Hollywood, Fl & Tampa, Fl

This is a slow news week but I wanted to get the blog out before I leave for Salem in the (early) morning.  In a word (or two) HOT & HUMID!  We get afternoon T- storms that make it feel"sticky"


Friday, Sept. 25 We made our way to Sun Life Stadium, we forgot to take our Sun Pass transponder with us and of course Miss Sally wanted us to take the turnpike.  On parts of the turnpike you have to have it. they do not accept cash.  We kept reading the map thinking we'd skirt around it, somehow we got there, we're not sure how.  One the way back she steered us home without messing with the turnpike.  We asked ourselves why didn't she bring us this way on the way over.  As much as Miss Sally and I differ, I can't imagine taking this trip without her.  Sun Life Stadium, formerly known as Joe Robie Stadium opened in 1987, presently seats 65,326 fans.  In January of this year they started a 350 million dollar renovation project, one of the issues is extreme heat because of the direction it was built, they plan to do a partial roof or sun shade making it more comfortable for fans.  We met a lady in the RV park who is a HUGE Packer fan, she said she couldn't figure out how they could make any money there isn't a huge base due to the heat and lousy teams.  No tours were being given the day we were there so we stopped by the Team Store and walked around outside.  The construction workers were busy at work and vendors were setting up, the first home season opener will be Sunday.  I peeked into my crystal ball, they lost to the Bills, and the neighbor was right the stands weren't very full.  It was so hot and humid we were exhausted so after grabbing a quick lunch we went back to the coach to "veg".  I went to the pool. ahhhhh it felt so good, but when I saw lightning strikes nearby I made a quick dash back to the coach.

Saturday, Sept. 26, We left by 9:00 for our 284 mile drive to MacDill AFB in Tampa arriving about 3:30.  It's still hot and humid!  We navigated our way through the large camp to Fam Camp right on Tampa Bay easily.  A late afternoon t-storm continued until dark.  When it rains here it REALLY rains.  Mac Dill AFB , established in 1939, is an Air Mobility Command installation.  The 91st Air Refueling group operates the KC1352 stratotanker, a long range tanker aircraft capable of refueling a variety of aircraft in mid-air anywhere in the world in any weather conditions.  Besides the air refueling group the Air Lift Squadron provides transportation to combat zones.  Unfortunately we watched our Ducks lose, mid-way through the game we lost power.  After Gary worked on the power a while we at least were able to get 30 amp, maybe we should have skipped it, the game was pretty ugly.

Sunday, Sept. 27, what a beautiful morning, we took a bike ride around the camp, checking out our new "digs" after we checked in at the office to see if anyone could look at our power situation.  I saw 2 Spoonbills in ditch beside the road, what amazing birds.  Again, hot and humid, we took it pretty easy with afternoon t-showers keeping us inside.  Yay!  Our Seahawks won handily, about time.    We did see the Blood Moon total eclipse, amazing!

Monday, Sept. 28, The first thing we did was go walk  to the Marina to see how soon we could get our power problem fixed, they sent someone over before we made it back.  I turns out a tiny lizard crawled into the power stand and got fried.  Whew!  Not our problem.  I did laundry and packed for my trip.  Our rain held off until middle of the night, about 12 hours late.

Tuesday, Sept. 29,  Very wet morning, it's supposed to stop by mid-day.  Well it didn't, it rained until after 5.  We made a dry run to the airport to see how long it would take, my flight leaves at 6:23, I don't want to miss it.  After we went to the Exchange to buy a new door mat, we left ours in Jacksonville, then to the Commissary to stock up on groceries.  I was able to walk Luci between showers, Gary didn't get so lucky, they got caught in a downpour  later.  I made BBQ'd meatloaf for Gary, he loves the leftovers. 

That's it for now,

TTFN

Gary and Pam

Miami's longtime quarterback

Sun Life Stadium

Coach Don Shula

Which is the witch?

Fort Stewart, Ga & Maport Naval Station Jacksonville, Fl.

We finally arrived in Florida, the 26th state, 1 Canadian Province, DC and 6,751 miles since we left Rockport last January. We have one more stop to make before we get to our destination, Tampa, at least for a couple of weeks anyway.  We are both ready to kick back, relax and get bored, although I'm leaving Wednesday for Oregon for a week.  It has been quite a trip, so much so it makes my head swim to think about everywhere we have been.

