Florida Welcomes me Solo this time!

Driving back to RaCo today.

[caption id="attachment_1737" align="aligncenter" width="300"] My traveling buddy, BLEU[/caption]

We (Dad, Sydney & I) have been in Florida since April 30. Dad & Syd asked me if I wanted to 'tag-along' with them down to Florida, so I could see some of my friends, my mom & Brooks before we set off on our Westcapade! We drove down on Monday, April 30, it takes a good 9 hours. We got in, had some pizza, visited with my Aunt Jules and then I had my dad open his birthday gifts early since we were all together & his birthday was only a wake-up away.

[caption id="attachment_1736" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Where I get "it" from[/caption]

I made him two different DVD's and he just loved them & I got tears (the good kind), so yay! We slept there. I had a room all to myself which also had a TV, so that was a little treat for sure!

[caption id="attachment_1735" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yes, please[/caption]

PEACE

The plan is in motion

I haven't been writing lately because nothing goes on much on the daily, but hopefully that is going to change. Because our lives are changing.

We have made an almighty decision to "switch it up a bit"...to say the least! ha After much conversation & working out the (this is how I feel right now) emotions and still having the same feelings and emotions days and weeks later, we came to a decision to quit our 'jobs' and hit the road. J' has been working on some projects since 2007 and after much, much heartache and many tears, things are starting to pay off. He has found some really great tools and on his time off has been putting his head down and just working, working, working. Well, it's paying off....finally! We will be able to live on the road somewhat comfortably, until of course it gets better and then the comforts of our "home" will get better. We plan on staying here for another 2 months at least and then we will pack up Joon Van and start heading West. We don't have a specific, scheduled plan but we do have some places that we both want to go and I'm sure we will find some places along the way that we would have never visited otherwise....

... to be continued

Home, home on the range

♫ Home, home on the range

Where the kitty & the puppy play

We have emptied our terds & I've fed all the birds

what a wonderful past thirty two days!!!! ♫

77- Odds n Ends after we get home from FL. by Ayevangabond

Coming to an End

74- Starting to head home by Ayevangabond




75- Driving Home by Ayevangabond

St. August-ing

[caption id="attachment_1747" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sleepy time spot[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1748" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Amazing coffee arrangement[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1749" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ...and these creamers![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1750" align="aligncenter" width="300"] LOVE this place[/caption]

We started our day pretty early, got Joon Van situated and paid the Flying J' a morning visit! And to the rescue it came. We had more coffee to choose from than we knew what to do with & when you turn around there's an entire creamer station. Whoever put this together was quite the coffee connoisseur. I don't drink regular coffee anymore so I put together my own concoction of decaf coffee & creamers and it was perfect!

[caption id="attachment_1751" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The girls are making the bed[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1753" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Whistles & walks away[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1754" align="aligncenter" width="300"] What'd you say to me?[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1755" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Castillo de San Marcos aka the fort…. & the old family picnic tree[/caption]

We drove back to Downtown St. Augustine or Old St. Augustine, whatever. We parked in a great spot, huge tree, privacy, we got pretty lucky. We walked around all of downtown. We walked down Avenida St., walking towards the fort to take some pictures. From there we wrapped back up around to St. George Street, a pedestrian mall.

[caption id="attachment_1756" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Flagler College[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1757" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The bridge we came in on (with Marina & Ocean)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1758" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Lightner Museum. MY favorite place here[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1759" align="aligncenter" width="224"] There's a BUG on the loose[/caption]

St. George Street is the street that has it all. You can book any tours that you want to take, after all it is the nations oldest city...& one of the most haunted! There are a few fudge & chocolate shoppes and they are the best. As kids, my sister & I would always get the Alligators on a stick, it was chocolate (or white choc. that's what I liked) Alligator molded onto a popsicle/lollipop stick, it was amazing. There are many different and unique stores with pretty good deals. There are tons of places to pick from to grab a bite to eat. We just picked up a map & started walking. We were going to go to Santa Maria's, it's a restaurant right on the ocean, we had never been there before. On our way we walked by this quaint little place that had a nice courtyard & the prices didn't look crazy so we detoured to O.C. White's. I had a very satisfying quesadilla & J' had, what he was craving, a french dip...although they had no 'dip'! Even though the server was a little disconnected the food was good and the sun was out and this was our last day touring, so we were taking it all in. We would be on the road soon, on our way home. Guess it's time to start gathering a plan for the next (longer) adventure!

[caption id="attachment_1761" align="aligncenter" width="300"] St. George St. "The Street"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1762" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lunch @ O.C. White[/caption]

PEACE

74- Starting to head home by Ayevangabond

Approaching: St. Augustine

Our drive through Flagler & the other beaches gave us time to figure out where we wanted to (& could) park for the night. We had heard that all Flying J's are free and through prior-reading we found there was one in St. Augustine, so we punched it into the GPS and flew on over. We arrived in St. Augustine right at sunset, so we did a quick run through of the city to get to the Flying J. We would be back in the morning to do some  walking, sticker shopping, picture taking and simple, historical fun! 

[caption id="attachment_1765" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our festive welcome sign[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1766" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Coming over bridge into St. Augustine[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1767" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Atlantic Ocean[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1768" align="aligncenter" width="300"] One of my mom's faves! This cemetery is hella old![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1769" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tourist Trap? Uh, yeah! haha but fun non the less[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1770" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Ole' Chain Gang[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1771" align="aligncenter" width="300"] St. Augustine @ Dusk[/caption]

 Off for the night. This Flying J was a great idea, glad we thought of it! Meet you back here different time, different place.

PEACE

73-Arrive in St. Aug by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Flagler

We are just going to 'Keep on Truckin' up the coast. We've already hit New Smyrna & Daytona which are old stompin' grounds for us and as we go North, we hit Flagler. We used to do day drives and do this same exact drive when we lived here, just to get away, so we figured we had to do it again...for old times sake. And it's such a beautiful drive.

[caption id="attachment_1775" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Serenity[/caption]

We stopped by the pier to take pictures and go to the potty. After reminiscing, J' had the best idea of the day.... ICE CREAM!! Who goes to the beach and does NOT get ice cream...I don't know either! So we got the most bomb-ass chocolate milkshakes you'll ever have and started back on our journey, a much more delicious journey!

[caption id="attachment_1780" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Someone can be quite the cutie when she’s tired![/caption]

PEACE