Amazing, So much Fun!

     New Orleans was as great the second time around. Fred and Nancy seemed to enjoy it. We enjoyed being able to find our way around and know a little about the transit system. We walked the Riverfront and the Moonwalk and really had a time seeing all the set ups for the Superbowl Media. Some interviews were being filmed for ESPN but I have no idea who we were looking at. Nancy and I wanted to get in the crowd behind those being filmed and wave, whistle and make a spectacle of ourselves. But alas, we didn't. Well we did in our minds!! And we were great.

                       Sunday evening we went down to Bourbon Street and had a few beverages.

     We continued on our way and decided what we would do the next day. Nancy and I decided to rest a bit while we made our plan.

    Fred decided to give this poor working horse a bit of instruction when we caught him on the side of the road just standing around.

 
     Get a look at the horse in the background, he can't wait to see what happens to Fred.  I heard the last rider pointed a finger at him too. Can you see that the carriage is empty? Just sayin....
 

     There were plenty of these sweet rides to look at and the riders were all decked out for the night.Va room!!

     Tuesday we began our day at the French restaurant called Cafe du Monde. They are known for a pastry called Begneittes. They were yummy and reminded me of toaster pastries without the glaze but heavily powdered.

 
     The French Market was our next stop. We did a little shopping and checked out all the artisans and had lunch before we hopped on the St Charles Trolley and rode to the Garden district.

     The homes are spectacular, Loyola University, the Audubon Zoo, and Toulaine University are on the route. Some of the landscaping is unbelievable and the Magnolia bushes and planters are in full bloom. Can you believe it, it's only January?
   

   
     This is a look down the street in the French Quarter. Check out the Saint Louis Cathedral. At night it looks like Cinderellas Castle, white in the daytime and pink at night. It is so beautiful.
     Next we went back to the ferry and on to the campground. We had dinner, played dominoes and said good night.  

     It really poured during the night, but the rain stopped around noon. We jumped into the car and went to hike around Jean LaFitte National Historic Park and Preserve. They had some great hiking boardwalks and got home around 5:00. After taking the pups for a walk, we had dinner with our friends and said good night.
     Tomorrow we are off to Sam Houston Jones State Park near St Charles, Louisiana. We will stay there until probably Monday.
     I thought my first attempt at adding photos was decent.Probably a little overboard but it was fun. I still have to work on the placement.
     I hope you are all well. Miss you and Love to all!
       



    

January 27- A Little Nervous

   Yesterday we took the camper into town and got a new hitch.We lost one of the weight distribution bars along the way down and needed to replace it or buy a new hitch. We opted to buy a new one because we have had issues with swaying right from the beginning with this trailer and we had had enough. Bill got very tired from each drive we took with the trailer and I was not inclined to get behind the wheel to spell him on the driving because he complained how frustrating  it was.We always wondered if a heavier hitch would have made the difference. He is anxious to get on the road to see if the new one will make a difference and stop swaying on the road, especially when large trucks pass you.
      If we pass a Walmart or dollar store along the way we are going to stop and pick up a few things to brighten up our campsites. We will need a splash of color to brighten up our homes on wheels as well as our festive holiday attire! Nancy kept telling me that Mardi Gras season was coming up but I never connected it to this weekend in New Orleans. Next time I will listen with both ears.
      We are on our way and excited to get to New Orleans. As you probably all know, the Superbowl is in town. The game will be the San Francisco 49'ers versus the Ravens. On the news last night, not that we were watching TV, but they talked about the tens of thousands of people that usually descend into the area to start the preparation for the beginning of the Lenten season as well as the Big Game.
      I am not sure what to expect. Our secret parking lot that charged $5.00 a day last year may increase  their prices this year or be not really that much of a secret and be full. Alas, Bill and Fred may just have to open up their wallets to pay for the parking.. I hope they don't think Nancy and I will swim the Mississippi River, it will ruin our hair, makeup, and more seriously our hard earned beads that we will be wearing.

