We're Not in Kansas Anymore, Toto!

There was a monumental rainfall last night..never been in this land yacht in such a storm...the wind is howling and the palms trees are bent. Rick plans to try out his new fishing pole on the dock. As soon as he gets to the dock, the rain starts pelting down again...he practically lashes himself and his gear to the bench and can barely stand up....he's back in 15 minutes.

The rain stops and though it is about 60 degrees, the wind is a good 30 mph and it's chilly. Our snorkeling excursion is cancelled and we decide to explore by car. We go out in search of key deer at a refugee dedicated to preserving them. They are supposed to be about the size of a German shephard and live only here. We drive to No Name Key down a deserted road, park and walk down a path into the mangroves. We search there and then several other roads and paths...feels like we are on the prowl for the elusive unicorn

Try lunch at a Rob's Island Grille which I've read was great. Wrong...had inedible conch fritters and Rick's fried oysters were okay.

Stopped at a shopping center to find an ATM and discovered Key West Key Lime Co. Buy key lime chipotle BBQ sauce, ginger mustand and coconut cookies. Decide the pie will have to wait since we're going to spend the days exploring. Asked the shop owner about the wild roosters in the parking lot..he couldn't seem to grasp why I thought that odd.

Have recently heard of a resort called Little Palm Island reached by launch from Little Torch Key. Stop at their dock and find a lovely gift shop and make plans for lunch out there next week.

Grill a pork tenderloin encrusted with a Cayman Citrus Rub accompanied by garlic roasted new potatoes and a vegetable stir-fry.

A New Dawn

A new days helps. We walk the property at dawn and if one had a waterfront site, this wouldn't seem so dreary. The cranes are out in force stalking breakfast...Rick finds a real sponge on the beach that he plans to use for his watercolors if he actually ever gets to it.


Feeling better about the prospects of the next couple of days. Actually the entire perimeter of this very large resort isn' t bad at all. There's a marina, a decent pool, a little restaurant and a fishing pier. It's the interior of the place that gives me the chills...people have obviously settled in for at least the season and have "decorated" with tiki lights, faux lighted palm trees and many flamingos!


Spend the day in Marathon..not that much to see/do there....a couple of good shops with ridiculous names....Krazy Larry's & Greedy Gekko belie the pretty nice merchandise they have. Lazy Lizzard is more t-shirty, but still better than its name. All are in the Publix shopping center where we also stop to stock up.

We do find a great place for lunch..Keys Fisheries Market and Marina off the beaten track. The boats bring in the catch and they serve it up. I have a grouper sandwich and Rick, the fried shrimp. It's good, but not fabulous. But the ambience vaults it up the scale. Watch pelicans up close and personal as we eat.

Decide to run down and take a look at the Bahia Honda State Park. It is terrific. The only really good beaches we've seen and very picturesque. We plan on bringing our snorkeling gear and returning tomorrow for a day at the beach.

After that large lunch, neither one of us wants much for dinner. Take the leftover ahi tuna and grilled vegetables from the freezer...have another salad that's topped with pine nuts and poppy seed dressing.

Attitude is Determined by Latitude

I bought the t-shirt! And it proved to be a necessity! We went from the close to sublime to the nearly ridiculous.

The resort in Port St. Lucie was so lovely, but we were really anxious to hit the islands! Navigated the 200 miles to Marthon in the Keys and picked up a car. This time Enterprise was terrific.

To drive the 7 Mile Bridge has been on my life list forever. It is truly an engineering and aethestic miracle. But the exhileration of reaching our first island destination was dashed abruptly on arrival.

The Sunshine RV Resort and Marina, an Encore property, is not as advertised. Not only were we disappointed in the quality of the site, but mostly because they didn't have a record of the waterfront site I booked over 6 weeks ago. I was told I had reserved the least expensive accomodation! Yeah, like that's going to happen! There were no waterfront sites available, so after much toing and froing, we landed in a spot two rows back and if I crane my neck over the driver's seat, I can see the Gulf.

Too upset to cook...slice the left-over terriyaki steak, saute red and green peppers and onions, arrange over lettuce, top with honey mustard dressing and have a pretty good entree salad.

Mr. Fix-it Goes to Town

And so it begins. The morning had started out with a pleasant walk, the morning political talk shows, a Sunday paper and a very tasty breakfast concoction. I took a small bit of smoked salmon and spinach leftover from a wonderful lunch in Hilton Head and folded them into scrambled eggs. Served the leftover grits on the side. Fab! But then the seemingly never-ending on-the-road-repairs associated with this land yacht start.

