April 28 Thursday return to Ottawa – April 29th Friday Ottawa 17,099 miles

Thursday morning it was still raining.  It had started in the over night hours and came down in buckets.  The Willows on the Lake is on clay and its saturated now, also very narrow roads and so getting out of the Park was a concern.  The owner came up to guild us out and as we made the turn out of our site the rear wheels on the passenger side sunk into the mud so we had to just floor it to avoid getting stuck.  We left behind a lot of repair work for the owner.  Successfully out, car hitched up we headed off on Route 3 in wind.  Very very strong winds that lasted the entire 129 miles home! B had white knuckles by the time he parked at 1035!  After clearing customs without a problem, Laurie drove home with B and Shirley and I headed to Carol’s for a visit and to pick up 8 months of mail. Carol & I hugged each other and just held on to each other.  I was so glad to see her walking pretty good after her knee replacement surgery. Mail on board Shirley & I started our drive from Osgoode to Ottawa.  The wind was so strong power was out in various parts of the city, traffic lights not working, shingles were being torn off roofs and tree branches broken off.  We have driven in a lot of weather, but today will go down as the very worst driving day!

Anyway, the house survived the 8 months and survived the last month without any heat.  Within a few hours all was up and running and we unloaded the bus.  Shirley and Laurie were a big help, thanks guys!

Kerry, Matt, Heather and Hayley stopped in for a quick visit then we settled into a Gabriel’s pizza supper. We were all pretty tired so we hit the sack early.  

Trip Mileage -  Bus   9,062 …   Car 8,037   … total trip 17,099 miles

27,518 kms

Friday, we went and got our Ontario Hospitalization (OHIP) reinstated, all went well. Life is now back on track in Ottawa.

Thanks to all our blog followers, I appreciated all your comments.  Not sure when I will post again.

The Infinity is off the road…if you want to see our trip click here

http://www.travellerspoint.com/member_map.cfm

Hugs,

R&B

April 26, Tuesday – Laurie’s Birthday, Pine Grove, PA to Thursday morning

We left Natural Bridge Virginia and landed just north of Harrisburg, PA and that was 287 miles.  We left at 8:45 and travelled Highway #81 all the way so made very good time and we were off the road and set up by 3:00. No GPS problems today, go figure! Too many trucks on Hwy #81 for anybodies liking!  This evening, being Laurie’s Birthday we drove 20 miles back south on Hwy 81 to Union Canal Restaurant for a wonderful supper of steak and seafood.  Wednesday, departed Pine Grove, PA and drove 297 miles to Henderson Harbour NY.  We drove in fog during the morning then sun and 80 degree through the evening.   However, over night the rain started and it’s been raining all morning.  The Willows on the Lake RV Park is very wet and we are a little concerned about getting out of it.  There are several roads in the area that are flooded….

Thursday, today, we are weather watching but still hoping to get back to Ottawa today.

Hugs

R&B

Laurie's Birthday supper

Our last night on the road!

Hoping to get to Ottawa today.

April 25 Monday - just outside of Buena Vista, Virginia

Well, we left Myrtle Beach at 8:15 in humid muggy warm weather and started to trek north.  It turned out to be a problem filled 250+ miles with one GPS problem after another.  Got one wrong message after another and did the downtown tour of Marion then ended up on Highway 501 out of Lynchburg and it was full of switch backs and we burnt the breaks off once again. Plus oil leaked out of the front right wheel bearing!  We finally arrived at Jelly Stone RV Park in Natural Bridge, Virginia at 5:00 and were very happy about that.  Since in Lynchburg we got separated from Shirley & Laurie and didn’t see them again till we arrived at the park.  No cell phone service climbing to the top of Blue Ridge Trail and down the other side.

Anyway, we are together, safe and sound and planning tomorrow?????

Thanks Paul for info on Shirley’s surgery, glad to hear all is going well!

Hugs

R&B

April 22 Friday to Apr 24 Sunday – Happy Easter Everyone!

The day started with rain but by 2:00 it was sunshine again.  By afternoon we walked the beach in wonderful weather, and then went to the pool.  Saturday was pack up day and we were out of the condo by 8:30, motorhome loaded and on our way to Myrtle Beach.  We are staying in the Myrtle Beach Travel Resort right on the ocean.  We can hear the waves!  Barbequed a pork roast for supper and sat out around the fire till bedtime.

