We honor our fathers for their service.
We honor our fathers because they held high values and would not be swayed in their beliefs.
We honor our fathers because they are no longer with us, and we miss them.
Monday, May 30, 2016
Memorial Day, 2016
We honor all fallen servicemen and women, the sons and daughters and fathers and mothers of us all.
We honor our fathers for their service.
We honor our fathers because they held high values and would not be swayed in their beliefs.
We honor our fathers because they are no longer with us, and we miss them.
We honor our fathers for their service.
We honor our fathers because they held high values and would not be swayed in their beliefs.
We honor our fathers because they are no longer with us, and we miss them.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Finally, The Fountain of Youth!
St Augustine has the distinction of being the Oldest Continuously Occupied City in the United States. Pensacola, Florida holds the honor of being the first established city, but has not been continuously occupied. The center of this historic settlement is located on Magnolia Street just north of Castillo De San Marcos, arguably the most photographed Fort in the country.
Magnolia Ave looks exactly like it should:
This section of Florida is known as the First Coast, since it was "discovered" by Ponce De Leon in 1513. It wasn't until 1565 that the Spanish established a garrison here as defense against the French.
Entry to the park is gained through a ticket booth, and the first thing a visitor is led to is......
Looking somewhat like a hokey roadside attraction, the "fountain" leaves a bit to the imagination, but we both took a health swig of a somewhat distasteful, sulphur tasting, mineral laden spring.
It's been several hours since the drink....no noticeable change yet....
We did learn that the water once flowed naturally as an artesian well, as was most likely tasted by Ponce De Leon as he refilled the water barrels on his ships. These days, the water must be pumped from 282 feet below ground from the Floridan Aquifer which spreads over most of the southeast US.
The grounds of the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park cover quite a number of acres, most of which has been studied in depth, providing a very good look at the layout of the settlement, and the association withe the native Timucuan peoples. A statue commemorating Ponce De Leon's visit is at front and center of the park.
Ponce De Leon was a 19 year old member of Cristopher Columbus's Second Voyage. Ponce had earned a spot on the voyage bringing 1,000 settlers to the New World by his valorous fighting against the Moors in Spain. Eventually, he earned captaincy of an expeditionary voyage north to keep an eye on the French.
Sidelight: In the days before signature security as we know it now, it was common for the elite to develop ornate signatures in an effort to foil counterfeiters. Two famous examples:
When Ponce (why, I feel like I know him personally!) arrived at St Augustine Inlet, he had to anchor his ships offshore and use smaller boats to get to shore. These workhorse boats were oared or sailed, and were called Chalupas. I thought that was something to eat....
The Park has a great walking tour of the landing area, including a recreated military observation platform.
This is much like what Ponce De Leon and his men may have seen as he approached the shore.
A large cross just across the Intracoastal Waterway also commemorates the landing.
We chose to find a quiet, out of the way restaurant, and succeeded admirably! Georgie's Diner, complete with chrome exterior and red plastic tables was just what we wanted! To boot, as my Dad used to say, they offered exterior seating in a comfortable, shaded patio. The food was a perfect lunch amount, and tasted great. It, however, wasn't quite what we expected...you see, it's a Greek Diner, where unpronounceable Greek dishes are all over the menu! We elected to get gyros, since we knew how to pronounce it, and they were outstanding! Good job, Georgie's!
So, with our bellies full, and our legs tired, we left the oldest place in the oldest city in the country. An awesome day.
Another Arduous Day!
Having survived a bit of a health scare, and feeling better, thank you very much, we left Daytona Beach on Saturday morning heading north on I-95. Fifty two miles later we pulled off on Fl-208, drove about a mile, and pulled into Stagecoach RV Park in St Augustine, Florida. The park has received great reviews, but is small, so we had some apprehension when we saw a few rv's in a field with a few trees scattered about. Turns out, of course, that this is a very nice, family owned and operated park, with wide, grassy sites, and friendly staff as well as guests.
Our site is oriented perfectly so that we get morning and afternoon shade, and still have great satellite reception!
We also happened to land in the middle of a Tin Can Campers Rally.
