Heading to Florida for the Winter, Day 5 - 2013

Day 5

Ft. Pierce, FL

We took our time getting ready this morning because we had less than 200 miles to drive today.  The motel offered free breakfast so we ate there.  We left the motel and drove to the RV and hooked up the car then we were on 95 again around 10:00AM.  We stopped at a rest stop around 12:30 and ate lunch.  We got to Treasure Coast RV Park in Ft. Pierce, FL at 2:15.  It is a very nice camping resort.  We hooked up everything this time (sewer, water, elect. and cable) because being in Florida, I can safely unwinterize the RV so we can have water and can use our bathroom in the RV; yea.  We sat outside in the 80 degree sunshine and a beautiful breeze.   We went out for a quick supper then took a walk around the RV park.  We both worked on our computers, then we went to bed.

Heading to Florida for the Winter, Day 3 & 4 - 2013

Day 3 & Day 4

We left Enfield, NC around 9:00AM and drove south on 95.  We drove the rest of the way in NC then all the way through SC.  When we got into GA we stopped at Richmond Hills, GA at a KOA.  We had stopped here 2 years ago on our way to Florida. The next day we got on 95 by 8:15AM and we were in Camping World in St. Augustine, FL by 10:30AM. We left the RV there to be fixed and at noon we met some friends, Tom and Mary, for lunch.  When we got back to Camping World we sat in the waiting room till about 3:00 and then they told us it was fixed.  It was covered under warranty so wasn't too expensive.  We decided that by the time we hooked the car up and got on the road it would be going for 4 and it was a couple of hours to our next campsite and it would be dark when we got there, so we decided to stay in The Hampton Inn and leave on Friday.  We called our friends back and went out to dinner with them, then we went back to the room and crashed and watched TV.

Heading to Florida for the Winter, Day 2 - 2013

Day 2

Enfield, NC

We were up and ready for breakfast at 6:00. Didn't sleep that great.  We found a Cracker Barrell the night before so we went there for breakfast.  We came back and got the RV ready for another day of travel.  The inside of the windshield was all frosted over on the inside, so I scrapped it off and the dash was covered with snow.  We couldn't turn the engine heater on because yesterday it started to make a horrible noise, so we were a little cold driving today.  It was a sunny day so that helped a little bit to warm us up inside the RV.  We left the campground around 8:15 and got to 95 three and half hours later.  Now it is a straight shot to Marathon in the Keys.  We stopped at 3:00 at a KOA in Enfield, NC.  Set up and even sat outside for a while because it was nice and sunny out.  We went out to dinner in Rocky Mount, NC.  We ate at a Red Lobster, yum, yum snow crab.  We got back to the rig and we both worked on our computers and then read for a while and went to bed.

Heading to Florida for the Winter, Day 1 - 2013

Carlisle, PA

Day 1.  We left Pittsford, NY at 8:30 Monday Jan. 7, 2012.  It had snowed about 1/2 in of new snow the night before, so we had to sweep a path out to the RV to take in the last minute items plus sweep the windshield off.  I followed the RV with the Tucson till we got to the first rest stop on 390.  We then hooked the Tucson to the RV and we took off for the south.  It took us 6 and a half hours to get to the campground in Carlisle, PA.  It was very cold there but hardly any snow.  We set up the RV then drove to Applebee's for supper.  Mike wanted to watch the Auburn, Notre Dame football game so we decided we would come back to Applebee's to watch football on TV, but when we got home he found he could watch the game on his phone, so we stayed in the RV, wrapped in blankets to keep warm.  I read, he watched.  It was a cold night but this time we had an electric blanket to keep us warm.  The low temp for the night was 29 degrees, 2 years ago it was 15 degrees.

Southwick Beach State Park - Sept.17-21, 2012

We left Pittsford early on Monday because it was a sunny day and we wanted to get there and go to the beach.  Just after Central Square exit off Route 81, Mike pulled over and I got into the driver's seat and drove for the next 20 miles.  It was a little scary, but I did ok.  I guess we are going to do this more often so I will build up my confidence and get used to it. We got there and set up, ate lunch and went to the beach.  The beach was very, very wide with hard pack sand; it was great.  Tues. it rained all day so we played cards, read, and worked on computers.  When we went to bed the wind was blowing really, really hard.  The Weather Channel said 20/30 mph winds with gusts up to 45 mph.  Didn't get much sleep cause so windy and noisy.  Wed. it was blue sky and sun but cool. In the morning the guy from last year in his green beach buggy was on the beach.  He is neat to watch because he uses a parachute type apparatus to get his buggy to move.  We took a bike ride down the beach because of the wide pack sand; it was easy.  We came back and read outside the RV in the sun; it was nice there.  We had a fire over at Claude and Janet's site.  They were the only couple there from the ones we met in June.  Thurs. we woke up to 49 degrees, brrr cold. It was sunny but cool outside.  We took another bike ride on the beach and went down the other direction.  When we started back there was quite a bit of wind, so we ended up walking our bikes most of the way back to the RV.  While on the beach there was a kiteboarder out in the lake.  It was fun watching him jump the waves and go so fast. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading outside our RV in the sun.  Claude and Janet came over and joined us at our campfire.  On Friday we got ready and headed for home around 11:30.  Another great time at Southwick Beach.