Nice talking to all the Stewarts on Saturday night.

Sunday, lots of people have left the park as many don’t have Easter Monday off.  Shirley and I went shopping at the Tangers Outlet centre just up the street and, of course came home with some goodies. It is so warm we spent some time reading, and then spent some time laying out in the sand by the ocean, and then we spent some time laying by the pool, followed by a cold shower.  Then it was 5:00 and we sat outside and made the house special for supper….. Hamburgers! Plus enjoyed the fire again.

Monday is a travel day and we may end up somewhere in North Carolina roughly 200 miles.  But we are watching the weather network trying to figure a way through this awful weather north of us.

Hugs

R&B

April 19 Tuesday to Thursday April 21 Hilton Head

Tuesday the boys went out to see about a fishing license and we girls relaxed on the balcony in the sunshine.  We had lunch then walked to the ocean, where Shirley and I power walked a mile at least.  We stayed long enough that I actually got sunburnt!  I really thought I was beyond that!  But NO!  We played the game this evening and ended Girls 2 Boys 1! Wednesday, at 10:00 we headed off to Daufuskie Island tour with lunch trip provided by RCI! Weather was warm and the sun was shining when we arrived after our 50 minute boat ride spotting lots of dauphin’s enroute.  First we had lunch then took a bus tour of the small island.  Our tour guide was “Wick” the company owner and it sounds like he’s worth a lot of money these days.  We enjoyed the sights and were back at the dock about an hour before the 5:00 departure.  Nice Island but very isolated and not much to do if you stayed there! We had just enough time for a drink then we were on our way back to Hilton Head.  Stopped at Wendy’s and brought supper home.  Good day! We got into “the game” and boys 2 girls 1.  

Thursday, Shirley & Laurie took us out for breakfast at the Sun Rise Café and it was wonderful.  We then walked the Palmetto Harbour, then got some groceries and continued back to the condo.  It was hot, very hot so Shirley & I went for a walk to the Crown Plaza Resort just next door.  When we got back it was jumped into our bathing suits and head to the pool.  It was 77 ish (humidex 80+) with plenty of sun, just too much sun and heat, so we only lasted about 1 ½ hours then had to come home.  Supper was tube steaks and a salad and we will probably play “the Game” again tonight.

We had a little thunder and a drizzle of rain in the early evening, but its 7:30 and the sun is out again its still 75+!

Hugs

R&B

Hilton Head timeshare has a little more space than the motorhome!

Shirley on the Atlantic Ocean

Shirley & Laurie ready for Daufuskie Island

We were just roasting to death today!

Must run, I'm in a rush to play the game!

Hugs

R&B

April 15th Friday to Monday April 18 Hilton Head Island

Friday was a nothing day.  B went out shopping and then I went out shopping but back home at 12:30.  So clearly we are not too interesting in buying anything.  We just rested and worked on our books. Saturday, was Hilton Head timeshare move in day at 4:00pm, we thought 4:00 would never come.  They were calling for storms, bad storms but at 3:00 the sun was out and the temperature was in the 80’s with lots of sun.  The storms passed us by to the north.  By 4:30 we had moved our first load into the condo and went back to the storage to collect the refrigerator.  By 8:30 it was hot tub time and it was so warm didn’t need to wrap up in a towel.  Wonderful evening!  Shirley & Laurie arrived Sunday morning at 10:30 and it’s wonderful to have them with us.  We attended an RCI updater and got free tickets for the 4 of us to tour Daufuskie Island lunch tour. We then had lunch in Shelter Cove Harbour and it was memory lane for B & R as the last time we were there we were with Shirley and Paul.  We had a $100.00 lunch…choke!! cough!!  Anyway we then headed to the Atlantic Ocean; however it was still on the coolish side so only walked a short distance and returned to the condo for Happy Hour.  The evening was spent playing “The Game” girls 2 boys 1!!

Monday we were off to the Plantation’s free breakfast then headed for Savannah for a city tour. Great weather, good tour, great lunch with lots of walking too walk it off!  We stopped at River Street Sweets and bought pralines for the second time in my life and they are without a doubt the best in the world!  Hoping we’ll have some to bring back to Ottawa!

Ruth it was wonderful talking to you this evening.
We played the Game again and it's another 2 for the girls and 1 for the boys!

