Homosassa Springs, Florida

Dec 3 - 11/12  Warm and warmer everyday 80+, nights about mid 60's but very very humid.  Fog a few days in the morning.

We did a little zig zag across the north Florida.  First in Silver Springs then over to the coast to St. Augustine then back to Umatilla.   This was our last stop before we head down to Orlando to fly home for Christmas.  The park we are staying at is very big with many snowbirds; I think we are only one of three that are only staying for the week or less, it's called Olde Mill Stream in Umatilla.   They do have a big rally area where groups come in and all stay together, even have a clubhouse for them - which is really unique.  We have not seen any park cater to rally groups before, last weekend there was a Good Sam Club from Osceola, about 20 motorhomes.

Anyways while we are so close to our friends we did some more riding around all the lakes in Lake County.  Little, little lakes.  One day Don and Annie and little Buddy took us with their pontoon boat over to Homosassa Springs where it is one of the best places in Florida to see the Manatees.   We saw a few of them, a Mom and her baby too! Beautiful.  
In the river they have this island that has a bunch of monkeys on it, now that's the life!

St. Augustine, Florida

Nov 26 - Dec 3
Everyone remembers their history lessons - are you smarter than a 5th grader?   Yes the legendary Fountain of Youth is here, a spring of water that restores the youth of anyone who drinks from it.   The vicinity of St. Augustine was first explored in 1513 by Juan Ponce de Leon (who was governor of Puerto Rico).  The city was founded in 1565 by admiral Pedro Menedez de Aviles.  To fight the British the Spanish began construction in 1672 of Castillo de San Marcos which still stands today as the nation's oldest fort. Its construction took a quarter of a century.

In the 1880's Henry Flagler (who was the partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil) arrived in St. Augustine and was the driving force behind turning the city into a winter resort for the wealthy northern elite.  Flagler bought a number of local railroads which were incorporated into the Florida East Coast Railway, this rail ran down the Atlantic coast to the end of the Keys.  He built two beautifully ornate hotels - The Ponce de Leon which is now Flager College and Alcazar which is the current City Hall. 

Flagler College (previously Ponce de Leon Hotel)

Beautiful dome inside the College

City Hall (previous Alcazar Hotel)

Lobby at City Hall

St. Augustine Beach

Nov 26 - Dec 3   Sunny, Breezy, Warm 70-76 all week, low about 55 to 60 

boardwalk to beach from campground

a treasure hunter on the beach - searching for coins, jewellery

Location, location, location that's what this campground has.  Bryn Mawr Ocean Resort, St. Augustine Beach.  The transient sites are all right out at the ocean, don't even look at the other ones.  Funny the sites are all cement pads with decks and the streets are all sand.  One thing is that the ocean is pounding on the beach and the surf is throwing up mist and salt..... and oh yes you will need to wash your RV and your toad after one week.   It is driving Billy crazy, you can feel the film on everything.  We kept the windows closed in the coach and used the AC to keep the humidity down.  But the location is beautiful.  You walk right out to the beach and then you can walk either way for miles.   You can drive your vehicle out there and ride your bicycles.  It definitely is a nice spot.

kite boarder

The Loop Scenic Drive & Bruce Rossmeyers' HD

Nov 30 Sunny warm about 73, low of 60
Having friends to ride with is such an added treat when you are on the road just the two of you's (Billy & Rosey) for such a long time.  We have been able to enjoy that with our friends Don and Annie close bye this area.  We are camped in St. Augustine and they came for for a couple of days.

We road down A1A which is Florida's Scenic Drive and when you get close to Ormand Shores it takes a turn inland and gets within a mile of the largest Harley shop in North America.  Its really a very pretty ride in Florida along the beach and then a curvy road through the swamp and some old weeping oaks and leaning palm trees.

Ok, back to the Harley Davidson dealership, of course we went there for a few hours.  There are two floors of bikes and merchandise, just get that credit card out!!! 

Silver Springs & Ocala, Florida

Nov 19 - 26   Sunny everyday, low 70's - every night colder 40's till last night FROST......  BRRR.

