One year map

This is everywhere I've stayed at least 2 days during the past year ....

Wow.  No wonder I have so many miles on my vehicles!  ha.

Taking care of business .... and a little sightseeing

I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas!  Here we are on the verge of another new year .... 2017.  Wow!

This week, weather wise, saw rain a couple of days (3, I think) and the temps went from the 80's down to having to turn on the propane heater, which means below 40 degrees last night.  We are on the up-swing again with 80's showing for the rest of the weekend into next week.

Monday was a trip to Bushnell to see my new doctor for an annual physical.  I liked her.  Good news is, I'm alive and well .... ha.

Tuesday took me back to Bushnell, about a 40 mile drive from where I'm staying, to the DMV.  I got my driver's license, unfortunately with a restriction (eye glasses - getting old) and a picture with my new, long hair.  She also started the process for my vehicle registrations and I hopefully will be called back for my plates before I'm ready to head north again. I also need to call the Sheriff and have my vehicles inspected. The DMV trip cost almost $1,000. I sure hope I save A LOT on my taxes.  That was the "welcome to Florida residence" price; my renewals will be based on vehicle weight.

And then onto Winter Haven to see the dentist.  He was recommended by John Allen, Mandy's dad, and Dr. Butz and his staff were wonderful. The good news there was I take good care of my teeth; the bad news is I will be looking at some major dental work as I age and loose more bone density ... but I knew that.

And the most exciting part of this day ..... I got my hair cut. Finally.  It's been about 4-5 months.  As any of you who know me can attest, I have worn my hair short/short for about 30 years ... basically the same cut.  The stylist said he cut off almost 3 inches all over, and it feels fantastic.  I have very thick, heavy hair, so it was a lot of weight.

Let's see .... Wednesday was my annual mammogram.  The tech made the visit very pleasant as she is a transplant from San Diego and was giving me the low-down on the bugs and spiders to be careful of, the terrible humidity here, the differences in the "Mouse" and why Disneyland is still better, and to be aware that every body of water, regardless of how small, has at least one gator in it.  ha.  She was fun.


Thursday took me to the Kennedy Space Center.  If you saw my FB posts .... it was very crowded ... the busiest week of the year I was told.  I had a great time and found it to be very interesting and well worth the stop. 

 Florida has twice as many lightning strikes than it's closest "competitor" South Carolina.

They choose Florida as the Space Coast for the space program because of it's proximity to the equator and the rotation of the earth ... it increases the lift-off speed significantly and provides a faster launch.

Pad 39A - where the magic happens

There will be a rocket to Mars in the next year.  It just doesn't seem possible.  Watching the documentation on the space program, knowing I've lived and experienced all of it ....

I had a first today when I was purchasing my ticket .... I ask for the senior discount admission price at venues and have been told a couple of times "I didn't look old enough" (yeah, right) or asked to show my driver's license, but this was the first time I was asked for my date of birth.  I laughed and asked her if it was a mini-test; she laughed back and told me it was a requirement that she enter the information in her computer to issue the ticket; Laughingly I told her when you get to be a senior citizen you might remember what year you were born.

An observation on the day .... spent the entire day in significant crowds (in line, walking around, eating at a communal table) and English was not the main language among the guests ....  

I was pretty tired when I got back to my car at the end of the day.  I checked my pedometer to see how far I had walked ... it was totally dead and I had just charged it.  What a disappointment; I wanted it to tell me I had walked at least a marathon.  Time flies by quickly without notice ... I finally replaced my iPod after 10 years and my music plays without skipping; I'm upgrading my phone because it is dying; I guess my Fit Bit is also in need of some upgrade after I don't remember how many years I've had it ....

My campground is right on US 27 and as I come and go, I pass the Citrus Tower ....

 One of Florida’s first “attractions,” the Citrus Tower was built in 1956 on one of the highest hills in Florida’s ridge section. The original plans specified a tower 75 feet high, but when completed, the Citrus Tower rose to a lofty height of 226 feet (equivalent to 22 stories). The tip of the highest antenna pierces the sky at 500 feet above sea level.

Friday I had intended to go to SeaWorld, mostly as a comparison, but based on my experience with the crowds at the KSC, I passed and will go another time I am in the area.  So instead I did something I seldom do .... I stopped for breakfast and ordered something I never had before, steak and eggs.  It was pretty yummy.  Even though I opted for the fruit instead of the potatoes, way too much food.

I see lots of New York plates as I drive around, more than any other state (other than Florida, of course).  I don't know if there really are that many, or because they are distinctive I notice them more.