We are all well and just not sure what’s on for tomorrow.

Hugs

R&B

Apr 13 Wednesday to Apr 14 Thursday, Tybee Island, Georgia day trip

Wednesday, we toured Bluffton in the morning, but my cold was really bad so we spent the afternoon reading our books and catching 40 winks as sleeping is not easy for either of us.

Thursday, we drove to Tybee Island, just east of Savannah and on the Atlantic Ocean.  What a nice place!  We are so sorry we didn’t know about it as we would have stayed there leading up to our Hilton Head timeshare.  (We saw one RV Park) We drove to the end of Highway #80 and a sign there said Hwy #80 began in San Diego.  We enjoyed our walk around the small town, lunch at a quaint little restaurant and then an hour or so walking/laying on the wonderful beach.  The temp was 82 but you hardly knew it with the gentle breeze blowing.  I can’t remember ever enjoying the Atlantic Ocean so much. Of course in Cape Breton it was always cold!

Happy Birthday Ruth as my sister Carol would say “96 never looked so good.”  It was good talking to you this morning and hope you enjoyed supper with Kerry. We are getting excited about Shirley and Laurie’s arrival.

Hugs

R&B

Tybee Island beach, Georgia outside of Savannah

It's 11 am and the beach is quiet, but the tide is out

It's 3:30 and the tide is coming in.  It has come up 5-7 feet!  The pictures don't show it but there was alot of people on the beach for a Thursday!

Can't say that we would recommend Stoney Crest, but it is 1/2 the price of Hilton Head Parks

Anyway that's it for tonight

Hugs R&B

Apr 11, Monday another very hot day to Tuesday, Apr 12th, Bluffton, South Carolina…

It was just a 99 mile drive to South Carolina today in perfect driving weather north on Hwy 95. We are in Stoney Crest Plantation Campgrounds in Bluffton just outside of Hilton Head Island.

Last night was kind of a first; as we were sitting outside a couple of beggars approached us willing to do any job for food money.  We resisted and they went away.  About 5 minutes later a truck and trailer pulled into the space beside us and the beggars were all over this couple with offers to help him set up.  So the poor sole gave in and the next thing the beggar had his grandfather, his wife and kids plus the in-laws all over for a visit and drinks!  We just couldn’t believe our eyes and soon they were all into the booze and we packed up everything and headed indoors.

Unfortunately, I woke with a very sore throat - laryngitis, runny nose and cough, so I have not had a good day and can’t believe it’s my second cold in a month!

Monday evening was very warm with a great breeze, and overnight we had a thunderstorm and lots of rain.  That really helped to bring the temperature down from the 90’s to the 70’s and Tuesday was far more pleasant.  We took a drive to Hilton Head and have found the motorhome storage and our check-in locations so that is comforting.

Not sure what’s up for tomorrow.

Hugs

R&B

April 10th, Sunday in St. Simons Island and 96 degrees!

We headed out this morning about 10 to tour St. Simons Island just north of Jekyll Island. It is much more of tourist trap type town, with lots of shops and restaurants.   We had lunch and by then temp was over 90 so no beach today, just toooo hot.  We got home by 2:30 after a stop at Walmart and the Target Store and it was 96 degrees!  Georgia has set a few new record temperatures in the last two days, sure hope it cools just a little by next week.  It did cool off a little around 5 o’clock as the wind started to blow in from the Atlantic.  But they are still calling for record highs tomorrow.

We have a new little friend and she has adopted us as much as we have adopted her.  We bought food for her today, but, know we can’t take her home.  Some pictures following!

Nice talking to you Shirley, Ruth and Heather, hope you have a safe trip back to Ottawa. We were glad to hear the wedding was wonderful. 

Day two and we are still missing Carol and Larry....

Hugs from Georgia,

R&B

St Simons Island lighthouse

Shopping area in St. Simons Village

She is our new best friend, she just had babies but they are nowhere to be found, she is hungry to B shared his last can of sardines with she last night and today we bought cat food....

Just look at those white whiskers.

That's it for tonight, didn't hear from anyone about yesterdays pictures!!

April 8th, Saturday Brunswick/Jekyll Island, Georgia

Just another screaming hot day, 94 degrees with just a hint of a breeze!  Gone are the days travelling through Texas that we cursed the wind!  The a/c has been going all evening.

