Exploring Outer Space

Ned here. Today's big event was our trip to the Kennedy Space Center. We arrived around 10 a.m. and were pleased to see that not too many other people were there. We think maybe the day after Memorial Day weekend was a good day for us to attend. Our first event there was watching a 3D IMAX movie about the repair of the Hubble Deep Space telescope. There were some really gorgeous scenes in that film of distant galaxies. Next we took the ride on the Shuttle Lift Off Simulator. That exhibit did a particularly good job of explaining all the steps before and during liftoff. One thing I learned that I had always wondered about was why you see a bunch of sparks underneath rocket engines several seconds before they actually finish the countdown to liftoff. Turns out those are intentionally created to burn off any excess hydrogen which might be present, thus avoiding an unintended explosion prior to liftoff. We then spent some time looking at the exhibits in both the Early Space Exploration and the Astronauts Hall of Fame, which were both really interesting. As part of these displays we both tried our hands at some flight control simulations. I'm not sure how Debi performed on these, but I'm sorry to report that I managed to crash my vessel twice into the space station, along with smashing the space shuttle into the landing strip, although I was successful at landing the lunar module onto the surface of the moon! Having spent nearly 5 hours(!) at the Space Center we decided to head north towards St. Augustine. We were not convinced that the town of Daytona Beach has aged very well, as Debi has memories of it being extremely cool when she was in her early teens. However, the seemingly endless miles of spectacular beaches which ran north of the city impressed us greatly. Once we arrived in St. Augustine, Debi was completely with the feel of the old part of town. We spent a long time just walking around the quaint little streets, taking photos, as the sun fell lower in the sky. It was a very beautiful way to few the place, and appreciate all the old buildings and their charm. I'm sure we will be spending lots of time there tomorrow, as Debi has now found another town which she has fallen in love with! See today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Anastasia State Park, FL

Miami - Move Along, Move Along

Our time being beach bums is over, and into metropolis we go. It's surreal leaving the keys, the last stop being Key Largo and onto a sea foam green freeway divider. You feel like you're on a Disney Autopia ride. Our first destination was the "must see, never to be believed" roadside attraction of Coral Castle. The story goes that a 5 ft. 100 lb. Latvian man was jilted at the altar and spent the rest of his life carving a home out of coral in dedication to his lost love. We paid the big bucks and got to see Ed's handiwork. The big mystery is how such a little guy accomplished this singlehandedly. It was interesting, but didn't really seem all that comfy or cozy. Actually, I give a lot more credit to the fiancé for having the sense to bolt. She definitely seemed like the sane one! (ah Debi, you romantic). Actually, the most interesting part of the Castle was that the "Wild Women from Wongo" was filmed here in 1959. After that little adventure our next stop was Miami Beach. We thought it would be fun to ride our bikes along South Beach, check out the beautiful people and catch some more Cuban food. This is where our day started getting a little weird. Upon arriving in downtown, we got caught in a police escort. Really! The motorcycles cops were escorting a fancy bus through the streets and we were stuck right in front of it, being motioned thru red lights by the cops on every street corner until we reached the American Airlines arena. I felt like giving all the bystanders my best princess wave. Turns out that there's something like an NBA basketball playoff and the bus was either the Heat or the Mavericks. Go figure. When we crossed into Miami Beach, most of the streets were closed and thousands of cars were creeping and beeping along. We saw a parking spot along the road and just took it, figuring we could bike it from there. Well, turns out I had a flat tire, and as Mr. Gallant was fixing it, a "local gentleman" approached us and informed us that this area was for locals only and we should leave. At this point I realized we were in a sketchy neighborhood and we should take his advice and scram. After sitting in traffic and not moving we decided to forego the Miami Beach scene and move onto Plan B. I got on the Internet to see what Memorial Day activities were holding things up. Turns out it's the annual Hip Hop festival. That explains so much of what was going on! Meanwhile we found a great Brazilian Restaurant, away from the action, and thoroughly enjoyed a very meaty lunch. Feeling that we weren't welcome in Miami Beach, we headed to the very upscale and tony Palm Beach. Nancy told us about a great Bike Trail where we can view all the swanky mansions. Cool! As we were reading about the trail, the following info is stated: "...many of the people using the trail are unusually well dressed and polite. Visitors should dress and act appropriately." Well, we definitely got a chuckle out of that, especially since Ned now had grease stained shorts from the tire repair and after 3 weeks of camping I was definitely looking like something the cat dragged in. As we unloaded the bikes and approached the trail, we noticed a sign that said "trail closed for repairs", and sure enough there was a pipe blocking the trail. Mmm, seems like we weren't fitting in with the hip hop crowd or able to hang with the upper crust. So, we just said let's go do what we do best and head for biking and camping at the State Park. Ah, home sweet home. We checked out the river, but it was much too warm to cool off - not to mention the snake I saw and warning signs of alligators. So, a bike it was thru the park. The crowds have left so it's a very mellow scene. So much form our re-entry into civilization. Tomorrow we go at it again. today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Fl

