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GEOQUIZ
Categories: epic road trip, geoquiz, journey, retirement travel
Tags: america's scenic byways, rural life
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New Year
We welcomed 2022 in Yuma, Arizona. Santa brought us some bikes and a new portable propane firepit for us to enjoy outdoor living in the desert. We got our porch set up (photo above) with twinkly lights so we can read outside in the evenings. Sarah will likely add some more artistic touches as the winter goes on!
National Heritage Area
GEO-QUIZ: Name the bridge where Joe is trainspotting.
Categories: arizona, desert hiking, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, responsible tourism, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds
Tags: 2022, blue heron, city of yuma, Colorado River, desert wetlands, New Year, trainspotting, watercolors, westwind rv & golf resort, wetlands restoration, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, Yuma East Wetlands
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Walkin’ On The Moon
Giant steps are what you take
Song by The Police
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don’t break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon
We only spent two nights in New Mexico, driving straight through with only three stops: Billy The Kid Museum, World’s Largest Pistachio, and White Sands National Park.
Visiting the world’s largest gypsum dunefield on a sunny morning was like visiting the moon. Our brains interpreted the hard-packed gypsum road as a snowy road lightly sanded in winter. With constant shifts in the dunes from daily winds, a park employee is kept busy plowing and grading the 8-mile loop road and large pullout parking areas.
The outdoor temps were gorgeous and we walked barefoot through the dunes. Again, our brains were slightly confused by the visual and sensory conflict; the dune looks like it should be hot sand, but the texture of cool, smooth gypsum feels like talc.
We had to stop for a photo with the world’s largest pistachio.
GEO-QUIZ: Where is the world’s largest pecan?
Celebrating at The Big Texan
We drove over 700 miles to get our first Covid-19 vaccination shots. Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor gloom of night stayed us from our long-sought appointments. We are grateful and we celebrated with a delicious steak dinner in a private booth at The Big Texan. Stay healthy, friends.
GEO-QUIZ: In which town did we receive our shots?
Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds
Tags: CVS, first shot, The Big Texan, tiger mask, Tony Bernard, wear your mask, Winter Storm Uri
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King Cake for Breakfast & Daiquiris for Lunch
All NY resolutions of salads and moderate meal portions were paused for our nine days of food heaven in Louisiana. Who doesn’t love Randazzo’s King Cake for breakfast every day during carnival season???
We camped at a great state park across the lake from NOLA with easy access to the causeway for visits with friends on both sides of the water. Thank you to everyone who made time in their schedules to hang out with the Gills!
GEOQUIZ: Where in the world did a bakery substitute Baby Yoda for Baby Jesus in their carnival cakes?
Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds
Tags: Abita Brewing Company, Commander's Palace, crawfish, crayfish, Daiquiris & Creams, etouffee, float houses, gumbo, Henry's Uptown Bar, Lake Ponchartrain, little free libraries, Louisiana Children's Museum, Mandeville, Mardi Gras, Mignon Faget, New Orleans, NOLA, Oak Oven, po'boy, Randazzo King Cake, Tipitina's
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Where The Highway Ends
We left Cornelia parked in the Everglades and motored with Mike all the way south on Hwy 1 to Key West. What a stunning drive! The picturesque ocean water shifts in color to pale blues, turquoises, and teals. Driving Mike through the Florida Keys has been on Sarah’s Bucket List for years and we hope to return post-pandemic to spend several days exploring this gorgeous part of the world.
We arrived in time for lunch and the driver of a beautifully restored iconic ‘57 Chevy convertible pulled up alongside us at a stoplight. He called out to compliment us on Mike and we responded in kind. Just before the light changed, we asked where was a good, safe spot for an outdoor lunch and without hesitating he recommended Garbo’s Grill @ Hanks – a food truck out back of a bar with live music. Instant success! We drove through old town, found the bar, and the server immediately filled up a bowl with fresh water for Molly. The tables were widely spaced outdoors and we feasted on Caribbean shrimp and Korean BBQ. The tropical breeze wafting over us combined with the good music made us feel transported to pre-Covid vacation times. We could have sat there drinking all afternoon!
Part of Sarah’s fascination with Key West is the literary connections of authors like Ernest Hemingway and Shel Silverstein. Hemingway’s house is preserved for tourists, but Silverstein’s house was crushed by a large banyan tree during a hurricane in 2017.
