Keep on Truckin': Back to Sarasota

[caption id="attachment_2122" align="aligncenter" width="207"] “Unconditional Surrender”
Kiss Statue in Sarasota[/caption]

Since we didn't get to spend a lot of time in Sarasota the first time around, we thought it would be a good idea to circle back and try it again. It's a really clean town and there are quite a few beaches (& dog parks).  We were driving to Siesta Key and ended up taking a small detour to The Phillippi Farmhouse Market. It was a Wednesday and we were surprised to learn they do a mid-week market, so you don't have to wait until the weekend! Now that's fresh food!! It was smaller, this day, we were told because of the inclement weather...but we still walked around and saw the venues that were there. There some pretty cool ones too!

[caption id="attachment_2124" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Bonsai guy. He says, “If you buy a tree and it dies,
come back and I’ll give you another one.”[/caption]

For a few days, we had been throwing the idea around of going to a campground to stay overnight. J' had seen videos and read some blogs on a certain campground/RV Park in Sarasota and we figured since we were right here that we would see what a night would cost and if it was feasible, we would jump in.... so we jumped! We drove over to the Sun'n'Fun RV Resort and booked ourselves in for the night. It's beautiful here. They have 2 Olympic size pools (which, I'm a sucker for an amazing lap pool!) a top of the line workout center (I think it was just opened the week before we got here). They have all kinds of sports, full on laundry facilities, bathroom facilities, they even have a dog wash! It's pretty sweet. I wish we could just live here! haha

[caption id="attachment_2125" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I could live here! I mean look at that pool!
Laps here I come!![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2126" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joon Van in all of her glory at our campsite[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2127" align="aligncenter" width="300"] We took a walk…saw this sign on the path
Only in Florida!![/caption]

 PEACE

 

41- Sun'n'Fun Pools by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Ft. Lauderdale

After driving a good part of the day yesterday we landed in Ft. Lauderdale. We did a little bit of driving around and found where the beaches were and then settled in for the night. We ended up finding a truck stop in Davie, (Florida 595 Truck Stop) right outside of Ft. Lauderdale. We told them what kind of vehicle we had and they only charged us $5.00 for the night, (they actually thought it was kind of cute and funny that we wanted to stay there, they were super nice) they also had showers (for additional fee, I think it was like $2-3), a lounge and a game room. Super clean!! It was great. I think we either picked a good time or something else because, when we came in, we were the only ones there and when we came out only 2 or 3 trucks had come in. We had a very peaceful night. (We passed it later on around 4 pm and it was swarmed with trucks, not a vacant spot in the lot!!)

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Just a beautiful truck...man am I turning into a red neck!? haha[/caption]

Today it's Ft. Lauderdale Beaches all the way baby! We did some research last night to find out where we can get cheap(er) beach parking because the lots here are ridiculous. For a full day you can end up paying up to $20 to park! WE ended up finding a lot for $7 (almost right on the beach) for a full day, woo hoo Go Us!! J' was excited too because he could "free shower", haha. I'm sorry but that water was way too damn cold for me to get under it...and I have way more hair than he does, so it's easier & quicker for him.

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="aligncenter" width="300"] 'Cuz he's freeee.... free showerin'![/caption]

We did a little tanning today. Yep! We actually got down in the sand and laid out. It was fun. We soaked up some rays, walked the shoppes, got some good pictures and watched a lifeguard get all crazy for a guest on his beach. It was pretty cool. A lady (about 35 or so) was wheelchair bound and there were two men talking by her, one dressed plainly the other, a lifeguard in his speedo! All of a sudden you see them part ways and the lifeguard takes off, all of a sudden he's got a Wheel-buggy. He was determined to get her on the sand, I thought that was so very cool.

