both of our phones were dead by the end of the night so not many good late night photos to share.

IMAG1382 (1024x575)

Although NOLA and the Mardi Gras parades were fun, this was a people watcher’s paradise. A once in a lifetime experience that we may or may not feel the need to repeat…ever. We partied, ate, drank, watched some parades, caught some beads, and even met some friends that were also in town for the festivities.

20140302_133109 (1024x768)

All in all, we experienced exactly what we wanted for Mardi Gras 2014 and we almost escaped without injury. Robin caught an unusually heavy set of beads whipped at her and the tail end flung around and hit her square in the forehead. The swelling lasted most of the night but did not dampen her enthusiasm. All the drinks probably helped as did some repositioning of her bangs.

IMAG1381 (1024x666)

I am not sure that I have anything really profound to say about our experience at Mardi Gras in New Orleans so I will just post some pictures of some floats and weirdo’s.

IMG_4344 (1024x682)

IMG_4330 (1024x649)

IMG_4381 (1024x877)

IMG_4252 (1024x679)

IMG_4250 (1024x629)

IMAG1365 (1024x558)

IMAG1340 (1024x447)

20140302_202029 (1024x690)

Upon returning to our month long home in Bay St. Louis we were tired and kind of regretted agreeing to march in the Monday night Bay Saint Louis parade with our fellow snow birders in an evening when temperatures dropped into the 30’s. All in all, we completed our Mardi Gras Journey, if not in style, at least with a shred of dignity still intact.

20140303_172340 (1024x685)

20140303_173526 (768x1024)

20140303_172157 (1024x855)


View Larger Map

Drowning in a sea of gratitude (and rain) – Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Written By: Jeremy

As I spend yet another day inside on the computer instead of outside playing golf, it is hard not to get down at the unprecedented winter of poor weather on the southern gulf coast of the United States of America. It is hard not to grumble about how we should have wintered in the Southwest, or say we are never coming back here.

The truth is that we are disappointed in the weather, but I assume that is not something unique to us in the winter of 2014. In reality, we are having the time or our lives. We are seeing parts of the country we have never seen. Unlike most, we get to experience these places more as locals than as visitors. Realistically we are something between visitor and local and we are not the typical snow-birder either.

As I mentioned previously, we were looking to find a place to settle down for a month or so and away from the train noise. Well, we found our spot in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi at the charming Bay Hide Away RV resort.

20140221_152738 (1024x768)

Yes, the rain has been extreme and as I write we are talking about whether or not to venture out to the first local Mardi Gras parade we had been looking forward to. Although understandably soggy, overall, the park has been quiet, down to earth, and exactly what we needed for a month. Robin has had a pretty busy couple of weeks of working and we even had a chance to do some interior painting of our trailer. Maybe we will share more pictures once we are done, but right now we still have some work to do. All in good time.

As I mentioned before this is our 20th place in 11 states in just under 5 months.  As I write it has just occurred to me that we have now spent the greatest majority of our time on the road in the State of Mississippi. As I think about that now, this seems somewhat of an odd choice for us. Besides being about the only state with a name over five letters that I know how to spell, I had never previously visited the state and mostly what I knew about the state is some less than flattering health and education statistics. Although I don’t have any hard statistics to support it, after spending a month here, I venture to guess that it may also lead the nation in the number of people that commute primarily shirtless and in the back bed of a pickup truck. To say that Mississippi was not at the top of our list of must visit states would be an understatement.

I would love to tell you that after spending a month and a half in this state that I was completely wrong about Mississippi and that all of those horrifying stereotypes and statistics must be wrong. To be honest, you don’t have to spend much time here at all to see how and why those statistics are what they are, but at the same time there is another Mississippi stereotype that we did not expect based on our experience in other southern areas. The people here absolutely do embody the stereotype that you think of when you hear about “southern hospitality”.

Much like the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, Robin and I don’t exactly blend in seamlessly with the society here in Mississippi. Maybe it is our northern accents, our lack of appreciation of Nascar, Robin’s somewhat amusing lack of ability to decipher southern dialect, or our crazy belief that chicken is still “meat”. Regardless, wherever we go, we get funny looks and sometimes funny service when we venture out amongst the locals and quiz waiters about the content of the food.

Yes, the food and language can be a challenge, and if I get served one more food item in a giant Styrofoam container, I may scream, but that aside, the people of Mississippi are absolutely the most friendly, welcoming, and even entertaining people that we have come across in our travels to date.   Wherever we go, smiling faces, and a friendly and sincere “Y’all come back now” is boomed as we make our way to the exit.