I had asked Rick to go below and get the vacuum so I could tidy up a bit before we play golf. He discovers a compartment full of water. Long story, short...he is now at Home Depot to find parts to repair a manufacturing defect that caused the gray water (that means water from the shower and sinks) to leak from under the shower. There are literally gallons of water in the stowed containers. Fortunately nothing seems permanently damaged.

He's back with a part that is better than the original and costs $1.88. He's now installing it in an almost unreachable location. Perhaps we will actually get to play today.

Coach Envy

The Outdoor Resort at Port St. Lucie resort did accept the promotional deal we found online without any hassle. The resort is lovely. There's a great clubhouse, three pools and hot tubs and a 9-hole par 3 that winds through the property. The trade-off for using the promotion is that they have just opened a new phase of this condo property and they put us on a site they hope to sell. When we took a walk around the owner sites that are rented, we found extraordinary hardscape, water features, outdoor kitchens and lovely landscaping. The promotion is worth well over $200, but you don't get all the bells and whistles that you otherwise might.

This is a Class A motor coach resort only....we like that. Except Rick now has "coach envy". Where our Georgetown coach is big, but understated, most motor homes here are on the very high end of the price range - many well over $1M. Here's a great site with a very nice coach, more than a dozen palm trees, lots of hardscape, circular drive and a beautiful outdoor kitchen. It's a wonderful idea if you like spending alot of time in one place. What appeals to me about this whole RV thing, though, is the ability to explore and discover.

Finally got a beach day. Perfect 85 degree weather. On the way to the beach we stumbled upon Pip's Tiki Grille....a bit of a wreck of a place that was just perfect and kind of islandy. Rick had their Famous Fish Tacos which has ever right to be called famous. I had a grilled Mahi sandwich which was very good...but Rick won this one.


Went to Jenson Beach which was mobbed on this Saturday ... nowhere to park. Ventured down about a half-mile and found Glasscock Beach ... plenty of room to park and wide open. There is no sign, so just keep looking to your right and after an apartment complex there is a tiny dirt road that opens into a generous parking ... pull in!


By the way, if you do come here, a car is mandatory unless you spend your whole time "on campus" which you certainly can do. FYI the beach is about a half an hour away.

When we asked about a great seafood market, we were told to go to New England Seafood Market. Thought that a bit odd name given that we are in Florida, but everything looked great. We're making a shrimp boil tonight...shrimp, potatoes, corn and andouille I found in the freezer from the jambalya...going to cook it in beer and Old Bay. We'll see!

Promotional Alerts and Gas Gripes

If you're planning on bringing your RV to either Hilton Head or Port St. Lucie, we've discovered some promotions to take advantage of. Stop at the South Carolina Welcome Center and get a 25% off coupon for the Hilton Head Motor Coach Resort. And just today I found a free 3 night promotion for the Port St. Lucie Resort online at the Outdoor Resorts of America website. It's good through the end of April. I made reservations for 3 nights over a month ago. Let's see if they will acquiesce and accept it now.

Went to the beach in St. Augustine this morning at dawn hoping to watch the sunrise. It was blurred by clouds, but there was also no snow, no ice and it was 67 degrees. I had a great walk.

We're trying to head out early, but need to return the rental car first. Had a Budget car this time because my former favs Enterprise let me down again. I had reserved a car and when we got to St. Augustine, they didn't have any cars! Scrambled and found Budget would pick us up also. Anyway, turns out they are located inside a WaMart...this is somethig city girls don't get to see often. So when we returned the car we ended up spending another significant sum on things we forgot and found we needed. For instance, I remembered to bring pearls...but not beach chairs!

We just stopped to get gas outside of Vero Beach. Couldn't believe the prices for regular are more than premium in Georgetown. But, that's not my gripe. Gripe #1...The Chevron advertised price was $3.30 for regular. But it turns out you find out when you get to the pump that price is if you use a Chevron card or cash. We have a 100 gallon tank. Gripe #2...They have the pumps fixed so they will not allow you to get more than $75 worth of gas per transaction. I couldn't fill up my Jeep with premium for $75! Gripe #3 ...it will not allow you to use one credit card more than twice and they don't take American Express. So two Visa cards and four transactions later Gigantor finally has a full tummy.

World Golf Village

I'm so glad to hear from so many people who seem to be enjoying what we are doing...it's great fun....keep 'em coming!

Finally got my toes in the sand this morning for a terrific walk on the beach. Came across several rays who had gotten in trouble, but the tide was still coming in so I think they were able to get back out to sea.

