Journey home

We began our journey home on Saturday Mar 8 heading to Selma NC for our first night stay.  As we were travelling thru SC, we noticed black smoke on I95 South over the horizon and as we came over the crest we could see a Tractor on fire and as soon as we got closer the fire reached the fuel tank and it blew.  This is the picture I took....Amazing!!!  No one hurt!!  The driver disengaged the trailer and let it drop and moved the tractor ahead...Lucky he got out before it blew!!!  Though the van on top didn't make it.

We had excellent weather on our journey.  This picture was taken of the sun rising on the 9 Mar as we were leaving Selma...heading to Jonestown PA.   We started seeing patches of snow in Virginia heading North.   The campground we stayed at was snow covered and muddy!!!  While there a gentleman next to us heading back to Montreal was telling us there was a snowstorm coming thru on Wednesday so we thought we should make an early start so early to bed and up at 2AM .

This picture was taken as the sunrise as we were leaving Jonestown PE heading to Kennebunk ME.  We saw snow along the sides of the road but the roads were clear.

And you know what they say about red sky in the morning!!!  but coming into Portsmouth you can see how blue the sky is.....

We stopped at Kennebunk at the rest stop.  Someone should of told the tractor that was pushing snow back!!!!....We only got 2 hrs as the beeping as it back up and the bank of the scoop as it hit the ground, we gave up and headed to Bangor....Here is Gary driving the motorhome....after 4 days in the motorhome, the car is pretty small!!!  Hahaha

We heard that Bangor and Moncton was going to get 2 in of snow  overnight and with the storm coming we did not want to be stuck in the motorhome for 3 days so decided to continue heading home and we sleep for 3 hrs at the Duty Free in Calais and arrived home at 5am.  To say exhausted would be a good statement!!!  But we are here ahead of the storm as sleeping in the motorhome in the cold is not much fun!!!

This year's journey is at an end and my highlight is in thanks to my sister-in-law, Amy who got me an awesome deal on an antique tea wagon that I have always wanted.  I didn't realize but Gary had her looking for me.   To say I am pleased is an exaggeration.  I love love it and much thanks go out to Amy for finding it at such a great deal and for my sweet husband for thinking of me....Love you Guys!!! It is an L. Hancock antique....

Our last days here before heading home in Bradenton

Our winter is finally coming to an end early as we are heading to Cuba with family and friends in April for 2 weeks.   It has been a colder winter down south than normal but not snow and enjoyed meeting new friends, enjoying time with Amy and Gerry and having friends visit us...

Got to spend the last couple of days at my brother, Gerry, Amy, Evan and Ashley(pic 1).  We missed Gerry who was freezing in Saint John...Whoops, I am heading back to that myself!!  Love the Hydro Pool outside of Disney(Pic 2)...."Mickey anyone!!"  Crane hanging out on Amy's roof(pic 3)....Gary enjoyed fresh lemon from the tree!!!  See no faces!!!  Much sweeter than we get home!!(Pic 4) and then relaxing at my favourite place at Amy's....the Pool!!!  (Pic 5)

Savannah, Tybee Island and St Augustine

Our friends, Gaston and Murielle, are visiting us from Moncton for a couple of days.  We picked them up from their friends in Daytona Beach.   Yesterday we took them to Savannah for a tour of the city and on to Tybee Island for the Platter Special!!!  As you can see from the before and after pictures of our dinner!!!  So delicious and we had an awesome time!!!

On Friday we stopped in St Augustine at San Sebastian Winery and did the free wine tour and today we did the Red Train tour of the old city.  On our way we stopped at Tabby Sugar Mill.    When we got back, Gary made us homemade Pina Colada....so delicious...just as good as the one you get by the Bridge in Matanza.....What a great end to a fabulous weekend!!!  Pic 1....that is a wine glass from san Sebastian Winery!!!  Hahaha....Pic 2..is Gaston and Murielle at the wine tasting.....Pic 3 peeking out from the ruins at Tabby Ruins....Pic 4...Picture done from Lego!!  Unbelievable....Pic 5...Ripley's Believe or not Museum.....Pic 5...Murielle and I with our Pina Colada and smoked salmon!!!!  Perfect end to a great weekend!!!