Life's a Beach

We didn't do much today. We started out at Sandspur Beach where we hoped to find better snorkeling. It was really windy though, and we couldn't find any rocky areas where we had found the coolest looking fish yesterday, so we decided to head back to Caloosa Beach, where we'd started out snorkeling on Friday. Being the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the family picnic action was in full swing there. We realized quickly, once we'd hit the water that there was a really huge current moving past the end of the rocks where we expected to see the best fish. Carefully maneuvering ourselves near the rocks, so as not to get sucked out to sea, we snorkeled for a bit and saw some fish, but decided that the swift current was creating cloudy water conditions which didn't make for the best viewing. We tried swimming to the rocks on the other end of the beach, which turned into a major workout, as we fought against the current. Finding few fish to view at that location, we returned to the beach to hangout under our umbrella, since the day was really hot at this point. Finally we headed back to our campsite to get out of the heat and try to cool off. Thankfully, the wind had turned cooler at this point, so we got some relief. We realize that we have felt very lucky regarding the presence of mosquitos and other biting insects in Florida, which we were warned are unbearable starting this time of year. We've had very little problem with insects at all in Florida, particularly after we were eaten alive in New Orleans! We hit 100 miles on our bike odometer today, which is probably a good thing, considering all the great eating we've been doing. Enough lollagagging around, we're heading out of here first thing in the morning. We've got the Atlantic side of Florida to check out! today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bahia Honda State Park

A Day in Key West...or 90 miles from Cuba

Talk about a whirlwind day. Rather than spending another day at the beach, we decided to take a day trip to Key West, especially since it's only 45 minutes from here. We arrived at 9ish this morning and already the thermometer was pushing the high 80's. First in order was checking out the town on bikes. Being that it was a holiday weekend, it was difficult finding a parking spot, but I befriended an elderly Cuban man sitting on his porch and he let us park in front of his home. First up was a bike ride around the town, checking out the streets and getting a feel for the vibe. Most of the residences are picturesque cottages hidden among dense tropical foliage. Some of the streets are bricked and the cock-a-doodle-doo of roosters is not uncommon. In the historic area, especially on the main street, there is every kind of food you can imagine; Cuban dishes, French crepes, Mexican tacos, and of course local fish specialties. Bars are everywhere serving up daiquiris, rum runners and touting "Papa Hemingway drank here." Ironically, I actually think he did. As we rode our bikes down Duval St, you would get the occasional waft of cigar coming from the various "Dominican made from Cuban seed" cigars. It also seemed that Spanish was the most common language we heard. Or maybe I just felt that way because everyone just assumed I was Cuban and spoke Spanish to me. Well, we couldn't come this far without having our picture taken at the Southern Most Point in the Continental US. It was pretty funny, there was a long line of people queued up to have their picture taken. Apparently, the protocol was to ask the people standing behind you to take your picture. It made for a very congenial wait! Next we rode our bikes over for a tour of Hemingway's House. It was a fun, interesting tour and they pretty much let you have the run of the place. The Hemingway stories and anecdotes were really enjoyable, but I was a little creeped out by the 40 some odd 6 toed cats running around. A bit much for my taste. After more biking and exploring the various streets, we came upon Harry Truman's Little White House and decided to take a tour thru that as well. We learned a lot about President Truman and are even more eager to visit Independence, Mo in a couple of weeks. BTW, I had no idea he started his day at 7:25 with a glass of oj and a shot of bourbon "to kick start his day." Dude! By this time we had worked up an appetite and decided that a Cuban restaurant was most apropos. Mojitos, pork, rice & beans, plantains, beef & chorizo sandwich, and the most delicious bread that came with two spicy sauces pretty much did the trick. After this rather large meal, we rode bikes over to Fort Zacharay Taylor to check out the beach. We heard from several locals that this was the best beach in Key West, and it looked pretty damn good to me! The temperature as pushing the high 90s by now and a short nap under a shady tree just wasn't quite cool enough. The great thing about traveling with your home is that you can be flexible. We decided to ride bikes back to the van, change into our suits and drive back to the beach. This turned out to be an excellent decision. We not only swam, but got in the best snorkeling of the trip. All in all, we spent a good 3 or so hours playing in the water. Knowing that we wanted to spend the night in town, we made the best of the outdoor showers to get spruced up. The Sunset Celebration is a big deal in Key West. By the time we walked to the wharf several hundred people had congregated for this event. In true Key West style there was singing, musicians playing and lots of good people watching characters all waiting for the sun to set. Unfortunately, the sun was hidden behind a huge cloud making the event slightly anti-climatic. We walked around town and were bombarded with loud noisy bad musicians playing in the bars. New Orleans this ain't. We searched for awhile for a little restaurant we had read about in the New York Times. Thankfully, it was quite a few blocks off the main drag. It was packed, but they were able to fit us in at the 4 seater bar. We had the best meal of the trip here and became good friends with Brent, the bartender. We each had fresh local fish. How do you know it's fresh? As people ordered, we watched Pete, who was the host, take it from his ice chest that was in the back of his pick up truck to the chef. We also heard lots of local stories that can only be repeated when several glasses of wine have been consumed. Good times! We didn't get back to the campsite until midnight..we're tired it's been a long day, good night! today's pics Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bahia Honda State Park

Being a Beach Bum in The Keys

We were blessed with a breezy night which definitely helped cool us off. I think the coolest it got was about 78 degrees, so the breeze really did make sleeping manageable. We didn't have to leave our campsite until about 1 and we only had a 45 minute drive further down The Keys to our next spot, so we decided to just chill out (so to speak) and swim. The only problem was that it was low tide so we had to walk about a couple hundred yards to get in waist deep water. It was ridiculous. The plus side was watching all the shorebirds show up and checking out the tide pools. Our big destination for the long weekend is Bahia Honda State Park. It is consistently rated as one of the best beaches in Florida. We reserved a spot last October, and still only had a choice of two sites that were left. Our expectations were pretty low. Our campsite isn't so bad, not on the beach like last night, but at least we have some vegetation to keep us cool. We spent the rest of the day swimming and snorkeling at different beaches in the park. The snorkeling is so so, nothing like Hawaii, but still fun. The biggest excitement I had was seeing a sting-ray. Yes, it definitely scared the bejesus out of me! A park concessionaire offers snorkel tours out to some coral reef so we are definitely considering doing that later on. I think tomorrow we'll head down to Key West and see what's happening at the southern most point in the US. Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bahia Honda State Park