The local workers, waiters and town folks that we have encountered are friendly, talkative and curious but, regardless of how many eyebrows we raise, I don’t think I have seen a single roll-of-the-eyes like I kept seeing over and over again in some other southern towns as we make futile requests for menu substitutions or directions to recommended and non existent places to walk dogs.  Yes, we have found that people here are just generally friendly and happy! It could be the fact that this is the Mardi Gras season but more realistically, I think this is just a friendly place with a genuine good sense of humor.

There is no such thing as a quick trip in and out of a store as someone is bound to want to converse. Sure, a lot of times the conversation is unusually loud and uni-directional, but that is part of the charm. We like the energy and vibe.

Michelle and Joe at the Bay Hide Away, could not be nicer and we have really been made to feel at home and included with the snow-birder crowd at the RV park. Unlike other snow-birder havens, we have been invited to all of the community clubhouse activities like Bingo and the chili cook-off.

20140215_175223 (1024x768)

Not only were we invited people seem genuinely disappointed if we don’t show up. Sure our two-bean sweet potato chili didn’t stand a chance against the winning no-bean, two-meat chili but nonetheless, we had a good time sharing a meal and some laughs with our fellow travelers.

The little town of Bay Saint Louis is a quiet and charming, artsy town and we enjoyed some good meals and a “second Saturday” event where we visited a bunch of art galleries and antique shops and listened to some music being played in the streets.

20140221_123259 (757x1024)

The nearby dog friendly beach has become a favorite afternoon destination about ten minutes from the park.

IMAG1319 (1024x575)

IMG_4103 (1024x666)

IMG_4148 (1024x683)

We have even gotten to visit a couple of decent, well-priced, albeit soggy golf courses in between rain storms. I played a round where at least 6 of 18 holes were played in a complete fog with visibility less than 100 yards. Interesting golf experience, I will leave it at that.

IMAG1298 (1024x541)

We were able to entice a couple of our new nomad friends to join us at the Bay Hide Away as they make their way west. We love the fact that we are developing an actual community, even though it is a rolling group.  Very strange, fun, and not something we necessarily expected. Even though we all live in RV’s and travel full time, they feel very much like the friends and neighbors we have had in any other place we have lived. We plan to meet up with them again in NOLA for Mardi Gras and probably other places as we all continue on in divergent yet somewhat consistent directions across the US.

20140221_222813 (1024x747)

We also had a chance to visit a great local microbrewery called Lazy Magnolia located in Kiln, the hometown of Brett Favre. Our brewery tour guide Ginger, was stand up comic funny and just as quick to make fun of us northerners as she was to make light of her own home state. They make great beer and they are most known for their “Southern Pecan” Nut Brown Ale. If you are a hop-head like us, you might like our favorite flavor, “Southern Hopspitality” IPA. Even if you are not a beer drinker this was a funky and interesting operation to visit for sure. We have been to quite a few brewery tours over the years and this one one of the more entertaining experiences but probably not the most informative. I have a feeling that Lazy Magnolia brew is going to become more well known in the upcoming months and years as their distribution spreads around the country and picky microbrew connoisseurs catch on.

IMAG1305 (1024x684)

IMAG1306 (1024x546)

20140222_171506 (877x1024)

As we are getting closer to Mardi Gras we have scrapped our original plan to move to the NOLA area and we are going to instead venture out from here for our visit to Bourbon Street. I think a second “Mardi Gras” themed blog will be in order and believe it or not, it looks like Robin and I will also be joining our fellow snow-birders at the Bay Hide Away as we get the opportunity to March in an actual Mardi Gras parade here in Bay St. Louis. Normally this would be the kind of activity that I would avoid like the plague, but here in Mississippi, this seems to be the kind of experiential opportunity that should not be wasted. Even if just for a day, I am going to do my best to be like a true Mississippian and not take myself too seriously. Who knows, by the end of the night, I might be the one catching a ride shirtless in the back of a pickup truck.

As yet another month on the road rolls by, we are still pretty much under water and completely over the rain but we are also drowning in gratitude for everything we are getting to experience in this new lifestyle. Although it can be difficult to remember in the rain, or  when other challenges arise overall, we have to pinch ourselves every day and with every new adventure.  

IMAG1308 (1024x568)


View Larger Map

The Train Keeps on Rolling – Biloxi, Mississippi

Written by: Jeremy

After leaving our week at Dauphin Island, Alabama, Robin and I had a long talk and decided we are both a little travel weary. Although we have loved our time on the road, we have been maintaining a challenging schedule for our first ever RV trip. We have been on the road for a little over four months, or half of our planned trip. Including our current location of Biloxi, Mississippi, we have stayed in twenty different locations in eleven different states. Our longest stay to date has been a couple of two week long stents. Our typical stay has been one week.