Lake Wales and Ormond Beach

It has been an awesome birthday that has lasted for 4 days.  Gotta like that!!!  First Gary booked me for a manicure, pedicure and hair appt.  He made reservations at Lang Seafood Restaurant.  Excellent food and service.  Had crab cake for appetizer and fresh shrimp and scallops sauted in lemon pepper.  Gary had the Captain's Platter.   So delicious ...On my birthday, we decided to go for a drive to meet up with friends that we met here at the park and at the same time checkout some RV parks.  Stopped into Lake Wales that Gary had found on the internet and fell in love .  It is owned by a couple from England and in fact, his wife lived not far from where my Mum grew up.  They have done an awesome job at this park and we were able to secure a corner lot for 5 months next year.  They have an indoor heated pool (pic 2).  Office with porch(where everyone gathers) Pic 3 and our corner lot is Pic 4. It is in central Florida, 6 minutes to LEGOLAND and 40 mins to Disney World.   Very excited for next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then on to Ormond Beach where we booked the Quality Inn right on the beach.  Great property and easy access to the beach.   Took Pic 1 just as the sun was setting.  That light was a ship.  Pic 2 is the sun rising in the morning on the beach.   Pic 3...Hahaha is me enjoying the beach....put my foot in the ocean and it was cold!!!  Hahaha....Pic 4 is our room, we were on the ground floor right next to the patio area by the beach.   Great time!!!

 

A1A from Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach

 

 

 

 

What a great day today we drove to Jacksonville Beach and took the old A1A road along the shore and in Mayport you take the ferry over to St George Island on the way to Fernandina Beach.  Bought back a lot of happy memories of our taking the ferry from Campbellton to Cross Point during the summer...We would take the ferry at 7:30am and spend the day in Carleton or St Omer and came back at 7pm.  Can you imagine 11 people in a station wagon(hahaha, that was before seat belts).  We had great times. Great reminiscing..Today is was a balmy 84F or 27C.  Awesome!!! 

Pic 1 is an Albatross sitting on the pier beside the ferry.  I saw at least a dozen.  Beautiful!!  Pic 2 is the shrimp boats in front of the Singleton Seafood Shack.  Pic 3 is the lunch we had....Fresh Flounder cooked just before serving .  Freshly caught this morning.   Can't get any fresher than that!!!  Pic 4 is of the Atlantis 2 which help locate the Titantic and helped take the images that we see today.  Pic 5 is the Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island built in 1765!!!  Well built to be still standing...Pic 6 is the beach along A1A...All in all a great day

Jekyll Island

Great day at Jekyll Island.  We arrived to such thick fog you could not see your hand in front of you.  Pic 1 I took this picture at Driftwood beach and you can see the fog in the background with the beach and the tree overhanging.  So pretty......Pic 2 , Gary and I were walking along the beach at Great Dunes Park and he noticed what looked like a rock in the water...when we looked closer, we thought it was a turtle!! Correction....it was a Horseshoe Crab. They are often called "Living Fossils" because their ancestors dated back 200 million years before Dinosaur existed.   I run out between waves to get the pic...So Awesome!!!!   Pic 3 is of the Horton House, Major William Horton was granted Jekyll Island from 1743 he built the house(one of the oldest house in Georgia) and across the street was the ruins of his brewery(Pic 4).   Pic 5 is of Captain James Agnew Clark's cottage is the Historical District.   Pic 6 is of Jekyll Island Club Hotel.  It was originally the home of John Eugene duBignon and in 1886 was turned into the richest most inexcessible club in the world of its time which has seen the likes of  Joseph Pulitzer, William K Vanderbilt and J P Morgan.   Pic 7 is duBignon's cottage from 1884 and pic 8 is the cottage of Moss Cottage was once owned by George Macy....Beautiful Island and finished up with lunch of steamed Oysters at the RahBar at the Jekyll wharf!!  Notice the play on words...instead of Raw...they put Rah!!!  Like it is pronounced!!!  Hahaha

Bradenton, St Marys

We spent about 5 days visiting with Amy and Gerry and this was the sun setting as we were coming into Bradenton.  Love the birds you see down here and this one was right beside their house.  Had a great time.

Visited the Submarine museum yesterday.  The periscope gives you a 360 view of the Historic downtown.   We strolled along the river and this was the buoy in the harbor(turning with the tide and a cannon they found off a Spanish Vessel.....Great day!!