We are a couple traveling in a 34" Holiday Vacationer Motor Home. Wes is a GE pensioner who still consults with the company. Joanne is a Public Relations specialist who runs her own "boutique" agency. This is the sixth year that we have been keeping a travel blog. In the winter, we travel to and through Florida. We plan our route to include places of interest going to and fro and have included Williamsburg, Baltimore, Washinton DC, St. Augustine, Savannah, Charlestown, Myrtle Beach, Florida's Pan Handle, New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, Nashville, Lexington, Pittsburgh and Gettysburg. Our recent travels close to home have included an RV tour to Herkimer (home of the Herkimer Diamond Mines), Lechworth State Park (NY Fingerlakes Region), and Gettysburg. We have also traveled to New York City and Montreal several times during the past few years. A highlight was the June Jazz Fest in Montreal a few years back. Skiing and visiting family in Vermont and on Long Island, an annual boat camping trip on the islands of Lake George. We've visited Nevis in the West Indies several times; the most recent being in January 2012 with a side trip to Canouan in the Grenadine Islands. We've also visited Ireland, Tuscany, Paris, Normandy, and Germany. Our latest trips to Europe were two river boat cruise on the fabulous Uniworld line. The trip from Paris to Normandy in Sept/Oct. 09 was exceptional. The trip on the Rhine and the Main from Cologne to Prague was interrupted due to illness. We had travel insurance and have learned mucho about how to (or not) recoup losses when the flight involves using frequent flier mileage incentives. We used Empress Travel on Upper Union St., Schenectady. Our RV - nicknamed "The Schooner" is located at Mohawk Marine in Alplaus, Schenectady County, NY on the banks of the beautiful Mohawk River in the summertime where it serves as my office. Winter travel to Florida typically has started with a road trip in the fall and ends with a trip home via a different route at Easter. We fly back and forth a few times during the winter; as we both still have work related responsibilities and like to take at least one ski day at Killington or Pico with our grandchildren. Thanks to technology, Joanne can service her clients while on the road; and Wes has morning conference calls with his GE clients. The RV has served as a fully equipped office since April 2005. The recent addition of a little Jeep, nick named "The Dingy" has made our RV trips even more fun. It connects to a tow bar called a Blue Ox, and trails right along behind us. One caution we observe is "don't back up!" You can find Joanne McMahon DeVoe and Wes DeVoe on Facebook!
Board the Amtrak train in Albany and you're in New York City in approximately 3 hours. Pick up a bagel and coffee at the terminal in Rensselaer as you won't find a food car on most of these short hops. On a recent Sunday; a sunny one with spring oozing out its pores we "Amtraked" (snagged seats on the Hudson River side) to New York City and arrived Penn Station with a few hours to kill. Kill them we did; first with a walk up to Herald Square where we caught some sun amid a collection of tables and chairs on the corner of Broadway and 34th Street in front of Macy's. Check out the pic of the urban park at Herald Square. Such little urban landscapes are abloom all over the city. On to Bryant
... read moreOne of the juicy joys of a road trip has to be the side trips between destinations! With fair weather in the forecast and devastating hurricanes – like “Irene” far behind; we finally got our chance to visit the Outer Banks, North Carolina’s fetching shoestring of barrier islands. Our arrival put us dead center via in OBX Route 64. A right turn at Whalebone to Camp Hatteras RV Park where we were offered a choice – Atlantic Ocean side or Pamlico Sound side. We chose the sound with its rim of tall, golden wheat grass. The dunes on the Atlantic side were too high for us to see the ocean. Our "Sound" site gave us a front row seat for a glorious sunset – the red sky lingered when we went to dinner at Good Wind
... read moreWe based ourselves on Hutchison Island near Jensen Beach & Stuart for a few days. A big thank you to our hosts, Laura (LJ) and Joe Vanderwerker for welcoming to their beach side condo. LJ was in charge of the itinerary which included a trip to Fort Lauderdale. The highlight had to be the Bonnet House and Garden, 35 acres of beachfront property where artist Frederick Barret built a "plantation-style" home that his friends and family enjoyed as a casual winter retreat for years and years! The home and gardens are chock full of art, artifacts, globally influenced collectibles, and botanicals! The Barret's easy, casual lifestyle is remarkable. They had no need to put on airs. Tickets for a docent tour by the charming, John, for the four of us totaled $64. An addition $2 each
