Seas and Greetings

The season is upon us. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I think of all the family up north sitting in front of their fires and toasting to the new year which is rapidly approaching. And me? I am just trying to find where I put the suntan lotion.
I am so grateful so many of us were able to gather here in Florida last year. This year Gerard and I are adjusting. Truth be told, it is me who is needing the adjustment....finding a new way of being in a land of forever green. It is unseasonably warm even in Florida... 87º all the way through Christmas Day. Plenty of beach time will be part of the adjustment.
I am missing all of us being together.  My mom, Sarita, had a small dinner party on the 20th in Chicago and I was able to fly in unbeknownst to her, It was such a delight to witness her surprise as I walked in the door. I flew back the very next day.
Speaking of fly time, I flew in to see the grandkids a couple weeks ago, but there was unexpected hiccup. My oldest, Halyn, landed in the ICU for three days from complications of strep throat... a bit of a scare. While there I managed to contract a little somethin' somethin' that prohibited me from flying up to see the boys. I didn't want anyone else sick before or during the holidays. So I returned to palm trees and sunshine to recuperate.
I hope and pray sometime soon my kids and my grandkids will have the opportunity to come down and visit. For now, we have to rely on FaceTime. We love chatting with the kids  and being able to SEE them! They are growing so fast, each so different and wonderful angels who amaze us at every turn.

Erin, Kyle, Reed, Trey and baby Levi

Chaz, Brittany, Halyn, Myla and Elidy

With no holiday traveling, I spent the morning cleaning owl burrows. I started volunteering with Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife after finding a new burrow here in the neighborhood.  Every Wednesday we go out with weed whackers and clear the overgrown burrows, so these little creatures can find their way back. Cape Coral has the largest population of Burrowing Owls in all of Florida. We manage to clear and mark 20-30 burrows each week out of the 3300 scattered throughout the community. It is extremely satisfying, especially when we come upon active burrows. The owls often just watch us work.
Gerard has seen one of Alley's babies. I am hoping it will inhabit her nest and we will once again have a resident alligator. I have to say the wildlife is what I love most about SoFlo.

Gerard is still working out in the studio tonight. He has been in a creating mood. We will participate in the Sunset Festival in January and February to sell our jewelry before we head out on the road for two months. We hope to set out and discover the Old Florida in our new van.

This year Gerard also went mostly vegetarian. Eating whole foods has made us both much healthier and has challenged me to be more creative with food. I thank my lucky stars I am a pinterest-a-holic and can find so many recipes. We both walk Sitka miles and miles... he definitely keeps us moving.

Bowman Beach on Sanibel Island

Tonight, we will take a ride out with ragtop down and go see the houses with computerized light shows. I understand they get better every year.  click here--> Holiday Light Show.
Tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, Gerard and I will make our family's traditional arroz and tostadas. Christmas morning and I mean morning....6am!.... we will head over to Sanibel Island for sunrise and shelling and a mimosa breakfast on the beach. Here's to new traditions. We hope to catch sight of spoonbills at JN Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and then take s swim in the Gulf.

It is awfully quiet around here, but all our neighbors should be returned after Christmas and I expect many of us will be sitting in the hot tub with champagne for New Year's Eve.

We hope the new year will bring a quick sale for the Heart House. I am finally ready to let go. I am ready to turn the page and write the next chapter.

Wishing you all love, health and prosperity,

Catherine and Gerard

Way Down Upon the Suwanee River

The final installment of the Southern Sojourn 2015–

When it's all said and done, the trip was much shorter and far less encompassing than what we had thought. And we covered a much less distance than the original planned trip to the East Coast. Rains continued to drench the Carolinas and high winds are never much fun in an RV. Even though the hurricane seemed long past, other fronts bringing

Suwanee River

torrential rains just wouldn't let up. The Eastern Seaboard will just have to wait for us.

Local highways and byways took us through Amish country and spectacular fall foliage as we traveled south. Deeper into the south we found roads tucked away into the rolling woodlands of southern Tennessee in the heart of horse, antiques and pickers' havens. Weather included vast amounts of sunshine, but the cool temps kept us from the Georgia mountains. We were ready for some southern sunshine. 

check out our:
Our Trajectory

Heading into Florida after a full day of travel and sites in Georgia we laid over at the Suwanee River State Park near Live Oak, Florida. The confluence of the Withlacoochee and Suwanee Rivers was the stage for Civil War activity. Long mounds of earthworks were built to guard against incursions by Union Navy gunboats. We walked right past a paddle-wheel shaft from a 19th century steamboat. Hoping this park had clear water springs we were in for a disappointment and would stay only a night before heading down to Manatee Springs. The one night was welcomed after a long day on the road and the campground offered full hookups.

