How fast 10 days has went by, so much has happen and so much has been enjoyed and I need to catch up on the blog a bit.
St. Augustine, Florida, what can I say but that we are so glad we stopped and stayed for a few days. Very beautiful, quaint in an old school way with it's European type sections of town, narrow streets, old buildings and pubs and eateries! The Atlantic ocean was nice here and we even took in a few hours of beach time which made Beverly very happy. The ocean even knocked this old boys body around once it took me off my feet! Took some good pictures of the small surf and out waited some sand crabs for a few pics too! We would highly recommend spending a few days there if you're ever in the area. By the way we missed going to the "fountain of youth" but like I said on FB we drove by the place at least 6 or 7 times and I felt that was as good as a $12.50 shot glass of water! We did not get any golf in while staying at St. Augustine but did visit the World Golf Hall of Fame. What an awesome place this was even if you're not a golf enthusiast, there was so much to see and so much history of the game and it's players to learn about. Another must see if ever nearby especially if you love the game of golf. We could have and would have stayed another day or so but the RV resort was booked solid for the weekend so we hit the road towards Savannah, Georgia.
Mind you the trip from Port St. Lucie to Savannah, Ga. is only 373 miles (5 hours 45 minutes roughly by car) we arrived in PSL on July 15th and we're scheduled to leave Savannah for South Carolina on the 3rd or 4th of August........that will be right at 3 weeks to travel 373 miles. A jam packed 3 weeks it has been but a lot of relaxing in between too! I would say if you would have told us we'd be spending right at 30 days in Florida on this journey we would have said you were nuts. Remember that is what it will be, by the time we left the state, from Panama City to Spring Hill and then to Tampa and Port St. Lucie via Key West on into St. Augustine until we land in Savannah, Ga. via Jekyll Island. Now Jekyll Island, we stopped there for what turned out to be quite a different experience. We had heard about a cruise ship that went out to sea for 5 hour cruises on a 4 deck ship designed for a little casino gaming while and only when you reach international waters. For $5 (only on $5 Fridays, any other day it's $10) you got dinner, roughly 4 1/2 hours of gaming and breakfast from 7:00 pm until 1:00 am the next morning. We parked the motor home in their lot and decided to give it a go..................bad idea! Not that we lost a lot of cash, just the opposite, we came out pretty good it was the rest of the trip that sucked. Let me just say the $5 was way too much for the dinner and breakfast! While heading out to sea we had Spaghetti and meat balls with a can of Hunts diced tomatoes for the sauce, and luke warm to boot! The gaming was some old machines but did play some craps and blackjack. On the way back to port breakfast was served, a silver dollar pancake, one 4" pancake with a sausage patty on top of which you had the option of putting syrup over this dynamic duo, these too luke warm! NO shit, that was it..............................I cashed out $150 before departing which pretty much squared us for the evening, never again will be take something like that. We ended up staying the night in the parking lot (thank God for the generator because it was hot) and heading into Savannah the next morning, so here we are in Georgia.
Our first night we went down town Savannah just to check it out and what a zoo..........in a good way! The old town was rocking, bars, dinning places, pubs, taverns all open and it's 11:00 pm and everyone is still eating dinner with lines everywhere. The streets are packed with folks, dancing to DJ's, snacking on this or that and just plain having a great time. The line dancing we've been seeing here in the south is nothing like the gals back at the home (Friendly Village of Orangewood) these folks are getting down baby! Oh yes and the music is Hip Hop and not your old folks traditional line dancing music. We first witnessed this on the cruise ship on the way back to port, you might have seen that brief video on FB I posted. Anyway we plan on doing it again tonight after a evening meal with Paula Deen at here place of business down town, "The Lady and her Boys" dinner and buffet, The reviews for her place are great and most recommend the buffet for a variety of her dishes. Always like watching her on the Food Network and still feel she was given a raw deal over a little bit of bullshit.
Hope to get back on the links while here in Savannah, but we plan on 4 days here at least so we'll see what happens from here...........last night before hitting down town it was another movie night, Jason Bourne, it was very good as usual.
I must add that the next visit to Florida will take place during the winter months if and when we make this trek again!