Getting Swamped in the Everglades

Knowing we had a big ahead of us, we got up at 6 and were off by 7. It took a little over 4 hours until we reached Shark Valley Visitor's Center in the Everglades. It's a 15 mile loop to the observation tower that can be reached by either tram or bike. Knowing us, of course we opted for the bike ride. As we started riding, the skies opened up and the showers began. Don't worry Josh we were prepared! We had water bottles, sunscreen, bug spray and ponchos. We even brought along lunch. Growing up one of my favorite tv shows was "Gentle Ben" a show in the Everglades about a park ranger and his little boy that raised a bear. Well, Mr. Park Ranger was always whizzing around the Everglades in his very cool airboat. Imagine my surprise in seeing a very dry grassland with trees and wildflowers. It almost felt like the Serengeti and we expected giraffes to wander across the grassland. We later learned from the ranger that this is the end of their dry season. During the wet season this area is flooded. Nonetheless, the canal that runs through the park is teaming with wildlife. Every nook and cranny houses an alligator in various sizes. They are hanging out in the lily pads, in the swampy canal, in the culvert and even on the trail. Living next to these sly creatures are a variety of birds, snakes, turtles and god knows what else. It was really amazing to be pedaling along witnessing all this without any barriers between us and them. The park rules state that you should leave at least 15 feet between you and the wildlife, gators especially. At times, this just wasn't possible so you just moved along quickly. The halfway point was the observation tower. It had rained on us off and on during the bike ride, but when we reached the tower the skies really opened up and the biggest thunder clap I ever heard went kaboom! We think the lightening struck the top of the tower. Sure scared me to death and I thought good, long and hard before actually venturing to top. We used the camera's self timer to take the picture of us at the top of the tower. Our blog picture for the day. After this excitement, and a bit weary from the bike ride, we finally reached The Keys. Tonight we are camped alongside the Atlantic Ocean with a lovely warm breeze to embrace us. It feels so good to know we are going to be hanging out in The Keys for the long weekend. Tomorrow we head to Bahia Honda State Park and actually stay put. Looking forward to sleeping in, getting in a little swim and chilling out. Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Long Key State Park, The Keys, Fl

Room with a View, Fort de Soto, Florida

We had a later start than usual this morning, but eventually were on our way further moseying along the coast. We eventually left the unpopulated rural area of the forgotten coast and began driving along strip mall after strip mall. We decided to take an alternate path and opted instead for the touristy towns whose highlights were pastel colored condos and tshirt shops. As we got closer to the St. Petersburg area, we began island hopping, criss-crossing over various bridges until finally reaching Indian Rock Beach. Today's eating adventure was at Keegan's, another DDD special. We got there about mid afternoon and couldn't wait to chow down. I had the grilled blackened grouper sandwich, and Ned had the Parmesan encrusted grouper cheek sandwich with chili aioli sauce. Check out today's eats. Our camping destination for the night was at Fort de Soto County Park. We usually stay at State or National Parks, so I didn't know what to expect. Well this place is over the top wonderful. It's huge, has miles and miles of beaches, lots of cool history, and great bike paths. The added bonus is that we got a secluded campsite at the end of the point, right on the water. Check out today's pic. We hung out at the beach for several hours, playing around with our snorkel gear and swimming in the warm water. Ned, aka Mr. Science, bought a thermometer so that he could test the temp at various locations on our trip. You gotta love that guy! After getting cleaned up from all the salt and sand, we took a 6 mile bike ride around the island, checking out the fort, pier and enjoying the wildlife. We finished up the day with cocktails and snacks at the campsite, watching the sunset. It was so cool watching an egret, silhouetted in the dusk, catching fish. today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Fort de Soto, Florida

Snorkeling at Manatee Springs

We continued our journey along the Gulf driving through "The Forgotten Coast" most of the day. This part of Florida is definitely off the beaten path and not touristy or populated by people or kitsch. We drove through towns with names such as Panacea, which were anything but. Ironically, I really enjoyed this stretch. The well worn rustic houses built on stilts abutting a cypress laden coast line seemed timeless. The temperature was not only hotter, but the air was thick with humidity. At 8 am the temperature read a scooch higher than 80. We stopped at a roadside BBQ joint for lunch and enjoyed the usual southern plate of a meat with two sides. Mercifully, I actually managed to get steamed broccoli for one of the sides, unheard of, but a nice break from the usual coleslaw, fried something or other, and mac n cheese. Today's destination was Manatee Springs, one of Florida's fresh water springs. It feeds into the Suwannee River and is the winter refuge for West Indian Manatees. After setting up camp in a Magnolia and Palmetto grove, we couldn't wait to check out the springs. We heard it was a great place to snorkel, so were well prepared with suits and snorkel gear. What we weren't prepared for was how stunningly beautiful it was. The deep part of the spring is 22 feet and it's a vivid turquoise color. Before we began swimming we saw snakes and turtles in the water. Really! And yet we still swam. The water is 72 degrees year round, which seems cold, but because it was so darn hot and humid it felt refreshing. We had the springs to ourselves for awhile and then were joined by scuba divers and a couple of families. We spent most of the afternoon swimming, snorkeling and floating around. After a late afternoon nap in the hammock, we took a walk along the boardwalk out to the Suwannee River and watched huge sturgeon jump into the air and smack into the water. It was quite the sight to see. Ned wanted to cool off again so he took a dip in the springs. Quite the way to end the day, having a swim all to yourself in these exotic springs. Today is our 7th Anniversary and I can't think of a more romantic setting than camping under Magnolias along the Suwannee River. What a lucky girl I am to be sharing this journey with my Ned. today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Manatee Springs State Park, FL