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mr. Speedo-guard getting a Wheel-buggy for a beach guest!
Very cool[/caption]

I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘Now where is the Bug in all of this tanning?’ Well, J’ came up with a very smart and handy way to keep her cool when we can’t be with her and while it’s a little warm in the vehicle (without her being harmed) AND we always do check-ups…I’m a little neurotic about them, actually! You will see a pic below; the cooler has tons of fresh ice in it with a lid, the venting system (the silver thing) goes into a hole in the top of the cooler lid down into her crate. The silver thing attaches at the front of her crate. There is also another hole in the lid…yes two holes! A fan goes into the top of that and blows the cool air into the silver thing into her crate. On most days but especially warmer days we put a pair of pants over the crate door to trap in most of the cooler air. It’s the poor man’s AC and boy does it work good!!!!!

[caption id="attachment_1059" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Nana in her Penthouse Suite with AC![/caption]

And of course, Savannah needs exercise just like us so we find dog parks along the way. This dog park in Ft. Lauderdale, Bark Park, was pretty cool. It had all kinds of obstacles and tons of other dogs there to play with. They do provide fresh water out of a hose for the pooches to refresh themselves while playing. Nana' did pretty good, she's still a little sketchy around other dogs and people, but she broke out of it and played for a bit...and then came running back to our legs for safety! We got her to do the obstacles too, she could definitely be a Circus dog! She had sooo much fun and it makes me happy to see that big smile on her face!

[caption id="attachment_1062" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pooped at the Park[/caption]

Ft. Lauderdale is a beautiful place, but we found here, that to have the kind of fun we (could be looking for) you've got to have some money.... at least a lot more than what was in our budget for this trip! So with that we are going to do some talking about the football (Steelers vs. Broncos) game tonight and where we may be able to catch it and we'll see where that takes us!

[caption id="attachment_1063" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Beautiful Ft. Lauderdale Beach[/caption]

PEACE

31- A very trusting store by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Back to Fort Myers

After calling around to a bunch of places in Ft. Lauderdale, to see if they were having the game (& fit our budget), we talked it over and over and came to the decision that for now, the East coast was just a little too pricey for us. We agreed to go back toward Fort Myers-Sarasota (we didn't get much time there in the beginning due to the cold weather, so we thought we'd give it another shot). It was still pretty early so we started driving toward the Buffalo Wild Wings in Fort Myers to watch the game (Steelers vs. Broncos), get a bite to eat and a frosty "beer". We got a great booth seat in the bar, amazing wings and a couple of O'douls and it couldn't have been a better decision!

[caption id="attachment_2045" align="aligncenter" width="300"] NAB never tasted sooo yummy!![/caption]

Today, we took it easy. We hit the Fort Myers Beach (where dogs are allowed), stopped at the Edison Mall and actually got to plug into a wall in the food court for computer power & internet! But we had to sit right by the door, because other plugs were being used. It was kind of cold & windy outside so every time the door opened we got a bit of a draft right at us. After about an hour of that and J' needing stuff out of the van, we ended up just going back to the van and he kept on with his stuff there. And we figured we had such a great spot in the parking lot that we would hang out until it was time to move on...oh and we grilled up some burgers...yes, in the van!!! (pics below)

[caption id="attachment_2046" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lil' Nana in the Ocean[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2047" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mommy & Bug on the beach together[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2048" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Savannah pooped after her visit to the beach[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2050" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our spot at the mall[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2049" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Grillin’ it up in Joon Van[/caption]

PEACE

36- BW3 for Bronco Playoff Game by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Key West

***Okay so I'm having problems figuring out how to get my pictures to line-up with what I'm talking about and whenever I push Add Caption my picture jumps from where it is to the very top of the page, it's very annoying and I'm just going to try to work with it the best I can, until I figure out why it's doing that. Until then I will either have all pics at the bottom or try to upload them in a way where it all still makes sense, if it doesn't still try to enjoy! And I will try not to go crazy over it! Thanks for understanding. ***