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
We left the Tampa area and arrived here in Port St. Lucie on the on the 14th of July and set up in the P.S.L. RV Resort and paid for a week. After hooking up with Mike and Patty Thornton and playing some golf today I paid for an additional 4 nights here.
Mike Thornton was hired the same day I was hired along with our good friend Dave Naab, we all were hired by Trausch Baking Co. one the same day and became very good friends. I remained very close to Dave even with all the miles between us (from Arizona to Illinois) via e-mail, text, and phone calls, but except for a few visits here and there lost some contact with Mike. When he moved to Bagley, Wisconsin we visited Mike and Patty up there a few years back and then again when they were in the Quad Cities visiting family a couple of years ago. The three of us and our wives got together for a nice dinner and drinks at that time and had a great time reminiscing days gone by. Now Mike and Patty live here in P.S.L. Florida and as soon as we new we were heading this direction this year we knew we had to pay them a visit and reunite old friends. (they actually had a lot to do with us even heading this direction along with our Tampa family). It's been a great few days so far and we look forward to another 4 days with them. Our friend Dave passed away a year ago last January and he is missed dearly, we've done a lot of talking about him this week and I'm sure there will be more "Daveism's" quoted before we leave!
We've played golf twice already and I will be playing again tomorrow with Mike and some of his buddies and then Bev and I again with Mike on Friday. We bought Bev a new set of golf clubs last night and she used them today, will take some getting used to but she needed them and deserved them!
Port Saint Lucie is a very nice place, with inland waters and the Atlantic very near we have seen some beautiful homes and some beautiful beaches, the humidity is the down side to visiting this time of the year. This being the off season for Florida has been good and bad in many ways, the golf courses are pretty much wide open, the RV parks need no reservations, the roads are not congested very much.........but the humidity and heat make the air heavy and it's not very good on the joints and the arthritis in those joints!
We have more plans this week and weekend with Mike and Patty Thornton and look forward to this time with them, as when leaving Tampa and family there it will be hard to say good-bye to Mike and Patty also, not sure when we'll get back here. Mike and Patty are not "social media" types and
e-mail is hit and miss but I will try get Mike to keep in touch a bit more than in the past so we can continue to keep on top of each others lives.
I miss these friends and have since moving to Arizona, that was my choice, and now I relish these times together. I still miss and always will miss Dave and our talks, I miss when Dave and Mr. K would call, those conversations were the best!
We pretty much have decided to head to the Keys after leaving here, all the way down to Key West, most folks tell us not to miss it as long as we/re this close........will let you know!
Mike Thornton was hired the same day I was hired along with our good friend Dave Naab, we all were hired by Trausch Baking Co. one the same day and became very good friends. I remained very close to Dave even with all the miles between us (from Arizona to Illinois) via e-mail, text, and phone calls, but except for a few visits here and there lost some contact with Mike. When he moved to Bagley, Wisconsin we visited Mike and Patty up there a few years back and then again when they were in the Quad Cities visiting family a couple of years ago. The three of us and our wives got together for a nice dinner and drinks at that time and had a great time reminiscing days gone by. Now Mike and Patty live here in P.S.L. Florida and as soon as we new we were heading this direction this year we knew we had to pay them a visit and reunite old friends. (they actually had a lot to do with us even heading this direction along with our Tampa family). It's been a great few days so far and we look forward to another 4 days with them. Our friend Dave passed away a year ago last January and he is missed dearly, we've done a lot of talking about him this week and I'm sure there will be more "Daveism's" quoted before we leave!
We've played golf twice already and I will be playing again tomorrow with Mike and some of his buddies and then Bev and I again with Mike on Friday. We bought Bev a new set of golf clubs last night and she used them today, will take some getting used to but she needed them and deserved them!
Port Saint Lucie is a very nice place, with inland waters and the Atlantic very near we have seen some beautiful homes and some beautiful beaches, the humidity is the down side to visiting this time of the year. This being the off season for Florida has been good and bad in many ways, the golf courses are pretty much wide open, the RV parks need no reservations, the roads are not congested very much.........but the humidity and heat make the air heavy and it's not very good on the joints and the arthritis in those joints!
