We got packed up, hooked up, and left Kings Bay by 9. The drive to Perry GA was fairly uneventful. It did start to sprinkle just before we arrived at the Georgia State Fairgrounds where this big rally is being held. We are parked in a huge field, but luckily we are at the end of the row next to an asphalt road which gives us a little more room. They have strung electric lines over our section of the field, and we share a box with the RV next to us and the one behind us. We get 30 amp power but no water or sewer. We hadn’t been in our spot very long when it started raining. And it rained, and it rained, and it rained. The area around us was pretty swampy. It has stopped for tonight, but we are supposed to get a bit tomorrow, too.
Bill took the tram over to the main exhibit buildings to look around. I didn’t want to traipse around in the rain, so I stayed here. The seminars and exhibits start tomorrow. There are only a couple of seminars that I want to attend, so I will stay home with my books. We do have what appear to be fire ants in the area, so we will have to be careful. I do have ant bait, so I am prepared if they try and invade the RV. Bill says there are fair food booths over in the exhibit area, but I can check those out after the rain stops.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Kings Bay GA
It was a cool, foggy morning. Everything outside under the awning was wet even though it hadn’t rained. After lunch, the sun finally came out, but it didn’t warm up too much. We went to the commissary to stock up on food for the coming week. Bill is really looking forward to the seminars at the Family Motor Coaching rally in Perry GA. Me, not so much. There is one seminar about RVing in southern Africa that sounds interesting even if it is at 8am on Wednesday morning. We will be there until Friday.
We got gas for the Tracker, some cigars and scotch for Bill, and came back to the RV. We put the food away, and I cleaned up the coffee pot and got it packed away. We did a few other items that needed to be done and then sat outside and read. Tomorrow we hope to be out of here by 9, so it will be an early wake-up to shower since we won’t have water hook-ups all week. We do have a water tank, but we will have to be frugal. It should be an interesting week.
We got gas for the Tracker, some cigars and scotch for Bill, and came back to the RV. We put the food away, and I cleaned up the coffee pot and got it packed away. We did a few other items that needed to be done and then sat outside and read. Tomorrow we hope to be out of here by 9, so it will be an early wake-up to shower since we won’t have water hook-ups all week. We do have a water tank, but we will have to be frugal. It should be an interesting week.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Kings Bay GA
It was a much cooler day at Kings Bay. We slept in which is always nice on cool mornings. Last night there was a great blue heron out front. We hung around here in the morning. At 12:30 Bill drove down to Amelia Island for the Concours d’Elegance. This is a high end classic car show and sales. Bill wanted to look at the cars and meet David Hobbs, a Formula 1 race who now announces races on the Speed Channel. He called a couple of times and was having a pretty good time. He got back here about 4.
While Bill was gone, I chatted with Mandy while I worked on labeling photos. I got those all caught up. Mandy and Cynthia are going to Boston in the morning for the weekend. Saturday night they are going to see the musical Dirty Dancing. At 6 we left to drive back down to Amelia Island to meet Nancy Van Tyle and her friend Candy for dinner. They had found a place called Brett’s Waterway Restaurant and were waiting in the bar for us. It was a really nice restaurant. I had fried green tomatoes, shrimp bisque, and red pepper polenta, all of which were quite good. Nancy and Candy shared some fried green tomatoes and had salads. It was a fun evening chatting. Nancy and Candy met a lifetime ago when both were working in Alaska, so it was fun to hear their stories.
While Bill was gone, I chatted with Mandy while I worked on labeling photos. I got those all caught up. Mandy and Cynthia are going to Boston in the morning for the weekend. Saturday night they are going to see the musical Dirty Dancing. At 6 we left to drive back down to Amelia Island to meet Nancy Van Tyle and her friend Candy for dinner. They had found a place called Brett’s Waterway Restaurant and were waiting in the bar for us. It was a really nice restaurant. I had fried green tomatoes, shrimp bisque, and red pepper polenta, all of which were quite good. Nancy and Candy shared some fried green tomatoes and had salads. It was a fun evening chatting. Nancy and Candy met a lifetime ago when both were working in Alaska, so it was fun to hear their stories.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Kings Bay GA
It was a lovely down day! I slept in, had coffee outside looking at the lake, had breakfast. Bill went to get gas and a paper. It was almost too windy out to read outside, but he managed. I worked on cleaning up photos. I got all 150 of them done and posted the best ones online. We did a few chores around here and cleaned up some things. A nice relaxing day.
I did post photos from Okefenokee Swamp Park and the Jacksonville Zoo. The link can be found on the left.