This is a restored 1964 Shasta!
And this teardrop has been completely hand built from the ground up by it's owner!
And next door is the shiniest 1964 Bambi Airstream I've ever seen!
After admiring the old hardware, we took a quick trip into St Augustine. Of course, along the Riverwalk, the required carriage rides are everywhere.
There is a Lighthouse Museum and Park, but we chose not to climb the two hundred and twenty three steps to the top!
After a cruise around town, we stopped for a cup of coffee and returned to Nessie for a well deserved rest after such a strenuous day!
Our site is oriented perfectly so that we get morning and afternoon shade, and still have great satellite reception!
We also happened to land in the middle of a Tin Can Campers Rally.
This is a restored 1964 Shasta!
And this teardrop has been completely hand built from the ground up by it's owner!
And next door is the shiniest 1964 Bambi Airstream I've ever seen!
After admiring the old hardware, we took a quick trip into St Augustine. Of course, along the Riverwalk, the required carriage rides are everywhere.
There is a Lighthouse Museum and Park, but we chose not to climb the two hundred and twenty three steps to the top!
After a cruise around town, we stopped for a cup of coffee and returned to Nessie for a well deserved rest after such a strenuous day!
Friday, May 27, 2016
We Were Looking For Something to Do!
A few days ago, I developed a pain in my chest that made it hard to breath deeply. The condition came and went, so I didn't place too much importance on it, but today we felt that it was time to have a professional assess things.
We talked back and forth about the possibilities, and the various diagnoses, and went from a local "Doc in the Box" approach to a full on Emergency Room Visit. The whole thing was complicated by the need to move to our next stop first thing in the morning, and so I didn't want to put our schedule in danger. Not so much that it wouldn't all work out somehow, but because I didn't want to leave Donna in a strange place with a motorhome and tow vehicle. We subscribe to FMCAssist, a program through Seven Corners, Inc, that will take care of such details if one or both travelers are incapacitated. It is a comforting feeling to know that someone will get the motorhome back to our residence, as well as pets and tow vehicles. But still.....
We finally choose Florida Medical Memorial Hospital a few miles away from our rv park. I guess that Friday mornings are a good time to go to emergency, because we were in Triage inside of 10 minutes, in a treatment room in another 10, with Dr. Young in the room in a total of less than 30 minutes! A bit of blood work, a couple of EKG's and a Chest X-ray were soon completed, and we began our wait for the results.
This hospital is truly a nice medical facility, with new equipment and rooms and staff that is caring and courteous. An hour went by with short visits from a variety of staff, checking and rechecking my condition (or as Willie Nelson would say "Seeing what condition my condition is in..." Soon a registration lady came in, took all the pertinent info, and left. Done in 60 seconds.
At the two hour mark, a nurse came in with discharge papers and a prescription for Norco. The diagnosis? I dunno....The cardiac info was great, the lungs were clear, and nothing showed up on the X-ray. So with Rx in hand, we left, both happy and uncomfortable. We would like to have known the cause of the discomfort, but didn't want it to be something serious. Catch-22.
I've been in touch with my cardiologist "staff" at home, and they will review the tests of todays tests to see if they can see anything. In the meantime, the Norco is doing it's job, so if any of this doesn't make sense, blame it on the drugs!
Just goes to show.....be careful what you plan, 'cause either God or the Devil will have something to add to your plans!
I want to applaud our family, because they immediately stepped up and make it clear that they would do anything necessary to help. Fortunately this time they didn't have to do anything, but it's so comforting to know they are there!
Love you all!
We talked back and forth about the possibilities, and the various diagnoses, and went from a local "Doc in the Box" approach to a full on Emergency Room Visit. The whole thing was complicated by the need to move to our next stop first thing in the morning, and so I didn't want to put our schedule in danger. Not so much that it wouldn't all work out somehow, but because I didn't want to leave Donna in a strange place with a motorhome and tow vehicle. We subscribe to FMCAssist, a program through Seven Corners, Inc, that will take care of such details if one or both travelers are incapacitated. It is a comforting feeling to know that someone will get the motorhome back to our residence, as well as pets and tow vehicles. But still.....
