FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY - Suwanee, Georgia

After Red Bay we travelled to Atlanta to visit with our daughter, Lauren, and son in law, Chris.  We also enjoyed visiting with our friends, Bill and Doris Fuqua, newly transplanted residents to Gainesville, GA.  While we really wanted to visit much more, the time just gets away from you.  Lauren has relocated her office in Suwanee and much of the time was spent in helping her move.  Which is worse - moving from a household or an office?!  We played a small part but it took quite a bit of our time. As many of you know, business moves require a lot of coordination and work.

Before I forget, congratulations to Chris on his new promotion as Director of Community Relations with the Atlanta Falcons.  While we were in Atlanta, Chris coordinated an annual fishing tournament on Lake Lanier  (Fishing With The Falcons), sponsored for the last 8 years by the Atlanta Falcons and features football players, veterans, and Wounded Warriors.

Suwanee, GA, where Lauren and Chris reside, is an interesting city in Gwinnett County, located about 30 minutes north of Atlanta and is home to about 16,000 residents.  The Town Center Park, which opened in December, 2003, is a gathering place with 3 interlinking walkways, the largest interactive fountain in Gwinnett County, large open areas, a performance stage with a 1000 seat terraced amphitheatre area.  

Suwanee Town Center, Suwanee, GA

City Hall located at Suwanee Town Center

Town Center Park, a 10 acre urban-style park, is symbolically the heart of the town of Suwanee.  The Town Center is considered the "front yard" of the community.  Good food, good music, good fun...what's not to like?

Bring your chairs, coolers, etc. - Meet your friends!

Water Feature at Suwanee Town Center

Food Truck Friday is an event that rolls into the Suwanee Town Center about once a month during the summer months.  We met several local people who had never attended the event before and were astounded by the numbers of people and how well the crowd was handled and quickly fed.  Not only is there enough room to handle the crowd but there are so many areas for families to freely walk and enjoy.  People-watching is definitely the number one activity!

Food Truck Friday - Suwanee Town Center

 The only challenge on Food Truck Friday is "How am I going to choose between all these delicious food truck options?" We chose the Atlanta Burger Truck and ordered the Turkey Burger with goat cheese, lettuce, tomato, homemade pickles, and red onion.  YUM!  Great choice.  We thought it kind of amusing there was an unmarked food truck selling catfish and grits doing a jam up business.

The Atlanta Burger Food Truck - Suwanee Town Center

Food Truck Friday - Suwanee Town Center

Lauren and I are People-Watching!

On Tapa The World Food Truck

Simply The Best Philly Cheese Steak Food Truck

Great Southern Eatery Food Truck

Indian Cuisine Food Truck

Tracy's Tasties Desserts Food Truck

There are Food Trucks in operation in many communities and now that we have enjoyed the Suwanee Town Center "Food Truck Friday" experience, we will definitely look for other opportunities around the country.  We'd love to hear about your food truck experiences!

We always look forward to next year when we return to the Atlanta area.  We've even picked out a new spot at Old Federal for next time!

Next Year - Old Federal - Sunsets and Fishing

DADGUMMIT!

The Old Federal Corps of Engineers (COE) Park on Lake Lanier is in Flowery Branch, GA, and is high on our list of favorite places to enjoy the outdoors.  Old Federal is beautiful, peaceful, and the volunteers that manage the park are so "dadgum" nice (a word I learned from retired FSU Coach Bobby Bowden).   You can stay a maximum 14 days every 30 days.  Scores of Canadian Geese also like the campground and create quite the mess during their visit.

Old Federal Corps of Engineers Campground
Flowery Branch, GA

Old Federal Corps of Engineers Campground
Flowery Branch, GA

Old Federal Corps of Engineers Campground
Flowery Branch, GA

Our only incident with a non-human occurred last week when we left the campground for a short time.  What animal could have possibly ripped our brand new Tommy Bahama beach chair to shreds?  If it wasn't a squirrel, a canadian goose, a shore bird...what could it have been?!  The fiber in the new chair was shredded. This attack involved one of four chairs propped up against the motorhome.

Either a squirrel, goose or bird loved this fabric!

These geese are waiting for us to leave our coach.