Traffic around the Orlando area rivals anything in SoCal or the Atlanta, GA area. Between the bumper-to-bumper traffic and the Florida drivers, I decided to go back to the coach and let the public have the tours.  As I'm sitting in stopped traffic, after a couple of miles I look over to the left and there is the entrance to WDW ... hence the traffic, except my lane was not one to turn ....

I did pull into McD for my usual ... restroom and drink .... and she charged me $2.95 for the drink.  When I looked at her, she shrugged and said she knew it was normally a $1.00, but because of the proximity to WDW .... the reason I use McD as my rest stop is because they have consistently decent restrooms and a large drink for $1.00.

Florida drivers aren't like any other drivers I have encountered in any other state or Canada so far .... I really don't know how to describe them .... words like aggressive or rude don't capture the essence ....but it is definitely an attitude.  I don't know if it is because I have an out-of-state license plate, or I would feel the same vibe either way ... the nearest I can come is "entitled".  I wonder of SoCal drivers have the same attitude because of the tourists and we just aren't aware ...?

FYI - avoid I-4 if possible.  I have been on it several times, different times of the day, in both directions and each time it was bumper-to-bumper both ways.

It appears to be relatively inexpensive to purchase housing in Central Florida.  As I drive around there are tracts of new homes available for $180k and mobile homes available for $30k .... a steal by California standards.

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy new year. 
2016 has been a very good year ......

Welcome to Florida

I drove down from Atlanta to Orlando .... in hindsight I should have made the drive in two days, instead of one.  I couldn't leave as early as I would have liked because I had to wait for sun up; I learned early-on the hard way not to try to move the beast in the dark.  So I got a little later start than I wanted, which put in the commuter traffic through Atlanta that I would have liked to avoid.  By breaking it up into 2 days, I could have gotten to the campground earlier in the day and not been quite as tired .... but it was fine and all was good.  467 miles today.

After chipping the ice off the Jeep so I could hook it up, I left Buford at 8am with frost on the ground and temperatures in the 30's and got to the Florida state line 4 hours later, where it was 70 degrees ... and I'm in a pullover sweater, long pants, 2 pairs of socks .... ha.  Time to start shedding some clothes ...

Now that I'm settled in the campground, it seems odd to see fellow campers walking by on their way to the pool .... I guess I've been in the cold too long.

I spent the first day lining up appointments for my stay in Florida ... medical, dental, eye, etc.

Friday I started out on what I hoped would be my last stop on the way to becoming a Floridian ... the DMV, which turned out to be closed on both Friday and Monday for the Christmas holiday.  Oh well, best laid plans ...

I spent Christmas Eve afternoon with my good friend Nikki.  We went out for Chinese food and then back to her house for a nice visit.  Catching up with old friends is a good part of life.

Christmas Day was spent doing wash, cleaning the bathroom, mopping floors .... a fun way to spend any day.  ha.  I'm hoping to get in some sightseeing this week between appointments.  Wish me luck.

Florida (FL) - Sunshine State

On a white field emblazoned with a red X and the state seal, Florida's flag represents the land of sunshine, flowers, palm trees, rivers and lakes. The seal features a brilliant sun, a cabbage palmetto tree, a steamboat sailing and a Native American Seminole woman scattering flowers.

• Origin of State Name:
  Named on Easter 1513 by Ponce de Leon for Pascua Florida, meaning "Flowery Easter"

Gatorade was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.

Key West has the highest average temperature in the United States.

May 20, 1970 Florida lawmakers passed and sent to the Governor a bill adopting the moonstone as the official state gem. Ironically, the moonstone is not found naturally in Florida...nor was it found on the moon.

Florida is not the southernmost state in the United States. Hawaii is farther south.

Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement in North America.

Greater Miami is the only metropolitan area in the United States whose borders encompass two national parks. You can hike through pristine Everglades National Park or ride on glass-bottom boats across Biscayne National Park.

Back to Atlanta for the day ....

A year ago yesterday I took possession of my new home.  It's been a great year!  It sure doesn't feel like a year already ....

Note to self for today - When the temp is 33 degrees with a 25 mph breeze and you are going to stand outside looking at a wall of granite .... blow your hair dry after you wash it, before you leave the coach!  It wasn't a good day to air dry my hair.

I drove over to see The Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum.  It features the Battle of Atlanta shown through a painting that's 42 feet tall and more than 350 feet in circumference. The riveting painting is enhanced by 3D figures, music and narration. Additionally, see exhibits like steam locomotives and two floors of Civil War artifacts at the museum.

It was located at the Atlanta Zoo, which I passed on because, Frankly Dear, it was too damn cold.  And on that note ....

