Heading to Texas!

We departed around 8:30am heading west on I -10 past downtown New Orleans. We enjoyed the visit and it was now time to move on down the road. I research all of campground stops on Trip Advisor and on the Good Sam camping website. I like to see what other travelers think about these RV parks and I also rely on the pictures provided on these sites. My research failed me on this next stop...
This leg of the trip was long, our next destination was 350 miles which typically takes 8 hours. It was extremely hot all day and we had to make a few pit stops. When you are driving into the sun all day and the outside temperature is 98 degrees it can be brutal behind that huge windshield! We finally arrived in Point Texas about 6:30pm and made our way to the Lake Tawakoni RV park. The first concern was the fact that the elderly gentleman that checked us in said, "just pull in and park anywhere you like".  It was a wooded area, none of the roads in this park were paved and we were supposed to find a space in a place we've never been!  I decided to take the car off the tow and take a tour to see where we would fit. We finally found our spot in the woods and parked the coach.
It was at this moment that I had an epiphany, I am not the "camping in the woods" type! Jay was in agreement with me on that point when he realized that there would be no satellite TV and he and Savannah's walk would be in those woods! We survived two days there, but, we were more than ready to continue west.
I revisited the site that described this RV park and it definitely didn't mention that none of the roads were paved and that there had been no maintenance or upgrades in years. The site also didn't allude to the fact that due to a severe drought the Lake was just about non existent. I credit Jay for his driving skills in and out of those woods on those dirt roads but he was dismayed to be driving his new coach through the dusty woods...

The next day we hopped back on the road anxious to see more of Texas, we were heading for Wichita Falls Texas which was about 200 miles and 4 hours. In this heat I was relieved and looking forward to a shorter day on the road. Our next stop was in the city so I had high hopes of a leisurely afternoon by a pool with a frosty drink in my hand. We pulled into this small family owned park and it was very nice, but we noticed right away the pool was empty. Jay said to the woman checking us in.. "Hey, why is the pool empty"?  She sternly replied that the area was in a stage five drought and they barely had water to drink, yikes... no swimming for us! We felt bad about the comment and really didn't realize the gravity of the drought situation. We apologized, paid our bill and quickly left their office to get settled in for the night. It was 100 degrees so we decided to go out for dinner and call it a night. Our trip in Texas, so far, has been otherwise uneventful. The park in Wichita Falls was very clean for our one night stay and certainly a step up from our previous evening in the woods!

This was a big lake before the drought, it was 100 degrees here!


Next stop Amarillo Texas and I have big plans! 

NOLA in August- It's all about the cuisine!

We rolled into New Orleans after a coastline ride thru Biloxi and Gulfport. It was painfully obvious how the weather had impacted these areas, we passed by so many empty lots along the shoreline. We did see evidence of new construction, but there is still a long way to go coming up on the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, think about that, 10 years... August 29th 2005. The park we are staying in was under 8 feet of water 10 years ago.

Our RV park was east of New Orleans in a bit of a downtrodden industrial area with a train switching station nearby.  The RV park was very nice, pool and jacuzzi, behind an ornate iron gate that closes at 7pm, better remember to take the entrance code with you...we were almost locked out the first night! I like smaller parks, this one was occupied by the owners Marla and Kevin and they were formidable hosts to the campers literally in their backyard!

So of course, I had to find the closest grocery store and we didn't have far to go. The Winn Dixie was right down the road along with at least three Dollar General stores!
I was anxious to try some local cuisine and so we went to a small market/restaurant and picked up a fried shrimp dinner for Jay and a shrimp po-boy for me, it took me two meals to eat that sandwich.
Day one, I was anxious to go to the French quarter, first stop, Cafe du Monde, I had to have some beignets and chicory coffee and I knew Jay would love the beignets, which in my opinion, are a slice of heaven on earth, Jay agreed! In case you've never tried a beignet, they are basically a deep fried glob of dough covered with tons of powdered sugar.  Worth every calorie...
We toured the "quarter," had lunch at Franks which according to my brother John is legendary, I have to admit, he was correct!

The heat became unbearable so we gave it up for the day and went back to park and hopped in the pool. We spent the next day in the Garden district along Magazine street where we had some amazing coconut basil gelato with a side offering of French macaroons. We also can't seem to consume enough shrimp, I picked up another pound and we steamed it up with some Old Bay and it was delicious! We typically have frozen shrimp from the supermarket at home so this was a real treat.