IMAG1279 (1024x573)

Yes, we have kept it rolling and considering that this is exactly what we had planned and budgeted for, I am proud of our perseverance and generally positive attitude as we transition to a fun but challenging new lifestyle. When reading the blogs of other full-timers as we prepared for the trip, I was always the most interested and inspired by those that move a lot. Seeing different places, climates, and cultures was what it is all about for me. Although not every town culture and climate is exactly perfect, it is all part of the journey and exactly what we set out to experience.

IMAG1247 (1024x575)

I guess that is why we did not at all mind being a part of the 2014 winter ice apocalypse “Leon”. An inch of snow and ice descended on the beach and roads in a part of the country that does not typically get it and is not prepared for it. I have always thought that people in the South just don’t know how to drive in bad weather. I can tell you that this is only half of the problem. The other is that the snow is not really snow here. It is white ice. They also don’t have equipment to deliver salt to all of the road but that really isn’t the problem either. They don’t even have salt to spread, just sand.

IMAG1262 (1024x575)

We are experienced snow drivers and we have lived in the Midwest, Aspen and our current home sits at an elevation of 9,500 feet above sea level. An inch of snow in these places doesn’t exactly halt traffic or close stores. With that said I can assure you that I would not have even dreamed of driving my 4×4 truck on a street here in Biloxi during or immediately after this storm. It was a complete mess and we just hunkered down in the trailer with the animals for a couple of days.

20140129_083955 (1024x762)

The weather for the rest of our week in Biloxi was just fine. Great in fact. Because of that, I am actually happy that we got the opportunity to experience a 25 year historic storm. I realize that may not make complete sense to readers sitting in the Midwest this winter, but ice skating on a sandy beach on the Gulf of Mexico is not something many people can say they have done.

IMAG1263 (1024x547)

IMAG1264 (1024x541)

To be honest Biloxi was not even a planned stop. While trip planning in Alabama, we got a message from my brother asking if we were going to be anywhere near Biloxi this week. He had a business trip here and was staying at one of the many casinos hotels in the area. Turns out we were planning to drive through Biloxi on the exact weekend he was scheduled to arrive. So we simply decided to stay in Biloxi for the week instead of driving through. What a great coincidence and exactly the type of freedom and flexibility that makes my strong push to not over plan seem worthwhile.  We got a chance to hang out with my older brother as well as a chance to have a much needed fun night and dinner out at the Beau Rivage Casino. The storm even ended up causing him to get stuck in town for a couple of extra nights. We did a little gambling and sightseeing and he got a chance to experience a bit of trailer life.

20140126_171141 (1024x604)

IMAG1255 (1024x575)

We picked the Cajun RV Park primarily because it had the best reviews in Biloxi and because it was close to the hotel/casino where my brother was staying. Although our pre-arrival expectations of Biloxi were not all that high, upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised with the nice spacious site and the close beach access as well as access to golf courses and some shopping that we have not had for quite a while. In fact, we talked long and hard about just settling down here in Biloxi for an entire month. It seemed like as good a place as any and the monthly rate at the RV park was desirable. We were tired and we were also trying to slow down a little. If we could just get a quiet month to catch up on some work and sleep and not have to move four times we thought we might get recharged enough to be ready to meet some friends in the Big Easy for this big annual party we have heard a thing or two about.

Well, our excitement and plan to stay at this place for a month fizzled quickly. Within the first few hours lounging around our campground the first train went by. Robin and I both stood looking at each other in silence and disbelief as our entire trailer rattled while the train rumbled by, blowing its horn at full decibel within a stones throw of our great new site. An hour or so later brought another train. We had read some reviews that mentioned the train but most only noted it as a small annoyance and not a real problem. Well, it turns out, an obnoxious train that comes about every couple of hours including all night long is a huge problem for us. The train map indicates that it would have been tough to avoid regardless of which Biloxi RV park we picked. Unfortunately, it appears the train noise is just as much a part of the Biloxi, Mississippi experience as a shrimp po boy with sweet tea.

20140126_172652 (1024x673)

As I write this on a Saturday morning, our last in Biloxi, Robin and I are more exhausted than we were when we first arrived a week ago and had the conversation about how tired we were. Oh well, this is part of the experience. We are writing this blog about our real life on the road and all the challenge that goes along with it. So for us, although we are both desperately ready for a quiet and stationary month, just like the trains of Biloxi, we are going to keep on rolling.

