DAY 213

Note:  Time passes so fast that sometimes good intentions about posting to our blog have to be put on the back burner until later.  Upon returning to Florida Grande in November we immediately left and visited with both daughters and families and enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in Suwanee, GA.  Of course we were interested in how Lauren's new chiropractic office, Suwanee Spine and Wellness, is doing - it's better than she ever anticipated.  And if you are curious as to how "Junque In The Trunk" in Fleming Island is doing, it is the talk of the town, to put it mildly.  We left our coach in FL and drove the car to Atlanta, and while we were very comfortable staying with Lauren and Chris, we were extremely happy to get back to our house on wheels. So leading up to all this..........

This is Day 213, kind of the end of this year's journey, since we left Florida Grande in Webster, FL on April 1, 2012, and it has been an amazing journey.  We had many good times, extremely sad times, glad times and memorable times.  We enjoyed meeting new friends, visiting with old friends and family, and going down roads we had never traveled before.  It was fun getting lost, being found, and laughing til our sides hurt.  We celebrated our five year anniversary in October, 2012 as fulltimers, and if the next five years are as interesting as the last five, and we continue to have our health, we will consider ourselves very blessed. After our last blog post, we traveled to Red Bay, Alabama, for several more improvements on the coach (which have been added under the tab called "Coach Upgrades" above). At Red Bay we enjoyed seeing friends like Wayne and Kathy Page, also having work done to their coach.  Wayne had to be life-flighted to Florence, AL after he had a heart attack.  It was fortunate for him that Florence has one of the best cardiac hospitals in the Southeast. Kathy relocated the coach to McFarland Park in Florence, and after Wayne was released from the hospital, he was able to recuperate comfortably in their coach on the banks of the beautiful Tennessee River near the Wilson Dam.  He is doing fine and we feel sure they are travelling down the road like rock stars, as we speak. Tiffin Service Center - Red Bay, AL Tiffin Service Center - Red Bay, AL  We enjoy returning to Florida as Fall approaches by spending time at the "Redneck Riviera" near Destin and Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Another day is done.... Santa Rosa Beach, FL We stayed at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park for  2 weeks and enjoyed one weekend where Harold, Kristen, our 4 grandchildren, and our good friend, Savannah Benton, visited us to go to the monstrous community yard sale held in the Amphitheatre in Seaside, Florida.   Besides enjoying seeing our family, we also had many good times with friends from Florida Grande, Fred and Evie Wolf and David and Diane Drinkwater. Topsail Hill Preserve State Park Topsail Hill Preserve State Park US Highway 98 may be one of the most beautiful highways in Florida.  Much of the time you are driving parallel to the scenic Gulf of Mexico and you can visualize what old Florida is like.  After passing Apalachicola,  we decided we would take a day trip to St. George Island.  We stayed in Carrabelle Beach and drove our car over to St. George Island after we bought oysters in Eastpoint.  A very long bridge (4.5 miles long - 3rd longest bridge in FL) connects beautiful and environmentally sensitive St. George Island to the mainland.  After checking out the island, the campground facilities and the beach, we've decided to stay on St. George Island next year. U.S. Highway 98 - Carrabelle, Florida In closing, after arriving back in Green Cove Springs, we helped as part-timers on an "as-needed" basis at Junque In The Trunk, Harold and Kristen's new up-scale furniture store in Fleming Island, Fl..  We plan our return every Halloween to see our grandchildren in their costumes (and help them eat their candy).   Kristen and I went to the annual FL/GA Football Game. We probably wouldn't have gone if my brother, Jesse, hadn't gotten tickets for Kristen and I in the Terrace Suites - definitely a great way to see the game!  It wasn't a good day for the Gators, but we definitely enjoyed ourselves. Junque In The Trunk - Fleming Island, FL