March 21, 2015

Good morning everyone.  We finally, after 30 days and 2800 miles, got to our real final southern destination...Cocoa Beach.  The weather is great and it's time to put on our "Life is Good" caps.  When we were unpacked and gave our friends Don and Ann a call and they came over to catch up where we left off the last time we saw them here a year ago.  Something needs to change when you travel 2800 miles to see somebody that lives 15 miles away back home.

Some birds found at Heron Cay looking for their lunch.

For the children out there, can you see the Gecko?

On a weekend, it is common to see several cruise ships leaving Port Canaveral for warmer weather.

 Down on the beach, a little bit of family time.

 Further up the beach the annual Ron-Jon surfing competition going on. I guess it's time to get Grammie out for a walk to see what is going on.  Maybe we can get her on a boogie board.

March 19, 2015

Good evening everyone.

On Wednesday we left Jacksonville NAS to head for Vero Beach.  Before we left, there are a couple more pictures to share.  There are some flowers that are already blooming quite well and the colors are just awesome.  Unfortunately the white van is also yellowish because of the pollen in the air.

 Sitting out on the back deck of the Navy lodge there is a nice deck overlooking the St John River.  The bridge in the background is 3 miles long and goes east towards I-95 and then a short distance to St Augustine.

Out over the St John there was some practicing of water rescue.  The helicopter was doing a great job of hovering while a seaman was in the water gathering in another victim.

 Grammie took the opportunity to get finger and toe nails done.

 Finally we hit the road and passed quite a few signs for the Ron Jon shop, first at 10 miles apart, then 5 miles, then 2 miles.  Actually we passed by Cocoa Beach and continued to Vero Beach where we are staying with a high school classmate of Tom's. 

 Tom managed to get his hand stuck in Gail's  job jar but they were easy tasks.  Tomorrow is going to be a pool day.  Tom has to make sure that Grammie gets turned over at least every 15 minutes or there will be one uncomfortable Grammie by the end of the day.
Good to hear that back home the temperature is getting above freezing more often.  Someone please remind us when the snow is gone so we can return.

Tom has been keeping track of a friend who has started hiking the Appalachian Trail.  For those who might want to read some of the journal entries you can go to Appalachian trail journals  Have fun reading.

March 16, 2015

Good morning everyone.  Yesterday we left Hilton Head after spending some time with Tom's sister.  It was a nice day for a morning walk on the beach.

On the way, we saw Grammie wondering what to do with the dinosaur. 

As we were leaving the island we saw 3 horse transport vehicles, with police escort, heading towards Hilton Head.  On the side of each read Budweiser Clydesdales.  With our luck we are going the wrong way missing some entertainment.  As we rode through the southern end of Georgia, it was a typical day on I-95 as the Georgia Patrol was quite noticeable doing their diligent duty.  Even traveling a little over the limit, we were probably the next to the slowest vehicle on the road.

We arrived at Jacksonville NAS where the welcoming temperature was 87.  It is nice to see some color besides brown. 

Today we went to see a friend of Alice's mother, Harriet.  Harriet and Audrey were both friends a little while back when Gorham State College was Gorham Normal School.  We had lunch with Harriet and her daughter Sharon and Sharon's husband Ron. It was a good visit as Alice probably hadn't seen Harriet for over 40 plus years.  It was amazing to see her doing a crossword puzzle with a pen. Coming up she will be celebrating her 100th birthday.
We had supper at Mulligan's which is conveniently located at the golf course.  Afterwards we took a walk on a nature trail.  As we were walking back to our car a car with 2 women in it stopped and said that they were lost.  Tom said that "we were too...we started on the Appalachian Trail and somehow ended up here".  One women told us that their husbands were both in the service were friends and also they were as well.  Both of their husbands had died so they got together and started traveling the country and were having a wonderful time.  After a little more chatting we finally told them that they weren't lost and that Mulligans was right in the building next to us.
It was a good day today in Jacksonville and hope for more of the same.

