Blogs, random thoughts, travel
-
No Place Like Home
When we travel in our van Wanda, we travel with our own toilet and accoutrements. That means “home quality” toilet paper wherever we go. But now that the panic of the pandemic has subsided, we have taken to using other facilities as well. On the last trip I was reminded of the poor quality of toilet paper in state parks. A friend who once traveled to Russia described their toilet paper as “wax paper at best”. I would say that most state parks use a Russian supplier who leans more towards tissue paper quality. -
Travel Notes
While driving through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we were treated on three or four occasions to pairs of white swans living in small lakes or beaver ponds, but one time we did a double take when we saw a flock of pink plastic flamingoes on a pond in the middle of nowhere!
-
A Drive-Thru Experience to Remember
On our recent trip to the Great Lakes, we entered into Culver Country. Culver’s is a Wisconsin-based frozen-custard-and-more fast-food franchise founded in 1984. They do have stores in twenty-six states but this was our first time to visit one. (We also visited our first White Castle’s franchise on this trip but Jenni said we should never mention that again.)
-
You Meet the Nicest People
The man in the Ford Transit van came out and we struck up a conversation. I was as mesmerized by his Minnesota accent as he may have been by my southern drawl. (Asking ‘where y’all headed?’ tends to indicate I ain’t from around there). -
Oops I Did It Again
With much less trepidation than the first time around, I published a second book this week. “Living With Wanda 2: Campervan Adventures Continue” is now available on Amazon as a Kindle eBook or in paperback. -
Wildlife Goals
Basically to see wildlife in the parks you watch other people. As we entered Yellowstone, we asked one ranger if there were any carcasses attracting bears or wolves. (Obvious by her reaction it wasn’t the first time she had been asked such a thing.) -
Decisions, Decisions
Before going to sleep that night at Hunting Island SP, we tried to make plans for the following day. It was our intent to backtrack a little and visit Edisto Beach which is back towards Charleston. As the crow flies, the distance from Hunting Island to Edisto is relatively short, but crows can cross water and Wanda cannot. It would be close to a two-hour drive to get there. -
Cherished Places
Huntington Beach State Park was the go-to beach destination for our family when we lived in the area. Sunday evenings were a perfect time to visit. All the tourists had either checked out of their hotels at 11 AM to drive back to Ohio and New Jersey or they had just arrived for a 3 PM check-in and were now looking for a place to eat their first all-you-can-eat seafood buffet of the week. The beach was always deserted on Sunday evenings. -
Back to the Ultimate Outsider Challenge
When Jenni and I purchased our state park pass in February 2021, we never imagined we would only be a third of the way through the forty-seven parks after two full years. Of course, in those two years we logged nearly 30,000 miles visiting another forty states. But it was time to get serious about checking off a few more South Carolina state parks.
-
Miss B
There was a family reunion at her farm as well as other reunions in other places. I reminded her of the time Jenni and I were watching the Conway Christmas Parade and she drove an antique tractor down Main Street. (That’s the kind of Southern woman she is!) That brought whole new tales of the tractor club she and her husband had enjoyed. With each story she told, she would lovingly say “Thank you for reminding me of this memory.”
-
A Waterfall for My Birthday
As I sipped my coffee the morning of my birthday, Jenni asked if I had considered what I wanted to do to celebrate turning sixty, inferring the day was my choice. I said I wanted to hike a new waterfall. (Be careful of the offers you make a birthday boy!)
-
Resolutions Status Report
Here it is, the middle of January (more or less), so it must be time to make some resolutions for the year.Perhaps the first should be to plan better.
- Previous page
- Page 2 of 4
- Next page