We have more plans this week and weekend with Mike and Patty Thornton and look forward to this time with them, as when leaving Tampa and family there it will be hard to say good-bye to Mike and Patty also, not sure when we'll get back here. Mike and Patty are not "social media" types and
e-mail is hit and miss but I will try get Mike to keep in touch a bit more than in the past so we can continue to keep on top of each others lives.
I miss these friends and have since moving to Arizona, that was my choice, and now I relish these times together. I still miss and always will miss Dave and our talks, I miss when Dave and Mr. K would call, those conversations were the best!
We pretty much have decided to head to the Keys after leaving here, all the way down to Key West, most folks tell us not to miss it as long as we/re this close........will let you know!
Friday, July 15, 2016
Appreciate all the hospitality
It shouldn't but it always does amaze me the amount of hospitality shown Beverly and I when we visit friends and family all across these United States each year on these journey's we embark on. For the most part friends and family have their schedules, their jobs in many cases, and prearranged plans, but somehow always find the time to accommodate us and our visits. We so much enjoy catching up with old friends and family we don't get to see all year (or in some cases many, many years) and renewing these relationships. We take what we can get and make the most of all the places and folks we visit along the way, while at the same time having our time together doing what we love to do..........see new places, golf different course across the country, and just plain enjoy each other as much as we can. This past week in the Tampa, Homosassa Florida area we were able to reconnect with some cousins and one of our favorite aunts and meet some of their children which we haven't seen since they were very small and some cases not at all. The week we spent in this area and on this stop in our journey flew by and as mentioned we greatly appreciated all the hospitality and time shown us!
This next leg of the trip we look forward to visiting an old friend and his wife for a few days and playing some golf in the Port Saint Lucie area of Florida on the Atlantic side of the state. At this time we're also thinking about throwing in the Florida Keys on this journey, this was not even thought about in our planning but now that we're so close we're giving it some thought and thinking why not.
Even though this is the wrong time of the year to visit Florida for the most part, there are some advantages if you can bear the couple of hours of rain everyday and the humidity. First and foremost for us would be he ease of securing great RV parks and spaces available in these resorts, their not ghost towns, but seem to always have space available where I'm sure that wouldn't be the case in the winter months! Another big item would be the cost of staying at these places, summer rates just like the golf in Phoenix are much lower this time of year and so is the golf here. You couple that with gas prices all along the south being from $185 - $2.05 and that makes for happy campers!
I won't miss driving in the Tampa area none too soon, what a mess and what a joke. It seems there is not a straight street to and from anywhere and the streets change names up to three times in a matter of a few miles.........what's with that? Even our GPS and the GPS in our phones got confused many times, no like in most cases I get familiar with an area rather quickly and I have a great sense of direction, but not in and around Tampa.
We're now at 4100 miles traveled and haven't got to the point of turning and heading back towards Arizona........looks like over 8000 miles could be reached on this trip. Most of our previous journeys have amassed right at or near the 6000 mile range, all records will be shattered this year of 2016 as it looks!
This next leg of the trip we look forward to visiting an old friend and his wife for a few days and playing some golf in the Port Saint Lucie area of Florida on the Atlantic side of the state. At this time we're also thinking about throwing in the Florida Keys on this journey, this was not even thought about in our planning but now that we're so close we're giving it some thought and thinking why not.
Even though this is the wrong time of the year to visit Florida for the most part, there are some advantages if you can bear the couple of hours of rain everyday and the humidity. First and foremost for us would be he ease of securing great RV parks and spaces available in these resorts, their not ghost towns, but seem to always have space available where I'm sure that wouldn't be the case in the winter months! Another big item would be the cost of staying at these places, summer rates just like the golf in Phoenix are much lower this time of year and so is the golf here. You couple that with gas prices all along the south being from $185 - $2.05 and that makes for happy campers!
I won't miss driving in the Tampa area none too soon, what a mess and what a joke. It seems there is not a straight street to and from anywhere and the streets change names up to three times in a matter of a few miles.........what's with that? Even our GPS and the GPS in our phones got confused many times, no like in most cases I get familiar with an area rather quickly and I have a great sense of direction, but not in and around Tampa.