I did post photos from Okefenokee Swamp Park and the Jacksonville Zoo. The link can be found on the left.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Jacksonville FL Zoo
We had a lovely day at the Jacksonville Zoo, arriving at 11:15. It is not a large zoo, but it is well laid out and well-kept. The birds here were amazing. In the first aviary we saw magpies, storks, rollers, and flamingos. Then we took the train (an extra $4) around the park. Next came the big treat: an aviary full of lories. We bought a small cup of nectar for $1 and went in. There were at least 15 lories flying free. Most were rainbow lorikeets with one beautiful black-capped lory. I got one to rest on my hand and drink the nectar while Bill took some photos. Then Bill took the nectar. He got three lorikeets on his arm and the black-capped one on his head. I got some neat photos of that. These are amazingly beautiful birds.
We had a hamburger that wasn’t too bad and continued on our tour. We wandered though the new bamboo gardens and saw the two komodo dragons they have there. We saw red kangaroos, wallabies, spider monkeys, river otters, giant otters, poison dart frogs (I love these guys because they are so colorful), two-toed sloth, a beautiful ant-eater, capybaras.
Then we entered another aviary where we saw some really unique and very beautiful birds: white-headed piping guan, an awesome pair of Inca terns, a chestnut mandible toucan, a totally amazing black-throated magpie jay, scarlet ibis, and just a whole host of amazing birds. I got some really awesome photos which I will get posted soon. It truly was awesome.
We then saw gorillas and bonobos. They have a special platform to look at the giraffes. Bill bought some lettuce, and we got to feed one. The giraffe was very gentle and just curled her tongue around the lettuce to take it from us. Being above the giraffes was certainly a unique way to view them. We saw lions, tigers, elephants, cheetahs, cape buffalo, zebra before we wandered into a reptile building to cool off. We saw the neatest snake ever, a gaboon viper. It had beautiful gray and light blue markings plus rectangular markings on its back that looked like stubby pencils sharpened at both ends.
As we came to the last open viewing area, we could see lots of white birds in the trees. Turns out they are nesting wood stork (endangered and not part of the zoo collection). There were tons of them up close and personal. It was kind of funny that we searched high and low at Six Mile Slough and Corkscrew Swamp preserves to catch a glimpse of just one, and her there were at least 50. They were building nests in the trees next to the zoo boardwalk. And we also saw a new kind of heron for us, a goliath heron. There was a nesting pair down below the boardwalk, and they are also magnificent birds. I love the African crowned crane, but it paled in comparison to these other birds.
We saw kudu, bongos, warthogs, finally a red wolf, sandhill cranes. We took the train around the park one last time before the zoo closed. I took way too many photos, but many of them turned out quite well, and once I process them, I hope to get them uploaded.
We got back to the RV at 6. At 7 we went to the Irish Pub at the bowling alley (this was Bill’s idea) for a light dinner. There wasn’t much of a selection, so I got a Rueben, and Bill got fish and chips. It was a long, hot day, but a really fun one. We can recommend the Jacksonville zoo to anyone if they get in the area!
We had a hamburger that wasn’t too bad and continued on our tour. We wandered though the new bamboo gardens and saw the two komodo dragons they have there. We saw red kangaroos, wallabies, spider monkeys, river otters, giant otters, poison dart frogs (I love these guys because they are so colorful), two-toed sloth, a beautiful ant-eater, capybaras.
Then we entered another aviary where we saw some really unique and very beautiful birds: white-headed piping guan, an awesome pair of Inca terns, a chestnut mandible toucan, a totally amazing black-throated magpie jay, scarlet ibis, and just a whole host of amazing birds. I got some really awesome photos which I will get posted soon. It truly was awesome.
We then saw gorillas and bonobos. They have a special platform to look at the giraffes. Bill bought some lettuce, and we got to feed one. The giraffe was very gentle and just curled her tongue around the lettuce to take it from us. Being above the giraffes was certainly a unique way to view them. We saw lions, tigers, elephants, cheetahs, cape buffalo, zebra before we wandered into a reptile building to cool off. We saw the neatest snake ever, a gaboon viper. It had beautiful gray and light blue markings plus rectangular markings on its back that looked like stubby pencils sharpened at both ends.
As we came to the last open viewing area, we could see lots of white birds in the trees. Turns out they are nesting wood stork (endangered and not part of the zoo collection). There were tons of them up close and personal. It was kind of funny that we searched high and low at Six Mile Slough and Corkscrew Swamp preserves to catch a glimpse of just one, and her there were at least 50. They were building nests in the trees next to the zoo boardwalk. And we also saw a new kind of heron for us, a goliath heron. There was a nesting pair down below the boardwalk, and they are also magnificent birds. I love the African crowned crane, but it paled in comparison to these other birds.
We saw kudu, bongos, warthogs, finally a red wolf, sandhill cranes. We took the train around the park one last time before the zoo closed. I took way too many photos, but many of them turned out quite well, and once I process them, I hope to get them uploaded.