Upon departing after our 14 day stay, we drove through impossible Atlanta traffic on I-85 to I-285 to I-20. I'll usually tuck my head into a book and stay very quiet until we get past Six Flags Of Georgia.  Almost 5 hours later we arrived in McFarland Park in Florence, AL, and for the first time in the six years we've stayed at McFarland, every spot in the campground was taken!

McFarland Park, Florence, AL

McFarland Park, Florence, AL

So we continue our drive to Red Bay, AL, about an hour away (we're having work done at Tiffin Motorhomes).  Upon arriving, the only campsites in the Allegro Campground are dry camping, think boondocking.  For those not aware of this term, dry camping/boondocking is where you park your motorhome without water, electricity or sewer.  At the Allegro Campground someone would have to leave for you to get a spot with a full hookup.

Tiffin Allegro Campground
Red Bay, AL

Tiffin Allegro Campground
Red Bay, AL

The campground office suggested a brand new full-service campground owned by Dr. Jim Nabers, a local physician, in the middle of downtown Red Bay.  This turned out to be a jewel!  Our camping spot is conveniently located near all cultural events, shopping, the main financial district and the post office (tongue in cheek), quiet and quaint, and very reasonably priced.  Dr. Nabers has opened a campground on land that has been in his family since 1906.

The New Downtown Red Bay Campground
Red Bay, AL

We are planning to be in northwest Alabama about 2 weeks. Red Bay is an old fashioned, All-American town, with All-American values, and we always look forward to visiting here and seeing old friends.  Tiffin Motorhomes is the largest industry in town so everyone seems happy to see us return.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! - 2014

After we leave our winter domicile, Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort, in Webster, FL, we usually discontinue our blog until we resume travel again.  However, I committed us to several activities that extended our stay in Florida into hot and humid July.  PLUS - We attended our 50th High School Reunion!  By the way, we had a great time.

FGMCR - Webster, FL

Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort

Andrew Jackson Sr. High 50 Year Reunion - Class of '64

A friend, Linda Hardin, from Florida Grande, and I planned our first very successful "Granny Camp" for our granddaughters. For almost 2 weeks, Linda's granddaughter, Adelai, and our granddaughters, Kiley, Kenzie and Khloe, filled just about every waking moment with activities - Wild Bill's Airboat Ride, picking peaches at an orchard in Coleman, FL, painting, drawing, modeling and talent shows (for everyone left at Florida Grande), homemade ice cream cones, waffle/sausage breakfast, swimming.

Kenzie, RV and Kiley - 2014

Kiley, Kenzie and Adelai -- 2014

Adelai, Kenzie and Kiley - 2014

Adelai and Linda Hardin

Granny Camp - Kenzie, YaYa and Kiley - 2014

In closing, Granny Camp was somewhat like giving birth. After it's over you say, "Never again!" but next year we'll probably do it all over again.  We had fun and we're still recuperating from all that fun!

In July, RV and I took the 170' Key West Express catamaran out of Ft. Myers Beach to Key West.

Key West Express - 2014

Upon arrival we rented a red Mustang convertible, and met our daughter, Kristen, her family (and a few friends), and 14 of us stayed in Marathon, and thoroughly enjoyed all that Key West and that area has to offer.

Key West, FL 2014

Marathon, FL 2014

Harold and his crew - 2014

Kristen and I celebrated our birthdays together.  I caught my first mahi, (one of  many caught by all the fishermen), and we enjoyed a delicious blackened mahi dinner presented by Chef Harold (our son-in-law).

Savannah, Kristen, Marty and Christie

Yes, I caught that fish!

Almost a week later we brought 8 year old Kenzie back with us on the catamaran to Ft. Myers Beach, then picked up our motorhome in Webster, and traveled to Pine Mountain, GA, near Calloway Gardens. After an awesome week with Kenzie, we met all the family in Atlanta for an unbelievable surprise - to me and RV!

Kenzie - 2014

 Our daughters, Kristen and Lauren, planned a surprise wedding vow renewal for RV and I at a beautiful mountain resort close to Dahlonega, GA, Forest Hills Mountain Resort, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.  I was led to believe we would be continuing my birthday celebration.  The weekend had been pre-planned giving great attention to detail (and surprising me).  On Saturday evening, Chris, our son-in-law, presented our vows and did a superb job.  Kristen and Lauren made arrangements for a photographer, flowers, our honeymoon cottage, our dresses and shoes, dresses for all the granddaughters, meals with our family, a girls day in Dahlonega, etc.  I could go on but you get the picture.   I'm still flabberghasted!  We were blessed to have such a special time with family that entire weekend, but it meant so much to us that they wanted to be a part of our very special anniversary and a special event in our life. 

