2/2/10-- when it rains it pours

Today has been a rainy, miserable day - warm, but rainy - so we have been traveling to Ft. Myers and then holed up in the motel waiting for the ferry tomorrow morning and hopefully better weather in Key West. We won't be posting for a couple of days because we are traveling light to Key West on the ferry and leaving most everything in the car.

2/1/10--We Settle Down

So as of tonight we will have spent 3 days in the one place. We're meeting like-minded 70 somethings on walks with Wallie who buy or rent places off the main drive and stay for the winter. Yesterday there was a couple from Toronto (French speaking) who come down the first of December and stay until the end of April. There is a long cement walkway along the beach where we walk Wallie. He's not allowed on the beach here. Pisser. He loves the beach.

For the Flatlanders, we went up to Hudson as they said and had lunch at Sam's. See above. Hey, it was more thana 20 minute drive. Hudson, and then Tarpon Springs and Dunedin on the way back were our kind of seaside towns. Old Florida. Allthumbs up. See the pictures.

That's about it. Tomorrow we head for Ft. Myers and get the ferry for Key West.

1/30/10--We go trashy

Well, we are staying at the Oasis Palms on Treasure Island, an islet outside St. Pete, and to describe it, well, let me just say that we went to the Publix just now as we shall eat in, and as we pulled up to park by our "suite" two police cars came screaming up with lights flashing. They hustled out of the cars in full battle gear and disappeared into what I think is one of the units. What can I say.

We have a two bedroom suite for $100. And we are actually thinking about staying a second night. At least, before the cop cars. It is one of those old Florida motels that underwent a facelift two years ago, so they say. It is what I like about Florida. Nothing good has been done here in the last 30 years. We drove over to the Gulf Coast to Port Richey and drove down the coast thru Tarpon Springs and Dunedin, etc. and saw a lot of the old Florida. We like it. But then you get over to the series of islets that run along the coast, ending down by Treasure Island and most of it is "new" Florida, interspersed with places like the Oasis Palms.

Above are Peggy and Wallie out front.

We found what is to us a new fast food experience, Boston Market, that puts all of the others to shame. It gives you the flavor of the place. All the raisins get a chicken dinner combo for $5.00. You really can't beat it. We ordered off the senior menu at the Waffle House this morning.

Last night we had the Buffet at the Ramada Maingate, while they were doing Karaoke night about fifty feet away. I enjoyed the roast beef and mashed potato until Peg pointed out the mashed potatoes were powder. $11.99 apiece.

I really think we're ready for retirement.

1/29/10--The Land of the Raisins

Well, my wife arrived tonight on Allegiant Air, and all is well with my world, altho Wallie wants to know who this woman is and why she keeps hugging him.

Last night was the night from hell. St. Augustine Beach is on the beach, alright. But it gets thumbs down.The St. Augustine Beach Resort is way past it's prime and I'm guessing they were doing well if 20% of the rooms were filled. So they obviously are looking for other ways to generate money. They choose to cater to the local 20 something singles swingers crowd. I had a room beachside and I noticed about 20 yards away a veranda with tables.

Well, about 11 pm, after I had fallen asleep, this god awful racket woke me. It was coming from the veranda where a dj had set up and was booming rock music to a crowd of tanked up and riotous young people. It went on until 2 am. Icalled and screamed at the night clerk, but it quickly became evident that they were generating a lot more from the bar than from the rooms, because he didn't give a crap.

What is it with old white guys and young latino men fishing from piers and from the beach? I did a survey driving down A1A from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach. It's a big deal, but only for Old White men and young Latino men. But wait, all their wives are at the flea markets while their men are catching dinner.

The beach communities between Jacksonville and Daytona? Thumbs down. We won't be staying anywhere below Amelia Island.

It's nice having Peg here. We're staying at the RamadaInn Maingate Kissimmee. $35 a night. Caters to young families that cannot afford to stay on the Disney grounds. Tomorrow Peg picks.

1/27/10--Into Florida

Well, I stayed on Hilton Head Island last night and tonight I am on Amelia Island. The results are in. Hilton Head. Thumbs down. Amelia Island. Thumbs up. Why the difference? Both are resort islands. But Hilton Head is Rodeo Drive and Amelia Island is Route One. Does that make sense? Hilton Head wasn't helped by the fact that I never saw the beach. Not once. And I wasn't on Amelia Island more than 5 minutes before Wallie and I were cavorting on a beautiful white sand beach.

