We spent the night just east of Raleigh, NC at a fairly new RV park. Temperatures got into the low 60's so Ranger got to play in the dog "park" for awhile and Dan grilled dinner. We both had good hot showers before the clouds rolled in. It rained overnight and is gray and drizzly this AM, though not nearly as cold as it has been.
Should be home by midafternoon!
Saturday, March 18, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
Heading north, near Savannah
It was a short day of driving, a little under 300 miles, and we are at the RV "resort" at which I was finally able to get a site. It's not great, but satisfactory for one night. What we did not anticipate was that tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day's which is a BIG deal in Savannah. Our "next-door neighbors" who came down from Boston, said that the parade in Savannah is the second largest in the country, after Boston of course. Not sure whether that is correct. Several sites around us are filled with party-ers who came for the big parade tomorrow. Apparently, there is no parking available in Savannah (you have to reserve a parking spot) and the town will be packed with people. Fortunately, we will not be among them as we intend to continue up I-95 in the morning.
Meanwhile, this campground "Savannah Oaks" is right on a small river, and the trees are covered with Spanish moss----a very Southern look to the place.
It actually got into the low 60's this afternoon and we were able to spend some time outside, which Ranger enjoyed. There are plenty of dogs around, plus (darn!) some cats. Forecast for tonight---down into the low 30's again! I guess we got spoiled with two weeks of good weather at the start of the trip, but this is rather unpleasant for our trip to escape the cold.
Meanwhile, this campground "Savannah Oaks" is right on a small river, and the trees are covered with Spanish moss----a very Southern look to the place.
It actually got into the low 60's this afternoon and we were able to spend some time outside, which Ranger enjoyed. There are plenty of dogs around, plus (darn!) some cats. Forecast for tonight---down into the low 30's again! I guess we got spoiled with two weeks of good weather at the start of the trip, but this is rather unpleasant for our trip to escape the cold.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Driving again....
We packed up and left Dauphin Island shortly after 9 am. It was windy and cold, which is the case all over the South. Rather than go through the mountains to get home, we opted to backtrack along the coast where we might find slightly warmer temperatures. So today was spent driving along I-10 on the Florida Panhandle.
Tonight we are in Tallahassee at a privately-owned RV park (Tallahassee RV Park) just off I-10. We have neighbors close by on either side, a negative, but the park is very clean and well-kept. I took the opportunity to get a hot shower and shampoo, and it was the best shower so far for this trip: plenty of hot water, good water pressure and even a heater to warm you when you are dressing! Ranger enjoyed watching the many dogs go by as he lounged outside in the low-50's temperatures.
Being too cold for grilling outside, we made wraps with chicken and black-beans-and rice, and kept our little electric heater going. The forecast is for a low of 32 tonight---we'll see. We will move northward tomorrow.....
Tonight we are in Tallahassee at a privately-owned RV park (Tallahassee RV Park) just off I-10. We have neighbors close by on either side, a negative, but the park is very clean and well-kept. I took the opportunity to get a hot shower and shampoo, and it was the best shower so far for this trip: plenty of hot water, good water pressure and even a heater to warm you when you are dressing! Ranger enjoyed watching the many dogs go by as he lounged outside in the low-50's temperatures.
Being too cold for grilling outside, we made wraps with chicken and black-beans-and rice, and kept our little electric heater going. The forecast is for a low of 32 tonight---we'll see. We will move northward tomorrow.....
The cold continues
As the snow fell farther north, we were happy to not be at home. However, the same front that brought snow to New York and New England brought cold temperatures, even here in Alabama. It's been around 50 during the day and low 40's at night, not good beach weather!
I met Kelly for a walk at Bellingrath Gardens, where it was overcast but out of the wind. We were too late for the azaleas which must have been beautiful about two or three weeks ago, but there were plenty of other flowers to see.
Kelly needed to get to work for the afternoon, so back to the campground went I. I spent much time trying to get reservations at RV parks for our trip home. We are taking it slow, only about 300 miles a day, in order to let all that cold weather move on. And it must be that many of the snowbirds who are leaving Florida to head back home have been stalled on their way by the weather: I had a terrible time finding an RV park in South Carolina that had a space available!
Kelly was scheduled to give an informal talk to the public about her research at Moe's BBQ in Mobile on Tuesday night, so we drove into town for that. We enjoyed her worm videos along with some beer and great barbecue before heading back for one last night at Dauphin Island Campground.
