HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM FORT LAUDERDALE! ORANGE BOWL TONIGHT

December 30, 2019, A Special Day!!!!

Wyndham Garden

Sun, some rain

80F

Sun and a few sprinkles followed us to Sawgrass Mills Mall, about 2 ½ hours from Cocoa Beach.  Travelers rocked the roads yet again, maybe speedily driving to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and environs for the Orange Bowl tonight at 8 p.m., Florida Gators vs. Virginia Cavaliers.  They sure were in a hurry.

TK’s GMC Sierra is a good match for traffic and since he drove a firetruck for a living, he can handle just about anything. His one wish is for a siren and an air horn though.

Sawgrass Mills Mall was more crowded than ever. We negotiated the crowds and made a few quick purchases. It is a huge mall that we both enjoy. I noticed lots of glittery gowns on sale, especially for New Year’s Eve!

From their website: “Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States.  There are more than 350 stores, including outlet locations from Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren and Gap, plus Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg, GUCCI, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo Company Store, Tory Burch and Versace.  There is something for everyone in this enclosed, air conditioned and climate-controlled mall located just 30 minutes from Miami International Airport and 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.”   https://www.simon.com/mall/sawgrass-mills/about 

Oasis Court, outside Sawgrass Mills Mall

After lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, we headed to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale. By the way, all of our hotels so far have been paid for with points, no charge.

We unloaded our luggage into our room to prepare for tomorrow’s flight to Los Angeles, sorting out what to take and what to leave for the next cruise and the trip home. We did fairly well this year compared to our 2010 Panama Canal cruise, with only three large suitcases between us and we each have a carry-on bag.  My carry on will have my DSLR camera, lenses, binoculars, my laptop (14 inch), and my iPad. Those are items I never leave to chance in checked luggage.  

We called Son R to wish him a happy birthday—I am sorry to miss his big birthday this year. 

TK’s Takes: As he was returning to the hotel room from the lobby, a man on the elevator asked TK if he was going to tailgate at tonight’s Orange Bowl. Not so much.

HARMONY IN PORT CANAVERAL!

Marriott Residence Inn

Port Canaveral, Florida

Sun, some rain

80F

Our jaunt this Sunday morning was only two hours, from St. Augustine to Port Canaveral. We enjoyed driving U.S. 1 for a while, watching Florida life pass by—the traffic was incredibly heavy again on both I-95 and U.S. 1. Where are these people going?? I spent two hours pondering that, making up stories in my head.

Titusville, FL to Cocoa Beach, one of our favorite stops

Orlando is west of this area

TK spotted the Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas in port, now the world’s 2^nd largest cruise ship. Behemoth.

  Royal Caribbean Harmony of the Seas in the background

photo taken off our hotel room balcony

Our first stop was Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, which is celebrating being in business for 60 years! It is always worth a stop, but today was the busiest I have ever seen it. 

After checking in to our hotel and getting gas, we headed back to Titusville for lunch at Dixie Crossroads, the restaurant operates its own shrimp boats-direct supply!! Red shrimp are available now and that is what we had! Great shrimp, my favorite fries, and hush puppies. That was breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Our friends Donna and Lawrence are driving to Chicago from Janesville, Wisconsin today-they will fly into Los Angeles tomorrow out of O’Hare. We will meet them in LA on Wednesday.

TK's Takes:  He was very happy to see so many cars leave I-95 for I-4 and head to Orlando. Lots and lots of people were headed that way!

WARMTH WELCOMES US ALL THE WAY TO FLORIDA!

Fairfield Inn

St. Augustine, Florida

73F

Even though December is the earliest we have ever departed for our winter getaway, it is the warmest weather ever all the way. Sandals and no jacket this morning, first thing!

Last night (Friday, December 27) was interesting in two ways—first TK received an email from Princess Cruise Lines offering to fully refund our money if we would take an inside stateroom on the same cruise. They would send a check to us in February. TK and I disagreed about this, to put it mildly. The email stated we would have to pay port fees and taxes (no amount mentioned) and did not state if we would receive our onboard credit for military and other amenities for our booking that included all gratuities paid. Also, it did not state the size of the inside stateroom, which would have no windows. 