March 14, 2015

Good afternoon everyone.

We continue to enjoy the Hilton Head area but the last couple of days weren't the best. On Wednesday, we attempted to take a walk on the beach.  The temperature was OK but...

On Thursday we took a day trip to visit our son Doug who met us in Columbia. It was good to see him if only for a short while.  Today in one of the shops, Tom pointed out a sign to Alice. It read "I saw a boy who stole my heart. He calls me Mom"  Where's Grammie, checking the flight while waiting for her son.

Alice finally completed her puzzle.  This one is the lighthouse on the southern end of the Island.

Last night, Tom's sister Kathy and Steve came down for a visit.  Today we went into the local shopping area, got an ice cream, snacked on a little bit of Jerky and took another walk on the beach.  The shop, the Hilton Head House of Jerky also has over 170 different bottles of hot.  One was labeled 50 shades of Red. 

Trevor, where does your Wasabi sauce fall on the chart?

Tomorrow we finally get to Florida. 

March 10, 2015

Good evening everyone.
We checked into Island Links Resort on Sunday and were very pleased with the accommodations. The resort has the largest pool area of any resorts that we have visited.  A view right out the back door.  In this resort there are about 350 units but it doesn't seem like it because they are well spaced out and obscured by the natural cover.  At this time of year (still not high season) there are still many units not occupied.

 
The area is surrounded by golf courses and the bicycle paths are well used and seem to go everywhere.  There are no high rise buildings on the island as code does not permit buildings taller than the trees....and make sure that you don't cut down any Live Oaks.  The east side of the island is wide open beach.  There are miles of beach to walk and today's weather was great for a walk.  Away from the beach area there are many different resorts that are intermingled with small ponds that are great places to find different animals and birds.

 With sunshine a plenty it is easy to dry their wings.

 Don't let this close picture fool you, he's hungry...but worry not,  it's against the law to feed them.

 During this time of the year, it is easy to meet people from the northern states...and even Canada.  The story this year seems to be the same...too much snow.

Clouds and maybe a little rain in the forecast for the next couple of days.  Maybe a couble of fabric shops in the works.

Thanks for visiting Where's Grammie.

March 7, 2015

Good evening everyone.
On Thursday we took a tour ride around the city of Charleston. Although it was quite informative, and Sally really did a great job, it wasn't the best mode for pictures.  We did manage to get a couple though.
We saw parts of the Citadel, a state sponsored military college that requires that all students participate in ROTC and live on campus for all 4 years. 

Below is a statue of the Citadel's mascot...the  Bulldog.  If you look on the base you will notice a wreath.  For the last 11 years, the school had a live mascot that passed away less than 2 weeks ago.
For more information go to Citadel mascot

Also on campus is the F-4 Phantom that was flown by General Buck Shuler Jr. It honors the 67 Citadel graduates who died in Vietnam.  

Charleston has been nicknamed the holy city because there are 237 churches there.  Photograph them all...you betcha.  Below is just one.

 After leaving town and heading to Beaufort, we thought of friends back home that may still be knee deep in snow.  Here are some warm thoughts coming your way.

For the past couple of days we have been visiting  friend, formerly of Maine who currently lives in Beaufort, SC. We arrived on the 5th and will be leaving Sunday.  In the meantime in South Carolina cant help but notice the huge Live Oak trees.

The area around Beaufort, actually from Charleston on down is called the low country. Most of the area is less than 40 feet in elevation.  When it is low tide you can spend your time wallering around in the mud.

We took a side trip this afternoon down to Hilton Head where there is a discovery plantation.  We did find Grammie trying to find some new friends.

Tomorrow we will be in the Hilton Head area later in the day. 

March 4, 2015

 Good evening everyone.
We finally drove into an area where there was some sun. Charleston, SC. It got up to 77 degrees with a bit of a cooling breeze.