We packed up some of our stuff in advance of today's departure, so with 42 degrees and wind this Wednesday morning, we need to get the bikes on the car, hook the car to the RV, and head east back into Florida.
I met Kelly for a walk at Bellingrath Gardens, where it was overcast but out of the wind. We were too late for the azaleas which must have been beautiful about two or three weeks ago, but there were plenty of other flowers to see.
Kelly was scheduled to give an informal talk to the public about her research at Moe's BBQ in Mobile on Tuesday night, so we drove into town for that. We enjoyed her worm videos along with some beer and great barbecue before heading back for one last night at Dauphin Island Campground.
We packed up some of our stuff in advance of today's departure, so with 42 degrees and wind this Wednesday morning, we need to get the bikes on the car, hook the car to the RV, and head east back into Florida.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
Two windy, rainy days
Kelly and Michael made a good call, packing up their tent and heading home late Saturday evening. By midnight it was raining and the wind picked up----a LOT! Sunday morning was miserably wet and windy, hard to walk forward against its force when Ranger and I went out for his walk. We worried some about the screened tent (in which we keep bicycles, chairs, etc.) blowing down but fortunately it held.
So we headed into Mobile. Kelly and I spent Sunday afternoon at the spa where we had pedicures and lounged and soaked in the hot tub. Dan and Ranger hung out at Kelly & Michael's doing laundry and reading. 😀
We met nephew Clay VanderWerff and his wife Lauren at Yak, the restaurant that catered Kelly and Michael's wedding, for some good Nepalese food. Then rather than drive back into the wind and rain, we spent the night in Kelly's guest room.
Monday was another windy, wet day. We all slept fairly late. Michael had work to do that required quiet, so Dan, Kelly and I went out for brunch, did some grocery shopping, and went to a matinee. We saw "Hidden Figures" which was wonderful!
Back at Dauphin Island Campground in the evening, we heated up some Brunswick stew and listened to the rain and wind outside, while we were cozy and warm with our heater chugging away. At home there is snow in the forecast so we are not in a hurry to head back that way!
So we headed into Mobile. Kelly and I spent Sunday afternoon at the spa where we had pedicures and lounged and soaked in the hot tub. Dan and Ranger hung out at Kelly & Michael's doing laundry and reading. 😀
We met nephew Clay VanderWerff and his wife Lauren at Yak, the restaurant that catered Kelly and Michael's wedding, for some good Nepalese food. Then rather than drive back into the wind and rain, we spent the night in Kelly's guest room.
Monday was another windy, wet day. We all slept fairly late. Michael had work to do that required quiet, so Dan, Kelly and I went out for brunch, did some grocery shopping, and went to a matinee. We saw "Hidden Figures" which was wonderful!
Back at Dauphin Island Campground in the evening, we heated up some Brunswick stew and listened to the rain and wind outside, while we were cozy and warm with our heater chugging away. At home there is snow in the forecast so we are not in a hurry to head back that way!
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Friday and Saturday on Dauphin Island
On Friday morning, we caught the 11 am ferry from the ferry slip about a quarter-mile from the campground. The ferry crosses Mobile Bay, to land at Fort Morgan, about a 35 minute trip. While their brochure said that passengers can watch dolphins and various seabirds, we didn't see much but gulls; however, it was a pleasant ride across.
Once across, we drove east for about 25 miles to Gulf Shores where we got on 59 north to Foley, Alabama. Then...98 west to take the scenic route along the east side of Mobile Bay. We entered the town of Fairhope from the south, passing lots of pricey waterfront mansions along the way.
By then it was lunchtime, and we ate outside at an excellent local restaurant where the waitress fussed over Ranger, and of course he just ate up all that attention. While in Fairhope, we drove by a couple of houses that I had browsed on realtor.com, and Dan made a stop to check out the local marina, just in case we happened to move down and just in case we bought another boat!
We completed the loop around the bay, going north, through Spanish Fort, west into Mobile, and south on 193 back to Dauphin Island.
Kelly and Michael arrived in the evening and set up camp in the tent-section of the campground.
On Saturday morning, we all took a walk through the nearby Audubon Bird Sanctuary, which the dogs enjoyed. The best part was the last stretch along the beach where Kelly ran with Ranger and allowed him to splash around in the waves. (He had a good shower back at the RV to get the sand and salt off of him.)