We're now at 4100 miles traveled and haven't got to the point of turning and heading back towards Arizona........looks like over 8000 miles could be reached on this trip. Most of our previous journeys have amassed right at or near the 6000 mile range, all records will be shattered this year of 2016 as it looks!
Sunday, July 10, 2016
$15/Hour.....for what?
Just a quick rant on this subject if I may give an example of "what for"? We were in a Steak n' Shake the other day here in Tampa (could have been anywhere USA) and had possibly the worst experience getting seated and our order taken. Upon walking in we seen the sign please wait to be seated, so we did and we waited and we waited and now a couple of more folks were in line behind us. As we waited we counted 12...yes 12 employees 4 on the grille area and 8 in the dinning area and of the 8 in the dinning there are 6 just standing behind a drink counter doing nothing! Of the roughly 15 tables from 2 to 6 tops 8 sets were empty but dirty with the remains of previous customers. We were looked at by all but those in the grille area more than a few times and not once did anyone even say "we'll be right with you" but would walk past looking busy and doing nothing! I know it makes no difference but all but two of the employees of which we now have seen 3 more that came from an office area for a total of 15 employees were minorities except the two guys in shirt and ties. Now we were determined to wait them out rather than leave, so after 5-10 minutes we were seated at the ONE table of the eight this young lad cleaned for us. Looking over the menu for an eternity a young gal approaches and ask if we new what we wanted to drink to which we replied yes and we're also ready to order (to save another 5 minutes) so we did. By the way the two couple behind us in line now totals 3 groups and still our table had been the only one cleared (and it was a 6 top for just the two of us). I then notice the couple next to us still had menus in front of them! We strike up a conversation an apologize for us having had our order taken before them, whom had been seated actually before we even entered the place! They finally get noticed and are apologized to by another waitress who we find out in talking with her and this couple was 63 years old and disgusted with the entire crew working in this establishment.
These are the folks demanding $15/hour for their wonderful service, these are the folks that will be out of a job if and when you see $15/hour, and these are the folks that will cause you and I to stop eating in these fast food places because we will not pay the prices needed by ownership to keep their doors open! These have always been jobs for teens and young people entering the business world, the world of employment, not a job meant to raise a family of 6 or 8 on! Get real, if you owned the business you two would have to (1) lay folks off (2) take away benefits (3) raise your prices and (4) eventually close your doors because of the outrages liberal ideas that they think will work. By the way the two in shirts and ties, they too had bad attitudes and acted as if they had no control over these folks........no guidance, no acting like a boss, no demanding get to work or go home, just afraid to say shit to their employees! You can imagine why.................
These are the folks demanding $15/hour for their wonderful service, these are the folks that will be out of a job if and when you see $15/hour, and these are the folks that will cause you and I to stop eating in these fast food places because we will not pay the prices needed by ownership to keep their doors open! These have always been jobs for teens and young people entering the business world, the world of employment, not a job meant to raise a family of 6 or 8 on! Get real, if you owned the business you two would have to (1) lay folks off (2) take away benefits (3) raise your prices and (4) eventually close your doors because of the outrages liberal ideas that they think will work. By the way the two in shirts and ties, they too had bad attitudes and acted as if they had no control over these folks........no guidance, no acting like a boss, no demanding get to work or go home, just afraid to say shit to their employees! You can imagine why.................
Friday, July 8, 2016
Family visits......too long in between!