So, here we are in the Keys. It was fun making our way down through all of the small keys and their towns. When we first got here, we had to decide where we were going to sleep for the night, due to the Keys (all of them) having NO Wal-marts and no real places to boondock because the towns and their streets are so itty bitty. We have been staying at Wal-marts since we started our venture and since we are only about 7 days in we haven't had to look anywhere else, thus far. A little earlier in the day, we got online and researched a few websites for Boondocking in Key West. We found a place and wrote down the directions, that were more of just landmarks than a street address; go down the smooth road to the bumpy road at the 2nd biggest stump turn left...haha stuff like that. We shrugged our shoulders and said, "What the hell, why not." It's not like we had anywhere else to go! haha We followed the directions to a 'T' and we ended up exactly where we needed to be, although we couldn't finish the trek due to how tight the road was, we still put it in the GPS and decided if nothing else, we'd come back and find a closer spot. We called it 'Sleeping in the Mangroves' (pics below)! To the very end was about 5-7 miles, I think we got to about 3 miles. The roads were "made" for dirt bikes not really for vehicles.

 After we were done with the many scratches on our van from the Sleepy Mangroves, we did a quick check under the vehicle to make sure there was no further damage and kept on truckin' down to the Southernmost Point. We parked in a very cool spot (wish we could have stayed overnight there) it was about 50 yards to the sand of the beach. We walked the beach, got some sun, walked Duval St., I bargained a purse from one of the shop owners, we saw many a Drag Queen and at a delicious meal at Hog's Breath Saloon (somewhere J' has been wanting to go). We also went to get our pictures at the Southernmost Point (pic below) but there was a huge frickin' line, so we enjoyed the atmosphere; a girl singing and playing guitar, and just took pics "with it" but away from it. Worked for us!

[caption id="attachment_2059" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Can you see me? I’m standing up in the brown tank![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2060" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Finally, we’ve made it![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2061" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Scoping out the Mangroves[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2062" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I still can’t get over the clearness of the water in Key West![/caption]

After a full day in Key West, we decided that since we already had our spot in the Mangroves picked out...by GPS of course and it was already dark we would just go to the Mangroves and hit the hay for the day. It was nice and quiet and dark! We had a wonderful nights sleep and when we headed out the next morning were very surprised to find that there were all kinds of people around (like down the road); walking, packing up their cars or tents from the night before, it was a little strange but we were just happy that no one bothered us and we were able to catch some zzz's. We didn't stay, for we felt like we had explored Key West enough to our liking for this trip.

So, we're heading North again....

[caption id="attachment_2063" align="aligncenter" width="300"] ‘Sleeping with the Mangroves’ (the morning after)
Probably the quietest, darkest nights sleep we got[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2065" align="aligncenter" width="300"] WARNING: These are professionals please do not try this in your car!
She loves her daddy, she’s a little obsessed[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2064" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Notice he’s talking on the camera (not a phone), who do you think he’s talking to?
Savannah of course![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2066" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Southernmost Beach[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2067" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Southernmost House[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2068" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Where to next, Pa?[/caption]

PEACE

23- Southern Most Point Key West, FL by Ayevangabond

Passing through: Everglades

We decided since it was so cold on the West Coast that we would make our way to the Keys a little earlier than planned. On our way we caught Alligator Alley (U.S. Route 41, Everglades Parkway), it's a main road that cuts right through the state of Florida and as the name says, it's pretty much flooded with Alligators.

[caption id="attachment_2072" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Alligator Alley ~ US Route 41[/caption]

We saw a turn-off where we could park, take a potty break and also take some pics of these beautiful dinosaurs.

[caption id="attachment_2073" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oasis Visitor Center (see the Gator?)[/caption]

We also stopped in Everglades City just to take a small detour. It's a cute little town with beautiful buildings and scenery.

[caption id="attachment_2075" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Amazing Mangrove Trees[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2076" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Yes, that’s a Panther Traffic sign, not a Panther Crossing sign!
Are there really enough Panthers to cause traffic? Goodness![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2077" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sweet lil’ Nanna sleeping on mommy[/caption]

PEACE

22- Gator goin' under by Ayevangabond

Keep on Truckin': Sarasota to Fort Myers

As we started out today J' really felt the need to stop at a Pep Boys and look at our brakes. Good thing he did, too! It turned out we needed new brakes and new rotors, they were nice enough to let us do the job ourselves in their parking lot. Yay for safety!!