Moving on down the road we landed in Manatee Springs. The spring here is a first-magnitude spring, meaning it produces an average of 100 million gallons of clear, cool water daily. The park's namesake was nowhere to be found. Manatees don't actually arrive until the Gulf waters cool and then they swim upriver to the warmer waters of the springs. The spring run forms a sparkling stream that meanders through the hardwood wetlands to the Suwanee River. Under the water is a system of underground caves and one cave was directly under our campsite. The underwater caves are popular with scuba divers and I am looking forward to coming back here in February with snorkel gear to swim with these gentle giants. The water is 72º year round and crystal clear. I had just begun a virus of some sort, but nothing was going to keep me from going for a swim in the most beautiful fresh water I had seen in Florida.

We took a pontoon ride up the river for a spectacular sunset and wildlife viewing before retiring for the evening. Our campsite was nestled in a hardwood hammock. But this was our first time in a really sandy space; a good trial run for beach camping to come.

 

 

We contemplated another night on the road, but the Cape House was just 4 hours down the road and we were looking forward to our bed. I know we were only out on the road for a couple weeks, a far cry from a month's trip we had originally planned. Longer travels are just around the corner.

I don't remember what I detailed in previous posts, but we did take on vacation guests for the months of February and March in a moment of financial panic. We knew we could go out gallivanting around the country in the ZiOs mobile. So now we will do just that.. well, maybe not the country, but we have our sights set on seeing the old Florida. What we didn't realize is that we couldn't find places to stay in southern Florida. It seems everyone has taken up RVing and you have to have reservations a year in  advance. So we are heading to the panhandle. I am praying for the warmest winter on record up there, because it can be cooooold in northern Florida..... well, it's all an adventure.

Before we set out again this spring, I may put together another post about lessons learned. We are still newbies at least the learning curve isn't as steep as it was 2014. We are starting to get the hang of it.
“I want a one-bedroom house with cup holders. I want to live in my car, and make the road my home.” 
― Jarod Kintz

Lions and Tigers and Bears....oh my!

October 21, 2015

With only one overnight in Georgia, we would be in Florida the next day. Our stop over was  High Falls State Park as we traveled down from Chattanooga.  The park is named for tumbling cascades on the Towaliga River. Our campground was spacious and we sat apart from other campers for a very quiet night. Sitka and I had a peaceful morning hike to the falls before we hit the back roads. We're ready for Florida!

Not a lot of time on the road today. We made a beeline down I-75 to Noah's Ark Animal sanctuary in Locust Grove, Georgia. I swear I promised I'd stay off the interstate, but we had two visiting stops to make and needed to make some time. We have come to realize it is best to only travel three to four hours on days we visit places. Otherwise, we feel like we are road weary and scrambling to set up camp at night.

Noah's Ark Sanctuary

The first stop was both fabulous and extremely sad all at the same time. Those of you who are familiar with CBS's correspondent, David Hartman might know this story. He reported on a bear, lion and tiger (BLT) who all live, love and play together and I knew if I ever passed through Georgia I wanted to stop. The sanctuary is a 250 acre space with large enclosures for abused, unwanted and neglected animals. There are more than 1500 exotic, wildlife and domestic animals who have found their home at Noah's Ark. Among them are more than 100 different species of animals. Most of the animals have been rescued from failed small zoos, circuses and confiscated from folks who had them as illegal pets. There are thirteen exotic cats, eight bears, a host of primates, wolves and fox, (read their stories by clicking on links) and many more animals you can explore on their website.

Shere Khan, Leo and Baloo

How I learned about the sanctuary is of course BLT, Baloo the black bear, Leo the African lion and Shere Khan the Bengal tiger. They came to the sanctuary in 2001 after they were discovered in an Atlanta home during a drug raid. At only a few months old, all three cubs were frightened and malnourished and infested with parasites. The sanctuary saw their unlikely bond and they are kept in the same enclosure to eat, sleep and play together. They even seek out grooming and affection from one another, head rubbing and licking each other. Their terrifying early months of life bonded the three and they are truly inseparable despite their obvious differences.

BLT

It costs $33,000 dollars a year to feed and care for all the animals. There is no entrance fee, they rely solely on donations!

I wonder what it cost to build the facility. The enclosures are massive next to what you've seen at zoos.

Whistle Stop Cafe

Thirty more minutes down county roads is Juliette, Georgia–bout 20 minutes north of Macon, Georgia.  Juliette was a once bustling railroad community in the early 1900s. Over time the railroad industry declined and Juliette was all but forgotten until movie producers rebuilt the existing structures into the fictional town of Whistle Stop and filmed the movie Fried Green Tomatoes.