Old Federal Corps of Engineers Campground - Flowery Branch, GA

Lake Lanier, GA

For one more week we are in northeast Atlanta at a beautiful Corps of Engineers park, Old Federal, and it has been so nice to relax.  I'll continue to publish our blog while we are on our journey and hope you have a few minutes to read it.  Oh yes, Welcome back to RV THERE YET!   We have several interesting trips planned this season and just like the past, we'll also enjoy those spur of the moment memories that make this lifestyle so interesting. If you have a moment, drop us a line while we are on our 2014 journey - we enjoy receiving your comments.   

SPRING ROAD TRIP - APRIL 2012

This post was prepared when we started our 2012 travel adventure; however, I could not figure out the new rules of blogger.  So, instead of sending it to alphabet heaven, we're posting so you'll know we are alive, well, and continue to dance like no one is looking, so here goes!  Promise the next posting won't be so long!

Since you heard from us last, we enjoyed most of the winter with a flock of our snowbird friends at the Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort in Webster, FL.  On April 1, we said our goodbyes, and if all goes well, we will return to Florida around the end of October.

Florida Grande Motorcoach Resort - Webster, FL 

Florida Grande Motorcoach Resort - Webster, FL

Florida Grande Motorcoach Resort  -  Webster, FL

 First stop was to enjoy a full week packed with fun with family/friends in Green Cove Springs, FL.Our grandchildren are growing up so fast and we just don't get to see them enough.  We treasure our time with everyone we get to see on our whirlwind trips through GCS.

Kenzie - Kiley - Kenneth - Khloe

Kenzie Kenneth, Khloe and Kiley

An added bonus to our RV lifestyle are the friends we meet on the road, as well as Tiffin motor home owners we have met through the Tiffin RV Network (about 6000 members).  The second week in April we met about 80 coach owners at the Coastal Georgia RV Resort in Brunswick, GA for a few days. We also had an awesome visit with dear friends on St. Simons Island and enjoyed a spectacular low country boil on the beautiful Frederica River.  In our opinion, no trip to the Golden Isles would be complete without a shrimp fix at B and J's in Darien, GA. They offer some of the most delicious Georgia white shrimp and oysters that you'll ever eat.

Waiting for supper to jump out of the water - SSI, Ga

Sunset on the Frederica River, SSI - Ga

What a wonderful way to end a busy day.  SSI - Ga

 After the rally we traveled to Twin Oaks Campground near Perry, GA, then on to Flowery Branch, GA for 2 weeks at Old Federal COE on Lake Lanier.  We visited Chris and Lauren (younger daughter and son-in-law) for their 7th wedding anniversary (can you believe it?) as well as to assist in the plans of their new chiropractic office in Suwanee, GA.  We'll return in a couple of months to do lots of grunt work, help with decorating the new office, and get ready for their grand opening.

Old Federal Corp of Engineers Campground - Lake Lanier, GA

Old Federal - on Lake Lanier - Flowery Branch, GA

Old Federal Campground - Lake Lanier - Flowery Branch, GA 

 We spent a couple of days in  Lake Guntersville area of Alabama on our way to northwest Alabama. After Lake Guntersville, we stopped at  McFarland Park.  Florence, AL, one of our favorite cities in Alabama.  This post was written in Red Bay, AL while waiting for our annual service appointment at Tiffin Motorhomes. A trip to Red Bay wouldn't be complete without adding additional accessories while you're waiting on service!  You may not notice the new lights inside the lower galley cabinets OR the Winegard Road Trip In-Motion Satellite on the roof , but they are there.

Yes, RV commandeered a fork lift!

Tiffin Service Center - 45 bays of fun!

We would love to hear from you.  We miss all of you.  Hope to talk to you soon so leave a comment if you have a moment.  We've been trying to figure out the new format of blogger, and  plan to post more frequently.    Lots of exciting things on the way.  Blogger changed the rules in November so it has taken a while to get used to how to do this again.  Talk soon ....LYMI!