Friday, Sept. 18, We left a little before 11 for a short drive of only 122 miles to Savannah, Ga.  We are staying at Fort Stewart Holbrook Pond Campground south of Savannah. It's a nice park, nice big spaces in a wooded area, almost feels like we are camping out in the forest but with amenities.  Ft. Stewart, 280,000 acres, during WWII was a POW Camp.  Now it is home to the 3rd Infantry Division, their main mission is artillery training.  We hear "booms" quite often, not sure if it is tanks shooting but on the drive in to the base there are several "Tank Crossing" signs.  The large pond near the RV park has alligators swimming around.  Across the pond from the "Don't feed the alligators" sign is a children's playground with no barrier from the water.  I guess it is "ok" for the gator to munch on young kids.  At the Outdoor Recreation office where we check in are 3 posters warning you of poisonous snakes, insects and plants.  Made me think twice about staying there.

Saturday, Sept. 19,  After 3 days with a tummy bug I finally feel human.  Gary went to the National Museum of the Mighty Eights Air just north of Savannah, which showcases the story of American air power in WWII through today.  Several planes on display including a B-17 Flying Fortress undergoing a complete refurbishing.  Memorial Gardens and a Chapel honor the 26,000 lost in WWII.   One exit north is an Outlet Mall where I found retail therapy was good for what ails you.  Found some great deals at Talbots.  We met for lunch at Cracker Barrel  before heading out to Tybee Island Lighthouse, one of the first public structures in Georgia, originally completed in 1736, stands 154 feet, still shines over Savannah Harbor.  We could have climbed the 178 step spiral staircase, our excuse, again, too darned hot!  90 plus degrees with high humidity.  We picked up a few geo caches in the area, walked on the beach and I waded in the Atlantic.  It felt like bathwater unlike the Pacific.

Sunday, Sept. 20, We went into Savannah, General James Oglethorpe founded Savannah, Georgia's oldest city, in 1733.  He laid out the town in 22 squares, the centerpiece of the squares varied, fountains, statues and parks.  Around each square are some of the most beautiful homes and 300-500 year old Live Oak trees laden with Spanish Moss.  Oglethorpe figured since it was his town he could prohibit whatever he wanted, in this case, liquor, slaves, Catholics and lawyers.  As time went by all four prohibitions fell aside, even letting lawyers in.  We decided to take a Hop On/Off  trolley tour, our driver/guide Debbie was a lot of fun, originally from Idaho has lived in Savannah for 16 years and loving it!  The narrated part of the tour lasted 90 minutes, after we "hopped" off at City Market, a four block conglomeration of refurbished warehouses that's been a gathering place since the mid 18th century.  Just down the street was Paula Deen's restaurant and store, looked like a tourist mecca.  We walked down to River Street, paved from the stones from 1700 ship's ballast, not many rocks in Savannah.  We lunched at Moon River Brewing Co., originally an old hotel.  There are lots of ghosts in Savannah, they have several Ghost Tours available nightly.  The tour had 14 stops with almost 50 other points of interest along the way.  It was so hot we just stopped at the riverfront, Colonial Park Cemetery and the city's first Catholic Church.  The Colonial Park Cemetery was for many years the only burying grounds in the city.   During the Civil War General Sherman stabled his horses in the cemetery, most of the headstones were destroyed.  The remaining head  stones may or may not belong to the grave.  The  Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was originally completed in 1896 then rebuilt in 1899 after a fire.  It features marble railings, floors and alter, beautiful stained glass windows, a 2,081 pipe organ, murals and wood-carved stations of the cross.  So beautiful!

Monday, Sept. 21, We left Holbrook Pond about 11 for our 135 mile drive south to Jacksonville, Fl., we are staying at Mayport Naval Station.  The Navy has the best Fam Camp's, we are right on the St. John's River for just $21.00 a night.  On the way we stopped at the Florida Welcome Center to check out the Sun Pass so we won't have to stop at the toll booths.  We were able to purchase a portable pass we can use on both coach and car, for a price $21.40 including tax then loaded $50.00 on the card for the tolls.  Yikes!  After we settled in we took Luci out for a walk to check out our new neighborhood.  We let Luci off leash on the beach (against the rules) she ran and ran, played in the surf, drank salt water then rolled and rolled in the sand.  What a dog.  We gave her a bath outside with cold water.  We aren't too sure who got wetter, her or us.  I BBq'd a salmon burger (for me) and a yummy looking steak for Gary.  Delish. 

Tuesday, Sept. 22, Took it pretty easy today, walking the dog and the usual chores. 

Wednesday, Sept. 23, While Gary slept in, Luci and I walked the PT track then down to the beach.  It was breezy and overcast, perfect for a good workout.  We left Luci in the coach while we went into Jacksonville, mainly to see Everbank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  No tours were available for the general public, we walked around the stadium enjoying the cooler weather.  We picked up a few geo caches in the area before lunching downtown at River City Brewing Co., on the St. John's River.  Gary had a delicious French dip, I made the mistake of ordering a salmon sandwich.  I know better to get salmon anywhere besides the northwest. The weather was still wonderful, we ate outside overlooking the marina.  On the way back to base the rain started, slowly at first then picking up.  The weatherman said in our area it was 1 - 2 inches of rain per hour, while east of I-95 was perfectly dry.  Luci did not want to go outside.  There have been 4 shark attacks in the Jacksonville area this week, one guy was only waist deep.  I'm glad I only went in up to my ankles. 

