Easter Monday

  We hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. We spent the day at the campground. We went to church at 10 and had dinner at the activity center at 2. It wasn’t a pot luck like at most parks but a fully prepared meal. We sat with some folks from East Texas and had a good time. Today's our anniversary 41 years and still going strong. Not much to do in this area so we’ll head toward Bandera and when we see somewhere we think we want to eat we’ll stop there. We leave here on Wednesday so between today and tomorrow it’s get ready to travel mode. We are going to miss this park. It’s very peaceful and quite. The deer walking around all day make it very relaxing to us. This weekend the park was filled and it was still rather quite. We’re not sure where we are going on Wednesday. We were going to go to San Angelo to see Jan & Chuck but we hear they’re over at the CARE center training some new folks. We’ll give them a call later. If there gone we may go to Fredericksburg for a few days. After that we’ll make our decisions on the temperatures in Wyoming & Montana. Travel Safe Everyone 

A Quick Update

   Haven’t written for a while so here’s what we have been up to. We kept watching the weather over in the Mississippi Louisiana area as we wanted to spend some time there but it just didn’t seem to want to warm up. Since it was so beautiful in Florida we just stayed put in . We had been looking for a little bigger RV for a while now and one turned up in Florida. We are enjoying the extra space. Before we knew it it was the middle of March and we were just heading out of Florida. On our way to Texas we stopped in Abita  Springs La. The Acme Oyster House in nearby Covington has the best fully dressed best roast beef Po Boys I’ve ever had. They call it a 10 napkin and it is. Next we moved over to the  Coushatta Casino in western La. Crawfish were in season and they had a seafood buffet with all you can eat crawfish. We waited in line over a hour to get in but it was well worth it. From there we moved into Texas and to a COE park to meet up with some fellow 2007 classmates. We then stopped at the SKP park in Livingston. This is they park where we volunteer at the CARE center but not this year. I had a sinus infection while we were there and even though I wasn’t contagious I sounded like I was so I pretty much stayed away from the center.I missed visiting with the folks there. From there we settled in at the Lake Conroe TT. There was a Culvers down the road and since that is our favorite fast food restaurant and mostly only found in the upper Midwest we made it our first stop. While there we also went to Houston and visited Paula’s cousins and went to Coldsprings and had lunch with the Daltons & the Keiffers. After Lake Conroe we went into tourist mode visiting and touring the towns on Shiner (Shiner Bock is made there and we did tour the brewery), Gonzales ( the cannon that started the Texas independence war wasn’t there it was on loan in Houston), Gruene ( great shops and restaurant. We ate on the deck overlooking the Guadalupe River) & New Braunfels where we had a great German meal. We’re now in Medina Lake TT. We have stayed at campgrounds where deer wander around but nothing like this one.  Yesterday we went to Bandera Tx. the Cowboy Capitol of the World. Except for a day trip to San Antonio we’re pretty much going to be Lazy for the next week or so. As soon as the weather clears up north we’ll begin our trip to Montana. We’ll explore that area until Carole & Everett catch up and we begin our summer in the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. 

 

 

Moving around Florida

We enjoyed our time in Wauchula. Most days we either toured or played cards with Bob & Linda. We went to visit Solomon's Castle. The castle and everything in it is made of recycled products and the guide tells something humorous about everything. The Lipizzaner Stallions train in the area so off we went. After touring the stable and getting up close with the horses we went to the outdoor arena to watch the horses perform. All of us enjoyed the show. We next moved up to the Tampa area. The campground was typical of a lot of Florida campgrounds in very tight coders. We stayed in tourist mode. 1st we went to Ybor city. It’s were Tampa had it’s beginnings with we cigar rolling industry but now it’s shops and places to eat. Robins friend told us to eat at the Columbia and have the 1905 salad. We stopped there but they had a long waiting list so we decided to move on. We had asked him if he had a place he would recommend for a Cuban sandwich (Smoked ham, pork, salami, Swiss cheese, dill pickle and mustard on hot Cuban bread) and we decided to head there. It was a local diner type restaurant over near the stadium. We were the only folks there that didn’t speak Spanish. The sandwich was great. Another day we went over to Tampa Electric to watch the Manatee’s. Manatee’s require warm water and when the gulf & Tampa Bay gets cold they migrate to  warmer spring fed areas or near power plants where cooling tower water warms the nearby water. At Tampa electric they have a pier where we could walk out in the clear water to observe the manatees. We also saw catfish, tarpons, stingrays and hammerhead sharks swimming in the warm waters. The next day we went to a local flea and produce market. We got another 1/2 flat Plant City Strawberries, tomatoes, salt potatoes, snap peas, cabbage, squash and a melon for $12. Our last stop in the area was the Pier in St Pete. There was some shops there but mostly we enjoyed watching the pelicans and other birds. The main reason for going was there was a Columbia restaurant  there. We both had a Cuban sandwich, a cup of Spanish bean soup and a fantastic 1905 salad ( The Columbia's legendary salad tossed at your table. Crisp iceberg lettuce with julienne of baked ham, natural Swiss cheese, tomato, olives, grated Romano cheese and our famous garlic dressing (our 100 year old family recipe of fresh garlic, oregano, wine vinegar and Spanish extra virgin olive oil). The week went by fast and we know we’ll return to the Tampa area. We’re now over in the Orlando area. We’re going to take some down time then do a few Disney things. Not sure what but it won’t be the theme parks. For now it’s time to catch up on some maintenance on the vehicles.