We visited an Aunt and a Cousin and some of their family last night and even though we figured it had been like 37 years since seeing cousin Dorothy and having seen Aunt Lorry only once in the last about 30 years it some how didn't seem that long once we started talking. Regardless it was very nice to see them and we plan on staying in the Tampa area for a week and have many more plans with them. One of the reasons it can and doesn't seem that long has been social media, no doubt about it whether you like it or not it helps in keeping us informed. Even living thousands of miles from most of our families we now at least feel closer and know more about what's happening and the growth of those families through pictures and postings. Sure, in between those families pictures, post, and informative announcements we have to put up with some opinions we might not agree with some political positions we don't agree with and some jokes and games we done't care for that pop up now and again. Sure you can block without unfriending folks, but them you also miss so many wonderful family information and the growth of all those little ones you wish you could see more often. I for one feel close to family so far from us through all their postings good or bad in my opinion, I still like to see and keep up with there goings on. So to get back on subject, our first nights visit was very good, some seafood at Rick's on the River (good stuff) and nice quick evening tour of some of Tampa and ending with some ice cream at a favorite spot of Kevin's (our chauffeur for the evening and cousin Dorothy's son-in-law who we met for the first time and liked immediately) and a trip back to the motor home at 11:00 pm. We look forward to a few more days of these visits and more catching up.........sure it will cost us a bit on our weight loss programs but hey..........it's family!
One last thing on family, don't wait so many years to visit you families, the years go by so fast and before you know it 30 plus years have gone by! My opinion only now, but it seems the family unit continues to fall apart and is not as close knit as in years gone by. That is why we feel so compelled to make our trips start with family reunion, and want to do our part to try and keep them going for all those that follow. We are happy to have had a hand in getting the Anderson reunions rekindled 8 or 9 years ago and keep trying to keep the Ackelson reunion growing now and in the future, Beverly and I feel deeply about our families and keeping them close and would trade the first few weeks of each journey any other way!
OK climbing down off the soap box, but looking forward to our next few days here in the Tampa area and getting reacquainted with our family here in Florida. I still can't believe it's been so many years!
One last thing on family, don't wait so many years to visit you families, the years go by so fast and before you know it 30 plus years have gone by! My opinion only now, but it seems the family unit continues to fall apart and is not as close knit as in years gone by. That is why we feel so compelled to make our trips start with family reunion, and want to do our part to try and keep them going for all those that follow. We are happy to have had a hand in getting the Anderson reunions rekindled 8 or 9 years ago and keep trying to keep the Ackelson reunion growing now and in the future, Beverly and I feel deeply about our families and keeping them close and would trade the first few weeks of each journey any other way!
OK climbing down off the soap box, but looking forward to our next few days here in the Tampa area and getting reacquainted with our family here in Florida. I still can't believe it's been so many years!
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Florida, another first for the coach (motor home)
We have a map on the outside of the coach depicting the United States and we place a state sticker on the map of each state we've been with the motor home. These few states in the lower Southeast U.S. and a handful in the upper New England states were all we had left before this trip, and that was one of the reasons for heading this direction this year. We've so far filled in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and now Florida with only Georgia and South Carolina here in the Southeast and we're still heading that direction from here. I checked while getting gas today and we've travel 3736 miles so far with at least that much more in the plans, this will be the longest and most miles traveled of all our journey's since starting this in 2008.
It's been hot and humid but bearable for the most part, it takes some getting used to that's for sure. We neither one can believe we used to live where the humidity was this miserable but like I said it just getting used to it again I guess. You can bet on one thing, while stopped and camping both front and back A/C units are running non-stop, I pray they keep on without any problems.
I wish I could take a truck load of all this "white sand" from the beaches and bring it back to The Friendly Village of Orangewood for the sand traps on our course! They have way more than enough here along the Gulf Coast. Besides soft white sand did you know that Florida has one helluva lot of tall pine trees for lumber? When driving down Hwy 98 along the coast it's either white sand beaches or tall pines lining the highway, truck loads of striped pine tress rolling down the highway left and right.........never new that.
We spent last night in Panama City, yes the scene of all the crime, rapes and drunkenness of last Spring Break. I attended Spring Break here back in the years '66 and '67 and it was one heck of a lot of fun,,,,,,,,,girls, drinks, dancing, but I guess things got out of hand. Nice city and hope they get it straight for next Spring. Tonight it's Spring Hill and tomorrow we'll make Tampa and spend a week there with family from Iowa. My aunt and three cousins and their families live here in the Tampa area and it's been literally years since we've seen each other, I hate to think of how long it's been just know it's been too long!
