Category: Blog

It’s Not About Where You Are, But Who You’re With

December 19, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Home is wherever your heart is

Rich and I have lived in a lot of places since we met in 1985.

We both grew up having lived in the same house our whole lives. Rich may have moved one time when he was a young child but doesn’t remember much about the house before.

My mother still lives in the same house my dad was born in. He died in that house and so will she. She says that no other place could ever feel like home to her.

It’s not that I don’t have a home mentality, it’s just that I like change and so does Rich.

We started out in an apartment and then moved to a mobile home in a trailer park. We went to Florida and lived with friends for a few months before renting our first house. We rented a second house in Florida before moving back home to Ohio.

We bought our first house in Ohio after our first child was born and lived there for five years.

Having outgrown that house with three children, we bought a larger one. We lived there for sixteen years when we had to declare bankruptcy and give it up.

At that time we moved to a town twenty miles away where we both worked and rented a house. When they sold the house we were renting, we lived in three separate apartments until we found the house we were living in when we decided to become full-time RVers.

We lived in that house for nine years and now have been in the RV since April of 2022, not quite two years.

Since moving into the RV we have lived in many places. Each place is different but our home is the same. It’s really great to just close up and take our home with us wherever we go.

It is comfortable, and it is home. As long as we are together, we are happy with whatever type of dwelling we live in. I can make any place feel like home. I wonder where we will live tomorrow.

What does home mean to you?

 

A Weekend of Collecting Shells

December 18, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

RV Life Daily Blog – Saturday and Sunday, December 16 and 17, 2023

We found our very first ever whole sand dollar while collecting shells this weekend! It is small. Smaller than the palm of my hand. These small ones are super fragile. We found a second one, but it broke soon after I picked it up.

December is a quiet month here on the coastal beaches of southern Alabama and Florida. Many times, we are the only people in sight. I expect January to pick up some after the holidays.

But we are not the only creatures in sight. Many times we are privileged enough to have a great blue heron share the beach with us.

He even followed us around for a bit. I think he was curious about what we were picking up off the beach. He walked down to where we were and then, turned around and followed us.

We have found several beaches here that are great for collecting shells. You just have to check the tide schedule and show up at the right time. Here in the Gulf, there are two high tides and two low tides.

Would you believe that Shell Beach is one of the best? And parking is free at all the paid parking lots after December 1. Shell Beach is part of Gulf State Park.

Don’t let Rich fool you. He enjoys finding cool shells just as much as I do.

I want to pick up all the complete shells that aren’t broken, but Rich stops me after a while cause the bag gets too heavy.

When he asks me what I will do with all the shells, I remind him that all the little ones that have holes in them will be hanging on the tree. Just look at all the shells on the tree in the picture above. I love looking at them.

Last year, I made wind chimes with the shells we collected in Florida.

I wish we could find more of the large ones without imperfections or broken edges.

Why do we love shells so much? Maybe because it gives us a glimpse into the ocean. I have never been in the ocean, no snorkeling or diving, so I have no personal experience with what it is like, and seashells give me a personal glimpse into that. The farthest I have ever been in the ocean is up to my knees.

Yep. That is a full-sized bath towel full of just this weekend’s haul. What would you suggest I do with all of them?

We collected shells until we couldn’t. Last night’s sunset was gorgeous, as usual.

Thanks for sharing our travels with us by reading my stories about the places we visit and enjoying my pictures of the things we see.

 

 

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/15/2023

December 16, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

The first thing I did this morning was open the window blinds to let the pretty sunshine in.

The second thing I did was spend a couple of hours on Medium reading and writing.

Then I decided I better get some Christmas cards written and mailed. It is the 15th of the month already. Who knows how slow the snail mail delivery will be? If I get the cards in the mail today, the USPS has 10 days to get them to my family.

I was a little sticker-shocked when I asked for four postage stamps and she said $2.66! Excuse me?! I had a half a roll of forever stamps when we moved into the RV and it has taken me two years to use them all. I didn’t realize how expensive they were now.

After the post office, we put gas in the car at $2.49. I remember paying over $6 a gallon when we were in the state of Washington in May of 2022.

With a full tank of gas, we headed south toward Gulf Shores and turned west on Fort Morgan Road.

We stopped at the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge and walked out on the beach. As the surrounding area becomes increasingly developed, Bon Secour is a natural oasis of wildlands, where wildlife can exist without harm.

The dune areas are off-limits and protected. This is the place to come early in the morning for large seashells. We found some pretty good-sized broken ones.

I also found some large mushrooms along the path and of course, had to take pictures of them.