Dear Readers, consider what you would do!?

A balcony stateroom for a Panama Cruise is ideal because one can see the canal and locks up-close and personal. I remember in 2010 when we wanted to see the whole scale of the canal (our first PC cruise), I could barely get to the rail on the top deck and I am a “tall person always in front of me so I can’t see” magnet. We bring binoculars as well as my DSLR camera.  On our 2010 PC cruise I saw a whale breech right in front of me off our balcony on the Pacific. That would not be possible in an inside stateroom (I hope).

Janie also thought this offer was an insult—why not offer an UPgrade, to a suite, not a DOWNgrade?? We have been upgraded one time on a Princess cruise, and this one would be our 12^th Princess cruise, 120 days of cruising with them.

We have been looking forward to this cruise for about a year, always with a balcony stateroom in mind. To do another PC cruise “the right way” would take another year and I believe in doing things while we are healthy and able. I can’t see into the future.  The money returned to us would not cover another “exotic” cruise, like the Mediterranean, and certainly does not cover airfare in addition.

TK showed me that others received the same offer and they mentioned it on Cruise Critic, a website where cruisers discuss such things. Many thought it was a great idea, others did not. However, no Cruise Critic member who was online last night took the deal.  Apparently, this kind of offer happens often.

Anyway, we did not take the deal. End of story!

The second interesting item was that our Hilton Garden Inn was accommodating busloads of unsupervised children about middle school age last night. Apparently, there was a basketball tournament in Rock Hill this weekend. Readers, you can only imagine the noise, slamming doors, running, shouting, laughing.  Thankfully TK can fall asleep easily—he is the driver! Several phone calls later and several visits by hotel staff to our floor, and the noise was finally subdued. There were adults with the children, but I guess they had their own party going on.

This may be the most negative blog day I have ever done.

After 7 hours of driving and "crawling in traffic," we arrived in St. Augustine-the Premium Outlet Mall and Tommy Bahama’s-no purchases this time!  Dinner at Cracker Barrel at 7 p.m. We are pushing ourselves too much, but from here it is easy. I appreciate TK’s driving skills!

Our traditional stop at the Florida Welcome Center, orange juice not available today?!?

I did skim David McCullough’s Path Between the Seas to refresh my memory of building the canal-I read and annotated it thoroughly in 2010.  Such an amazing feat! This year we will sail the new canal, finished in 2016.

TK’s Takes: He has never seen so much traffic as we travel. North and South Carolina highways (VA and WV too) are four lanes, two each way. People are crazy drivers, darting in and out of lanes, jostling with semi-tractor trailers, children in the car. We were slowed down by at least 3 accidents and got off the highway twice for detours—I-77, I-26, and I-95. Georgia and Florida have 6 lanes of traffic,  3 lanes each way. Anyone reading this knows the routine!  

TK said he would take the offer if he was traveling alone. [JK take: I hope that doesn't mean he has something in mind]

ROCKIN' IN ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA

Hilton Garden Inn

Rock Hill, South Carolina

58F

What a planner and driver TK is! We left Erie at 7:17 a.m. and arrived in Rock Hill, SC at 5:25 p.m. with only four gas/rest stops along the way. It was about 55F when we left Erie with dry roads, and hardly a snow patch in sight for the whole way, 650 miles.

The only hazards were those lane hoggers and a few slowdowns, even on the hilly windy roads of West Virginia and Virginia, two lane traffic headed south almost the whole way. That said, we really flew through the infamous Charlotte, NC area—a lot less traffic, no construction, and Express Lanes finally open!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, those Express Lanes are worth the cost, but we don’t know how much! We have EZ Pass so we will find out later.

I do think this was the earliest we ever arrived at our first destination.  Anyway, we made our usual stop at New River Gorge, West Virginia, for our photo op and lunch, about 12:30 p.m.

We are on vacation!!

Janie and TK at New River Gorge, West Virginia. The winter coat was not needed!

TK’s Takes: He was a little surprised at the Pilot gas station when a woman dressed in her Christmas pajamas walked into the store. It was the easiest drive ever through Charlotte.