Built in the Tudor-Revival style in 1899, the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is where Mitchell wrote the Pulitzer-winning novel "Gone With the Wind."

The town lattice trussed Stone Mountain Covered Bridge is 151 feet long and was built in 1891.

Home of the world's largest bas-relief sculpture, Stone Mountain Park also includes the country's largest exposed granite dome, rising 650 feet above Piedmont Plateau. The bas-relief figures of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis are etched into granite.

 The State Capital is a beautiful building with a gold dome.  Unfortunately, I missed the last tour.  I don't think I will make the trip back ... trying to sight-see in Atlanta is like trying to sight-see in LA - massive traffic and no place to park.

I also passed on the Atlanta Botanical Garden because of the cold and I thought there would be no plants to see this time of year.  They had a beautiful light display I missed .... a friend from one of my RV groups was there for her husband's birthday tonight ... 

Tomorrow is errand day and then we are expecting 3 days of rain .... and then onto Florida, where Nikki told me was 80 degrees today. It will be nice to be warm.

Georgia

I drove about 250 miles around the Northwest corner of Georgia today .... just looking at the state.  I was almost back to Chattanooga, Tennessee and close to the Alabama border.

First stop - With a large collection of historical artifacts from the past 150 years, the Northeast Georgia History Center seeks to preserve and share the area's rich history with locals and visitors alike. The Center includes many exhibits such as the Sports Hall of Fame, a freedom garden, and Cherokee Chief White Path's Cabin, circa 1780.

And then ...

Built in 1882, the Euharlee Creek Covered Bridge is nearly 138 feet long

Located in Calhoun behind a restaurant is Sam's Tree House. Both a writer and a visionary Renaissance man, Sam Edwards spends his time writing his memoirs in his nearly two-story tree house that he built with random pieces, including part of an airplane, a submarine prop from a movie and a boat.

The tree house was in pretty bad shape!

Displayed in front of the Rabbittown Cafe is a huge 20-foot tall rabbit carved out of Styrofoam and stucco.

 

Atlanta .... Day 2

There is so much to see in Atlanta and in this area, I'm sure I will be leaving with a long to-see list.

I drove into Atlanta yesterday and parked in the day lot for $10/flat charge.  From there I saw three of the things on my list ....

First was the World of Coca-Cola.  Originally sold as a pain remedy in 1886, this fizzy concoction went on to become one of the world's most popular drinks, next to water. Having moved into a new building next to the Georgia Aquarium in 2007, the World of Coca-Cola displays over a thousand Coke artifacts from around the world that have never been presented before. In this dazzling fun house, you're bombarded with an endless stream of mind-blowing facts, such as just how many trillions of bottles have been consumed up to the minute, as well as displays that showcase the Coca-Cola story. The pop culture gallery has examples of Coca-Cola's appearance in modern art as created by Andy Warhol and others. At the end of your tour, there are 70 different samples to try, and a gift store with an enormous collection of Coca-Cola gift items and souvenirs.

This is the original syrup dispenser used for Coca Cola at the soda fountain

This is the vault where the formula is kept

All the beverages made by Coca Cola

 The tour was interesting and the tasting at the end was enlighting .... some of the drinks from around the world were disgusting.  ha. I even got to sample the gingerbread syrup and the chocolate cherry flavor.  You can mix your own, of course ...



I was excited to see Inca Kola in the offerings ... remembering it from our (Susi and me) trip to Peru. 








The next stop was the Center for Civil and Human Rights.  It was very emotionally sad .... one of the exhibitions was a lunch counter with stools where you sat, with headphones, eyes closed, and your palms flat on the counter while you listened to what it was like to be African-American siting at that counter in protest of the segregation laws.  It was overwhelming.

And then onto the Georgia Aquarium ... Claiming the number one position among the world's aquariums, the Georgia Aquarium boasts a vast array of marine creatures plying some 8 million gallons of water. Penguins, beluga whales and sea lions live in the Cold Water Quest exhibit. Sharks, rays and pampanos make a home in the Georgia Explorer. Other exhibits areas include Ocean Voyager, River Scout, and Tropical Diver, a peaceful environment of colorful coral and colorful tropical fish.

I must add, it was the nicest aquarium I have ever been to, and I try to see the ones in the major cities I visit.

I love the Jellies ....

I watched them feeding the Tiger Whales - the largest fish in the ocean.  These are 20 feet long, but grow to over 30 feet at full maturity.

Buloga Whales

Hi there ....

