FLORIDA 2019: Part 4, Terrific Ending in SC & TN

On day 33, after 2 delightful nights in an Airbnb near the historic district; we were "on the road again" to Knoxville...with a fun stop in Columbia, SC, where I spent my four college years.  We stayed with Gene & Bonnie Ward, forever friends who loved on us, laughed with us, and shared their hearts.  Sweet times.  We made a quick stop near Walterboro to see the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial...African American men who were trained as the only all black Army Air Corp Pilot Unit during World War II, because they weren't allowed to serve with the whites. Sobering but inspirational.  Our final days with our kids and grands were spent hanging out:  soccer games for Jet, biking with Zeal, grocerying & meal prep with Azi, games with Trux, building project with Teg, and lunching with Mikkel to celebrate our birthdays!!  Pulling back into MI on day 40!

  

 

  

 

Another terrific trip with lots of variety... from a cruise to camping to a resort stay to an airbnb to
friends and family.  Grateful for safe travel, for a reliable van, for a beautiful God-created world to
enjoy...and for my friend and lifetime partner to journey with.  Blessed.

FLORIDA 2019: Part 3 A Little History, Please!

St Augustine FL
So, most of our trips include some historic spots...it just so happened that we clumped them all together at the end of this trip!  Our St. Augustine, FL tour on day 28 was perfect weather, so we hopped on the Old Town Trolley to get a view of the many spots of interest. We learned the most from a parishioner guide at the Memorial Presbyterian Church, built by oil & railroad magnate Henry Flagler in honor of his deceased wife and daughter.  The same style was utilized in all of his construction ventures in this city....believe me, he spared no expense!  He was an important figure in the history of Florida in the 1880's, building the rail system along the eastern coast...mostly so that the wealthy hotel guests would have a way to get to his "seasonal" hotels...the magnificent Ponce de Leon (now home to Flagler College) and the "lesser" Alcazar across the street. The many shops in the downtown old district were smartly done, and the Spanish influence is still present in many homes and businesses. The photo of Magnolia Street was taken because it has been named as one of the most beautiful streets in America, oak lined with Spanish moss dripping from the trees and it was  a fun "side trip" for Bill, as he stopped on our walk to preview a home under construction and "got the skinny" from the construction manager on the comparisons of building in the south vs the north.
 

Bill's only sighting of an alligator in FL...
and he was fake !

  

Gates to the city, fortified with brick walls to keep out the Americans!

Tybee Island GA
Because of my decision to not over-plan, we happened to boondock 2 nights in a row (without electricity) - the first night at a Cracker Barrel which worked perfectly as we were able to visit Tybee Island:  a lighthouse tour, a bike ride into the beach town district, and a full tour of Fort Pulaski...the South's main fortification to protect Savannah. The guide at the fort was both knowledgeable and funny.  She gave us the historical setting..a fort painstakingly engineered after the War of 1812 in case of future attack by the British.  Little did the South understand that a different war was brewing.  As the ranger described the election of 1860 with a deeply divided Democratic party which then led to a deeply divided country (most of whom hated Lincoln); it was reminiscent of today's America.  The key issue was one of worth and esteem...which people in the United States had worth?  Were they all equal? As we look back, we can clearly see that they were not on an equal playing field.  In considering the election of 2016 and its aftermath of hate, unkindness and divisiveness; I am wondering if the exact same issue is at stake...which people have worth in America today?  Are we all on a level playing field, are we all equal?  Are still deeply divided because of those same issues that have never been fully resolved...who is "in" and who is "out"?

 


 

Savannah, GA
Day 31 found us in one of the loveliest towns in the south (after Charleston!), after our second boondock in a Walmart parking lot close to the city.  Once again we got the full view on Savannah Tours before determining what we might want to explore more fully.  The restructured cotton textile factories along the river have been turned into boutiques and restaurants, the many large residential homes have now been renovated to their past glory by historical societies, and SCAD (Savannah College of Art & Design) has re-energized this city by putting finances and creativity into its renovations.

At Savannah fav, Crystal Beer Parlor, we touched base with
Benny Mammina, family friend from our Downers Grove days.

 

 

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, one of our favs.

Davenport House Museum

FLORIDA 2019: Part 2 Gotta Love the Camping Life

Day 12!  Heading west to LaBelle, about 40 minutes from Fort Meyers, we set up our mini RV van at the same RV park where our friends,  the Meyers and Chapmans,  have been spending the past few winter months...however, neither were there!! But God took good care of us, as we were welcomed by friends and family of those 2 couples (they treated us to Dairy Q and to a spaghetti dinner!)  We mostly vegged, taking walks and bike rides into town, and enjoyed the hot tub while resting.  Did I say that our main focus this trip was to rest and be "inactive" !!  God taught me a huge lesson in this place.  We literally did not know where our next camping location was to be after this particular week, so the planner in me kicked into high gear; trying to figure it out.  After making several calls and realizing that what Marilyn Meyers said was absolutely true ("you may have a hard time finding sites as March is a terribly busy month in FL"). I could feel my heart getting stressed and wondered why Bill wasn't helping or worrying(!!). I finally looked at Bill and said "what if we head into this next phase of our trip like Abraham, who did not know where he was going when God sent him to Canaan.  He simply relied on Him for daily provisions (just as the Israelites did later)...so we literally began to just take a day at a time, knowing that if a campsite did not turn up, we would land at a Cracker Barrel or simply boondock somewhere (luckily we had this option because the FL weather is perfect right now for sleeping without the need for air or heat).  This plan has worked out perfectly and has relieved me from feeling the "planning pressure".  We did have a lovely day at Sanibel Island:  breakfasting, biking 10 miles, beaching a bit, and resting!!

  

 

  




Day 19:  We headed north to Palmetto as we found a 3 night camping stay, and we wanted to spend some time near the Gulf, and we wanted to see our friends, the Mieuwsens! They recommended a great spot to bike, hike and watch the sunset...a very lovely day!  From there, we had just one night stays at a variety of campgrounds...some outstanding and some mediocre!  We did get to hook up with our friends the Bytwerks who were staying nearby for a week.  Always love our conversations about life and what God is doing with us!

 

 

 

 



We headed into central FL for a Tiger game, stopped for a few hours in Webster FL for their very LARGE Flea Market --then landed in Orlando for a 3 night stay at our timeshare resort.  We have so enjoyed the change-up from resort life, to camping, then back to resort. We like the flexibility and the change of scenery and activities that this trip has brought. In the midst of it all, Bill has taken several opportunities to find the RV lounges and keep up with March Madness, and our first pick...the Sparties of Michigan State!

 

 

 



I must say that one of the highlights of our time in Orlando was the celebration of my birthday.  I think it is true that as we age, we lose some of our inhibitions and fears of what others think!! We joined a group from our timeshare and ate together at a Greek restaurant, which turned into quite an event.  The pictures will tell the story!!  A very delightful, full of belly laughter (and belly dancing) kind of an evening! (the white "snow" is napkins being tossed in the air, yelling OPA). I felt a bit like Jesus must have at the wedding in Cana, a cultural feast of traditions and food!

 

 

 

  


PS - JUST PREVIEWED THIS AND LOOKS LIKE A FEW PICS DUPLICATED...AND I CANT SEEM TO CORRECT IT, SORRY!