My folks for a few years wintered in this area of Spring Hill, Connors camp on Hunter's lake along with uncles and aunts and pretty much the entire Anderson clan at one time or another. Unfortunately we lived in Arizona at the time of their lives they wintered in Florida and we never got to see the place or make the trip there. Now I'm here like 25 years later and trying to see where they stayed, the place all of my family members loved so dearly and wintered away from Iowa, I believe I found new home and an upscale area all around the lake...no Connors camp yet. I know what once was a two lane Hwy 19/98 is now 6 lanes and Spring Hill has really grown!
I miss the kids, I miss the grand kids, not as much "face time" on the iPad's this trip and I miss that, only talked to Jack once in the last almost six weeks and Dalila about 3 or 4 times.......one way to remedy that would to hit that Mega Ball Jackpot, I heard today it will be $508 Million (over 1/2 Billion dollars) then they could retire and make the trip with us. Hell that's way too much money, most likely if I were to win everyone reading this wouldn't have to worry again! Take that to the bank!
This has been the most relaxing trip time wise ever since arriving in Iowa back on the 31st of May. No time table, no place to be on a certain day, like it will be two days driving from Panama City to Tampa which is only 375 miles. We stopped tonight in Spring Hill and have less than an hour drive to Tampa in morning, and have a reservation for 4 pm..........I think we can sleep in tomorrow a little bit.
There was something I was going to share but can't for the life of me remember what it was...maybe next time even if it will be out of sequence!
It's been hot and humid but bearable for the most part, it takes some getting used to that's for sure. We neither one can believe we used to live where the humidity was this miserable but like I said it just getting used to it again I guess. You can bet on one thing, while stopped and camping both front and back A/C units are running non-stop, I pray they keep on without any problems.
I wish I could take a truck load of all this "white sand" from the beaches and bring it back to The Friendly Village of Orangewood for the sand traps on our course! They have way more than enough here along the Gulf Coast. Besides soft white sand did you know that Florida has one helluva lot of tall pine trees for lumber? When driving down Hwy 98 along the coast it's either white sand beaches or tall pines lining the highway, truck loads of striped pine tress rolling down the highway left and right.........never new that.
We spent last night in Panama City, yes the scene of all the crime, rapes and drunkenness of last Spring Break. I attended Spring Break here back in the years '66 and '67 and it was one heck of a lot of fun,,,,,,,,,girls, drinks, dancing, but I guess things got out of hand. Nice city and hope they get it straight for next Spring. Tonight it's Spring Hill and tomorrow we'll make Tampa and spend a week there with family from Iowa. My aunt and three cousins and their families live here in the Tampa area and it's been literally years since we've seen each other, I hate to think of how long it's been just know it's been too long!
My folks for a few years wintered in this area of Spring Hill, Connors camp on Hunter's lake along with uncles and aunts and pretty much the entire Anderson clan at one time or another. Unfortunately we lived in Arizona at the time of their lives they wintered in Florida and we never got to see the place or make the trip there. Now I'm here like 25 years later and trying to see where they stayed, the place all of my family members loved so dearly and wintered away from Iowa, I believe I found new home and an upscale area all around the lake...no Connors camp yet. I know what once was a two lane Hwy 19/98 is now 6 lanes and Spring Hill has really grown!
I miss the kids, I miss the grand kids, not as much "face time" on the iPad's this trip and I miss that, only talked to Jack once in the last almost six weeks and Dalila about 3 or 4 times.......one way to remedy that would to hit that Mega Ball Jackpot, I heard today it will be $508 Million (over 1/2 Billion dollars) then they could retire and make the trip with us. Hell that's way too much money, most likely if I were to win everyone reading this wouldn't have to worry again! Take that to the bank!
This has been the most relaxing trip time wise ever since arriving in Iowa back on the 31st of May. No time table, no place to be on a certain day, like it will be two days driving from Panama City to Tampa which is only 375 miles. We stopped tonight in Spring Hill and have less than an hour drive to Tampa in morning, and have a reservation for 4 pm..........I think we can sleep in tomorrow a little bit.
There was something I was going to share but can't for the life of me remember what it was...maybe next time even if it will be out of sequence!
Monday, July 4, 2016
Will it be another 45 to 50 years?