Hey Mr. Weatherman we are in Florida now?  The weather is amazing how it can be so nice and warm during the day, today was 73 not a cloud in the sky and this morning when I opened the door to see how it was there was frost on the trailer across from us!  This was Thanksgiving week in the U.S. and you know what that means - lookout Black Friday Shopping.   Not us we are not shoppers on any day; our day out was with Don & Annie and their Gang!  Went to a great little pizzeria joint near Gainsville.

Ocala is a very nice ranching area at the top of Florida - lots of horse farms.   I think I read they have raised 6 Kentucky Derby winners from this area.

If you are a gearhead you will also like the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum.  He was "Big Daddy" of drag racing and the place is stuffed with everything on the race track.  There is also a museum with many old cars and other interesting memorabilia - you can play the Wurlitzer for .25.   Billy found many old favorite cars of his and quite enjoyed all the drag cars and engines. 

Beautiful Condition...   I bet the American Pickers would love this!

Oh and our camping site this week was not a good choice...  Don had sent us a note with the place to stay and bad Rosey didn't pay close attention and here we are in a very old run down Silver Springs Campers Garden RV Resort...... ha ha,,, there is nothing resort about this place.  Oh well you take the good with the bad and oh yes this is a bad section of town too, everyday we saw someone going through the garbage in the bin across the street and also saw the same homeless man and his dog every day walking out along hwy 40.  So make sure if you are in this area go to Wilderness RV Resort about 5 miles west of this place.

This is the only 50 amp spot which is a pull thru that we cannot get around to get out so we will have to back up to pull out ! Oh joy!

Getting Groceries on the Motorcycle

Usually we are the only ones walking around the grocery store in our Harley jackets.....   It's become second nature to us to buy exactly what fits in the saddlebags and our t-bag.  People in the parking lot always seems to get a kick out of watching us take everything from the cart and put it into those pockets!   Today was comical though, when we came back out there were 2 more bikes parked beside us.   Hey it's looking like the new trend :)

Golden Isles of Georgia Coast

Nov 12 to 19  Weather Unsettled all week - only two nice sunny days - cool and grey
When we get a nice sunny day we ride and explore when you get a week of unsettled forecast weather.  This was perhaps the longest stretch of so-so weather we have had since we have been on the road over the last year.  No complaints though we are still just happy and lucky to be doing what we love to do.

We are staying in a very new RV park just south of Brunswick - Coastal Georgia RV Park - beautiful long concrete level sites, easy in and out.  You have grass and some landscaping between neighbours and there is a small pond with a pavilion which has a big stone outdoor fireplace.  It is only about 10 mile to Jekyll Island our first excursion.  Once over the causeway you pay to enter the island.  It makes you feel like you are stepping back in time.  The homes are antiquated and many are historically preserved.  The main hotel is a National Historic Landmark 'The Jekyll Island Club Hotel'. 

 It reminds us of the Grand Hotel on Mackinaw Island.

At the turn of the century this was an island frequented by the rich and famous - Vanderbilts', Goodyears', Rockefellers', Pulizters'..... the list goes on.  

OK, ok and yes Commodore Frederick Bourne..... here we go again.  Last year Billy found his old cousin Daniel Bourne at the Alamo and now he thinks he has found another cousin!!!  Yes it says so on the memorial sign Jekyll Island Club Wharf.  He always sends these pictures to his sister Liz; so they both know where the family was.  (he gets quite a kick out of thinking they are related, ha ha).
The campground is a very naturalistic setting amongst big weeping oaks and the moss with many bicycle and walking trails. 

One thing we never knew before is that this spanish moss is 'NOT' to be handled.  Did you know it is full of little bugs that are nasty biters!  Chiggers or Red Bugs they call them.  Small mites that  will burrow into your skin in very delicate areas - causing much irritation and itchy rashes. 

On St. Simon Island you will find beautiful housing developments with plenty of rental properties and weekend and getaway homes, condos and cottages. 

It's the opposite of Jekyll Island.  Numerous restaurants and boutiques and the day we visited there was an art fair going on which we stopped to browse at. 