We got back to the RV at 6. At 7 we went to the Irish Pub at the bowling alley (this was Bill’s idea) for a light dinner. There wasn’t much of a selection, so I got a Rueben, and Bill got fish and chips. It was a long, hot day, but a really fun one. We can recommend the Jacksonville zoo to anyone if they get in the area!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Okefenokee Swamp GA
It was a lovely day today, sunny and in the 80s. We left the RV and headed for Okefenokee Swamp Park. This is the north entrance and is a contract, non-profit run park. At first glance, it seems to be showing its age, created in 1945. The entrance building is newer and more modern, but some of the buildings and boardwalks are not as well-kept as they might be. Our first disappointment was that the little café promised on the website was closed, so we went without lunch. We did buy some crackers and survived on that.
We wandered around and saw a river otter and some alligators. They had some exhibit buildings including one about Walt Kelly and his cartoon character Pogo. At noon we went to a nature show in an old amphitheater. The young woman who gave the talk was personable and mainly talked about local snakes. She had some non-venomous snakes and a couple of baby alligators. At one, we took a 30 minute boat ride through part of the swamp. That was lovely, and we saw some more alligators.
The train ride that comes with admission was not going to run for another hour, so we walked to the Pioneer Island and looked at some old settler buildings and then left. We got home about 4 after 120 mile round trip. We were glad we had gone, but I doubt we would go back. At 5:30 we went to the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, Osaka, that we like so much. We had some sake and a great sushi called Dynamite. It was a salmon, tuna, crab, and cream cheese rolled in nori, battered with tempura batter and fried. It was quite tasty. Then we had the teppanyaki – two shrimp appetizers, soup, salad, grilled veggies, fried rice. I got a rib eye, and Bill got a filet, shrimp, and chicken. It was all delicious and inexpensive. We were quite full when we came on home. Bill did a load of towels, and then we settled in for the night.
We wandered around and saw a river otter and some alligators. They had some exhibit buildings including one about Walt Kelly and his cartoon character Pogo. At noon we went to a nature show in an old amphitheater. The young woman who gave the talk was personable and mainly talked about local snakes. She had some non-venomous snakes and a couple of baby alligators. At one, we took a 30 minute boat ride through part of the swamp. That was lovely, and we saw some more alligators.
The train ride that comes with admission was not going to run for another hour, so we walked to the Pioneer Island and looked at some old settler buildings and then left. We got home about 4 after 120 mile round trip. We were glad we had gone, but I doubt we would go back. At 5:30 we went to the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant, Osaka, that we like so much. We had some sake and a great sushi called Dynamite. It was a salmon, tuna, crab, and cream cheese rolled in nori, battered with tempura batter and fried. It was quite tasty. Then we had the teppanyaki – two shrimp appetizers, soup, salad, grilled veggies, fried rice. I got a rib eye, and Bill got a filet, shrimp, and chicken. It was all delicious and inexpensive. We were quite full when we came on home. Bill did a load of towels, and then we settled in for the night.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Kings Bay GA
It is getting really warm now, so we went off doing chores. After lunch we went to the BX to get our hair cut. I went into the beauty shop, and Bill went next door to the barber shop. I got a decent hair cut, but Bill got the ‘active duty military’ cut, really short! He likes it, but it will take me time to get used to it.
We went off base, and right outside the gate are the ruins of an old tabby sugar mill built by a man named John McIntosh in 1825. The ruins are in pretty good shape considering they are almost 200 years old. Tabby must last a long time! Then we drove on down the road 3 mils to Crooked River State Park. It is a small but rather pretty park on the Crooked River. We just drove through the park and enjoyed it. Then we came on home to the RV. Bill worked a little on the Tracker, redoing some wiring on the battery. It had died again on us today, and we hope this was the short and it is fixed.
At 5:30 we went to dinner at Sonny’s Barbecue. We had eaten in one before and enjoyed it, but this one was crowded and the food rather sub-par but edible. We got home about 7:30, just in time to watch the coots come in to sleep. We weren’t out more than a couple of minutes talking to the neighbors when the biting midges descended upon us. I went in and got my face net which I got for Alaska and never used. It protected me, and Bill’s cigar smoke took care of him. Watching the coots come in adds new meaning to the phrase chickens coming home to roost.
We went off base, and right outside the gate are the ruins of an old tabby sugar mill built by a man named John McIntosh in 1825. The ruins are in pretty good shape considering they are almost 200 years old. Tabby must last a long time! Then we drove on down the road 3 mils to Crooked River State Park. It is a small but rather pretty park on the Crooked River. We just drove through the park and enjoyed it. Then we came on home to the RV. Bill worked a little on the Tracker, redoing some wiring on the battery. It had died again on us today, and we hope this was the short and it is fixed.
At 5:30 we went to dinner at Sonny’s Barbecue. We had eaten in one before and enjoyed it, but this one was crowded and the food rather sub-par but edible. We got home about 7:30, just in time to watch the coots come in to sleep. We weren’t out more than a couple of minutes talking to the neighbors when the biting midges descended upon us. I went in and got my face net which I got for Alaska and never used. It protected me, and Bill’s cigar smoke took care of him. Watching the coots come in adds new meaning to the phrase chickens coming home to roost.
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