And then I saw another amazing large oak tree that I just had to get a photo of.

We drove on down to the end of the road at Fort Morgan. Fort Morgan is a State Historical Site so our National Park Pass didn’t work for entrance.

The entrance fee is $8 per adult. We opted out for now and just took photos of what we could see from the road.

This is also the location of the Dauphin Island Ferry that goes back and forth from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island.

We didn’t take the ferry today. Hopefully another day but it’s a little pricey.

We parked and walked out on the fishing pier. There was a man out there fishing who said he was from Scotland.

Another interesting site that I had to get a picture of was the oil rig just off the coast. I’m not sure if these are oil rigs or natural gas but there were several of them.

The only battery we could see without entering the fort was the Battery Dearborn on the road as we drove past. It was built in 1900 and completed in 1901. It was named after Henry Dearborn who was a distinguished soldier of the Revolutionary War.

We came home, had homemade chili soup for supper, and cleaned our seashell haul of the day.

Then we spent the evening watching Christmas movies on television.

It was another great day living in an RV that is currently parked in Foley, Alabama. Thanks for following along on our journeys.

 

 

The Many Areas of the Gulf Islands National Seashore

December 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

On the southern Alabama and Florida Panhandle Coastline

The Gulf Islands National Seashore on the southern coast of Alabama and the Florida panhandle is a magnificent area to see with its sandy white beaches and emerald blue waters. I didn’t realize there were so many different areas designated as national seashore and protected. We were fortunate to find so many wonderful parts to explore.

The first section we found was the Rosamond Johnson Beach area. This section is located east of Perdido Key, Florida. We are staying in Foley, Alabama and it is a straight drive south to Gulf Shores, Alabama. From there we simply drove east on Beach Blvd for about 15 miles until we entered the gate.

Rich and I have the National Park Pass which gets us into the National areas for free, but if you don’t have one, it will cost you to enter. $15 per person or $25 per vehicle.

Sadly, the road past the entrance going to Fort McRee is closed for repairs and won’t reopen until March 1. The furthest you can drive is to the Johnson Beach parking lot.

The second area we found was the Fort Pickens area. Fort Pickens is one of four military forts that was designed to protect Pensacola in the 1800s and is located west of Pensacola Beach on the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The drive back to the fort is filled with protected dunes.

Fort Pickens was the largest of a group of pentagonal-shaped fortifications designed to defend Pensacola Harbor in the 1800s.

It is located at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island, just offshore from the mainland. Fort Pickens guarded the island and the entrance to the harbor.

It was built with over 20 million bricks and was completed in 1834. I love exploring these old forts and imagining what it must have been like for the soldiers to live and work there.

Fort Pickens defended Pensacola Harbor along with Fort Barrancas, Fort McRee, and the Navy Yard. It guarded the island and the entrance to the harbor.

Today the fort is slowly being reclaimed by nature. Grass and weeds grow where soldiers once stood, and stalactites are forming as water drips through the bricks of the ceilings.

Fort Pickens is another pay area to visit. It will cost you $15 per person or $25 per vehicle unless you have a national park pass.

The next area we found was the Santa Rosa Area east of Pensacola Beach. We drove the road past Opal Beach to the end at Navarre Beach.

There are numerous parking areas along this road to stop and see the ocean.

I always search these beach areas for shells and just don’t find many.

Navarre Beach Marine Park is at the end of the road and is free to enter and park.

This is where most of the beach scenes were filmed for the movie “Jaws 2.”

The sand is white and the water is emerald green. It is breathtaking.

The next area we found was the Naval Live Oaks Area.

The Naval Live Oaks Nature Preserve is another part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and is near Gulf Breeze, Florida. 

Notice the osprey nest in the photo in the top of the tree in the distance.

This is one of the most wooded areas in the park and features several miles of hiking trails, as well as a group campsite. The visitor center located at the park headquarters on the south side of Highway 98 is permanently closed.

I love that we stay in one area for such a long time and have plenty of time to see and explore all of the beautiful places. Staying in one place for at least a month at a time has been the best option for us. I hope you enjoyed seeing these many areas of the Gulf Islands National Seashore along the Florida and Alabama coastline.

 

RV Life Daily Blog – 12/14/23

December 15, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

We spent the morning deep-cleaning the RV. We swept and dusted everything well, used Pledge and Windex, opened windows, and cleaned the screens. It was a warm sunny day. It was so refreshing to open the windows and get fresh air flowing in and out of the windows.

I have a shark vacuum but I would rather use the shop vac for the edges and furniture.