This RV park is definitely not the high road, but the beach access vaults it up on the ratings scale. We're trying to stay ahead/behind of bad weather, so we picked St. Augustine to do inside things. Have wanted to go to World Golf Village and the Hall of Fame since it opened. Frankly, if you're in the area, I'd say go ahead and go...don't make a big side-tour for it. It's fine, but not really up to snuff. The best part is the store...dropped a lot there!

After leaving that complex, we were hoping to tour/shop the city of St. Augustine. Pouring rain, headed back to Gigantor. Stopped at the light house just to take a photo. Rick has been taking water color classes and thinks his genre might be lighthouses.

Off to St. Lucie in the morning. Golf course on the premises. Hopefully Rick is up to it. If not, I think I might do it by myself.

Roughing it in St Augustine

We take a short drive down the coast, passing up a stop in Savannah, to an RV park on the sand in St. Augustine. Since my back's still not in super shape, we decide to see the World Golf Hall of Fame as well as a couple of sunrises. The park's nothing to rave about - mostly concrete pads with a picnic table under a lean-to shed roof, as well as the usual collection of permanent residents with the obligatory pink flamingos and tiki lanterns. But there are four wooden walkways that arch up and over the dunes, and when we crest the peak of the dune just at sunset, we're met with such a glorious sight.

Having stopped at a grocery store on the way in, we've got a great piece of tuna to sear on the grill. Add some grilled asparagus and rice with pesto and sundried tomatoes and we're in heaven. We really need to remember to turn off the Washington, DC weather alert text messages - they are clogging up our cell phone inboxes with dismal news. Hang in there, DC!

Hilton Head Real Estate

After Rick's second massage, we know there is no golf in our near future, so we spend the day looking at property. Our main criteria is a fabulous view, so all the areas we visit have marshland or river lots. We stop first at Berkeley Hall where we have the good fortune of having the agent not only be a partner in the development, but most of all a former Walker Cup player. Duke is a pleasure to spend time with and we loved listening to his Q-School stories. He shows us this property and Belfair down the road. If we decide Hilton Head is the place, it will be easy to find a terrific piece of real estate.

For a lunch break we go to a place our "on island" friends have recommended... unbelievably it is in another RV park, which of course we check out. Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort & Marina is not nearly as nice as Hilton Head Island Motor Coach Resort where we are staying, but it has one terrific restaurant...the Sunset Grille.

The lunch menu features more dinner type entrees than we would normally want at lunch...but go for it!! Hugh (we gather the owner) smokes fish, meats and fowl on a deckside smoker oven. I must say the smoked salmon (not nova like...but chunks like you would usually grill) set on a bed of creamy southern grits topped with wilted spinach is spectacular. Rick chooses a fried oyster po' boy, loves it, but agrees I win this selection contest. Great food accompanied by a very good pouilly fuisse and a terrific view....highly recommended.

We visit one more location on Callawassie Island. It's different, but just as lovely. Far more natural settings and less manicured property....but the views!

We were planning on going out to dinner, but are exhausted, so we stop at Crazy Crab. Have a drink in the bar and order dinner to take back to Tor. One order of she-crab soup and a steamed seafood pot (lobster, crab, shrimp, oysters, baked potato and corn on the cob) is more than we can handle. The food isn't like the Sunset Grille...but a good way to end the day.

Searching for Real Estate

A good portion of our travels in the south are going to be devoted to looking at real estate. We've been idling looking at a next place to land for a couple of years, but are getting a bit more serious about it. We're now trying to whittle it down to a town and then a specific place. All we know is it will probably be somewhere between Wilmington, NC and Savannah.

We awoke yesterday to a terrible rain storm so the beach walk was shelved. Spent the morning getting organized and writing one of my newspaper columns. The afternoon clears and we head out to look at some property. Not sure if we want to live in such a tourist mecca as Hilton Head but we had a couple of hours so we went to take a look at Colleton River Plantation. It is quite nice...the homes huge, the golf courses manicured, the cubhouses picture perfect. But it is quiet...very, very quiet. Probably can't see us here.

Make a quick stop at the Tanger Outlets . There are two separate phases to this enormous outlet center. All the usual suspects are there. I'm only stopping because I remembered an Ellen Tracy outlet that I had been to years ago. Find absolutely nothing.

Had a terrific evening with old friends I hadn't seen in years. Bob and Eloise have recently moved to Hilton Head and are very happy here.

Exploring Sea Pines

We are greeted by a glorious morning and set out to take a walk around the resort. Some very nice facilities....large pool and hot tub...6 Har-Tru tennis courts....and a clubhouse, all in a nice landscaped setting.