We finally choose Florida Medical Memorial Hospital a few miles away from our rv park. I guess that Friday mornings are a good time to go to emergency, because we were in Triage inside of 10 minutes, in a treatment room in another 10, with Dr. Young in the room in a total of less than 30 minutes! A bit of blood work, a couple of EKG's and a Chest X-ray were soon completed, and we began our wait for the results.
This hospital is truly a nice medical facility, with new equipment and rooms and staff that is caring and courteous. An hour went by with short visits from a variety of staff, checking and rechecking my condition (or as Willie Nelson would say "Seeing what condition my condition is in..." Soon a registration lady came in, took all the pertinent info, and left. Done in 60 seconds.
At the two hour mark, a nurse came in with discharge papers and a prescription for Norco. The diagnosis? I dunno....The cardiac info was great, the lungs were clear, and nothing showed up on the X-ray. So with Rx in hand, we left, both happy and uncomfortable. We would like to have known the cause of the discomfort, but didn't want it to be something serious. Catch-22.
I've been in touch with my cardiologist "staff" at home, and they will review the tests of todays tests to see if they can see anything. In the meantime, the Norco is doing it's job, so if any of this doesn't make sense, blame it on the drugs!
Just goes to show.....be careful what you plan, 'cause either God or the Devil will have something to add to your plans!
I want to applaud our family, because they immediately stepped up and make it clear that they would do anything necessary to help. Fortunately this time they didn't have to do anything, but it's so comforting to know they are there!
Love you all!
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Disappointment turns to Fun
One of our main objectives in Daytona Beach was to take a tour of what is arguably the most famous NASCAR track in the country. Not having done my homework, we found out this morning that the concert that the park staff was talking about yesterday is going to be held at the raceway over the weekend, so tours and site access have been canceled. Called the Country 500, the concert will feature most of the top country performers in the world, including our special favorite, Willie Nelson. Unfortunately, we will be leaving on Saturday morning, and won't get to see the show.
The track is about a mile and a half east of the rv park, and on the same road, so this is a good place to stage if coming to Daytona for a race. Just east of I-95 we saw the famous welcome sign over International Blvd.
We managed to get a quick shot of the bleacher from a service area before being encouraged to move on.
A couple of really nice security guys told us about a hidden place to park just off the runway at Daytona International Airport, so we shot over to check it out.
Well, so-so. It's impossible to show the scale of the track. 2 1/2 miles around with 30 degree banked turns, it is an immense site. We were told that until recently, bleacher access was available for photos of the track and infield, but since a recent $400 million dollar renovation, visitors now have to purchase a tour ticket for entry.
New Smyrna is just a few miles south of Daytona, and called to us. We had visited New Smyrna Beach on a day trip eighteen or so years ago, and we wanted to return. On the way we stumbled upon the Cruger-dePeyster Sugar Mill ruins. This mill was state of the art in 1830 with equipment custom built in West Point, New York, and shipped to Florida. In 1835 Seminole Indians ran off the overseer, and with the help of slaves, burned the mill to the ground. It never produced sugar again. Eventually the equipment was moved to other sugar mills in the area, and this one fell into disrepair. These days, it stands as a reminder of an agricultural venture gone up in smoke.
The structure is built of coquina, a type of building material that contains countless tiny shells, and is virtually impervious to weather, so it didn't need to be whitewashed or plastered. The mill is maintained in a state of arrested decay, so some walls have been repaired. By and large, however, it is original.
We found our way to Smyrna Dunes, a park on the peninsula just across the inlet from the lighthouse we visited yesterday. Our hope was that the dog beach would be available, and it was! This dog beach was suggested to us by Deb from Willow Lakes, and we thank her because Sasha had an absolutely wonderful time!
The dog beach is on the inlet, or river, side of the park, and is kept very clean. For the most part, dog owners mind their manners, and the dogs have a ball.
We were instructed in no uncertain terms to keep our "animal" on a leash. Well, first of all, Sasha is not an "animal", and second of all, she loves the water, so there was no alternative but to risk the wrath of the authorities and Let 'er Rip! Several other dogs were off leash, and they formed an instant pack. Sasha absconded with someones tennis ball, and took off running...
