The past three days have been split into 18 hours of driving and camping. Last evening we finally pulled up in front of Thumbelina. We had just enough time to shower and meet our dear friends for an 11-11-11 celebration at 211 Clover...it's the number thing. The evening was outstanding.. My dinner was divine. I devoured the parmesan flan, followed with grilled sweetbreads in a very light tarragon sauce...My fellow guests had the grouper & the blue cheese filet...Delicious all around. On our last day of driving, we were fortified with peanut butter & crackers and copious amounts of coffee. A civilized dinner felt very, very good, indeed. Troy, the chef at 211 Clover, is consistently the best of the best in Louisville's excellent dining scene.
We left 211, heading toward Caffe Classico for a special concert by my friend, Graciela Perrone. She is just a delight. Her artistic skills include, but not are not limited to, flamenco dancer, singer, artist, great mother and a beautiful woman. I feel honored to know this incredible performer. By the end of the evening, Louisville's finest flamenco dancers were on the floor dancing as Gaciela sang a lovely Spanish song accompanied by Brent,one of the best Spanish guitars around. Ole!
My best friends forever, Marion and Charlie, held our seats while we gathered our wits and friends for the performance.. Cousin Richard from Chicago joined Mary Ann, Romeo, WFS & me as we rocked the night away.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
UP,UP and AWAY
WFS,Momo and I settled into our blissful camping spot at Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park... Our camping neighbors had a little dog named Sam, so, immediately Momo had a friend. Good omen. The first day was spent lolling about, walking, reading and resting after three days on the road. Day two: adventure calling. We packed a snack, the tiny dog, towels and started down the overseas highway toward KEY West. Mind you, we were NOT heading for Key West....we drove about 50 miles to the small village of Marathon. My info said Marathon had a dog friendly beach. Momo loves the beach. So do I. WFS prefers a shady palm tree surrounded by cement but for his BFF,he makes an exception. We found a great spot, spread our towels and arranged our snack... Immediately( literally from out of the blue) a huge black cloud lurked over the horizon. In less than 5 minutes we were pelted by huge raindrops. WFS gathered Momo & I gathered the grub. We dashed to the shelter, arriving soaked to the bone. We huddled with other beach goers & a few vagrants until the cloud moved out to sea. The three of us returned to the damp sand to daydream the afternoon away. Food is always on my mind but finding a market(other than Publixs) is a daunting task on this tiny spit of land. On our way back from Sombrero Beach I noticed a sign saying: Fine wines & gourmet foods. 'twas a lark but WFS turned around and zoomed me back. I found butternut squash pasta, fresh greens & a very nice Sauvignon Blanc ... A short stop at Publixs yielded fresh sage & heavy cream. Dinner by firelight was divine.
Day three: we awoke early, what time is it, anyway? We took a long walk through the hammock on the tamarind trail. Momo loves the sand, sea and woodsy trails. We think it is pretty cool, too. Later we boarded a big boat, (full of tourists) and headed out to sea, searching for the Coral Reef. These guys know the way, they go there three times a day, 365 days a year... WFS is a seafaring soul & I might have been a mermaid~~ As tour boats go, this one was very professionally managed and had a terrific staff. Seeing the coral reef through a big opening in the floor of a boat as it chugs and sways is simply not my idea of viewing options. I always feel as if the creatures of the sea are looking up at feet, cameras and brightly colorful garbs thinking, "goodness, Maude, who brought the carnival to town?" Alas,I prefer my nature viewing a little less organized. The reef is an awesome sight but I returned to the deck to watch the blue horizon and the expert aerobatics of the sea birds following the tour boats.
Day four: Long bike ride with WFS & MOMO.. Kayaking through the mangroves in lazy, dappled afternoon light. A swim in the sea, a long hot shower and dinner in a nondescript little Cuban Cafe located in a strip center. The parking lot was filled with Latinos. Good omen. We had a fine dinner of fish tacos, plantain rellenos, beer and caffe leche.. Proving ,yet again, the old adage: you can't judge a book by the cover or a restaurant by the glitter. A moonlight walk with Momo before bed made the perfect combination for my dream day.
We shook out of bed today at 6:30a, packed it in and headed north on the Florida Turnpike for Anastasia State Park for a night of camping on the beach under a near full moon.
Friday, November 4, 2011
SNAIL'S PACE SUITS US
I am blogging this from John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Key Largo, Florida. Yep, that Bogie & Bacall place. Back when sexy was a gentle pouf of the lips.
I am straying from the point. Snail's pace. It is very well known that we are a bit sluggish when traveling. Roadside attractions, scenic views, historic markers, Starbucks, Target...any and all of the aforementioned & we detour, possibly detouring from the detour. I love "no particular place to go".. On this trip, however, we had particular places to go & specific times to arrive. We had to make a vast number of miles per day. Our first night took us slightly north of Atlanta, GA. This lovely, lovely campground beckons us again & again.We camped deep in the woods overlooking Altoona Lake. We arrived after dark. Setting up camp in a dark, chilly woods is an adventure all unto itself. We ate grilled cheese sandwiches & collasped into our bed. The next morning a very perky Momo wanted to chase squirrels and race through the woods. Thrilling woodland trails led to a misty lake vista. The views were breathtaking in the early morning light. Alas,we had to scurry back, the Tincan was ready to roll south.