Solitude on St. George Island, Florida

We slept on the upper bunk of the Eurovan last night hoping to take advantage of the cross breeze. What we didn't anticipate was the added bonus of seeing a wonderful sunrise. What a great way to start the day. After our early morning coffee, we decided to bike to the beach and get in another swim before we packed up and headed out. Two hours later, we decided we had better hit the showers and the road. Today's drive along the coast ran the full gamut, from over the top obscene mansions to funky beach towns. I particularly liked the "taco trucks" or roadside food served up from Airstream trailers. After a few stops, we eventually pulled into St. George Island State Park, a rather remote place located on an island off the central coast of Florida. Once across the bridge we drove to the southern tip of the eponymous island to finally reach the small campground. While the campground was full, the beach was not. In fact, there was only one other family on the beach when we arrived. Sweet! The Gulf waters were just as warm as yesterday, and clear, but not nearly the deep blue aquamarine at Grayton Beach. There was also a considerably smaller surf, which was a little sad for Ned who had purchased a boogie board today in hopes of catching some waves. Nonetheless, a beach to ourselves is nothing to complain about! The beach is known for being a bird watcher's paradise and we were not disappointed. At one point, a Great Blue Heron hung out next to us. We were also visited by a variety of shorebirds, like the Least Tern, Sandpipers and the ubiquitous Gull. It's nice being in such a remote location and having a quiet evening "at home." Tonight we just grilled up some burgers and recovered from fun in the sun before taking a bike ride at dusk. We rode down a dusty dirt rode and realized before long we weren't alone. Two beady little black eyes would stare at you before scurrying across the road. We were dodging small white crabs between 4 to 6 inches. When we would occasionally ride across asphalt you would hear them clickity clack like tap dancers as you rode past. By the end of the bike ride it was completely dark and the crabs would be highlighted by our headlamps. All I kept thinking was, "don't fall off the bike"! Tonight we are being entertained by the sounds of a live bluegrass band from a nearby campsite. They're pretty darn good too! Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:St. George Island State Park

Swimming on The Emerald Coast, Florida

We pulled out of Mississippi pretty early, around 7ish, and headed for Alabama. Rather than do a straight shot across, we thought it would be more fun to hug the coast, drop down and follow Mobile Bay. I was most impressed with the town of Fairhope, Alabama. In the downtown area, every street block had the most gorgeous flower bed arrangements. Each one was a work of art and looked like something out of Sunset Magazine. We continued to take the alternate route just to keep viewing the gracious homes on the bay. They all had long driveways dotted with moss covered trees, massive magnolia trees and broad green lawns. We finally crossed into Florida (crowd roar) and continued to drive the coastal route, checking out all the touristy beach towns. The biggest wow was definitely driving over the bridge from Fort Walton into Destin. Bam, just like that the water turned into a deep turquoise blue, with the whitest beaches I've ever seen. At this point I couldn't wait to get to our campground and start swimming. However, lunch was calling so we stopped at a beachside cafe called the Crab Shack. We had crab cakes and a shrimp basket. Yum! We finally arrived at Grayton State Beach and were like little kids, throwing on our bathing suits, jumping on ours bikes and pedaling down to the beach. It was AWESOME! Clear, clear tropical water, soft white sand and a whole afternoon to play. We had a riot swimming in the Gulf, getting turned topsy-turvy in the waves, and hanging out on our raft. Ned says tomorrow we definitely invest in a boogie board. I'm game! We reluctantly headed back to camp, got showered, and rode our bikes into the tiny little beach town of Grayton. We decided that the perfect ending to the day was margaritas on the deck and soft shell crab sandwiches. If this is day one in Florida I honestly don't know how we are going to top this. Let if be known that the day after the rapture, I've died and gone to heaven. today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Grayton State Beach, Fl

Hugging the Gulf Coast

As predicted we had a pretty low key morning hanging around the campsite. I really appreciated having this time with Megan before she starts her new job on Monday. I expect she's going to be pretty busy and not have much to hang out with her mama. Our destination restaurant for our final meal was Willie Mae's Scotch House which is famous for its fried chicken. Willie Mae is in her 90's and the fried chicken is rumored to be stuff that legends are made from. We drove thru a residential section of a really depressed part of town where most of the houses looked as if they've never recovered from Katrina. Unfortunately, when we arrived the restaurant was closed up, with no explanation. Another person who had arrived as well told us about Little Dizzy's and said it also had great fried chicken. We were a little disappointed to find that it was in downtown New Orleans and didn't have nearly the character of Willie's Mae's ramshackle little home. We were even more disappointed in the fried chicken after eating it. Meh...I could do better. Nonetheless, it was a fun experience to try out all the different spots in The Big Easy and quite a gastronomical 3 day affair! We took Megan to the airport about 3, said our goodbyes, and once more were just the two of us traveling down the highway. We decided rather than stay another night in New Orleans, we would just continue to follow the coast until we were tired. We were really curious to explore the beaches of the Gulf Coast. We traveled along the coastal road hugging the Gulf of Mexico and were surprised at how empty it was, but were pleased to see pristine sugar white beaches. This area was where the eye of Katrina came thru and six years later not much has been rebuilt. We stopped to pick up some roadside peaches and the vendor said the place looks completely different and will never be the same. As you drive along there are miles and miles of beach front property for sale. The upside is that you feel as if you have the place to yourself. We decided to stop at one of the beaches and get our feet wet. Well, after Mr. Ned put his feet in the water, he looked at me and said, "Wanna go for a swim"? The great thing about being on vacation is that there's always time for a swim! We switched into our suits in the van and then swam in the Gulf for the first time. The water was the perfect temperature, a little greener than we expected and a heck of a lot shallower. p.s. There were no tar balls. We went out about 50 yards or so and the water never got deeper than about 2 1/2 feet. We also noted that it wasn't very salty. It still felt pretty darn good to swim and play around in the water. When we got back to the van we were able to take advantage of our mini shower...really mini shower. Sure does feel good tho to clean off the sand before getting in the car. As we continued to drive down the coast we were amazed at the lack of people. Here it was a Saturday afternoon around 4 or 5 o'clock and we practically had the place to ourselves. Weird. We found a state park in Gautier, Mississippi that was pretty empty, much to our delight. Even tho we are close to the coast, this little campground is in a thick woods and the insects sound like the jungle ride in Disneyland! There's a persistent buzz and the air is thick with humidity and no-see-ums. We ain't in Kansas any more. See today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Shepard State Park, Gautier, Mississippi