Dauphin Island and Lighthouse Bakery

     Dauphin Island is as nice as we remembered it. We are on a pointe on the west side of Mobile Bay. The weather has been sunny and delightful. I caught up on laundry, (so nothing will distract me from the festivities in New Orleans) and Bill did some chasing around making plans for a new trailer hitch tomorrow. We plan to be at the RV place by 9:00am and Johnny said it should only take about an hour. (I'm sure!!!).
     I plan to go with Bill because I do not want to spend my morning sitting at the picnic table looking pathetic with the two dogs. I really think they will be more comfortable in the trailer while it gets worked on, than tied to the same picnic table I am trying to look comfortable at. Anyway there is a Walmart close.
      I thought this would be an opportune time to do some shopping and get one of their special haircuts. The last time when we were in San Antonio I needed one. The Walmart had a salon in it and no appointments were necessary, so in I trotted. How hard is a trim? Well this little cute Hispanic girl took me back and began to snip away. Seriously she was like Edward Scissor hands. After I learned about the drug cartel in  her hometown in Mexico, her family and how she hasn't finished school, I walked out with a short and wispy hair cut. All Bill said was "Whoa, that's short".
     I am getting really bouffant with the humidity and I want to look my best for the Superbowl crowd and the Mardi Gras which also kicks off this week in New Orleans. I am not sure about our timing there but it should be fun. Maybe I will get some of those Moon Pies and beaded necklaces.
     The first parade kicks off in Mobile and the ferry across the bay from the campground runs every 45 minutes. Some people from the campground I am sure are going. They even had a parade and decorated their sites like Addison Oaks at Halloween. People love to party.
     We took a bike ride today into town, visited the bakery, and then had a beer at the Pelican Bar and Grill. The special was in honor of Robert Burns, the Scottish poet laureate, scotch for $2.00. The view of the bay was pristine and a pelican sat on a pole and preformed personal hygiene for his audience.
     We have one more day here before we move on to Bayou Segnette State Park in New Orleans.

Our First Glitch!

     Yesterday Florida, today Dauphin Island Alabama.  It was a pretty ride. The sun was shining pretty much all of the day but it was a bit nippy.  Sixty four degrees, I know, I know, you poor family in Michigan were struggling with single digits but after enjoying the 70's and even 80's in some areas the sweatshirts and sweatpants came out.
     When I stepped out this morning to unhook Toby (he always manages to wrap himself around a trailer leg or two) I had to  put on my grey fleece pants under my lime green Disney Nightshirt, old powder blue slippers from GG, and peach sweater to try to untangle him. Are you getting the picture of the vision I was?
     This morning I am going to finish setting up the campsite. It is a little sandy here so I am going to put out the carpet and set out my new solar light I got for Christmas. We will be here until Sunday. Then we leave for our rendezvous with Fred and Nancy. I hope they are able to leave on schedule and are not to bothered by the snow. Safe trip you two, we will meet you there on Sunday. When we first left I thought the snowy roads would be an issue but once we were on our way, the roads were just fine.
     Bill and I are going to take a bike ride on the island today. Then we will see what the beach looks like with the dogs. They deserve a nice walk after the car ride yesterday.
     Just before we pulled onto the island yesterday, we stopped for gas and Bill discovered we had somewhere after the last fill up lost one of the trailer sway bars. It just fell off. The pins were still there that hold it on but the bar must have come out on a turn and then dropped out. You think we would have heard it or felt it if we ran over it. No clue.......We will need to find a place to get another, if that is possible.I hope we don't need to buy a whole new hitch. There are camping worlds along the way. We passed one in Alabama,  about an hour away.  We have to make some calls today. Scheesh, this could be a bummer.
     I hope all of you are doing well and are holding off that winter cold that seems to plague us. I miss you all and smile when I think of you guys. I love you.
     Picture day  today, I hope. Wish me luck.