I guess I failed to mention earlier that we had an ice storm in DC two days before we left. Rick took a quick trip down the stairs on his back when he went out to get the papers. He seemed okay, but he has gotten progressively worse. We spend the morning searching for a massage therapist. Rick locates Greg at Island Massage (843-816-4404) who agrees to come in on a Sunday and see if he can fix him up. I drop him off and head off down the road to check out Sea Pines. I had wanted to play the Harbor Course, but not sure Rick will be able to.

Just an FYI, there's a $5 daily gate fee. There's a few good shops around the faux lighthouse...Currents carries the women's collection from Vineyard Vines and S.M. Bedford carries a good selection of women's Lily and Izod. Drive around the entire area, but mostly find it a bit tired and not very interesting.

Pick up Rick and decide that our planned dinner out will instead be in. He heads achingly to the hot tub, I marinate a terriyaki flank steak, make sesame noodles and lemon pepper sugar snap peas.

We look forward to heading to the beach in the morning for a brisk walk.

Arriving Hilton Head

Though we had two days factored in to make it to Hilton Head, we decide we do not want to stop at another less than desirable place and plow ahead 420 miles to make it today. We have to take care of a few complications, like we don't have car or resort reservations for today. I get the resort booked okay since it's not really in season yet, but the car is another issue.


Enterprise inexplicably closes at noon on Saturday and is closed on Sunday...this is at the airport. Check nearly every alternative online and finally locate a car at National. Rick drops me off at the airport and dashes to the resort to make it before their 5 pm close. I follow with the car.


We are pleased when we arrive. This is the first of three Outdoor Resorts of America we have booked and the Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort is very, very close to what we've been searching for. If you book here, definitely request a lakefront site...we found it far more desirable. And except for a maintenance area that is in our line of sight and that should be surrounded by a high fence, we think site #330 is the best of the lot.


All the sites have paver patios and since this is a condo resort, the owners have furnished them differently. But all seem attractive. What sets site #330 apart is that it has a second dock-like patio on the lake. We settle in, prepare a jumbalaya for dinner and are quite content.

Launched!

The exhilaration of finally having departure day arrive is somewhat paled by all the loading and unpacking of everything we've brought. Granted we've brought way too much...because we can! It's after 2 pm before we push off. We still have a bunch to do, but decide to let it wait until we stop for the evening.

After getting settled, the biggest chore will be to de-winterize Gigantor. It would've been great to have had it done before we left, but the DC weather hasn't cooperated. Rick will write more on this whole thing later, but the bottom line is we have anti-freeze in our water lines and must use bottled water until it's flushed out.

We stop just before the North Carolina border. We had checked-out a Jellystone Park in Maryland for Ian last year and it was adorable. So we figured chains/franchises must have some minimum criteria and it would be safe to stay at this one in Emporia, VA. Wrong!!!! It was pretty dreadful. Stay clear! Even though we read the owners have sold it, there is no hope...a train track borders the property and bellows throughout the night.

We close ourselves in, pour some wine and make a nice penne with shrimp in pink vodka sauce. We have every intention of watching a Netflix movie we brought with us. But we are so tired, we manage only to read a little while before it's lights out.

10 Days to Launch

Neither one of us has ever been to Key West and have always wanted to. I've spent weeks devising the itinerary and selecting the stops. We're finding what appear to be far better choices in resorts than were available on our cross-country trip last summer. Here's a look at where we are going..we'll let you know what we find.

Washington, DC - Key West, FL Itinerary

Feb. 15 – 17 – Travel to Hilton Head
581 miles – stop when we want

Feb 17 – 21 – Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort
133 Arrow Rd
800-722-2365
www.outdoor-resorts.com/hilton_head/


Feb. 21 – 22 – Travel to Port St. Lucie
412 miles – stop when we want

Feb. 22 – 26 - Port St. Lucie West Motorcoach Resort
800 NW Peacock Blvd.
772-336-1135
800-456-2303
http://www.outdoor-resorts.com/stlucie//


Feb 26 - Travel to Big Pine Key
241 miles

Feb. 26 – 28 Sunshine RV Resort
38801 Overseas Hwy MM 39
305-872-2217
800-852-0348
http://www.rvonthego.com/


Feb. 28 - Travel to Key West
30 miles

Feb. 28 – Mar. 5 Boyd’s Key West Campground
6401 Maloney Ave.
305-294-1465
http://www.boydscampground.com/


Mar. 5 - Travel to Melbourne Beach
339 miles

Mar. 5 – 7 Outdoor Resorts/ Melbourne Beach
214 Horizon Lane
321-724-2600
http://www.outdooresortsmelbournebeach.com/