Wednesday, Octdober 27, 2010

Good Morning Family and Friends,

Slept in for a change which is strange for me but it felt good!  Took off on the bike and went through the trails - didn't see much but the grounds are pretty.  The trails are paved and there is a lot of trees so you are in the shade but the warmth of the sun cascades through along with the humidity.  Temperatures have been in the high 70's - low 80's - the hotter the better for Paul.

Later in the day, Dill and I went to the Caw Caw Interpretive Center not really knowing what we were going to get into.  We thought we were going to be seeing animals - what we got were groomed grass trails that takes you through different areas of the Center.  The gentlemen that gave us the map and directions asked us if we had bug spray and when we said No, he kindly directed us to a different path so the mosquitoes wouldn't carry us away!

Needless to say, it was mid-afternoon and we saw very little in the way of birds and any type of wildlife.  However - in the midst of walking - Dill spotted a snake - that scared both of us!  Then we did see a baby alligator in the water along with a bigger one.  Paul and I were told that during the months of October thru April - the alligators do not feed!  I was telling Dill about our trip last year and how we saw the gators along the paths and how when you look at the matted down grasses it generally means that a gator had come through there.  Well - that didn't sit well with Dill but we kept walking slowly and quietly making sure we had our eyes peeled for creatures - when all of a sudden my cell phone rings and we both jumped - it was my sister Dalia telling me the packages had arrived.  Whew!  Dill and I started to laugh at how foolish we were acting.

We did make it through most of the trails - even the mosquitoe laden one and decided we had done enough for the day.  Downtown Charleston would have to wait until the next day.

Later, we went to Carrabas to eat and it seemed like it took us forever to get there.  Paul thought we were actually going to Italy(haha).  We crossed a bridge that kind of reminded me of the Skyway Bridge in Tampa.  Dill says she is going to either walk or run it eventually(it is 6 miles long).

We capped off the night with a campfire, enjoying our daughters' company.  She has been in Charleston for about 2 months and seems to have adjusted well to her new surroundings.  Paul and I can see why she loves it here and the weather being nice most of the time doesn't hurt either.

For now, I will say goodnight and pleasant dreams.  Tomorrow is a new day and another adventure.

Love To All and God Bless.

Delia

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Good Morning Family and Friends.  We hit the road again at the crack of stupid(6am) so we could try to beat the rush.  Again, the sunrise was spectacular.  The foliage was quite nice but I think we missed the peak of the colors.

We made a pit stop to see a sight but needless to say when we got there - large vehicles weren't allowed on the access road - so we got back in the motorhome and hit the road.

Along the way to our destination, we went through two tunnels and of course - it doesn't take much to entertain us so we had to yell to see if we could hear the echo - going through is pretty neat!

As we are traveling along Virginia - we hit some fog and man it reminded me of Michigan - when it is so thick you can barely see in front of you.  Watching it come down and through the trees is something to see.

As you probably know - sometimes when you travel you see things that seem different to you.  We had to get a picture of the following as we thought it was something we had never seen before nor would we had thought of doing it.  Definitely one way of taking all of your toys with you!

We made it to Charleston, South Carolina around 4pm and are camped at James Island County Park.  This park is amazing.  They put on a spectcular light display with over 2 million lights and it just so happens that they are going to turn them on Thursday.  Definitely, will be taking some pics of the displays which are all over the Park.

I took a bike ride while Paul setup the site - they have a dog beach, catch and release pond, trails to hike and/or bike, pool - you get my point.  We were told to watch out for deer as they like to jump out - just like back home!

Time to relax.  Have a wonderful evening and as always - Love To All and God Bless!!

Delia

Monday, October 25, 2010

Up and at it early this morning.  We headed out from Big Rapids around 6am and started driving towards our next destination which is going South for the winter.  Needless to say we were a little bit out of our way but, we love our son and it was important to us to see him before we headed down to Key West.

The sun rise was spectacular and the countryside is just as beautiful - it sure beats traveling I-75!  We aren't just living in God's Country but we are getting to see quite a bit of it as well.  Again, I tried to get some pictures of the Fall colors when I could - it is hard to to get decent pics through the window and of course when it rains but I did manage to get a few.

We stopped a few times to stretch our legs and refuel the motorhome.  Paul also checked to make sure the jeep and the scooter were still in tack - we sure wouldn't want to see them passing us on the road!

In Milton, West Virginia  we decided to call it a day and found a KOA campground and settled in for the night.  It was easy off the highway and was going to be just as easy to get on and get going in the am.   I was able to enjoy DWTS and Castle while Paul was getting in his forty winks.

That is all for now.  Take Care.

 Love To All and God Bless!

 

 

Delia

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Paul and I have started our travel for the winter and the first stop on our trip was to see our son Russell, who is attending FSU for a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice.

We left Marysville, MI at around 10am and arrived in  Big Rapids, MI around 2pm.  The drive was very nice and we were able to see some Fall colors on the trees as we headed out on I 69.   Of course, you also know that it wouldn't be Michigan if we didn't have to watch out for the orange barrels due to construction.

Russell came and picked us up for lunch and then we went back to his place so I could take his picture for the annual Christmas card( I think they all thought because we are not all together that it wasn't going to happen this year - Wrong!).  Good thing I took his pic when I did because about an hour later, it started pouring.

Later that evening, we took Russell and his girlfriend Angela out for dinner before they headed back to their house to hit the books(they are both busy with mid-terms coming up).

We ended up hitting the sack early so we could head out on our next stop in our travels to Charleston, South Carolina to visit our daughter Delia Jane. The sound of rain throughout the night did not hinder us from getting up at the crack of stupid so we could get on the road.  Good thing we had filled up as soon as we got to Big Rapids!

Until the next time,

Peace Out - Delia