Northwest of Orlando we went to seven different Florida springs. Florida Springs have crystal clear water that boils up from limestone caverns. In all cases, the water started as rainfall that seeped into the limestone rock formations only to come back to the surface sometimes after spending hundreds of years underground. Crystal Clear Water Water …
Is it crazy to combine an alligator farm, amusement park, and a Screamin’ Gator Zip Line into one location? Gatorland has the answer. To the best of my knowledge, zip-lining above pools swarming with alligators is only found at Gatorland. Gatorland has combined wildlife adventures into a gator-themed thrill ride. We are moving north through Florida …
The Big (bad) Cypress Swamp is a very wild place. In most areas not only are you knee-deep in water without any dry land but you are always surrounded by plenty of wildlife. Most of the big wildlife is able to kill you. Some of the small wildlife is also able to kill you (mosquitos …
We are in the middle of the swamp. It is swamp for at least forty miles in every direction. To the east, everglades. To the west is the Big Cypress Swamp. Beyond the Big Cypress Swamp is a mangrove swamp called Ten Thousand Islands and the Gulf of Mexico. For the next sixty miles to …
It is hard to go deep in the everglades without special equipment. We went deep in the everglades and found it enchanting. The everglades define the largest contiguous wilderness in the country. The one defining characteristic is that it is a shallow freshwater swamp nearly everywhere. Most of the swamp is covered in sawgrass. We …
Our JackRabbit e-bike is a fun addition to our RVing lifestyle. It ranks really high on both the fun list and the useful tool list. This super small, super lightweight, electric bicycle has improved our RV life, especially in the fun department. It is great to swing your leg over for a quick zip around …
The Dry Tortugas National Park is well beyond Key West. To get there, you must go by boat or seaplane. That is the only way to visit. I didn’t know you could go beyond Key West I have wanted to visit Key West since about 1974. My goal was always to drive there. Once there, …
Most visitors have a different view of Key West wildlife than I do. Most people associate Key West wildlife with Key West nightlife. Key West is an amazing vacation location, it also has tremendous sport fishing in every direction. Surprising most people, Key West wildlife is very abundant. No Name Pub It would be an …
Key West sunsets are amazing !!! Sunsets here are a special treat especially after not seeing sunsets for most of this year. It isn’t that the sun didn’t set all year, but nearly every place we went this summer, during our travels around the east coast, we were in trees. Frankly, we missed the sunsets. …
Happy New Year. A couple of months ago we hit the four-year mark living in our RV without a fixed location to call home. We have a wonderful home it just has a couple of features that make it unique; namely an engine and big wheels. The adventure has been so fun, even though sometimes …
This is our end-of-year review. Where did we go and what did we do in 2021? (The states we visited in 2021 are above this paragraph next to the date.) What amazing things did we see along the way? In 2021 we added eleven new states to our route map. Other than Louisana we spent …
Do it yourself RV has picked up my article on the Swagman RV-Approved Bike Rack for publication. This post is designed to accompany that article. Do it yourself RV has published a few of my other articles and partnered with us to get the word out about different things that will help protect consumers by …
For the last two months, we have been hunting crocs and gators as we proceed south along the coastline here in Florida. Frankly, our gator count is very small compared to what I had expected. The way I think of Florida is that every lake, river, swamp, and tree hides a gator. Not true. One …
Yes, we saw a space launch at Cape Canaveral. It was super. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is my number one attraction in Florida. I don’t have a bucket list, but if I did, seeing a space launch would be near the top. As far as Florida goes, most people think of Disney World. …
Saint Augustine in Florida (named after Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo Regius, now in Algeria) claims to be the oldest European settlement in North America. Is it true, or just a marketing ploy? Well, it depends on how you define settlement and on how you define North America. Other cities, now in the United States, …
The very first place we went after crossing the Georgia/Florida border heading south was to one of the historic forts in Florida. After Columbus, Spain moved fast to capitalize on the opportunity a “New World” presented. The riches in the new world were ripe for the picking according to their thoughts on the subject. Exploiting …
Jekyll Island has secrets that almost no one knows. It was the playground of the super-rich. The Jekyll Island Club was so exclusive that only the richest could join. Banking and railroad tycoons owned most of the country, we called it the gilded age. When my ancestors were working in coal mines the super-rich were …