Lunch With Friends

     After a relaxing three nights at Midway Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve, we are on our way. We are getting an early start so we can try to hook up with Dom and Kathy Depalma. These are good friends of Bills. Dom is the gent that got Bill into Kiwanis many years ago. He worked for Comerica Bank and met Bill and took him to a luncheon. That was the beginning of a journey in itself for the Wright Family.
     Hank, Dick, Jim, Dom, Bill Duross and Pooh entered our lives. What a great time we had. There were family picnics, conventions, spaghetti dinners, basket packing at the holidays and even bell ringing at Christmas for the Salvation Army. We loved it all. These families welcomed ours and we enjoyed their families as well.
     We are even trying to have the next generation of Wrights, Luggers, and Perzanowskis pick up the torch and join in some of those traditions. So far, it looks like they are interested. Hooray!
     Our lunch was great. Dom and Kathy winter in Port Charlotte and met us in the Walmart parking lot. Dom drove and we had lunch at the Cracker Barrel. They always have such good food and the next two hours were filled with tales of our trip so far and their antics Winter of 2012. They are planning on going the month February over to Panama City to see friends from Michigan. They are from up north by Fred and Nancy Perzanowski but the name of the town escapes me. Another senior moment.
     Spent the night at Hillsborough River State Park.  The campground happens to be on a road [#301] which leads to Zephyrhills.  In past years we drove past this park several times while vacationing in Florida.  {Wright kids, do you remember "Lettuce Lake"?}
    We will be heading up the coast toward New Orleans to hook up with the senior Perzanowskis for four nights. The Superbowl is there for the weekend so I made reservations. I was worried everything would be full and we wouldn't be able to get in. Phew, good choice as there were only three spots left when I called.
      I promise to try to get some photos on the blog soon, REALLY!

January 19, 2013 Humidity

     We woke up today thinking it had rained but I think it was just the morning humidity that Grandma Gracie used to talk about.  It was a little overcast but we spent the day exploring all the visitor centers in Big Cypress Preserve.  We learned that the Florida Panther is not black, that the American Alligator is no longer endangered and that the Manatee can swim with alligators safely.  

     We got some awesome pictures of some of the Florida Egrets, Wood Storks, Blue Heron and the Double Crested Cormorants.  There were also Wild Pine Bromeliads in the trees in full color.

     Shark Valley is our destination tomorrow.  It is a 15 mile bike loop.  I will let you know how it goes.  The Tamiami Trail Triathlon is next.

January 18, 2013, Heading South

     Well, we left Highland Hammock State Park in Florida today to begin our trek down to the Florida Keys.  The weather is a little chillier than it has been.  Sunny and 70 degrees.  Oh whoa is me.  The drive was good.  We discovered that the campgrounds we had planned on staying in were full.  The Everglades National Park was busting with folks enjoying the three day weekend, sun and water in Florida Bay.
     We got an awesome spot in Big Cypress National Preserve.  Our campground has 26 sites with only electric.  So we filled our potable water tank and checked ourselves in to site number 12.  Our camp host is a year round camper spending seven months here and five in Massachusetts.  He loves it.
     After we set up and had our afternoon cocktail (rum and diet coke) today, we tried our luck out on our bikes.  If I have to say so myself we were spectacular!  We rode around three times, found a snake skin on the grass and were advised not to leave the dogs out alone because they have an alligator in the park that is friendly and ventures around at night.  Someone has been feeding him.  There are also poisoness snakes.  Yippee!
     We went to hear the ranger talk about the park and sat by a campfire started by one of the attendees.  She talked about the Cypress Trees, the vegetation here, the Florida Panther, alligators and birds residing in the Preserve.  It was very interesting but the mosquitoes were ridiculous.  Luckily we had put on long pants and sweatshirts but they were all over our faces, up our noses, in our ears and I think I swallowed about a dozen!  Yuck!
     Tomorrow we will take our bikes and visit the Welcome Centers and head out on the trails.  I can't wait.  We expect to be here a few days before we move on.
    
   

Disney World Adventure and Beyond

Hooray, I finally have a moment to update all of you on our whereabouts.  We have had the most incredible week with the Lugger Clan trapsing around the Disney complex.  Just  about the time you figure out the roads it is time to leave.  We stopped in the morning to ask directions to Animal Kingdom and the helpful cast member highlighted our map with a black marker. Now we had this beautiful snaking picture In front of us but all the street names were covered.  My navigator was doing a lot of grumbling. Something about map school for the employees.  Oh yes, not map school but I will not go into the anatomy class he was giving me.
       Well we got there and spent the day walking around, enjoying the beautiful weather and  seeing the sights.  They have the most amazing live tree. It is a person walking on stilts around the park and blending in the trees. She is covered with leaves and paint and truly eerie.
      After the park closed we went to Hollywood Disney. My eldest granddaughter, Caitrin, is quite the scary ride lover. She is quite charming as she cons me into going on MOST of them. ONE time. Just loved the entire day.
      Our final day at the parks was my favorite, Epcot. It has been updated and everything is neat and tidy.  In the country of Mexico, we stopped at a Mexican restaurant for lunch and ate outside. There was this lady who not once but twice had a seagull fly over and land  on her food. I never saw her  after that. Maybe she took a carry out. maybe the gull just wanted to carry it for her!
      Fort Wilderness campground was an adventure itself. Trails, pool, horseback riding, and more. The kids enjoyed the swimming  and we enjoyed them. Each site  was large and the bathroom and shower buildings were spacious.
      We checked out on Wednesday  but stayed until the afternoon at the Pop Century with Sue and Jeff. Their plane departed at six so they hung around the pool and we stayed too!  Fun.
     Sue did the half marathon on Saturday. It went well, and the two older girls did a race on Thursday and all got medals.
     Our next stop was only a short drive. We stopped at a park that was recommended to us by Fred and Nancy Perzanowski, called Highland Hammock State Park. It was good to get there early and just relax! I decided to catch up on laundry and now we are set for another week or so. The ranger was quite the comedian, but that is another story for another time.
     We are planning to head farther  south today, either to the Florida Keys or the Everglades. I hope to post more regularly, but this first week was busy from early to late and I was just to pooped to do it!
     (Oh yes, for those of you who know about our bikes, Bill has been very popular at most stops with people amazed at his wrapping skills. He is outside right now unwrapping them, but not the seats. Those are for another time.)