ALMOST PACKED!

Erie, Pennsylvania
December 26, 2019
55F-some clouds

What a whirlwind the past month has been. Sandwiched between Thanksgiving and Christmas was packing, gift buying, gift wrapping, Christmas cards, more packing, TK's planning, World War I work (including a meeting with a potential printer), baking cookies, DAR reports, and so much more!  I know  this is a busy time of year for everyone!!

I am almost packed-TK told me that all bags must be in the truck  by today. Uh oh. I still have Christmas cards to do.

Our Christmas was great--our family was in Jamestown, New York this year, a great setting and easy travel with dry roads. The wonder of it is that R and B and their daughters B1 and B2 are skiing and snowboarding today at Peak n Peek! At least there is snow where it belongs, a ski resort!!

I better get back to packing, but here are wonderful images of FAMILY!

Thanksgiving 2019 / Erie, PA

Thanksgiving 2019 / Erie

The Pie Bakers, B2 and B1!

Christmas in Waterford 2019 at Brother's home / December 21, 2019

Christmas in Jamestown, NY / December 25, 2019

B2, Grandma, B1!

Christmas in Jamestown, NY / December 25, 2019

Son B, B1, D

Christmas in Jamestown, NY / December 25, 2019

Son R, B2, and C

Christmas in Jamestown, NY / December 25, 2019

Janie and TK

Christmas in Jamestown, NY / December 25, 2019

My favorite sons!

EXPLORING THE WORLD AGAIN!

Erie, Pennsylvania
Wednesday, December 8, 2019
23F/some snow

It's Tim Time again! He loves to cruise, especially in January, so we are off on another adventure, departing Erie on December 27.

Our proposed itinerary:
December 27, 2019: Leave Erie, drive to Rock Hill SC
December 28, 2019: Drive to St. Augustine, FL
December 29, 2019: Drive to Cocoa Beach, FL
December 30, 2019: Drive to Fort Lauderdale, FL
December 31, 2019: Fly to Los Angeles, CA
January 1, 2020: Happy New Year in LA
January 2, 2020: Board the Emerald Princess!
January 3-4, 2020: At Sea
January 5, 2020: Puerta Vallarta, Mexico
January 6, 2020: At Sea
January 7, 2020: Huatulco, Mexico
January 8, 2020: At Sea
January 9, 2020: San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
January 10, 2020: Puntarenas, Costa Rico
January 11, 2020: At Sea
January 12, 2020: Fuerta Amador, Panama
January 13, 2020: Cruising the Panama Canal
January 14, 2020: Cartagena, Colombia
January 15-16, 2020: At Sea
January 17-18, 2020: Fort Lauderdale
January 19, 2020: Board the Regal Princess
January 20, 2020: Princess Cays
January 21, 2020: At Sea
January 22, 2020: St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
January 23, 2020: St. Martin, West Indies
January 24-25, 2020: At Sea
January 26-28, 2020: Fort Lauderdale to Naples, FL
January 29-February 1, 2020: St. Augustine, FL
February 1, 2020: Leave for Erie


And that is how TK vacations!

From Erie 2017

To Paradise....

SNOWY RIDE HOME TO ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA

WEDNESDAY
On the Road
10 a.m., Virginia
35F, slush on road, fog in places, some precipitation

As I write, we are on I-77 Northbound, headed for gas at Wytheville, Virginia

Thankfully we had a good night’s sleep and found our winter clothes so we were better attired today, boots, gloves, winter coat!  TK says the driving is not bad, but I feel like we are at the mercy of how well other drivers handle the weather conditions. Our worst drive home was a few years ago when we were traveling from New Orleans to Erie, a route we had never been on. Icy, snowy conditions in Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Ohio made for some scary situations, all states that are not really equipped for icy, snowy roads.  I begged TK to stop, but he is such a good driver and he persisted. We saw semis, RVs, cars, and trucks off the road, but we made it through without issue.

Another issue along the way is eating. We are notorious for driving many many hours without eating—it always seems like the next exit will have better restaurants. so I resolved to do a better job this year. We did not succeed yesterday, hence we went about 9 hours without stopping to eat.