Bayous and Bourbon

We had a lazy morning around the campsite, sleeping in and playing Angry Birds on the iPad. In a matter of a day, the weather went from spring like to humid summer which definitely contributed to us kicking it down a notch. We were also still recovering from our crawfish & shrimpfest at the campsite last night. Our big event for the day was to take a swamp tour. The tour we chose was very low key, in fact we met the guide at a shrimp market, where all the local fisherman have stalls selling their live shrimp, crab, crawfish, etc. Our guide, "Captain James"' was a real character and certainly had the gift of gab. He kept up a nonstop banter, in his Louisiana drawl, telling many stories that were a little off color. We saw probably 20 gators, herons and turtles, and several critters that are indigenous to the swamp. I really enjoyed Captain James stories about how his family has lived off the swamp for generations, from tagging alligators to eating mushrooms that grow on Willow Trees. The breeze on the boat as we were tootling around the swamps was also much appreciated. After the tour we decided to take a detour into New Orleans and check out the Lower Ninth Ward to see what progress has been made since Katrina. Ever so slowly the area is rebuilding, but quite honestly it is still really poor and depressed. The biggest and most delightful surprise of the day was connecting with Becca, one of Megan's best friends. Just as pure coincidence it turns out that Becca is moving to New Orleans. In fact tonight is her second night in New Orleans and the Uhaul was still parked in front of the building. So, Becca, her boyfriend Jared, and all of us met up at Mother's for a jumbalaya and gumbo dinner then walked to the French Quarter and strolled Bourbon Street. Oh, how different this place is on a Friday night than on a Thursday morning!! We took in the sites, aka strip joints and noisy bars with people spilling out onto the streets and an awesome brass jazz band. Oh yes, we partook in the festivities, some of it captured on film, but I'll be discreet in what I post...haha you owe me Becca & Megan! We didn't return to the campsite until close to midnight, so I'm pretty sure tomorrow is going to be another lazy morning. See today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Another day of debauchery in New Orleans

Taking it easy in The Big Easy

It felt really great to sleep in this morning after the long ride yesterday. We lucked out on the perfect time to visit New Orleans, not too humid during the day and breezy, cool evenings. The first stop today was picking up Megan at the airport. What a treat to meet up with her in The Big Easy. Megan took a red eye flight so we promised her cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe du Monde first thing. They were served piping hot with powdered sugar on top. I wouldn't exactly say the sugar was sprinkled on top, more like an avalanche was dumped on them. They were light, fluffy, chewy and yeah even tasted better than what is in the photo. After that little jaunt we strolled the riverwalk, meandered thru the streets of the French Quarter taking in the flower strewn balconies, musicians, horse drawn carriages and eccentric characters hawking every ware. We eventually made our way to Bourbon Street where daiquiris are king. Ned and Megan tasted a couple of flavors, before Ned chose a white Russian daiquiri and Megan settled on "White Girl Trouble", which she thought was only fitting. The bartender took a liking to those two, and before you knew it, they got free shots to chase down the daiquiris. Well, you can imagine how all this imbibing can make a fella hungry, so next up was a muffalleta at the Central Grocery, of course! Delish!! This is definitely one of my New Orlean's favorites and is going to be hard to beat. We figure there are about 12 different local favorite dishes we gotta taste before leaving. Our only challenge is how to fit that into 3 days! (Hope, if you are reading this blog, you know I'm counting on you to whip me back into shape after this trip! I promise to hit the gym everyday, but for now a Girl's gotta do ...) After an afternoon nap at the campground we went looking for a local place to by some hot boiled crawfish and shrimp. Oh and local it was...let's just say there was a card game going on, people hanging out on crates and lots of drinking. We took the sacks of crawfish and shrimp back to the campsite and dug in. While we were enjoying the local fare, the mosquitos were enjoying us. We are thinking about doing a swamp tour tomorrow and eating good knows what. Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:New Orleans, LA

