nomads

Florida’s First Lavender Farm

Posted on January 15, 2021 by Joe and Sarah Gill

We stayed overnight at Southern Grace Lavender Farm through the Harvest Hosts program. Jason and Kari are building something very special on this farm. Sarah is a long-time user and connoisseur of all things lavender; their small-batch products are some of the best she has ever sampled, including trips to lavender farms in California, British Columbia, and France. Cornelia smells great this week as we enjoy their lavender-plumeria candle. Sarah has been wanting to try a shampoo bar to eliminate another source of plastic in our lives and her long curly locks are responding nicely to the heavenly-scented lavender-tea tree shampoo bar from Southern Grace Lavender Farm! And for two nights, we have slumbered like babies with the lavender-eucalyptus pillow mist on our curtains above our bed. With reasonable prices, environmentally responsible packaging, and absolutely gorgeous products invented and made at the farm by owners Jason and Kari, we recommend our friends check them out for online ordering. Did we mention the pastoral landscape? And the fresh eggs? And the bluebirds?

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, Harvest Hosts, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds | Tags: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bees, Cheese, and Blueberry Wine

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Joe and Sarah Gill

Three nights of agri-tourism through Harvest Hosts gave us new insights into professional pollinators, the benefits of goat milk, and the anti-oxidant power of blueberry wine.

The Bee Barn

We sampled honey and picked up luscious lotions to combat the dry winter air. We learned that the Peace River Bees travel the country to pollinate commercial crops like almonds and citrus in California, apples and cranberries in Maine, and even an assortment of crops in the prairies. Molly made friends with the neighbor’s cows.

Proctor’s Goat Farm and Goat Life

Curious and intelligent goats invited us to walk the twelve acres of pastures and woodland trails with them. They seemed eager to show us their favorite edibles (Spanish moss and palmetto were both popular choices!) and the eldest of the herd adopted Joe and never left his side. In the morning, we were invited to watch the milking and Sarah even got in the parlor and milked one of the gentle girls. We left with a fridge full of fresh fromage de chèvre and goat milk fudge!

Whispering Oaks Winery

This bustling estate introduced us to eight new wines all made from blueberries. Because it was Friday night, we were able to have a steak dinner served outside with a live blues band on the ample patio. A traveling circus was set up in one of the adjoining pastures and on Saturday morning, a 5K race challenged fitness buffs to run the perimeter of the blueberry fields to the “Finish Wine” with the promise of a glass of blueberry wine.

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, Harvest Hosts, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Saying Goodbye to 2020 with Friends Old and New

Posted on January 1, 2021 by Joe and Sarah Gill

Yesterday, a dear friend drove down from Miami for lunch at our campsite. It is said that a good friend is one with whom you simply pick up the conversation where it left off before, regardless of the time in between. That is how it is with Craig! We have spirited discussions on wide-ranging topics and his sense of humor is unparalleled. Thank you, Craig, for making the drive down to share our anniversary with us.

We first met Craig almost two decades ago, when we all worked together in San Jose. He and Sarah went on to teach together again at a different school in Irvine, California. Through the years, he has helped us move, paint our house, inspired us with recommended books, and showered us with thoughtful gifts and love. A talented English teacher, Craig also writes thought-provoking devotionals on his FB page.

After Craig departed for home, Joe readied the fire pit for a blaze to welcome in the New Year. Fellow travelers from a few campsites over joined us after sunset with a bottle of prosecco. Tom (Italian) and Heather (American) are international travelers who met on a beach overseas. They now own an octagonal house in North Carolina which they have restored and rent out through Airbnb. Like us, their 2020-2021 international travel plans caused them to shift to Plan B and they are exploring the U.S. in a tiny Scamper.

As we spent the evening trading stories, it came to pass that Heather and Joe know someone in common. Of course, Joe Gill would find the one person in all of the 1.5 million acres of Everglades National Park, that would have a mutual friend! Joe is the original King of Six Degrees of Separation. He often makes the connection in two degrees or less!

Traveling gives one new perspective and meeting other people from different walks of life is a way to build empathy and lessen our fears about differences. The warm weather of southern Florida affords us the ability to safely sit outdoors and converse with new friends we meet along this journey. We are blessed and privileged to have this opportunity to enjoy our national and state parks and have unhurried conversations with interesting folks in person. We are optimistic that science and good sense will lead the world to healing, as the Covid-19 vaccines are implemented in 2021. As you make your New Year’s resolutions, we wish for you abundant love and meaningful connections in your life.

Categories: fulltime RV life, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

Christmas in Review

Posted on December 26, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

We finish up our Christmas week here at John Prince RV Campground with lots of good memories and terrific weather. Thank you to our friends, Ken and Mary, in Delray Beach for including us in their Christmas festivities. Mary is an amazing chef!

We head to the Everglades today and will be boondocking without cell service or wifi access. Our kids have an emergency number to the ranger station, if anyone needs us. See you on the other side in 2021!

