On the Road Again, Destination...Home

After much thought about what we should do and how we should take care of repairing the motor home's electronics and replacing the 13' awning, we decided that the most prudent thing to do was to return home. We could have continued on our trip and lived without some of the electronic displays that monitor certain aspects of the motor home...we would just have to monitor things ourselves. But, to continue on our trip without the large awning would have been very difficult, especially as we headed into the heat of the southwest. When we are set up at a campsite, the awning helps shade the side of the motor home that houses the refrigerator. Motor homes are not well insulated vehicles and heat or cold penetrate easily into the living area. If we couldn't shade the outside area by the refrigerator, it would barely be able to function adequately. Lack of an awning also means the air conditioning would have to work overtime to maintain a comfortable temperature inside the motor home. We thought about ordering a new awning and having it delivered to a destination on our route, but then we ran the risk that it wouldn't be there in time or something else could go wrong and cause us to be "stuck" somewhere for who knows how long. By coming home, we could wait as long as necessary for all of the parts that need to be replaced.

We left Port Charlotte, FL and took several days to trek home. At a campground called Dixie Caverns just outside of Roanoke, VA, we toured the caverns on the grounds of the campground. Although not as spectacular as Carlsbad Caverns in NM or even Luray Caverns nearby, Dixie Caverns was interesting. The caverns were accidentally discovered in the 1920s by a couple of young boys who were chasing after their dog. The dog fell down a hole and landed on a ledge. The boys rescued the dog and told the owner of the property about a cave. He explored the caverns for about three years before opening it to the public. Initially, people had to lower themselves into the caverns using a rope. Over time, another entrance was built and paths, stairs and lighting were added to improve access. I am always amazed at these underground wonders of the earth. Stalactites and stalagmites formed over thousands of years from water and minerals. The shapes and sizes were just incredible. There were quite a few rooms in the caverns. One room had a stalactite shaped like a huge bell. It was referred to as the wedding bell and there have been a number of small wedding ceremonies performed over the years in that one room. Our tour lasted about an hour and then we got back on the road.

After a few more days of one night stays at campgrounds, we arrived home. We were away exactly one month. In spite of our encounters with nightmare weather and the damage to the motor home, we had many good times while we were away, but at this point, we are just happy to be back home.

Port Charlotte, FL

While in Port Charlotte, we planned to visit with a Connecticut friend and her husband who are retired and now living in Port Charlotte. Unfortunately, she had to leave Florida unexpectedly to attend a funeral, so, we had to cancel our plans to get together. We also planned to visit with Pete’s cousin, Cynthia and her husband who live in Venice, Florida which is a short drive from Port Charlotte.

At about 7:30 AM on our first morning in Port Charlotte, the wind began to blow wildly and within moments our motor home was battered with heavy rain and raging wind. Hail the size of ice cubes pelleted the roof. The wind was so strong the motor home was rocking and before we knew it our 13 ft. awning (which was rolled up along the edge of the roof and secured) was ripped from the side of the motor home and hurled onto the roof. There were metal posts dangling on both sides of the motor home.  A plastic dome that protects one of the air vents on the roof cracked when it was hit by the awning. The rain was coming down so hard and fast we could only see a couple of feet out the windows. As quickly as the wind came up, it ceased, but the rain continued for a few more hours. We immediately contacted our insurance company who told us not to touch anything and wait for an insurance adjuster to arrive. We found out that more bad weather was on the way and decided to take pictures and get the awning removed from the roof so it wouldn’t cause more damage or possibly injure someone. Other people in the RV resort had damage to their motor homes and had called an RV service company. When the service company drove by our site and saw the awning up on the roof, they stopped and Pete had them help him get the awning off the roof. This incident was even scarier than the lightning in North Carolina!

Later that day, the clouds parted and the sun came out. That evening, we went out to dinner at a restaurant called JDs that had a fantastic jazz quartet. It was a nice diversion after a very stressful day.

The insurance adjuster came out the next day and all of the damage is covered on our policy, so now we need to get the awning replaced! Fun, fun, fun!!!

Day before the storm

After the storm

We had a wonderful visit with Pete’s cousin, Cynthia and her husband, Bill. They gave us a tour of Venice, FL and then cooked a delicious dinner for us. We enjoyed the time we spent with them and it ended our visit to Port Charlotte on a positive note.