Louisiana, they're trying to wash us away

We had a long haul today traveling from Austin to New Orleans. Of course, we could have made it a bit shorter by going a straighter route, but I was much more interested in exploring Cajun Country. Like I'm sure all of you have been doing, we've been following the high levels of the Mississippi River and the potential flooding in the Atchafalaya Basin and the possible submersion of Morgan City. As we crossed into Louisiana at noon, we thought this song, playing on the iPod, was only fitting. (Sorry Josh for subjecting you to this song one more time! I know you heard it growing up too many times). Louisiana 1927 click here to watch We drove the swampy back roads passing sugar cane fields and crawfish pods, eventually stopping for a late lunch in New Iberia. Keeping in line with our desire to only eat local we stopped at a nondescript, windowless cinder block building that actually looked abandoned from the outside. It was recommended for one of the best ever Po'boy Sandwiches. We hadn't eaten since an early morning breakfast at 5:30, so decided to go all out. We had a combo crawfish & shrimp Po'boy with a side order of chicken sausage gumbo. Delish!! After this wonderful gastronomical fare, we then decided to further explore the Cajun region and were particularly interested in how far the bayous have risen and how well the towns have held up. After watching or listening to the media, one would think that everyone was in a panic, boarding up their homes and leaving en mass. Au contraire! Kids were playing, people were hanging out and there was a general laid back vibe everywhere. We eventually made it to Morgan City and were able to walk up on the concrete walls that were holding back the river and have a first hand look. It was pretty amazing! The water had completely swallowed up the wharf and a sign showed it was 8 ft. high. Parts of the concrete wall from 1973 were still there and if this current flood occurred back then, the city would have been under water. Interestingly enough, nothing in the town was boarded up, businesses were still open and life was going on as usual. As we continued our drive into New Orleans, we could see the high level of the bayous next to the road, but nothing was flooded. As I sit here drinking a glass of wine, I want to make an official toast to the engineers who've designed and built the levees and concrete walls. So far, job well done! We are camped in a sweet state park, close enough to the city for day trips yet still able to enjoy nature. I'm sitting here watching bunnies and armadillos running around the grounds. Mmm, a thought just occurred to me. Do you think the high bayou levels will bring alligators into the campground at night?! Kinda makes me think twice if I decide to make a midnight bathroom run. Geez, I hope Megan isn't reading this. We pick her up tomorrow morning. We have 3 days of playing in New Orleans together. It'll be good to share some time with her and be in one place for awhile! Until later..." coooh luk at da size o dat crawfish!". Click here for today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bayou Segnette State Park, LA

BBQ, Bikes & Hanging Out in Austin

Last night we were expecting to camp on a lake. Well, not so much. The drought in West Texas dried up the lake until all that was left was a small puddle a good 1/2 mile from our site. However, the warm breeze and brightly lit moon more than made up for any disappointment. We even took a bike ride in the evening under the full moon and saw the most spectacular sunrise this morning. After a few hours driving, we finally left the dusty plains of West Texas and ventured into Central Texas where we were greeted by gentle rolling green hills and an abundance of spring wildflowers. What a beautiful drive! Early afternoon we arrived in Austin, headed for McKinney Falls State Park to secure a campsite then hightailed it to The Green Mesquite which been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. The place has a great relaxing chill factor, which we further enjoyed on the back patio. We had the ribs, brisket, coleslaw, beans and hush puppies. Dang, I've sure missed the South. Check out today's lunch here. We needed to work off this amazing feast so next we hit the Lady Bird Trail and biked along the tree covered path next to the river. What a great way to see Austin. The temp was about 90 deg., but dry. Just the way I like it. We also took a quick drive by the State Capital and checked out the famous 6th Street. We decided rather than doing more sightseeing we would rather return to the campground and maybe get in a swim. We took a short hike to the lower falls, but found nothing falling! Instead we were greeted by a stagnant lagoon and a couple of hot puddles in the rock. Hard to believe that Texas is having such a drought when just one state away Louisiana is drowning. Looks like a lazy night in the hammocks are in order. Tomorrow we venture into Louisiana and possibly drive thru Cajun Country on the way to New Orleans. This should be interesting. Click here for today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

The Open Road

I don't know what it is about taking to the open road, but I always seem to sleep better in the Winniemobile. I woke up this morning to clear blue skies, in some Godforsaken place in New Mexico and couldn't be happier. Another long drive stretched before us, most of it thru parched land, red dirt and the robotic drinking birds of oil wells that seems to be the speciality of West Texas. When I was a kid, we had an old blue Rambler station wagon. When we'd go on long road trips Dad would strap a canvas water bag to the front radiator. You could just feel it down to your toes that you were going on an adventure and the summer seemed endless. It was that kind of day. As we drove this morning all Ned and I saw were miles and miles of foot high blackened sticks poking up from fields. We couldn't for the life of us figure out what crop this was. Ned finally surmised that it was harvested cotton fields, but nothing like the California Central Valley. (To my brother in law, Eric, are we on the right track?) We zigzagged the county roads of West Texas for most of the afternoon driving thru sleepy dusty towns that were few and far between. Occasionally we'd see a red swirling dust devil twisting its way across an open field. We had several state parks to chose from and finally decided on San Angelo State Park, not because it had anything great going for it, but because it would mean a shorter drive tomorrow to Austin. We are taking care of business tonight, which means handling incidentals on the road. I'm writing this as we sit in a laundry mat in a very interesting part of town, lots of body shops and drive thru beer barns surround us. Oh wait, I forgot we are in Texas where drive thru beer barns are considered essential; why put up with the heat when you can pop a cold one in the car? Enjoy today's bleak pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:San Angelo State Park, TX