Categories: beach walking, fulltime RV life, nomads, retirement travel, RV living, snowbirds | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Wetlands and Gators and Birds – Oh, My!

Posted on December 11, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

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?

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, geoquiz, nomads, retirement travel, RV living | Tags: , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” -Mahatma Ghandi

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

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: , , , , | 3 Comments

Joe’s BFF

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

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.

Young Coco wants Molly to play some more, but Molly is more interested in Sarah’s breakfast possibly falling off the table into her mouth!

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: , , , | 2 Comments

Huntington Beach State Park, SC

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill
We like walking during a pandemic on an empty beach!

We just finished a week at Huntington Beach State Park and we were astounded by its size and avian population. Walking the nature trails through oak forests and marshes, over beach dunes, and along the shore itself, we encountered herons, storks, egrets (small and large), pelicans, ibis, cormorants, and the usual ducks and seagulls. Signs warned of alligators, but no sightings by us.

We missed the last of the loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings by about a month. The entire coastal community is asked to dim their lights between May and October to avoid confusing the tiny turtle babies who follow the light of the horizon to make it from shore to sea. If lights are left on by humans, the 2-inch creatures may go toward the white light instead of the ocean. You can learn more online from SeaTurtle.org.

For our Pasadena friends, we found another Huntington Gardens here in South Carolina. Okay, it’s actually called Brookgreen Gardens, but it was founded by Archer Huntington, who was Henry’s cousin AND step-son. While the soap opera of the Huntington Family can be looked up on Wikipedia (you may need a flow chart to keep track of the marriages, divorces, deaths, etc.), suffice to say that Archer and his wife, artist Anna Hyatt Huntington, created a legacy of botanical gardens that rival our treasured San Marino gardens. The Gills were patrons of The Huntington for more than a decade and Joe’s students even created one of the art exhibits a few years ago. When we travel, we like to visit gardens, learn local flora, and get inspired for garden projects in our own yard. Brookgreen did not disappoint!

Over 9000 acres of gardens, fountains, sculptures, poetry, and CHRISTMAS LIGHTS were on display for our visit this week to the annual Nights of a Thousand Candles. There were almost three thousand hand-lit actual candles throughout the main gardens. And the electric decorations were too numerous to count. Additionally, we were able to walk through Bruce Munro‘s immersive art installation, Field of Light.

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, nomads, retirement travel, RV living | Tags: , | 3 Comments

Cornelia’s Crew

Posted on December 2, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

As we prepared for fulltime RV life, Captain Joe started designating jobs, replete with titles, to the sparse crew (Sarah and Molly!). Sarah was originally commissioned as Campground Coordinator and Navigator, although the Campground Liaison Staff Officer (Joe) demonstrated initiative and completely booked the first six weeks of sites for the trip.

One week into our adventure, we have fleshed out our jobs list, with each crew member wearing multiple hats:


Captain Joe

  • Chief Pilot
  • Mission Commander
  • Procurement Officer
  • Campground Liaison Staff Officer
  • Environmental Control & Life Support Systems Technician (sanitation, HVAC, etc.)
  • Grillmaster
  • CFO
  • Director of Security
  • Lead Custodian

First Mate Sarah

  • Navigator
  • Campground Coordinator
  • Director of Technology
  • Receptionist at Office of Supplies & Requisitions
  • Advance Scout
  • Outdoor Parking Patrol
  • Aquawoman
  • Minister of the Interior
  • Principal Researcher
  • Loadmaster
  • Communications Specialist
  • Chief Medical Officer
  • Lead Housekeeper

Co-Pilot Molly

  • Morale Officer
  • Professional Food Tester

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, nomads, retirement travel, RV living | Tags: , | 4 Comments

2020-2021 Roadtrip

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Joe and Sarah Gill

We were supposed to embark on a six-month Round The World (RTW) adventure in 2020-2021. We have been planning this trip for years and Joe specifically retired to make our dreams come true. Even with the promise of emerging vaccines, international tourist amenities will be inconsistent with eradicating risk to senior travelers. Border crossings will be variable and hospital services, even for non-Covid ailments, will be unreliable for peace of mind to transnational travelers.

We all have a different comfort level with risk. You might be thrilled to go skydiving and I am terrified to descend a steep staircase. As we approach the one-year anniversary of the emergence of SARS-Covid-19, it is apparent to the entire global community that this virus poses a deadly threat to humans. It is risky to be exposed to this airborne contagion.

We both love to research and look for creative solutions to obstacles. We see an opportunity for doing something different as opposed to despairing and going back to bed with the covers over our heads when confronted with a challenge. While camping in New Hampshire in September, it occurred to us that we could shift our travel sights back to the U.S. and spend several months exploring our many beautiful wilderness areas in a self-contained tiny house on wheels – an RV!

Introducing Cornelia – our new covid capsule! She is big enough to live in full-time and she is strong enough to tow Mike, our trusty vintage VW van, so we will have a runabout vehicle and an option for smaller campsites.

Categories: epic road trip, fulltime RV life, nomads, retirement travel, RV living | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

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