Tomorrow we hook up the Grand Cherokee to the motor home and head Eastward once more towards the next destination, Florida. Not in any hurry but figure to get to the Tampa area in about a week from tomorrow give or take a day or so...............
As I mentioned it had been 50 years since I was station here in Biloxi at Keesler AFB and 45 years since we honeymooned on the Gulf Coast from here to New Orleans. We had fun then and once again a good time on this trip to the area, it may not be that long next time. I think for both of us it's been the "southern hospitality" that we've enjoyed so much, whether it be dinning, golfing, shopping, getting haircuts and manicures you name it the folks have been so pleasant to talk to and deal with, The Ya all come back now and the ya all this and that never got old and started to catch on a bit, we just plain had a most pleasant week or so here on the Gulf Coast!
The humidity was very much unbearable when we first arrived, but I must say as the week went on I for one became a bit acclimated to it a little. The strong breeze of the Gulf definitely helped and don't get me wrong it was tough but began to be tolerated to the point of sitting out watch fireworks and not being bothered at all in the 87* temps.
I'll most likely be checking in along the coast as we venture towards Tampa...........see ya all then!
As I mentioned it had been 50 years since I was station here in Biloxi at Keesler AFB and 45 years since we honeymooned on the Gulf Coast from here to New Orleans. We had fun then and once again a good time on this trip to the area, it may not be that long next time. I think for both of us it's been the "southern hospitality" that we've enjoyed so much, whether it be dinning, golfing, shopping, getting haircuts and manicures you name it the folks have been so pleasant to talk to and deal with, The Ya all come back now and the ya all this and that never got old and started to catch on a bit, we just plain had a most pleasant week or so here on the Gulf Coast!
The humidity was very much unbearable when we first arrived, but I must say as the week went on I for one became a bit acclimated to it a little. The strong breeze of the Gulf definitely helped and don't get me wrong it was tough but began to be tolerated to the point of sitting out watch fireworks and not being bothered at all in the 87* temps.
I'll most likely be checking in along the coast as we venture towards Tampa...........see ya all then!
Saturday, July 2, 2016
New Orleans 2016
As most will probably know from FB or others we drove over to New Orleans for a quick 1 1/2 day 1 night stay at Harrah's down town New Orleans. A couple of reasons, number on to try and reminisce of days gone by when we honeymooned there back in 1972. After some calculation we found out it was exactly 44 years, 4 months and 4 days since we were there on our honeymoon! I made the reservations about 3 or 4 days in advance and since found out how lucky we were to even get a room let alone a room comp'd (all free, with meals and everything) after finding out what was happening there this weekend. The 2016 Essence Festival took place this weekend....not sure what it is this will explain: "The Essence Music Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1994 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence, a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1994 except for 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina. It features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only super-lounge stages."
As one might imagine the entire down town and all it's high rise hotels were packed and jammed with African American celebrities and folks wanting to see these numerous events, we were definitely in the minority everywhere we went. It was hot and humid and we walked quite a bit and it took it's toll on us both, there is so much to see here and we just didn't alot enough time to do it justice. Beverly says we will be back in maybe February for the actual anniversary of our marriage when it will be much cooler. We tried to get an extra night at the hotel but to no avail, all rooms were taken for the entire weekend,
Upon return to our camp we decided to get a couple of things taken care of before the remainder of the weekend when all things will be closing for the 4th. I needed a haircut and Bev wanted a mani/petti so we went about looking for places to take care of these things. Bev had her toes done at this one place but decided to get out and find another for the manicure..........the place was the pits I guess, and she ends up finding a suitable place. I look up barber shops on GPS and find 3 within a mile or so of Bev's manicure so head off to check them out. Each web site showed a Black man's haircut so I just assumed that's what I'd be finding. First place was closed, second place seen me pull up and get out and ran to the back room and turned out the lights....door was locked! Third place was KC's barber shop of Gulfport, hard to find, a little house like setting back from a road mixed with warehouses and small homes. Sign says open so I pull in the yard and see a couple of other cars so I walk in and find two chairs resembling barber chairs but on a small scale. A young gentlemen cutting a lads hair in one of those tall afro type styles but very close down to the ears all around. The other barber was a older gentlemen about my age cutting on a guy pretty much with no hair left on his head when he finished. The barber was wearing a old fishing or "uncle Remus" type hat, white mustache and slow movements. I walked in and said "I'm from out of town and have been looking for a barber shop, can I get a haircut here?" The old boy said "is your money green" to which I said sure is, how long a wait (there was two gals, another kid and a teenager sitting in there already) he said 10 to 15 minutes to which I said I'll wait. Three minutes later I was in the chair and we were talking as if we new each other for years...................From storms of the past to living in the area, to visiting New Orleans, to grits...waffle houses and BBQ joints! NO comb, NO scissors, just an electric clipper and one handed moves, in the end a pretty good haircut and learned of a place called "Murky Waters BBQ" which he recommended as one of if not the best BBQ in the area! After my haircut I picked Bev up from the manicure and we gave Murky Waters BBQ a try, Some of the best we've ever had, they guys there had been on the Food Network we found out and won a BBQ competition..............very good! The barber shop was a dump, the guys were very nice though and I'd go back if ever in the area needing a haircut, we had some laughs and picked up some good information on things coming up too. Like they say, you can't judge a book by it's cover or a man by his differences from yours!