We have made it to the Atlantic Ocean and today got our feet in the Atlantic at Jekyll Island, Georgia.  Two oceans in just a few months and all within 2011! We toured all of Jekyll Island, we saw a very unique boat launch then, toured the State RV Park (dirty),  had lunch and went back to the beach to lie in the sun.  However, it was just too hot and we had to leave at about 2:00.  We had showers and tried to sit outside, but it was just too hot.  More of the same for tomorrow and we will go to the beach, just more prepared with water and the umbrella! 

Sherry and David we are thinking of  you on this you’re wedding day and we’re sorry to have missed the day!

Maggie hope you have a great Birthday tomorrow!

Carol was good to talk to you and glad you are safely settled in Nashville, enjoy your tours tomorrow.  

Not sure what islands we will visit tomorrow….

Night all, Hugs

R&B

Fork lift brings the boat out of storage!

Then lowers it into the water

And one lady did the delivery!  Even tied it to the dock..

Live Oak covered with spanish moss, outside the Jekyll Island hotel

Us with our feet in the Atlantic Ocean, Jekyll Island, Georgia

Just had to go back a day our two to post this one of Destin, FL white sand and green/blue water!  Sorry taken out the motorhome window so it's the windshield wipers reflecting

Again, Destin FL, aren't the colours incredible!

Since we have good internet this evening, I was able to post a few extra pictures.

Let me know if you enjoyed them!

April 8th Friday - Farewell to Carol and Larry day!!! :(

We were all up early thanks to a very noisy neighbour and ready to go at 9:00.  We departed Panama City for Brunswick, Georgia.  It was not fun having to say goodbye to Carol and Larry and it was with a heavy heart that we drove off east, while they took the sight seeing route through Tallahassee, then started their journey west. We have had an incredible 5 months of travel together, we saw so much and did so much together and we look forward to our next get together where ever that may be?? We already miss you guys! Good talking to you this evening…enjoy Nashville tomorrow.

We took Hwy #12 then I-10 to Hwy #319 north to Thomasville, then Hwy # 84 to Valdosta and Waycross, taking the 82/520 into Brunswick, just a few miles away from the Atlantic Ocean arriving at 3:30 with the temperature 91 degrees! (About 280 miles today) We have passed back into the same time zone as Ottawa.  Tomorrow we’ll go to Jekyll Island!  It was Friday January 21, 2011 when we said farewell to the Pacific Ocean.  It was April 7 and we said farewell to the Gulf of Mexico and tomorrow, we will get our feet in the Atlantic Ocean!!  Two oceans in one year!

Hugs

R&B

April 5th Tuesday, Golf Shores on route to Panama City Florida…to April 7 Thursday…

Overnight Monday we had a thunderstorm and lots of rain with lightning, only lasted a ½ hour but sure did get the high humidity out of the air….

We took off today for the Gulf Shores (City)…..it really resembles the Florida coast line around Tampa, Redington Shores and Indian Rocks….same kind of situation.  Larry was the car driver today so we just toured around different areas that got us right up into the state of Florida at Pensacola, only for a short time then back to Alabama.  Florida comes tomorrow!  However today we also did 18 holes of golf back at the Magnolia Golf & RV Park…I was the only one to get a BIRDY, have to say we did enjoy the game as it has been a while since Brownsville our last game.

Wednesday we are off from Magnolia Springs to Panama City about 175 miles.  We travelled Highway 30A in the motorhomes (very challenging) , up the 98 into Panama City Beach, then head out 30 miles to Pine Lakes RV Resort.  It was a little far out but we made the best of it and enjoyed our stay here.

Thursday, we headed back to Panama City, 30 miles back to the city. But we toured the beach area, the hotel/condo zone and out to the State Park, where we did a bit of memory lane as it was three winters ago that we were here and we where driven out by one tornado after an other!!  However today was very different, we had wonderful sun and warm temperatures so we walked the beach.   We had a great last lunch for this trip at a Steak house on the beach and are now counting moments till we say goodbye Friday morning….

Hugs

R&B

Night all...

April 5th Tuesday, Golf Shores on route to Panama City

Overnight we had a thunderstorm and lots of rain with lightning, only lasted a ½ hour but sure did get the high humidity out of the air….