That's it for this week, enjoy the pic's.

TTFN,

Gary and Pam

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Watch out for sharks!

Several of these signs on the road into base

Anhinger duck, looks like a snake

The more ironwork on your home the richer you are

Alter and sanctuary, 1st Catholic Church, Savannah

Organ pipes, stained glass in back

Typical architecture on square

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist
 

Tybee Island Lighthouse

Savannah River ship port

River Street, cobblestone street

Cobblestone drive, Debbie drove trolley down this street

Old City Exchange Bell, 1802

Grave at Colonial Park cemetery

O.K. kids, time to play

Example of one of the 22 squares

Paula Deen's store

Not too sure what this was all about

City Hall

The view from the coach

Small Navy ship following container ship out to sea

Jaguar Stadium

Checking for cavities

View from our table at River City Brewing Co.

Anhinger duck aka snake bird

Our friendly neighborhood alligator

















 

Concord, NC, Stone Mountain, GA & Hollywood, SC

South Carolina was the last eastern state to put on the US map we have on our slider wall along with the NFL helmets representing all the stadiums we have visited.  It is hard to choose a "favorite" area but Georgia is in the top 5 places we've been. 

Friday, September 11, We all remember where we were when we heard about the terrorists attack in our country, let us never forget.  This should be the last day of hot weather, Monday was overcast but it warmed up.  They are forecasting mid 70's for the next several days.  We drove into Charlotte, a population of over 730,000, only about 20 miles, to see another NFL stadium, Bank of America, home of the Carolina Panthers.  Our tour guide, Jeff, was very energetic and knowledgeable, took us through the stadium, visiting locker rooms, suites. the press room.   We didn't get to go on the field, they were mowing.  The stadium has been enlarged and reconfigured a few times since it was built in 1996, it now will seat 75,000, they too are hoping to land  a Super Bowl game.  At each of the four gates 2 panther sculptures sit atop platforms.  The sculptures were made in San Diego, each in 67 pieces then re-assembled right down to the whiskers.  After the tour we picked up a few geo caches, one on a wall outside the Charlotte Chronicle newspaper office, on the wall were blow-ups framed of historical events.  To name a few, Kennedy assassination, Elvis dying, D-Day and the Twin Towers on fire.  The cache was in a magnetic tube attached to the D-Day paper frame.  The stadium is located near downtown, we had lunch at the  Mellow Mushroom, not a single burger on the menu.  Delish!  The park in the center of downtown had had a memorial ceremony on the lawn earlier, all the flags were still in the grass.  What a great area, funky restaurants, skyscrapers and the park. On the way back to the coach in Concord Gary got his flu shot.  He didn't even cry.

Saturday, September 12, Moving day, a long drive of over 250 miles to Stone Mountain Campground near Atlanta.  What a beautiful campground located in Stone Mountain State Park, over 450 roomy campsites, a pool, lake and right next door to quite a to a tourist area and of course the mountain.  We couldn't get satellite TV reception and our antenna reception was "spotty" of all weekends, college and NFL games.  As it turned out, Oregon, Oregon State and the Seahawks all lost so just as well I didn't have to suffer the anguish of watching them lose.  We were on a quest to pick up a geo cache on the other side of the lake when I ran into a large dead snake.  I even scream at the dead ones. 

Sunday, September 13, We drove into Atlanta to see the Georgia Dome, home of the Atlanta Falcons, no tours were available but we were able to walk around, they are building a new stadium right next door due to be finished for the 2017 season.  Atlanta has a population of over 400,000 plus the suburbs, we'd heard the traffic is miserable (could it be worse than Boston?), we figured Sunday would be a great day to visit.  We met 2 couples in the parking lot, the older couple of the two was showing the other couple where their seats will be in the new stadium.  Very friendly people, the older man is one of those people that doesn't know a stranger, we had fun talking to them.  We went in search of lunch before going to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, you'd think that would be easy, but no, between restaurants being closed on Sunday and no parking available, time was running short so we grabbed a quick bite at Blimpies.  We weren't to impressed with Jimmy's library at first, the signage to the library was poor, we weren't the only ones driving around with a quizzical look on our faces.  The outside looked appeared to be in the need of a good cleaning and sprucing up of the landscaping, then the lady that sold tickets would not win a Miss Congeniality award.  BUT!  The library itself was outstanding, containing interactive exhibits that chronicle his life from birth to Navy, politics, the events of his administration and his life as a volunteer after losing his reelection bid to Regan.  All the Presidential Libraries showcase gifts received during their administration, one gift was an embroidery of a white kitty on a sheer fabric, chiffon like, both sides had the kitty facing different directions.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  Question, why do I always like a president after he is out of office?