Key West and Naples, FL

We departed St. Augustine and headed south along the eastern coast of Florida. We needed a one night stop at a campground before we reached Key West. Lion Safari KOA was just outside West Palm Beach. It was too late to ride through the Lion Safari park, but the campsites were so close to Lion Safari that we could hear the lions roaring during the night and into the morning. We could not believe how loud they could roar.

The next day we arrived at Lazy Lakes RV Park on Sugarloaf Key. Our campground had a real tropical feel with lots of palm trees. It was early enough in the day, so we drove into Key West that afternoon. Duval Street was the main street loaded with t-shirt shops, bars, art galleries, bars, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, bars, jewelry stores, oh, and did I mention bars! As the day wore on, more and more people arrived downtown and a loud, party atmosphere began to resemble something like New Orleans during Mardi Gras. We roamed around and found a sandal shop that was on my To Do list.

Many years ago, when my mother-in-law would visit friends who lived in the Keys, she would buy Kino sandals (leather flip-flops) for her sister and all of her daughters-in-law. I looked online before we reached the Keys and found out that Kino was still making and selling sandals in Key West. I was able to watch people making the sandals and bought sandals for all the Ryder women in remembrance of my mother-in-law.

As we continued to roam all the little side streets and shops, we checked out the menus at a couple of restaurants. After dinner we headed back to the campground with some ideas about what we wanted to do the next day.

The weather on the Keys was very warm and sunny. We took the Conch Train Tour the next day and learned about the history and lives of the people who have lived in Key West. While on this tour, we saw mile marker zero for US Route 1. If you follow Route 1 from here you will travel about 2,369 miles and end up at Fort Kent, Maine. We also had the opportunity to visit the southern most point in the U.S. and have our picture taken next to the marker.  

That evening we dined at Michael’s Restaurant, a bistro with outdoor seating under shady trees. At the end of dinner we received a post card that had a watercolor print of the restaurant that we thought was reminiscent of Key West. On the back of the postcard we found the name of the artist and I looked her up on the Internet. We found three galleries where her art work was for sale and the next day we went to one of the galleries in search of a larger print that we could frame. While I was looking through a display of the artist’s prints, Pete began a conversation with the woman working in the gallery. It turned out to be the artist of the print we wanted to purchase! She found the size print we wanted and we chatted for awhile. Turns out she is a retired teacher from the Chicago area. With our print in hand, we were off to find the Butterfly Conservatory.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Glaze

Artichoke Hearts Baked With Garlic and Parmesan

Served with Mini Pita Breads

Mahi Topped with Macadamia Nuts and Finished

with a Dark Rum and Banana Butter Sauce

At the Butterfly Conservatory we walked along paths in an enclosed, climate controlled botanical garden with trees, flowering plants, waterfalls and hundreds of butterflies flying everywhere. They landed on plants and people. Pete had a beautiful, blue butterfly land on his ball cap. There were also some birds, including a really noisy male flamingo who was trying to garner the attention of a female flamingo. We enjoyed the conservatory and then went to find some lunch.

After lunch, we walked to the Key West Aquarium. It is a small, old aquarium built in the 1930s but still interesting. There were numerous exhibits of ocean creatures found in this area. We saw many colorful tropical fish, an octopus, and sharks. While we were there, a docent fed the manta rays.

We enjoyed our visit to the Florida Keys and prepared to travel to Naples, FL.

In Naples, we visited with friends, Sandy and Everett, who had once lived in Vermont. Pete and Everett have known each other for years after owning and working in their own aviation businesses. We enjoyed their company and a nice, leisurely dinner at Sandy and Everett’s home.

The next day, we traveled to Port Charlotte, FL.

St. Augustine, FL

The afternoon we arrived in St. Augustine, the weather was warm and sunny but you could see cloud formations indicating rain. We checked into our campground and headed to the World Golf Hall of Fame. Tickets to the venue are good for two consecutive days, so we spent an hour or so checking out the Hall of Fame and the rest of the grounds in anticipation of spending several hours there the next day. Just as we were leaving, the sky became dark and thunder began rumbling. We saw a bolt of lightning in the distance. We headed back to the campground concerned about the possible effects of lightning after our experience in North Carolina. We were lucky and only had to deal with some rain.

