Naples, Florida. We signed up for a half day fishing trip on the Lady Brett out of Naples and to our amazement, Connie and Issac, the same couple from Maryland/Washington DC that we met on this charter last year were aboard. It was so much fun to see them and catch up. We caught lots of grouper that weren't "keepers" (because of size), but Issac and I hit it lucky and each caught a fish we could keep (and eat). Connie descriped a great recipe for fish soup and she took the fish heads (the main ingredient) back with her on [View Full Entry]

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On the Road Again Willie Nelson's song was on the playlist as we headed out with The Schooner on our annual trip to warmer climes. We're towing a "toad" this year. Our jaunty little soft top jeep with a bike rack on the back is like The Dingy for The Schooner. Fairly good trip south - drive, drive, drive - I-95 all the way - morning rush hour traffic on beltways around Baltimore and Washington DC. Blowout near dusk in South Carolina. Good Sam (and South Carolina State Police officer) to the rescue. Reached St. Augustine 4ish on Wednesday. Decided to [View Full Entry]

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We haven't "travel blogged" in some time. We get so busy with short trips and just enjoying where we live that time goes by. When we are not "on the road," we live in spot that has many features of a great vacation ... but we are less than 15 minutes to and from work in Schenectady. Ballston Lake, a four mile long natural lake, is beautiful all four seasons. Residents and visitors enjoy swimming, trophy fishing, water skiing, boating, biking or hiking on our nearby bike path, snowmobiling and skating (once the ice is safe), bird watching, photography, enjoying lunch [View Full Entry]

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West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania The song Country Roads typifies West Virginia - just beautiful - rugged - wild - gorgeous. On our way to Gettysburg from Kentucky, we have passed through great little towns like Cumberland, MD and Waynesboro PA. Waynesboro is especially sweet. The shrubs and fruit trees are beautiful, the grass is green, and the weather is very pleasant (April 9-11) and springy. It’s a return trip to Gettysburg for Wes and I AND The Schooner. Our timing is a bit off as the NEW Visitors Center, with all sorts of interpretive technology, will open the Monda [View Full Entry]

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Adding a collection of photos shot with disposable camera while the SONY was having its meltdown. [View Full Entry]

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Lexington, Kentucky Horse Park and Keeneland Race Course Kentucky is beautiful in the spring. Returning to the Horse Park RV Park feels like home. Diner at Le Deauville, in downtown Lexington, is very French and VERY delicious. Niece, Kate McMahon, who sells stallion seasons for Darley Stables, picked up the tab for seven of us (since we all around the table have “shares in mares” I guess we are her clients). Great company, great dinner escargot, moules & frittes, Chateau Neuf de Pape, and so much more! Merci beaucoup, Kate! Sunday is the first time we have seen the sun s [View Full Entry]

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Birmingham to Nashville Crossing from Florida to Alabama we picked up giant Gulf shrimp and other goodies at Shrimpy’s, a wonderful fresh fish market near Santa Rosa Beach. It was miles and miles before we caught I-65. Love being off the interstate. We passed incredibly simple homesteads all ablaze (just about gaudy) with gorgeous azalea and wisteria. Wisteria climbs almost 20 ft up trees and grows wild along the county roads Alabama. Using our Magellan, we found Oak Mountain State Park near Birmingham and set up camp. This is Alabama’s largest State Park and even has boar [View Full Entry]

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Sometimes the travel part is the fun part, especially when we get off the interstate. Last year, we made a similar trip from Ocala to Florida's Panhandle; this year we got off I-10 much sooner - at Tallahassee. The result - a far more interesting trip taking the old road and the long way. First of all, Tallahassee is a beautiful State Capital. The "Old Capitol Building" is lovely - it even has red and white striped awnings on all the windows. The downtown looked prosperous. The suburbs were abloom with wisteria, dogwood, azalia and spring wild flowers (March 26). No [View Full Entry]

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Attractions and Favorite "To Do's" in New York's Capital Region. We love to tout our home base - essentially Schenectady, Saratoga and Albany in New York's Capital Region. We just visited opening day of the region's newest attraction, the Schenectady Year Round Greenmarket in Robb Alley at Proctors Theatre. What a treat each Sunday from 10am - 2pm. Seasonal produce, farm raised beef and pork, eggs, herbs, cheeses, peanut butter, pesto and other sauces, a bakery (which had totally sold out by the time we got there at 1pm) and more. Not quite the year round farmers' markets in Montreal; b [View Full Entry]

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While home in the cold and snowy north, we try to make the best of it .... outdoor and indoor activities abound here in upstate NY and we are close enough to Vermont to take a quick trip now and then to visit our daughter Beth and her family in the Rutland/Killington area; and even took a quick trip to Cape Cod to visit our friends, the Taylors. Schenectady's Central Park is great in winter - the city just sponsored a wonderful Winter Carnival with a Chili Cook-Off, sledding, skating, and tons of other activities. We spent a sunny afternoon snowshoeing [View Full Entry]

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