Category: Fun

We’re at the Navy Lodge in Fort Worth, TX and waiting for our laundry to finish drying. I thought this would be a great time to post an update while we have reliable Wi-Fi.  Please forgive if you find a typo or an incomplete sentence…today, it is what it is. 

To sum up our experience so far I would have to say that things are going swimmingly as we march Sherman toward the sea. Our Cruise America RV is nicely equipped with a sink, microwave, stovetop, shower and bath.  There is a double bed above the cab which is plenty big enough for me and the dining table converts to a single bed which Helen (adorable wife) claims since her knee won’t let her climb into the big bed. It’s cozy in here, but it works well for us.

This “spur of the moment” trek began when a friend suggested that we rent an RV to see if the lifestyle was made for us. Our friend, Otto, a fraternity brother from college days and one of the really great guys, told us about Cruise America as a source.  I went to the website and noticed that there was a special deal for those willing to relocate new RV’s from the headquarters in Chicago to a dealer in Los Angeles. The rates were very low, and we had almost three weeks to deliver the vehicle. To top it off, the delivery point was 20 miles from our son’s house in the Los Angeles area. When Helen learned that this trip would include a grandmother visit, she was all in. 

I drove a one-way rental car to Chicago and picked up the RV and drove it back home the next day.  We spent most of the following day loading the RV while giving tours to almost every neighbor that walked by. We should have issued invitations to an open house and offered cocktails…it was a lot of fun. Since we were taking the RV to the Pacific coast, we named it Sherman (as in General Sherman) and planned our march to the sea. In honor of our friend who gave us the idea, we named the cute little dog pictured on the side window “Otto”. 

We left on a Sunday morning.  Our destination was the Family RV Camp at Maxwell Air Force Base near Montgomery, Alabama. I drove while Helen did a little organizing inside the vehicle. I had installed an XM radio, turned up the volume on some 60’s music and drove south. We arrived about six hours later. Driving a vehicle this size took a little getting used to. The large profile meant that the wind and passing semi trucks affected the handling, but it was not bad. Changing lanes required a little concentration, but, again, I managed. My days of hauling construction equipment helped.

The RV camp was very nice.  Our Sherman was probably the smallest RV there.  After a quick trip to the commissary on base, we parked next to some huge fifth wheel campers and set up for the night.  We had reserved a pad near the entrance and after backing in, I hooked up the electrical, water and sewer connection.  Prior to leaving, I had watched the orientation video about four times to make sure I did it correctly. I was ecstatic when I flipped on the lights and flushed the toilet and everything worked…it’s the little things that matter in life.

We prepared a dinner of soup on the stovetop and sandwiches we had prepared early and, with nothing else going on, read our books until bedtime. I thought the sleeping arrangements would make for a challenging experience, but, if it did, I slept right through it. 

The next morning we showered in the really clean bath facility in the campground. There weren’t many campers stirring, but from looking at some of the RV’s there wasn’t a reason to be out of them.  I’ve seen many homes that are smaller and far less luxurious than these monsters.

Well, our laundry is finished and it’s time to be Easin’ Along.  I apologize for the clunky writing, but not much time to edit.  There are a few pictures here (I hope) and we’ll write more later. Besides, Otto is hungry…

Well, after a LOT of persuasion, sweetness, and downright bribes, I finally convinced Helen (adorable wife) to take an RV trip.  We’re taking advantage of a “Relocation Special” from Cruise America. We’ll be heading out from Chicago to the west coast by way of Tennessee then across the southwest and eventually reaching Point Mugu, CA which is somewhere north of Malibu. This will be an adventure and we’re both nervous and excited, but it will be a great retirement activity to take Sherman to the Sea.

We will post updates on these pages (whenever we have Wi-Fi) so please come back often or subscribe to our website and we’ll let you know when we have uploaded the latest chapter in our journey

Wish us luck. Back soon…

 

 

 

 

Ahh…the Good Old “Golden Years”…

Retirement does offer us some great opportunities.  Last winter we took the opportunity to visit the Florida cities of Marathon Key and Key West and, while it wasn’t as warm as we had hoped, it was still warmer than our home state of Tennessee. This year, as the temperatures in Eastern Tennessee were hovering around 30°, I decided it was time for Florida redux. 

The decision of which part of the Sunshine State to visit was made easier when Helen (adorable wife) received an invitation to join a girl’s weekend in the Destin area and I found a cabin in nearby Panama City available at the end of her trip through the Temporary Military Lodging catalog published by Military Living Publications. It was a textbook case of spur-of-the-moment retirement activity that makes our Golden Years so great.

