We arrived at Port St. Lucie on November 15, this is where we will spend the winter. Our campground, Port St. Lucie RV Resort, is small with 117 sites, clubhouse, pool and laundry. But we are right in town with Hwy 1 only 1 block from us and all the shopping you could want. The park is tucked in behind a storage unit facility and a shopping center making it rather private. You really wouldn't know it was here if you weren't looking for it.
Across the road is a nice development with sidewalks that lead to a park that goes around a lake which is perfect for walking and riding bikes. We were lucky to get a spot in this area, The Treasure Coast, is very popular being right on the coast and so far the weather has been great. I was put on a waiting list as folks book a year in advance! Our site is on a corner with a very large tree and we get afternoon sun near the front of the rig.
Mark has wanted a popup shelter for a while to park his bike under so we scored one at Sam's Club
with side curtains. Well we put it up, set up the chairs and tables and voila...a wonderful outside living room. The first week the evenings were chilly so we turned on our outside propane heater, dropped the side panels and we were toasty warm. Needless to say the bike is not parked under it!
We made friends with a couple from Quebec, Pierre and Ann, and they ride a motorcycle. So after Thanksgiving we hooked up with Bill (we met him at Fontaineblue State Park in New Orleans) who was spending the holiday with his sister in Jupiter and planned a ride. Pierre and Ann joined us for a nice ride of the area as Bill knew his way around. We rode the A1A down the coast to Juno Beach where we watched windsurfers play in the waves. Then we visited a Marina checking out the huge yachts seeing how the other half lives. Lunch was enjoyed in Jupiter by the water front.
Thanks Bill for a wonderful day!
================
Our next adventure took us to Daytona Beach for our nephew Randall's graduation from Palmer Chiropractic College. We stayed at the Dream Inn where Marks brother and wife (Lynn and Susan) were staying. It was a small hotel with that old time feel. We had a slider door that opened to a patio that looked right out to the beach, it doesn't get any better than that.
Daytona Beach is one of the last beaches that you can drive your car on which of course I had to do!
Annelien's parents Christo and Alida and brother Andre flew in from CA. It's hard to believe that it was two years ago we spent the holidays with them in CA. We all had a great time playing miniature golf in the afternoon. That night for dinner we went to a wonderful German restaurant complete with a band that provided great entertainment.
Lots of beer, sauerkraut and sausages for everyone!
The next day was the one Randall had been waiting for......Graduation!!!
This is a post that he made to Facebook that morning and it brought tears to everyone's eyes.
Today, after a very long road, I graduate Palmer College-FL as a doctor of chiropractic.
I want to thank all of my friends, family, and Class 144 for the most memorable experience of a lifetime; countless hours studying, infinite class memories, boards stress, but making lifelong friends and colleagues throughout the process. Also, thank you Annelien Williamson for supporting me every step of the way; without you I would not have been able to achieve such an accomplishment.
I know my Grandpa, Dr. Ray Williamson, DC would be proud and I really look forward to this path and a new chapter as a physician.
We all know Ray was looking down on Randall as he graduated and was so very proud of him.
You did it Randall and we all couldn't be happier for you!!!
++++++++++++++++
There were some visitors to the park one day.
Sandhill Cranes.
These birds are large and tall weighing any where from 9-14 lbs, standing 2.5 to 4 feet with a wing span of 5 to 7.5 feet. Everybody had their cameras out taking pictures and the birds just looked at us with an expression like "what are you looking at!"
===============
Originally we had talked about spending the winter around Lake Okeechobee so we decided it would be a good motorcycle ride to check out the area. Our friends Pierre and Ann came along for the adventure. Not to far out of the city there are lots of farms and orange groves. It was nice to be back in the county, then our route took us down this wonderful tree covered road.\ It was the highlight of the ride.
We weren't impressed with Lake Okeechobee but if you were a fisherman than it is a good location. This is why we like to explore areas nearby for future reference. We stopped in Indiantown for lunch and then headed home. It was a nice day to be on the bikes.
--------------------------------------------
Pierre and Ann were flying back home to Quebec for the holidays so we took them to the airport in West Palm Beach then did some looking around. Trip Advisor told me to check out Clematis street which is the main road through the heart of the downtown area. The road ends up at the park where the sand tree is every year. We had been hearing about this on the news and I will say it was very impressive.
Across from this park is the intercoastal waterway complete with huge and I mean huge yachts.