Hilton Head is really built up, with exclusive golf resorts with gates and guards,or huge mansions blocking the way to the beach. Yes, there are public access ways every so often to the beach, but no place to park, with signs on these narrow roadways saying no parking. Obviously the access points are only meant for those residents only able to spend a mil or two for non-ocean front property. Not for peons like me staying inland at a Red Roof Inn. Now, I know there must be public beaches somewhere, but I never found them.

And the Red Roof Inn was the first place I've stayed where there was no complimentary breakfast. So I programmed the closest Piggly Wiggly into my GPS. It takes me to one of these chic little malls they have, not like we know a mall, but one story, tree lined, no large signs for the stores, all boutiques style places, not TJ Maxx or Walmarts. Now, there is a sign at entrance to the mall saying "Piggly Wiggly". But I drove around that mall for an hour and couldn't find it. It's like a rabbit warren. I even asked this nice old lady where it was, and she said "Oh, go around this corner and that corner,and there it is". Well, no it wasn't.

So finally I go to a grocery store called BI LO. The guys in the store are all wearing $100 golf shirts and gold rolexes. Me in my $19.95 polo shirt and Seiko watch. I was just uncomfortable the whole time.

Amelia Island is different. I'm staying at a Days Inn literally a hundred feet from the ocean. Picture above. The kind of place I have been staying. Not posh,but adequate. Not on the ocean, but across the street. For $49. You wouldn't find that on Hilton Head. So it's a keeper.

Tomorrow I go to St. Augustine Beach, on the beach, for $49.

1/26/10--I Fall In Love

Well, today was an historic day. Today I declare my independence from caring about politics and become a son of the south. Obama and the House Democrats have not just broken my heart, they tore it from my chest and spit on it. So I am eschewing any further allegience to the Democrat Party and become a son of the South. No longer will I care when elderly women motel clerks ask me if I don't just love that Sarah Palin. Why, yes! She's just peachy, I say.

Why have I done this? Because I have fallen in love with Edisto Island. It is the perfect place to spend the winters. You drive across this huge bridge onto the island and it is another 15 minutes before you really see any sign of civilization (not quite, but almost). No malls. No large grocery stores. No motels. Just preserved land until you get to Edisto Beach. See the beach above. So I will winter here from now on. People's political views will not bother me. I will join the Southern Baptist Church. I will be happy.

Wallie is a crazy guy when he gets on the beach. While I called Peg he ran around me in circles until I was trussed up like a pork roast. Then he likes to run full tilt to the end of his leash and then run back at you and launch himself at you, butting you in the chest. He thinks that's funny.

Wallie wants his dinner. I'll write later.

1/25/10--Myrtle Beach to Charleston

Mid 60s. Sunny. 'Nuff said.

Anecdote of the day: So I stop at a Hardees for lunch. That's like MacD's, BK, Wendy's, with a southern twist I guess. The place is deserted, accept for the Asst. Manager and a girl working the fry pit. So they have this thing called the "thick burger". Okay, I'll try it, hold the fries. I'm on a diet. I get it to go because it's nice out and Wallie's in the car. It comes and I take it out to the car, and open the bag. Now, first of all, she didn't put any napkins in the bag. Aren't they supposed to do that? Second, this is the messiest burger I have ever had, and I've got Wallie with his nose a quarter inch away from my nose the whole time, just to add a little tension to the whole thing. I cannot control that burger. There is catsup and mustard all over my face and hands, and I have no napkins. Remember that Seinfeld episode where George is at Yankee Stadium and they catch him on the big screen eating a hot fudge sunday, with fudge smeared all over his face? That's me. And I am convinced that they're watching me inside, laughing their guts out.

There's nothing for it but to go in to the bathroom and clean up. I walk thru the door and neither the manager or fry cook will make eye contact, but the asst. manager says "Bathroom is in the back, sir." They're very respectful down here in the South.

Okay, the weather is to die for. And the beachesat Myrtle Beach and on down the coast in Surfside and Garden City are wide, packed sand, and endless. I love it here and I am coming back next February for a month. Okay, Peg? Now, granted, Myrtle Beach is a more northern version of Miami Beach. But, hey, when you've got a killer beach and good weather, that's what happens. It's a trade-off. Maybe Garden City is a shade less tacky, so okay, Peg, I'll compromise. And Murrell's Inlet which is separated from the coast by marshland is really very nice, no highrises, etc. We'll work something out. And every where you go there are vacancy signs. I'm driving down these roads by the shore with resorts all over, and hardly any traffic on the roads. So I think there are deals to be had.

Above is Wallie on the beach, and a view of the highrises interspersed with residential areas.

Tomorrow I go to Edisto Island, and end up in Hilton Head at a Red Roof Inn for $40!