We spent several hours at the World Golf Hall of Fame the next day. The tour of the facility introduces people to: the history of golf, information about many of the tournaments and trophies, the evolution of golf clubs and golf balls, and famous male and female golfers. In a section called the locker room, there is a minutia of famous golfers’ memorabilia set up to resemble their lockers. There were many videos of great moments in golf and interviews with famous golfers. One whole section of the Hall of Fame was a tribute to Bob Hope for his support and dedication to the game of golf. After touring the Hall of Fame, we moved on to 18 holes on the putting course where Pete beat me by two strokes, but I had the shot of the day when I got a hole in one on the very difficult 18^th green!!!

The following day we spent time at Castillo de San Marcos, a Spanish fortress that was built in the 1600’s. It took about 24 years to build and is made from a sedimentary rock called Coquina, which is loaded with sea shells. During battles, ships firing cannonballs at the fort were surprised when the cannonballs could not shatter and penetrate the fort’s walls. The composition of the rock absorbed the shock of the cannonballs without damaging the wall. The fort was made with more than 400,000 blocks of Coquina that were all cut and set by hand. Laborers included Indians and Spaniards, a few convicts and some slaves. There were also masons and master workmen. The thickness of the fort’s walls is about 20 feet at the base and then the walls taper upward 35 feet where they are about nine feet thick. There was only one way to get in or out of the fort. The fort is part of our National Park System.

We spent the rest of the day roaming all of the side streets filled with shops and places to eat. While walking down one of the walkways, we saw a couple walking their dogs. The dogs were wearing sunglasses and one of them had a Go-Pro video camera attached to a harness on his back. It was the coolest thing to see. They were getting video from the dog’s point of view. The couple said the videos are really fun to watch!

No visit would be complete without finding some good eats. We enjoyed dinner one evening at Collage, a small bistro restaurant in the historic old village of St. Augustine. We shared a Burrata, which I had never heard of before. It was home made mozzarella stuffed with a goat cheese mousse. It looked like a large ball of mozzarella when it was served but when you cut it open, the inside was soft and fluffy. It was accompanied by an apricot and a raspberry confit, spiced walnuts and foccaccia crostini. It was sooo good. For entrees, Pete had the black grouper that was coated with a Parmesan, pecan and brown sugar crust. It was baked and finished with a Beurre blanc sauce. I had the diver scallops served on butternut squash with a chiffonade of Brussel sprouts. It was topped with bits of bacon, pear and pomegranate.

We couldn’t pass up dessert. We had read rave reviews about their chocolate bread pudding and just had to try it. We ordered one to share and it was a delicious ending to a great dining experience.

Next stop…Key West, Florida!

Savannah, GA

We enjoyed the southern charm of Savannah’s beautifully restored old neighborhoods with over 20 city squares, cobblestone streets and Spanish moss covered trees.  The ornate iron work on fences and balconies of homes and buildings were works of art not seen in new construction in this day and age. 

A trolley tour of the city was filled with historical information about famous people, such as Juliet Gordon Low, the founder of the Girl Scouts of America. The trolley also took us past the bench where Forrest Gump sat with his box of chocolates.  Our tour guide also told us tales of pirates and haunted places.

 At Bonaventure Cemetery, a magnificent old cemetery, we viewed towering monuments and statuary marking the graves in family plots from as early as the 1700s. 

There was an Earth Day celebration at Forsyth Park, the largest park in Savannah.   The centerpiece of this 10 acre park is its ornamental fountain which was constructed in 1858.

At the marketplace along the riverfront, we were offered free samples of freshly made sweet and nutty pralines. As much as our travels include sights, history and the natural beauty of our country, there is also a local Foodie obsession. While dining at A.lure restaurant, we were served some incredibly light and luscious southern biscuits accompanied by sweet butter with raspberry and smoked paprika jam. Pete ordered the shrimp and creamy stone ground grits with bacon, peppers, onions, and leeks. I had the slow braised pork shank with roasted garlic and goat cheese grits, charred tomato demi glaze and haricots verts. As Rachel Ray would say, “Yumm-o!” 