OMG our jaws dropped as we walked along the marina. The above yacht is 190" long and you can charter it for a week at the cost of $300,000 plus expenses!!! Were not in Kansas anymore Toto, so this is how the other half lives. The monthly dock rent is around $3,500. West Palm is high dollar so we didn't even check out any campgrounds knowing we probably couldn't afford to stay. We are only an hour north so we can come visit anytime.
======================
The spot next to us in the campground has been vacant as the park doesn't really fill up til after the holidays. So we have been parking my truck there, well we came home and there was a trailer setup. It was a nice young couple, Roger and Kate, and they have been fulltiming for 3.5 months. They sold everything and hit the road. It was very refreshing to see this young couple living life outside the box. We hit it right off and became fast friends. They like beer, we like beer so we visited 2 breweries having a great time. The next morning it was decided that 1 brewery would have been a better idea.
A good time was had by all and we will stay in touch. They are moving an hour north of us to do some boondocking and we will visit them at their new location.
Roger writes a blog Rolling with Grass and I have added a link to it on my blog list.
=============================
Our grandson Reed and his mom were in Flagler Beach so we made plans to met them at the zoo in Melbourne.
Reed was most fascinated by the monkeys.
Just look at those beautiful blue eyes.
We were so happy to spend so time with him and his mother.
====================
Well that sums up the year for us.
Mark became a certified RV Technician, we white water rafted, walked the Appalachian Trail, climbed Stone Mountain, kayaked with alligators, drank too much on Bourbon Street, traveled through 5 states (Louisiana being our favorite), visited 6 breweries, spent time with old friends and made new ones. It was a great year and we look forward to what 2015 has in store for us.
As always,
thanks for following our adventures.
+++++++++++++++++++
Check out my handmade jewelry at my Etsy store by clicking on the link.
Leaving New Orleans we headed to Avalon Landing RV Park in Milton Florida which is north of Pensacola/Navarre. Mario and Jeff live in Navarre and own Tiki Jake's in Pensacola and Island Style in Navarre. Again these crazy guys were our neighbors back in Castle Hayne, NC. Jeff's sister is part owner in the above campground and we received the family rate, yeah love a discount.
The park was clean, well kept and located on a canal. We settled in and made plans to get together the next day for the Zombie Ball Fundraiser which is put on by the Kewe of St. Patrick that they belong too.
All I can say is that a good time was had by all. We were road killer and the guys were 3 blind mice. Once again we spent the next day recovering and then we went to dinner at Jeff's parents house.
On Monday we went to Pensacola beach to do some exploring and meet up with the guys later. I still say the east coast has the prettiest beaches.
Around cocktail hour we all met at Juana's Pagodas on Navarre beach, this is their second home.
Mark, Rick, Roy, Mario, Jeff and me.
Cocktails in hand we watched a beautiful sunset show on Navarre beach.
This unfortunately was the last time we seen Mario and Jeff as they had a trade show to attend. No worries as they will be visiting us in Port St. Lucie this winter.
Wednesday the Blue Angels had a practice at the base and it was open to the public. What a performance these talented pilots put on. I took a bunch of pictures but they just don't do justice to them so I suggest you catch one of their shows. Awesome.
Across from the airfield was the Pensacola Lighthouse.
Just climb 177 steps up the historic Pensacola Lighthouse & Museum for one of the most beautiful views on the Gulf Coast.
The top of the tower offers stunning views of Pensacola Pass (where Pensacola Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico), three forts, the Pensacola skyline and the historic Navy Yard. The fully restored Keepers' Quarters, built in 1869, is home to a museum and a gift shop.
We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the beautiful grounds afterwards.
On Thursday Rick and Roy invited us to a get together that the Krewe of St. Patrick was having at the Pensacola Bay Brewery. A brewery, were in on that! It is located south of downtown in a friendly quaint area. We enjoyed good beer and new friends.
----------------------
A big shout out to Mario, Jeff, Rick and Roy for making our stay in Pensacola a good one.
We will be back!
-----------------------
Our next destination was Tampa but it was a longer drive then we like to make so we stayed overnight in Chiefland at the Walmart. Next day we arrived at Lazydays campground.
It's a nice campground with pool/hot tub, newspaper and we received meal tickets for breakfast and lunch. No charge for extra parking which is always a plus for us.
On Tuesday Mark flew home to take care of some business and pick up his work van. I have a good college friend that lives in Lakeland who I haven't seen in 4 years so we made plans for the weekend. Mary Ann spent Friday night with me and we laughed and talked til 4 am. The next day we went to her house and I spent the night not to return til Sunday evening. It was wonderful to just hang out like we use to some 28 years ago.
Love you girlfriend.
Mark returned on Tuesday so now we have 3 vehicles and 2 drivers, have to come up with a plan for the final move.
