Monday, January 31, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

PERDIDO KEY, FLORIDA:  January 1-31, 2011

Like last year we decided to begin the new year on the Florida panhandle.  We enjoyed it so much we decided to make a return this January.


In the summer, sun worshippers swarm to the popular Gulf beaches around Perdido Key, Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Destin, and Panama City.  In the winter, these beaches are the realm of the snowbirds.  The high-rise beachfront condo building where we've been staying the last several years isn't extremely popular with the snowbirds.  Thus the parking lot, jammed to overflowing in summer, is all but barren in January.  And that's the way we like it.  We can stroll on the beach without needing to avoid bodies on the sand because we're often the only ones on the shore.


Now our respite has expired.  After another month spent at beautiful Perdido Key, it's time to make our way back to chilly Georgia.  We'll miss our view of the Gulf and the vacation mindset of an open schedule every day.  Recorded here are some things we enjoy remembering from our month at the shore.

Spending Time with Family.  During our month on the coast we managed to spend time with 20 of our loving relatives.  What a treat!

 Hiking Trails.   We walked some old trails and discovered some new ones in our month on the Gulf Coast.  Some of our favorites were the backcountry trails in Orange Beach, the Gulf State Park Pier, and the Trout Point Nature Trail at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.

Orange Beach Backcountry Trails
Gulf State Park Pier
Trout Pond Nature Trail at Naval Air Station
Lingering on the Beach.  From Pensacola to Mobile, we savored the beautiful sugar white sands of the Gulf beaches, even though some areas were still undergoing beach clean-up from the BP oil spill.

Dauphin Island
Gulf Shores getting more clean-up
Exploring the Local Sights.  A month gave us time to visit some new places and return to old favorites.

National Museum of Naval Aviation
T. T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum
(Yes, that's a child's riding toy made from a "practice bomb" used in military training.)
Barrancas National Cemetery at the Pensacola Naval Air Station
The generous and welcoming Orange Beach Library
Pensacola Ice Flyers games at the Civic Center
Hanging Out with New Acquaintance.  On the Gulf State Park Pier, we met Sam, a young pelican who spends most of his time on the pier.  We learned from a fisherman that Sam is less than a year old and was rescued from the oil spill and given a good cleaning, during which he apparently became desensitized to humans.  He will even allow visitors to pet him on the head.  Fishing folks on the pier feed Sam and if he doesn't feel he had enough to eat, he perches on a post outside the window of the concession stand and waits for the employees to supplement his diet with some tasty bait minnows.

Sam
Searching for Letterboxes.  No matter where we are one of our favorite activities is following the clues that others have created to lead us to artistic treasures hidden in the woods-- or along a trail, in a park, under a bridge, or in any of the other myriad places where we have found letterboxes. If you aren't familiar with this fascinating hobby, check out www.atlasquest.com.

Sometimes a letterbox container is a pouch rather than a box.
And now we return home to Georgia with a month to plan a 90-day adventure to Europe beginning in March.


Some of the 20 family members we visited with while at the beach
MONDAY, 31 JANUARY 2011

Saturday, January 01, 2011 Road Junkies 0 Comments

After a full year living in an apartment, we decided to take better advantage of the "lock and leave" aspect afforded by having someone else in charge of maintenance and lawn care.  In 2011, we spent almost exactly half the year traveling with the other half at home.  We made good use of our passports with our travels split evenly between the United States and Europe.

Like last year, we began 2011 with  a laid-back sojourn at Perdido Key, renting a condo for the month of January for less than what a week would cost in the summer when the beaches are overcrowded.  In addition to visiting family nearby, we took time to do some travel planning.  Inspired by how much we enjoyed our two-month road trip up and down the East Coast in 2010, we decided to strike out at the beginning of March on a 90-day trip to Western Europe, primarily focusing on Italy, France and the United Kingdom.  It was a decision we celebrated.  We considered it our best travel experience ever, as we explored these countries at a relaxed pace, usually by car.

Our letterboxing hobby continued to intrigue us in 2011 and introduced us to more fascinating places we might have otherwise missed.  As always, we treasured time spent with family and friends.  

2011 Summary

Major Trips

  • A Shore Thing (January 1-31).  Another month-long respite at a Perdido Key condo
  • Euro Trek (March 1-June 1).  Three months of exploring western Europe, primarily France, Italy and the UK
  • Yaya Sisters in the Big Apple (July 11-16).  Full, fun days in Manhattan exploring with Jeanne, Pam, Marion and Heather (subs for teen yayas who bailed)
  • Boxing in the Heartland  (October 15-30).  Wandering around the Midwest looking for letterboxes and fall foliage
  • Digging for Our Roots  (October 31-November 4).  Traveled with Mother and Jeanne to Arkansas and Tennessee, still searching for Mama Wright’s ancestors

States We Visited in 2011

  1. Alabama
  2. Arkansas
  3. Florida
  4. Georgia
  5. Illinois
  6. Indiana
  7. Iowa
  8. Kentucky
  9. Michigan
  10. Minnesota
  11. Mississippi
  12. Missouri
  13. New York
  14. Ohio
  15. South Carolina
  16. Tennessee
  17. West Virginia
  18. Wisconsin

Countries We Visited in 2011

  1. Belgium
  2. France
  3. Ireland
  4. Italy
  5. Luxembourg
  6. Monaco
  7. Netherlands
  8. Switzerland
  9. United Kingdom (England & Scotland)
  10. Vatican City

Other Events in 2011

  • June - Uncle Joe’s 80th birthday in Jackson, AL
  • June - Princess Yaya Trip to Callaway Gardens
  • June, July & August - Transporting Steven to visit Nanamama & later letterboxing with Steven in Chattanooga
  • July - Sailing with Cathy and Ric from Fernandina to St Simons
  • August - Prager family week in Blowing Rock (first time without Grandma)
  • September - Visit with Knights and Robinsons in Nashville area + checked out Bowling Green sights
  • November - Erika’s birthday in Charlotte
  • November - Shingles outbreak for Dianne
  • December - Bought Acura MDX & said goodbye to Honda Odyssey
  • December - Jingle Boxing letterboxing event in Braselton, GA
  • December - post-Christmas visit to Millry & Vernon with Knights & Thorntons

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