We got to talking with a young fellow on the beach who is a native Smyrnian, and currently works at a senior lifeguard on the ocean side. Dustin was a great guy, and told us a lot about the area. While he talked, he tossed the tennis ball for Sasha and her friends, occasionally getting it out ten or fifteen feet from shore. Sasha learned (again) that she can swim, and retrieved the ball wherever it landed!
That's Dustin in the upper left, lounging on the beach. Almost made me mad that he's 45 years younger than I am!
So, after a bit of disappointment this morning, it turned out to be a fun day. Sasha got a good run, met some friends, and Donna and I got a little beach time!
The track is about a mile and a half east of the rv park, and on the same road, so this is a good place to stage if coming to Daytona for a race. Just east of I-95 we saw the famous welcome sign over International Blvd.
We managed to get a quick shot of the bleacher from a service area before being encouraged to move on.
A couple of really nice security guys told us about a hidden place to park just off the runway at Daytona International Airport, so we shot over to check it out.
Well, so-so. It's impossible to show the scale of the track. 2 1/2 miles around with 30 degree banked turns, it is an immense site. We were told that until recently, bleacher access was available for photos of the track and infield, but since a recent $400 million dollar renovation, visitors now have to purchase a tour ticket for entry.
New Smyrna is just a few miles south of Daytona, and called to us. We had visited New Smyrna Beach on a day trip eighteen or so years ago, and we wanted to return. On the way we stumbled upon the Cruger-dePeyster Sugar Mill ruins. This mill was state of the art in 1830 with equipment custom built in West Point, New York, and shipped to Florida. In 1835 Seminole Indians ran off the overseer, and with the help of slaves, burned the mill to the ground. It never produced sugar again. Eventually the equipment was moved to other sugar mills in the area, and this one fell into disrepair. These days, it stands as a reminder of an agricultural venture gone up in smoke.
The structure is built of coquina, a type of building material that contains countless tiny shells, and is virtually impervious to weather, so it didn't need to be whitewashed or plastered. The mill is maintained in a state of arrested decay, so some walls have been repaired. By and large, however, it is original.
We found our way to Smyrna Dunes, a park on the peninsula just across the inlet from the lighthouse we visited yesterday. Our hope was that the dog beach would be available, and it was! This dog beach was suggested to us by Deb from Willow Lakes, and we thank her because Sasha had an absolutely wonderful time!
The dog beach is on the inlet, or river, side of the park, and is kept very clean. For the most part, dog owners mind their manners, and the dogs have a ball.
We were instructed in no uncertain terms to keep our "animal" on a leash. Well, first of all, Sasha is not an "animal", and second of all, she loves the water, so there was no alternative but to risk the wrath of the authorities and Let 'er Rip! Several other dogs were off leash, and they formed an instant pack. Sasha absconded with someones tennis ball, and took off running...
We got to talking with a young fellow on the beach who is a native Smyrnian, and currently works at a senior lifeguard on the ocean side. Dustin was a great guy, and told us a lot about the area. While he talked, he tossed the tennis ball for Sasha and her friends, occasionally getting it out ten or fifteen feet from shore. Sasha learned (again) that she can swim, and retrieved the ball wherever it landed!
That's Dustin in the upper left, lounging on the beach. Almost made me mad that he's 45 years younger than I am!
So, after a bit of disappointment this morning, it turned out to be a fun day. Sasha got a good run, met some friends, and Donna and I got a little beach time!
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Did you see Him? Did you see Her? Wow!
Sasha and Max have made friends over the last few days in Willow Lakes RV Resort. Max' parents, Deb and Larry, have brought Max over to play 'most every evening, and the two pups have gotten along famously. Donna fought a losing battle to get Sasha to sit still long enough for a picture, while Max knew exactly what to do!
Deb and Larry have a home in the park that they live in year-round. It has a full-size RV port as well as space for storage. The screened room in the back looks out onto a lovely lake. They invited Sasha over to play for an hour or so last evening, and a good time was had by all! We're contemplating returning to Willow Lakes for an extended period of time, because everyone we met was so friendly and accommodating. Deb and Larry have become, in a short time, a couple we would thoroughly enjoy spending more time with!