My recommendation was to eat in Virginia because West Virginia has difficult on and off ramps and few choices. One year we almost tangled with a semi as we tried to find a Cracker Barrel that had very poor roadside directions. I even called that Cracker Barrel when we got home and mentioned that fact.

TK says we will find something along Rt 19 in WV, so we will get gas in Wytheville in about 5 minutes and proceed right along.

10:24 a.m. Stop for 20 minutes-gas and Dunkin Donuts. That helps!

Gasoline along the way: This is an interesting study in how gas prices differ in various states. We keep track of our receipts so here is a brief rundown. TK likes to keep the tank full, by the way.
This list does not reflect every fuel stop we made———
Jan 23-Grove City, PA.         $2.40/gallon (Sheetz)
Jan 23-Wytheville, VA.         $2.02/gal. (Flying J)
Jan 24-St. George, SC.          $1.97/gal (Flying J)
Jan 29-St. Cloud, FL.            $2.21/gal (Shell-turnpike)
Feb 10-Ft. Myers, FL.           $2.19/gal (RaceTrac)
Feb 14-Zephyrhills, FL.         $2.14/gal (Wawa)
Feb 19-Wildwood, FL.          $2.11/gal  (Pilot)
Feb 19-St. George, SC.          $2.13/gal (Flying J)
Feb 20-Mooresville, SC.        $2.07/gal. (Sam’s Club)
Feb 20-Wytheville, VA.         $2.06/gal  (Pilot)
To be continued...11:06 a.m.

There is more snow on the ground north of Wytheville, but the roads are fine and the fog hangs just above the hills. The GPS indicates we have 6 hr 12 min, 402 miles to go.

Welcome to West Virginia, the GPS calls out, right in the middle of the Blue Mountain Tunnel! This is the 10th year of my blog, Exploring the World. I wasn’t going to write this year, but several friends said they were looking forward to it, so...another year! I did not say our sons said that, but I know they have read along. It certainly is a good way to keep track of us. The best part is that I have a log of what we did every year and it helps both TK and I remember certain places we visited. This was a good trip and it seems like the time went very quickly.

It is 11:14 a.m. and I am going to keep a careful watch for the best restaurant along the way in West Virginia on Route 19–we are still on I-77–35F

UPDATE: 1:56 p.m. About noon we stopped at the friendliest IHOP in Beckley, WV.  TK was wiser than I because he had eggs, bacon, and pancakes. I love pancakes. At least we ate before 6 p.m.! We have traveled over I-77,  Route 19, and now we are on I-79 with 4 hrs, 23 minutes to go and 295 miles. We have passed t though snow, rain, and now sprinkles. The roads are good and the temperature in Mount Lookout WV is 39F.

UPDATE:  4:15 p.m. For some reason the iPad is not totally cooperating and I cannot see what I am typing. About 2 p.m. we stopped in Flatwoods, WV, a tradition, to see what they have in the Fiesta shop.  It was 55F and felt very warm!

We have just passed into Pennsylvania with 2 1/2 hours to go. We see about three inches of snow on the ground, but the roads are dry.

UPDATE:  5:50 p.m Zelienople, PA. 31F
A snow/rain mixture, heavier traffic and about 77 miles to go.  We stopped at a Pilot station for gas—$2.52/gallon.   About an hour left, ETD 7 p.m. TK can do this!!

HEAT WAVE IN FLORIDA, TRIVIAL PURSUIT, AND FLEA MARKETS!

On the Road Again—GMC Sierra with WiFi
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
Cloudy, 60s

SATURDAY—Breakfast with a side of antiques

We sure enjoyed the warmth and sun of Florida this past week. I am grateful that Mary Lou and Scorchy have wanted to do so much with us again this year. They are talking about selling the RV at TRR and that will be a big change for them, but they enjoy life to the fullest no matter where they are.

