South Carolina

We arrived at the Naval Weapons Station in Goose Creek on Monday May 2nd to stay at Foster Creek RV Park for a week while we visited family.  The campground was very quiet and the sites were big and private.  We really enjoyed our time here.

We found a vet nearby and took Lucky there where they took alot of time examining him and talking to us as well as reviewing the xrays we brought them. They gave him three types of medications and recommended a laser treatment they had just gotten the equipment for a few weeks before and said they have seen some major changes in animals that had used it for injuries and arthritis. We were skeptical but said why not, anything but surgery at this point so he had three treatments and as well as being on a steriod and some muscle relaxers and pain killers and within the week he was standing and partially walking. We were very impressed by this Vet office and they were very reasonable.

We went over to Charleston and across the Bay to Reds Ice House for some lunch and a beer.  It was not too busy since it was the middle of the week and we got to bring the dogs with us to the outside area of the restaurant.  I had She Crab Soup which was really good.

We then went to where the USS Yorktown Air Craft Carrier is docked and walked around the grounds and got some pictures.

Afterward we drove over to the Cove Inlet and got some pictures of the surrounding areas. 

It was a great weather day and the birds were out enjoying it.  It took me a while but I got this picutre of a skimmer flying close to the water searching for food. 

That night we went to Summerville and had an awesome dinner with my brother Ed and his wife Lynn  at their house and really enjoyed spending time with them.

On Saturday my sister Pat and her husband Eddie came down from Florence, SC to spend the day with us. We had lunch and enjoyed being outdoors.

That evening we went on a dinner cruise in Charleston with them and had a really nice time although it was quite windy on the river that night.  The food was really good and the music was enjoyable as well as the company.

The next day was Mother's Day and after having a light breakfast we went over to my brothers where we got to see Leslie, Tyler and baby to be and had a really nice brunch made by Ed.  We had Mimosas and enjoyed a delicious Egg Cassarole, Strawberries and cream and cheesecake.  We got to visit for several more hours which was really nice.  It was a very relaxing day.

I got a new camera from Lindsey and Dzmitry for Mother's Day and this is the first picture taken with it.

 

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This is a view of the river near the campground












We spent the next day around the campground hiking, birdwatching and just relaxing.

 We were leaving the next day for North Carolina so we had to get ready for our next destination.

Florida and Georgia Jan through April 2011

We arrived in Jensen Beach to spend a few days with my mother.   We then went to Kars Park  for a week and to store the RV as we were heading to Georgia to housesit and dog sit for Lindsey and Dzmitry while they were in Australia. 

While we were there the D'Avis's were visiting and came over to Kars Park for the Space Shuttle launch and to spend the day with us. 

We couldn't see the launch that good but alot of people were there and they had eats and drinks and games for the kids.  Fiona and Soren had a good time as did we.

We then left Kars Park and went to Georgia to house and dogsit.  We were there from February 2nd through February 22.  We got to spend alot of time with our grandchildren.

While we were there several snow storms came through but we didn't mind the change in weather.

While we were there we celebrated Soren's first birthday.

They decided they wanted to move back to Florida so on the 22nd we helped them pack up the house and move back down to Florida.  Well, I mostly just watched the grandkids which of course I enjoyed.

 

We got the RV out of storage at Kars Park and stayed there until March 1st then went to Whispering Pines Mobile Home RV Park up in Titusville for the month while our friends Lou and Yvonne (and Ty's friend Buster) were there. Yvonne and I went to Bingo and I won the first game! We also went to one of the music nights were about six of the residents performed. They were quite good. Everyone at the park were really friendly and Bill even helped one elderly resident move into one of the homes.

We also watched the Space Shuttle land.   I had seen many liftoffs but  this was the first landing I had seen. 

Here is a picture of our friend Brooke for his first skydive out in Central Florida where we went and watched him and his daughter in law Jennifer who loved it.  One of these days I will get the courage to try it myself....maybe when I am 60?

In April we went to Patrick AFB  and had an awesome sight across from the Banana River. We washed and waxed the RV right there on sight as I was doing in this picture.

 Some of the male Rv campers came up to Bill and wanted to know how did he get me to do that as there wives would no way get up there.

We biked around the base a few times and Bill had the urge to bike over this levee or whatever you call it.

We went up to Palm Coast one day while Debbie and Brooke were visiting Bill and Maureen who had bought a nice house on the canal up there. We went to the Moose Lodge and had a few drinks and ended up spending the night, had some Mimosas and breakfast before we headed back to Patrick AFB.

 Lindsey and Dzmitry and some of there friends came down for a long weekend vacation and for Fiona's fourth birthday and we rented a pantoon boat for four hours in Sebastian.