We did see Emeril's place but was too early to dine, revisited Pat O'Brien's for the famous drinks served there and some good dueling piano playing. New Orleans needs a few days not a day and a night, we shall return.
As one might imagine the entire down town and all it's high rise hotels were packed and jammed with African American celebrities and folks wanting to see these numerous events, we were definitely in the minority everywhere we went. It was hot and humid and we walked quite a bit and it took it's toll on us both, there is so much to see here and we just didn't alot enough time to do it justice. Beverly says we will be back in maybe February for the actual anniversary of our marriage when it will be much cooler. We tried to get an extra night at the hotel but to no avail, all rooms were taken for the entire weekend,
Upon return to our camp we decided to get a couple of things taken care of before the remainder of the weekend when all things will be closing for the 4th. I needed a haircut and Bev wanted a mani/petti so we went about looking for places to take care of these things. Bev had her toes done at this one place but decided to get out and find another for the manicure..........the place was the pits I guess, and she ends up finding a suitable place. I look up barber shops on GPS and find 3 within a mile or so of Bev's manicure so head off to check them out. Each web site showed a Black man's haircut so I just assumed that's what I'd be finding. First place was closed, second place seen me pull up and get out and ran to the back room and turned out the lights....door was locked! Third place was KC's barber shop of Gulfport, hard to find, a little house like setting back from a road mixed with warehouses and small homes. Sign says open so I pull in the yard and see a couple of other cars so I walk in and find two chairs resembling barber chairs but on a small scale. A young gentlemen cutting a lads hair in one of those tall afro type styles but very close down to the ears all around. The other barber was a older gentlemen about my age cutting on a guy pretty much with no hair left on his head when he finished. The barber was wearing a old fishing or "uncle Remus" type hat, white mustache and slow movements. I walked in and said "I'm from out of town and have been looking for a barber shop, can I get a haircut here?" The old boy said "is your money green" to which I said sure is, how long a wait (there was two gals, another kid and a teenager sitting in there already) he said 10 to 15 minutes to which I said I'll wait. Three minutes later I was in the chair and we were talking as if we new each other for years...................From storms of the past to living in the area, to visiting New Orleans, to grits...waffle houses and BBQ joints! NO comb, NO scissors, just an electric clipper and one handed moves, in the end a pretty good haircut and learned of a place called "Murky Waters BBQ" which he recommended as one of if not the best BBQ in the area! After my haircut I picked Bev up from the manicure and we gave Murky Waters BBQ a try, Some of the best we've ever had, they guys there had been on the Food Network we found out and won a BBQ competition..............very good! The barber shop was a dump, the guys were very nice though and I'd go back if ever in the area needing a haircut, we had some laughs and picked up some good information on things coming up too. Like they say, you can't judge a book by it's cover or a man by his differences from yours!
We did see Emeril's place but was too early to dine, revisited Pat O'Brien's for the famous drinks served there and some good dueling piano playing. New Orleans needs a few days not a day and a night, we shall return.
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