The Beginning!

     We finally began our journey on Monday bright and early at 2:06 am. We were just too pooped after all our packing on Sunday to get started in the afternoon as we had planned. We were in bed by 6:30 pm and felt pretty good when the alarm rang at 1:00 am.

      I was a little concerned because our street was icy but after we left our sub the roads were just great!

      The trip was uneventful and we sailed down I-75 and stopped only for gasoline and to use the potty! The trickiest thing was finding stations that allow easy access to the pumps with the trailer behind. We also added two bicycles to the back of it. I must say that Bill did a superb wrapping job and they were quite the attention getters from other drivers we encountered on our route.

     We stopped the first night around Dalton, Georgia and camped in  Fort Mountain State Park. Note to self, Never stay at a park with the word Mountain in it. The road was about seven miles up. It was a curvy steep two lane road and we were on the outside. There were no shoulders and I white knuckled it the whole way while Bill pointed out every overlook he could find. Sicko.

      The deer were very plentiful and I thought they were just so cute. They would stop right by the car and I got some very nice pictures which is my next project to figure out how to add photos to the Blog.

       We were back on the road early and got to about one hour of Disney the second day. We stopped at Lake Griffen State Park which was nestled  among the Live Oak trees that are magnificent. It was a small park with only 40 sites.  The showers were wonderful and it felt really good to get cleaned up

       Wednesday we got to Fort Wilderness Campground at Disney world and got all settled in. The temperature was 80 and the Capri pants went on.  After setting up it was off to the shower again to get ready for the evening. We met Sue and Jeff and the kids  and rode the monorail around and saw all the lights. We went to Downtown Disney and walked around until around until 11:00. The babes were so good but Caitrin looked beat, she was a little under the weather but I think she will feel better after a good night sleep. Addie, Marin and Beckett were dolls too. 

      Todd, Sue and Jeff's friend was in town until tomorrow. He was with us but was grumbling because Sue had kept them so busy he hadn't eaten in 6 hours and there was some discussion about starving. Bill found a sandwich place and the two boys had a bite to eat while we did a little shopping. 

       Afterwards we all went to our rooms, or campsites to get ready for tomorrow.

Piles!

I am so glad I didn't try to think I could get my packing done in two days. Slowly I have been making piles of things to take and I have succeeded in making a lot of piles and getting none of them into the trailer. But I feel good about my progress for tomorrow and think we will be on our way Sunday. (Maybe)

Getting Ready?

Yesterday was productive. I was able to get all the Christmas decorations down and put away. Yippee! I don't see us being ready to leave until Sunday. The weather looks good for the getaway! Bill spent yesterday doing odd jobs. He wrapped the bikes so the wouldn't get ruined by the road sludge,salt, and snow thrown around by wheels on the first part of our trip.  We had them all tuned up and I plan to ride this year!!!

I am going to spend the day with Natalie and Hannah today. I am looking forward to it. Feels like ages since they were here. I really miss seeing them and will miss them when we go. 

   

I had two glorious days with My girlfriend Caitrin and  Sweet Adelaide on their Christmas vacation from school last week. Marin is a doll and Beckett is a cutie. Next year I hope to add Marin to the sleepover list of guests.