We have been published again, this time in Escapee’s Magazine the article is “Do You Need a Cell Phone Booster?” You can read it in the November 2021 issue. Escapees dedicated four full pages to the article including the screenshot at the top of this post. I am honored that they picked up this article …
Charleston has a charm that is unlike every other city we have visited. Nearly every building in Charleston is more than 200 years old. During the 18th century, Charleston was the richest city in the English Colonies. Following the Revolutionary War Charleston, continued to be the richest city in the United States. For the most …
Carolina Plantations is the title, but the subject is antebellum plantations in Virginia and in North and South Carolina. When in Georgia, we will probably tour a few more plantations and we have already toured several southern plantations scattered around the south. Of course, you probably already know this by following our journey. The story …
The first powered flight was made at Kill Devil Hill (not Kitty Hawk) by Wilber Wright. It could have been Orville that made that first flight except for the toss of a coin. On our trip southbound through North Carolina, we went to the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor Center on the Outer Banks in …
We explored both the historic Roanoke and Jamestown settlement sites while in Virginia and northern North Carolina. These were the locations of the first attempts of England to settle in North America. Roanoke settlement was a complete failure and Jamestown settlement was a huge struggle. The national park service and Virginia both had great exhibits …
Stratford Hall Plantation is a Virginia plantation dating to prior to the Revolutionary war. The Lee family built the Stratford Hall Plantation on the south shore of the Potomac River in Virginia. The plantation is to the east of Pope’s Creek. Pope Creek is the birthplace of George Washington. I mentioned Pope Creek Plantation in …
What was Washington’s greatest gift to our country? While in Virginia we have been visiting locations associated with George Washington. Perhaps more words have been written about George Washington than about any other American. Without his monumental effort, our country wouldn’t exist. His gifts to our country have a lot to do with the birth …
There are only a few places that I know of that inspire people to write songs. Shenandoah is one of these places. Shenandoah is at the north end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Unlike most of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Shenandoah River flows lazily along the valley parallel to the ridgeline. The Shenandoah River …
For the previous 200 hundred years in West Virginia, coal from the coal mines was the number one resource that everyone wanted. Everyone in every West Virginia town that we have visited worked for the coal mines, even if they were not coal miners. Coal Miner’s Daughter Coal Miner’s Daughter doesn’t describe me but does …
It wasn’t the plan, but we have been following the New River for most of the summer. I love the irony that the “New River” might be the oldest river in North America and one of the oldest rivers in the world. The New River is about 330 million years old. The New River starts …
Drinkin too much likker causes wampus caterwauling . As we explore western Virginia and West Virginia we are really enjoying it. That doesn’t mean we understand the locals when they talk. It is way different than I expected. The locals call it mountain talk. One local even mentioned the word hillbilly. I will explain more …
Campsite Review: Claytor Lake State Park Campground is located southwest of Roanoak Virginia on the north side of Claytor Lake. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Roanoak, Virginia. Claytor Lake State Park Campground has easy access and a boat launch on Claytor Lake. There are 106 water and electric hookup …
We have found two Virginias in Virginia. I am not referring to West Virginia and Virginia. Rather, two Virginias inside the state of Virginia. Years ago we visited the Washington D.C. corner of Virginia. That was our first introduction to Virginia. We are now in the other of the two Virginias. Most people divide Virginia …
Crazy kudzu is everywhere. This is our number one observation over the last month. Crazy kudzu dominates North Carolina and southern Virginia. I first heard of kudzu in the 1960s. It was already a problem invasive species intentionally imported from Japan as decoration in 1876. It spread as food for animals and erosion control. I …
Campsite Review: Horseshoe Point Campground is located northwest of Martinsville Virginia. The campground is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the east side of Philpott Lake. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Roanoak, Virginia. Horseshoe Point Campground has easy access and a boat launch on Philpott Lake. There …
Campsite Review: Goose Point Campground is located northwest of Martinsville Virginia. The campground is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the west side of Philpott Lake. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Roanoak, Virginia. Salthouse Branch Campground has easy access and a boat launch on Philpott Lake. There …