After lunch, we went for a drive over to Mobile Bay and explored a little bit along the bay coast.

The first place we stopped at was Mary Ann Nelson Park. There were several pelicans on the piers in the photos below.

This is a wonderful small park with a picnic table and a tiny public beach area.

Located clear down on the eastern point of Mobile Bay and Bon Secaur Bay, this is a nice place not to be missed.

From here we headed up Highway 1 north to Mullet Point Park closer to Fairhope, Alabama.

There isn’t much here except a boat ramp and dock. The views of the bay today were gorgeous.

Highway 1 turns into Scenic Highway 98 and continues up the bay to Point Clear and Battles Wharf. There are a couple of spots where you can stop and see the bay, but mostly this drive is filled with private residences.

From here, I took Rich on a side trip to the Point Clear Confederate Rest Cemetery.

The sign says that the Grand Hotel and the Gunnison House served as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers from the Battle of Vicksburg during the Civil War.

More than 300 Confederate soldiers who died in the hospital are buried here.

The identities of these soldiers were kept in the hospital records until a fire in 1869 destroyed all the records and the names of the soldiers buried here were lost forever.

We finished our scenic drive for the day at the Fairhope Municipal Pier. This is a well-known fishing pier in the area that boasts great fishing, lots of pelicans, scenic views, and a seafood restaurant.

North Beach, which is right beside the pier, was closed and we weren’t able to drive to North Beach Park. We didn’t feel like going any further north so we headed back home from the pier.

The evening was spent watching Christmas movies on one of the free LG internet channels we get on our LG TV. We saw Scrooged, The Christmas Story, Jack Frost, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

What did you do today?

Thanks for reading and being interested in our travels.

RV Life Daily Blog 12/13/23

December 14, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

It was another day in paradise —

We stayed inside and slept late this morning and then had a delicious brunch of eggs, sausage, and fried potatoes. It was a beautiful, sunny day, high of 65, mild and warm. Too nice to stay inside. So after late morning showers we headed out the door to get out of the RV.

The first stop of the day was a billboard just down the road. I had to get a photo of the Wacked Out Weiner billboard for a writing prompt about restaurants and stores with naughty names on medium.com.

After that, we found a small wetland park to visit.

The entrance to this walking/hiking park is located at the base of the water tower at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The Sports area has playing fields for soccer, baseball, tennis, and even pickleball.

This loop gravel path travels around a fishing pond, benches, gazebos, and a fishing pier for a quiet way to enjoy these natural wetlands.

It was a nice day for a short walk. Not too windy and no jacket was required. We didn’t see any birds or fish or turtles or anything here, but it was a beautiful and peaceful area to explore.

All of the photos in my posts are taken by me on my iPhone.

I am always intrigued by the Spanish Moss in the huge oak trees in the southern part of the United States. There is something beautiful, yet eerie about it.

We drove around and explored Oyster Bay and found this flock of pelicans in the water as we passed over a bridge.

I also saw a great blue heron along the side of the road but I wasn’t quick enough to zoom in and get a good picture of it at 55 mph. This one is a little blurry.

Next, we headed to the Orange Beach Waterfront Park. Open to the public year-round, this beautiful family park is located on scenic Wolf Bay. I always look for these public areas to visit. Most of the time they are beautiful and well worth the time.

And we were not disappointed with this park. The 400-foot fishing pier in the photo above was completely rebuilt after being destroyed by Hurricane Sally in 2020. It just reopened last December.

There is a huge lawn chair on the deck which is perfect for photo opportunities. It is large and spacious, so you can easily fit multiple people in it for a group photo. The chair is heavy and sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about it tipping over. The best part is that you can get some great background scenery in your photos.

We find these large chairs all around the country. I wonder if that is just a United States thing or do other countries have tourist spots like this too?

We saw some pelicans flying around as we enjoyed the park. They flew by us once, turned around, and passed by us again so I took their picture. Then we headed to the ocean side of Orange Beach which is only two miles from the bay side. We pulled into the Cotton Bayou parking lot.

Even though the flags were red for rip currents today, the wind was mild and warm and it was nice walking along the beach.

The two birds we saw at this beach included a sanderling and a willet.

I am always searching for seashells but have been quite disappointed so far. 

I just haven’t found anything very special yet besides the small common clam shells.

The beach was so calm and relaxing that we stayed for a while. I did some research on why the beach is so calm and relaxing and decided to put that in a whole separate article.

I don’t know what the price of gas is where you are, but here in southern Alabama, it is down to $2.52. We are thankful for falling gas prices.