Southwick Beach State Park June 4 -18, 2012

                                                             Katie & Witney

                                                              Mike & Will

                                                             Mike & Will

                                                                 Witney

Will with Katie & Bill in background

               Sitting around campfire at Southwick Beach, Will, Grandpa, Witney, Grandma

We arrived at Southwick Beach State Park on Monday, 6/4/12, to a cloudy day.  Tues we had sun so we went to beach for the afternoon. At night we joined Claude and Janet, 2 camp neighbors, for a campfire across the street to an empty site.  2 other couples joined us.  Wed. we were at the beach but it was cool, so I dressed warmly.  Around 8:30PM, Katie and the children arrived. Witney slept in her pack and play which was placed with 2 legs on the dashboard and 2 legs on a board which went across the arms of the passenger chair. We wrapped a sheet around the outside so she could not see anybody unless she stood up.  That arrangement worked out really well.  On Thurs. we rode our bikes up to the playground so the kids could play.  Katie brought up Will's little bike plus the kid trailer for the back of her bike so Witney had a place to ride.  In the afternoon we all went to the beach.  The kids played in the sand and went in the water.  After supper Will and Grandpa set up the fire and started it and we made smores.  Friday it was cool so we rode our bikes around the park and after lunch, we just went for a walk down at the beach.  Bill showed up around around 4:30PM.  Will wanted to go swimming with his Dad so they did even though it was cool out.  We had another campfire.  Sat. we woke up to rain so we decided to go into Watertown and see the movie Madagaster 3, then stopped and had lunch at TGIF.  The Zink family went to the beach and jumped some waves but not for long because it was cool and windy.  We had another fire with smores.  Sunday woke up to a sunny day.  We headed down to the beach after breakfast because we didn't know how long the sun would be out.  We had a wonderful day at the beach, played in water, built dribble castles, played ball.  After supper the Zink family left.  On Monday Peggy and Gordon Heinzman drove up to spend the day with us.  It was another gorgeous day and we spent the afternoon at the beach.  They left after the sun set and it was so  warm, we did not have a fire. Tues. it rained all day, no fire.  Wed. was very windy and cool so we just walked the beach.  That night we had a fire across the street on an empty site with 4 other couples.  Thurs. we woke up to a beautiful day.  Sue Miller and Diane Reeve drove up to spend the day with us.  We spent the afternoon on the beach. When we came up from the beach we had cocktails and snacks and played Hand and Foot, a card game. Mike and Diane won.  They left after supper.  We had a fire across the street on an empty site with the other couples. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were nice sunny blue sky days.  We went to the beach each day.  On Sat. we walked the nature walk, which was a nice walk.  It was warm enough on Sat.that I even went into the water and went way out.  We had campfires each night.  On Monday June 18th we left for home.

Winter 2012

We were supposed to leave for Florida on Sunday Jan. 8th, but we had to cancel our 2012 trip because Mike had rotator cuff surgery on Dec. 5th. The doctor said he could not drive for 8 weeks or more and he wasn't moving his left arm at all.

This all started on Oct. 15 at Michael Zimet's wedding. We were at the reception when Mike got up to use the bathroom, but unknown to him, his feet were tangled up in the chair covers and he fell on his left shoulder. He went to urgent care in VA and they said nothing was broken so after 2 weeks and still in pain he went to urgent care and they suggested going to an orthpedic surgeon. He went and they wanted him to have an MRI and the results was a 2 1/2 cm tear in his rotator cuff.

We started PT (twice a week) four weeks after surgery. He was told to take the sling off after 6 weeks. After 8 weeks he finally came upstairs and slept in his own bed; he had been sleeping in his recliner chair in the family room since he got home from the hospital. 11 weeks out he is almost doing everything for himself except putting his socks on and helping with putting his coat on. His range of motion is getting better every time we go see the PT guy, John Borden. His goal is to play golf in June.