This morning we sat on an outdoor porch as we ate breakfast at Florida Cracker Kitchen in Brooksville, Florida.  This cute little restaurant has expanded and has plenty of regulars. The owners purchased several shops next to them and now have a bar and a gift shop nearby. I was hungry for pancakes, but their syrup had a spice in it that just did not provide that original maple syrup flavor that I love. TK’s specialty omelet was filled with sausage, green peppers, bacon, onion, and cheese. He opted for grits, a dish he has developed a taste for.

Florida Cracker Kitchen, a restaurant that the locals love

The Woman's Club of Dade City, founded in  1906

Dade City was having a sidewalk antique sale so we spent considerable time there wandering in and out of familiar antique shops. By now readers probably think the truck is full of antiques, clothes, shoes, and odds and ends. In reality TK and I are both lookers. I have certain items I look for, but other than some summer clothes and shoes, I have not purchased much.

On the way home we stopped at Kumquat Growers, Inc. to purchase a frozen kumquat pie. After church we had Pizza Hut pizza and the delicious pie. Kumquats can be eaten whole, rind and all, but they are tart. They do make a delicious pie!

Kumquat Growers Inc. 

TK snapped a photo of a kumquat tree--the trees do get larger, but kumquats do not. 

Look closely and you will see the orange gems on this tree!

SUNDAY—Family reunited!

Scorchy golfs on the TRR 9-hole golf course most every day. While he golfed, TK and Mary Lou drove to Dade City’s Jersey Mikes for sub sandwiches. I stayed home to spiff up the cabana and sweep up the live oak leaves on the patio and sidewalk.  By a little after 11 a.m. we were all happy to see Tim’s brother and sister in law, Tom and Carol, drive in from Estero.

Front, L to R: BrothersTK and Tom

Back, L to R: Janie, Carol, Mary Lou, Scorchy

We commandeered the next door neighbor for a family portrait! 

It wasn’t long before a game of Trivial Pursuit was begun, a family favorite. Fortunately I was on Team TK and Tom, and after an hour or so we won, with a few laughs and catching up with family news along the way. Carol brought one of her delicious strawberry pies for dessert after the sub sandwiches. A June wedding and a June baby will be anticipated!

MONDAY—Webster Westside Fleamarket and Marguerita Grill
Despite the heat, TK, Scorchy, and I headed to Webster, about a half hour away, for another day of hunting for bargains. Webster is known for both acres of antiques as well as new items, fresh fruits, and vegetables. It took four hours for me to become acquainted with each and every booth.

Just  a tiny glimpse of Webster Flea Market and Antiques

Before we left, we bought a half crate of fresh strawberries to take home 

to Erie as well as some Honey Bell oranges

Mary Lou was ready to go to lunch/dinner when we returned to TRR. TK wanted to go to Dan's Crab Stand in Crystal River but it was closed on Mondays--their seafood is ultra fresh as they own their fishing boats. Second choice was The Freezer in Homosassa. TK, who has been our only driver, patiently drove the hour to The Freezer only to discover there was an hour wait. The third choice was Marguerita Grill nearby and still in Homosassa. We were able to get a seat outdoors on the deck overlooking Crystal River and the docks. This restaurant was busy too and even though we were quickly seated we waited over an hour for our dinner.  My shrimp basket was excellent, and Mary Lou liked her Greek salad and spinach pie, but TK only had a burger and Scorchy is very particular about fish. 

Back at TRR we packed for departure on Tuesday.

TUESDAY--the long road home and Charlotte's traffic...
Fairfield Inn
Mooresville, NC
33F, rain

Obviously there is not much exciting about driving for nine hours, especially since the drive turned into over ten hours because of CHARLOTTE, NC. Especially since we chose to eat our one meal (except for a Dunkin Donut at 9 a.m.) when we reached Mooresville--we thought at about 5 p.m. since we started out at 8 a.m. Haha on us.  We pulled into Cracker Barrel at 6:30, starved and frustrated by traffic. One of the two of us is especially impatient in traffic.

We hope the weather allows us to reach Erie tomorrow!!  We did not think it would be this cold in NC and TK was still in shorts. Brrr!

Traffic southbound on I-77. 

Northbound on I-77

We never time this right, no matter when we get to this area. 