First thing on the agenda was a visit to Fort Sumter where the first shot of the Civil War was fired on April 12, 1861.  We took a ferry from downtown Charleston, SC that took about 30 minutes to the Fort.  The Fort was built on an island that was created by Lt. Henry Brewerton, U. S. Corps of Engineers, in charge of the project. The 2.4 acre Island that the fort was to be built on, was constructed from 10,000 tons of granite brought in from New England, along with about 60,000 tons of other rock.  The project was started in 1829 and still not completed by the start of the war.  Fort Sumter Island 

When Major Anderson of the Union Army was defending the Fort from Apil 12 to the 14th, this was the flag that flew over the fort.  As part of the surrendering of the Fort, he was allowed to take the US Flag with him.  It was later returned to the National Park Service and then returned to the Fort.

Finally, a Where's Grammie picture.

As the war progressed, the shape of the cannon shells evolved from the typical round ball shape which probably had a maximum range of a little over a mile to a more modern projectile that was fired from a rifled bore and would go over 3 miles.  There are still 3 shells embedded in the fort.  In the picture below, notice the embedded shell in the lower left.

Back in the city of Charleston we saw a sign that reminded us of a sign in Maine, but not really comparable to ours.

Across the Cooper River is a huge museum better known as the USS Yorktown. CV-10 was decommissioned in 1970 and became a museum and is a National Historic Landmark.  In the background is the Ravenel Bridge which has a height of 186 feet to accommodate large ships to access the harbor of Charleston.

One of the ships that was just leaving the harbor today delivered foreign made cars.

The parking lot is not nearly full of new cars but when we were at Fort Sumter, 2 more ships arrived with more cars.

This evening we had dinner at a place called California Dreaming.  A unique feature is the boat dock where one can drive a boat to the restaurant, have a fine meal and then ride away.  No traffic, no parking fees...and it was a 2 minute walk from our room. Couldn't resist a sunset  picture.

From the 4th to the 8th of March there is a BB&T Charleston Wine and Food Festival. Finally an unplanned surprise. It features chefs from around the country as well as pastry chefs, beverage professionals and food writers.  Disappointed that there were no tickets available...not a bit with the ticket prices. 

Maybe we can get to Memphis on the trip turnaround  Memphis

Thanks for keeping an eye on us.

Work on

March 3, 2015

We took the opportunity to get into Augusta today.  Our plan was to visit the Boy hood home of President Wilson.  When we got there, the published open times were not correct, so there went those plans.  The home remains on a busy street but doesn't seem it in this cropped pic.

Continuing through the city it became very apparent that every religion has been represented, many times over. 
There are many malls that have seen better days and some that didn't have even a single store left open. In a conversation with a resident it was revealed that if it wasn't for the annual playing of the Masters, businesses wouldn't make it into the black for the year.  Tom went into an antique store that had a display of golf memorabilia.  He met a person that had a hat with many Masters pins attached to it.  He said that in the last 50 years, he has missed only one.  Next year he is planning to start giving his tickets to his son.  His mother, who gets tickets every year (she's 94) hasn't used hers in the last 20 years.  This guy said he has lots of friends when it is known that he has extra tickets.  For those who were lucky enough to secure tickets, they are in the mail.
Tom played golf this morning at Fort Gordon.  Although today was a little misty at least he started his summer exercise routine....walking.
Our evening meal was at Carrabbas and as expected, the meal was great.  We did find out that they do not give discounts for AAA, AARP, Senior Citizens or Military.
If you plan to travel to Georgia, you can expect an 8% tax for lodging.  Even worse, if you stay in South Carolina, the tax for lodging is 14%. plus a $1.00 flat tax.
Tomorrow we are headed to Charleston for a day to do some sightseeing.

March 2, 2015

Hi everyone.

Yesterday we left Tom's sister Kathy and husband Steve and stayed at Fort Jackson for the evening.  We drove over to the west side of Columbia to see the house that they are in the process of buying.  If everything falls into place, they will be moving by the middle of the month.