I am happy to report that while we rode our bikes and walked all over Lazydays RV Center we looked at about a 150 RV's. There was nothing that we saw that made us want to trade in our rig. That's a good feeling knowing we made the right decision when purchasing and we are still happy with it 3 1/2 years later.
Another reason we were in Tampa was to attend a RV Trade show put on by one of the suppliers that Mark deals with. The show was held at the convention center in downtown Tampa. It was beautiful center located right on the Hillsborough River.
There is a really nice river walk that is a must if you are in the area. The show ran for 2 days and on the last day we participated in packaging meals for hungry children. The name of the organization is Feeding Children Everywhere. There was 3 assembly lines setup and we packaged 6,000 meals for hungry children in the Tampa area.
It felt really good to be a part of this. Check out their website for a project near you or organize one yourself.
The last day of the show ended at noon so we hopped on the streetcar, which is directly across from the convention center, and rode to Ybor City. It is a historic Cuban neighborhood north east of Tampa and is know for cigars and coffee. We strolled the streets enjoying the smells and scenery on our way to the Columbia Restaurant. This restaurant is Florida's oldest and largest Spanish restaurant, established in 1905.
We found the food to be good and at a reasonable price.
This is the dinning room that we ate in and is one of 15. Every room is just gorgeous!!! So worth a visit if you are in the area.
---------------------
So now it is time to make our move south to Port St. Lucie but we had one more stop along the way. Mark made a contact at the show concerning RV holding tanks. Now you all know if you own an RV the sensors don't usually work and you may at some time had an odor issue. This is caused by Struvites, they are rough porous crystals that build up on your tanks and the line below the toilet. The only way to effectively remove them is a thorough hydro-jet cleaning by a trained professional. Once the tanks are clean the only thing that will eliminate them forming again is using TankTechsRx probiotic tank treatment. The closest technician lives in Mims so Mark made an appointment to have our tanks cleaned. We left the AxleCrutch trailer and the work van at Lazydays and drove to Mims. The next day the tanks were cleaned and the sensors are now working. We will only use TankTechsRx in our holding tanks from now on. This will be a service that Mark will be providing in the future.
The next day we arrived in Port St. Lucie for the winter. Early the next morning we drove back to Tampa in the Tahoe to pick up the trailer and van.
Wow, we have had a wonderful 2 months of traveling but are both ready to be settled again.
Thanks for following our adventures!
-----------------------------
Bonnie's Helpful Hints For RV Living
Trying to find a rug that will fit the entrance of the RV is no easy task. They are too big or too small, so here is how I solved the problem.
Trim the rug to fit and then melt the cut edges with a lighter.
A custom fit rug!!!
-----------------------------------
Shop early for my custom made jewelry at Wandering Designs on Etsy
While we were in Hot Springs Mark was told of a state park in Mandeville LA on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Normally we don't make reservations unless we know exact dates or if we know it is a busy time or popular location. This time we didn't but we got in early enough on Friday afternoon to score a site for 2 weeks. The check-in lady was super nice and we asked for a site that we could get satellite reception as it had been a problem in the past. Well we think we got the best site in the park, it was a huge corner site with plenty of room for all our stuff with no extra cost for $22 a night. We had electric and water so we were careful with the grey/black water only using the blue boy once and it was fine. Fontaineblue State Park is a very popular campground filling up quickly on the weekends.
The park embraces over 2,809 acres with a fishing pier, beach, nature trails, beautiful old huge live oaks, ruins of a plantation brick yard and sugar mill and all the biking and walking anyone could want.
When we drove into the campground we were taken back by the gorgeous oak trees and the picture in our minds of want Louisiana would look like was fulfilled.
The Tammany Trace runs through the park. This is Louisiana's only rails-to-trails conversion, the 31 mile paved trace runs from Covington to Abita Springs. We rode it often going downtown for lunch or a brisk pedal in the morning after a walk.
The day we drove in we passed this little drinking establishment that didn't look like much but the parking lot was packed. So the next day we stopped in to see what it was all about. Well this nice older lady who was all dressed up in Mardi Gras fashion greeted us at the door "Welcome to Ruby's Roadhouse, come on in and join us". She told us that is was a surprise birthday party for her daughter, we told her we didn't know her daughter and just arrived in town yesterday. Well then welcome to Louisiana and join us, the beer is free and famous Lucky Dogs are out back. So we did just that and had a great time! Wow we haven't even been in town for 24 hours already love Louisiana. More on Lucky Dogs later.