TK's Takes: He is too tired, "I'm beat up from driving today. Charlotte is the worst city ever to drive through."

RENNIGERS ANTIQUE EXTRAVAGANZA!

FRIDAY, February 15, 2019

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

80F, sunny

What a beautiful day! Sunny and warm right from the start. Mt. Dora was a one hour and fifteen minute drive and we happily paid the $10/pp entry fee for the Renningers Antique Extravaganza.  I have never been to Brimfield in New England, but this antique show sure suits my needs! I spent four hours hunting for World War I, Franciscan Apple dishes, Depression glass sherbets, linens, buttons, a plant stand, and so much more.  That said, I only made a few purchases. TK and I met briefly at noon at the Arepa stand for our favorite corn meal and mozzarella cheese “sandwich.”  Two hours later we found each other again and he had a taco salad—the vendor makes the taco shell on site. TK’s other purchase was kettle corn—I do know that he was on the lookout for WWI for me, but his greatest quest was kettle corn!

Renniger's Antique Extravaganza, Mt. Dora, Florida

Buy Gran Arepas here!!

More antiques!

TK’s Take: There were the most people he had ever seen at the Extravaganza, but the parking attendant did not agree.  TK did say that the kettle corn was the best ever. His standard is Cowboy Kettle Korn in the Erie area.

TK and Janie on Valentine's Day 2019

I could not post this yesterday

PANERA BREAD, VALENTINE'S DAY, AND A FASHION SHOW!

THURSDAY, February 14, 2019

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

58F, sunny

Happy Valentine’s Day!! As a special treat my Valentine TK drove me to the Panera Bread in Zephyrhills this morning so I could write and post with photos with no frustration.

Today is supposed to warm up considerably, but this morning at 10:30 a.m., it is 58F, which is far better than the 32F in Erie!

Some observations: Apparently speculators are buying farm land around the Dade City, TRR area. It is rumored that another campground will be built next to TRR. Land is available because orange groves are being chopped down, mostly because the trees are suffering from greening.

From the Internet website https://www.floridacitrus.org/newsroom/citrus-411/citrus-greening/what-is-citrus-greening/, Citrus greening (also known as Huanglongbing or HLB) is a disease spread by an insect called the Asian citrus psyllid. The psyllid feeds on the stems and leaves of the trees, infecting the trees with the bacteria that causes citrus greening. Greening impairs the tree’s ability to take in nourishment, ultimately resulting in fewer and smaller fruit over time. Once a tree is infected, there is no cure. 

This is a sad situation—the farmers are selling their land, and few are chopping the groves down and replanting. We have seen areas where more building is going on—the Dade City area is mostly rural, but that has been changing since we have been visiting the last couple years. Besides orange groves, the area is known for cattle farming (mostly beef) and horses.

In the afternoon Mary Lou and I went to a fashion show in the TRR community building. The theme was "Calendar Girls," and I was truly impressed by the planning. Each month was represented by a model, and a holiday or two for each month. Appropriate music accompanied each model. 

Miss Fourth of July

Miss Thanksgiving

The finale--from right to left: Miss St. Patrick's Day, Miss May, Miss June, Miss Father's Day, and Miss Mother's Day

Each outfit came from a thrift shop, friends, their closet, or on sale. 

Most cost between $2 and $30.  I loved the concept.  

TK and Scorchy grilled steaks for dinner and Mary Lou made a salad, baked potatoes, and shrimp cocktail. A fine dinner for Valentine's Day!

Sandhill cranes visit our backyard. They have been quiet this year--usually they wake us up early in the morning!

Here is an outline of the next few days in case Internet access is unavailable.

Friday: TK and I will drive to Mt. Dora for the largest outdoor antique show—Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza—1000 booths! And, my favorite—arepas! https://renningers.net/index.php

AREPAS--From Wikipedia: The arepa is a pre-Columbian dish from the area that is now Colombia and Venezuela.  Instruments used to make flour for the arepas, and the clay slabs on which they were cooked, were often found at archaeological sites in the area of both countries.