After a lunch of HUGE burritos purchased from one of the local restaurants, we are all taking a break to digest and rest, so I am using the time to update this blog....and then maybe nap for awhile.
Once across, we drove east for about 25 miles to Gulf Shores where we got on 59 north to Foley, Alabama. Then...98 west to take the scenic route along the east side of Mobile Bay. We entered the town of Fairhope from the south, passing lots of pricey waterfront mansions along the way.
By then it was lunchtime, and we ate outside at an excellent local restaurant where the waitress fussed over Ranger, and of course he just ate up all that attention. While in Fairhope, we drove by a couple of houses that I had browsed on realtor.com, and Dan made a stop to check out the local marina, just in case we happened to move down and just in case we bought another boat!
We completed the loop around the bay, going north, through Spanish Fort, west into Mobile, and south on 193 back to Dauphin Island.
Kelly and Michael arrived in the evening and set up camp in the tent-section of the campground.
On Saturday morning, we all took a walk through the nearby Audubon Bird Sanctuary, which the dogs enjoyed. The best part was the last stretch along the beach where Kelly ran with Ranger and allowed him to splash around in the waves. (He had a good shower back at the RV to get the sand and salt off of him.)
After a lunch of HUGE burritos purchased from one of the local restaurants, we are all taking a break to digest and rest, so I am using the time to update this blog....and then maybe nap for awhile.
Friday, March 10, 2017
A quiet Thursday
After breakfast, we headed out to find a West Marine store, as Dan needed to replace the regulator for the grill. The store was north of the campground in an area that Dan thought desirable for house-hunting (along the Dog River) so we also did a drive-by of a house on the water that was for sale. It was probably lovely, but it was a long way from a town, from grocery shopping, from anything. Not suitable, though living right on the river would certainly be nice.
Back by noon, Kelly connected with me and I picked up Rossi, for us to dog-sit for the afternoon while she taught her class and attended meetings. Rossi was uneasy leaving Kelly and did not lie down ALL afternoon! She and Ranger and I did have a good walk, and she was able to sniff out things at the campsite.
Kelly arrived around 5:00, much to the delight of both Rossi and Ranger (who always goes crazy when he sees Kelly). Shortly thereafter, Michael arrived, and Dan grilled burgers (regular and veggie) for dinner which we enjoyed while catching up on news.
This morning, Ranger and I were both up early again. We had our morning walk along the beach near the lab as the sun came up.
Cloudy weather expected for the next two days, with rain in the forecast for Sunday. Kelly and Michael plan to bring a tent out later today to stay overnight in the campground.
Back by noon, Kelly connected with me and I picked up Rossi, for us to dog-sit for the afternoon while she taught her class and attended meetings. Rossi was uneasy leaving Kelly and did not lie down ALL afternoon! She and Ranger and I did have a good walk, and she was able to sniff out things at the campsite.
Kelly arrived around 5:00, much to the delight of both Rossi and Ranger (who always goes crazy when he sees Kelly). Shortly thereafter, Michael arrived, and Dan grilled burgers (regular and veggie) for dinner which we enjoyed while catching up on news.
This morning, Ranger and I were both up early again. We had our morning walk along the beach near the lab as the sun came up.
Cloudy weather expected for the next two days, with rain in the forecast for Sunday. Kelly and Michael plan to bring a tent out later today to stay overnight in the campground.
Thursday, March 9, 2017
A Day of Travel
This was the story of Wednesday:
We traveled about 200 miles west and are now at Dauphin Island Campground in Alabama. It has a good location going for it, but that is about all. Our site is very small, right up against another camper, and bumpy with lots of tree roots. The bathrooms are quite awful, though, to be fair, they are obviously in the process of building a new bathhouse.
Ranger does seem to like this place, however; he was up at 5:30, ready for a walk which ended up being almost an hour long. There are also cats all over, concentrated near the fish-cleaning station, so that is pretty entertaining for him.
We are looking forward to seeing Kelly later today, when she gets off work.
Wednesday, March 8, 2017
Last day at Grayton Beach
After yesterday's successful trip to the dog park, we took Ranger over again to play. However, he must have been either too tired or too sore from all that running---he played but not as long and not as vigorously. He still seemed to enjoy being off leash for awhile.
I spent some more time out on my bike while Dan relaxed at the campsite with our tired dog.