Earlier in the day, we took a drive to the Canaveral National Seashore, specifically Playalinda Beach. The beach has a number of parking areas scattered along it's length, but we stopped at only two. The first beach crossing was beautiful, with a crossover that preserves the dune vegetation in a natural state.
We went to the end of the service road, noticing that parking at that point was very crowded. We were fortunate to score a spot and took a casual stroll over the dunes to find that we had stumbled upon a nude beach! I'm still puzzling how this could happen at a Federal facility, but I guess this is the 21st century......I will say that what I saw in the 7 hours I stood and stared....no, more like 7 seconds...was not appealing. Note to participants: do this in your backyard, OK?
Scurrying out of Playalinda, we took a 7 mile nature drive through some awesome natural landscape. Complete with thousands of birds, 'crocs, and small game of all stripes, the leisurely journey was very interesting.
A bit north of the nature drive, on US 1, we came across the Haulover Canal, a canal built to connect Mosquito Bay and the Indian River.
The Canal is known as a prime Manatee watching area, and we weren't disappointed! A dozen or so wild Manatee(s?) were frolicking in the water, splashing and playing as only an animal the size of a Volkswagen can!
We stopped in the village of Oak Hill for a quick lunch at a dockside restaurant. Donna and I shared some shrimp and a bowl of beans and washed it all down with Sweet Tea! Does it get any better?
returning to Willow Lakes along US 1, we happened upon the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
This cemetery is under construction, and is only about 30% complete, with 100% expected next summer. I know this because one of the workers is staying in Willow Lakes, and stopped to chat, saying he had seen us at the cemetery.
This will be a beautiful site when it is complete, as it should be.
Today, Wednesday, we left Titusville, and drove a never-ending 42 miles north to the International RV Park in Daytona Beach. Arriving just after noon, we set up and went to see the Number 2 thing to do in Daytona Beach.....the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse.
Built in 1887, the Lighthouse continues to guide mariners as a private navigational aid. The Coast Guard has established a beacon at a nearby location, and abandoned the lighthouse in 1970, but a group of private citizens formed the Lighthouse Preservation Association, and the city of Ponce Inlet purchased the property, so that preservation, maintenance and restoration could be done.
At 175 feet tall, the lighthouse is the tallest in the state of Florida, and one of the tallest in the country.
The grounds include several buildings used to provide support to the light operation: oil storage for the lantern, privy, and pump house, which incidentally is still supplying water to the site! The Principal Keeper's Dwelling is open for viewing as is the First Assistant Keeper's Dwelling, and the Second Assistant Keeper's Dwelling.
One building houses a collection of Fresnel lenses once used in this and other lighthouses.
The 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse beckoned me, so off I went. Donna stayed below as the cheering section while I climbed. I only climbed two flights of stairs before I had to stop and rest, and this became my method all the way to the top. About half way up, I came across these two signs:
With this encouragement in mind, I continued to the top, where a sweeping vista of Daytona Beaches awaited my tired eyes!
The sandbar to the south of the lighthouse is called Disappearing Island, because when the tide comes in, it.....disappears! This is the inlet to Indian River, which starts here and flows south.
With a bunch of facts and figures floating in our heads,
We drove north on Highway A1A into Daytona Beach.
This building resembles the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, CA!
Back at the RV park, we checked out the wifi (marginal), the ATT hotspot (marginal), and the local TV channels (gangbusters). We'll struggle along for a few days, since we're getting the 50% off Passport America rate, and only pay $28 per night! The park is completely booked for the weekend with a rally taking place here, and, we're told, a big concert in town this weekend. We are located on an end spot, so we have a much better feeling of spaciousness than some sites, and we're grateful! While the sites are somewhat close together, there remains a comfortable distance between, and the paved sites in our section of the park make for a clean, comfortable parking area.