... read moreSince this is about our 10th time in Pine Island, I am trying not to bore blog readers with old topics so here goes with what's new on Pine Island and vicinity. The photos should speak for themselves. I have been getting some feedback that readers like to know details like "How much did it cost?" So I am trying to remember to add fees for attractions. We're here at the KOA / Encore during the high season. The daily rate is about $70 for full hook up, great activities (dinners and music in the club house, trips, etc.), wonderful pool, lending library, store (with a gift shop and modest selection of wines), health club, laundry and newly installed hot tub. There are cabins for rent and we do notice some people "tenting" out in the
... read more What do you think of these crime prevention tips? Some are especially applicable to travelers. The best part - about the “Wasp Spray” is at the end along with the source of the tips. Quoting YOUR BURGLAR: 1. Of course I look familiar. I was here j
... read morePine Island feels like home. We have been coming back for at least two visits each year for the past seven years! The KOA/Encore/Thousand Trails RV Park is friendly and relaxing. This time back we were thrilled to find a new hot tub and a newly enlarged, paved and landscaped pool deck. We never left the island at all this trip. The funky Matlacha shops, familiar restaurants, chatting at the pool, reading up a storm and occasional a piece of client work kept us occupied and satisfied for over a week. You’ll find our other Pine Island Blogs by hitting the previous button a few times. I’m working hard at not being repetitious when writing about this oft visited island. This trip started out with a 12-12-12 party at the Low Key Tiki with the great
... read moreThe Encore RV Park, Royal Coachman in Nokomis, is beautiful and the people seem friendly (but not overly) and nice. We could hardly wait to get the campsite set up and take a dip in the (comfortably heated) pool. On Friday night we went to "sunset" at the South Jetty and had a casual dinner (downstairs) at the nearby Crow's Nest in Venice. The resort had a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning without us but I hied myself over to the craft show in the club house and found some great hand crafted items. Lucky you if you're on our Christmas list and get the basket made out of clothesline (how's that for irony for those of you who know me and my clothesline collection)! Low key on Saturday at the pool with our books, noodles
... read moreFriday, December 07, 2012. Fort DeSoto, Pinellas County Park Campground--- We have breaking camp down to a silent silence. Silent because there is something quieting about leaving a campsite that we really like; and silent because we know the drill (“his” and “hers” tasks that get us back on the road efficiently). No real need to chat. Our previous stays at Fort DeSoto have pegged the highest number of visits of all (200 Plus) of our travel blogs. We have stopped here every year for the past seven years. I am focusing on keeping this blog fresh with mostly new materials; but visiting familiar and favorite restaurants is part of the fun. Billy's Seafood on the roof with entertainment, gorgeous water / sunset views, and full meal service at the bar is a perennial fav on
... read moreWith both an Atlantic Ocean side and a Matanzas / North River side, Vilano Beach has miles and miles of ocean beach and water views. We're back at North Beach RV Resort which stretches from river to ocean divided only by scenic A1A! We've camped at North Beach almost a dozen times over the past 7 years. We've noted changes during that time span; but it is probably the things that are constant - like the lush, indigenous landscaping between camp sites that we most appreciate. We spent most of our time right at North Beach. We walked along the beach where on day one a wedding rehearsal was in progress and on day two guests were arriving. There were more fishermen (and women) than anyone else along the crashing wave line. The sand is a
... read moreWhat to do? Entertaining a houseful on the day after Thanksgiving! It’s a beautiful, crisp late fall day and everyone (age range 9 – 70ish) is feeling a little stuffed and in need of fresh air and exercise. Luckily we live near the Saratoga National Historical Park located in Stillwater New York. The Park offers a small museum dedicated to the Battle of Saratoga, said to be the turning point of the American Revolution, a walking trail, a tour road with MP3 or cell phone narrations, a plethora of monuments with interpretive signage and push button narrations, and scattered cannons (to play on). It’s a perfect balance of history, exercise, photo ops and family camaraderie! We start at the Visitor Center with a 20 minute film, a well done synopsis of what happened here in 1777.
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