A couple days after we arrived we took a drive to New Orleans to scope out our next campground and make reservations at the West KOA ten miles from downtown New Orleans. This is the best location when staying in New Orleans that won't cost you a arm and leg. The campground that is located in the French Quarter isn't in a good location to walk home from. The KOA has a shuttle bus that leaves for downtown at 9:00am and again at 5:00pm and its free. A taxi ride home will cost you $30 and is well worth it. Once reservations were made we made contact with friends John and Jenni to meet that evening which left us the afternoon to do some exploring.
Downtown water front
Bourbon Street during the day is totally different than at night.
Next we visited St. Louis Cathedral, located in the French Quarter, it is the oldest continuously active Roman Catholic Cathedral in the United States and absolutely beautiful.
The famous Lucky Dog carts!
Lucky Dogs are an iconic brand of hot dogs sold by New Orleans street vendors out of 7 foot long steel push carts. They are the only street cart operators allowed to sell in the French Quarter. A all-beef wiener topped with chili, mustard and onions, delicious!
It was great to see John and Jenni that evening and catch up on whats been happening in their lives. They live right in New Orleans and are only a couple of blocks from Finn McCool's Irish Pub so we all headed there for dinner and beer. John introduced us to Abita beer and we are now fans. Their brewery is in Abita Springs on the North shore so we will be checking it out! Can't believe I didn't get a picture of them, shame on me but I did get a picture of these fabulous purses that Jenni makes for the Krewe of NYX that she is a member of.
Awesome
---------------------
The next trip we took was on the motorcycle down to Pierre Part where Troy and Jacob Landry from the show "Swamp People" live.
We passed sugar cane fields like you pass corn in Iowa. Louisiana is second in production to Florida. 80% of sugar comes from sugar cane and the rest from sugar beets.
First stop was
Troy owns the gas station and named it after his dad.
D&M Seafood is behind the station and that's where they bring in the big gators.
Next was his restaurant where we enjoyed some good food. It's nothing fancy just good cooking.
There was a map on the wall and I was looking for some roads that would take us along bayous as we really hadn't seen any on the ride down. A patron told us to check out a swamp driftwood museum in town and it would take us along a bayou, bingo were on it. I tell you Louisiana folks are friendly.
This fellow collects the wood and makes fabulous things, recycle and repurpose, I love it!
The homes along the bayou weren't much more than shelter but everyone we passed seemed very happy as they waved and smiled at us.
Most of the homes were floating homes.
Onto the Rainbow Inn where Troy and his sons enjoy a beer and talk about the days fishing.
Unfortunately it wasn't open :(
On the way home we took a different route that carried us along the Mississippi River through towns and past sugar plantations. You can't see the river because of the levee so we stopped, walked up and just watched as it is one busy river. Ships, tugs and barges carrying their loads up and down 24/7.
It was amazing the amount of industry along the river.
-----------------------
Remember that Abita beer John introduced us to? Well off to the brewery we go. It is located in Abita Springs about 20 minutes from us. The tour is free as well as the tasting. You arrive at bar, get in line and wait your turn to serve yourself to whatever brew you want to taste. The bar is open for about 45 minutes so you can drink as much as you want! Then the tour starts up lasting about 15 minutes, then its back to the open bar for more beer for another 30-45 minutes. Hey this is my kind of brewery. My favorite was Purple Haze and Mark liked the Restoration Ale.
Wow after all that beer we needed some food so we headed over to the Abita Brew Pub in town. It is a full service restaurant and its where they use to brew the beer until 1994 when they moved.
Good food and good beer, what more could you want.
On the way home we stopped at the local brewery in Mandeville called Old Rail Brewing Company. The beer was good but we had to pay for it, no free samples, dang. Anyway, it was time to head home, two breweries in one day makes for a good day. By the way you can take the Tammany Trace from the campground and be at Old Rail in about 15 minutes.
-----------------------
Our next adventure took us in the swamp. A couple of miles from the campground is a good location for kayaking.
I have to admit I was abit nervous at first as we were told there definitely was wildlife but everything was fine. Stay away from them and they stay away from you.
In total we saw 4 gators, several turtles and a few heroines.
-----------------------
Our next adventure lead us to the Houmas House Plantation and Gardens known as The Sugar Palace the Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road. You first enter the opulent gardens winding your way to the completely restored Greek revival mansion that contains period antiques, artwork, china and artifacts. The present owner resides in the mansion.
Check out the lily? pads. Never seen such a thing.
This tree is a Burnside Oak over 400 years old.
Once through the grande doors entering the foyer is this beautiful hand painted mural. The land barons would have their animals painted in them and the murals were a sign of status.