The arepa is a flat, round, unleavened patty of soaked, ground kernels of maize, or—more frequently nowadays—maize meal or maize flour that can be grilled, baked, fried, boiled or steamed. The characteristics vary by color, flavor, size, and the food with which it may be stuffed, depending on the region.  My favorite and what they make at the antique show is filled with cheese.

 

Saturday: unplanned-but breakfast at Florida Cracker Kitchen, “A place to come feed your soul and belly at the same time and a lifestyle that brings you to your roots. The Florida Cracker Kitchen located in Brooksville Florida is a Figment of the Blair and Ethan Hensley’s Imagination that has become a reality bringing you to our kitchen table. Come see who we are and please come join us for a meal or two and enjoy our lifestyle.”  http://www.floridacrackerkitchen.com/  I have been “hankering” return there for several years, but we haven’t had the time.  This year we do!

 

Sunday: TK’s brother and sister in law are driving up from the Naples area so the three siblings can be together for the first time in two years. The traditional Trivial Pursuit game may ensue.

 

Monday: Webster Antiques and Flea Market—this is TK’s favorite—old and new, 35 acres of exercise! https://websterwestsidefleamarket.com/

We may start home on Tuesday or Wednesday.

LIVE OAKS AND THEIR ACORNS, OH DEAR!

WEDNESDAY, February 13, 2019

Travelers Rest Resort

Dade City, Florida

60F, rainy day, but the sun is trying to peak out from the clouds

We forgot about the acorns. A large southern live oak (Quercus  virginian) tree casts a shadow over the cabana and every two years it sheds its acorns. Guess what. Whether raining or not, the acorns fall and fall and fall on the cabana. The sound is inescapable at night despite earplugs. I am sure any reader of this blog gets the idea of what that sounds like on a metal roof. Even the raindrops cause a not so gentle sound. TK and I are in great moods when we don’t sleep. Ha!  I did learn that they are called live oak because their leaves remain green throughout the winter, but that reminds me, the leaves make a noise when they fall on the cabana too—believe it or not.

Perhaps the sound will eventually lull us to sleep over the next six or so nights, who knows?

Since it was raining and cool, the four of us decided to go to Ybor City in Tampa for lunch at the Columbia Spanish Restaurant (www.columbiarestaurant.com) established in the Cuban community since 1907. The tiled exterior with twisted columns were exquisite details that beckoned us inside. Because the restaurant is known for its authentic Cuban food, I ordered a half Cuban sandwich, ham, roast pork, salami, swiss cheese, and yellow mustard, and the Cuban black bean soup. TK ordered the same sandwich with Columbia’s original 1905 salad (pork, ham, lettuce, tomatoes, Swiss cheese). Before our order was delivered, each of us was given a big hunk of fresh Cuban bread, toasted, with butter. Thank goodness carbs are my friends because I easily polished that bread off –so did Mary Lou, Scorchy, and TK by the way.

Mary Lou and Scorchy at the Columbia

The sandwich and soup were delicious but I should have asked for the mustard on the side—not a fan of yellow mustard. This is a Dijon mustard kind of girl! For dessert TK and I shared the best bread pudding (thick La Segunda Central Bakery Cuban bread)—the serving was so large I do not see how one person could eat the whole thing. My all time favorite bread pudding is served at Oceana Restaurant in New Orleans, but this dish is my 2^nd all time favorite!!

1/2 Cuban Sandwich and Cuban Black Bean Soup

Columbus arrives in the New World, exterior, Columbia Restaurant

Bar area, Columbia Restaurant

Front of the menu

Exterior

It wasn’t hard to convince TK to stop at the Tampa International Mall—his sister wanted to go too. Dillards, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and so much more—what’s not to like? I made two rounds, while TK walked with Mary Lou and Scorchy. Lots to see, but only a few purchases.

Back at TRR, it is quite cool, more like 54F. We took a quick walk around the garden area, but hopefully tomorrow we can take a more leisurely stroll.

A small section of the TRR garden

And I thought cruise ship Internet was bad. I have been on a neighbor's signal as well as TRR and it is painful. Photos will have to wait another day.  I can always buy TK a tank of gas and sit in the truck with his wifi!