 Their friend Dan did most of the driving, then Dzmitry.  It was fun cruising the Indian River and the Sebastian Inlet and stopping at an island to eat our lunch.  We saw lots of dolphins on this trip, more than I have ever seen at one time.   We then had dinner later that night at one of our favorite places, Grill's.

Fiona's fourth birthday was at Riverside Park in Vero Beach and it was hot and humid.  The kids had fun in the pool and on the beach.  I think Fiona had an awesome time.

On Sunday May 1st we went to my mothers house to visit for the last time before we left for our trip North and to leave our kayaks there in her garage and while Bill was unloading them, the wind picked up and pushed the Kayak off the car. We did not know it but Lucky was right by Bill and even though he caught the kayak, part of it hit Lucky on a diagonal across his back. We had to rush him to an emergency Vet where they took Xrays and said nothing was broken but he probably had disc damage and we needed to bring him back the next day. Well we were headed for South Carolina the next day so we decided to find a Vet up there to have him checked out. 

We left Kars Park the next day and started our four month trip up the East Coast.

Miami and the Everglades January 2011

In January 2011 we decided to take the RV down to Miami and visit with my sister for a few days.  We
went to Fairchild Gardens where they had some of the Chilualy Glass Artwork displayed donated by members of the Gardens.

It was a little chilly in the shade but out in the sun it was nice and turned out to be a gorgeous day.  The plants in the greenhouse were mostly ferns and bromeliads and in full bloom.

Outside in the gardens there were topiaries and displays of still artwork like these sheep that looked real until you got up close. 

The next morning we went to a Green Market next to the old Parrot Jungle.  Wow did that bring back some memories!  They still had the old cages for the birds and the trees that survived Hurricane Andrew provided a hammock with lots of shade.

There was an art show going on which was enjoyable and after we had some delicious lunch with lots of choices of cuban food and seafood, we headed to The Barnacle House.  There was some very interesting history about this house built in the 1900's.

Ceci relaxing before the tour

We went kayaking in the everglades because believe it or not I had never done it although my Dad and siblings all had gone in the early years...for some reason I never went.  We went with my sister Ceci and my brother in law Charlie and had a great time.  It did get kind of hot and the water was quite low in spots but at least now I can say I have done it!

I learned things I did not know about Miami even though I lived there 28 years of my life.  Great places to visit and lots of things to do in Miami. 

We then headed to Key West for four days.  Again lots of memories there since my Dad was in the Navy Reserves he would take all 10 of us down with him in the summer and while he was doing his "duty" we would explore Key West and swim in the hotel pool all day.  He also took us lobstering in the keys as well as fishing.  Those were the good old days.  

We got down to the Navy Base and got a dry camping spot along with over 100 other RVer's.  Turns out a good majority of these snowbirds do this every year.  They stay months at a time and get to alternate for a full hookup spot for two weeks then have to go back to dry camp for two weeks.  They all had external Honda generators and you could tell they have it down to a science with their sites all set up. 

I do have to say though, the sunsets were awesome here as they say some of the best are in Key West..of course I have to post pictures of sunsets..notice how I never have any of sunrises?  Can't seem to get up early these days!

This Iguana was right behind our Campsite and coming closer to me to see if I had anything to give him.  Ty spotted him and wanted to run right to him, just like the alligator in Kars Park last year!  The Iguana got scared and ran right next to Ty and I and up a nearby tree...he was camoflauged so well I could not find him and eventually he crawled away. 

One night we went to the "Sunset Grill" for dinner, drinks and karoke and had a good time.

 One night we went to the "Sunset Grill" which was right on the base for dinner and drinks.  They had karoke that night and so we stayed a little while for that then decided to retire early.

We had our kayaks and were able to put in right near the campsite.  I have to say it was a beautiful day but a little warm for January.  

This Rooster was right behind our campsite...they are still in abundance down in Key West.

We took a nice bike ride through downtown and had awesome sandwiches at The Cuban Coffee Queen.

These goats were on the Truman Annex Base in Key West and were placed here to eat the grass as you can see from the sign below.

One day we signed up for a house tour through the Restoration Society and got on the trolley that took us to each of five houses.  They were beautifully redone inside and out.  The last one was off Duval Street where alot of partying goes on and it was the a former residence of Kenney Chesney.  He bought it and then put it on the market within months of renovating it because some fans climbed over his fence. 

We left the next day and stopped at No Name Pub at Big Pine Key for lunch and a beer.  Bill said it had not changed except for the many more dollar bills on the ceiling.

 It was pretty crowded and we saw there were people waiting outside but we thought that was for the tables not the bar.  Turns out people were waiting for seats at the bar also....whoops.  Since we had already ordered they let us stay, we weren't budging anyway.....

After we ate and drank our beers, we headed to Jensen Beach for a few days.