The map that she is pointing to is over 125 years old. It was found under the floor boards wrapped in cypress shavings which preserved it.
This beautiful staircase is totally self supported and in 1963 Bette Davis was filmed on it in the movie "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte".
This wooden pin is how they joined the floor boards in those days.
What a beautiful place. There are alot of plantations to visit but if you only have time for one I totally suggest the Houmas House. It also has a 5 star restaurant and rents out for weddings and events.
----------------------
After two weeks at Fontaineblue we moved to the KOA in River Ridge.
A nice patio site with lots of room. This was a well maintained campground and very busy so you if plan to stay here I suggest you make reservations. We moved on Friday and then met our old neighbors Mario and Jeff on Bourbon Street. Haven't seen them in six years and it was like we were never parted. Let the good times roll.
Well by 4am we called it quits. OMG we haven't been up partying that late since we were neighbors back in Castle Hayne!
It took us 2 days to recover, dang we getting older.
John is a runner and was so kind to take me to City Park and walk with me showing off the sights this beautiful park has to offer. It is one of the oldest urban parks in the country. This 1,300 acre park has something for everyone with botanical gardens, flower gardens, carousel amusement park, bike/jogging/walking paths, 800 year old oak trees, tennis, golf and sculpture gardens. In the 1930's the Roosevelt Administration invested $12 million in developing the park as part of the W.P.A. to put folks back to work. Hurricane Katrina left 95% of the park sitting in flood waters for weeks causing $43 million in damages. This park is a must see when in the area and once you are done strolling around stop by the Morning Call for some Community coffee and beignets.
Our next outing took us to the National WWII Museum.
The museum tells the story of the American Experience in "the war that changed the world"-why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today-so that all generations will understand the price of freedom.
On trip advisor the museum is currently ranked #1 New Orleans attraction, #4 in the United States and #11 worldwide. Even if you are not a war buff you will find yourself amazed at the exhibits and appreciate every life that was lost for our freedom today.
The 4D movie "Beyond All Boundaries" which is narrated by executive producer Tom Hanks is a must see.
----------------------
Can't go to New Orleans without visiting the cemeteries.
New Orleans' graves were kept above ground, following the Spanish custom of using vaults and because of the water table. The vaults look like small homes some complete with iron fencing in neat rows, thus called the cities of the dead. Some vaults have several people in them and when you realize this fact you ask yourself "How can this be?" Well, as long as the previously deceased family member has been dead for at least two years, the remains of that person can be moved to a specially made burial bag and placed at the side or back of the vault. The coffin is then destroyed and ready for the next family member. If a member dies before the two year period the cemeteries are equipped with temporary holding vaults.
--------------
On one of our last nights we met up again with John to go downtown to eat and listen to some music. Walking from their house 4 blocks we hopped on the trolley taking us down to Decatur street. Along the way we passed the Saenger Theater and look who was going to be there!!!
Love me some Theresa Caputo.
Once off the trolley we walked 8 blocks to Coop's Place restaurant for a true taste of New Orleans at affordable prices. It came highly recommended by the campground staff and John hadn't eaten there before so that was a bonus for him. I'm telling you it was a party in my mouth, just the kind of food we were looking for. This establishment is nothing fancy but they have some good eats.
After dinner we walked down to Frenchmen Street, being the total opposite of Bourbon, it is a compact musical enclave where the "locals" hang out. A 2 block long entertainment district where any night of the week you can hear live sounds and a wide variety of music as only New Orleans musicians can perform.
First stop was the Blue Nile.
One of longest-standing music clubs on the Frenchmen strip, originally it was the Dream Palace and the first bar on the block to feature live bands, the Blue Nile offers an eclectic listening menu.
We listened to some good music and enjoyed an Abita beer and as the bar started to fill up we gave up our seats to someone else and wandered on.
I enjoyed the colorful art work on the buildings and there is a wonderful open market on the weekends that would have been great to attend, it's on my list for the next time we visit.
Wandering on Mark liked the sounds coming out of the Balcony Music Club (BMC) so we went in and listened to Ed Willis & Blues 4 Sale.
This guy could really play and he was also very entertaining.
What a great night we had, Thank you John for a wonderful evening.
---------------------
While in Louisiana we discovered great spices, coffee, food and beer that we can't get elsewhere so we stocked up purchasing several of each.
It has been a busy 3 weeks in the wonderful state of Louisiana and we will definitely be back.
As always thank you for following our travels.
--------------------------------
Shop early for my custom made jewelry at Wandering Designs on Etsy
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