Our cabin at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Panama City overlooked St. Andrews Bay and afforded us a lovely view of the rising sun.  The cabin was small, cozy one-bedroom with a complete kitchen, sitting room, queen bedroom plus sleeping loft and a great screen porch. It was all you needed for a reasonable $70 per night. Our country takes great care of our active and retired veterans.

On our first morning there I heard the sound of sailors running in formation along the road beside our cabin. They halted at the waterfront to put swim fins on their feet then all ten of them went into the water (remember, it’s February) and completed about 50 push-ups before swimming several hundred yards to a boat out in the bay.  I assume they were Navy Seals undergoing diver training and I salute them for their courage and dedication. After a leisurely breakfast and coffee on our screen porch we decided to drive the short distance to St. Andrews State Park to look for shells and walk the nature trails. 

At the entrance to the park, we paid the $8 admission fee and parked in front of the Environmental Interpretive Center, an excellent presentation of the plants and wildlife found in the park and the steps being taken to preserve them. Several displays in the Center gave information about the gulf coast. I learned one very interesting fact about the white sand along the beaches from information on a display. The sand originated as quartz eroding from the Appalachian Mountains then traveled by river and stream to the gulf and deposited on the beach. I felt right at home. 

After viewing a short video about the recreation activities available to guests of the park we were off.  The wind had picked up in the time since our arrival and two men were unloading some kite surfing gear for a morning on the waves. Judging by their tanned skin and sun bleached hair; I assumed that this was not their first encounter with sand and surf. We walked out to the beach hopeful that we would have a chance to see them in action.

It was a glorious day to be at the beach…one that made the entire trip worthwhile. We walked to the end of the long fishing pier (no fish being caught) to take a few pictures and caught sight of our surfers unfurling their kites. We made our way down to the white sand just as a stiff breeze lifted the kite of one surfer and pulled him along the top of the emerald green water.  Soon he was joined by his buddy and together they put on a show for the few folks fortunate enough to witness the display.  I was correct in judging their skills–these guys knew their stuff. It was difficult for me to put down the camera. I have placed a few shots here and also in the Picture gallery following this post (Click here for gallery). The surfers continued to entertain beachcombers well into the morning. After they made several passes from deep water and back to the shore, we walked on to look for shells, finding several small ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the morning we drove along the road leading from one end of the park to another and pulled off at several designated beaches along the way.  We came upon several more kite surfers as well as a group of scuba divers at one beach.  We toured a gun port on one of the beaches that remained from the World War II era when the US Government decided that large guns were needed to protect our southern coast.  Fortunately the guns were never fired, but the foundation was left in place. (See gallery).

My interest in traveling by RV someday compelled me to tour the RV Park which was nearly filled with northern snowbirds who had traveled south to escape winter’s wrath. All of the campers seemed content and, on a day like this, it was easy to understand why they had made the journey. Many of the RVs were large and very impressive.

Our last stop in St. Andrews Park was at Buttonbush Marsh to see if we could spot a gator sunning in the swamp.  We found no gators, but we did catch a few birds and made note of the interesting scene created by the buttonbush growing from swamp water. We headed back to our cabin before a gator found us.

That evening we decided not to venture out because there was one heckuva storm passing over us. We had eaten lunch earlier in the day at Hunt’s Oyster Bar in Panama City and consumed a few dozen oysters. We will take you there in a later post on Easin’ Along. We opted instead for the Main Deck Pub and Grill at NAS Panama City–located adjacent to our cabin and the marina–and were treated to a few surprises.

The first surprise was the discovery of how nice the Main Deck was on the inside.  This pub was constructed to resemble an English Style Tavern with large beams overhead in dark wood. A well stocked bar was at the center with seating all around.  There was a large deck outside with a view of the waterfront, but we did not go there due to the storm.  On this evening (Tuesday night) there were not many patrons so we joined Pam, the hostess, and sat at the bar.  Also at the bar we met Alex, a young Air Force Major and flight surgeon.

Alex was an engaging fellow who told us that he had served three tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and was now undergoing some training in the area. We had a delightful conversation while we enjoyed one of the surprisingly best hamburgers I have ever had plus a couple of adult beverages all prepared and served by Pam.  At the end of the evening we traded calling cards with Alex and wished him all the best as he continued his career and cared for our soldiers, sailors, and airmen.

After Alex departed, Pam handed us another surprise…Alex had paid for our meals.

I love our visits to military installations, and I’m always overwhelmed by the young men and women in uniform that I meet when we’re there. There are a lot of great and good people serving our country whether they are Navy Seals diving in cold and dangerous waters to disarm explosive devices or service members like Alex sent on multiple deployments to treat the wounded. We salute each and every one of you while we live in the freedom we cherish and continue Easin’ Along.

Join us next time and we’ll take you to some great meals and to the charming old city of Appalachicola, Florida.