Goodbye, weird RV resort! Goodbye, tons of Christmas decorations! (Although the next place we go to, I saw an ad for a Christmas golf cart parade ….) Goodbye shuffleboard, and good riddance) (Tracy beat the socks off me, had I been wearing any.) Goodbye bear that freaked Banjo out during our morning walk. Turns out, […]
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Beautiful Myakka River State Park
We scheduled only one full day at this state park outside of Sarasota, Florida, which turns out to be way too little time to watch all the water birds, to hike and bike the trails through the palms and live oaks, to watch the enormous alligators in the river. But the two nights we have […]
A Beer Garden Worth Bending the Rules For
I know we seem like an odd pair of ducks during this pandemic, traveling while so many of our smart friends are still at home, still following safe protocol despite pandemic fatigue. The beauty of our situation is that we travel with our home behind us, so we don’t need hotels, restaurants, or rest-stop bathrooms. […]
Jackpot with the Birdwatching
Sweetwater Wetlands Park Tracy’s very wonderful sister took us to an unusual water filtration area that’s also a bird preserve. It’s a 125-acre man-made wetland that filters run-off water and pollution from Gainesville through a series reservoirs. They were built and opened to the public as a bird sanctuary gradually so the ecosystem could settle. […]
Banjo’s Day at the Beach
Yep, here on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi Banjo encountered the beach for the first time (as far as we know). First she ran around like a maniac. So did Tracy. Then she walked out in the water (actually, waded like a lady) but thought swimming might take more effort than it’s worth. Finally, she […]
“The Show” Reunites!
Flashback The setting: 1978, a colonial home in rural Virginia: the living room has a stone hearth and stone benches surrounding a large fireplace. The characters: Two 10-year-old girls with a lot of time on their hands. The music: 45 RPM records on a turntable in the corner, playing I Will Survive, Cats in the […]
The Sky on the Lake
I just can’t get enough of it. I would have spent more time on the water this evening had I realized when I got in the boat wearing my rainboots that eventually they wouldn’t really fit in there. Rainboots plus workout pants. My evening sky-appreciation attire.
Downtime in the Woods
I’ve described the campground where we decided not to stay and even the one we stayed at last, again, but I haven’t said much about this campground, and we’ve been here for five days. It’s peaceful here, so there’s not a lot to shout about. Biking Back Roads All the land around this lake is […]
Kayaking Our Corner of Lake Superior
This wide-open water is one of the reasons we brought the ocean kayaks—they move quickly so you can paddle from a ho-hum spot where you’ve put in to a more spectacular spot like one of the many islands around here. Tracy had in mind us kayaking out several miles to the famous Apostle Islands, but […]
Key Is Entering the Water Lilies Slowly
I finally found my groove in my new kayak (and with myself), at least for this lake. I slowed all the way to a meander as Tracy paddled away at his own rate. As long as I’m not trying to keep up or catch up, I seem to be okay. It’s the fast paddling that […]