Birdhouses crafted like old buildings

3d boat dock and piers

One stop we had to make was at the Southern Soul BBQ.  It's another place that Guy Fieri has visited with Diners, Drive-in's and Dives.   Brunswick GA is famous for Brunswick Stew.  I had to have it... whatever it was.   Turns out that is is a chicken, tomato, lima bean stew.  Piquant and good.   Billy had the rack of ribs all out the big wood fired BBQ outside!

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Found it!!!

Not sure if I told you that after this book came out they actually had to move this statue "The Bird Girl" from the Bonaventure Cemetery to the Telfair Museum in downtown Savannah - there was too much traffic at the grave site.  There is also a movie based on this novel with Kevin Spacey and John Cusack.  I am a firm believer in the book is always better so I will read it before I watch the show.  
Yesterday we were on Jekyll Island and there was a very cool Bookstore in one of the Historical Houses

 - 2 floors of books and I got the last copy she had :)    I had to promise Billy I would not wander too long in the place if he would just please stop at it.... He's such a great guy.
As it turns out there is such an irony to this Jekyll Island Book store.  It makes it's home in the old Jekyll Island Club Infirmary building. This Victorian original was first built as the Furness Cottage. Later, Joseph Pulitzer owned it for a time. Then the Goodyear family bought it and donated it to the Jekyll Island Club for use as an infirmary.  And we all know who Joseph Pulitzer was ~ The Pulitzer Prize!

Rosey found her book

Now I almost hope for a couple of rain days so I can sit and read it.

Bonaventure Cemetary, Tybee Island, Hilton Head

Savannah is a great spot to visit some of the nearby islands.  On our way out to Tybee Island we stopped at a beautiful old cemetery that was originally a plantation.  The big old weeping oaks are filled with sweeping moss.  Billy said while cruising thru the cemetery " I can't believe the things you make me do woman!"..... Then we stopped and off he went with the camera.   Pretty cool place - it had an eerie beauty to it.

Then we headed out to Tybee Island which has a campground - Rivers End.  We did not look at staying here as our friends Bonnie and Jim had stayed at it and warned us that the only way to get to it is right through downtown Savannah!  Traffic Jam.  Thanks to them we stayed out at our KOA.   

The island is pretty though and has a nice beach and a pretty old lighthouse and on the way in we found this very funky eatery - the Crab Shack.   It is a bunch of shacks and decks outdoors on the water with the messiest seafood fun you can have.  They bring you lots of crab, shrimp, oysters for you to break open and then you chuck the remnants into the garbage pail hole in the middle of your table!  I think Billy was sprayed a bit with my crab legs; but it was fun and phew I was tired working for my lunch.

Colossal size oysters that you have to shuck

The next day we went over to Hilton Head Island.   It is a well manicured and elite resort island.   They did let us on with the motorcycle and we visited a few RV resorts that were lovely.   Maybe next year we will stop on our way somewhere for some R & R time.  If you are a golfer you would be in heaven here.  There are just so many places to visit!!!

Savannah, Georgia

Nov 5 - 12, 2012 Weather at beginning of the week was cool, low 60's and 39 at night; warmed up every day as the week went 78 and low of 55
From reading we know that the downtown historical Savannah is the same era as Charleston so it will be nice to explore.  This time we thought it would be fun to do a walking tour so we met "Savannah Dan" downtown at the Johnson Square by the Sundial....    What a personality this fellow is.

You can't miss him - he is 6'5" wears a Seersucker Suit with a bow tie and a stylish straw hat.    Well it was such a great way to spend two hours walking the historic squares district with him and a few others - he is a wealth of information on old Savannah and you are intrigued into his conversation while his stories make you want to know more! 

Owens Thomas House - National Historic Landmark

The city was laid out in the 1700's in squares parallel to the river.  Property along the river was for the working port area and today it has been turned into a touristy riverfront and down river there is still one of the largest working ports in the U.S. today.   Just a block away from the river the squares start and ingeniously there are 4 civic areas and then 4 residential areas; these kept multiplying as the city grew.  The troops would train in the 'green' squares and camp there and it also allowed for a buffer zone if fires sprang up in the city.  It kept growing till there were 24 squares and those are all public park areas today and have statues in honor of prominent Savannah heroes, or water fountains of beauty.  Truly a unique layout of the city which really beautifies it.