Taking it Easy on Route 66

There was a hubbub of activity this morning as both camps reconnoitered and planned their strategy for tackling today's road trips. Sadly, we left our buddies, as we journeyed eastward, and the Cohen's headed north toward Monument Valley. How fun to share the first week of our road trip with such good friends. Ned and I hit the road pretty early, for us, at around 7. We had a long day ahead of us and a lot of distance to cover. Megan has some time off before she starts her new job at Google and has decided to join us in New Orleans. How fun!! In order to time it right, Ned and I will be speeding up the next couple of days instead of our usual slower pace. Thus, today's destination is Roswell, New Mexico a mere 525 miles away! Oh don't worry we still planned in lots of arbitrary stops for wacky roadside attractions and even some history. We back tracked thru Sedona and the mountains into Flagstaff and made a right turn. It sure felt good knowing I would be reading signs that said "East" for the next several weeks. It was a cool, clear morning and it felt great to have the windows down and the music blasting to The Eagles which only seemed fitting since our first stop was Winslow, Arizona. We had a hoot "standing on the corner, in Winslow, Arizona I was a mighty fine sight to see." There was even a flatbed Ford on the corner! Listening to The Eagles reminded me of my older brother and how I'd be holding on tight as I caught a ride on the back of his motorcycle when we were teenagers. Sending him a postcard from Winslow seemed the right thing to do. Next up was a visit to the Petrified Forest National Park. We didn't spend a lot of time in the park, but did get a chance to stop by the Visitor's Center, peruse some displays and catch the movie. We took several more detours visiting the forgotten towns along Route 66. It sure is fun to see the old motels, novelty shops, and kitschy tourist attraction such as the Wig Wam Motel and the El Rancho, where movie stars stayed. And by movie stars I'm talking W.C. Fields, John Wayne and The Marx Brothers. After a long drive we finally arrived in Roswell about 7ish. Since it was a Sunday night the town was really deserted, which made it feel a little creepy, especially with all the tacky aliens staring at us. We've settled in at Bottomless Lakes State Park a typical New Mexico campground, scrubby and desertlike, but with a gorgeous sunset over the lake. See today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Bottomless Lake State Park, New Mexico

Viva la vortex, a day in Sedona

Everyone woke up early this morning raring to go. After a quick breakfast and hot showers we decided to spend some time at the Visitor's Center taking in the exhibits and watching the movie. Patty and I got "tsk tsk" by a French couple who were not amused by our giggling and cutting up. What me acting juvenile? Next in order was a scenic drive out of the park and over another 8000 ft. pass to Flagstaff. Today's eating adventure includes a stop at Salsa Brava. Ned and I found this on a Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode. To see what we ate click here. After this amazing meal we had fun poking around a Farmer's Market and finding fresh veggies to grill for dinner...among other things:) Next stop Sedona. None of us are into the upscale shopping scene so instead we did what any self-respecting psychic wacko would do, we went in search of a psychic reading and a vortex. The boys didn't want anything to do with the readings so they hung out while Patty and I ventured into the unknown. All my questions were about the 3 kids, who may be mortified by reading this. (Kids call me for details). Our quest for the perfect vortex didn't really pan out, it either cost too much money (which was spent on psychic readings) or you needed a parking permit - lame. Patty said it really didn't matter since she was a vortex. Love that girl! We did however see Frank Lloyd Wright's Chapel of the Holy Cross and a phenomenal view from the top of a Mesa. We were all looking forward to getting to the campsite and spending our last night together. Tonight's activities included a Part-A at the Russell campsite. Wahoo let the good times roll. See today's pics here - Post using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Dead Horse Campground, Cottonwood, Az

Bike riding the rim of the Grand Canyon

We had a wonderful breakfast together then parted ways, with Patty and Alan headed for a photo-taking day, and Ned and I ready to bike the rim of the Grand Canyon. We did a quick lap of the Visitor's Center, asked the ranger some questions and then headed out for our adventure. We decided to take the bus to the first stop on the Hermit Road rather than tackling the 6% grade. It was an absolutely gorgeous day in the mid 70s and perfect for a bike ride. To say that it was amazing is quite simply an understatement. It was hard for me to wrap my brain around the endless expanse and deep chasms. To continuously bike alongside this view for over 10 miles is an experience I'll never forget. In addition to the over the top views, we also really enjoyed meeting all the international visitors along the way. One of our favorite families was this sweet young couple from Quebec with their 9 month old baby. We had so much fun exchanging stories of how much we enjoyed visiting their city and hearing about their time experiencing the wild west. At every stop along the ride we were greeted with Italian, French, German and Chinese. How wonderful to share this common experience regardless of our nationality. It's days like these that you really do feel like we are all one sharing in nature's beauty. We met up with Alan and Patty at Bright Angel Lodge in the late afternoon and decided to have an upscale dinner at one of the myriad of lodges. We settled upon El Tovar, the grand old lodge on the rim. We wanted to make sure to have dinner over in time for the sunset over the canyon. I'm whipping off this quick blog waiting for the sun to set, with my belly full of salmon, exhausted from a good bike and fully appreciating how blessed I am. Click here for pics Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:The Grand Canyon, Az