One more trip to the grocery store ended our last, lazy day at Grayton Beach. In late afternoon we packed up the screened room, put bicycles on the car rack, put away the lounge chairs, and retreated to the RV for some soup and a quiet evening. Waiting for the rain....which definitely fell during the night! (So nice to have a roof over our heads on nights like this.
I spent some more time out on my bike while Dan relaxed at the campsite with our tired dog.
One more trip to the grocery store ended our last, lazy day at Grayton Beach. In late afternoon we packed up the screened room, put bicycles on the car rack, put away the lounge chairs, and retreated to the RV for some soup and a quiet evening. Waiting for the rain....which definitely fell during the night! (So nice to have a roof over our heads on nights like this.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Happy Dog!
When we went to the local Publix for some groceries, we noticed a sign for an off-leash dog park, so on Monday we went to check it out.
Ranger loved it!
He had a chance to chase his frisbee and then take a walk around the grounds. He met two other dogs along the way and did pretty well with them, other than a disagreement over who "owned" that tennis ball. When we got back to the campground, he drank LOTS Of water and then collapsed for a good nap.
After lunch and some lounging, Dan and I biked up to Watercolor, parked the bikes, and walked around some of the shops. Very upscale....not tempted to buy anything, other than that small ice cream cone that cost me $7!
The weather continues to be good: sunny, breezy, highs in the 70's and lows in the 60's. Rain is supposed to move in overnight, though, so we will probably pack up much of the stuff this afternoon in preparation for tomorrow's drive to Alabama.
Ranger loved it!
He had a chance to chase his frisbee and then take a walk around the grounds. He met two other dogs along the way and did pretty well with them, other than a disagreement over who "owned" that tennis ball. When we got back to the campground, he drank LOTS Of water and then collapsed for a good nap.
After lunch and some lounging, Dan and I biked up to Watercolor, parked the bikes, and walked around some of the shops. Very upscale....not tempted to buy anything, other than that small ice cream cone that cost me $7!
The weather continues to be good: sunny, breezy, highs in the 70's and lows in the 60's. Rain is supposed to move in overnight, though, so we will probably pack up much of the stuff this afternoon in preparation for tomorrow's drive to Alabama.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Cycling and walking on a windy day
Sunday was an overcast and windy day which again started in the mid-40's. By late morning it was warming up, and we headed out on our bicycles along the bike trail, westbound. One sees more from a bike than a car, and we passed lakes, state forest, and lots of rental houses and condos. We stopped for a break (and coffee) at Gulf Place, about 5.5 miles from the campground.
The beach houses here share a common design: narrow, tall, with lots of balconies and decks. And there are LOTS of new ones going up along Rte 30A, gated communities with beach access.
With about twelve miles of biking behind us, Dan was ready for an afternoon nap (along with Ranger). I headed out for a walk on the beach. (Dogs are not allowed on the beach, so most of our walking has been on roads and paths around the campground.) The wind had really kicked up the waves in the Gulf!
And it being a Sunday, we ended the day with some TV: season's final episodes for Mercy Street and Victoria.
The beach houses here share a common design: narrow, tall, with lots of balconies and decks. And there are LOTS of new ones going up along Rte 30A, gated communities with beach access.
With about twelve miles of biking behind us, Dan was ready for an afternoon nap (along with Ranger). I headed out for a walk on the beach. (Dogs are not allowed on the beach, so most of our walking has been on roads and paths around the campground.) The wind had really kicked up the waves in the Gulf!
And it being a Sunday, we ended the day with some TV: season's final episodes for Mercy Street and Victoria.
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Exploring the Florida Panhandle
Yesterday we decided to explore the area more broadly, so after a lazy start to the day we got in the car and headed west. County Rte 30A has many rental houses and condos, alternating with small shops and restaurants. It led to Route 98 which runs east-west along the Gulf. While it was, at first, a pleasant ride, as we neared Destin there were strip-malls, outlet malls, chain restaurants, etc. etc. etc. along both sides of the road. Do people really need so many places to shop???
Farther west in Destin, we came to tall high-rise apartments on the beach, then more stores and malls. At Fort Walton Beach, we turned north and continued the loop around Chocktawhatchee Bay, going through Valparaiso and Niceville. Then back south again to our starting point. Before going back to the campground we did some grocery shopping, and in the process discovered an off-leash dog park that we will need to try out.