After dark we decided to search for some Christmas light displays.

The only thing we found close by and free of charge was the lights at The Wharf and a small housing edition on Fort Morgan Road where every single house was fully decorated.

After we got home I found out that maybe there is a laser light show at 7:00 pm timed to music. We may have to go back and find out.

The tree was pretty and elegant. There is an ice skating rink here too with skating until 10:00 pm.

Today was a great day. Thanks for allowing me to share it with you. See you tomorrow.

Why is the Beach so Calm and Relaxing?

December 13, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

I had to find out what it is about the beach that is so calm and relaxing so I did some research and this is what I discovered.

The beach’s calming and relaxing effect is a combination of several factors, both physical and psychological.

Physical sensory experience:

The rhythmic crashing of the waves is a form of white noise, which masks distracting sounds and promotes relaxation. Studies have shown that listening to these sounds activates the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the body’s “rest and digest” response.

The vastness of the ocean, the gentle sway of nearby trees and tall grasses, and the sun’s warm glow create a calming and peaceful scene. Nature has a restorative effect on the mind and body, which reduces stress and anxiety.

Walking barefoot on the warm sand is grounding and stimulating. The pressure on the feet releases tension and improves mood.

The scent of the salty air, with its negative ions, improves mood and well-being. Additionally, the ocean breeze is refreshing and cleansing.

Physiological effects:

Sunlight exposure increases the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that promotes happiness and well-being. Additionally, vitamin D from the sun strengthens the immune system.

The warm sand and air promotes muscle relaxation and reduces stress.

The beach offers an escape from pollution and allergens, providing cleaner air that improves breathing and energy levels.

Psychological factors:

Many people associate the beach with positive memories and experiences, creating a sense of nostalgia and happiness.

The beach environment is often less demanding and stimulating than everyday life, allowing for mental rest and relaxation.

The natural environment encourages mindfulness and appreciation for the present moment, reducing worries and anxieties about the future.

The vastness and power of the ocean instill a sense of awe and wonder, leading to a feeling of peace and insignificance.

Overall, the beach offers a multi-sensory experience that engages our physical and psychological senses, creating a calming and relaxing effect. This escape from the stresses of everyday life allows us to recharge, rejuvenate, and appreciate the beauty of nature.

No wonder I like the beach so much.

 

 

RV Life Daily Blog 12/12/23

December 13, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

I woke up this morning with more energy than normal and decided to do some baking. I haven’t done much in recent months and listening to old-fashioned Christmas songs like “Frosty the Snowman” reminded me of my childhood and put me in the mood. My mom and I always did a lot of baking when I was young and lived at home. Especially during the holidays.

I got out my homemade recipe book filled with family recipes and picked out a few things to bake.

First on the list was one of Rich’s favorites, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I love having these recipes. This is a photo of the original written in my mom’s handwriting. I never get as many cookies out of a recipe as it says I should. I guess I make them too large.

Next on the list was one of my favorites, the buttery snickerdoodles.

The recipe below is written by me when I was maybe ten years old and took a baking project in 4-H. I had to write out every step. I think I remember getting a blue ribbon for my cookies.

They turned out great. I stuck most of the cookies in the freezer so we don’t eat them all at once. I’m so happy with the new stove and oven we put in the RV. It cooks and bakes perfectly.

Third, I made some chocolate syrup brownies.

These are heavenly delicious. You simply must try them. I would recommend Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup but today I had Clover Valley from Dollar General on hand. They tasted just as good.

While I was baking, Rich walked the laundry down to the free facility provided here at the campground and washed two loads of laundry.

We have never found free laundry anywhere else. This is a wonderful service and we are thankful for having it. There are only two washers and two dryers but it has not been very busy when we wanted to use them.

After all that work it was nap time for Rich and Medium time for me. I still want to make one more kind of cookie, but it can wait until he wakes up.

While Rich was sleeping I went ahead and stirred up a batch of Chocolate Crinkles and a batch of easy peanut butter fudge and put them both in the refrigerator.

The cookie dough needs to be refrigerated for a couple of hours before baking it.

The easy fudge recipe I use is just one 18 oz. jar of creamy peanut butter and one container of Cream Cheese Frosting. Whipped or Regular both work fine. Put them both in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir together well. Microwave another 30 seconds. Stir and put in a 9×9 square pan lined with wax paper. Then refrigerate for a couple of hours.

I just can’t get real fudge to set up right when I try to cook it on the stove, but this one is fool proof.

After all that I sat down in the recliner and put my feet up and closed my own eyes for a while.