We drove the entire day( okay, we did stop for coffee! And that great Georgia Farmer's Market with fresh pears & freshly made peanut butter) And then, the picnic to eat our delectable goodies. Anyway, we did drive the entire day, arriving in the Ocala National Forest around 5:00p. Friends, this Federal Campground is a very secluded spot. Finding Salt Springs, Florida was a formidable task, indeed. GPS does not recognize this section of the world~~The journey was worth every mile. Arriving at the campground was a huge relief. The wonder of Salt Springs was just beginning to unfold. A huge mineral spring feeds a small lake. Diving into those cool springs and swimming in clear, pristine waters with huge fish jumping about was an ephemeral moment to be stored in my memory forever.
We hiked, sat in the warm sun, and took another late afternoon swim in the spring, just as the last light was fading. We returned to camp, ate dinner by a roaring fire & slept like babies.
Today we drove down I95 & Federal Highway to Key Largo. We ate fried fish & key lime pie to celebrate arriving on time to our final destination., John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. We are immediately going into THE SNAIL'S PACE. Perhaps we will pick up our pace in about seven days. Or, maybe not.
I am straying from the point. Snail's pace. It is very well known that we are a bit sluggish when traveling. Roadside attractions, scenic views, historic markers, Starbucks, Target...any and all of the aforementioned & we detour, possibly detouring from the detour. I love "no particular place to go".. On this trip, however, we had particular places to go & specific times to arrive. We had to make a vast number of miles per day. Our first night took us slightly north of Atlanta, GA. This lovely, lovely campground beckons us again & again.We camped deep in the woods overlooking Altoona Lake. We arrived after dark. Setting up camp in a dark, chilly woods is an adventure all unto itself. We ate grilled cheese sandwiches & collasped into our bed. The next morning a very perky Momo wanted to chase squirrels and race through the woods. Thrilling woodland trails led to a misty lake vista. The views were breathtaking in the early morning light. Alas,we had to scurry back, the Tincan was ready to roll south.
We drove the entire day( okay, we did stop for coffee! And that great Georgia Farmer's Market with fresh pears & freshly made peanut butter) And then, the picnic to eat our delectable goodies. Anyway, we did drive the entire day, arriving in the Ocala National Forest around 5:00p. Friends, this Federal Campground is a very secluded spot. Finding Salt Springs, Florida was a formidable task, indeed. GPS does not recognize this section of the world~~The journey was worth every mile. Arriving at the campground was a huge relief. The wonder of Salt Springs was just beginning to unfold. A huge mineral spring feeds a small lake. Diving into those cool springs and swimming in clear, pristine waters with huge fish jumping about was an ephemeral moment to be stored in my memory forever.
We hiked, sat in the warm sun, and took another late afternoon swim in the spring, just as the last light was fading. We returned to camp, ate dinner by a roaring fire & slept like babies.
Today we drove down I95 & Federal Highway to Key Largo. We ate fried fish & key lime pie to celebrate arriving on time to our final destination., John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. We are immediately going into THE SNAIL'S PACE. Perhaps we will pick up our pace in about seven days. Or, maybe not.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
TRAVELING THE BLUE HIGHWAYS
One year ago WFS and I embarked on a life adventure. Hindsight is 20/20, I have been told... This is what I know one year later. Any thing you want, anything you change, anything you dream is a process.
Our process: last August we listed our home for sale. In the worse downturn of housing in a very long time.
Last October we bought a dreamy little cottage, so small I named her Thumbelina.
Last November we were found by a trembling little Lhasa Dog.
Winter, spring, summer and fall was devoted to our grand scheme... Buy a tiny home, take the tiny dog, hook up the airstream and travel the entire USA.
A few things changed in our process. Thumbelina had a voracious appetite and took a year of toil and more money than we could have imagined.
The process had a mind of its own, so to speak.
The tiny dog has a mind of his own, too!
The two old souls spearheading the process forged forward.
We have, generally speaking, survived without murder or mayhem or madness.
Right now we are gracefully floating down 175 toward the land of palms and senior snow birds. I don't mind. The cheeky girl from Pulaski County looks pretty fetching in a mumu.
Our process: last August we listed our home for sale. In the worse downturn of housing in a very long time.
Last October we bought a dreamy little cottage, so small I named her Thumbelina.
Last November we were found by a trembling little Lhasa Dog.
Winter, spring, summer and fall was devoted to our grand scheme... Buy a tiny home, take the tiny dog, hook up the airstream and travel the entire USA.
A few things changed in our process. Thumbelina had a voracious appetite and took a year of toil and more money than we could have imagined.
The process had a mind of its own, so to speak.
The tiny dog has a mind of his own, too!
The two old souls spearheading the process forged forward.
We have, generally speaking, survived without murder or mayhem or madness.
Right now we are gracefully floating down 175 toward the land of palms and senior snow birds. I don't mind. The cheeky girl from Pulaski County looks pretty fetching in a mumu.
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