 For lunch one day, we chose the Gryphon Tea Room which is owned by the Savannah College of Art and Design and staffed by their students.  It is a great little restaurant in a restored turn of the century apothecary shop. They served pots of tea and three-tiered trays of tea sandwiches, scones with Devonshire cream and strawberry preserves and an array of delectable mini sweet treats.

We departed Savannah very satisfied and...maybe a few pounds heavier!

Next stop, St. Augustine, Florida!

Charleston, South Carolina

We spent a couple of days at a KOA campground in Mt. Pleasant, SC which is about 20 minutes north of Charleston. On one of our days, we wandered around Charleston in the Marketplace area which is similar but much larger than Faneuil Hall in Boston. There were lots of small booths selling local crafts, art, and specialty foods. Although the weather was unsettled, we lucked out with a warm but overcast day. We took a tour of the city on a horse drawn wagon and learned about the history of the homes, buildings and the people who inhabited them.

Click on images to enlarge

On another day, we went on a Segway tour of Old Town, a part of Mt. Pleasant. We saw many remnants of a time long ago. Many of the Civil War era homes are well preserved and occupied.

We also had an opportunity to visit with Tommy, a buddy of Pete’s from his Navy days. Tommy lives about a half hour north of Mt. Pleasant. They had a great time catching up with each other over lunch one day.

We were beginning to have good eats withdrawal and missing our Local Eatery and the great dishes Chef Kevin Halligan prepares, so we went on the prowl. We did find some good eats…Hot dogs at Jack’s Cosmic Dogs which was featured on the Food Network. Then, at a restaurant called Graze, Pete had Catfish with black eye pea, butterbean, and sweet corn succotash and I had Cinnamon chili dusted scallops with sweet potato praline risotto. It was a visit to remember.

Next stop, Savannah, Georgia!

Cross-Country2015

CROSS-COUNTRY 2015

Well, it is time to get this blog going! It has been quite an adventure in the few days we have been on our journey. In fact, I’m referring to it as a comedy of errors at this point!

Our first night was at a campground in East Stroudsburg, PA. The water to the campsites was not running yet because the ground was still frozen. We were able to get water for our holding tank from a spigot by the campground office. When we arrived at our campsite and I walked to the bedroom at the back of the motor home, I noticed the carpet was wet. There was a leak from under the bed where the water tank resides. Pete determined that there was a small filter component that must have had some water left in it in the fall and it had frozen over the winter and cracked the component. We were able to get a new part for only about $10.00 and Pete replaced it. We used a fan to dry out the carpet. Not so bad!

We journeyed onto Washington, D.C. where it was cool (upper 40s to low 50s) and drizzly but we were still able to view the cherry blossoms and visit the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial. The cherry blossoms were gorgeous and would have been even more glorious if there had been some sunlight. After many trips to D.C. we were finally able to see these elusive cherry blossoms! The Martin Luther King Jr. memorial was immense. The white granite blocks from China that were used to create it were unlike the granite we see in New Hampshire. It was quite impressive.

After two nights in D.C. we headed to North Carolina and that’s where things really got interesting. We set up at a campground and around 8:00 PM, it began to rain. By 9:30 it tuned into a torrential downpour with the worst thunder and lightning that I have ever experienced. I was able to follow the storm by using my iPhone to access the internet. The amount of lightning this storm was generating was unbelievable. During one deafening lightning strike, the RV took a hit and some of our RV’s electronic components got fried. We had smoke in the RV so Pete immediately flipped all of the circuit breakers off and shutdown anything that required power. I had already turned off the TV and computers when the thunder and lightning first began. Luckily, there was no fire, just smelly burned out electronic components. For me, it was 2 ½ hours of white knuckles with a flash light until the storm passed. Pete went back to sleep! We were able to find a replacement voltage converter in Myrtle Beach. Pete installed it and we now have AC as well as DC power. Pete is attempting to locate schematics from the manufacturers of the other burned out electronic components and hopes to repair them himself. Those components are not critical in order for the RV to function.  After all of that, we arrived at a campground in Myrtle Beach. Pete disconnected the car from the motor home, and low and behold, the battery in the car was dead! We are now wondering what will happen next???  Hopefully, nothing else! Next stop on our adventure... Charleston, SC. Stay tuned…