We took off today for the Gulf Shores (City)…..it really resembles the Florida coast line around Tampa, Redington Shores and Indian Rocks….same kind of situation.  Larry was the driver today so we just toured around different areas that got us right up into the state of Florida at Pensacola, only for a short time then back to Alabama.  Florida comes tomorrow!  However today we also did 18 holes of golf back at the Magnolia Golf & RV Park… have to say we did enjoy the game as it has been a while since Brownsville our last game.

Tomorrow, Wednesday we are off to Panama City about 120 miles

Hugs

R&B

I thought the Tracker might get stuck in the sand.........but NO we made it back to the highway

April 4th Monday depart New Orleans to Magnolia Springs, Alabama!

Lake Pontchartrain causeway, 30 miles of bridge!!!

We left New Orleans or the Big Easy with about 175 miles to our next place of rest!  It was cloudy but windy as well! We entered the State of Mississippi and travelled on Hwy #90 through Bay St. Louis, Long Beach, Gulfport, Biloxi which was beautiful and I mean beautiful sandy water front for miles and miles. Don’t know what winter temperatures are all about, but this is a wonderful area.  After lunch at the Walmart, we used Hwy 57 at Ocean Springs to get back on Hwy #10 and crossed into Alabama at about 1 o’clock, then travelled down Hwy #98 into Magnolia Springs, just west of Foley and Pensacola! We are in the Magnolia RV & Golf Park in Magnolia or Foley, Alabama for two if not three nights, they have a golf course here, but this evening we talked to some interesting people to find out a little more about the area!

Again, there was a house but it's gone! The Katrina devestation is everywhere

The Joint Restaurant supper our last night inNew Orleans

This is the cooker at the Joint....8 hours for ribs...and a nice young man took my picture!

Carol and Larry at the Joint!  We had the most wonderful meal!

Street performers in the French Quarter

Our neighbour is getting ready to leave, so his elevator takes the car to the second story of his transport truck!

Last New Orleans happy hour!

Drive into Bay St. Louis on route to Alabama

The drive from Bay St.Louis to Long Beach, Gulport, and Biloxi all wonderful whtie sand beaches.

Mobile Alabama this afternoon on route to Magnolia Springs RV Golf Resort

Long tunel through Mobile....

Well that is it for this evening,

Good night all

Love R&B

April 1st Fools Day! To Saturday April 2nd and The Joint Supper!

Friday we drove south to Barataria and the Louisiana Tour Company for our 1 hour & 45 minute air boat ride in the Louisiana canals and bayou’s with sunshine and about 80 degrees!  We took a picnic lunch with us and enjoyed that before our 12:10 departure.  It was a fabulous ride with our driver hitting speeds just shy of 60 miles per hour.  We flew over the waterways in our 7 person air boat.  Then he slowed down as we were in alligator territory and boy did we see alligator’s by the dozens; fed them marshmallows and watched them trying to eat it as they have no tongue!  It was Carol & Larry’s first air boat ride and they really enjoyed the experience.   We cooked up the “House special” hamburgers for supper and talked about the day. Saturday, we drove the Lake Pontchartrain causeway, 30 miles long, making it the longest bridge we have ever driven.  Yet another first! We travelled to Slidell, had lunch and returned on Highway #90.  There is so much devastation along there, houses were just ripped off their stilt legs and it’s gone!  Some have rebuilt, but you have to ask why??? 

Tonight is supper at The Joint, about 3 miles from the park and from the outside it looks like a dump, but our neighbour has given us rave reviews about the BBQ ribs…so we are off to try it out!  And must say he was right the food was just excellent, best ribs any of us ever had!!!!  So we can also recommend The Joint,

801 Poland Avenue

at Dauphine, Bywater, New Orleans….so if you stay at the Pontchartrain RV Park you have to go.  But, trust me the outside is discouraging…but GO!

Tomorrow it’s back to downtown New Orleans,

Hugs, R&B

They sell wine by the glass, so that you can walk the streets and have a drink in the French Quarter!

The Natchez Steam Paddle boat on the mighty Mississippi River

It's us!

Louisiana Tour Company dock, that was our boat out there

This was just beautiful country

Our group of seven on the air boat ride

Just one of the dozens of alligators we saw that day!

Can you believe how beautiful this place is!

So sad, can't get any more posted tonight, we are always in poor internet parks!

Night, Night

R&B