High on Zion

I stayed up past midnight trying to get the pics uploaded and the blog posted only to have the entire thing disappear. Ned was a real trooper and hung in there with me. We finally went to bed, but I got up before 6 and decided to just rewrite the whole thing and try again. (Not before firing off a nastygram to the developers grrr.) After writing this for a third time, it was once again removed. Here's the link if you want to see the Las Vegas crawdads feast. Click here for Las Vegas pics Patty was up early as well and together we rode our bikes to the visitor center in search of better wifi or 3G connection. The first pic of the day is Patty capturing me in early am blogging mode. (I do realize that I'm a sick techie junkie.) After I got the kinks worked out we all had breakfast together and wrote postcards. Our campsite was located on the Virgin River and it was so peaceful relaxing in the sun and listening to the rush of the river. We spent the rest of the morning at the Visitor's Center, the History Museum, shooting more pictures and visiting the Weeping Wall. Patty particularly loved the 4000 year old water seeping out of the sandstone walls. She was determined to drink it, but we talked her out of it. For those of you who know Patty you will appreciate this. Before we climbed out of the park we had a picnic lunch under a grove of cottonwood trees loaded with caterpillars. Well they sure loved us, especially Ned. At least 15 caterpillars dropped on him and were crawling down his shirt and up his pants. It was a pretty funny sight to see Mr. Mellow drop his pants in front of the children's museum to extract a particularly determined caterpillar that had crawled up to his knee. I'm still cracking up! I was so sure he was going to be arrested for indecent exposure. We hightailed it outta there pretty fast. Almost every year we travel thru Zion on our road trips. We consider this our annual pilgrimage and Zion has a special place in our heart. I don't think it's possible to take a bad picture in this park. Enjoy today's pics We had a 5 hour or so drive to the Grand Canyon and really had a blast stopping repeatedly to take pics and check out the Wild West scenery. It definitely felt like we were in a John Wayne movie. I kept expecting the Indians or Calvary to appear on top of the red mesas. After exploring the different views along the Grand Canyon rim we finally arrived at our campsite at about 7. We had a great time gathered around the fire telling stories and drinking wine. - Posted using BlogPress from my

Living it Up in Death Valley

Ned and I woke up early to clear bright skies. The only sound in the campground was the constant cooing of the doves nesting in the trees. We decided to do some exploring and check out the natural hot springs that are downstream from the private campground. We took our bikes for a spin down a dirt road. The temp was in the high 30s with a fairly brisk breeze. I was hoping to find something soon and I wasn't going to be too picky either, none of this girly stuff about the water being muddy or too many green icky things growing in it. About a 1/4 mile down the road we came across several pools of clear, steamy water. We stripped down to our bathing suits, which took an enormous amount of faith that we would soon be engulfed in warm water, and took the plunge. It was heaven. There was something magical about soaking in natural hot springs in the early morning with a backdrop of snow covered mountains. We ended up testing several pools before finding the perfect one. It was clear blue, deep enough to swim around and about 90 degrees. After our early morning jaunt and feeling refreshed we caught up with Patty and Alan, had coffee around the picnic table and planned the day. Well, actually I cop to planning the day while the others put up with my endless chattering. Patty and I took a walk thru the rock garden and thoroughly enjoyed the display of desert flora. Patty grew up in the desert so it was fun to hear her childhood memories of desert life. Before we headed out for the day the Cohens wanted to experience the natural pools, so one more soaking was in order. Most of our day was spent driving thru Death Valley, stopping at various places along the way for photo shoots and appreciating the diversity of the landscape. We had lunch next to a date grove, took in the visitor center and spent some time at Zabriskie Point taking photos or as Alan says pictures to die for! I have to admit that one of the highlights of the day for me was the thermometer reaching 90 degrees. Thank goodness summer has finally arrived! Once we drove across the state line into Nevada, a couple of things were apparent right away; one, the price of gas was well below $4 and $5 a gallon and two, the immediate availability of brothels. We got a chuckle out of the first gas station where we stopped. There were 3 buildings. The first was the "Brothel Art Museum, The Oldest Tourist Attraction in Southern Nevada." The second was showers for truckers, and the third was a brothel. I guess they get you worked up, cleaned up and ready for business. After a long day driving across the deserts of California and climbing, climbing, climbing 8500 feet to the top of Mt. Charleston, we finally arrived to our camping spot for the night. It was on the top of the world and freezing cold! Did I mention there was snow on the ground? Last night the Cohen's hosted us in The Cruiser. Tonight is our turn to host them in our humble abode. The menu is Moroccan lamb burgers and corn on the cob. Tomorrow, Vegas baby Vegas! Click here for today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Mt. Charleston, NV

Chilly Start and A Warm Finish

Finally, the clouds have parted, the sun is shining and the day has arrived! The nice thing about our long cold winters is that it gives you an opportunity to work on projects and plan things...like a road trip per se. The disadvantage of long cold winters, and especially this year, is that cabin fever sets in and you never quite believe the day will actually get here. We met up with Patty and Alan, our traveling buddies for the first week of the trip, and finally rolled out of town about mid-morning. As we climbed over the Donner summit and continued onto the Kingsbury Grade we were greeted with mother nature's last gasp of winter. I thought it looked like snow flurries, but Patty was convinced we were in the midst of a blizzard. The driving conditions didn't seem to bother me as much as the choice of clothing, or should I say lack thereof, that I had packed. Here I was feeling carefree and summery with Florida on my mind and 3 bikinis in my bag, and looking at snow. Mmm. Not one to be discouraged I stood my ground, on my firmly planted flip flops nonetheless, and remained optimistic. At least we have a soak in the hot springs in the near future! The Winniemobile and The Cruiser (aka the Cohen's wheels) continued to mosey on down 395 driving in and out of inclement weather. After a quick stop at Mono Lake, where it was a balmy 37 degrees, we stopped for lunch at Whoa Nellie Deli in the Mobile Gas Station. We had a rather late gourmet lunch of jumbalaya, fish tacos with pineapple and mango salsa, lobster toquitos and herb encrusted apricot pear pork chops. Yes, you can see where our priorities are headed this week. By the time we finally arrived at Keough Hot Springs we only had about an hour to enjoy " the cure" before closing time. Ahh, but what a wonderful hour it was. After swimming for the last several weeks in a chlorinated pool the mineral springs felt velvety smooth. The temperature in the soaking area was about 104 and the pool was approx. 95. Night time festivities include wine and hanging around the campfire with good friends. Seems like a pretty good first day and well worth the wait. This is my first time using the iPad to blog and link to pictures so I hope this works! Today's pics - Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Keough Hot Springs, Bishop, CA