The iconic Whistle Stop Cafe hosts daily diners from 11am to 4pm. I wanted to try everything, but settled for the fried green tomato sandwich right where Idgie sat.

Juliette, Ga

Not much further and we will call it a day at Suwanee River. You can just hear the vestiges of Civil War troops marching through the woods.

High Falls video

Above and Below

October 17, 2015

Mammoth Cave National Park and on into Tennessee and the Georgia state line

Down we go

Early morning light and winter temperatures –below freezing–make this cup of coffee more than appreciated. Sitka is fed and we head down to the Green River through the rugged Kentucky hills. It feels good to be out hiking. I suspect we will put on more than 6 miles today.

Heading into the cave this morning. Beneath the sandstone and shale lies the most extensive cave system on Earth. Mammoth Cave is over twice as long as any known cave. Geologist surmise there could be 600 miles of yet undiscovered passageways.

Prehistoric peoples explored just a mere 10 miles or so of the cave 4,000 years ago. Archeological evidence shows that these early cavers collected crystals and other salts in the cave. Cave exploration ceased about 2,000 years ago not to resume until the cave was rediscovered in 1798.

Taking only one of the many tours into the cave; we will take the Domes and Dripstone tour.

This will lead us more than 200 feet underground to witness Speleothems. "Say what?" you say. Dissolved minerals in crystalline form create gypsum flowers, stalactites and stalagmite–all examples of speleothems. Spelotheums are what most people associate with caves and this passage gives a glimpse of a massive curtain of flowstone. This incredible formation cascades down more than 75 feet creating an illusion of a stone waterfall called Frozen Niagara.

Frozen Niagara

Green River Ferry

We are still learning this rig. Late this afternoon, I checked all our levels and found our battery nearly depleted. When we left for the cave we forgot to turn the furnace off. It is suppose to run on propane, Gerard is figuring the blower is powered by battery, but our solar panels should keep us charged. It was a very sunny day. So we have some research to conduct. We made it this far with our pantry latch intact… well, yesterday it broke. So grateful for our stop back in Rockford, Illinois for extra latches. Decided to take a little drive across the Green River to get our battery charged. Sitka didn't know what to make of the ferry ride across.

Sitka got nervous when we left terra firma

Dinner around the fire tonight and I will get us mostly packed up. Tonight will prove to be another chilly night, 31º. It will be nice to be readying the inside for travel and have the outside work done.  I am ready for Florida!  I am very appreciative of our warm digs and thinking about all the people around us in their tents. Love to be glamping.

Old guide cemetary

Sitka and I stopped at the old guides cemetary on our morning hike.  The  history of the guides into the mine is an African American heritage. African Americans played a vital role in the development of cave tour routes and the visitor experience throughout the 19th and early 20th century. The first black guides were slaves. Their discoveries and story continues to live on within the avenues and guided tours of the cave today. While each slave guide eventually saw their freedom, their life was fraught with hardship in a time where the country was divided about their place in society. During their life they may have never realized the importance of their existence. However, today they are not viewed as slaves or lower class citizens. They are legends.

This morning we started the day relatively early. Our route drove us up to the top of ridges and followed streams down into the hollows (pronounced holler or holl-ah) After five hours of travel, we arrived in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Our friends, Joy and Dean told us it was well worth the ride to the top of Lookout Mountain. We stopped at Ruby Falls, checked the admission price and continued up the steep and windy road to Rock City where admission was even more steep, but we sucked it up hoping for spectacular views.  It's a quirky, fun place showcasing towering rock formations, lush fairy gardens and an overview of seven states. Lover's Leap and its falls were the highlight for me. 

We were hoping to go on to a national campground–Chilhowee, but we were plum tuckered and in need of WiFi, some rv manual reading and reception for our phones so we could check in with some folks. We landed at Racoon Mountain Campground and the temps are soaring into the upper 60s–it feels good to be warm! There is a cave here also, but I think I will stay above ground and hike up to the top of this ridge.

the streets of Rock City

heading into Fat Man's Squeee

heading into Fat Man's Squeee

We had another incident this morning. Gerard tied the animals up outside around 6am as Kole was biting at the bit to get out.. Around 6:30 am, I hear two canines growling and the barking started. Gerard jumped up and out the door to find Kole had slipped out of her harness and was gone. Feeling certain Sitka had saved her from a stray dog or coyote, we grabbed shoes and jackets to start our predawn search. This time, luckily she answered our calls and after 20 minutes or so came walking down the campground road. We will head into town to look for a more secure harness. I was seriously contemplating chalking up this trip and just making a beeline to Cape Coral. After talking to camp staff, they did think it could have been Coyote. I think Gerard is thinking this is a sign that Sitka and I should be the shunpikers and he and Kole be the homebodies keeping the hearth warm waiting for our return.