A first for me, this cute young couple showed up in the park yesterday with a pop up tent, two dogs and a goat, yes, a goat. They are on their way to Alaska. They tied Rosie to a tree and she wandered around today trimming the lawn.
 The pros of this visit was all the amazing food.... the con was the park location, we couldn't walk or ride the bikes anywhere as we were confined behind a gate.
The beauty of RV living is you can always pick up and leave when you decide the time is right.
I think the time is right.
Next stop....Lake Tawakoni in Point Texas.

The Forgotten Coast

The campers were still in their tents when we departed the woods, we were both ready to see some coast line. Our plan was to drive along the gulf coast all the way to Pensacola. I've lived in Florida most of my life and I had never been to the panhandle of Florida and so I was anxious to see  this coast.  The weather was glorious and this leg of our trip was amazing! We crossed several bridges and we moved  past miles of white powdery sandy beaches. Where have they been hiding this part of Florida? How had I missed this? We stopped for fuel in Mexico Beach Florida. I went into the store and chatted with this very charming woman, I told her I was so enthralled with this area and she told me they call it the Forgotten Coast. She was from Missouri and traveled down to retire in the Tampa area, but when's he arrived here she loved it so much she stayed. I see why, It had a very quaint southern feel to it, a place you don't need to lock your door after dark. I didn't see any stores with T shirts and flip flops, could this place be real? I hope it stays forgotten...    

                                                          
 We continued along the coast, savoring the views. I snapped so many pictures, but photos from a motor home just don't do it justice, you'll have to take my word for it! If you get the chance, rent a convertible and make this trip! Your welcome...
Jay said, "this is why we travel in a motor home", for days like this, I agreed!

Finally we crossed a very high bridge from Pensacola and arrived in Perdido Key. We circled back under the bridge and the Perdido Cove resort was nestled under the bridge on a sandy stretch of land on the Intercoastal waterway, a very sweet spot with a pool and several seafood restaurants nearby.

 

Our home for 3 days, time to get the shrimp on the grill!

 



Beating our way West...

We rolled out of Lake Okeechobee with high hopes of a smooth drive and sunny weather. As we drove northwest the clouds rolled in and it started to pour. We have learned that being on the highway in driving rain is definitely not a pleasant trip so we made a conscious decision to take the local roads to maintain a slower safer speed. Our next destination was a quick overnight stay in a state park in Sopchoppy Florida a trip of about 400 miles. We drove through Bartow, Tampa and Spring Hill Florida. I have come to the conclusion that Central Florida is about the most boring ride I have ever taken, second only to I-95 from Miami to Jacksonville...Of course the driving rain doesn't help either. It seems rain is a reoccurring theme in this blog, hopefully once we leave Florida I will quit lamenting about the rainy days...blah...blah...blah! I promise!

One surprising highlight was the addition of Wawa stores here in Florida, we passed several before we stopped and scored diesel fuel for $3.69 which is a competitive price in these parts!  Wawa stores are all over Pennsylvania and Maryland and they have fabulous coffee and sandwiches. We visited them often on our trip to Maryland in the spring, cleanest convenience stores on the planet!

So after 10 hours we arrived in Ochlokonee State Park around 6:30pm. When I made the reservation I was assured that a 40ft motor home would fit with no problem, well, we pulled in took the car off the tow bar and Jay drove the coach into the woods and I mean the "woods"! Jay wedged the coach in between two trees in the dirt and everyone around us were in tents! I don't know how anyone could possibly sleep in the Florida woods in the summer because the mosquitos were out in force, yet families were out at their picnic tables enjoying a family meal. At that point we settled in, had some sandwiches and went to sleep. The only highlight of this stop were all the deer Jay came in contact with on his morning walk with Savannah.

We were out of the woods by 8:00 am and decided to take the coast road to our next destination which was Perdidio Key in Pensacola, Ahh...I had high expectations of this next destination. A Key West style park on a barrier island right on the inter coastal waterway, now we're talkin!

Okeechobee in the rear view mirror

Today as we prepare to depart from Lake Okeechobee, I'd like to share a few highlights of our two week visit.
First, it rained a lot! I mean massive rain that came from the west almost every afternoon like a hurricane. It flooded streets and the ponds look like they are ready to overflow.
We would quickly pull in the awnings so we wouldn't have to chase them down the street like of our neighbors did one night.  It did result in absolutely breath taking sunsets every night...

We also had two visitors last Saturday afternoon... Jay's Mom Sis and her friend Jim came out to Okeechobee to see the "palatial estate" as Jay calls it... Sis was very surprised and impressed with the coach and the resort! I think she was worried when she saw all the other trailer parks on her way over to see us! Sis was also fascinated that the exterior walls slide in and out and we even demonstrated this feature so she could see it first hand! You have to see it to believe it! It was a great visit!