[caption id="attachment_2080" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Brake & Rotor change in Fort Myers[/caption]

Since it was a little chilly, we decided to do our daily stop and reorganize! haha  But, we got smart this time and decided since we had a home to send stuff back to, that we would send back things that we weren't using or taking up too much space. So we found a back-side private parking area in the very back of Home Depot and just gutted Joon Van and packed up two boxes to send home for more space! And wow, what a difference that made for the rest of the trip!

[caption id="attachment_2081" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Whoa![/caption]

After the repacking, organizing, and shipping packages we decided to head to the beach, even though it was chilly. When we arrived in San Carlos it looked anything except a beach town! It looked like a beachy ghost town! It was sooooo cold and windy there wasn't a soul anywhere. We ended up getting out and walking around anyway just because this was the first beach we had hit on our trip thus far. I figured since there wasn't anybody around that I could get away with "showering" in the bathroom...and I did, well washed my hair at least!



After washing my hair and feeling a bit fresher (and colder) we walked the town a bit, walked the beach a bit, took some pictures and walked back to Joon. It was ridiculously windy and cold, not a day to be at the beach, but we tried!

PEACE

14- Crescent Beach in San Carlos by Ayevangabond

Georgia to Florida

Well, we were finally able to take some time off for adventure! Woo-Hoo, slap your knee and call me Sally!! Actually I really don't like that name, so don't call me that... Before we departed we made sure that Joon Van had everything tightened up and bolted down as well as the house.

[caption id="attachment_2086" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Joon Van is dressed & ready to mingle[/caption]

The 31st of December, we were ready for take off and we did just that. It took us about 5 1/2 - 6 hours to get to the Florida line. We stopped at the visitors center right at the border of Florida & Georgia, (Joseph O. Striska Official Florida Welcome Center I-75). We made lunch: cooked sausage on our grill and eggs that we took from our fridge so we didn't waste them. I was just going to have almonds, pb and almonds but J' talked me into a little piece of sausage!  We had Savannah on a leash by one of the tables they provide at the center. It was a beautiful day and it was glorious to have a tank top and jeans on and not be cold!

[caption id="attachment_2088" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Cooking lunch in Sunny Florida[/caption]

For the first few days we found ourselves stopping at rest stops or pretty overlooks (where we wouldn't get run off) and taking everything out of Joon and rearranging so I wouldn't go crazy...we couldn't find anything! I guess it happens even in the smallest of spaces. 

[caption id="attachment_2089" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A beautiful rest stop right outside of Tampa going to Sarasota[/caption]

Before we left home, I researched some things for us to do that were either free or cheap. I found some pretty cool things. One thing that really made my trip was one of the first things we decided to join... a drum circle. There is a drum circle that goes on every Sunday night @ Siesta Key and Wednesdays too, at a different beach (Nokomis maybe??) We wanted something to celebrate our adventure & our New Years. After all it was January 1, 2012!! This drum circle was off the hook, it was pretty bad-ass. Totally 100 % free and totally freeing of your soul. We got there super early because we heard that it gets crowded, I thought there would be like 30 people....more like 300 people! Since we were there at the beginning, we had front row seats, that made it so much more fun. They had everything from drums to one solo guitarist, belly dancers, hula-hoopers, this guy with a feather that just totally made the whole experience for me and freedom. We all danced and people watched and just enjoyed the music and company of everybody around. We also were able to enjoy the majesty of the Sarasota sun sinking down below the water...now that is beauty!

[caption id="attachment_2090" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Sarasota Sunset[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2091" align="aligncenter" width="224"] The awesome guy with a feather & a ‘hooa’[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_2092" align="aligncenter" width="300"] It all started with one drum[/caption]

PEACE

11- Drum Circle gets bigger by Ayevangabond