One thing we Northerner's find strange is the fact that Savannah and other old Southern cities developed over top of ancient cemeteries and thus there are stories of hauntings because of this.  There is an old Indian burial mound that was unearthed in one of the squares, which is bad mojo.....   and another city block that was a Jewish cemetery which is totally gone except for a single stone memorial!  Now you know those souls are restless......

St. John the Baptiste Cathedral

The city has many, many great restaurants and more than enough history to last you for days.   There have been many movies and books based in the city as well.   I have heard so much in the last few days of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (book and movie)  that I can't wait to read it.

Praline + Bearclaw

As in every local there are certain specialties and Georgia and Savannah are know for their Pecan Pralines.   Along the streets you will see many candy stores which you cannot resist...  when you enter you get a sampling which leads you to the counter to get a box of goodies.  Gosh this was not suppose to be our lunch!!!  We had to stop taking bites and get ourselves into a restaurant.    

Big Daddy ?

Nov 5 -12, 2012

Is that you Big Daddy?

We moved down the coast into Georgia and are staying close to Savannah in the KOA Savannah South Campground.  The setting is nice with big trees and the moss hanging down, there is even a little lake here.  We took a look and found a long lost friend is here - "Big Daddy".    As we got closer to him he marched out of the water and demanded his crackers!!!  Billy thinks it is a younger cousin as he is not quite as big as our own Big Daddy back at the Cove; but definitely related since he had that bossy side of him.

View from the Bunkies -nice

Bourne Bus nestled under the trees

The Low Country & Charleston, South Carolina

Oct 29 - Nov 5, 2012  Sunny everyday high 60's to low 70's, cool at night about 40.

The road into our campground was a little unsettling.  There are some very low lying branches and the hanging spanish moss gives it a closer feeling to the motorhome as you ride underneath.  Apparently if coming thru after a rainstorm it can cause some trouble at about 12 to 12 1/2 feet.  It was ok but it did feel like we were just sneaking thru.  Oh joy we have to go out the same road when we leave on Monday!

We are staying on James Island at the County Campground, a peaceful setting within the city area with miles of paved bike/walking trails.   The park offers a shuttle to downtown and to the Folly Beach fishing Pier for a nominal fee.  Both are very handy if you don't want to bother with parking and driving in peak seasons or if you don't have a toad.
This Low Country area is water and sea grass marshes; with meandering rivers and one island beside the next island and bridges taking you from one piece of land to the next. 
We found the longest fishing pier on Folly Island which is taken care of by the village.  It's a big surfing area as well in the summer months.   They had the funniest street name for the one bordering the Atlantic - it was pretty breezy out there that day and cool too.

Charleston is steeped in history with century old plantations along the river banks.  Charles Town was a great port town and had the first shot of the American Civil War explode over its harbour.  The nice thing about the historic downtown area is a number of free trolleys run through the streets taking you to the different areas, Museum Mile, Antique District, City Market, The Battery, Rainbow row, Meeting and Broad Street Antebellum Homes.  A water taxi will take you to Fort Sumter and Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

We had recently watched an episode of HGTV showing a home on Broad Street  that was 200 years old and been refurbished into original design by a couple for over $5,000,000 (that was the renovation costs to date).  The property is prime and expensive and then it is old and needs continuous refurbishment.  The owner on the show explained that it was a nice project for his wife while he was working!!!   

Driving out along Ashley River are several plantations for visiting, some are still in original condition and some are restored. 

Down on Wadmalaw Island there is the only Tea Plantation in the US,  American Classic Tea - we learned how they cut the new shoots up to 7 times in a summer season and how they process it into 3 grades of tea - green, oolong and black.  Free sampling was nice, usually we do sampling that involves alcohol :)

One day after leaving the tea farm we headed out to Kiawah Island since we had read there were 7 championship style golf courses including the Ocean course where they held the 2012 PGA championship. 

When driving a mile or two in we were stopped at a gate to check if we were allowed onto the island community.... we suggested we would like to go in for some lunch which we could get a guest pass for however; not on a motorcycle.   We laughed and told the guard well that was ok, we had been thrown out of better places!  This gated community was the elite and selected by the size of your bank account.  Well we tried!