Friday, December 30, 2011

As the journey begins........

Here it is the 4th day of your trip and I am finally getting down to writing this blog. As Roger wrote too many of you I have been sick with a fever and cold and was not functioning well. Now that I am on the mend I will fill you in on the happenings.



Dec.27th
It was an adventure some first day as we traveled along the highway past the Canada/ US border not expecting the icy roads that made for poor traveling conditions. There were times when we had to drive with one wheel on the gravel which seemed to be a theme on that road for many miles. Just when the road started to bet better I came down with a high fever and chest cold. I cranked up the heat in the car to 25 C and piled on the blankets as I shivered and shook, wheezed and coughed. Tylenol became my new best friend. I slept as much as I could between bathroom breaks wishing I was home in my own bed. Next on the list…a flat tire. Yes, just outside of Grand Forks we heard a bang and a rumble and a flat tire it was. After a lengthy call to AAA we were able to get a tow truck and our tire changed. Then it was off to a Toyota dealer to get a new tire on and the spare put back. I must say the service was incredible and the people very friendly. They even washed our car which was covered in sand and salt and mud. Needless to say we decided to spend the night in Fargo and head out early the next morning. I was in bed by 6:30 pm for the night waking only for a few sips of water and some Tylenol.

Dec. 28th

The day was bright and sunny with the temperatures rising to a balmy 12 C. I was still feeling crummy with my cold, but my fever had subsided and we headed out for another day on the road.  We had a good day of traveling and stopped for the night in St Joseph Mo.

Dec. 29th

We were up early to hit the road after spending a restless night with me and my cold and fever again. I don’t think either Roger or I had much sleep, but after a shower and a bowl of oatmeal we hit the road. I do not remember much of the road trip but was sure glad when we arrived at our hotel in Paducah, Kentucky. I was in bed by 5pm. Roger says he had a lovely supper, a couple of drinks and watched some documentaries on TV. Next thing you know it was morning

Dec. 30th

Life has a new perspective when you are feeling better.  I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Kentucky with its rolling hills, horses in the paddocks, the green of the grass and the beautiful blues hills that seem impossible to capture on camera. When we came into Tennessee I remembered why I liked it so much. The Smokey mountains, the rivers and all the rock walls that line the roads make a very scenic drive.  Nashville through to Chattanooga is a landscape full of hills and twists and turns. My ears popped more than once as we roller coasted along.  

Tonight we are in Byron, Georgia a small town outside of Macon. On the recommendation of the hotel clerk we ate at the local diner called Captain Jacks Crab Shack .  The place was not much to look at from the outside, nor the inside for that matter, but the food did not disappoint.  Grilled grouper and blackened shrimp cooked to perfection.  The booths were handmade, the tables old arborite, an occasional cane chair, crooked venetian blinds with pieces missing and there were red vinyl covered stools up to a high counter for the regulars that wanted to see who was coming and going. The accents were thick with the familiar southern drawl and the hospitality great. Apparently we were the fourth Canadian couple in today and they wondered if perhaps there was something special going on. We explained it was just snowbirds heading for warm weather. They laughed and were pleased we stopped in, then true to form said “ y’all come again. ”
Today the temperature was 19 C with the sun shining down and all seemed right with the world.  I think we are now on a roll to good times……Florida here we come!!!!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Preparing to leave......

Hello Everyone, We find ourselves, yet again, preparing for another journey south to Florida. I think it will be hard to surpass last year’s grand adventure, but we are going to try.  This year we have chosen to rent a condo in Harbour Isle, a small gated community on Hutchison Island just over the causeway from Fort Pierce Florida. After an extensive search on the internet we found a place that was within our price range and seems to meet our expectations. We have researched the area and the weather is good, the price is reasonable and there is a lot to do. It is in a central location along the coast with easy access to Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Miami. Even the keys are not out of the question, although a little further away.  All in all it looks pretty good and we are going to give it a try for 3 months. We leave on December 27th, 2011 which allows us 5 days to reach our destination and eliminates those 12 hour driving days. The excitement is building everyday as we pack and prepare for our winter destination.
Roger has already connected with the   arts community and has lined up painting and drawing classes. I on the other hand have no plans and will take each day as it comes. Hopefully we will get to Disney World this year, as well as do some deep sea fishing. The boat on the ocean does not thrill me, but catching fish does. Hmm, I guess I will have to really think about this….nausea I am not so keen on. Oh well, there is lots of time to decide and who knows what adventures await.
 I look forward to the walks along the sandy ocean shore, hearing the waves, feeling the ocean breeze and smelling the salt air. Of course I can’t wait to feel the warmth of the sun as I bask in the warm rays and  read a book. Oh yes, it does sound good and I sit and imagine a glorious warm winter.
We look forward to seeing  those of you who have decided to come down and visit us and we will be thinking of those who are braving the long winter at home. Talk with you all soon when our adventure begins.  
Carol