We are heading down south of Atlanta today. We are skipping the Georgia mountains as we are both wanting to feel the warmth of southern routes. See ya in the Sunshine State.

“I’m in love with cities I’ve never been to and people I’ve never met.”- John Green

Rough Starts ...but we're on the road

October 16. 2015

Delayed by a day, we finally hit the road on Monday, October 12th…. Indigenous People’s Day! We would only travel three and half hours from Chicago to find ourselves at Turkey Run State Park. Who knew Indiana rivaled the dells of Wisconsin in this area. We were about to enter prehistoric Indiana. The glacier recession a few thousand years ago carved the rock formations and canyons we will hike.

With camp all set, we settled in for the night, excited to go exploring the canyons of this park. At 6am Kole, our cat, bolted out the door. Kole has all her claws, but for the most part has been sheltered by a cat fence around the Duluth house. Gerard always thought she wouldn’t know her way back if she ever took off on us. He was so right. We spent the next two days scouring the woods and ravines around and within the campground. We never made it into the state park.

I notified the park staff, called the Humane Society, the County Sheriff and even the local lost pets board on Facebook. I let everyone know on my Facebook and asked that they visualize her walking out of the woods. Power in numbers right?

Our campsite was booked for the extra day we wanted to stay and search so we had to move camp sites and into another loop. We made our move and Gerard went searching the ravine one more time. I showed everyone I could a photo of her. We had our big ugly cry knowing we would have to pull away in the morning without her. I took some food and her bed over to the people who were occupying our previous site in case she did find her way back and just at that moment Gerard called me…. Kole walked out of the woods into the loop we were now camped!!!!!! The spot where she walked out was a site I had just shown a photo to the people camped there. They said “oh my god, there’s that cat!” They went calling for Gerard. 

I can’t tell you the relief and joy we felt and exhaustion–Gerard stayed up all night watching and waiting for her. And here she is –a long haired cat covered in burs is still a sight for sore eyes.

Forever grateful that Ms. Kole is back in our care, We were able to move on. Actually, we would take a shorter excursion through the trails at Turkey Run SP.

Turkey Run State Park Trails

Trail #3

We didn't want to move on without seeing at least a few of the 31 covered bridges in Parke County. Every town in this part of the state seems to have a festival. Park County’s Covered Bridge Festival always starts on the second Friday of October and runs for 10 consecutive days. Headquartered in Rockville on the courthouse lawn since 1957, the festival attracts thousands to Parke County to see the shining stars of it all, 31 historic covered bridges.  The fair encompasses arts and crafts and all the fair food you can imagine. It is also a pickers delight. In fact, as we traveled down  Highway 59, 46 and on to Highway 135, it appeared to be a state wide rummage sale.

The Story Inn

Along Highway I35 we found Story, a quaint village founded in southern Indiana in 1851, nestled between the Brown County State Park and Hoosier National Forest.  It became the largest settlement in the area. In its heyday 1880-1929 the village supported two general stores, church, schoolhouse, blacksmith, sawmill, grain mill and post office. 

Story never recovered from the Great Depression as families abandoned their hilly, marginal farms looking for work elsewhere. No new construction followed the Great Depression and fortuitously, no one attempted to “modernize” the aging structures. Story is perhaps the best preserved example of a 19th century small town that survives in the American Midwest. 

Our stop was a well needed rest and an answer to growling stomachs. Our intention was to make it to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, but our pace was slow due to the turns and twists in a ribbon road where speeds were 10 and 15 miles per hour for those turns. We continued our trek down Indiana 135 and came across Starved Hollow Recreation Area, perfect place to set camp, get some rest and a hot shower before continuing down rural back roads heading into Kentucky.

A smile after a good grilled cheese

Even though the busy days of summer have fallen away, the falling of leaves brings out scores of folks to see the color. We arrived on a Friday at Mammoth Cave National Park early enough in the day to choose a preferred campsite; however, by late afternoon the campsites were all but filled. We gained an hour by traveling back into the central time zone, so it seems ridiculous how early I will be drifting off to neverneverland. 

Dinner at Mammoth Cave National Park

Dinner at Mammoth Cave National Park

Tomorrow we go spelunking.

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.”- Anais Nin