Monday, September 14,  After doing a few errands we drove into the 3,200 acre Stone Mountain State Park.  The centerpiece of the park is the mountain, elevation 1,686, a quartz dome with a bas-relief carving on the face of Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis is 400 ft by 190 ft.  The sculpture was started by Gutzon Borlum  who later sculpted Mt. Rushmore.  The base is more than 5 miles around, you can take a tram ride to the top or you can hike up the trail on the west side.  Our luck held out, the tram closed Sunday night for 2 weeks maintenance.  Dang, we have the worst timing.  All the attractions and restaurants were closed, we visited the museum then drove to see the Antebellum plantation and farm, composing of 19 historic buildings built between 1790 and 1875 - all have been moved there and re-erected and period furnishings.  We hiked out to the  granite quarry, grist mill and covered bridge.  Along the trail to the bridge we saw a 4 inch snake, I didn't scream, amazing.  A lovely well kept park.

Tuesday, September 15 Moving day again, we are on track to get to Tampa by the 29th.  We had another long drive, 275 hard miles to Hollywood, SC.  We are staying at Lake Aire Campground in Hollywood, a short drive from Charleston.  We were both whipped, decided to have dinner in Historic Charleston, the city has a population of 120,000 most of them must have been out for dinner.  It was late (for us)we had a hard time finding a place to park.  We chose Southend Brew and Grill, I had crab soup and a salad, Gary ordered meatloaf.  He always asks if there are any green peppers in the dish, our waiter assured him it did not.  Well it did, he managed to pick most of them out, green peppers do not agree with him.  As it turns out we didn't have to pay for his dinner and he didn't have any "issues".  We walked around a bit, it was dark and the cobblestone streets were tricky to maneuver.  I'm glad I wasn't wearing heels. We drove around a bit, the only skyscrapers in the area are church steeples. 

Wednesday, September 16  I'm the one who woke up with a bad tummy ache, not sure if it was what I ate or a bug.  I "sucked" it up, we had plans to tour Fort Sumpter.  We took Luci to Doggie Daze day care.  Fort Sumpter is a brick fortification on a manmade island in Charleston Harbor built in 1829, finished in 1860, accessible only by boat.  We bought our tour boat tickets at the Fort Sumpter National Monument for a noon departure.  The first shots of the Civil War were fired by the Confederacy at the fort occupied by Union forces. After a 34 hour siege the Union surrendered and the   Confederacy took over the fort.  A park ranger gave us a 15 minute history lesson of the fort before Gary walked around, while I sat on a bench nursing my tummy ache.  We had a hour at the fort before our boat departed for the dock.  We stopped at historic Magnolia Cemetery, established 1849, many ornate graves, soldiers from Gettysburg and the Hunley that had been sunk in Charleston Harbor.    Before picking up Luci Gary picked up a few things at Costco, I stayed in the car.  He fixed some chicken noodle soup for me and a grilled cheese sandwich for him.

That's it for this week.  Enjoy the pic's.

TTFN

Gary and Pam

One of many sculptures downtown Charlotte







They mow the field twice a week



 

Panther's eyes end zones



 

Front of Bank of America Stadium



Cheerleader's locker room

Go Panther's

 



Panther sculpture, people steal the whiskers

The old and new stadiums

Geo cache at Charlotte paper

Georgia Dome

 

Restaurant alley downtown Charlotte



Cute Chick-fil-a sign near Georgia Dome

New Atlanta Falcons stadium

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library

bas relief carving Stone Mtn

Magnolia bud at Antebellum mansio

Oval office

 

 

 

Embroidery,  kitty on back reversed





Antebellum Mansion at Stone Mountain

Grist mill
 

S


Lattice covered bridge, Stone Mountain

 

 







 

Fort Sumpter National Monument, Liberty Square

 

 

 

Pesky photographers, Fort Sumpter

 

Bridge over Cooper River

Fort Sumpter - 5 sided structure

Me and my barf bag

Ranger giving talk at Ft Sumpter

Artillery shell in wall of Ft. Sumpter

 

Cannons lined up

Freighter being piloted out to sea

Moss covered live oak tree at Magnolia Cemetery

Great Egret at Magnolia Cemetery

Recent tomb in historic Magnolia Cemetery