After a late lunch we again took the bike path, this time going west. Along the path, there are small lakes like this one:
We turned off into the small town of Grayton Beach which consists of many older rental beach cottages, some bars and restaurants, and (of course) a public entrance to the beach.
With the continuing cool nighttime temperatures, we enjoyed our first campfire of the trip, with Dan grilling brats on the grate.
Farther west in Destin, we came to tall high-rise apartments on the beach, then more stores and malls. At Fort Walton Beach, we turned north and continued the loop around Chocktawhatchee Bay, going through Valparaiso and Niceville. Then back south again to our starting point. Before going back to the campground we did some grocery shopping, and in the process discovered an off-leash dog park that we will need to try out.
After a late lunch we again took the bike path, this time going west. Along the path, there are small lakes like this one:
We turned off into the small town of Grayton Beach which consists of many older rental beach cottages, some bars and restaurants, and (of course) a public entrance to the beach.
With the continuing cool nighttime temperatures, we enjoyed our first campfire of the trip, with Dan grilling brats on the grate.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Relaxing day at Grayton Beach
Ranger was up and ruffing at 6:00; both of us are adjusting to the change in time zone. It was a chilly 44 degrees at that hour, but it warmed up quickly as the sun rose.
Our campsite at this park is in the older section, with lots of trees and shrubs to provide privacy.
The other loop in the campground is newer (and has better showers) but it's much more open and grassy. We spent time lounging around the campsite and saw a number of birds (notably ruby-crowned kinglets) flitting around.
We got the bikes out in early afternoon and headed down the local bike trail, which runs for 18+ miles along county route 30A. We went east and soon were in the neighborhood called Watercolor which is an upscale newly-built community of fancy shops, restaurants, and condos. A browsing in realtor.com showed that houses there were in the 1 to 6 million dollar range!
Dan was in the mood for pizza so we had an early dinner out at Angelina's, right along 30A. As the temperatures dropped again (heading into the 40's), we spent a cozy evening reading in the RV.
Our campsite at this park is in the older section, with lots of trees and shrubs to provide privacy.
The other loop in the campground is newer (and has better showers) but it's much more open and grassy. We spent time lounging around the campsite and saw a number of birds (notably ruby-crowned kinglets) flitting around.
We got the bikes out in early afternoon and headed down the local bike trail, which runs for 18+ miles along county route 30A. We went east and soon were in the neighborhood called Watercolor which is an upscale newly-built community of fancy shops, restaurants, and condos. A browsing in realtor.com showed that houses there were in the 1 to 6 million dollar range!
Dan was in the mood for pizza so we had an early dinner out at Angelina's, right along 30A. As the temperatures dropped again (heading into the 40's), we spent a cozy evening reading in the RV.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Arrival in Florida
Day 3 (Wednesday) took us from southern Georgia, past Jacksonville and Tallahassee, and to our first destination: Grayton Beach State Park. Interstate 10 is flat and mostly straight, through farms and forests, a rather dull ride. We turned south at DeFuniak Springs, heading to the park which is about midway between Panama City and Pensacola.
The change in time zone threw us off a bit, so after grilling chicken for dinner we headed in early and were asleep shortly after 9!
As the weather report said, a front came through during the night, dropping some rain and bringing wind and cooler temperatures. The high for the next few days is supposed to be in the upper 60's, still not bad for early March.
Ranger and I were up early for a walk. The campground is on the inland side of Western Lake; beyond the lake are the sand dunes and then the Gulf of Mexico.
As I type this, it looks like the clouds are breaking up, so it should be a good day to start exploring this area. There's only one hiking trail, but there are bike trails along Route 30A which runs parallel to the Gulf and you can rent canoes to go out on the lake.
The change in time zone threw us off a bit, so after grilling chicken for dinner we headed in early and were asleep shortly after 9!
As the weather report said, a front came through during the night, dropping some rain and bringing wind and cooler temperatures. The high for the next few days is supposed to be in the upper 60's, still not bad for early March.
Ranger and I were up early for a walk. The campground is on the inland side of Western Lake; beyond the lake are the sand dunes and then the Gulf of Mexico.
As I type this, it looks like the clouds are breaking up, so it should be a good day to start exploring this area. There's only one hiking trail, but there are bike trails along Route 30A which runs parallel to the Gulf and you can rent canoes to go out on the lake.
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