Afterwards, we went to eat at a mexican restaurant.  Our waitress has 3 children, works 2 jobs and it taking courses in her spare time.  What a positive person.  Does anyone know any easy way to remember the difference between a fajita and an enchilada?  Whatever the difference, they are both good
Hopefully it will be the last cold day for a long time.  It was around 38 and even the locals have had enough.  Alice finally finished a (1) pair of mittens.  For those that know Alice, this was no easy task especially when you pull it all apart and start it over 4 times.

Today we drove down to Augusta GA where we will be staying at Fort Gordon for the next 2 days.  Tom finally got to play a round of golf and was somewhat happy after not swinging a club since early November.  The temperature got up to 74 and while Tom was playing, Alice spent the afternoon sitting in the sun reading a book and doing some knitting.  Surely the patrons at the golf course were impressed.

For those people who are having a hard time with the possibility of another snow storm here are some flowers.  If you would like to create your own, click on the link and click and drag your mouse.
Flowers We tried this with an ipad and it wouldn't work.  On a PC it works fine.

Hope everyone had a great day today!

February 28, 2015

Good afternoon all.

The drive yesterday from Fort Lee to Columbia was uneventful.  The roads were clear of any snow and dry.  There were some reminders of the unexpected snow from the previous day with a vehicle still stranded in the median area of I-95 that hadn't been hauled away as well as a few plastic front bumpers strewn beside the road.  The last place we sw any snow was in a small town called Selma, NC.
Columbia is the Capitol of South Carolina and for those who are reading this blog for the first time, we didn't visit the Capitol.  For those that may want to see pics of the Capitol, please visit our last years blog. Columbia State Capitol

We arrived in town with intentions of visiting Tom's sister and after a few wrong turns and a visit to the gas station ($2.11) we found the place.
After riding for several hours we took a little walk to get out the kinks.  On this walk down the street you may notice the absence of something.

This picture may be something that many are still looking for.

In this picture, what colors do you really see?  Brown and White, Green and Brown, Shades of Gray?

We really didn't think you would care what color the dresses on the internet are. 

If our grandchildren happen to be looking in, see if you can find what kind of tree this seedpod came from.  Notice there are many of them on the ground. (Hint...sweet)

Things to see in Columbia are the Riverbanks Zoo which features an overnight experience for kids age 6 and up, a river walk, the Columbia Museum of Art, and Finlay Park. We will be staying for another day because sister likes to cook.

February 26, 2015

Today's post is more about yesterday and a little about today.
We left Dover and headed for the Maryland State Capitol.  It is the oldest Capitol in the country still being used.

When we arrived in town, we were a little late as usual and when we came around the corner we were late for a picture. (not really)  This is a group visiting the Capitol for the legislative reconvening.  Dressed in casual attire, we went right on in.

This is the Senate Chamber where the Senators had a brief meeting and recognized the visitors for the days events.

 

Shortly after recognition of the visitors, they adjourned and went across the Hall to the larger House Chambers where the order of business for the General Assembly was a vote for the State Treasurer.
Nancy Knopp Treasurer. 

Outside on the grounds is a monument to Thurgood Marshall.  He was an Associate Justice for the US Supreme Court from 1967 to 1991.  He was the first African American serving in that position.  He later became known for his work on getting Donald Murray, an African American, admitted into the University of Maryland Law School who was denied by the University because of his race.

Because of the storm in the area, we decided to stay an extra day at Fort Lee.  Our next stop was to be in North Carolina.  I remember a friend saying that the state had a lot of rednecks.  After reading about what happened in Maine we decided that the combination of 6-8inches of snow and rednecks on the road was not a good thing.  Besides, Fort Lee was closed for the day.  A day of rest is always a good thing.

Couldn't help watching some soldiers out having fun on their day off.

The slush will be refreezing tonight and temps will get up to freezing by 10 am tomorrow. Columbia, SC here we come.