After walking downtown, we drove to the southernmost tip of the Continental U.S. but declined to wait in the block-long line for a photo at the monument. We snapped a picture of other folks as we drove past!
We discovered Dog Beach, where Molly and other canine pals could swim in the warm water. Even Sarah jumped a few waves!
Because this was a day trip, we reluctantly pointed north again but made two more stops on the way back to our covid-capsule at the campground. Kiki’s Sandbar is right on the water with terrific views and strong drinks. Leashed dogs are welcomed! And a trip to a fish market to pick up dinner and a slice of Key Lime pie completed our adventure.
GEOQUIZ: Name the southernmost beach in the United States.
Wetlands and Gators and Birds – Oh, My!
After a successful morning at an outdoor (!) laundromat, we ventured on a wildlife drive that is only open on Fridays – Sundays. The speed limit is 10 MPH and the approximately 11-mile drive is one-way. With well-placed markers indicating audio tour stops, we learned loads about the restoration efforts to return these former farmlands to functioning wetlands.
GEOQUIZ: 174 species of birds were counted on Christmas Day 1998 on the north shore of Lake Apopka, the highest species total for an inland count in the 120 years of the annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count. What is the total number of bird species ever observed on the north shore of Lake Apopka?
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” -Mahatma Ghandi
We arrived after sunset; awoke to rain; and by lunchtime we were drenched in sunshine.
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park includes 1.5 miles of undeveloped sandy beach and hundreds of acres of woodland acquired by the City of Jacksonville, Florida in the 1960s and ‘70s. According to Wikipedia, part of Hanna Park used to be known as Manhattan Beach for the first four decades of the 20th century, Florida’s first beach community for African Americans working on the Florida East Coast Railway. At its height this Manhattan Beach included amenities such as picnic pavilions, cottages, and an amusement park. See also the history of Manhattan Beach in California – interesting parallels to Bruce’s Beach can be traced.
Today, with 300 campsites for RVs and tents, there is not much space between each site, but the jungle vegetation provides a screen of privacy and the design of the campground includes twists and turns which cleverly provide a unique layout at each spot.
Exploring enchanted hiking trails through the jungle, we met a small group of children attending their outdoor school. Joe remarked that Sarah would make a great pandemic teacher for small children as she also sings her way down pathways and finds joy in the natural arrangement of leaves and twigs and sunshine! We noted that the bike trails are designated one-way by the day of the week, reducing head-on accidents in the woods, presumably. It did not take long for us to hike out to another huge, empty, beautiful beach.
GEOQUIZ: What is the term for a forest that grows as an ecological island in contrast to surrounding wetlands?
Categories: beach walking, epic road trip, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, nomads, retirement travel, RV living
Tags: empty beaches, Hanna Park, jungle camping, Manhattan Beach, outdoor school
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Joe’s BFF
We stopped for a visit with our dear friends, Jeff and Karen Whalen. Some readers may remember the devastating flood that wiped out their neighborhood a few years ago, so it was terrific to see them back in their rebuilt home. They have an outdoor room with TV and bar, which made for a covid-safe afternoon of football, beer, and mimosas (drinks and trees!).
Three of their five sons dropped by throughout the day and we even got to meet their grandchild and two of their daughters-in-law!
Joe and Jeff are like two peas in a pod. Their upbeat outlook on life is contagious and they both have dedicated their lives to education. Thousands of students and their families have been positively impacted by these two men.
Molly was enchanted with their huge backyard and 18-month old retriever Coco enticed her to play tag. We haven’t seen Molly run and play like that for years! She slept well on Saturday night!
We reluctantly rolled out of their driveway to continue our trek. We look forward to a longer visit next time, post-pandemic.
GEOQUIZ: Where do the Whalens reside?
For new followers, we post occasional GeoQuiz questions. Readers are invited to answer in the comments (we trust that you will not use unfair advantages like Google Searches and will simply rely on your own brain power!) You do not need to be the first correct answer – all correct answers will be tallied and sometimes we even mail prizes!
Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, nomads, retirement travel, RV living
Tags: bff, covid-safe outdoors, love peace and joy, mimosas
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Where in the world are the Gills? 