Back in Florida

  We finished our camp hosting at Reed Bingham state park on the 30th. The campground was about 2/3 full our last week and that’s the way we like it. Lots of campers to visit with. We moved down to Zepherhills Fl on the 31st.We needed some stuff at Wal-Mart and on our way there we noticed a Clocks restaurant. It’s a small Fl chain where we’ve stopped before and enjoyed their comfort food so that’s where we had New Years eve supper. On the 1st we headed about 25 miles to Tampa for the Outback Bowl with Penn State against Florida. It has been quite awhile since I have gone down to State College for a Penn State game so I was really enjoying all the hoop la.  While walking down the street the Blue Band was practicing  across the way so we stopped and listened for a bit. All along the street everyone was is party mode. Watching the Blue Band march into the stadium was like being at State College for a game and watching them march across campus to Beaver Stadium. We had excellent seats for the game only 11 rows back from the field. Even though we lost it was a great day & game. On the 2nd we went down to Plant City for strawberries. They are without doubt the best we have ever had. We have moved down to Wauchula Fl for about a week & a half. The weather since we have been back in Fl is beautiful. Shorts and tee’s. Last night Linda & Bob came over for dinner and we were able to spend the evening outside. We sure don’t miss the cold Pennsylvania winters.

Tickets in Hand

 

  Last we wrote I was trying to reach Penn State for tickets to the Outback Bowl on 1/1/11. Well the tickets arrived in the mail yesterday.

  We’re still in S Georgia and the weather has finally moderated. It had got down as low as 21. We have been very slow here at Reed Bingham state park. We usually only have 2 or 3 campers in overnight. There had been 3 host couples but one couple had to leave and they were suppose to be here next month also. The ranger asked us last night what our plans were for next month but we have some reservations in Florida. We couldn’t have had an easier gig. With the couple leaving we have picked up a few extra days but we don’t mind. On the 19th we’re having a potluck with the staff and there families along with the other host couple. We’ll have a quiet Christmas this year and then on the 31st we’ll head back down to Florida .

 

Merry Christmas

Tom & Paula

Plans Change

  Last I wrote we were headed to Fort McCoy to join fellow Escapee Boomers at a Pow Wow over Thanksgiving weekend. We had a great time. There was native Americans in attendance from all over the USA. On Thanksgiving we helped serve over 330 people. On Friday and Saturday we helped with the gate and parking. We also had pot lucks and campfires every night. We pulled out on Sunday morning and headed north to Georgia. We pulled into a campground in Brookfield Ga. to meet up with Paula’s friend from school and to rest up. On Tuesday the 30th we moved south around 30 miles to Reed Bingham state park where we’ll camphost for the next month. The days have been brisk but nice but with this current southern cold spell it’s been in the low 30’s in the morning. Yesterday we went to Lakewood Ga. to the city of murals. It’s a small Ga. town but they tell there history with murals painted on the sides of the historic buildings. We did enjoy our time there. When we leave here at the end of the month we planned on traveling west but we have decided to return to Fl for at least January.

  Last night it was announced that Penn State will play a bowl game on the 1st in Tampa. I just made campground reservations but the Penn State ticket number is constantly busy. I would like to get our tickets thru them so we’ll be with all the PSU folks but I may just have to get them thru Ticketmaster. I’ll keep trying for a little bit. 

Another Beautiful Day in Florida

 

  It’s 9:30am 72 degrees and the sun is shining. Wow. The other day we we’re going into Wal-Mart and the Sally’s were ringing their bell and I said to Paula there’s something wrong with this picture. We only had shorts and tee shirts on and it was closing in on Xmas. Last Tuesday I was riding my bike and I saw a pickup with Disney characters on it and thought that sure looks like Bob & Linda’s and it was. What a pleasant surprise. We had a good week hanging out together. They have worked at Disney a few times and know there way around here. Tomorrow is travel day. We’ll only move around 60 miles north to Chambers Farm http://chambersfarm.org/Index.html in Fort McCoy. We’ll meet up (our neighbor here at Bee’s went up yesterday) with other Escapee Boomers. There is a  Pow Wow  with Indians from as far a Nova Scotia and we’ll spend the Thanksgiving weekend there. From there we’ll move up to Ga. to begin camp hosting at Reed Bingham state park. Have a Great Thanksgiving everyone