View Larger Map

There is Something About Cedar Key

Written By: Jeremy and Robin

This year, our first holiday season on the road we decided that Cedar Key, Florida sounded like a good place spend a couple of weeks. We had previously joined an online group of other full timing “nomads” and this grouped organized a gathering at Sunset Isle RV park.

IMG_3350

At first we were a little surprised to pull in and see what looked like a pin hole that I had to back the trailer into. The usual group of fellow travelers immediately ascended onto the scene to offer assistance. We could tell instantly that this park was different than any we had ever been. Parking was actually a breeze with the helpfulness of our experienced neighbors and new friends. Once we got in we realized we had a gem of spot tucked away in the back corner. Our site backs up to the salt marsh and we even have access to a shared doc area and crab cage.

IMG_3341

IMAG1174

For good reason, the sunsets are the claim to fame of Cedar Key. Night after night our group of new friends would gather on the docks or at the Tiki Bar next door to see what mother nature had in store and to share a drink and swap stories with a unique group of fellow Nomads.

Corel2

Corel1

IMG_3564

IMG_3541

We had a great mix of experienced road warriors and quite a few others that were newly living on the road just like us. After quite a few weeks of island hoping all on our own, our social calendar was suddenly full of happy hours, trips to wineries, potlucks, breakfasts and nights on the town.

IMG_3537

The town of Cedar Key, Florida is charming and we got an opportunity to stock up on fresh veggies and local seafood bought along the road. The restaurants (and most things around town) are causal, quaint, quirky, and colorful – Perfect for our taste.

IMAG1136

20131226_151509

20131226_152316

It is also one of the most dog-friendly towns we have been so far. They seem to be treated a little more like friends than pets. No leash laws and plenty of indoor establishments (even bars and restaurants) that allow well-behaved dogs inside. The locals find all kinds of ways to bring them along for the ride.

IMAG1146

20131228_111858

At our RV park, an onsite chicken coup supplies the breakfast cafe with fresh eggs and we even participated in a Christmas day potluck for all of us on the road for the holiday.

IMAG1166

A community fire pit burns all day and night and an interesting conversation or new friend can be found about any time you stop by to warm up. Best of all, you never had to wonder if you were welcome. Pulling up a chair or striking up a conversation with a fellow traveler always seems natural and easy at this place.

 20131225_154741

There was wildlife to be seen and photographed everywhere. Unfortunately we didn’t get any good shots of the Wild Hogs and Eagles that we saw while hiking but the flock of white pelicans were pretty cool.

egret

IMG_3516

IMG_3507

IMG_3456 (3)

Although the sunsets and wildlife are the claim to fame, the local musical talent and all around unique gathering of friendly, colorful, diverse and interesting people are what made this place like no other. Maybe in the world. On any given night live bluegrass, country, gospel, or folk/rock could be found either at the clubhouse or at an informal gathering around a campfire, or a small venue in town. Some of the locals that winter here are joined by anyone that is carrying an instrument or that can carry a tune. The result is something special as is everything else about Sunset Isle RV park in Cedar Key, Florida. The experience is something we consider ourselves lucky to have been in a time and place to experience. I would try to explain better but I can’t.

RV Lesson #8: Some experiences on the road can’t be captured or recreated in a blog. You just have to live them and learn to appreciate the gift found in every present moment, unique location, and colorful personality.

As we get set to leave we are sad to say goodbye to the new friends and place that we feel like we have known forever. At the same time we are happy to have connected with a group that we are sure we will see again – either here, or wherever the road takes us.

IMG_3534


View Cedar Key in a larger map

Hunting Island State Park, SC

IMG_3170 (1024x683)

Our previous blog focused on how great it was to use the RV to visit families even if the RV parks and locations were not always a tropical island. This is about our arrival to a park that is a tropical island. Although our previous stop at Myrtle Beach State Park gave us a taste of the weather and beach access that we have been yearning for, our arrival at Hunting Island State Park finally made the ideal the reality.

After crossing a half dozen tiny bridges including one bride where we had to pull over to avoid scraping the trailer on a passing truck. We turned left at the State Park signs and entered a beautiful, primitive jungle/beach setting that reminded us both of something out of the set of the TV series Lost. Except with rock solid 4G LTE internet access, 50 amp service, and DirecTV. There is a small path leading straight out of our private camping spot right to the beach.

IMG_2859 (1024x680)

We were very happy that we did not try to squeeze into the loop that is right on the beach as the weekend atmosphere was a little more crowded than our out of the way loop with secret access trail. The only possible negative is that the sites are water and electric only. The nearby bathhouse could be cleaner but then again, that is the price you pay for this type of remote and private setting.