Overtop of the extremely loud ringing sound that is constantly in my ears, I listened and heard large jets taking off and landing, the small aircraft pilot was giving flying lessons again today but it wasn’t as steady as yesterday was. A few vehicles pulled in and out of the campground and the manager was mowing the grass in several of the empty lots. A bird was chirping incessantly and I wish I knew what it was. I need to download an app that can identify bird sounds. And one of the neighbor’s little dogs was barking at something.

After an early supper, we drove to Gulf Shores Beach and watched the sunset with a great blue heron.

The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird common near the shores. They are beautiful birds.

He wasn’t bothered a bit by us and allowed us to watch the sunset with him.

It was another great day in paradise. Thanks for coming along with us as we see America and photograph gorgeous sunsets like these.

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

RV Life Daily Blog 12/11/23

December 12, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise —

It was quite chilly in the RV this morning when we woke up. The temperature dropped to 34 degrees overnight. Sometimes it seems like we just can’t go far enough south to get away from the cold weather anymore.

The sun is shining and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I remember learning once that clouds at night act like a blanket and when the skies are clear it gets colder at night.

We went for a walk around the campground this morning and I took a picture of the Satsuma Orange tree by the pavilion. The sign says not to pick the oranges until February. We are only here until the end of January and you can bet I am going to pick at least two of them before we leave.

Our campground is near a small airport and nearly every day several small planes fly around in circles for hours. I can only think that these are students learning to fly and need to get in hours of flight time.

It gets annoying before it gets funny. Around and around and around they go. When they will stop nobody knows. We can’t quite figure out why they insist on just circling for several hours. Can’t they fly in a figure-eight or a straight line and then turn around and come back? Neither one of us has ever taken flying lessons so we wouldn’t know.

As we were walking we met some neighbors a few spots down who are also from Ohio. A small town not far from where we call home. No matter where we go we meet new people and make new friends.

(I took this photo the other day when there were some clouds in the sky.)

Then a 2017 diesel Newmar coach from Minnesota pulled in and we met them. Talking to them confirmed our contentment with an older RV. They went into debt to buy it and now wish they hadn’t. It is expensive to drive and he can’t work on it himself. He regrets buying new and going into debt.

* * * * *
Have you ever seen chestnut brown pigeons? I hadn’t until today. Usually, pigeons look like the first two photos, but there was one brown one in the mix. He looked all fluffy and young but I searched Google Image and it said it is a pigeon. I believe it might be a Rock Pigeon instead of a normal domestic feral pigeon.
I am not sure though because it was the only one in the whole flock of pigeons. I just love driving around new areas and finding different birds and wildlife.
I made a large pot of what we call goulash for supper. It is simply ground beef and onion cooked. Then I add a few cups of beef broth, one can of diced tomatoes, and two cups of macaroni. Add some salt and pepper and let it cook until the macaroni is done.
We played some card games and Rich was a sore loser.
Other than that it was a pretty normal boring day at the RV. Thanks for traveling along with us. See you tomorrow.

RV Life Daily Blog 12/10/23

December 11, 2023 – Traveling with Rich & Julie

Another day in paradise…

Storms rolling through the area during the night were fierce. The bright lightning followed by loud thunder woke us both up around 2:00 am. The wind was strong. We lay in bed hoping the lawn chairs sitting outside would still be there when we got up in the morning.

And yes, everything was still there. The much-needed rain did no damage here in the campground. But I saw on the news that there were tornadoes in Georgia. Thank goodness we were spared from that.

It was a boring yet relaxing morning drinking coffee and listening to the radio. I did some writing and reading on Medium.

About lunchtime, Rich started his usual rummaging through the cupboards, the refrigerator, and the freezer, and said, “Let’s go grocery shopping.”

We drove to the nearest Dollar General and loaded up on some goodies. When we came back home we settled for toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

Do you call it toasted cheese? I know a lot of people don’t. Everyone calls it something different. I blame my mother because that’s what she called it so that’s what I learned.

The only interesting thing that happened today was when we were sitting outside. The neighbor’s camper started rocking and pretty soon we heard a female voice begin to ooo and aaa. We could only assume one thing was going on inside that camper and listened as we pretended not to. After about 15 minutes the air conditioner turned on. I guess they were too hot. Then we heard some more ooo’s and aaa’s and just smiled at each other.

We spent the rest of the afternoon inside playing cards and games. It might seem boring to some people but we had fun. Maybe not as much fun as the neighbors did, but fun just the same.

The temperature is dropping and is supposed to get as low as 34 overnight.

Thanks for following along with us. See you tomorrow.