Savannah's favorite aspect of  this stop were the huge number of wild rabbits in the neighborhood. One afternoon we let her outside before we put her on the leash, big mistake! She took off like a rocket down the street in pursuit of some rabbits and once we finally caught her, she limped back home, defeated that those rabbits were much faster than she was!

We learned a few things on this particular stop, two weeks is a bit too long especially if there are no museums, beaches or good restaurants. I also spent too much time wandering the aisles of the local Walmart, although it was great for people watching! I am definitely a Target girl!
I did find some awesome nail polish for a dollar, but that's another story...
We are packing up the bikes and patio furniture and heading for Perdido Key in Pensacola tomorrow for 3 days. Let's hope for clear skies and sunny beaches this weekend.

On the road again!

The coach was ready to pick up and we were "organized" and anxious to get on the road!
Not only were we picking up the coach but we were adding a tow bar so we could take my Jeep on the trip. Due to the extended length of trip we felt it was important to have a car with us. Interestingly enough, very few cars can be towed due to the type of transmission. I traded in my BMW and picked up a snazzy new Jeep Trailhawk which aligns nicely with our new travel lifestyle and can be towed !
We added the tow equipment to the coach and the Jeep was connected and ready to roll.
We headed back to John Prince park for a two night stay and to provision the coach for the big journey ahead and considered this the unofficial start of our journey west.
On Friday the 1st of August we pointed the coach due west and headed for our first stop, Okeechobee Florida. You might be wondering why Okeechobee? Well, after 6 days here, we are also questioning this choice! We are staying in a beautiful 5 star resort, at least that's what the sign says at the entrance, between the Flamingo Motel and the Golden Arches! I do agree with the assessment, this place has a huge pool, tennis courts, pickle ball courts (have no idea what that is) and acres of perfectly manicured streets.


where are our neighbors?

As you can see from the picture above, it's pretty quiet here!  In downtown Okeechobee there is a Super Walmart and a Publix and that's about it! So we go to Walmart just about everyday and scour the aisles for something we didn't know we needed! Our most recent purchase was Orange cream Popsicles, low calorie of course...
So this morning we decided to take a ride around the lake and sight see, we found out there is nothing but pastures full of cows and sod farms! We rode over to Lake Placid and did the loop around, we were back in the coach within two hours enjoying a Orange Cream Popsicle and planning our next adventure for tomorrow!


The Happy RV'ers!

Vero Beach... Ho hum.....

After leaving Ferandina Beach and the arriving in Vero Beach, we settled in to the Sunshine RV park.
This RV park was right smack off  I 95, so close you could hear the semis rolling by all night. We chose this park because it was about 10 miles north of the RV dealership which was our next stop to have the coach checked out before our BIG trip.
This park was nice enough but somewhat deserted as many Florida parks are this time of the year.
We were parked in a section of  manufactured homes that were owned by snow birds who were likely up north enjoying fabulous weather, not here in rainy humid Florida! We literally had the park and the pool to ourselves!
We walked Savannah every day at dusk and took advantage of the peaceful atmosphere.  We found a movie theatre nearby and went to see Tammy, we loved the senior discount, in fact more than the movie, but, I digress!
There was a Dairy Queen nearby, interesting clientele, it's amazing as you travel around Florida how many different sub cultures there are, the  smaller the town the more friendly the people are. Anyone that knows Jay also knows that he converses with everyone he comes in contact with. I am learning to do that too! We enjoy chatting it up with everyone, especially other RVers. Its interesting how many helpful tips you can pick up along the way to enhance your travel experiences. RVing is a diverse culture, ultra wealthy seniors in luxury motorhomes to families with a pop up tent. The common connection is their passion for travel and the outdoors.
With Jay's organizational skills and my grilling ability we are going to do just fine!