Campsite Review: Salthouse Branch Campground is located north of Martinsville Virginia. The campground is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the east side of Philpott Lake. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Roanoak, Virginia. Salthouse Branch Campground has easy access and a boat launch on Philpott Lake. There …
Campsite Review: Buffalo Park Campground is located west of Clarksville Virginia. Buffalo Park Campground is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the south side of the John H. Kerr Reservoir. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Raleigh, North Carolina. Buffalo Park Campground has easy access and a boat …
Campsite Review: Rudds Creek Campground is located east of Clarksville Virginia. Rudds Creek Campground is operated by the Army Corps of Engineers on the east side of the Rudds Creek arm on the north side of John H. Kerr Reservoir. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Raleigh, North Carolina. Rudds …
We had an explosion in our RV yesterday. Thankfully we were home when it happened and we were not driving. Actually being home didn’t really help. I think I would have noticed the oil puddle under the RV. It was also dripping down the side of the RV. Oil was both inside and outside the …
How does it work? When and where is it necessary? I made my first cell phone booster out of a collection of electronic parts in 2015. Making this earned me a visit from AT&T. They zeroed in on my rebroadcast cell signal and told me to knock it off — because my booster and antenna …
Campsite Review: Holly Point Campground is located north of Raleigh North Carolina. Holly Point Campground Campground is operated by the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation system on the north side of Falls Lake Reservoir. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Raleigh, North Carolina. Holly Point Campground has easy …
Yesterday we went to see the “Bull” Durham baseball team, play ball with Charolette. The team is a minor league feeder for Tampa Bay Rays in Durham North Carolina. The game was delightful even though the Bulls were not able to put any runs on the scoreboard. After the game, there was an incredible fireworks …
What does the dog days of summer have to do with the stars? Everything and nothing. Dog days of summer isn’t a new term. In fact, it is very old but describes July in North Carolina very accurately. We have heat day and night. The dog days actually refer to the stars. Really one single …
Newfound Gap Road – Bad Roads for RVs is located on U.S. Highway 441 and goes through Great Smoky National Park, between Cherokee North Carolina, and Gatlinburg Tennessee. This is a bad road for RVs mostly because it is narrow, steep and there is a much better route on Interstate 40 north of the park. …
Campsite Review: Dan Nicholas Park is located east of Salisbury North Carolina. Dan Nicholas Park Campground is operated by Rowan County near the west shore of High Rock Lake. The nearest city big enough to have the most services is Concord. Dan Nicholas Park has easy access to the trail system, lake, petting zoo, and …
Piedmont Blues is an early blues style of music that was founded in the Piedmont region of the east coast between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic coastal region. We are currently in the Piedmont Crescent of North Carolina. This is between Charlotte and Raleigh and includes Winston/Salem and Greensboro. Piedmont is a Latin …
Campsite Review: Lake Norman State Park Campground, is located north of Charlotte North Carolina. Lake Norman State Park Campground is operated by the North Carolina State Park system and is on the shore of Lake Norman. The nearest city big enough to have most services is Mooresville. Lake Norman Campground is on a peninsula and …
Zombie Batteries was going to be the title of this post. I wanted the title to be “Zombie Batteries that didn’t die” or something like that. Someday I will have batteries that won’t die. Dead is dead, and dead is what I had. Zombies come back to life, my batteries didn’t come back to life. …
Updated review: Our Surecall cell phone booster has become essential for travel in the east half of the country. This was totally unexpected. Our cell phone coverage by both AT&T and Verizon has been very limited while we have been traveling in the mountains of eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Both AT&T and Verizon …
Campsite Review: Linville Falls Campground, Blue Ridge Parkway, is located north of Morgantown and south of Linville, North Carolina. Linville Falls Campground is operated by the National Park Service and is on the Blue Ridge Parkway The nearest city big enough to have most services is Spruce Pine to the west. Linville Falls Campground is …
Our visit to Vanderbilt’s Biltmore House really amazes me. It is like a French chateau or maybe a manor house. My name for it is the Amazing Biltmore Palace. With plenty of money to spend and after traveling as a socialite among the rich in Europe, George Vanderbilt started construction on the Biltmore Estate, finishing …
Treasure in the Smoky Mountains is easy to come by. It has always been this way. Today the treasures are different but just as amazing. The treasure we find here in the Smoky Mountains may be harder to spend than the timber, gold, or coal our ancestors took, but what they left behind is still …