Deb and Larry have a home in the park that they live in year-round. It has a full-size RV port as well as space for storage. The screened room in the back looks out onto a lovely lake. They invited Sasha over to play for an hour or so last evening, and a good time was had by all! We're contemplating returning to Willow Lakes for an extended period of time, because everyone we met was so friendly and accommodating. Deb and Larry have become, in a short time, a couple we would thoroughly enjoy spending more time with!
Earlier in the day, we took a drive to the Canaveral National Seashore, specifically Playalinda Beach. The beach has a number of parking areas scattered along it's length, but we stopped at only two. The first beach crossing was beautiful, with a crossover that preserves the dune vegetation in a natural state.
We went to the end of the service road, noticing that parking at that point was very crowded. We were fortunate to score a spot and took a casual stroll over the dunes to find that we had stumbled upon a nude beach! I'm still puzzling how this could happen at a Federal facility, but I guess this is the 21st century......I will say that what I saw in the 7 hours I stood and stared....no, more like 7 seconds...was not appealing. Note to participants: do this in your backyard, OK?
Scurrying out of Playalinda, we took a 7 mile nature drive through some awesome natural landscape. Complete with thousands of birds, 'crocs, and small game of all stripes, the leisurely journey was very interesting.
A bit north of the nature drive, on US 1, we came across the Haulover Canal, a canal built to connect Mosquito Bay and the Indian River.
The Canal is known as a prime Manatee watching area, and we weren't disappointed! A dozen or so wild Manatee(s?) were frolicking in the water, splashing and playing as only an animal the size of a Volkswagen can!
We stopped in the village of Oak Hill for a quick lunch at a dockside restaurant. Donna and I shared some shrimp and a bowl of beans and washed it all down with Sweet Tea! Does it get any better?
returning to Willow Lakes along US 1, we happened upon the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery.
This cemetery is under construction, and is only about 30% complete, with 100% expected next summer. I know this because one of the workers is staying in Willow Lakes, and stopped to chat, saying he had seen us at the cemetery.
This will be a beautiful site when it is complete, as it should be.
Today, Wednesday, we left Titusville, and drove a never-ending 42 miles north to the International RV Park in Daytona Beach. Arriving just after noon, we set up and went to see the Number 2 thing to do in Daytona Beach.....the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse.
Built in 1887, the Lighthouse continues to guide mariners as a private navigational aid. The Coast Guard has established a beacon at a nearby location, and abandoned the lighthouse in 1970, but a group of private citizens formed the Lighthouse Preservation Association, and the city of Ponce Inlet purchased the property, so that preservation, maintenance and restoration could be done.
At 175 feet tall, the lighthouse is the tallest in the state of Florida, and one of the tallest in the country.
The grounds include several buildings used to provide support to the light operation: oil storage for the lantern, privy, and pump house, which incidentally is still supplying water to the site! The Principal Keeper's Dwelling is open for viewing as is the First Assistant Keeper's Dwelling, and the Second Assistant Keeper's Dwelling.
One building houses a collection of Fresnel lenses once used in this and other lighthouses.
The 203 steps to the top of the lighthouse beckoned me, so off I went. Donna stayed below as the cheering section while I climbed. I only climbed two flights of stairs before I had to stop and rest, and this became my method all the way to the top. About half way up, I came across these two signs:
With this encouragement in mind, I continued to the top, where a sweeping vista of Daytona Beaches awaited my tired eyes!
The sandbar to the south of the lighthouse is called Disappearing Island, because when the tide comes in, it.....disappears! This is the inlet to Indian River, which starts here and flows south.
With a bunch of facts and figures floating in our heads,
We drove north on Highway A1A into Daytona Beach.
This building resembles the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood, CA!
Back at the RV park, we checked out the wifi (marginal), the ATT hotspot (marginal), and the local TV channels (gangbusters). We'll struggle along for a few days, since we're getting the 50% off Passport America rate, and only pay $28 per night! The park is completely booked for the weekend with a rally taking place here, and, we're told, a big concert in town this weekend. We are located on an end spot, so we have a much better feeling of spaciousness than some sites, and we're grateful! While the sites are somewhat close together, there remains a comfortable distance between, and the paved sites in our section of the park make for a clean, comfortable parking area.
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