Fernandina Beach for the 4th of July

On July 2nd we  pulled in the slides and headed up I 95 to visit my younger brother Jeff who lives in Fernandina Beach Fl . We planned to visit for a few days and we would also rendezvous with my sister Nancy and her family visiting from North Carolina.
Let me comment on the fact that I 95 in Florida is ALWAYS under construction somewhere and we drove thru several stretches that were challenging at best. When you add in the numerous thunderstorms it was a bit of a nerve wracking trip!  First it's the newness of traveling in such a large vehicle, and when you also add in the inconsiderate drivers it takes some getting used to!  Jay is an excellent driver so I think I just need to calm down!
OK, back to the trip....Fernandina Beach is just north of Jacksonville and it really is a beautiful town with  the quant old world charm that you rarely see in Florida these days.
Despite all my research I couldn't secure a space in an RV park, everything was booked because of the 4th of July holiday. I understand why now that we've been there, it's really a charming spot.
Our plan was to park the coach in my brothers neighbors driveway. Jeff lives across from the beach in an adorable neighborhood and my sister was staying up the road in a vacation rental with her family. This trip had all the makings of a fun filled time as it was my brothers birthday and it didn't disappoint!
This would be our first experience with no water or sewer hook ups and we would have to depend on the generator for electricity.
While it's great to have these luxuries, it's good for about 48 hours and not as good after 5 days. When it's 90 degrees that generator has to run constantly.  Jeff opened his home to us for showers and bio breaks so we made the best of it.  We had a wonderful time and decided it was time to leave after 5 days.  The trip south on I 95 was a breeze, we made a stop at Camping World in St. Augustine, just because.... and continued south to our next stop in Vero Beach.  The rain started in Daytona Beach and it was hellacious ( I think that word describes it) the visibility was zero, the road was under construction and both Savannah and I were a wreck, she doesn't like thunder and I didn't like any of it!

Jay handled it very well and I wished I had a tranquilizer.  He was very patient with me and we finally arrived in Vero Beach unscathed.  The glass of Shiraz I had after we settled in was the best!

Our first "shakedown" trip.

Our first trip was June 18th. We planned to move the coach to John Prince Park which is a county park within 10 miles of home. We found this location on the Internet and were excited to find out that as a Palm Beach County resident it was an discounted inexpensive option nearby right on Lake Osborn in Lake Worth Florida. Jay navigated his way to the park right off I-95 and I followed in the car. At this point I have to comment on Jay's impressive driving ability. He maneuvered thru city streets like a seasoned pro who had been driving a 40 ft RV all his life.
We arrived at the park, checked in and proceeded to our spot after being cautioned by the Park Ranger NOT to feed the alligators and to be aware of the water moccasins in the lake. What?!  Note to self,  sneakers only while wandering the park with Savannah. The Van dog found her spot on the couch during travel and settled right in from day one!
Jay backed in the site flawlessly and we proceeded to go thru the checklist of what we "do" and in what order! Thankfully, it all fell into place.
We settled into the park life enjoying the quiet evenings away from the noise of downtown West Palm Beach. We were  delighted with our first stop in this park, it was full of family campers, kids on bikes and we met other RV'ers  who offered some helpful tips on the RV life.
We quickly found out that there were many things about the coach that were not quite up to standard. There were missing hoses, armrests that were broken and the list was started.
There are 3 TVs with a satellite set up which is great, when they work, and they didn't . We were under the mistaken impression that when you purchase a new RV that prior to pick up they would inspect it and determine that everything works. A lesson learned on our part, that was definitely NOT the case. We spent hours trying to get a TV to work with no success.  We commandeered a Direct TV truck in the park and after some cash paid we had TV service on two TVs. That was a good thing because it rained constantly for days and days... Summer in Florida.
During our time at the park we organized the coach, provisioned the kitchen and familiarized ourselves with the generator, the inverter and all the other systems in the coach. Captain Jay was right at home with all this from his boating days. I sure learned some new things reading and looking up "how to" manuals on the Internet.
Talk about being uninformed, the sales person didn't tell us that the king sized bed was a Sleep Number bed and I realized that when I made the bed and found a remote. Great, but how does this thing work? So I called the Sleep Number folks and they walked me thru the process. We slept well after we learned our number! Do you know everyone has a number?!
Next stop ...Fernandina Beach Florida 7/2/2014.

Time to get going...

After several weeks of reorganizing our lives for this trip we were ready to "get going"! You would think that means packing your bags and hitting the road! not quite....

Jay and I picked up the new Fleetwood Discovery in June, we parked it downtown next to our condos overnight (with a nod from our favorite meter maid) to pack it up. After many trips up and down the elevator late into the night with boxes of dishes, bed linen, clothing, and anything we might need to survive and flourish on the road in the future we were ready to go! This process was much like setting up a vacation home, you need a little of everything! At least you don't have to jam your belongings into a suitcase and worry about the TSA scrutinizing the size of your shampoo containers! This RV has 2 bathrooms with plenty of cabinet space so we just loaded it up with all the luxuries items needed. The amount of storage is very impressive in an RV, this bus even has a wine rack that's back lit! If I'd known this, I would have become and RV'er sooner! I look forward to our first happy hour.