 If I keep to my list, I still have at least another couple full days in Atlanta sightseeing and several days in the surrounding area.  There are 6 days of rain predicted in the time I have left .... I may have to pick and choose.  I do have to come back this way in March, 2017 so I may stay a few days then.

Atlanta

I have been looking at the Christmas decoration both in GA and SC and it is very common to see wreaths hanging on every window in the front of the house.  I had not seen that way of decorating for some time and enjoyed seeing it again.

Every state seems to have a Veterans Highway or Veterans Parkway of some sort - nice.

Today, the Atlanta skyline looked just like a row of tall, white, multi-shaped buildings, but last night when I was driving home it was beautiful - they were all alight for the holiday.

Downtown Atlanta while sitting at a traffic light

For lunch I stopped at The Varsity - Since 1928, The Varsity has operated as the world's largest drive-in fast food restaurant. Located near the Georgia Tech campus and Bobby Dodd Stadium, you know this place stays busy, serving typical drive-in fare curbside. There are six other branches across Atlanta, but none as big as this.

I asked for the "Varsity experience" and this was what the server recommended.  The drink is a Frosty Orange. The peach pie is actually fried dough with a peach filling, rather than a baked pie crust.

First sightseeing stop of the day was the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum.

Featuring an exact replica of the Oval Office, the Carter Presidential Library and Museum offers a great look into the life of Jimmy Carter as he presided over the country from 1976-1981. Photos and memorabilia from his term can be found in the museum and the library, along with a collections of manuscripts.

On to The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site.....

A picture of the grave site, the eternal flame, the wagon that transported his casket and the cross of lilies laid on the casket.

For more than 120 years, the Ebenezer Baptist Church has stood as an inspiration to many. Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. and Jr. both preached from its pulpit of nonviolent protest, and worked from within the church to reform teachers' salaries and help African-Americans register to vote.

More Georgia ....

First thing .... I'm freezing.  ha.  I asked some Atlantaians (?) if these temps are normal - NO - they are freezing too!  It hasn't gotten over 40 degrees this week, with lows at 20 degrees.  I'm burning through my propane tank, that's for sure.  I refuse to go out sightseeing until it is at least freezing temps, so I don't get out until noon or later. 

This is the view from my campsite where I am staying these two weeks ...

Sad day sightseeing today between the Anne Frank exhibit and the Kennesnaw Battlefield and then onto Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Anne Frank in the World Exhibit in Sandy Springs, GA, highlights the young girl's short life from the 1930s to her untimely death in 1945. The exhibit features 600 photographs and 8000 words of text in an effort to display the worthiness of seeing the good in humanity.

Kennenaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

 Union General William Tecumseh Sherman began his 1864 Atlanta Campaign in early May, employing a series of flanking maneuvers to gain mile after mile of Confederate soil. By early June, he reached Marietta, and found that these tactics were ineffective against General Joseph Johnston's Confederate troops massed on Kennesaw Mountain, in the now-famous Kennesaw Line. On June 27, Sherman attacked the entrenched Confederates head-on at Kennesaw in a pitched, up-hill battle that proved disastrous for his Union forces. Sherman subsequently returned to his old strategy, successfully took Marietta, and pushed Johnston's troops back across the Chattahoochee River by mid-July. Johnston was replaced by General John Bell Hood, who took the offensive and pursued Sherman's troops with aggressive zeal, only to suffer immense casualties at Peachtree Creek, Ezra Church, and Jonesboro. Hood proved unable to defend Atlanta, which fell to the Union Army on September 2, 1864.

Concord Bridge was built 1872 and is 131 feet long. Still open to vehicular traffic, the area surrounding Concord Bridge is historic, including a Civil War battleground and Ruff's Mill.

 Although I drove around the campus several times, and there were numerous sculptures, I never found this one -
As a memorial to a well-known environmentalist, the Spaceship Earth Sculpture has a diameter of 15 feet and weighs 400,000 pounds. The sculpture is comprised of separate pieces of blue quartzite and contains a life-sized figure of David Brower, to whom the memorial is dedicated.

In Marietta, you may come across a huge red chicken poking out of the roof of a KFC. Do not be alarmed, as the chicken is there to catch your attention as it has done since 1963 when it brought hungry folks to Johnny Reb's Chick-Chuck-'N'-Shake. A few years later, the Chuck-'N'-Shake became a KFC and in 1993, KFC rebuilt the deteriorating chicken structure.

It was fun to see - the beak moves up and down and the eyes roll around ...

 Final stop ...

Located in the restaurant chain's first restaurant, the Waffle House Museum is open and features memorabilia from Waffle House's previous 54 years. Located in Decatur, this particular restaurant has been restored to its 1955 glory.