IMG_2865 (1024x682)

The weather for us has been very close to ideal too. High temperatures in the mid 70’s and night time lows that are in the upper 50’s lower 60’s. Not bad for December. Considering the ice storms we are reading about on-line from seasoned snowbirding veterans, we are feeling pretty good about the timing of our current route South. Enough of me blathering on, back to some photos to take you away from your ice storms for a minute.

IMAG1095 (2) (1024x574)

IMAG1098 (1024x521)

During high tide, the beach was almost non existent and the trees were sticking out of the water. Low tide revealed one of the coolest beach settings we have ever experienced.

IMG_3119 (1024x680)

IMG_3093 (1024x682)

IMG_3135 (1024x683)

IMG_3067 (1024x681)

IMG_3064 (1024x684)

IMG_3057 (1024x682)

IMG_3140 (1024x681)

Given the time of year, the beach was pretty much ours. This was a very friendly place where well behaved and trained dogs like Hank can frolic off leash. Happy dogs even on a cloudy and foggy day!

1503933_10202870448228898_241338237_n (960x720)

1456662_10202870450308950_1042645544_n (944x700)

I don’t know what it is like during peak season, but for my money in mid December, this place has to be hard to beat.

IMAG1086 (2) (1024x573)

IMG_3149 (1024x684)

IMG_3152 (1024x679)

Wildlife was all around including a raccoon that was a bit of a nuisance all week. He chewed a hole in our water hose and used the shower for drinking and cleaning. We were told that you have to leave water out for the raccoons to keep them from chewing your hose. Would have been nice if they told us that when we checked in. He also left his muddy foot prints up and down our truck where he seemed to enjoy exploring at nigh.  I am convinced that both raccoons and squirrels would never have survived if they were not so cute. People would have exterminated them long ago if they behaved like they do but looked like possums.

IMG_3165 (1024x744)

A buck also made a casual appearance one afternoon.

IMG_2933 (1024x660)

The State Park’s claim to fame is the historic light house. The views from the top looking back at the campground beach were very cool. We did the longish hike through the jungle to the lighthouse and then took the short route back across the beach once the tide receded at little.

IMG_2961 (742x1024)

IMG_2977 (1024x641)

IMG_2985 (1024x666)

There were other nice hikes like the marshland boardwalk and fishing pier.

IMG_3009 (1024x682)

IMG_3034 (1024x682)

Saturday’s football games were a little disappointing for our respective Ohio State Buckeyes and Missouri Tigers, but when this is your living room it is hard to get too upset.

1452228_10202853319800698_884450907_n (960x720)

As I write this we are on our last day here at Hunting Island State Park. If we were headed home after a long vacation, we would be feeling that pit in our stomach right now. With our new lifestyle it feels more like we are leaving vacation to go on vacation!  Until next time.

Heading to the Beach

As I read on social media about the ridiculous cold temperatures and snowy weather that everyone else is experiencing, I almost feel guilty complaining about the last two cloudy days we have experienced at our current location in Sourth Carolina as we make our way south for the winter.

We left our last family stop in Ohio and headed out a couple of weeks ago to our first southern destination of choice, Charlotte, North Carolina. We set up at the Carowinds Camp Wilderness RV park on the south west part of the metro area. Nothing spectacular but we did have an angle for the DirecTV antenna and the park had some good trails for dog walking and hiking. We spent two weeks exploring the city, visiting with some good friends in the area and staying busy with our respective work. We enjoyed a night out brewery hoping near Charlotte’s NoDa Art district.

The other thing that I got to do on four different occasions while in Charlotte is my absolute favorite hobby – golf. I haven’t gotten to play as much as would have liked in the last few years and one of my big and selfish priorities for this winter is to play as much as possible.  In addition to a future travel map for us I may post a golf course map of my rounds on the road at some point.

After leaving Charlotte our first beach destination was Myrtle Beach State Park. I have vacationed in the area many times over the years with family, but this was my first experience with the State Park. The Park itself was a little tighter than the typical state park setup, but the beach access was good and our particular site was very nice once we got the trailer wedged in just right.

IMG_2852 (1024x681)

We cooked thanksgiving dinner in the trailer and we marveled about how many people filled that park over the holiday weekend. The weather was cool but nice and I got a chance to play a few rounds of golf with my uncle who came down from Raleigh for a few days. Rufus and Hank got to experience the ocean for the first time and they really enjoyed eating everything that smelled fishy to them. Overall our visit was enjoyable and we would return to this park. We managed to get a few good sunrise photos when we got up early a couple of mornings.

IMG_2684 (2)

IMG_2712 (2)

IMG_2808 (1280x851)

IMG_2780

From there we headed out to the first of three consecutive island destinations. Stay tuned!